How The Scoundrel Seduces (The Duke’s Men #3) by Sabrina Jeffries- a review

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About the book: Release Date August 19, 2014

Investigator Tristan Bonnaud has one aim in life—to make sure that his half-brother George can’t ever ruin his life again. So when the pesky Lady Zoe Keane, the daughter of the Earl of Olivier, shows up demanding that the Duke’s Men find a mysterious gypsy woman, he seizes the opportunity to also hunt for a gypsy friend who knows secrets about George. Tristan doesn’t expect to uncover Lady Zoe’s family secrets, as well…or end up falling for the woman who will risk all to discover the truth.

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REVIEW: HOW THE SCOUNDREL SEDUCES is the third instalment in Sabrina Jeffries The Duke’s Men historical romance series focusing on the men (and women) who work for Manton Investigations. This is Tristan Bonnaud (half brother to Dominick Manton) and Lady Zoe Keane’s storyline. Zoe and Tristan were first introduced to one another in book two When The Rogue Returns.

The focus of the storyline follows Zoe as she hires Manton Investigations to search for a mysterious gypsy woman with possible connections to her family. Zoe finds herself beholding to Tristan Bonnaud (a man she once believed to be a rogue and a thief) to aid in the search for the woman. But Tristan’s need to take on this particular investigation is less than honorable when he uses the time to search for another gypsy believed to be in league with his evil half-brother George. What our couple never expected to find is a deeper connection to one another than they could ever have imagined.

The relationship between Zoe and Tristan is one of immediate attraction but Zoe’s father has other plans for his daughter. Tristan is the ‘bastard’ son of Viscount Rathmoor and believes he is not worthy of a Lady’s love and continues to push Zoe away believing she may be betrothed to another man but Zoe is a woman possessed to find the missing woman and Tristan is the man with whom she is falling in love. The sexual tension is high and the mores of the day find the couple in a compromising position that results in an admission of a possible future together.

The secondary characters are colorful and add mystery, suspense and some heartbreaking revelations to the story. Several of the previous storyline characters play an active role in both the hunt and the identity of the mystery woman. We are introduced Zoe’s American cousin Keane whose own story is a mystery with a few secrets yet to be revealed.

HOW THE SCOUNDREL SEDUCES is another well paced, romantic and engaging tale of seduction, mystery and family secrets. Sabrina Jeffries pulls the reader into a captivating story of love, loss and betrayal. There are painful revelations and an emotional fall out for two families whose lives are connected by one woman-a woman whose only sin was to fall in love with the wrong man- but a woman who sacrificed her life for the life of another.

Copy supplied by the publisher.

Reviewed by Sandy