Beyond Seduction

A Bastion Club Novel

By: Stephanie Laurens

Narrated by: Steven Crossley

Length: 15 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

A little bit wild and undeniably brave, the gentlemen of the Bastion Club have pursued adventures far and wide. But their exploits at home could prove to be the riskiest of all as they hunt an elusive target: the perfect bride.

In a moment of recklessness, Gervase Tregarth, sixth Earl of Crowhurst, swears he’ll marry the next eligible lady to cross his path. Cloistered at his ancestral castle in Cornwall, with nary a suitable woman for miles, he never expects he’ll have to fulfill his pledge, at least not until the London season begins. But then he meets his neighbor, the very appealing Madeline Gascoigne.

Years of secret service to the Crown have taught Gervase the value of always having a loophole - there will be no wedding if he and Madeline are not compatible in every way. So he sets out to prove that they would make a most dreadful match by luring her into his arms and, ultimately, his bed. From their very first kiss, Gervase discovers that the headstrong and independent Madeline is no meek country miss - and that the fire between them will burn long beyond that first seduction.

Stephanie Laurens began writing as an escape from the dry world of professional science. Her hobby quickly became a career when her novels captivated readers around the globe, making her one of the romance world’s most beloved and popular authors. She has been writing for more than twenty years and is a New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today best-selling author.

©2007 Savdek Management Proprietory, Ltd. (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“A reliable serving of rogues and romance.” ( Publishers Weekly)

Great story but the narrator is horrid

Of why oh why can't they find a decent narrator for the Bastion novels?! I love the stories and am invested in the series but this narrator makes the women sound like absolute shrews. He doesn't have enough range to adequately differentiate between characters. Please re-record

Boring

I’m not sure why but I found this book extremely boring. I finished it but I didn’t really care what happened at the end.

narration

I have a very high tolerance, when the story is good. However I was unable to get past chapter 5. Author should have stayed with previous narrator.

First Boring Novel of Ms. Laurens'

I've listened to several Stephanie Laurens books, and I've never been bored or anxiously awaiting the end to a story. But nothing last forever. This story just didn't hold the heat or an interesting tale. However, I liked that she didn't try to wrap everything all neatly in the end. That's more true to life and may continue in another book. I don't know and don't care. I certainly will listen to other books by this author, but I forwarded through parts of this one and was just relieved that I could count this one done when it was over. I think the narrator did well with what he had. It may have been that the small town atmosphere contributed to my degree of boredom; I don't know. I can't quite put my finger on the problem. It still had some heat, which I like, but it seemed less somehow. I liked the adult relationship and the heroine's familial relationships. But neither the H nor the h were especially interesting characters. It was just all average. And there's a place for that, just not when I have to pay for it.

It dragged and could have been better

The story had too much sex in it and the story dragged. Too many descriptions going on and on. If it were to be rewritten it could have been so much better. The characters of his sisters and her brothers should have been developed more.I feel that this author was trying to make extra pages to make the book larger. So sad.

This is my first review and not a happy one

How could the performance have been better?

The narrator made the male characters sound like whiny old men, and the women like fishwives. I usually go through one of these novels in a day but with this narration I am listening in very short sessions.

Any additional comments?

The only thing stopping me from returning this and the next two books is the enjoyment I got from the first books in the series. But I may still end up returning the other two I purchased.

Poor narration

The narration made it difficult to enjoy the book. More like a parody of a romance novel. I had enjoyed the earlier Bastion novels but am disappointed to see that the same narrator completes the series. Not yet decided whether I’ll continue. The male and female voices are cringe worthy.