A Matter of Temptation

By: Stacy Reid

Narrated by: Sasha Higgins

Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Contains mature themes.

©2022 Stacy Reid (P)2022 Tantor

Narrator

Good story, poor choice of narration. I would suggest: Rosalyn Landor or Kate Redding. Narrator was too young sounding, voice too high. I couldn’t lose myself in the story; I became too focused on the words and how she pronounced them.

A good one!

I liked this book. Strong characters and not a lot of angst. Good love story with a happy ending and an epilogue that satisfied all of my questions.

I Enjoyed it

after you once again remember this was a time when you married, some times after only meeting someone 3 times

Stacy Reid shine again!!

Stacy Reid demonstrates yet again why she is the best historical romance novel writer yet again. The story grabs you and keeps pulling you through to the end with lovely twists and turns. As usual Reid has fantastic dialogue and her use of language is elevated and never dumbed down.

Reid Deserves Better

Great one from Stacy Reid as usual. This author deserves a better narrator. This one mispronounced so many words that I’m surprised the editors allowed it. Equipage, revel, and so many more. I couldn’t figure out what she was meaning until I rewound it a few times. Stacy has become one of my favorite authors and she deserves better than this. I’ll keep it because of the great characters.

My favorite so far!!

I loved the characters in this book!! I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good romance novel!

Stacy Reid knows what she is doing

Stacy Reid is definitely a master of her craft. I have yet to find a book by her that didn't suck me in from the beginning and keep me enthralled until the end. Also, I absolutely love the dynamic between Mina and her brother. Even though we don't see much interaction between them, what we do see is heartwarming. Usually, a brother in such a predicament as he was would use his sister to his advantage in books like these. Instead, they have such a loving bond. It's also very refreshing to see much more demisexual rep in books, especially of the male hero. This has jumped to the tops as one of my all-time favorite books that I have read this year.

excellent!!!

Another excellent book by Stacy Reid,completely captivating story!I am still waiting for more books!!!excellent performance,too!

Flowery, sugary, and adverb-y

“Simon was increasingly, unwillingly captivated.”
Well, that was super sweet and over the top. There were some odd tics in the writing and plot, which the narrator delivered with breathy gusto. I was both exasperated and charmed. Not sure I will listen again, but I’m happy with my sale purchase.

“Unexpectedly, his regard felt peculiarly provocative.”
The odd bits:
- Mina and Simon do unconventional things from go, yet the idea of marriage is out of Simon’s mind
- lots of parliament politics and women’s rights stuff, incongruous with Simon being stodgy for so long
- what’s with the piling on of adverbs and adjectives?
- at least one out of place F bomb
- using ye old words and then modern ones:
Example: using a Victorian C word (rhymes with funny) next to a modern C word (rhymes with rigorous).
- certain words the author really likes: regard, C word (rhymes with rigorous), and anvil (what?)

“She felt the burning heat of his regard.”
“His gaze landed on her with the force of an anvil.”
The funny thing is, the oddities that normally turn me off worked for me. This was adorable and romantic and the three or four naughty scenes were steamy, even if there was too much rigorous. 😜

Meh - Buy something else

The plot starts out interesting but fizzles after about 1/3rd through. Overall, 2 stars.

I’m not a big fan of the narrator either.