Item: A Matter of Temptation
Rating: 4
Author: Jen

BOOK REVIEW: A Matter of Temptation (Unforgettable Love #1) by Stacy Reid

A Matter of Temptation (Unforgettable Love #1)
by Stacy Reid
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Miss Wilhelmina “Mina” Crawford is desperate. Having been ruined in the eyes of society years ago for one foolish, starry-eyed mistake, she spends her days secreted away at her family’s crumbling estate, helping her brother manage the land but not able to truly live life the way she’s always dreamed. When her brother admits to just how dire their finances have gotten, she takes it upon herself to procure employment…but the only one who will even consider the scandalous idea of a female secretary is the brilliant, ruthless, and infuriating Earl of Creswick.

Simon Loughton, the Earl of Creswick, needs help if he wants to finally pass the reform bill he’s been championing for years and secure the vote for England’s most vulnerable constituents. Too bad help comes in the form of a woman with breathtaking nerve, fiery red hair, and a sense of humor to match.

Now temptation―disguised as a lovely, clever-mouthed devil―lives and works under Simon’s very roof. And Mina finally feels as though she’s truly living life to her wildest dreams. But even the most incendiary of kisses can’t incinerate Mina’s past…or the shocking secret that could ruin them both.

Review:

A Matter of Temptation was a forced proximity historical romance that was laced with laughter and love! With fabulous banter, a wonderful storyline and characters that were so easy to like, this was another huge win from Stacy Reid. If you’re a fan of historical romance, you definitely need her books in your life!

“Most men would have been appalled.”
“I am not most men.” His quiet voice held a sardonic note. “And allow me to say: you are not most women.”

Miss Wilhelmina “Mina” Crawford felt like she had to right her wrongs from the past. She had eloped, and now she wasn’t able to help her family financially by marrying someone. So watching her fix her twin brother’s issue was so much fun. I absolutely loved how Mina gained employment working for Simon Loughton, the Earl of Creswick….but I won’t say how. Other than it had me cheering for Mina every step of the way! And from that first meeting, it was glaringly obvious that there were sparks between them! Working with him was already pushing the envelope. Nothing more than that could ever develop between them.

Yet when his gaze met hers, his eyes gleamed with an expression Mina dearly wished she could interpret. A sharp sensation wrenched in the vicinity of her heart and Mina had to quickly look away.

Mina was so easy to love! I loved how bold, quick witted and insightful she was! It was so wonderful watching how passionate she was about her work and I loved seeing how happy she was with what she was able to accomplish. As Mina worked side by side with Simon, she seemed to read him so well. And established the beginnings of a wonderful friendship. So when there was some perilous action within the pages, I loved how it changed the trajectory of Mina and Simon. Not only did it show that she could be brave and fierce, but how Simon reacted will warm readers’ hearts!

He reached out and touched her cheek. “I love laughing with you.”
Such simple words, yet they slammed into her heart with the force of a hammer, for it sounded like he’d never had reason to laugh before.

Simon thought he could maintain distance from Mina, so I loved how he told her not to smile. As if that would work lol. His efforts were futile! Especially when he spent so much time with her, loved how hard she worked, and respected how clever she was. All the while thinking she was too pretty. So from the moment he had the scene with the puppy, I was a goner. Simon made me cry happy tears, he was such a good and kind man. Who also has a dirty mouth too. Yet Simon was to marry someone that went along with his station and reputation. His grandmother even had contenders picked out. And with the work he was doing, his image was everything.

When he kissed her, it was with such aching softness that her chest squeezed.

As they worked together, they couldn’t help falling for the other. Simon tried everything to ignore his need for Mina, but his desire ran too deep for her. So I loved watching them connect and become even more entwined with one another. And some of my favorite moments involved the bucket list. Kissing. Confessions. Gambling. But at the same time, the world was separating them. Because of who they both were and what was expected of them. I wasn’t sure how they could make it work, especially with Mina’s past, but I kept my fingers crossed!

“Don’t you know who I am?”
“The Earl of Creswick,” she whispered.
“I will be the shelter for the storm over our heads, Mina, you need not fear what I might lose. What I know I cannot lose is you.”

A Matter of Temptation was a fabulous, swoon worthy and steamy historical romance! And within these pages there was also politics showing the inequality of social and gender issues back then. I loved how that added to the story. I can’t wait to read whatever Stacy Reid releases next!

BOOK REVIEW: An Earl to Remember (Unforgettable Love #2) by Stacy Reid

An Earl to Remember (Unforgettable Love #2)
by Stacy Reid
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Miss Georgianna Eleanor Heyford may be naught but a gentleman’s daughter, but even she’s heard the rumors about the Earl of Stannis’s exceptional charm and good looks. Surely she can cater his luxurious yacht party without getting swept away. But a terrible misunderstanding leaves Georgianna fired, furious, and with little recompense. Which is precisely when her opportunity for vengeance washes ashore…

Daniel Rutherford, the Earl of Stannis, has absolutely no memory of who he is. They tell him he must have fallen overboard, and the only person he seems to recognize is the lovely Georgianna―who strikes a chord of familiarity…and the faintest memory of heating his blood. Only now this inelegant, poorly dressed woman claims to be his wife!

