A Talent for Temptation

Sabrina Jeffries

Oct 2017 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

Filled with New York Times bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries’s signature charm and wit, this novella in the hugely popular Sinful Suitors series is sure to tempt you!

Widow Meriel Vyse is stunned speechless when someone tries to abduct her on her way to a ball. Fortunately, Quinn Raines, her secret beau, shows up to foil the attack. Unfortunately, as the two of them are struggling with her abductor, Meriel accidentally stabs Quinn with a knife.

Unbeknownst to Meriel, Quinn set up the fake abduction so he could play the hero and win her hand in marriage. But now that his plan has gone disastrously awry, can he convince her that he’s still the man for her?

Sabrina Jeffries brings her famous “quick pacing, witty dialogue, and charmingly original characters” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) to this enchanting romance.

Ratings and reviews

FINAL DECISION: This is a very short story so nothing is deep or complicated about it, but I enjoyed the plot and the romance between two people who want one another but need to reveal their secrets to move forward. THE STORY: An attempted abduction threatens widow Meriel Vyse, but she accidentally stabs her secret beau Quinn Raines as Quinn tries to save her. What Meriel doesn't know is that Quinn orchestrated the attempted kidnapping in order to play the hero because he worries that Meriel sees him as the staid businessman and not exciting. Both holding secrets that keep them apart, Meriel and Quinn want closeness but have to learn to trust one another. OPINION: This is a very short story, but I enjoyed the quick and dirty romance between Meriel and Quinn. The focus here is really on Meriel and her freeing herself from her past. (It also gives a view into Fulkham's psyche). We meet Meriel and Quinn mid romance so the only question is whether they can work out the secrets each is keeping in order to find a way forward. I thought the story was amusing at times. The short nature meant that there wasn't a tremendous amount of depth or action, but I thought a lot was packed in for so few pages and I thought it was a good addition to the series. WORTH MENTIONING: I can't wait to read Fulkham's book. CONNECTED BOOKS: A TASTE FOR TEMPTATION is book 4.5 of the Sinful Suitors series. It can be read as a standalone although there are overlapping characters. This book is somewhat of a prequel for THE SECRET OF FLIRTING which is about the spymaster brother-in-law of this book's heroine. STAR RATING: I give this novella 4 stars. NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a review or write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

Meriel Vyse is a widow and also helps her brother-in-law, Gregory Vyse, the Baron Fulkham by being an undercover spy. Meriel owes him her life, so she has been helping him for years. Meriel longs to be in a real relationship with Quinn Raines, her secret love, but she thinks she can't because of being a spy. Quinn is tired of being the nice guy and waiting for Meriel to return his feelings and decides to take matters into his own hand. Quinn decides he is going to stage an attempted abduction of Meriel where he will come to her rescue. Maybe then she will be so grateful, she will profess her undying love. Of course, things don't go as planned and in typical Sabrina Jeffries style, this is where the fun really begins. I really adored Meriel. She is a fun and feisty lady and I loved that she finally got her happy ending. Great, fun, short story!

Meriel and Quinn have been meeting secretly for a few months. However, she is repeatedly canceling their rendezvous in order to do as her brother-in-law requests. Quinn has finally had enough and he instigates an outrageous plan to prove to her that he is more than a boring, staid banker. In doing so, he learns that Meriel is more than what she seems as well. This is a very quick read that I really enjoyed. It has all the quirky dialogue and interesting characters this author is known for in a small amount of space as well as a super steamy scene that had me searching for a fan. It doesn’t get any better than Sabrina Jeffries when it comes to romance and this one is not to be missed! This is an honest review of an advanced copy provided by NetGalley and Gallery Books. Dual POV Safe No apparent triggers

About the author

Sabrina Jeffries is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of several Regency-set historical romance series, including the Royal Brotherhood, the School for Heiresses, the Hellions of Halstead Hall, the Duke’s Men, and the Sinful Suitors. When she’s not writing in a coffee-fueled haze, she’s traveling with her husband, caring for her adult autistic son, or indulging in one of her passions: jigsaw puzzles, chocolate, music, and costume parties. With more than nine million books in print in twenty languages, the North Carolina author never regrets tossing aside a budding career in academics for the sheer joy of writing fun fiction and hopes that one day a book of hers will end up saving the world. She always dreams big.