Proof by Seduction Advanced Review *Courtney Milan*

When I began reading Proof by Seduction I wasn’t sure what to make of it. We have our heroine, Jenny Keeble who is a fraud by playing the role of a fortune teller named Madame Esmerelda. She lives in near poverty but because she is skilled at deceit and believes she isn’t a good person and hasn’t been since she turned nine years old, she does what she has to do to survive. Jenny is not some virginal, innocent British miss but a mature woman of thirty. The only respect she gets is from her clients, especially a young idealistic gentleman, Ned Carhart. Jenny enjoys having Ned as her client because he’s such a nice guy and she doesn’t feel lonely, even though she continues to take his money. And she doesn’t really feel that guilty because if he’s that gullible, it’s his own fault. But what Jenny doesn’t know is Ned has a cousin with a very critical mind and when he hears about Madame Esmerelda, he goes with Ned to visit her. The moment Jenny meets Gareth Carhart, Marquess of Blakley she knows her days are numbered.

Gareth is not only cold, distant and very rude, but Jenny also finds herself attracted to him. I think in part it has to do with him being compared to a “tawny, ferocious and a little feral” lion. Jenny is good at reading people and she’s on point when it comes to Gareth. Ned is very protective of the Madame, while Gareth is annoyed. Not only is Ned being played for a fool, but Gareth has been forced away from his busy schedule to handle this situation. He hates having the responsibility of being a father type figure to Ned. Gareth isn’t comfortable with people, even his own family. He’s been away in Brazil for years working on a nature expedition and now only just returned to England when his grandfather died and had to take over the responsibility of his title. He still longs for the freedom and seclusion he sacrificed.

Jenny will not be pushed around by Gareth. Actually, she enjoys the banter with him and wants him to loosen up, to smile and enjoy himself. She comes up with a game of sorts to prove she’s authentic. Jenny is skilled at making things up. She tells Ned the spirits have come to her and stated Gareth will marry a woman at a ball they are going to attend. From an orange Ned cuts up, she sees a vision of an elephant. She predicts Gareth will approach his future bride and give her a carved elephant. Gareth is stuck in a hard position because if he exposes Jenny for what she really is, it will break Ned’s heart. He goes along with the ruse but Jenny will also be involved because if he’s going to be made look like a fool, than Jenny will also.

Jenny and Gareth are complete opposites in every way. Even though life has been less than ideal for Jenny, she finds humor in the world around her. She tries to make the best of her situation. Gareth is so strung tight and can barely function in society or even with his own sister who wants his approval but seems frighten of him. As soon as Jenny walks into Gareth’s life, he changes for the better. He kicks and screams and doesn’t want to change, but Jenny forces him. Unfortunately for Jenny, Gareth is much like a hurricane. Once he has been unleashed, he won’t be controlled. Even though he treats Jenny with contempt, he longs to hold her in his arms, to bring her pleasure and have it returned. And most importantly he wants Jenny to call him by his first name of Gareth because Gareth the man is very different from Gareth the Marquess. Jenny is now playing with fire because she decided to tangle with this lion.

Proof by Seduction is a dance between two people. Gareth and Jenny are spectacular together. When Gareth comes to the conclusion he needs Jenny, that’s when things really pick up. He wants her with a desperate need because she’s able to pick at his emotional scabs until they are oozing. Gareth has cut himself off, all because of a sad and lonely childhood that shaped him into the man he has become. Coincidentally, Jenny’s own childhood is much like Gareth’s. Jenny is willing to give everything to Gareth, even become his lover without the benefits of marriage, but won’t become his mistress where she’ll be bought with an expensive trinket or a nice house in town. She tries to teach Gareth these differences with some interesting results.

The change from disdain to passion and lust Gareth and Jenny have for one another happens quickly and may make the reader do a second take. But the scenes where Gareth invites Jenny to sin with him are incredibly sexy. These are two people who need touch and intimacy to feel alive and because they have been denied it for so long, they latch onto each other. There’s so much meaning behind the reasons Gareth wants Jenny to call him by his first name. There aren’t a whole slew of love making between these two, but they sure make up for it with their kissing and lusty looks. When they finally act on their desire, it sizzles, even though there was one statement that really jolted me out of the story. At one point as Gareth is giving Jenny the much anticipated loving with his tongue, it’s mentioned he enjoyed tasting the salty sweetness of the woman that is Jenny. Sorry, I suddenly have a craving for chocolate covered potato chips for some reason. Even with that small purple prose description, I enjoyed the rest of the passage.

Gareth is one of those wonderful, misunderstood, stubborn heroes you want to hold close to your heart because of his internal suffering. I did feel Gareth held back a bit too much. I wanted to see more of an explosion on his part, an impassioned plea where he finally understands why he’s the way he is and how he would fix it.

Courtney Milan’s debut is a wonderful read. I really loved how Jenny tore off the mask Gareth wears and how they were able to come together and find happiness and love. The ending is sweet, tender and everything in between. Ned also brings forth some lighthearted moments, especially his appreciation for a woman’s ankles and his sudden feelings for the woman he believes is Gareth’s future wife.

Courtney Milan is a very welcomed debut author to the historical romance world and I look forward to her future releases. (HQN)

Final Grade: B+