Wednesday, February 6, 2013

[Review]: "Seduced by the Gladiator"


Seduced by the Gladiator by Lauren Hawkeye
Publisher: Avon Red (January 29, 2013)
Genre: Erotica (Historical)

 Author Lauren Hawkeye returns to Ancient Rome in her second erotic romance featuring sexy, fierce gladiators—and the women they love.

Lilia is the rarest of commodities—a champion female gladiator. But success has come with a price: shunned by her peers and desired by hateful men like Gaius, the brother of the emperor, Lilia is at the mercy of those around her. Only her heart is impenetrable.

After Christus, a warrior with the body of a god, is sold to the ludus that owns Lilia, she finds herself forced to defend her position and to guard her body and heart against the erotic sensations only he can bring. Beneath the tantalizing flesh of the gladiator, Lilia finds a man determined to protect her, to love her.

But when Gaius reveals a challenge for the gladiators of Rome—an epic battle to the death—Christus and Lilia must fight to win their freedom, their lives . . . and each other.


 
 

Where to Buy*:
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My Review:


I loved this book!  It wasn't a typical historical, but I've come to expect this from Lauren Hawkeye. Instead of visiting the balls of the London ton, I was taken back to the times of the gladiators, and I loved every shocking, raw moment of it!

 

Lilia was a wonderful heroine, very strong, but not so strong that she can't learn to lean on someone else when need be. I found her story very interesting, I guess I never thought about a woman as a gladiator. In fact, as this is written from the 1st person, I was a bit taken back when, around 4 or 5 pages in, I realized that this mighty gladiator was, in fact, a woman. Entirely my fault for not reading the summary first. ;) Oh well, it may have surprised me, but in a good way.

 

Christus..ah, what a wonderful hero. So dangerous. So tortured. Such a strong man, forced into slavery and treated like a caged lion, brought out to fight, to stare at, but not worthy of anything. I almost cried when he told Lilia about his past. He so deserved a HEA, Lilia as well, and I was happy to see them reach it.





“Have you thought that, by letting someone in, you will be stronger than you are alone.”
~Christus

 
 
I can't tell you how much I loved this quote. Not only did it fit so beautifully, as Lilia was so hesitant to let someone in, thinking that the only way she could stay strong was by keeping that wall up. But this quote...it really hit home with me, perhaps due to some personal issues I've had lately. Regardless, I thought this simple quote, while perhaps not the sexiest one in the book, was the perfect one to describe Seduced by the Gladiator. And when he then tells her a few paragraphs later that she needs to accept that she's no longer alone, she's his...I melted!

 

4.5 STARS! Emotionally gripping, physically demanding, Seduced by the Gladiator is a perfect read! But be warned—it is not for the faint of heart. It's gritty, raw and rough, sticking to the real Rome of the past. If you prefer your historicals to be more tepid, look somewhere else, because this one is not for you. But if you want to try something new and exotic, this is the author to keep your eye on. Two gladiator books so far and I'm hooked, fascinated by the love stories she weaves during such a hard, but shockingly intriguing era! For a wickedly sexy and wonderfully intense story, be sure to pick this one up! Fair warning though: read this one at home... I wanted to finish reading it so bad, I took it with me. Let's just say that as steamy as this is, I could not stop myself from blushing, wondering if the people sitting next to me where reading over my shoulder...If so, they sure got an eyeful! :)




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I received this e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

*Note*: The quote used is property of Lauren Hawkeye, and TBQ's Book Palace does not claim it.

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I love my typical historicals set in Scotland and England...but once in a while I love to find a new setting and era to explore. If you do, too, I would highly suggest trying Seduced by the Gladiator, as well as her previous book, My Wicked Gladiators.



Enjoy!


Until Next Time,

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