ISBN: 978-0-345-50687-0
Publisher: Ballentine/Del Ray
Source: I purchased this book to read
Surrender of a Siren is the second book in the debut series carefully crafted by Tessa Dare. I’ve read and loved the first book, Goddess of the Hunt, by this author! Surrender tells the story of Sophia Hathaway whom we met in Goddess, and Gray Grayson, a ship’s owner. (and a man who is trying to change his life from being a rogue to an upstanding gentleman) In the first book, Goddess of the Hunt, Sophia has Lucy write a letter to her imaginary art tutor, Grevais. The 
handsome, sensual man who did more than tutor her in watercolors was a product of her imagination – as we found out at the end of Goddess. When Lucy (in Surrender) receives a letter telling her that Sophia has eloped with Grevais, she knows that something is not right! Sophia is desperate to escape what she feels, will be a duty bound, loveless marriage to Sir Toby. So, she packs up her paints, assumes a new name and pretend future job as a governess, steals money from her trust, and purchases a ticket on a ship to Tortula. She wants to be free of society’s constrains and wants to live a passion-filled life that she feels she will be more comfortable with.
Gray has recently decided to turn his life around and turn into a gentleman that his sister would be proud to introduce her to society. What timing! Here he is, trying to be the masculine version of virtuous and he falls totally in lust (and then love) with the lovely Sophia. I’ll leave the rest up to you to read!
The interaction between Gray and Sophia is outstanding! Tessa Dare is one of the best writers, I think, for crispness of dialogue and characters. The characters of Gray and Sophia, as well as the various secondary characters come alive from the pages of the book. It was like I was watching a movie as I was reading this book. The scenes played out in my mind. Oh yes, about the fact that this series is call the “Wanton Dairymaid Series”; I’ll let you discover that thread yourself!
Romance Reader at Heart gives this book 4 stars and says the following: “Tessa Dare’s proves her writing talent by taking what came across as a vapid, self-absorbed, not very liked secondary character from a previous book and turning her into a fun, adventurous-spirited, likeable leading lady with a huge, romantic imagination and even bigger heart. That’s exactly what happens to Sophia Hathaway’s character in SURRENDER OF A SIREN.”
The Romance Reader reviewer seems surprised to have enjoyed Surrender of a Siren. She gives the book 4 hearts and says the following: “Tessa Dare has an elegant writing style. Her descriptions of the sea voyage, of the seaman who serve on the ship, of the feelings of her characters are almost lyrical. She is perhaps the most promising new historical romance author I have encountered in quite a while.”
RT Book Reviews give this book 4 and 1/2 stars and says the following: “Dare’s second novel cements her place as a “not to be missed” author. Her gift is for creating stories that are filled with adventure, three-dimensional characters and exciting plots, yet she maintains the purest form of romance. Dare is the siren who lures you to surrender to her delicious story.”
