Jasmine Tristan was no stranger to the upper crust of English society. And yet, though adopted by a viscount, she was called the "Brown Scorpion" and knew the cruel sting of isolation. When her anger won out, her mother voiced fears. Was Jasmine truly bad at her core, like her sultan father from whom they'd fled? How could she be, when with Lord Thomas Claradon she'd known a moment of pure beauty? Their kiss had been scorching as a desert sun. But like a sandstorm, it was misdirecting: Thomas's mother's disdain and his loyalty to family and duty put him forever out of reach. Only a return to her birthplace, a quest to find her roots, would bring Jasmine the answer--and it would prove that true love could triumph over ignorance, passion over prejudice










From page one, The Scorpion and the Seducer managed to draw me right into the story. The writing and the story was amazing, compelling and interesting. Bonnie Vanak is a wonderful author, truly a one of a kind, who writes romances that are not only steamy but touching and very vivid, not only in the emotions but also in the descriptions of the story and characters, the background and culture. Like all of her other books, The S & the S is set in Egypt, with a bit of England thrown in, and she manages to capture all of the country's bright colors and culture, painting a beautiful story as you read. Vanak has a way with words that very few authors have.
Jasmine and Thomas's story was very touching and loving, and the journey they had to endure to be together forever was long and treacherous, but they stuck to it. Besides their love, which was tender and sweet, their conversations were also very interesting and funny. Jasmine is no meek and weak English miss, but a fiery and tough woman who has no problem speaking her mind. Because of this, she won't back down when Thomas, or any one else for that matter, tries to engage her in a battle of wits and remarks, which leads to a very funny play on words between them. And since you know that they love each other, their 'battles' of words are that much more enjoyable.
Aside from the romance, which was also very intense and sexy in all the right places, The S & the S was filled with intrigue and mystery, suspense and action, which blended together perfectly with all the other elements- there wasn't too much of any one of them. I love how Vanak writes such delightful stories set in the captivating backdrop of the heated and magical Egypt, something that I don't see in many historical romances, and definitely never describe to the extent that Vanak does. She makes everything flow together, moving along smoothly, painting the perfect picture to go along with the story.
5/5 STARS! An absolutely delicious romance that has everything you could possibly want in it: tender love, steamy sex, wit and humor, suspense and action. Easily one of the best romance novels out there, written by one of the top authors in the field! A must read for anyone.
~TBQ~