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HER ADVENTURES IN TEMPTATION by Megan Frampton

January 26, 2024

School for Scoundrels, Book 3

From the publisher:

In this newest addition to the School for Scoundrels series, Simeon Jones and Lady Myrtle Allen tell all the ton that they are engaged to be wed, fully knowing that once the season is over they will quietly part ways. They each have their reasons, but neither expected love to tempt them into turning a pretense into reality!

Simeon Jones has a secret—he is soft-hearted. Despite his scandalous exterior, he will quietly give money to orphans (after all, he was one himself), animals, and damsels in distress. One such damsel is Lady Myrtle Allen—but it’s not her funds that are lacking, but rather she needs to get to London—fast.

And so begins a wild adventure. First, the pair tells all the ton that they are engaged to be wed—how else to prevent scandal once they are found together—alone! They plan to carry out this deception, fully knowing that once the season is over, they will quietly part ways. But then, they discover that they have fallen in love, which was definitely not part of their plan! Can this scandalous man and adventurous woman turn this pretense into reality?

“Sparkling and steamy historical romance.” — Entertainment Weekly

Book 1: Her Lessons in Persuasion

Book 2: His Study in Scandal
https://amzn.to/48GCYFI

I always enjoy Megan Frampton’s books, and this series in particular. This one is another good read.

Simeon is an artist who grew up in a foundling home, and that inauspicious beginning turned him into a soft-hearted man with a penchant for giving away his money to those less fortunate than he. He is visiting a home in the country to paint a portrait, but when his subject is found drunk and trying to seduce him, he is asked to leave the premises.

Myrtle is a mathematical whiz with little interest in the dull men her family wants her to marry. So when her brother kicks out Simeon, Myrtle approaches him in the middle of the night to take her with him. Her dream is to live in London on her own and help other women make sound investments and manage their money so they can have some independence. Simeon reluctantly agrees, and the first obstacle is the inn with one bed. Eventually, they play at being engaged to keep Myrtle’s brother off her back and Simeon’s lustful patrons at bay.

Since Myrtle never plans to marry, she proposes a sex experiment of sorts with Simeon. He is wildly attracted to the brilliant woman, and she to him, so it is no hardship to bed her. Until they fall in love.

Frampton is known for her sizzling sex scenes, and while this book is a bit milder than some, it’s still a really good, sexy read with a lot of laughs – the perfect weekend read. Enjoy!

1/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

HER ADVENTURES IN TEMPTATION by Megan Frampton. Avon (January 23, 2024). ISBN: 978-0063224292. 352p.

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WRECK THE HALLS by Tessa Bailey

October 13, 2023

From the publisher:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey delivers a sexy, hilarious standalone holiday rom-com about the adult children of two former rock stars who team up to convince their estranged mothers to play a Christmas Eve concert…

Melody Gallard may be the daughter of music royalty, but her world is far from glamorous. She spends her days restoring old books and avoiding the limelight (one awkward tabloid photo was enough, thanks). But when a producer offers her a lot of money to reunite her mother’s band on live tv, Mel begins to wonder if it’s time to rattle the cage, shake up her quiet life… and see him again. The only other person who could wrangle the rock and roll divas.

Beat Dawkins, the lead singer’s son, is Melody’s opposite—the camera loves him, he could charm the pants off anyone, and his mom is not a potential cult leader. Still, they might have been best friends if not for the legendary feud that broke up the band. When they met as teenagers, Mel felt an instant spark, but it’s nothing compared to the wild, intense attraction that builds as they embark on a madcap mission to convince their mothers to perform one last show.

While dealing with rock star shenanigans, a 24-hour film crew, brawling Santas, and mobs of adoring fans, Mel starts to step out of her comfort zone. With Beat by her side, cheering her on, she’s never felt so understood. But Christmas Eve is fast approaching, and a decades-old scandal is poised to wreck everything—the Steel Birds reunion, their relationships with their mothers, and their newfound love.

“Bailey writes banter and rom-com scenarios with aplomb, but for those who like their romance on the spicier side, she’s also the Michelangelo of dirty talk. She wields filth like Da Vinci does a paintbrush, and there’s a lot to be said for an author who can fill such exchanges with all the requisite heat, enthusiastic consent, and yes, even humor, of such a scenario without veering into corny territory.” — Entertainment Weekly
https://amzn.to/46BuFcw

Not sure why, but I kept thinking about Fleetwood Mac while reading this story about a band that broke up, and no one really knows why. All anyone knows is that the two leads, both women, have been hating on each other ever since.

They were both pregnant when they split, so their kids never met until they were teenagers. Both have long been in the public eye due to their famous parents. Beat has always been the golden boy who can do no wrong, while Melody came under the scrutiny of the media, with devastating results to her self esteem. When they meet on the set of a TV morning show, there is an instant rapport that they both feel. They exchange phone numbers, but neither one ever reaches out. Until several years later when Beat agrees to a live streaming show, with him trying to get the band back together. When Melody is told that Beat is on board, she also agrees and the couple gets to meet again.

Their feelings for one another are even stronger as adults, and as they spend time together, they fall in love. But their mothers are none too happy about it. Much to their surprise, Beat’s mother agrees to a reunion when Melody lies and tells her that her mother is already on board – which turns out to be just as difficult as they suspected it would. Beat is being blackmailed; he needs the money from the show to pay off his blackmailer, and while he never told his parents about it, he tells Melody, although withholds the blackmailer’s identity.

With the world watching, Beat and Melody fall in love, and despite the almost insurmountable obstacles to their futures, a happy ending is reached.

I usually love Tessa Bailey’s books, but the emphasis on sex here was a bit over the top for me, so if that is a concern for you, this is your forewarning. Ultimately, I did enjoy this book, but it was not my favorite, maybe because it is a holiday book? I think I like my Christmas romances more on the tame side.

10/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

WRECK THE HALLS by Tessa Bailey. Avon (October 3, 2023). ISBN: 978-0063308305. 368p.