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WORDS OF SEDUCTION - Dara Girard (#2) Harlequin Kimani/Romance March 2010 |
SYNOPSIS: When it comes to disastrous relationships, Suzanne Rand wrote the book. But there's an unfinished chapter in the superstar author's life--playboy Rick Gordon.
SERIES ROMANCE |3+| Jennifer Brathwaite
REVIEW:
No matter what the superficial
trappings of material success, you can’t change who you are inside and although
often forgotten, it is who you are inside that counts. Both lessons, while
obvious, are hard-learned for the hero and heroine of
Words of Seduction.
Suzanne Rand, the once belle of a small town’s upper crust, returns to that town
in the wake of her father’s death and amidst bitter conversations about a book
she wrote about the city’s biggest scandal, which divided the residents down
income lines. Coming back desperate and needing to sell her father’s home, she
comes face to face with a man from her past who she never forgot. Rick Gordon,
the town’s former bad boy has become a rich and successful man and he now wants
all of the accoutrements that be believes his new status should afford, such as
a big house and public respectability. In Rick’s mind, Suzanne, a love that got
away, represents the key to making his life ideal. As a result, he comes up with
a plan to help her and himself at the same time.
The pacing as well as the dialogue in the novel are both fine. By page one the
main characters are reintroduced, by the second chapter much of their back-story
and the groundwork for their burgeoning reunion established. Rick is earnest in
everything he says which is in keeping with his character and makes him more
likable. Some of the dialogue in the novel is a little unrealistic however. The
unabashed rudeness that many of the townspeople spew not only at Rick but his
family members is a little contrived and heavy-handed in explaining his place in
the minds of many of the residents.
Like the dialogue and pacing, the characters in Words of Seduction
are okay but not exceptional. Some of the individuals in the book are a little
one dimensional and/or they make drastic transformations. Rick and Suzanne are
crafted best but even they have weaknesses in their framework. Rick’s
hypersensitivity about his past and his constant questioning of Suzanne’s
feelings and her motives for everything she does is a little tiresome.
The small town setting is like a character in the book and Ms. Girard uses it
well. The relationship between the characters, the standard of what is important
and the value of a name are all exacerbated by the small town sensibility and
help frame the narrative.
All told,
Words of Seduction
is a nice story. The road to happiness doesn’t always run smooth and that is
certainly the case for Rick and Suzanne but one does cheer for their happiness
in the end. The reader will enjoy the romantic moments between the two leads and
there is an additional player in the story who is quite a delight.
Unfortunately, while worth the read, the novel isn’t one that could be
categorized as a must buy.
reviewer@romanceincolor.com | 18th March 2010