The Rake's Enticing Proposal

Lara Temple

Jul 2019 · The Sinful Sinclairs Book 2 · Harlequin

About this ebook

Dare she accept? “Intense, heartrending, gloriously romantic and easily one of the best historical romances I’ve read this year.” —All About Romance

When globe-trotting Chase Sinclair arrives at Huxley Manor to sort out his late cousin’s affairs, he meets practical Eleanor Walsh. He can’t shake the feeling that behind her responsible manner and dedication to clearing her family’s debt, Eleanor longs to escape her staid life.

Chase can offer her an exciting adventure in Egypt. But the outcome depends on her response to his shocking proposal . . .

Ratings and reviews

Eleanor Walsh and her long-time friend Henry Whelford, the new Baron Huxley, had agreed to a pretend betrothal. Their deception is to remain secret, as it is to protect Henry from his Aunt Ermy - the rather terrifying Lady Ermintrude - from having him marry one of her wealthy nieces. Henry needs to find a way to replenish the family coffers as well as provide a solution to Ellie's financial woes, and he is weary of having to depend on the generosity of the intimidating Lady Ermintrude. Ellie has seen to the welfare of her siblings for five years, but they now face debtors' prison and losing their home if she and Henry cannot come up with a satisfactory solution. Chase Sinclair had received a puzzling letter from the late Baron Huxley asking that Chase look into something that required the utmost secrecy. Ellie has little to do, and when Lady Ermintrude orders her to help Chase with his task, Ellie is only too happy to escape the tyrannical old lady's clutches. Ellie is delighted to be privy to the late Baron's collection of artefacts and notebooks on travels to Egypt from an unknown author. However, she finds her attraction to the roguish and mysterious Chase unsettling. THE RAKE'S ENTICING PROPOSAL is a marvel of superlative writing. Ellie and Chase are exceedingly complex characters - no, not complex, but complete characters - with superb backstories. Both are wary of prying minds, always ready to protect and defend their loved ones. They are also used to mask their feelings and thoughts and stick to straightforward facts or deflect with sharp barbs, which translates into fabulously witty banter between Chase and Ellie. Lara Temple sweeps us away with her breathtaking descriptions of England and the wonders of Egypt, while carefully revealing the real Ellie and Chase by showing us what makes them tick. The story is deceptively very intricate; there are so many little things that come into play. Apart from the dazzling visuals, Ms Temple surpasses herself in making the reader feel. The initial distrust and wariness between Chase and Ellie slowly shifts to teasing, then progresses to more intimate talks, and the sexual tension mounts accordingly. Lara Temple demonstrates that conveying the passion, the scorching intensity of the sentiments, the burning need convincingly succeeds so much better than explicit scenes. This is more than lust, this is romance. How wonderful it is to witness, to experience those moments, those changes in perception and feelings. The author had me holding my breath in expectation of what would follow, and it was never obvious where anything would lead. The enticing proposal of the title comes rather late in the book, but it is perfectly timed, and just lovely. But oh, the gorgeous, sumptuous prose, the exquisitely worded dialogues, the marvellous romance, the splendour of it all! What a wonderful story!

The Rake’s Enticing Proposal is the second book in author Lara Temple’s latest series, "The Sinful Sinclairs”. This story focuses on Chase Sinclair, who I’ll admit intrigued me from the first book. Although this definitely could be read as a stand-alone, I highly recommend reading the first book that features Chase’s older brother Lucas. It’s been a fabulous series so far and I can’t wait for Sam’s story next! From the moment I first met Chase in the last book, I wanted to know him better. I loved his personality and it’s obvious he loves his siblings and is protective of them. Chase is a charming, witty, handsome rogue who has no intentions of ever settling down... Eleanor "Ellie" Walsh is a new character for those of us who have been reading this series. She’s a young woman who for the last five years has been taking care of her younger siblings and trying to keep the banks from foreclosing on her family home. She’s weary, tired, desperate and fearful that she won’t succeed. Our story starts with Chase arriving at Huxley Manor, his late cousin’s estate. Before his cousin died he sent Chase a mysterious letter. Chase is there to try to solve the mystery along with collect the Sinclair’s inheritance. Ellie finds herself at Huxley Manor too, pretending to be the new Lord Huxley’s fiancée. Ellie’s friend Hugh is the new Lord Huxley and also Chase’s cousin. He’s trying to help Ellie get funds to save her home, while she’s helping him by not getting forced into a marriage by his scheming aunt. From the very beginning, I loved Chase and Ellie’s interactions. Their first meeting is definitely not love at first sight, there is mistrust on both parts but an underlying awareness. As they are forced to spend time together every day going through the late Lord Huxley's things, a friendship is formed and truths are revealed. Chase finds himself caught off guard confessing things he never would to anyone. As Ellie reveals her reasons behind her fake betrothal, Chase steps in to help. Ms. Temple as always creates characters with wit, charm and you quickly become invested in their lives. Chase was everything I hoped he would be and I absolutely loved the romance between him and Ellie. Ms. Temple excels in creating heroines with spunk and Ellie was no exception. They were a perfect match for each other, even though it took them both time to admit that to themselves and each other. I also have to say I love when an author steps away from the typical historical romance and gives us something out of the norm. In this story, our couple ends up actually traveling to Egypt to continue on the quest to solve the mystery. It was a fascinating and unique twist and a great setting for this couple to finally solve the mystery and gain their HEA. It’s obvious that the author knows Egypt and she has done extensive research, as the story just comes to life with her descriptions of the time and area. It was fantastic to see Lucas and Olivia again and I absolutely loved the interactions between the Sinclair siblings. I look forward to reading Sam’s story in the near future and hope to catch another glimpse of the Sinclair brothers and their wives before we have to say our final goodbye to this series. Another perfect story from author Lara Temple and one that I highly recommend!

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About the author

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Lara Temple writes strong and sensual Regency romances about complex individuals who give no quarter but do so with plenty of passion. She lives with her husband, two children, and one very fluffy dog and they are all very understanding about her taking over the kitchen table so she can look out over the garden as she writes and dreams up her Happy Ever Afters.