Seduction of a Proper Gentleman (Last Man Standing)
by Victoria Alexander
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Book Summary Information
Author: Victoria AlexanderEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-08-26
ISBN: 0061449466
Number of pages: 384
Publisher: Avon
Book Reviews of Seduction of a Proper Gentleman (Last Man Standing)
Book Review: A ROMANTIC TALE ... THAT'S PURE MAGIC!
Summary: 5 Stars
Could it be MAGIC...
For most people falling in love and trusting your heart to another can be a somewhat risky thing to do, though usually well worth the gamble. For Lady Kathleen MacDavid falling in love can be a hazardous venture, or to be more precise, a truly perilous one for the gentleman she falls in love with. But then, most people don't have fate, destiny AND a 500 year old curse hanging over their heads. Now, the lovely Lady Kathleen considered herself to be an intelligent, responsible and reasonably sensible woman--no simple thing when you were raised in a family of rather impractical women who dabbled in the mystic arts; and believed in things like spells, charms, superstitions and magic--Oh, and of course, the family CURSE.
According to old family legend, it all started hundreds of years ago with two feuding border families--an English one and Kathleen's Scottish ancestors, who, in order to end the hostility and violence were to be joined thru marriage. But somehow the marriage never took place and an old woman who'd lost most of her family in the warfare had put a curse on both families--declaring they be united in marriage--or terrible, dreadful things would happen and both family lines would die out. They'd had 500 years to break the curse, but apparently no one had; and the deadline--autumn of 1854--was fast approaching.
At first Kathleen thought the whole thing was utter nonsense, but after years of untimely deaths, a string inexplicable tragedies and the peculiar inability of perfectly healthy members of her family to reproduce--leaving Kathleen as the last of her line--had forced her to become a believer. So to break the curse and save her family, she was willing to travel to England and sacrifice herself on the alter of matrimony to--the last male descendent of the English family--Oliver Leighton, 12th Earl of Norcroft.
Now, would it be too much to hope that Lord Norcroft believed in magic as well???
*****
I'm always a little nervous when I read the final book in any series because honestly--due to high expectations--a last book can sometimes make or break a series for the reader. So I'm thrilled to say that I thought SEDUCTION OF A PROPER GENTLEMAN was an absolutely PERFECT ending to Victoria Alexander's excellent "Last Man Standing" quartet.
From the charming and "magically" mysterious prologue, to the incredibly fitting conclusion of the "tontine", and the utterly delightful glimpse into the HEA of the characters that I've come to love--thirty years into their future--in a wonderful epilogue ... I loved-loved-loved Oliver and Kate's enchanting, funny and romantic tale. It was pure MAGIC!
I thought Kate was the ideal heroine for Oliver; they had great chemistry together and both were kindhearted, amiable, affectionate and "family oriented". I had loved Oliver throughout the series; he was a dependable and honorable man--the most sensible of all the "guys"--and just an all around nice fellow who very much deserved to find love. Though I definitely enjoyed the irony of Oliver winning the bet--he was unashamedly a romantic and the only one not running away from love, so of course, he would be the last to find it. And I was very happy with how Oliver's character evolved in the story, the author allowed him to be more lighthearted, playful, charmingly flirtatious and sexy. And he was made to endure some unpredictable and hilarious mishaps as well.
Though, aside from the terrific humor and delightful absurdity of the "curse" I felt there was a much deeper--dare I say profound--theme running below the lighthearted surface of the story... Reminding us that BAD things do happen to GOOD people and usually with no rhyme or reason to them. And to survive the sorrowful times of your life, or make the terrible times bearable, you need to trust in your inner strength--and you absolutely must have HOPE in your heart.
I felt Kate was that kind of person. She was a strong, courageous, and remarkable heroine because no matter what life threw at her she kept her sense of humor, and she kept picking herself up and carrying on. I loved her--and she's become one of my all time favorite heroines. I also thought the amnesia scenario matched the storyline so well; I love the whole--chance to start over/start fresh--thing. Kate's struggle to come to terms with her loss of memory and sense of being "lost" added another poignant layer to the storyline. She had to deal with a roller-coaster of emotions and I couldn't help but feel her frustrations and fears. Yet, she handled losing her memory remarkably well, much better than I think I would have been able to cope. Her self-reflections were full of tender moments that tugged at the heartstrings and also several laugh out loud moments; such as when she was assembling a list of what she perceived to be her newly discovered character flaws.
I love romantic comedies and I've been a big fan of Victoria Alexander's historical romances for several years. I believe she has a genuine gift for--lighthearted--romantic storytelling that is complemented by the lustrous comedic "voice" of a true humorist. Her stories are passionate--unquestionably--optimistic and entertaining, offering her reader's sophisticated, intelligent and insightful observations on life, relationships and love. All of her characters are compelling and realistically drawn--coming complete with all the flaws, endearing quirks and eccentricities that make them unique, and distinctly human. Ms Alexander's books are my comfort reads because they never fail to bring a smile to my face, lift my spirits and just make me happy... I can't ask for more then that from any author. If you're a HOPEFUL romantic like I am and you're looking for a story to make you feel happy inside--I highly recommend picking up a copy of this heartwarming story.
I also recommend the other Victoria Alexander's other books in this series ... Let It Be Love (prequel) A Little Bit Wicked (Last Man Standing, Book 1) What a Lady Wants (Last Man Standing, Book 2) Secrets of a Proper Lady (Last Man Standing, Book 3)
Summary of Seduction of a Proper Gentleman (Last Man Standing)
To break a centuries-old curse, beautiful, headstrong Lady Kathleen MacDavid knows she must ignore every rule of propriety by seducing?and marrying?the Earl of Norcroft. So she sets off for London, braving scandal and ruin to achieve her goal . . . until a crazy bump on the head makes her forget nearly everything.
The thrill of winning a bet?that he'd be the last of his set to wed?hasn't eased the earl's pain of losing his friends to marriage. Still, he'd be willing to settle down if he could meet someone worthy of his love?and desire. But he has met no such woman, until Kathleen is brought to him. Suspicious of her motives, he's determined to resist her seductive ways. But sometimes even the most proper gentleman finds it expedient to act improperly . . .
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