Ripe for Seduction
Book 3, The League of Second Sons
Starred review from PW!
“Carr is sure to balance her characters' roguish antics with genuine heart, making the double love story a delightful and erotic page-turner.” 4-Stars (RT Book Reviews) "For her third in the League of the Second Sons, Carr delivers not one, but two love stories that will charm and titillate readers. It's intriguing that, at times, the more mature romance overshadows the younger couples love story, but it is the underlying passion in both, as well as the marvelously crafted backdrop, that holds readers' attention. You will be easily drawn into the naught and bawdy era through Carr's deft prose." After the scandalous demise of her marriage, Lady Olivia Carlow knows the rakes of the ton will think her fair game. So when a letter arrives bearing an indecent offer from the incorrigible Roland Devere, she seizes the opportunity. Turning the tables on the notorious rogue, she blackmails him into playing her betrothed for the season. But no matter how broad his shoulders or chiseled his features, she will never fall prey to his suave charm. When Roland boasted he'd be the first into Lady Olivia's bed, he couldn't have imagined that behind those brilliant blue eyes lurked a vixen with a scheme of her own. Still, Roland is not about to abandon his original wager. If anything, learning that the lovely Olivia is as bold as she is beautiful makes him more determined to seduce her into never saying "never" again. Read the first 3 chapters... |
I'm lucky enough to have a good girlfriend who's also a professional illustrator. Jess not only did my header for me, but she did portraits of all my heroes. Roland is my jokester. He rarely takes anything seriously, unless it's actually do-or-die, an attitude that comes back to bite him in the ass when he finally goes too far ... |
Praise for Ripe for Seduction
“Ms. Carr excels at creating Heroes and heroines that are society outcasts and gives them their much deserved HEA.”
--Under The Covers “Oh, my! What a chain of events is set off by the mock wooing! And what a set of characters! ... RIPE FOR SEDUCTION is part three of a fun (and sizzling) series of connected yet stand-alone books. I highly recommend it.”
--RomRevToday |
“An interesting plot with strong characters that will surely capture your heart. A great read. Ms. Carr is a great storyteller.”
--MyBookAddiction “This was such a fun read. We didn't just get one romance, but two and I loved both of them.”
--Seduced by a Book |
“I really enjoy Carr's writing style since it captures the time period while remaining contemporary and with lots of humor intertwined. Now, I can't wait for the next book in the series.”
--BookHounds “This was a wonderful, well-written romance ... In this novel, Isobel Carr makes a statement that not everyone's love story requires an adventure. Sometimes, the love story is the adventure.”
--Love Saves the World |
Five Fun FactsAfter you’ve finished RIPE FOR SEDUCTION, you can read the reconciliation scene for the secondary couple in the next column (or download it if you prefer). I deleted it from the novel to keep Margo and Philip from taking over, but it's a scene I really love, so I kept it as a bonus for readers.
The indecent offer my hero, Roland, makes to my heroine was based on one a real one made to Lady Mary Coke. The real-life lord got off easier than my hero, LOL! Giant dogs, this time Scottish Deerhounds, once again put in an appearance. Deerhounds were a very rare breed by this point in history. It’s doubtful that most people had ever even seen one, but luckily for us all, a few people kept the breed alive. I am lucky enough to know several Deerhounds, as they frequent my local dog park. Watching them run across the field is truely a sight to behold. The Wolfhounds and Great Danes can't keep up with them, and the Greyhounds are simply dwarfed by them. RIPE FOR SEDUCTION features a shallop race on the Thames. The Queen’s Jubilee, with its display of historical boats, couldn’t have been more timely. I based the house they all end up at in Paris on one that I stayed at in the Marais. Just down the street is my favorite Parisian café, Le Bouledogue, where you can meet Didier and his adorable French Bulldogs. Order the duck. You won't be sorry. Mea CulpaSo, Just What Is That Guy’s Name?
A reader recently pointed out a hugely embarrassing error in my series. A minor character in the first two books, who become a true secondary character in SEDUCTION, undergoes a name change along the way. He’s Malcolm Reeves in the first two books and suddenly he’s Marcus Reeves. And nobody caught. Not me. Not my beta readers. Not my editor. Not my copy editor. Not the two outside copy editors I have review my galley. NOBODY. All I can say is that all those emails begging for me to write Marcus, the Viscount St. Audley’s book (the poor left out hero waiting in the wings from days as Kalen Hughes) must have caused some kind of mental gymnastics that just transformed Malcolm into Marcus in my head and prevented me and everyone else from noticing until now. He’s the next hero in the series, and in honor of my lost viscount, I’m going to stick with Marcus. My sincere apologies to anyone I confused along the way. |
Philip & Margo's
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19thC etching of a Deerhound vs. a modern picture
The AKC website says: “The origin of the breed is of such antiquity, and the earliest descriptive names so mixed that it is unclear as to whether the Deerhound was at one time identical with the ancient Irish Wolfdog. Very early descriptive names were used to identify the purpose of the dog rather than to identify a species. We find such names as Irish Wolf Dog, Scotch Greyhound, Rough Greyhound and Highland Deerhound.”
What is known is that they have definitely identified the breed as Deerhounds as early as the 16th century, at which time no one of rank lower than earl was allowed to possess them. By the mid 18th century the breed had become extremely rare, and it wasn’t until the 1825 that someone (notably Archibald and Duncan McNeill) undertook the restoration of the breed.
The Scottish Deerhound Club of America website says: The grace, dignity and beauty of the Deerhound have been faithfully depicted in many of Landseer's paintings and drawings, and Sir Walter Scott, who owned the famous Deerhound Maida, makes many enthusiastic allusions to the breed, which he describes as "The most perfect creature of Heaven."
What is known is that they have definitely identified the breed as Deerhounds as early as the 16th century, at which time no one of rank lower than earl was allowed to possess them. By the mid 18th century the breed had become extremely rare, and it wasn’t until the 1825 that someone (notably Archibald and Duncan McNeill) undertook the restoration of the breed.
The Scottish Deerhound Club of America website says: The grace, dignity and beauty of the Deerhound have been faithfully depicted in many of Landseer's paintings and drawings, and Sir Walter Scott, who owned the famous Deerhound Maida, makes many enthusiastic allusions to the breed, which he describes as "The most perfect creature of Heaven."