Book Tour for The Seduction of Emily by Rachel Brimble (Review)

As a fan of the historical genre I'm pleased to bring Rachel Brimble here today with her gritty and unique read, The Seduction of Emily.  Keep reading to get a taste of this book along with my impressions of it.

Seduction is a wicked game, and no one plays it better than the devilish Will Samson in Rachel Brimble's captivating new novel. . .

Since girlhood, Emily Darson has accepted that she will marry Nicholas, the son of her father's trusted business partner. The marriage contract safeguards her family legacy, Emily's fortune, and everything she values--except her independence. Only when a sinfully handsome scoundrel enters her life does Emily realize quite how much a loveless match will cost her.

Will Samson has advanced from expert pickpocket to confidence trickster of the highest caliber. Now he has come to Bath to exact vengeance on the man who destroyed his mother--the man Emily will soon marry. But from his first glimpse of the enemy's bewitching, spirited fiancé, Will's plan changes.

Amid the ballrooms and salons of elegant society, heated glances explode into scandalous kisses. Revenge is sweet, but surrender will be irresistible. . .

EXCERPT:

A movement barely inches to her side caught Emily’s attention. She turned and swallowed the gasp that rose sharply in her throat.
It was the man who winked at her in the auction room.
He strolled toward her, his shining sea-blue eyes locked on hers. Her courage inside the room promptly abandoned her. Emily’s heart turned over. He stood at least half a foot taller than she, his wide shoulders absurdly broad, his confidence disturbing. She bit back a nervous laugh as an entirely inappropriate imagining came unbidden into her mind. Oh, to have him fling her over those shoulders and escape with her into the night!
He flashed her a knowing smile—God spare her, she smiled back.
Never before had a man’s gaze enticed such inexplicable naughtiness in her. Danger screamed its warning. What was she thinking? There was no time for dalliance or distraction. Nicholas’s gruff cough snapped her attention.
The handsome stranger snatched his gaze from hers and touched his finger to the brim of his hat. “Good afternoon, sir.”
Nicholas nodded. “Can I help you?”
“I wanted to offer my congratulations.” The man held out his hand. “A very fine win.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Nicholas took his offered hand. “Thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse—”
“Yes, quite the battle you had in there.” Fine lines crinkled the corners of the stranger’s phenomenal eyes.“Nothing beats a fiery one on one.”
He turned and looked directly at Emily, his raised eyebrow referring the sentiment to her rather than Nicholas. She should have been outrageously affronted, yet a burst of delicious excitement rushed through her veins and warmed her body.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  ARe  |  BN  |  BOOKSTRAND  |  KOBO

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

As a person who reads a lot of romance novels it's not often that I come across a story that sets itself apart from the rest of the genre.  Ms. Brimble has done just that however through her unique setting and by making her characters not of the nobility.  The main characters are of the working class which places them in a decidedly different set of rites and circumstances and adds a bit of grittiness to a story dealing with the difficult issue of rape.

Emily has been promised in marriage to Nicholas for the benefit of their family's business.  Since childhood they've been together and though she doesn't love him she's consigned herself to marrying him.  For the sake of her father and their future she continually overlooks the glimpses she sees of Nicholas' temper bubbling below the surface.  I found this extremely frustrating as she's a smart woman not easily led astray.  She's strong enough to stand up for herself so it's hard to reconcile her strength with her martyrdom, especially since her father was willing to let her back out of the arrangement.

Will was a delightful character unashamed by his past as a pickpocket.  His upbringing was harsh and heartbreaking but he came out of it as a kindhearted soul.  The bad things he did enabled him to enter the same circle as Nicholas inhabits in order to enact his revenge for the vile deed the man did to his mother.  The deed is in fact one that Nicholas has perpetrated on numerous other women and Will is determined to see Nicholas pay for what he's done and stop him from doing it again.  Will at first doesn't care who gets in his way of revenge, but once he sees Emily he'll do anything to protect her and make her his.  He's a truly heroic character that completely won me over despite his past.

Nicholas is a truly vile character who's gotten away with hurting one woman after another for a very long time.  There are many moments that show his true character and I wish Emily had heeded the warning signs sooner as her being in his presence had me constantly worrying for her safety.  Ms. Brimble deals with his crime of rape in a sensitive way with realistic ramifications.  You don't normally see heavy issues dealt with in this genre and I thought its inclusion was seamless and made for good drama.  Will's final act of revenge by bringing Nicholas' past victims to confront him felt a bit modern, though it made for a satisfying conclusion.

The romance between Emily and Will was sensual and slowly built to its erotic conclusion.  They were a perfect match with their strong-willed natures and focus on doing what was right.  All in all there was a lot I liked about this book, but I felt it went on a bit too long and the beginning felt a bit clunky as though there were problems depicting the designated time period.  In fact I'm still not quite certain when this story exactly takes place.  I was also immensely frustrated by Emily staying with Nicholas as long as she did, almost to the point of becoming his next victim.  I would've ran far and long away from him at the first sign of his anger and possessiveness.  On a whole though I applaud Ms. Brimble for doing something different and memorable and look forward to what she has planned next.

My rating for this is a C+

*I received this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

I live with my fantastic husband, our two young daughters and my beloved black Labrador, Max in a small market town near the famous Georgian City of Bath.  Having always ‘played’ with writing, I didn’t seriously sit down and write toward publication until I became pregnant with my second daughter – then I told myself to get my butt in the chair and get on with it before she grows up and I’m forced to get a real job!
Lots of short stories followed as did lots of rejections!  I took a few distance learning courses, joined some online writers groups and basically, learned my craft.  Finally deciding short stories weren’t working for me (they are an art form in themselves!), in 2006 I decided to embark on my first novel and voila Searching For Sophie was born!  Since then, my other books have followed each year.
And when I’m not writing? You’ll find me with my head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with my family.  And in the evening?  Well, a well-deserved glass of wine is never, ever refused.

WEBSITE:  http://www.rachelbrimble.com/
BLOG:  http://rachelbrimble.blogspot.com/
TWITTER:  https://www.twitter.com/rachelbrimble
FACEBOOK:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Brimble/181873201887441