Review: The Price of Temptation

Evelyn has become a social pariah since her husband Phillip went missing amidst allegations of treason. The men and women of the ton whisper that she may have been complicit in her husband's misdeeds. She's constantly being watched, both by her peers and even the crown... for some sign that she has done wrong or that she may know where Phillip is hiding.

Sinjon is a fallen army captain, accused of crimes he didn't commit. He's an honorable man: he even saves Evelyn from assault one morning in the park. Shortly after, an agent of the crown agrees to help him prove his innocence, if Sin agrees to infiltrate Evelyn's home as a spy. He poses as a footman to gain entrance, but it's a struggle for her to see her one time hero as a servant. The two slowly begin a friendship, which blossoms into an affair.

It takes awhile for things to heat up between Sin and Evelyn. But when these two are together, the book is at its best. Unfortunately, Sin's deceptions hang over their relationship like the Sword of Damocles from the very beginning of the book. We have to wait and watch for the inevitable moment it will drop, and destroy what they have created. I liked the element of the class difference between them --and the moments Sin stands as Evelyn's stalwart protector and confidante were warming. But the progression of their relationship was a little more predictable than I would like.

The external conflicts, centering on Phillip's disappearance, a missing artifact, and the man who framed Sin, kept the story moving along fairly well. But nothing really knocked my socks off. It was a pretty standard Regency romance. 3 1/2 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

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The Price of Temptation

by Lecia Cornwall

Release Date: December 27, 2011

Publisher: Avon