Niall Margrave , Viscount to an Earldom must flee England after dueling, and killing a man! He meets with his secret love, Brilliana Trevor, daughter of a Baron. He will not tell her why he fought the duel, he expects her to flee with him, and marry somewhere, somehow, later. Her father, a reckless gambler, and alcoholic, does not even take care of his very ill wife. Brilliana cannot leave her Mother, she and Niall are torn as he has to flee! When he returns seven years later, now the Earl, he knows that she married soon after he left, has a very young son, and is a very young, beautiful widow. He hates her, despises her for only wanting his title! She hates him, the gossip raging through London, have him dueling over a mistress! Now, her father is being accused of forgery, money passing through London lead back to him. Yet, because of her forced marriage, she hasn't seen her father in years! She and Niall are put in a position, neither likes at all, having to work together to save her father from hanging, and Niall to pay back the man who made it happen for Niall ,to receive a pardon. This was the only way Niall could return home, and take up his duties, as Earl. How will two people who truly hate each other, work together to find the forgers, gain peace for themselves, in order to go forward with their individual lives? I highly recommend today! Thanks! Enjoy! Carolintallahassee 👒

Well, would you look at that! I actually enjoyed The Pleasures of Passion! And to be honest, I wasn't such a fan of this series. That is something since I absolutely ADORE Sabrina Jeffries! But this series has been ho-hum for me from the start.

Sure, I enjoyed the first book, The Art of Sinning, but the next two books, The Study of Seduction, and The Danger of Desire were filed as abandoned last year. I'm just not really sure why but I just wasn't feeling those two.

So, it was with great trepidation that I started The Pleasures of Passion and I was really surprised that I ended up enjoying it!

I ABSOLUTELY ADORE Second Chance Romance
This book is a classic second chance romance. Nial and Brilliana were seeing each other on the sly because ISSUES! Obviously, class was a major issue for these two, since Brilliana was a non-titled gentleman's daughter. Something happened, a few months into their relationship and Niall had to leave England for the continent because he killed someone (the reason was revealed in The Study of Seduction). He begs Bree to go with him to the continent with the promise of marriage. The catch, they had to leave ASAP. Bree, fearing the worst, was hesitant. And she was also concerned of her sickly mother.

Oh, the Promises
Fast forward seven years and Brilliana is newly widowed, with Niall back and pardoned. This is exactly where most of the story starts. The CHEMISTRY between the two was just off the charts! I absolutely adore them together.

Since the reason for Niall's banishment to the continent was already revealed, I just wanted to smack Niall on the head because he was being such a jerk to Bree. Sure, he had a reason to be (which is revealed later in the book) but still!!

Glorious Blackmail
Niall and Bree are then forced to work together by the Home Office. They pretend to be engaged to uncover the identity of the counterfeiter, who was believed to be Bree's estranged father!

Too SOON!
Bree was understandably pissed off at Niall for a very legit reason however, I felt that her forgiving Niall came too soon in the story. I mean, suuuure they had sexy times (outside, mind you) but that doesn't mean that he still had feelings for her, right? I mean, sure he did, but that's not the point! I wanted Niall to suffer more, or at least, make him work for Bree's love.

Lost Steam
Also, once Bree and Niall hooked up, their chemistry pretty much went on a downhill from there. I felt that their banter stopped because they were now together and also, I felt that Niall didn't really work for Bree's love.

Villainy - Not so much!
Unfortunately, there wasn't a clear villain here. So even if they finally solved the case of the counterfeit, I didn't felt the resolution as much since this villain didn't really come in between the two lovers.

It felt like their romance was a victim of circumstance, which wasn't really strong enough to make me root for these two as much as I hoped I would.

A Pleasurable Read
Overall, The Pleasures of Passion, surprised me since I wasn't as interested in reading books 2 and 3 of the series.

For fans of Sabrina Jeffries, this is still a book worth visiting. Although not as fun as her Hellions of Halstead Hall series, it is still entertaining.

This book has two of my least favorite tropes going on: 1. A second chance romance and 2. Problems easily resolved by the H/h just talking to each other instead of being stubborn.

