Temptation & Twilight
4.5 Stars

Synopsis
After a brush with death, previously unrepentant rake, Iain Sinclair regrets relinquishing his love for Elizabeth York and is determined to overcome her defenses to win her heart again. Following Iain's rejection, Lizzie is finally putting her life back together but cannot forget the passion he evoked in her. Can she look past her hatred to accept Iain's love?

Review
A good conclusion to the series.

The events take place in parallel to those from the previous installment so it is crucial to read in order. This bothered me at first as the the story works up toward the cliffhanger from book #2 and it was frustrating not having the resolution quickly. Nevertheless, it ultimately works well as the truths of Lizzie and Iain's past are slowly revealed alongside the passion of their present relationship.

Iain is an amazing hero - his regret over the past and the intensity of his feelings for Lizzie simply leap from the pages. His journey from an immature and debauched jerk to an honorable hero worthy of Lizzie's love is fascinating.

Lizzie is not only physically blind but emotionally unable to see the depths of Iain's love for her, which is believable but also frustrating. Nevertheless, she is a strong and determined woman who never allows her infirmity to hold her back.

The conclusion to the Brethren Guardian plot is satisfying (although the villain's demise is somewhat anti-climactic), and my guesses as to Orpheus's identity proved correct as did my take on Sheldon's character, which always puts me in a good mood.

The diary subplot is compelling and has much potential but is not effectively integrated into Lizzie and Iain's relationship. Except for one very steamy scene, it contributes little to their romance.

It would also have been nice to have an epilogue providing closure to all the characters and relationships, and I have to wonder if there might not be another book waiting in the wings.
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This is the third and last story in the Brethren Guardians series, but my first book read by this author. Reading it, I realized that I should have read them all in order because I would have gotten to know the leads and their backstory better. That said, I enjoyed regardless of reading it out of order.

Here is why I think you should read this story. The author did a fantastic job with characterization of the hero and heroine and while the story might have used a faster pace, I enjoyed the relationship growth between the two.

This story has a lot in it, besides the inevitable romance. It's filled with angst and passion, while many twists and turns expose a truly despicable villain.

Highly recommended.

Melanie for b2b

Gift copy provided by the publisher for an honest review ( )

This book was really hard for me to review. I really enjoyed the book about half of the time and the other half I just wasn't feeling it. There were some really good parts to it and if you're reading the series, you will want to read this one too.
Elizabeth's character was one that I really liked. She was probably my favorite part of the book. She is blind but tries to be as independent as possible. She was intelligent, kind, and very likable.
While I love a good bad-boy in a romance novel, Iain left me feeling a little disgusted. I really didn't like his character most of the time. He is constantly after Lizzy, but I didn't feel like he really deserved her.
Definitely, hard to rate because it was well written, and I loved Charlotte Featherstone's writing style, but I just wasn't rooting for the so-called hero of the story.

***ARC provided by Publisher through NetGalley*** ( )

The Marquis of Alynwick, Iain Sinclair is a born charmer and complete rake, not above using his charms to ferret out secrets from the wives of the ton. In his heart, however, he's only ever found fantasies of one woman. Elizabeth, the daughter of a duke, is completely on the shelf. After all, she's blind, approaching 30, and on the plump side. But she's still intent on making her way back into society, and she's even found a beau. Too bad the Marquis of Alynwick seems determined to wreck her chances at happiness.

This is the second in a set or possibly a trilogy, and a convoluted subplot involving the Knights Templar does nothing to enhance the story. Just okay. ( )

The Brethren Guardians are men descended from the Knights Templar, a group who have a quest to protect ancient relics that hold untold power. They have been fighting (in the last two books) to keep these relics safe from the mysterious Orpheus, a bad man who seems to have insider information and be only intent on causing evil. Iain Sinclair (also known as the Marques of Alynwick) is the whorish one of the Brethren Guardians. Iain’s way of contributing to the cause is to sleep with a woman he hates to try to get information during pillow talk. He doesn’t particularly enjoy his task, but is willing to do whatever it takes to stop the relics being taken.

Not only is Iain a big whore, he is also in love with the lovely Elizabeth York. Elizabeth is the blind sister of one of his fellow Brethren and has already lost her virginity to the man-whore years previously to this story. Now they coexist in a state of false hostility, each of them hiding true emotion behind apathy and animosity. Too much time has passed for explanations and excuses to be readily accepted, but one thing clear is that neither is unaffected. Iain is not discrete about his conquests, each notch on his bedpost common knowledge; Elizabeth cannot bring herself to acknowledge her love for a man who treats women as disposable.

When a new man starts sniffing around the lovely Elizabeth at a time when things are hotting up for the Brethren, Iain cannot help but smell a rat. This hunch, along with a massive case of jealousy, spurs him to try to reignite a relationship long since dead. Elizabeth has been burned once; she won’t make it easy for him to get close to her again, no matter how much her body craves him. Iain has to use every dirty trick in his arsenal to help him get through her walls, but will it be enough? Moreover, will the impending deadly showdown with Orpheus render all his efforts useless anyway?

Confession number one; I haven’t read the books one and two in this series. Confession number two; historical fiction is not my genre of choice, but I really wanted to read a Charlotte Featherstone novel. Considering both of these confessions, I really enjoyed this book! I will recommend that you read the other tales simply to understand the background to the story Arc. The writing is so fluid that I will DEFINITELY be reading another book by this author. I loved the world that she created; the mixture of historical fact and fiction was compelling! I wanted to read more, even if my gaps in knowledge of the back-story were quite confusing, and I finished this book in a few hours.

Elizabeth was the best character in this twisted love story. I enjoyed her strength of character and convictions. Yes, she was blind, but she didn’t wallow in misery. She accepted her limitations and worked towards her strengths; she really was a worthy heroine. I loved that the author really thought about how the disability would affect more than her day-to-day life; there is a scene between her and Iain where he doesn’t tell her explicitly how he feels so she fills in the blanks with her previous knowledge. Of course she gets it completely wrong, thinks the worst and chucks him out...I never realised little things like not seeing facial expressions could cause so much drama.

Iain was a difficult hero to love. He used sex as a tool and this made him unworthy for a heroine such as Elizabeth. At one point in the tale, he goes from the woman he is sleeping with for information to trying to seduce Elizabeth...as worthy as his cause is, his methods left a lot to be desired. He did try to become a better man, tried to become worthy, but I’m not sure it wasn’t too late. I loved the way he seduced her, using his knowledge of her and his natural charm to seduce every aspect of her. In this way, he was perfect, but then again maybe that is a comment on his practice in this area. No matter how many nice things he did, there were always slimy undertones. The only time I truly saw a glimmer of the man he could be was when he reacts to the scene where Elizabeth chucks him out and changes, making sure he is clear in his words and gestures. I am all for second chances, but I didn’t get the impression that Iain wouldn’t easily slip back into old habits if it suited his purpose.

The side story was fabulous and completely compelling. The outcome of the whole “who is Orpheus?” mystery probably didn’t mean as much as it would be to series readers, but I enjoyed the mystery all the same.

All in all this was a fabulous book by an author I will read more from. With a fabulous heroine and a heartbreaking love story, I think this series has something for everyone. ( )