But the truth is, Georgianna is finally getting her revenge. The dashing earl will work off the money he owes her and no one will be the wiser. Except the longer he stays with her and her younger sisters, the more it feels like he belongs there. And that perhaps he’d find a forever place in Georgianna’s heart…at least, until his memory returns...

Each book in the Unforgettable Love series is STANDALONE:
* A Matter of Temptation
* An Earl to Remember

Review:

How can I be so silly to wish that this… to wish that you…were real?

This gender swap of Overboard was so much fun! I’m a huge fan of the movie, and I loved seeing so many of the elements play out in the pages! So if you’re a fan of the amnesia trope, historical romance, and love defying all odds, then definitely put this one on your tbr! An Earl to Remember was charming, steamy and absolutely entertaining.

“You and Hetty are good friends, Mr. Stannis. I am certain she misses you.”
“Hetty? The fowl has a name?”
“Yes.”
He paused and stared at her carefully bent head and subtly shifting shoulders. Was Miss Heyford laughing?

Miss Georgianna Eleanor Heyford seemed to have the weight of the world on her shoulders. She was responsible for caring for her three younger sisters, since her parents had passed away. When she got a job catering for Daniel Rutherford, the Earl of Stannis, her sister was worried. Daniel had the reputation of a rake. So when a moment between Daniel and Georgie quickly escalated, she got to see his true colors afterwards. How he thought of those with her station. How anything physical meant nothing to him. And how he had no problem not paying her the full amount of her work, all because his lover was jealous. When Daniel washed up on the shores and in her cousin’s doctors office, Georgie took charge of her life. She saved herself from being ruined and was going to have Daniel payback what he owed her by working around her house.

As Georgianna watched him retreat from the kitchen, she realized that not once in the madness of this scheme had she feared her heart or virtue might be in peril with the earl. How foolish she had been.
Oh God, I must never allow him too close.

Georgie was a woman who was determined to get what she wanted. When Daniel recognized Georgie, it went along perfectly with the lies she created while also mixing in a little bit of the truth from time to time. The strawberry birthmark was the first of many moments that had me loving this book even more, because of the ties to Overboard! So I was cackling every time Georgie messed with Daniel. She told him he was broke. She gave him a huge list of chores he was to do around the house and land. The shock that came from Daniel had me dying from laughter. A man like him chasing around a chicken? Breaking up a pig and chicken fight? It was all so much fun! He definitely got what he deserved! Yet Daniel did it all without complaints. He worked from sun up to sun down to take care of his wife and family.

Laughter pealed from her, and he realized he had wiped whatever the hell was on his hand on his face. His mouth curved in an unwilling smile. “I cannot help feeling as if I am in a special hell and wonder what I did, hmm?”
She stilled, staring at him with wide eyes.

Daniel went from someone I loathed to someone that made my heart cheer with how he took care of his family. I loved watching his transformation. I loved that he showed us he was capable of being a good and honest man. That he respected Georgie. And how he became someone she could depend on. Whether it was the emotional weight Georgie carried, or helping around the house, he was kind to her. He always tried to do what was best for her. So when he kissed her, as her “husband”, my heart soared. And the moment he defended someone’s honor, that was it. I was a goner. There was no way I couldn’t fall head over heels in love with Daniel!

“Are you saying you believe in me?”
This was asked with such incredulity, a rush of amusement went through him. “Is the idea so astonishing to you, wife?”

I liked Georgie right away, even when she was tricking Daniel. I may have judged her lol, but I definitely didn’t fault her for the decision she made. As she became friends with Daniel, liked him and relied on him, I was terrified for her. This was not her true life. And while she knew she should tell him the truth, she couldn’t. She was attached. So I held my breath waiting for the other shoe to drop and it all to blow up in Georgie’s face. And when it did, I didn’t see it going that way and my mouth was left hanging wide open!

“Have you ever wanted something so much it hurt to want it, and you also feel incredibly foolish because you know it is not yours to have and it will never be?”
The lines of his face sharpened as he leaned in closer. “Tell me what it is you want, wife, and I will give it to you,” he vowed, his gaze steady on hers.
It is you.

One of my favorite things about this book was that Daniel’s dirty mouth was phenomenal! He had a way with words that made things erotic and crated so much heat. So there were plenty of scenes in this book that were seductive and steamy. The details had me fanning my face, they were explicitly hot! And in all, it was the perfect amount for this story! Another thing I loved was Georgie’s younger siblings Anna and Sarah. They were so adorable, and I loved watching Daniel connect with them. And Lizzie, while older and was someone Georgie could confide in, she had a tiny little story that made my heart so happy! Add in that we got to see Simon and Minas from the previous book A Matter of Temptation, aww I loved it all! Just know that you definitely don’t have to read the previous one before this!

“I miss the taste of you.” The words came from him before he had the presence of mind to censure his desire.

While alternating between Daniel and Georgie, this book was so much fun! An Earl to Remember had the most fabulous of endings and the epilogue will make readers close this book smiling! I can’t wait to see what Stacy writes next!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*