I despise second chance romances but thought that Sabrina Jeffries could probably make me care. She didn't. The characters have already known each other and had their first kiss, so that takes away two things to look forward to in the book. And since they were already in love we get to read the same thoughts over and over, lots of "if only".

I get that in real life couples often face problems because they're just too stubborn to talk to each other. That doesn't mean I want to read an entire book about it. It causes the H/h to just keep having the same exact thoughts over and over again, often within pages of just having thought it.

The above issues make for a tedious and drawn out read.

Sex and intrigue, fake engagements, estranged true love, danger and secrets, this book has it all. We've been aware of Naill from previous books, but he's finally back in England and wants his life back on track. Insert Brillanna, whom we have also briefly met, can she overcome her mistrust to find her happiness? Will the succeed in finding the criminal before harm comes to them? Find the pleasure in the passion and solve the puzzle along the way.

This was a very entertaining story with young lovers separated by circumstances beyond their control. After years apart, they are given an unexpected opportunity to renew their relationship, but the mistrust that has grown between them threatens to ruin any chance of future happiness.

Having both gone through their own troubles, Niall and Brilliana would rather never see each other again, but they are forced to work together to determine if her father is involved in a nefarious scheme. (Drat that pesky Foreign Office!) What better way to gain his trust and access to his house than to pretend to be engaged?

Of course, the attraction between Niall and Bree is sizzling, but can they learn to trust each other with their secrets and their hearts?

There is plenty of humor in the story, with Bree's shrewd and witty Aunt Agatha leading the way. Bree's young son is also adorable, and Niall's interactions with him are fun and heartwarming to see. The romance is satisfying, while the intrigue adds another layer of uncertainty to the relationship.

I haven't read any of the other books in the series, but I was able to follow along with what had happened before. I would like to read book #2, which features the hero's sister and sets up what happens in this book.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Pleasures of Passion is book 4 in Ms. Jeffries' series The Sinful Suitors. Niall and Brilliana, the main characters, had been introduced in the previous book (#3 in the series, The Danger of Desire). I do confess that I was very interested in their story.then.
I enjoyed Niall and Brilliana's story up to half of the book: what had happened in the past to drive the couple apart; how they meet again after sad experiences (Niall had to be a spy while in exile in Spain and Portugal; Brilliana's marriage to save her father from prison that didn't work well) and, slowly, how they try to get together again.
I din't like the 2nd half very much, though. The romantic plot was alm0st solved, and the plots concerning Brilliana's family seemed to drag through the last chapters - and with a strange turn at the end.
Ms Jeffries' books are always excellent, but I felt the last 2 in this series didn't hold my total attention up to the end. Perhaps they should have been novellas, I don't know..
*"I am voluntarily leaving a review for an ARC provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher."

The author is a pretty consistent writer of historical fiction. This wasn't my favourite of her books.

The Pleasures of Passion was not what I expected. It was a sweet story about a second chance at romance for these star crossed lovers. Niall is a truly honorable gentleman who loves Brialliana, his Bree, above all others. Yet, he witnesses a horrific event leading to a duel with him taking another man’s life causing him to have to feel England. He tries to get Bree to go with him, but she misunderstands his situation and will not go with him right away. He exacts a promise from his father about Bree, not knowing until after he and Bree meet again, that his father did not follow through with the promise.

Bree has so much going on around her, with a young son to care for from the result of her marriage and subsequent widowhood to a man she was blackmailed into marrying by her father. Bree cannot forgive Niall for leaving her to a loveless marriage. Nor can she forgive her father for causing her to have to marry. She had tried to contact Niall so she could go to him, but his father would not help and discouraged any contact with him.

When Niall is pardoned and returns seven years later they are brought together and required to form an alliance of a fake engagement to try to find out if her father is involved in a counterfeit operation. As they spend time together, the love that never died surfaces causing each them to come to care for each other more, but they both still have issues of trusting the other.

