Book Review-She Tempts The Duke

She Tempts The Duke
The Lost Lords of Pembrook
Lorraine Heath
Avon Publishing
Mass Market Paperback
Published February 2012
355 Pages
Regency Historical Romance
ISBN: 978-0-06202246-2
Author's Website

Synopsis
Three young heirs, imprisoned by an unscrupulous uncle, escaped--to the sea, to the streets, to faraway battle--awaiting the day when they would return to reclaim their birthright.

Sebastian Easton always vowed he would avenge his stolen youth and title. Now back in London, the rightful Duke of Keswick--returning from battle a wounded, hardened, changed man--cannot forget the brave girl who once rescued him and his brothers from certain death.

Lady Mary Wynne-Jones paid dearly for helping the imprisoned young Lords of Pembrook, and she remembers well the promise she made to Sebastian all those years ago: to meet him once more in the abbey ruins where they shared a bold, forbidden kiss. While Mary is now betrothed to another, a friendship forged with dark secrets cannot be ignored. Unexpected passion soon burns dangerously between them, tempting Sebastian to abandon his quest for retribution and fight for a love that could once again set him free.

My Review
Summary 
Sebastian once had to leave England at a young age when his father died, and his uncle tried to kill him and his brothers off. Barely escaping with their lives, he made a decision that may have saved their lives, but he has felt guilty over that decision ever since. Now he is back to claim what is his from their Uncle. Sebastian has suffered much over the years, and has battle scars that haven't just scarred him on the outside...but on the inside as well. When he, along with his brothers, arrive at a ball to claim back what was theirs, he comes face to face with the one woman who saved them all...Mary Wynne-Jones. Mary has never forgotten her childhood friend, whom she roamed the hills with as a young girl. Now she is engaged, but when she see's Sebastian and his two brothers very much alive, she is determined to see that they are accepted as they should have been. Even though her affection should lay elsewhere she can't help but feel a pull toward Sebastian. From the first moment she lays her eyes on him again, she only desires to be held in his arms. Soon though a passion soon erupts between them, a desire that could turn into a powerful love.

The Hero (Sebastian Easton)
Even though Sebastian is a twin, he far looks it, and doesn't even have the playful nature of his twin Tristan. Sebastian has changed much over the years...years which have hardened him into a shell of a man. When he was but fourteen years old, he knew he had to make a choice for his brothers, that could very well ruin them all. He sold his twin to a sea captain, and his younger brother Rafe to a workhouse...to this day his decisions have haunted him day and night. When he see's Mary again, he is overwhelmed with a broad range of emotions, all of which focus on her. He knows he will have to make a choice between his duty to his lands and title, and that of duty to his heart.

The Heroine (Mary Wynne-Jones)
Mary, had always felt a friendship with the three brothers. But most especially with Sebastian whom she played with many a time as a child. She has never forgotten her first kiss with him, right before he disappeared. However she couldn't keep what she knew a secret, and her father punished her by sending her to the convent for all of these years. Only recently let her come to London, so that she could find a honorable match and marry. Now she is engaged to a good man, but she is drawn to Sebastian, in a way that she finally begins to feel alive once more.

My Thoughts 
She Tempts The Duke is the first in the Lords of Pembrook series. It has been a while since I have read from this author, and she has always been a personal favorite of mine. She never disappoints...and I found myself falling in love once more. The characters here are unforgettable, ones that are so endearing and climb their way straight into your hearts. Sebastian is a tortured hero--very much tortured, more than I have seen in a while. He is heavily scarred on the outside and the inside. We see evidence that he has suffered much over the years, but I really loved the way he is with his brothers and Mary. We see that he really cares for Mary, even if he doesn't admit it right away. I enjoyed seeing the gentleness he displays with her, even though he has only known a life of roughness and abuse and hardship. Mary is very strong willed and fights for what is right more than what is easy. Mary is the one who saved the three brothers when she was a mere girl. We see through differect acts of courage, how she continues to protect them even at costs to herself. She accepts Sebastian for who he has become, and see's past the scars and into the man. I love a heroine that doesn't judge, but accepts and loves Sebastian for who he is now. There is a danger side to the plot, one full of intrigue and mystery, there is also some sensual moments that keep you totally immersed into the story. A True Gem of a story that will steal its way into your heart.

First Line 
Tonight was the night they would die. 

Favorite Quotes 
"What do you want?"she asked with equal part tenderness and challenge. 
How often had he done things only to prove something to her? Let her see now the sort of man he was. What the years had transformed him into. 
"To forget,"He thrust a hand into her hair, cradled his palm against her cheek, moved her farther into the shadows. 
"Mary," he whispered like a soft benediction and hoped to God that she didn't connect the two sentences and think it was she he wished to orget. Never her. She was the only thing worth remembering. 
He tilted up her face and covered her mouth with his. He wasn't gentle. He wanted to replace horrendous memories with something worth remembering. 

My Grade
5 Blossoms

Heat Rating 
Steamy

Other Books In The Series 
Lord of Temptation
Deck The Halls With Love
Lord of Wicked Intentions