Seduction of the Patriarch by Zoe Blake
I anxiously awaited the release of Seduction of the Patriarch and honestly I am still a little unsure as to whether or not I like it. Actually, that isn’t true, I like the book. I am not sure if I love it. Benedict Cavalieri is a big of an enigma. We learn about him in previous books, but very little. As we get to know Benedict in Seduction of the Patriarch we find out… he is A LOT.
Liliana at times comes across as too stupid to live, but find that she isn’t just extremely sheltered.
As we learn more and more about Liliana in Seduction of the Patriarch, we find that she is incredibly sheltered. She was raised by nuns, and never truly lived her life. There is a point in the story where she comes to the realization that she really doesn’t even know who she is. My heart broke for her, but as Benedict steals her and creates this almost vacuum around her, she grows into who she can truly be.
Benedict is a man that takes what he wants when he wants.
If you have read Zoe Blake previously, then you know that consent is not extremely important in her worlds. This one is not different. Benedict has decided that Liliana is going to be his. No questions, not choices, and the journey to that is intense. There are truths that come to light about her past, and Benedict does what he can to shelter her from the fall out. Not in the same way as her upbringing, but so that she doesn’t continue to be hurt.
I enjoyed the growth of the relationship of these two, but I felt like the ending was too abrupt for their story. A goal was to get her to the ranch, and they never made it there. We revisit the past couples and see how they are dealing with the fallout of actions in previous books and emotions run high. But one thing, these Cavalieri love hard. ITs’ a great cast of characters that blend differing personalities together perfectly. And the set-up into the next book left me wanting more.
As for my 3.5 stars… there is just something about the book that I can’t say I love it. I am not sure quite what isn’t hitting the spot for me. Maybe because I was anticipating Benedict to be gruffer than he was, there were moments were he was almost soft. Not in a bad way, but in ways I didn’t connect with. But it’s a great book that I definitely recommend giving a read.
Tropes: Age Gap; Enemies to Lovers; Daddy Kink; Kidnapping; Anti-Hero; Slow Burn
CW/TW: If consent is important to you, this is not the book for you. It is very high in the non-con/dub-con element of romance.
POV: 1st Person Multi
Series: Cavalieri Billionaire Legacy Book 4
Type of Series: Series of Standalones with overarching elements.
Rate: 3.5/5 Star
Release Date: January 5, 2024
