A Study in Seduction
By Nina Row
Publisher: Forever/
Grand Central
Release Date: August
28, 2012
Lydia Kellaway is a
math prodigy, one whose affinity for numbers goes beyond an extraordinary
ability to comprehend the most complex mathematical formulae. Lydia uses math
for comfort when she is troubled, for mental worry beads when she’s nervous,
and for a shield to protect her from situations that threaten her poise and
peace. Her genius has both enriched her life and limited it. Her father, Sir
Henry Kellaway, a renowned scholar in the field of Chinese history and
literature, and her maternal grandmother have always encouraged her to develop
her gift, but her mathematical abilities and the circumstances of her childhood
have isolated her. As an adult, she continues to be an isolated figure, devoted
to her younger sister Jane and immersed in a world of numbers. She understands
math, even using it as a means of comprehending things she cannot understand,
things like passion and love. All this begins to change when Lydia’s
grandmother pawns a locket that was Henry Kellaway’s gift to his bride. The
locket has great monetary and sentimental value, but its value is beyond price
to Lydia, for it guards a secret she has given a decade of her life to
protecting.
Alexander Hall, Viscount Northwood, eldest son
of Earl Rushton, purchased the locket, intrigued by its uniqueness. Northwood
has spent the past two years trying to pull his family back from the precipice
of social ruin where his mother’s elopement with a Russian soldier and the
divorce that followed propelled them. The scandal was disastrous for Northwood,
his younger brothers, and their sister whose Russian blood and ties to a
country the insular English viewed as uncivilized already caused society to
view them suspiciously. Northwood has spent countless hours working with
various charities, clubs, and particularly with the Society of Arts as part of
his plan to restore his family’s reputation. He also hopes to arrange a
marriage for his sister Talia that will lend the family greater respectability.
His family’s restoration has been his focus since he returned to London from
Russia to face the gossip and a broken engagement.
When Lydia
approaches Northwood to negotiate for the return of the locket, both their
lives begin to change. The attraction between them is immediate, and it grows
stronger with every meeting. In Northwood, Lydia finds someone who respects her
mathematical genius but recognizes the vulnerable, passionate woman as well. In
Lydia, Northwood finds someone who makes him happy, who makes him see life is
larger than the concerns that have consumed them. The relationship between the
two develops gradually on all levels—physical, intellectual, and emotional. But
just as the two are about to claim their happiness, a threat from Lydia’s past
surfaces, jeopardizing all that she holds dear.
Rowan gives readers
a romance that is different in many ways. First, there is Lydia, a nerdy,
socially awkward heroine with a dark past. Then, there is Alexander, a hero who
legitimately can be expected to evoke the exoticism and dangers of Russian Cossacks
and steppes. Finally, there is the setting: London, 1854, just before England
and France declare war on Russia. Lydia and Alexander’s story is complex and
compelling, made more so by Alexander’s ties to Russia. The secondary
characters—Lydia’s sister, Jane, and her grandmother, Alexander’s father and his
siblings, Sebastian and Talia, and his friend Castleford—are all interesting in
their own right.
A Study in Seduction
is Rowan’s debut in historical romance, although she has previously published
as an author of erotica under a different name. Readers will find plenty of
sizzle in ASIS, but the story is far more than a series of sexy scenes. It has
angst, humor, and mystery. It’s also the first in a series. Sebastian, the
musical brother, is the next hero. I look forward to his story, and I’m hoping
to learn more about Darius and Nicholas, the mysterious twins who are only
mentioned in the first book. I’m also really hoping that Talia and Castleford
will have their own book. I suggest you check out A Study in Seduction now, so
you’ll be ready for A Passion for Pleasure in the spring.
Do you like romances
that move beyond ballrooms and house parties? Have you read other romances with
a Russian connection?
