Complete with the signature charm, “delectably witty dialogue…and scorching sexual chemistry” (Booklist) she is known for, New York Times bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries is back with the fourth romance in the Sinful Suitors series When Niall Lindsey, the Earl of Margrave, is forced to flee after killing a man in a duel, he expects his secret love, Brilliana Trevor, to go with him, or at the … Trevor, to go with him, or at the very least wait for him. To his shock, she does neither and sends him off with no promise for the future. Seven years and one pardon later, Niall returns to England disillusioned and cynical. And being blackmailed by the government into working with his former love to help catch a counterfeiter connected to her father doesn’t improve his mood any. But as his role as Brilliana’s fake fiance brings his long-buried feelings to the surface once again, he wonders who is more dangerous–the counterfeiter or the woman rapidly stealing his heart.
Forced to marry another man after Niall was exiled, the now widowed Brilliana wants nothing to do with the reckless rogue who she believes abandoned her to a dreary, loveless life. So having to rely on him to save her father is the last thing she wants, much less trusts him with….But as their scheme strips away the lies and secrets of their shared past, can she let go of the old hurt and put her pride aside? Or will the pleasures of their renewed passion finally enable them both to rediscover love?more
“When Niall Lindsey, the Earl of Margrave, is forced to flee after killing a man in a duel, he expects his secret love, Brilliana Trevor, to go with him, or at the very least wait for him. ”
When Niall returns to England, he and Brilliana are thrown together and old passions come to life. Misunderstandings and secrets are slowing uncovered.
The characters are wonderful, likeable and relateable. You are pulling for this couple from the beginning. The story is interesting with unexpected turns and surprises.
Highly recommend. Ms. Jeffries continues to write fast paced, compelling stories. You won’t want to put this one down.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher*
I liked this story, it is a very well done second chance love story.
Seven years ago Brilliana aka Bree and Niall were in love, but a duel to protect his sister’s honor forced Niall to flee England. He asked Bree to go with him but she refused to leave her ill mother and Niall refused to explain his reasons for the duel. Before he leaves, Niall asks his father to help Bree if she ever comes to him. His father tells Niall that he should put Bree behind him because if she wouldn’t go with him, she must just be using him. When Niall learns that not long after his departure, Bree married another man and he believes his father was right about her.
When Bree and Niall meet again neither trusts the other. Bree married a man she did not love to save her family from debtors prison, she had gone to Niall’s father hoping to have Niall save her, only to be told that Niall had dueled over a mistress and that Bree had been mistaken about Niall’s feelings towards her. Heartbroken and without options, Bree married. Now she is widowed with a young son and wants nothing to do with the faithless, fickle Earl of Margrave. Niall is equally heartbroken, he believed that Bree loved him and when she refused to go with him and married shortly thereafter, he believed his father was correct when he said she was only interested in his title and money. So when Baron Fulkham asks them to pose as a betrothed couple to help him infiltrate a ring of counterfeiters – both of them are less than willing to play along. So Fulkham pulls out the big guns – he tells Bree that her father is his prime suspect and will most likely hang for treason if she doesn’t help and he tells Niall that he owes him a debt for securing his pardon and promises to consider this Niall’s last mission. Reluctantly they agree.
When Niall and Bree finally talk about what transpired – neither really believes the other. Bree is convinced that Niall was unfaithful and his father was right – especially as Niall still refuses to tell her the real reason for the duel. Niall doesn’t believe that his father would say those things and betray him, so he doesn’t trust Bree either. But as much as they mistrust each other – the passion they once felt still burns bright and they both are drawn to the other.
As they work together, they slowly begin to see that they were both lied to and begin to think that they may be able to have a second chance. But they both need to learn to trust and with Niall still refusing to tell Bree the real reason he had to leave, it seems that any hope for a lasting relationship is doomed.
I really enjoyed this story, the book is well written, flows nicely, has some very steamy moments, a couple of twists and turns that kept me turning pages, very likable leads and great secondary characters. The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars was that I felt that Niall took too long to be honest with Bree and I was disappointed with Edward – I understood his reasoning, but still thought they could have told Bree the truth much sooner.
I think this book could be read as a stand alone without any problems, but reading the series in order will enhance your enjoyment of this story all the more.
Don’t start a book when you’re depressed; it can be hard to get into the story. It took me a long time to read this. I was glad to finally read about Niall after seeing him in the other books. I loved Niall and it was a good story. For some reason Bree just rubbed me the wrong way. But once I got into the book I enjoyed it. I did like the last one better, though.
Sabrina Jeffries writes wonderfully witty dialogue and unforgettable characters. I have long awaited this book because I did so want to see Nial get his happy ending. He had sacrificed so much for his family, specifically his sister, so he definitely deserves to find love and happiness.
This book is certainly more sedate than the previous three. I’m not saying that as a bad thing, it is just that the bad guy and the crime, etc. is less intense. As in, there isn’t anybody trying to kidnap, rape and/or murder the heroine. It is a story about second chances and the damage that keeping secrets can do.
BTW – I’ll add that if you haven’t read the first three books in the series you really should. First is because they are really, really good and second is because you’ll appreciate this story so much more from the background you learn in the other books.
When he was young, Nial fought a duel and killed a man. Because they wanted to keep the reason for the duel a secret, they couldn’t let it come to a trial. Nial would surely have been exonerated had there been a trial. In order to avoid the trial, Nial had to escape to the continent. He begged his love, Brilliana (I hate that name) to go with him, but she couldn’t because of her deathly ill mother. He also couldn’t tell her the real reason he had fought the duel. Many things happened through the time Nial was exiled, but the worst of it was that Brilliana married someone else. Each of them have reason to believe that the other betrayed them and each of them have secrets they feel they can’t share.
This story deals with Nial and Brilliana being forced to work together to solve a counterfeiting crime in order to save her father and them getting to know and love each other again. Love comes quicker than trust and they must each determine whether they can trust the other or not.
“I requested and received this book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”
Good Plot, Mediocre Hero and Heroine
This story was well written. However, for some reason, second chance romances tend not to wow me, and this one was no exception. It just didn’t spark. Maybe it was because of the time Niall and Brilliana spent apart, or how they evolved before meeting again. So much happened to them during their separation. They were different people compared to the way they were all those years ago. Although circumstances thrust them together, I expected rebuilding their relationship would be more of a challenge. It happened fairly quickly though. It seemed they reunited to see if they could pick up where they left off, rather than an abiding love.
Seven years ago, Niall and Bree were separated by a duel and lies. Niall managed to flee to the continent to work for the Home Office as a spy. When he returns to England, it’s not long before Lord Fulkham “blackmails” Niall and Bree into helping find a counterfeit ring. It’s a second chance for Niall to convince Bree a fake engagement could be a real one. Both have their reasons for secrets, but what a lot of frustration until their secrets come out.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a free copy of this book.
Heat level – steamy.
A fun, delightful Regency romp.