Beyond Seduction

A Bastion Club Novel

By: Stephanie Laurens

Narrated by: Steven Crossley

A little bit wild and undeniably brave, the gentlemen of the Bastion Club have pursued adventures far and wide. But their exploits at home could prove to be the riskiest of all as they hunt an elusive target: the perfect bride.

In a moment of recklessness, Gervase Tregarth, sixth Earl of Crowhurst, swears he’ll marry the next eligible lady to cross his path. Cloistered at his ancestral castle in Cornwall, with nary a suitable woman for miles, he never expects he’ll have to fulfill his pledge, at least not until the London season begins. But then he meets his neighbor, the very appealing Madeline Gascoigne.

Years of secret service to the Crown have taught Gervase the value of always having a loophole - there will be no wedding if he and Madeline are not compatible in every way. So he sets out to prove that they would make a most dreadful match by luring her into his arms and, ultimately, his bed. From their very first kiss, Gervase discovers that the headstrong and independent Madeline is no meek country miss - and that the fire between them will burn long beyond that first seduction.

Stephanie Laurens began writing as an escape from the dry world of professional science. Her hobby quickly became a career when her novels captivated readers around the globe, making her one of the romance world’s most beloved and popular authors. She has been writing for more than twenty years and is a New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today best-selling author.

©2007 Savdek Management Proprietory, Ltd. (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“A reliable serving of rogues and romance.” ( Publishers Weekly)

a little too long, but better narration

Would you consider the audio edition of Beyond Seduction to be better than the print version?

I did not have a print version

What was one of the most memorable moments of Beyond Seduction?

The end, as it had a lot of action and was very exciting.
The h/h explained why they wanted to be married to each other, which was touching and made you glad they found each other.

What does Steven Crossley bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I liked his narration better than Jill tanner. She did not pronounce words properly "which made me want to grimace". I think his female voices sounded a little older than I would have thought based on their ages, but at least they sounded like women. JT made all the men sound like women which bothered me .

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were lots of great moments, but a little too long. There were too many parties/balls and it got a little tedious. Some of that could have been cut out and the book would still have been good. I think SL does not edit her books/story, but that's why you have editors, except not on this book!

Any additional comments?

I am really looking forward to the reveal of the Traitor, so am going on to the next book in the series.

very enjoyable

as always characters are well rounded with human frailties and strengthstoo.
I really enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot and sub plots. looking forward to the next book

Fun Read!

I enjoyed the storyline and the developing steamy love affair. I also tried to never miss a book narrated by Stephen Crossley as he is my all-time favorite narrator!

Another enjoyable Bastion Club novel

While I admit to missing the voice of Simon Prebble, I thought the narrator was okay. I did not find that his voice detracted from the story significantly. The story was a bit slow getting started, and while this was not my favorite of the series, I did enjoy it. Worth it? Yes.

Why switch narrators?

I love the Bastion Club series -- perhaps my favourite of Stephanie Laurens' novels! I highly recommend the books! But why the switch in narrators? After listening to Jill Tanner through the first 6 audiobooks, I had gotten used to her narration, so the switch to Steven Crossley is jarring! I do not mind the switch from female to male voice in general, but it is hard to differentiate Crossley's 'voice' for different characters. It's sometimes a little confusing when the 'voice' switches between hero and heroine. Also, Crossley pronounces some of the names differently than Tanner did. So while I highly recommend Laurens' novels, it's difficult to recommend this particular audiobook based on the narrator. Sorry to see that the remaining books are also done by Crossley. I will buy them because I'm one of those that wants a complete series, but hope the narration improves.

Stephanie Laurens always delivers

Would you listen to Beyond Seduction again? Why?

Yes I always listen to Stephanie Laurens book more than once. I love her style and her stories

What other book might you compare Beyond Seduction to and why?

Any of the Bastion Club books but the hero in this book is very special and reasons problems out before acting unlike most of the other members when it comes to the ladies they are in love with.

What three words best describe Steven Crossley???s voice?

To formal, dry

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No because of the narrator I needed to break it up.

Any additional comments?

Stephanie Laurens never lets me down!

great story

I hate his voice on these books. Everyone sounds forceful - no soft or loving tones. Where is Pebble? His performance is always oustanding.

Loved Steven Crossley narrating!

Great improvement over the previous male narrator. Better than the female narrator as well. I love these books. Good amount of sexiness.

Cloying NarrationI

What did you like best about Beyond Seduction? What did you like least?

It's difficult to get past the narrator's amazingly bad female voices. I enjoyed reading the book, but listening to it has proved to be impossible.

If you???ve listened to books by Stephanie Laurens before, how does this one compare?

This compares poorly to every other narration I've heard. All of Crossley's females sound like Monty Pythonish interpretations of women, and he has an irritating habit of raising his voice near the end of a sentence. His characters come across as priggish.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Steven Crossley?

Anyone who can read female voice without making them sound whiny would be a big improvement.

Was Beyond Seduction worth the listening time?

I was not able to get through all of Part 1. It was too painful.

Entertaining story enhanced by narrator Crossley

I really enjoy the Bastion series, and Steven Crossley's narration is a real plus. I hope he narrates more romances to come!