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To seduce a sinner
First published 2008 · 380 pages
A deliciously angsty marriage of convenience where a tortured rake decides to seduce his own surprisingly passionate wife.
What it feels like
Reading this historical romance feels like stepping into a dimly lit, velvet-draped room where secrets are slowly, deliciously unspooled. The narrative moves at a brisk, engaging pace, balancing the quiet domesticity of a marriage of convenience with the crackling tension of a husband determined to woo his own wife. There is a rich, emotional texture to the story, anchored by a heroine whose prim exterior hides a fierce, long-held devotion, and a hero wrestling with the ghosts of his past. The prose is lush and sensual, capturing both the witty banter of London society and the raw vulnerability of two guarded people learning to trust. It is a deeply satisfying read for anyone who delights in tortured rakes and the intoxicating thrill of hidden depths finally brought to light.
- Mood
- intimate
- atmospheric
- angsty
- romantic
- Tone
- sensual
- witty
- earnest
- slightly dark
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- marriage of convenience · healing from trauma · hidden depths · unrequited love · wooing one's spouse
- The writing
- Lush and emotionally resonant, laced with sharp dialogue and sensual detail.
- The arc
- Moves from guarded pragmatism and hidden longing to vulnerable, passionate devotion.
- Who it's for
- Readers who devour historical romances featuring tortured heroes, quiet heroines with hidden fire, and the marriage-of-convenience trope.
Content notes
- war trauma / PTSD
- explicit sexual content
- alcohol use
About the book
Jasper Renshaw, Viscount Vale, has a problem: he needs to marry and produce an heir to the title. All Jasper wants is to find a lady who will put up with him long enough to wed so he can retreat to his life of debauchery--a life that keeps the haunting memories of his past at bay. Knowing that Jasper is under pressure to marry, Melisande Flemming grasps her fate with both hands and volunteers to wed him. Although Jasper is initially only interested in producing an heir, he soon becomes entranced by his wife--prim and proper by day, wanton by night-- and vows to learn her secrets. Melissande, however, is determined to keep her husband at a distance. She has loved, and lost, before, and will do anything to keep him from learning her terrible weakness: she's secretly been in love with him for years. But to her chagrin, her husband pursues her, wooing her as if she were a paramour, not his lady wife. As Melissande and Jasper embark on a passionate game of cat and mouse, secrets from the past begin to resurface.... threatening to tear them asunder.
Description from Open Library.
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