Art of Temptation (Signet Eclipse) [Mass Market Paperback]

Sean Delany is a man of purpose. He has used his single-minded nature
to become one of the wealthiest men in England. Now, Sean is working
to obtain a divorce for his sister. Sean's horrid brother-in-law, the
famous artist, John Hamilton, refuses to grant a divorce unless Sean
agrees to impersonate him. Hamilton blackmails Sean into masquerading
as the well-known artist to appease Hamilton's dying uncle. Sean
quickly realizes he can't pull off this deception without some help.
Lucky for Sean, Lady Corinna Chase, a promising new artist, agrees to
aid him in his mission.

Although Lady Corinna's brother is trying valiantly to see her wed,
marriage is not her priority. Lady Corinna is focused on her art. It
is through her art that she meets Sean, who tempts Lady Corinna in
ways she never dreamed. Perhaps Sean is the one man who can prove
more enticing to Lady Corinna than her art.

Lauren Royal's The Art of Temptation is an intricately woven, romantic
tale. I especially liked the attention given to the secondary
characters and was tickled to see them find their happily-ever-afters
as well. Sean and Corinna's love story is romantic, sensual and a
delight to read. Unable to stop turning the pages, I was riveted by
The Art of Temptation.

Annmarie
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Sean Delaney is desperate to help his sister secure a divorce from her ne'er-do-well husband, John Hamilton. Hamilton got her pregnant when she was just fifteen, and then promptly ignored her for his art and his numerous paramours. But he will only agree to the divorce if Sean will help him dupe his dying uncle by pretending to be him. His uncle wants to get to know him before he dies and leaves him his title and fortune. Hamilton selfishly wants to spend time with his married lover while her husband is abroad, and cares nothing for his uncle. He also has another bargaining chip to coerce the reluctant Delaney: if he won't cooperate in his scheme, Hamilton will force Dierdre to live with him until she bears him a male heir, raping her if necessary. Of course in the eyes of the law, it wouldn't be rape. Sean has little choice but to agree to the plan.

Corinna Chase's brother has been pushing her to marry, but she simply isn't interested. Art is her passion, and her dream is to have one of her paintings accepted for the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition. She's at the museum sketching statues when the two men surprise her by approaching her and introducing themselves. Color-blind Sean discovers he needs Corinna's help to play an artist convincingly, and eventually Corinna believes him when he tells her he isn't really John Hamilton. They'd rather not be dishonest, but they decide it's best to continue with the ruse because Hamilton's uncle really is a very dear man and they want his last days to be happy ones. As they spend more time together, they realize they're falling in love. But can they overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to be together?

The Art of Temptation by Lauren Royal has a lot of great things nestled within its pages. Readers will relate to Corinna's penchant for cheap romance novels, and will enjoy real quotes from actual Minerva Press novels. Ms. Royal weaves a sweetly spellbinding tale of desire, loyalty, ambition and deception all bound together with an aura of sensuality that makes it impossible to put down. Her characters are crafted in such a way that readers can't help but adore them. The Art of Temptation is a truly splendid read from start to finish. This is the first of this author's books that I've read, but it certainly won't be the last.

4 1/2 Kisses, 1/2 Pepper

~Lindy
Reviewer, TwoLips Reviews, LLC
www.TwoLipsReviews.com

I sort of felt like I had to wade through a lot of info to get to the stories I was interested in. I liked Sean and Corinna's story, but it was interspersed with Rachael and Griffin's story. On the surface that doesn't seem too bad. I had liked the snippets I got of Rachael and Griffin and was hoping to see how they came together, but I found my attention wandering when the author was describing Rachael's convoluted family tree. I just wasn't interested. A really juicy event would be happening with Corinna and Sean and we would break away to read on and on about Rachael's family. It really broke up the flow. I liked the scenes of Griffin and Rachael together, but tired quickly of her going on trips to visit people who may have known her father.
The main story was very interesting and Sean was one of the most delicious heroes to come along lately. All that honor and decency wrapped up in such a package was irresistible. All the things he did to take care of the people (especially his sister and Corinna) in his life was very endearing. And, the care he took of an elderly, dying man almost brought tears to my eyes. Sean truly was the stuff of dreams.
So, the 2 couple's stories were compelling, but the extra stuff intruded a little and lowered my rating.