Seductive as Flame is book four in Susan Johnson's latest historical quartet. Other books in the series are entitled Gorgeous as Sin, Sexy as Hell, and Sweet as the Devil.

Zelda MacKenzie isn't your typical milk-and-water miss. In fact, she's an accomplished, well-traveled, feisty beauty who knows exactly what she wants. What she wants is obviously not the rakish Earl of Dalgliesh - he's married, complicated and haughty. He's also devastatingly handsome, however, and makes her insides quiver at a glance.

Alec Munro, Earl of Dalgliesh, is a man burdened with a loveless marriage, an endless drive for pleasures of the flesh and many secrets to keep. When he sees the flame-haired Zelda at a country house party, he is intrigued. When she refuses him straight off, it's like throwing down the gauntlet or waving a red flag in front of a bull. Alec is determined to have her, and once he has her, he is uncharacteristically set on keeping her. Could he really change the very fiber of his existence for the love of a woman?

It's said that reformed rakes make the best husbands, and Alec is definitely a rake in dire need of reformation. He is a marvelous character, all swagger and sexy sophistication. I love a lead character that is comfortable in his own skin, his power and his position in the world. Zelda is a minx; she's a delightful mix of seductress and woman looking for a worthy life partner. Her fierce independence, wit and charm make her a force to be reckoned with. These two together are just about the hottest thing happening, and watching them fall from lust into love was simply a wonderful experience. Ms. Johnson continues to produce some of the most wickedly erotic stories, settings and situations available today, while telling her tales in a classy and elegant manner. Five Angels for Seductive as Flame!

Reviewed by: Michelle B.