Beyond Seduction (Bastion Club) | 
 enlarge | Author: Stephanie Laurens
Publisher: Avon
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
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You Save: $7.98 (100%)
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Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 62118
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 496
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.2
ISBN: 0060839252
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.92
EAN: 9780060839253
ASIN: 0060839252
Publication Date: September 1, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
In a moment of recklessness, Gervase Tregarth, 6th Earl of Crowhurst, swears he'll marry the next eligible lady to cross his path. Cloistered at his ancestral castle in Cornwall, with nary a suitable woman for miles, he never expects he'll have to fulfill his pledge, at least not until the London Season begins. But then he meets his neighbor, the very appealing Madeline Gascoigne. Years of secret service to the Crown have taught Gervase the value of always having a loophole—there will be no wedding if he and Madeline are incompatible in any way. So he sets out to prove that they would make a most dreadful match . . . by luring her into his arms and, ultimately, his bed. From their very first kiss, Gervase discovers that the headstrong and independent Madeline is no meek country miss . . . and that the fire between them will burn long beyond that first seduction.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...
 Should have been a great story, but... July 10, 2008
BJ Rose
A strong heroine to match a strong hero, two sets of precocious siblings, a couple of bad guys, some left-over war intrigue to challenge the spying skills of a former spy - how could that go wrong? Let me tell you the ways:
Gervase Tregarth, Earl of Crowhurst, has been attempting to find a wife, but has repeatedly been called back to his estate to deal with one calamity after another ~ all caused by his 3 younger sisters, who are afraid he will bring home a spoiled London wife who will promptly banish them to live with an elderly aunt. Out of frustration, Gervase swears to marry the first suitable lady he meets, providing she is not uncompatible in any way. He figures he's safe, since he gets to decide what is compatible and besides, no suitable ladies reside in the area. Is he ever wrong! He knows, of course, that Madeline Gascoigne lives nearby at Treleaver Park, but he has only recently returned to the Castle after years spent spying for the Crown, and thinks of her as a unique person who capably runs her younger brother's estate, not as an eligible lady - until his sisters prod him into considering the possibility. Then he begins his campaign, and the next 200 pages are dedicated to his seducing her into his bed often enough so that passion will convince her to consider marriage.
Here are the causes of my disappointment in what should have been a great story:
1) Where in this seduction is the hero's respect for the heroine? He used sex as manipulation - that's not love.
2) In all other areas, Madeline's strong personality and sense of responsibility come through loud and clear, but she allows lust to wipe out all other considerations? It doesn't fit. And she doesn't expect or want marriage, so where was her concern about pregnancy?
3) Although there are some strong hints earlier, the villains of the story don't appear until nearly 200 pp. into the book - which also happens to be when the story became more interesting. It is often the secondary characters that strengthen a story.
4) This may be nit-picking, but two terms were very off-putting to me: his agatey eyes (really?!) and the use of library-cum-study; why not just one or the other, we'd get the idea. I can't quite envision him saying, 'Please come into my library-cum-study', so why describe it that way?
I will be reading Christian's story, since I want to follow the spy intrigue to the end. At one point in this series, I was hoping that Dalziel's story would be added to the six as the appropriate ending, filling in all the holes in their spying careers, but not if it's as painful as the first half of this one.
NOT AS GOOD AS USUAL May 12, 2008
K. TROUT (SOUTHERN NJ)
I ALSO REALLY WANTED TO LIKE THIS STORY. I THOUGHT THAT THE LOVE STORY WAS A GOOD ONE. I STARTED TO FLIP THRU PAGES WHEN THEY WERE MYSTERY SOLVING. IT WAS JUST TOO MUCH DETAIL THAT WAS'NT NECESSARY. I STILL LOOK FOWARD TO THE LAST IN THIS SERIES BECAUSE I LOVE THIS AUTHOR.
Good addition but severely lacking January 21, 2008
Evilcleo
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
While this was a good addition to the series, I found myself questioning just how entertaining it is. The beginning caught my attention but then it didn't. For one thing, it is difficult to believe that Gervase had known Madeline for years and never really felt a thing and all of a sudden there is an attraction? Not exactly believable, then again the fact that Madeline, a very intelligent and mature woman, never even considered using some type of birth control is not either. As she was spinster age,an affair is something but a kid coming from it is just scandalous.
Then there is the characterization of Gervase, who began to be a generally nice guy and a hero many people would like but then quickly started lacking to be seen as one. I mean he wouldn't let Madeline leave before she agreed to an affair? A: Madeline could have done something to get out of it and B: that is not a hero, that is a jerk. A determined hero would just find another way. Then after that he thought just the physical components would create love each other and "show" he wanted to marry her. No one would be able to get that message- that is where words are needed, words he gave too late.
It is another typical Bastion book: hero has affair with heroine to convince of compatibility and somehow that creates love on its own and they marry, and they coincidentally get along every other way which is way too much of a coincidence. Okay, so this physical component is important but there is more to a relationship than that, Laurens has plenty of time to give the characters more of a personality. Or maybe she should just cut back period cause there was a considerable amount of drag in the novel and frankly sometimes it is just better to get to the point.
What I honestly really want is just to see a relationship that is grown on something more than just sex. Like A Rogue's proposal-that was enjoyable because you got both strong character's personalities and the physical part of it. A great balance, one Lauren has lost throughout the years.
Pretty good book... January 18, 2008
T. GARDNER (Maryland, USA)
This book was ok, I enjoyed the read. In my opinion, it was not up to par with the other books in the Bastion Club series. However, I did like the characters and the mystery was ok. Not the best book that I've ever read, but not the worst either. Definitely will not go down as a Stephanie Laurens classic.
 Beyond Seduction December 22, 2007
Patrcia A. Wright (Battle Creek, Mi)
What I have read of the book so far is good I love the Bastion Club . I have several of Stephanie Laurens Books. I love the family and friends also.
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