Seducing the Heiress

by Olivia Drake

Book Overview

Her wealth and beauty have made Miss Portia Crompton the catch of the season. Secretly determined to wed the maharajah's son she left behind in India, Portia ignores the money-hungry bucks who ply her with bouquets and bonbons. But one suitor will not be deterred: Colin Byrd, Viscount Ratcliffe. He is persistent and presumptuous--and wickedly tempting. Colin has no delusions about romance. He's a rogue, a womanizer, and a murderer, and seduction comes...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312943458
• ISBN13: 9780312943455
• Release Date: December 2009
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.5" x 6.6"

Customer Reviews

The first in Olivia Drake's captivating series, SEDUCING THE HEIRESS

I loved this book! Portia Crompton & her wealthy family has been living in India most of her life and now her mother wants her marry into society. Her mother wants her marry this Duke but she is being pursued by Colin Byrd, Viscount Ratcliffe the Duke's enemy. Ratcliffe & Portia continue to have great romantic interludes but because Ratcliffe is outcast in society and that all he wants is Portia's money - it just does look like a happy ending. The twist and turns with make you want to cheer - on the edge of your seat... Looking forward to the other Crompton sister's stories; Never Trust A Rogue & Scandal of the Year.

a winner

I was very pleased with this book. It was a perfect read for the day after Christmas--light, very entertaining, and with great characters. Olivia Drake also writes as Barbara Dawson Smith and I have always been a fan of hers. This book will end up on my keeper shelf as I am anxious to read the stories of the other two sisters. Portia and her family have returned from India, but she secretly plans to return there to marry her Indian love, Arun. However, she is much prized on the English marriage mart for her huge dowry and many men are planning to marry her and keep her in England. Naturally our hero, Colin, spies her and needs her to pay his enormous debts. I loved the scene where he saves her by throwing a strawberry. He was a real charmer and he really made the book for me. I liked her sisters, Blythe and Lindsey. Portia's parents were typical. Dad loved her but mom wanted her to marry up and pull the family up with her. Colin's mother had quite the backstory and really showed the kind of man Colin was. He was great with his mother and went above and beyond to protect her. I love it when these gorgeous, wonderful men have a little flaw. His was he had to wear spectacles when he read. Just made him even yummier. Anyway, this was a very good book by a very accomplished and prolific writer. I eagerly await her next offering.

Witty and Completely Romantic

Drowning in debt, Colin, Lord Ratcliffe must find a way to get money or risk losing everything. He concocts a scheme to seduce the wealthiest and most desired heiress of the Season. Portia Crompton. It should be a simple enough task, seeing as Colin happens to be quite a ladies man and knows exactly what it will take to seduce his would be bride. Only problem is, he never expected the beautiful debutante to be so quick to catch on to his scheme. Portia may be young, but she's no fool. She knows full well that Ratcliffe merely desires her dowry to settle all of his gambling debts. She won't deny her immediate attraction to the handsome rogue, but that doesn't mean she's about to fall for his schemes. With rumors of murder, a trail of women in his wake and of course his mountian high stack of debts, Ratcliffe is the last man Portia would ever consider entrusting her dowry to, let alone her heart. Besides, Portia has plans of her own. She's in love, and no one--especially not Ratcliffe--will stand in the way of her being with the man she truly wants to marry. Ratcliffe, however, isn't so easily dissuaded. Besides, he knows Portia desires him and it's merely a matter of time before her will to refuse him breaks. But what begins as a test of wills soon turns in to an all consuming love that neither of them expected. I absolutely adored this story! Both the hero and heroine were wonderfully written. I fell head over heels in love with Colin. The perfect hero. The banter between these two was witty and hilarious, and the love story, completely romantic.

entertaining historical romance

Viscount Colin Byrd needs to marry a wealthy heiress rather quickly to pay off his debts. He targets Miss Portia Crompton who grew up in India and only recently returned home with her family. Colin knows it will not be easy as he is blackballed for killing his father, leaving his mother rusticate, and has exorbitant gambling debts. He sneaks into a ball hosted by his family's enemy the Duke of Albright and meets Portia by throwing strawberries at insulting Mrs. Bardsley. However, Albright kicks him out before he can make much progress. His plan remains the same to get Portia to love him so she will marry him, but has had problems seeing her as her parents banned him. Portia is unhappy as she has not received a letter from her beloved Maharajah Arun in a year. They fell in love, but his dad rejected her and her parents rushed her back to London. Portia is home alone with her sisters and the servants when she finds Colin in her room. Unafraid Portia asks about his dad and if he would pursue her if she was broke. He says his father died in a tragic accident, and her money made him aware of her, but since he met her he would pursue her. Meanwhile Albright does what he can to paint Colin as a killing wastrel, bur Portia is attracted to him anyway while the truth remains to be seen through a hazy web of lies. The changing relationship between the lead couple is superbly developed so that the audience can see and understand the metamorphosis of both of them. Her family is terrific as fully developed characters while his mother is so shallow she seems real. Although the villain's motive does not ring true especially since he conceals his deep anger so effortlessly, fans will enjoy this entertaining historical romance where nothing is quite like it seems. Harriet Klausner