TOUCH OF A SCOUNDREL (Touch Of Seduction #3) by Mia Marlowe + GIVEAWAY

TOUCH OF A SCOUNDREL (Touch Of Seduction #3) by Mia Marlowe

Paperback, 310 pages

Published August 1st 2012 by Brava

Genre: historical romance novel, Victorian England

Rating: 4.5 stars

London, 1860. 

Griffin (known as "Devon"), thirty year old Earl of Devonwood,  has a gift. He is a seer, a person endowed with the ability to glimpse the future by touching inanimate objects, a birthright inherited from his mother "just as directly as his raven hair and storm gray eyes". For the last sixteen years he's been tormented by guilt:  Devon blames himself and the inaccuracy of one of his visions for the accidental death of his father. Since that day, "Griffin's boyhood slipped away forever", on his narrow shoulders the heavy responsibilities of an earldom, a mother and two younger siblings. 

Emmaline Farnsworth, fresh American beauty and upstart commoner, is the daughter of a scholar and egyptologist. She may not be the most suitable match for the brother of an earl, and Devon will do whatever he can as head of the family to prevent such an ill-suited engagement. But Devon's younger sibling, Theodore, thinks himself in love with her and ready to propose: in Emma's capable and self-assertive personality Theo, who grew up in the  shadow of his brooding older brother, has found  the perfect match for his own feckless and  amiable personality; in Emma's father (Monty Farnsworth) he has met a great mentor and a surrogate father figure capable to bestow knowledge without overshadowing his yielding personality. 
Sadly, and with a good amount of guilt on her part, Emma doesn't return Theo's feelings and yet she hasn't done much to discourage his courtship: to complicate the matter, after a first encounter with his older brother Devon, and judging from the visceral reaction that affects both of them, it's clear where the romance will blossom...against their better judgment. 
There's more to Emma and his scholar father than meets the eye, in fact: they're not who they claim to be. With the aid of a fake Egyptian artifact, this  couple of skilful con artists plans to swindle Theo into funding an Egyptian expedition, flee with the money and settle in a sanatorium on the German Alps where Emma's father will hopefully restore his rapidly deteriorating health. Consumption is killing him and this scheme may be the last good opportunity they have to provide Monty with the proper therapy for his unforgiving ailment. Not to mention the effects their vagabond life-style and lack of stability is having on Emma, wearing her soul as quickly as lines and illness are marking Monty's face at every turn of the seasons. More than the riches, the luxury of permanence calls to her. 
It will be a fortuitous "touch" between Devon and Emma to unveil, through allegorical and accurate visions of sizzling passion, occult enemies, and lurking dangers, how deeply and inevitably connected their destinies are.
I really liked this historical romance novel, with all its emotional complexity. I am not a big fan of love triangles, but the plot, enriched by a light paranormal twist, was original and captivating. I loved Mia Marlowe's writing style, her prose always elegant and eloquent, her descriptions exquisitely vivid, the sensuality incandescent and yet tasteful. Being the heroine a confidence artist, I didn't necessarily admire her, but the author managed to portray her as a sympathetic character with the depths, the lights and the  shadows of a young woman who was born an orphan, raised in foster care and whose only family is an adoptive father who deceits wealthy and gullible victims for a living. With her genuine feelings of guilt and gratitude for Theo and her deeply passionate love for Devon, she eventually redeems herself. The suspenseful element, the references to occultist practices and the supernatural qualities of the male protagonist are not heavily exploited and they are packed mainly in the final chapters of the novel. What really defines the storyline is the emotional conflict playing between Devon, Emma and Theo; Devon's visions act more as windows on the ineluctability of their love and perfect narrative devices to advance the plot and reveal the most basic truth about human relationships: laws of attraction are hard to defy. Absolutely delectable!

*Complimentary copy graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an unbiased opinion. 


**********************GIVEAWAY****************************

The publisher would like to offer a copy of TOUCH OF A THIEF ( book #1 in the Touch Of Seduction series) to a lucky commenter. Drop a comment about this review or any of Mia Marlowe's novels and kindly include your email address  for a chance to win. Contest open only to US and Canada residents.  

TOUCH OF A THIEF ( Touch Of Seduction #1) by Mia Marlowe

Paperback, 274 pages

Published May 1st 2011 by Brava 

Genre: historical romance novel

Blurb

Lady Viola Preston is careful to wear gloves when she steals jewels. When she touches a gemstone with her bare skin, it speaks to her, sending disturbing visions. Still more disturbing is the handsome rogue who catches her red-handed.