Time was, I’d enjoy a long satisfying wallow in Nicole Jordan’s overwrought prose. But, sadly, as Bob Dylan said so long ago, the times they are a-changing and, as I struggled to get through the 445 pages of this novel, it’s more than clear that the author decidedly hasn’t.

Maybe it was Ms. Jordan’s trademarked “naughty” sex scene kickoff. (Again.) Maybe it was the been-there, done-that hero who is, of course, the most desired, most unattainable, most jaded man in all of London. (Again.) Maybe it was the bratty young ingenue (actually called “brat” by the hero) or the e-e-e-e-vil society beauties who will do anything to hogtie the most desired, most unattainable, most jaded hero in all of London. (Again.) Maybe it was the “forthright” heroine who inexplicably — really inexplicably, I might add, since she does an awful lot of whimpering whenever the most desired, most unattainable, most jaded man in all of London touches her — won’t let the hero get past third base for pages (and pages and pages). Frankly, the only reason I can come up with for her reticence is the undeniable fact that the author has lots and lots (and lots and lots) of pages to fill.

As the book opens (well, after the sex scene featuring hero Christopher, Viscount Thorne, and his mistress, that is ), Diana Sheridan, artist and “disgraced” beauty, travels to the idyllic Mediterranean island of Cyrene to seek the assistance of her cousin Amy’s guardian in separating the young miss from an opportunistic fortune hunter. Since the death of Amy’s brother Nathaniel one year earlier, Diana, the victim of a cad who jilted her years earlier, thereby disgracing her forever, has been rearing Amy in the countryside, with the absent Thorne holding the position of guardian.

But, in addition to seeking Thorne’s assistance with Amy, Diana also bears a letter for the nobleman written before his death by Nathaniel, a member, along with Thorne and several other aristocrats (future heroes all, of course), of one of those super-secret Regency spy rings. Thorne, who believed Nathaniel’s death was the result of a robbery, now learns that his colleague was engaged in an investigation before his death — an investigation that it now appears led to his murder.

Following these dramatic revelations, Thorne sees even more reason to agree to Diana’s plea for assistance: By traveling to London with the two young women, not only will he be able to assist Amy in her debut and help settle her attentions on a more suitable object, he’ll also be free to seduce the delectable Diana, while also discovering the truth behind Nathaniel’s murder. Sounds like a pretty packed schedule, doesn’t it?

On the positive side, Nicole Jordan’s dialogue strikes a pleasingly authentic tone and her prose – though still a shade on the overwrought side – is more readable. The author has made a real effort recently to tone down the purple prose in her love scenes — those here are more lavender, really, although there is an awful lot of whimpering and moaning and awestruck delight. On the negative side, you’ve got the oh-so-familiar characters and oh-so-predictable plot. The author telegraphs virtually everything here and unless you’re a newbie historical romance reader, you won’t be in for any surprises.

So, is Lord of Seduction a good bet? If you’re someone with a real fondness for those over-the-top, domineering heroes of days of yore and sometimes find yourself longing for all the familiar trappings of books of that era, you may find Lord of Seduction to be a satisfying enough read. If, like me, you’ve moved on a bit, you’d be far better off giving it a pass.