From the publisher:
Miss Wilhelmina “Mina” Crawford is desperate. Having been ruined in the eyes of society years ago for one foolish, starry-eyed mistake, she spends her days secreted away at her family’s crumbling estate, helping her brother manage the land but not able to truly live life the way she’s always dreamed. When her brother admits to just how dire their finances have gotten, she takes it upon herself to procure employment…but the only one who will even consider the scandalous idea of a female secretary is the brilliant, ruthless, and infuriating Earl of Creswick.
Simon Loughton, the Earl of Creswick, needs help if he wants to finally pass the reform bill he’s been championing for years and secure the vote for England’s most vulnerable constituents. Too bad help comes in the form of a woman with breathtaking nerve, fiery red hair, and a sense of humor to match.
Now temptation―disguised as a lovely, clever-mouthed devil―lives and works under Simon’s very roof. And Mina finally feels as though she’s truly living life to her wildest dreams. But even the most incendiary of kisses can’t incinerate Mina’s past…or the shocking secret that could ruin them both.
https://amzn.to/3yqzupZ
Mina is a strong female protagonist in a sea of weakness. Orphaned, she and her twin brother are close; so close, that when he foolishly challenges the Earl of Creswick to a duel, she takes his place and bests the heretofore unbeaten swordsman. Astonished to realize he was beaten by a girl, the Earl offers her a job as his secretary in a time when women just didn’t do that sort of thing. Desperate for the money, she agrees but quickly they become very close, which irks him to no end.
Theirs is a bumpy relationship at first, but as they get to know one another, things start changing – except while the Earl knows of her reputation, there are still secrets she has yet to share. The Earl is being pressured by his family to marry, and he is so uninterested he tells his grandmother to pick anyone she likes and he’ll marry her. Until his feelings for Mina overtake his logic.
This was a fun read, with lots of witty banter, well developed characters, some hot sex, and interesting politics of the time. I found myself completely engrossed in their world, and had a good time while there.
7/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
A MATTER OF TEMPTATION by Stacy Reid. Entangled: Amara (June 28, 2022). ISBN: 978-1649370969. 400p.
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