Bree has always believed Niall left because of a dual over his mistress. He wants badly to tell her the dual was because of his sister, but has promised never to reveal the circumstances. This just continues to widen the wedge between them. You can see them slowly rebuild the love they once had, but it is difficult with the counterfeit investigation, the wiley aunt, the pregnant sister, and her father’s gambling. All continue to take a toll on their love.

As I stated earlier, this was not what I was expecting upon reading the description, but it is even better. You will appreciate Niall and his honor even at the detriment to his relationship with Bree, which makes their love that much sweeter. Pick this up for a delightful romance.

Lots of misunderstandings and lots of interferance keeps Nial and Billiana apart for years but as usual, Jeffries does a wonderful job of bringing them back together with flare. Another wonderful installment in this series. Now to backtrack to book two which I haven't had a chance to read...

Brilliana Trevor falls deeply in love with a rogue, Niall Lindsey, who must flee the country after killing a man in a duel. Niall asks her to go with him, even though she loves him, she can't go. Her mother is ill and she is unsure of him...promising to marry her after they leave holds no guarantees. If he doesn't...she would be ruined.
When Niall is pardoned and returns, he finds her angry with him, widowed and desperate to find a way to keep her son's inheritance.
Enter Lord Fulkham......he wants Niall to help ferret out a counterfeiting scam, and Niall owes him for the pardon, so he reluctantly agrees not knowing the person passing the paper is Brilliana's father and Lord Fulkham uses her reputation and that of her son to pressure her into aiding them.
While trying to find out the needed information, circumstances throw them together repeatedly until they talk about the past and realize they both had been lied to.
I requested received an advance copy to peruse free. As a Sabrina Jeffries fan, I was not disappointed, another wonderful historical romance!

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.

AMAZING! As always a perfect read with fantastic characters a well written story and everything comes together perfectly. I love how their story finally came together.

As a longtime fan of Sabrina Jeffries' work, I was eager to read her latest. I'm happy to report that she did not disappoint me - The Pleasures of Passion was a pleasure to read! The characters were flawed but relatable - even the "villains" of the book were nuanced characters. The love scenes were steamy and satisfying.

I have a few minor criticisms. I would have liked to read more about what drew the hero and heroine together in the first place. The majority of the action in this novel focuses on their reunion. I do think that Jeffries did an excellent job of demonstrating that the hero and heroine had both developed as people in their time apart, however. My other criticism is that a minor subplot felt somewhat unresolved. [Minor spoiler ahead.] The heroine draws, and she fervently wished to have one of her designs rendered by Wedgwood. Although Wedgwood had expressed interest, they had not rendered one of her designs by the end of the novel. Since Jeffries did make a point to develop, but not resolve, this subplot, I am wondering if this will be addressed or continued in one of her future works.

Rated 3.5!

Another suspenseful yet enjoyable addition to author Sabrina Jeffries' SINFUL SUITORS series.

I enjoyed reading this book from beginning to end. The book was filled with mystery, romance, even a little frustration here and there. Brilliana and Niall started as young lovers but were torn apart. Later both feeling betrayed by the other they again met and must work together to solve a mystery. The character development was great in this book I would recommend this to others.

For those who are wondering about the heroine’s name: HERE is the origin of “Brilliana”. I liked the choice because it was historically accurate AND unusual. Character names in historical romance can become repetitive, but then authors usually make the mistake of going for anachronistic choices.

I really liked this book. It uses my favourite trope: the reunion romance. It also resolved a storyline that was hinted at in the last instalment in the series.

When I review so many books I do lose track of characters. Between the last entry in the series and this one I’ve read God only knows how many books, but at least forty in the historical romance genre alone. I do wish I’d gone back and reread the scenes between Niall and Brilliana before starting this one – you don’t need to, but it adds something.

There are so many secrets and lies between hero and heroine in The Pleasures of Passion. Niall had to flee England after fighting a duel, but Brilliana wasn’t free to run away with him in that moment. Both of them being young at the time, they were easy to manipulate into thinking each had betrayed the other.

This resulted in years of separation, and Brilliana being forced into marriage to another man, a man who died in terrible circumstances a few years later.

Now, this is the sort of angst I like, especially so when it’s done by a skilled author, as Sabrina Jeffries is. I love more than any other trope an angsty reunion, and I think the drama was drawn out for just long enough.

