by Sofie Darling
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GENRE: Historical Romance
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BLURB:
Lord
Nicholas Asquith needs his wife. Too bad he broke her heart ten years ago.
Can he resist a second chance at the love he lost?
When Mariana catches the eye of the man at the center of an assassination plot, Nick puts aside their painful past and enlists her to obtain information by any means necessary, even if it means seducing the enemy agent.
Even if the thought makes his blood boil.
Only by keeping his distance from Mariana these last ten years was he able to pretend indifference to her. With every moment spent with her, he feels his tightly held control slipping . . .
Can she trust the spy who broke her heart?
Mariana spent the last decade forgetting Nick. Now she has the chance to best him at his own game, an opportunity she can’t resist, even as her view of him begins to shift. Increasingly, she wants nothing more than to seduce her own husband . . .
It’s only a matter of time before mad passion ignites, a passion never convincingly extinguished. A passion that insists on surrendering to the yearning of the flesh and, quite possibly, of the heart.
Can he resist a second chance at the love he lost?
When Mariana catches the eye of the man at the center of an assassination plot, Nick puts aside their painful past and enlists her to obtain information by any means necessary, even if it means seducing the enemy agent.
Even if the thought makes his blood boil.
Only by keeping his distance from Mariana these last ten years was he able to pretend indifference to her. With every moment spent with her, he feels his tightly held control slipping . . .
Can she trust the spy who broke her heart?
Mariana spent the last decade forgetting Nick. Now she has the chance to best him at his own game, an opportunity she can’t resist, even as her view of him begins to shift. Increasingly, she wants nothing more than to seduce her own husband . . .
It’s only a matter of time before mad passion ignites, a passion never convincingly extinguished. A passion that insists on surrendering to the yearning of the flesh and, quite possibly, of the heart.
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EXCERPT
“Unbutton your dress?” Nick repeated. It wasn’t possible
he’d heard those words in that order.
“Have you spent a single minute of your life bound within
layers of corset, shift, and tightly buttoned dress? Has this ever been
required for one of your spy missions?”
He couldn’t miss the scorn in her voice. “Never.”
“Then you’ll have to trust me when I suggest that it’s a
bloody fantastic idea for you to unbutton me. You’ve done it before, in case
you’ve forgotten.”
“I haven’t,” he said, his voice incapable of more than a
low, gravelly rumble.
She blinked, and a moment passed.
Reason bade Nick exit the room and abandon the entire
proposition. Under no circumstance should he close the distance between them
and place his hands on Mariana’s body. Paper thin layers of chartreuse silk and
muslin between his fingers and her skin wouldn’t be enough.
A few quick steps could carry him to her.
A few quick steps could undo him.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Sofie spent much of her twenties raising two boys and
reading every book she could get her hands on. Once she realized that she was
no longer satisfied with simply reading the books she loved, that she must
write them, too, she decided to finish her degree and embark on a writing
career. Mr. Darling and the boys gave her their wholehearted blessing.
When she’s not writing heroes who make her swoon, she runs a
marathon in a different state every year, visits crumbling medieval castles
whenever she gets a chance, and enjoys a slightly codependent relationship with
her beagle, Bosco.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
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a Rafflecopter giveaway
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My review:
3.75 out of 5 stars
Three Lessons in Seduction by Sophie Darling is set during
the upheaval of the last days of the reign of King Louis XVIII. An estranged
couple, Lord Nicholas Asquith, and his wife, Mariana, reunite in Paris and get
involved in a dangerous game of spies, royal intrigue, and politics, not to
mention the risk of finally destroying their precarious ties to one another.
This adult historical romance with political intrigue
elements provides a glimpse of the machinations involved in change in power and
the sacrifices that are attendant upon devoting one’s life to working behind
the scenes. I think the author did a good job of creating intriguing
characters, even though several of them frustrated me as they seemed to
vacillate in their behavior and agendas. I occasionally wanted to smack some
folks (or at least shake some sense into them, lol), but I enjoyed the overall
story. There are elements that I was confused about, but I suspect it’s because
this is destined to be the first in a series and some of these characters will
figure prominently in subsequent stories. I found this an entertaining tale and
will be on the lookout for more stories by this author as I thought there was a
nice blend of intrigue, sensuality, and romance.
A copy of this story was provided to me for review
