Vow of Seduction Book

It is the year of our Lord 1276 as Sir Alex de Beaumont crashes through the back doors of the chapel to stop the ceremony taking place in Westminster Palace. He has just reason to believe these two should not be wed this day...the woman at the alter is already his wife.

Kat, on the other hand, had every reason to believe her husband was dead. Claims of his dead body being found were spread far and wide. So she was shockingly dismayed to see her husband arrive on the day of her second marriage. After all, Alex spent one night in her bed and then left to fight for King Edward at dawn without saying goodbye. Being abandoned did not sit well with Kat, and so with his return, she resolved herself to never forgive Alex for his betrayal.

Alex wants nothing more than Kat's forgiveness. He regrets his decision four years ago to leave his beautiful bride without notice. After spending one year fighting and the next three imprisoned, Alex had plenty of time to regret his mistake. He comes to realize how important Kat is and how much he cares for her. Now that he has returned to her, he strikes a bargain with Kat: He wants three months to properly court and seduce Kat. Should he fail, Alex is willing to give her something that would disgrace him forever: an annulment. Obstacles stand in the way of mending their marriage. Alex believes his captivity was not a happenstance of war, but rather part of a malicious plot against himself and Kat. Alex must not only win back her heart, but must protect her from the evil enemy out to eliminate them both.

Ultimately, Alex thought fighting in the Crusades and being imprisoned were the most difficult trials he had to face in his life. That was until he returned home to the unforgiving wife he abandoned after their wedding night, vowing to seduce his way back into her bed...and her heart.

Vow of Seduction by Angela Johnson is a tale of fear, regret, hatred and love. It had me in its grip from the first chapter. I was intrigued from the beginning on where the story was going and how this couple's story would conclude.

Angela's writing was classic. There were times she gave additional details that in other cases would drag down the story. In her case though, they improved the story. Her details would sharpen the picture of the time period. The historical background she included was wonderful. She had a strong feel for the time period and kept the reader swept away in the classical world she crafted. The chemistry she created between the two leads was undeniably steamy. It was hard to deny the sensual heat between Alex and Kate. The passion they both shared was intense and chilling at the same time.

The hero put his heart of his sleeve from the get-go and it was really a charming and unusual thing to read...he was not the typical hero holding his feelings in reserve:

"Whether you believe it or not, I spent four agonizing years in prison dreaming about you. I vowed that one day I would return to claim you. I know I do not deserve a second chance, but I am going to do everything in my power to earn your forgiveness and win you back."

It was a very enchanting story and I was with the book ultimately until the very end. The last ten pages I became so exhausted with the heroine's anger and frankly, her stupidity. Her anger was justified throughout the book but when her anger seemed to lack merit, she still hung onto it diligently. Perfection would have seen the story fleshed out just a trifle bit more to justify Kat's ultimate change of heart. I wanted to know more of her past to understand why her beliefs were so strong to her.

So ultimately the book wasn't perfect, but that wasn't to say I didn't enjoy it immensely. Romance novels set in Medieval time are not usually my favorite, but if more were written like Vow of Seduction, I would predict my appreciation of the sub-genre would grow drastically.

Overall Rating: 4/5
Heat Level: 4/5

Lisa @ Once Upon A Chapter