BOOK REVIEW: Seducing Miss Lockwood

*This is just my opinion, my personal take on any given book, use as a reference. I will not be overly gushing. I will also endeavor not to give too much of the plot away.
I will not hand out 4 star ratings for every book, or try not to.*


SEDUCING MISS LOCKWOOD~ HELEN DICKSON

HARLEQUIN HISTORICAL July 2009 276 pages

I don't know where to start on this book, I really was getting into it, then it went off the cliff in my mind. I love how it starts, Juliet Lockwood arrives at the manor of Lord Dominic Landsdowne. Caught in a heavy downpour, she looks like a drowned rat, and faces the notorious society rake and his raffish rake friends (all somewhat drunk) and subjected to some bawdy and lewd remarks. She doesn't shrink from the scrutiny, I like her already, and so did Dominic.

She is there to assist in organizing his library. Of course, caught in this downpour, she proceeds to get sick, and who looks after her, but this same rakish enigmatic Lord, who on the surface is guarded, standoffish, but as we and Juliet soon find out, there is more to Dominic. He cares about his tenants, to the point he would strip down to the waist (always a plus!) and help in harvesting.
He cares about his servants. Dominic has a forceful personality and is very charismatic.
Maybe too forceful.
Dominic is passionate, as he soon proves in his 'seduction' of Juliet, but he coldly proposes she be set up as his mistress. Juliet is mortified.
A sub plot involving her brother is threaded throughout the story, and of course, there are hints that Juliet Lockwood has some highly placed, estranged family members (you can see where this is going)
But what kept this from me giving it 3 and a 1/4 stars was how Dominic seemed to come off the rails in the last 1/3 of the book. Maybe it was the mood I was in when I was reading, but he became very unlikable in his verbal lashings at the poor Juliet. Maybe even verbal abuse. "You seem in poor temper, Dominic" One character observed. No kidding! It was overdone.
By the time you get to the HEA (happily ever after) you think, Jeez, was this guy worth all that?
Too bad, because Dominic started out so promising. "I am not worthy of a love such as this..." No Dominic...you're not.
Remember this is JMO, perhaps if I re-read this a year from now, I will feel differently.
Overall, it was a good read, I believe because I was so taken with Dominic in the beginning that when he turned nasty, it just disappointed me.

2 and 3/4 stars out of 4


KOVER KUDOS: Nathan alert!! Yes, that is my Nathan Kamp on the cover, so that automatically raises the mark, LOL! He looks as Dominic is described in the book, but aren't most heroes described with dark, brooding looks? The female also matches the description of Juliet, nice colors in the cover, I think if this passionate clinch was in the library, it would have fit the story more.
3 and 1/2 stars.