The Study of Seduction (Sinful Suitors, #2)

by Sabrina Jeffries

[Amanda]

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5

Sabrina Jeffries has always been an author whose books I enjoy... but never totally love. The Study of Seduction seemed to fit that pattern, although I did like that Edwin had ties to the Duke's Men series (where he was supposed to marry Jane, who ultimately ended up with Dom... but it would have been cooler, had I remembered more of him in THAT story).

Anyway.

It's clear (almost painfully so) that despite Edwin's and Clarissa's barbs, they like each other. Like like each other, if you know what I mean. Which is complicated from their point of view, because they don't realize their barbs are really just sexual tension in disguise. I think maybe this would have been more tension-filled for me as a reader if it hadn't been so easy to see beyond the barbs.

But I did like the back and forth. It's always fun when characters can get beneath the other's skin. The fireworks! There was more than this "You don't like me, oh wait maybe you do" misunderstanding between the characters, though, including a French diplomat of a stalker. Or "stalker"? He was threatening physically until he was threatening with secrets, which is an entirely different type of tension.

Some of the happenings in the story were predictable... and some were not. The reason why her brother was exiled? Knew it. The stuff in Edwin's father's past? Figured it out. Regardless, it was fun to watch Clarissa and Edwin discover the other for who they really were and how well they worked together as a couple.

The Study of Seduction tackles some heavy topics too (which I won't say what they are specifically, but it's pretty easy to guess based on many of Clarissa's reactions), which I appreciated, especially given the time period and how people react to that type of situation. Even though I wish Clarissa would have told Edwin sooner, although I totally understand why she didn't.

The Study of Seduction is a solid historical romance from Sabrina Jeffries, and I'm curious to see where this series goes next. (And maybe even what happened in book 1.)