After the Abduction
by Sabrina Jeffries
Two years ago Juliet was convinced to elope with a man she believed loved her. At the time, she didn't realize the elopement was just the easiest way for Sebastian, posing as his brother Morgan, to kidnap her for some convoluted reason. Sebastian knew he needed to be careful with Juliet, but he never expected to feel so much for her in the short time they had together.
After two years of silence Sebastian is shocked to find Juliet and her family on his doorstep demanding Morgan's head. Juliet is positive that Sebastian is her true kidnapper, but needs to find proof. Sebastian can't let Juliet know what really happened, so he decides to distract her by courting her, a plan that blows up in his face. Before too long they are both head over heels, but Juliet refuses to marry Sebastian until he tells her the truth about who kidnapped her. Sebastian isn't sure he can trust Juliet's family with the truth, leaving them at a stalemate.
I have to say that this book really felt like an extended epilogue to the other two stories. The kidnapping happened over the course of the two prior books, and now they are resolving that relationship. The first book's hero, Griff, and heroine, Rosalind, play a huge role in this book, to the point where their love story almost overshadows this story for the first half of the book. Rosalind and Griff's marriage is on the rocks because of miscommunication. I don't know about you, but the whole point of having your own story was to iron all those issues out. If I had read the previous book I would have been really angry that my hero and heroine were still acting like that.
Juliet and Sebastian's love story began two years ago, and now the only reason they aren't together is because Sebastian fears telling Juliet the truth. When all that is holding a relationship back is honesty the tension feels forced to me. Once they got over the hump of trying to outwit each other, they actually turned into a good couple that I wanted to see together. But that was so far along in the book that I felt cheated out of a romance.
After teh Abduction was originally published in 2002 and has been reissued. If this had been a shorter, follow-up novella, I would have been much happier. As it was, I didn't feel that it held enough weight on its own as a full-length story.
“The third book in the Swanlea Sisters series. ”
June 2012, 384 pages
Publisher: Avon
ISBN: 0380818043
After two London seasons—and a score of resoundingly dull society suitors—Juliet Laverick finds herself longing for one man: Morgan Pryce, the dashing scoundrel who kidnapped her two years ago. But her determination to bring the rogue to justice hasn't waned—until Morgan's twin brother, Sebastian, arrives with some shocking news: Juliet's mysterious paramour has disappeared.
Sebastian, Lord Templemore, dares not tell Juliet the truth: he is the man she seeks—it is his kiss she yearns for. Confessing to the abduction would bring devastating scandal upon them both. But how can he persuade her to forsake her dedicated pursuit of her dream lover, when all he dreams of is holding her in his arms again?
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