THE STUDY OF SEDUCTIONby Sabrina Jeffries
Series: Sinful Suitors #2
Genres: Historical, Adult
Publisher: Pocket Books
Publication Date: March 22nd 2016
Source: ARC from publisher for review
Rating: ★★★1/2
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A marriage of convenience ignites into a passionate love affair in the hotly anticipated second novel in New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries’s addictive Sinful Suitors series!
When Edwin Barlow, the Earl of Blakeborough, agrees to help his best friend’s impetuous ward, Lady Clarissa Lindsey, in her time of need, he knows he’s in for trouble. He’s been hunting for someone to wed, and she’ll just get in the way. Although captivated by the whip-smart, free-spirited beauty, he fears she’d be all wrong as a wife ... if she would even take such a gruff cynic for her husband. Too bad he wants nothing more than to have her for his own.
Clarissa has no intention of marrying anyone—not Edwin, whom she’s sure would be an overbearing husband, and certainly not the powerful French diplomat stalking her. But when matters escalate with the diplomat, she chooses Edwin’s gallant offer of a marriage between friends in hopes that it will deter her stalker. She expects nothing more than an amiable union, but their increasingly tempestuous kisses prove more than she bargained for. When her stalker’s vow to expose the lovers’ deepest secrets threatens to destroy their blossoming attraction, will their tenuous bond withstand public ruin, or will Edwin lose all that’s important to him to protect his bride?
Approximately five years ago, I read my first historical romance by Mary Balogh. Being an avid Jane Austen fan, I wanted to read a historical romance set in the regency era and Mary Balogh satisfied this desire beyond belief -- I devoured her entire backlist in a few months and still look forward to every new book she releases (my favorite series of hers, though, is still the Bedwyn Saga!). Since then, however, I have only a few regency era romances and none have appealed to me very much. Now, however, I have a new author from whom I'm dying to read more in Sabrina Jeffries.
The Study of Seduction is the second book in her Sinful Suitors series and it did not disappoint! In it, we meet Edwin Barlow, the Earl of Blakeborough and the sister and cousin of two of his best friends, Lady Clarissa Lindsey. I loved this book because it organically combined and pulled off two of my favorite tropes in romance: a marriage of convenience and my brother's best friend. Edwin wants nothing more than a wife and children -- he's never dared to hope that it could be Clarissa because he doesn't want to fall in love and because he presumes that he desires her too much. After a disastrous coming out year, Clarissa has no desire to ever marry and she's never thought of Edwin other than a family friend. But when Edwin and Clarissa are forced to fake an engagement to keep Clarissa from the unwanted affections of an evil French diplomat, the sparks start to fly. This book was fun, although there were also some serious issues that it handled really well. Most of all, I really loved Edwin, and I think you will, too!
4 Reasons You'll Fall in Love with Edwin Barlow, the Earl of Blakeborough
- He's a nerd -- he love mathematics and building automatons (the regency version of a mechanical toy/robot);
- Nothing makes him happier than always putting your pleasure above and before, or even in lieu of, his own;
- He doesn't care about society's expectations for women in the era or your past; he just wants you to be you and he wouldn't have it any other way; and
- He'll protect and defend you but not at the expense of your identity or your wants in life.
Quote
Now, as they glided through the dance once more in perfect accord, it was as if they relived that night. The rhythm had beaten through both of them, matching her frenzied pulse at having her first dance with a real man. The scent of a hundred beeswax candles had swirled about the room, along with a glittering throng of young beauties and their beaus. His eyes had shone more softly upon her in that moment than ever before. The way they shone now. This time when his silvery gaze drifted down, it was to fix on her mouth. Her mouth. Oh, heavens. A sensation startled to life in her stomach that she had never thought to feel for Edwin. Unsettling. Provocative.
Thank you to my friend, Eva for helping me out on the blog with this guest review. I'm hoping she'll review some more amazing sounding books on the blog in the future too. :)
If you too are interested in reviewing romance titles of any subgenre on the blog, be sure to shoot me an email or a DM.
If you too are interested in reviewing romance titles of any subgenre on the blog, be sure to shoot me an email or a DM.
~Nick~
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