The Price of Temptation is a regency romance with a missing person and a slim mystery. The heroine is not a blushing virgin this time but an abandoned married woman. Her husband has been branded a traitor and she is left behind to await his return, or see if she will lead the crown to him. Many wonder if she is a traitor also, gossip about her, and watch her house. Enter the hero, Sinjon, who ends up watching from within her house, as a footman. The plot is thin—I have questions about some things, who wrote the note, what was its purpose besides tossing Evelyn into Sin’s arms? Why is she so afraid of her husband? The author missed an opportunity to set that information up. How did the Gonfalon get to the orphanage? I presume Evelyn gave it away with her husband’s clothes, but the timeline doesn’t work, and we don’t really get the confirmation of that, when she doesn’t really recognize the “shawl” later. I really feel like an editor let things slip. All in all—it’s an okay romance. I enjoyed the interaction between Evelyn and Sin, I liked the play on the names of the characters Penance and Sin—funny. This feels like a first effort novel. I’d be more interested in later ones, because the potential is there for some great writing. ( )

'the mist that had seemed a benevolent veil ... became a shroud, suffocating and dangerous.'
This early line sets the stage for the intricacies and complexities that follow in the captivating historical romance, The Price of Temptation by Lecia Cornwall. That which is seemingly benevolent is malignant.
The unraveling of the story surrounding Lady Evelyn Renshawe , an innocent woman, beleaguered on all sides, is a good let’s-get-away-from-it-all read. The storyline has nicely judged twists and turns, intrigues enough to take the book beyond the ordinary regency romance. Well read!
A netgalley ARC ( )

Lady Evelyn Renshaw is the wife of a traitor. She has no idea where he is or what he is doing. She is trying to live quietly and avoid any more scandal. One early morning, while riding her horse in the park, she is accosted by a French man who is looking for an item he knows her husband took. She is saved by Sinjon Rutherford, a soldier out on a mission to save his own reputation after an incident in Spain. After their run-in, Sinjon is asked to spy on Evelyn by taking a job as her new footman in exchange for help in finding the man who can prove his own innocence. Their attraction is immediate, and Evelyn fights her attraction to a man she believes is just a ex-soldier turned footman, and not a peer.

I wanted to like this one more than I did, because I liked our hero and heroine. They were both in such unfortunate circumstances; it was sweet they were able to find some relief and tenderness with each other. Evelyn especially is surrounded by such toxic people, but I never found her attitude or actions pitiful. Sinjon always did the honorable thing without being pompous. Unfortunately their time together is such a small part of the book. The rest of the time they are dealing with their own secrets (especially Sinjon) and the evil and annoying (holy shnikes, were her sisters annoying!) people around them. And honestly it was just all too coincidental for me. I usually can extend my beliefs quite far, but this story just had too many.

Also, who the heck sent Evelyn that letter during the ball? I swear this is never addressed again after the incident and seems like something we should know.

ARC provided by NetGalley. ( )