Review: Great historical romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 30, 2013
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.I have read literally thousands of historical romances.  So when I say that The Twelve Days of Seduction by Máire Claremont was a joy to read, that really means something. The book combines interesting characters and great writing into a pleasurable story.Twelve Days offers a nontraditional heroine in Adriana. She is not an innocent virgin, nor is she pure of thoughts. She is not surprised at her body’s reaction to Alexander and she surprisingly accepts his proposal to become his mistress. Alexander is more traditional as a romance hero. He is of course handsome, rich, and titled.The story was told from both Adriana and Alexander’s point of view. I love to see both views because it offers insight into what each character is thinking.  I enjoyed reading Alexander’s thoughts because I wanted to know what his motivations were.Alexander sets out to seduce Adriana which is typical of an historical romance. However, Ms. Claremont did not stick to the tried and true methods of seduction. Instead, Alexander seduced Adriana’s mind and soul, which to me is far more appealing than seducing her body.I absolutely loved Ms. Claremont’s writing style. Something about the way she wrote transported me back in time to 1859 England. The flow of the writing seduced me as easily as Alexander’s words seduced Adriana. The dialogue between the two was authentic as well as the relationship that Alexander had with his staff and others in the ton.The first three-quarters of the book were just fantastic. Unfortunately, the ending of the book was a bit abrupt and somewhat anticlimactic after such a strong beginning. The situation was resolved too easily considering Adriana’s reservations about their relationship.  Certain concepts seemed contrived and out of place. It is difficult to believe that Alexander’s family prides itself on marrying for love regardless of society’s expectations, especially since it is a dukedom. The duke also conducted a thorough background check on Adriana, however it was a year after she become his ward’s governess.This is the first book I have read by Ms. Claremont, but I am so impressed with her writing style that I will definitely read more from her. The Twelve Days of Seduction is a novella so when you’re looking for a little relief from the holiday stress, I recommend picking up this book and escaping into Victorian England.