Lord of Temptation

Bestseller Heath continues the Lost Lords of Pembrook series with a formulaic follow-up to She Tempts the Duke. No longer %E2%80%9Clost,%E2%80%9D free to reclaim his birthright and status in society, Tristan Easton still feels more at ease on the sea, where he is known as Crimson Jack for the scars across his back. Lady Anne Hayworth decides to go to the Crimea and bid a saintly farewell to her dead fianc%C3%A9, and she is predictably repulsed yet intrigued by Tristan when he offers to sail her there for the price of a kiss. This leads to a %E2%80%9Clong, slow, leisurely%E2%80%9D and rather dull ship-board courtship. When they return, Lady Hayworth is shocked to see her sea captain at a ball and learn that he%E2%80%99s a lord, though a preposterous game of strip chess demonstrates his lack of propriety. The well-drawn angsty hero unfortunately only highlights the cardboard heroine and thin plot. (Oct.)