THE STUDY OF SEDUCTION
The Sinful Suitors Series
Sabrina Jeffries
Pocket Books
ISBN# 978-1-4767-8607-0
April 2016
Historical Romance
Lady Clarissa Lindsey is a beautiful sparkling diamond with a fair amount of willfulness in never wanting to marry. After fending off many suitors, she has been targeted by a determined French Count who seems not to take no for an answer. When her cousin Warren, who has been her protector, must leave in order to find and help her brother in another country, he asks his close friend Edwin, the Earl of Blakeborough, to step in for him. At first, it seems unlikely that these two will agree but it soon becomes dangerously clear that Clarissa needs the protection.
The Count is bent on stalking Clarissa, even to the point of threatening her. Edwin and Clarissa hastily say that they are engaged to be married, hoping that this will put the man off. Yet, it makes matters worse. Finally, seeing no alternative, they wed in haste in order for Edwin to protect Clarissa. With that comes the other realities of marriage and a dark secret is exposed, a secret that has Edwin wanting to protect Clarissa even more. The dangerous Count is still lurking and unwilling to step aside and everything they have could be destroyed if the Count gets his way.
This romance begins slowly enough that the reader is engaged in the characters and their dilemmas. By the time that they agree to marriage, the plot devices are solidly in place to speed this story along. The unknown danger creates a sense of underlying tension without being overly written, making this a very enjoyable read. Edwin and Clarissa may have started off as just friends, but the attraction was there from the beginning and is nicely built upon making this a very believable character driven love story. The Count is a dastardly fellow and a villain worthy of the climactic ending. A wonderful mix of intrigue, passion and love, it's a solid winner.
Reviewed by Jennifer Jones
Rating: 4 1/2
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