I always worry when the terms “spy” and “fake engagement” turn up in this genre. I’m not a fan of either, and yet in this book they both worked perfectly for me. The counterfeiting storyline gave the two of them opportunities to sort through the disaster of their failed relationship, and to get over their anger.

I was also happy with Brilliana’s little son, who read as a real child, not a Romance Novel Kid.

I don’t really have any complaints. Pretty much everything in this one worked for me, and it was one of my better reads by this author. And yay for a fair-haired hero!

I will say, though: having a character called “uncle Toby” was a little distracting for me. Uncle Tobys is a breakfast cereal brand!

An excellent historical by Ms. Jeffries. The plot was good and unique. THANKS!

Another average book from this author. That makes 4 out 4 tries. Ms Jeffries seems to have a solid HR reputation and a loyal following, so maybe the problem is me and not her. If this sounds like prelude to a breakup, that's because it is. I think, we will both be happier parting ways. I, so I can spend time catching up on my sleep and buffing my fingernails to a sheen, and she, so her high ratings won't be ruined by the likes of me.

Like the other books of hers that I have read previously, I find her characters and the plot inconsistent and illogical at times, and unfortunately, though not bad, her dialogue and prose just do not stand out enough to allow me to overlook the other deficiencies. For example, the heroine refused to have anything to do with her father for 6 years following her arranged marriage, as she felt he pressured into this marriage to absolve him of his gambling debts. However, she then proceeded to defend the father against the hero, who implied that he could pretend to want to marry her for her dowry, whereupon she declared "he (the father) is not so awful that he'd want me to see me wed to a fortune hunter". But if he is not so awful, then why the prolonged estrangement/ongoing resentment, because really, arranged marriages were not that unusual in those days, and her husband adored her and treated her well, which made her luckier than many others. Furthermore, how did the hero become an expert at running his estate after only 1 month back, when the supposedly clever heroine had more than a year to learn the ropes following her husband's death and still remained ignorant and in need of guidance?

The hero, he was a bit of douche-bag - petulant, rash and tantrum prone with the patience of a hungry baby. He was constantly pressuring her into making quick life-changing decisions on the spot, or else he would leave. Even once he realised, that he had seriously misjudged her and wronged her, he was still badgering her into accepting his proposal immediately or else. What is another day or two, when they have been apart for years? In his self-centered state of mind, he could not comprehend that she might have responsibility to others, her mother, her child, and hence her decisions cannot be based on whim and promises not made but implied by him.

This was an ARC provided by NetGalley.

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."

Book four in the Sinful Suitors brings us Niall and Brilliana "Bree"'s story, and it is a bit heartbreaking at first. They are already in love, young and in love, and Niall has just fought a duel and killed the man who raped his sister (who we met in The Study of Seduction). He asks Bree to run off with him to Spain but she can't because of her sickly mother. He is skeptical of her reasons, he doesn't understand why she won't leave with him if she loves him. She worries about his true intentions for he has yet to speak to her parents or introduce her to his, their courtship has been secret, as she worries whether he has any intentions of actually marrying her. Seven years later, Niall has received a pardon and has returned home, bitter and cynical for he believes Bree never truly loved him. Within a year of his departure, she marries another man, who is now dead. She believes that he fought the duel over a light-skirt and indeed didn't truly love her. They are both cautious to trust the other but when they are partnered up to catch a counterfeiter it is hard to keep their hands off the other, especially as the secrets they both have are revealed to show that they did, in fact, love the other and still do. It was an enjoyable story. I do think that Bree took a bit too long to trust Niall again because seven years is a long time to hold on to the possibility that he had a mistress when he was courting her. He goes out of his way (other than share the real reason for the duel) to prove to Bree that his love is real and that he stills wants her for a wife. I liked that they did, in the end, get their happy ending and the passion between the two of them was steamy. Her Aunt was a great character and I loved it whenever she was on the page giving Niall hell and in the end helping him protect Bree from the counterfeiter. In the end, this was another enjoyable story by Sabrina Jeffries.