Lord of Temptation    by Paula Quinn Order:  USA  Can Warner, 2006 (2006) Paperback     Reviewed by Marie Hashima Lofton Paula Quinn's Lord of Temptation takes off where Lord of Desire left off. The first story centered on Norman Lord Brand, a close friend of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy. The focus is now on his brother, Lord Dante Risande, who has a reputation with the ladies. Gianelle is a slave owned by the Dermott brothers, Edgar and Bryce, known for their cruelty to their underlings. With the help of her good friend Casey (also a slave), Gianelle tries to run away but is caught by the visiting Dante when he finds them climbing down the castle walls early one morning. In the meantime, Bryce is found dead, and Dante suspects Gianelle, who demonstrated her knowledge of herbs and poisons to him earlier that evening. Dante takes Casey and Gianelle under his wing. He knows that if he lets them escape, Gianelle will eventually be captured and tried for murder. Gianelle longs for freedom, but Dante promises safety, something she would not have if she ran away. Wanted for murder, she would not survive alone. Casey, once of the upper classes, fits easily into Dante's world and wishes that her friend could learn to love this way of life as well, but Gianelle is not easily convinced. She senses that Dante does not trust her. However, Gianelle and Dante slowly fall in love. I enjoyed this book much more than the previous, which was a bit too wordy for me. I loved the blossoming romance between Dante and Gianelle, and the way their relationship developed in a truly romantic story. Casey made a good best friend, and it was fun to see characters from the previous book again in this one. I think some of the fun with reading these books is watching historical characters come to life and learning a bit of history while enjoying a romance. For those who enjoy medieval romances, Lord of Temptation is highly recommended. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews