Very cute novella! Fun read. I always love Sabrina's books, and I'm looking forward to more in this series!

A quick fun regency romp. Very entertaining and cute short story. Quinn was adorable and Meriel was interesting. My only complaint was that it was too short. Not to say that the story lacked anything, I just really wanted to read more about these two.

*I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book*

Three and a half stars.

I haven't read any of the previous books in this series and so I can confirm that this can definitely be read as a stand-alone novella but maybe the characters have been introduced in one of the earlier novels?

Anyway, Meriel Vyse is a widow and she works occasionally for her brother-in-law as a spy. She feels great gratitude towards him for saving her life and therefore feels unable to tell him she no longer wants to work for him. She is having a clandestine romance/ flirtation with Quinn Raines, the half-Spanish heir to Raines Bank but she knows they can never get married because she is so much beneath him and has so many secrets.

Quinn is desperately in love with Meriel but he fears he is too foreign, too staid and too common for a woman like her, she seems to crave a more flamboyant heroic figure like her brother-in-law. So Quinn plans a harmless attempted kidnapping (from which he will heroically rescue her), which goes spectacularly wrong and ends up with him being stabbed in the arm.

Set over the course of one night, this 100 page novella is an engaging romp where our hero and heroine find true love. I liked the writing and the characters, I most definitely wanted to know more about them and Meriel's brother-in-law Baron Fulkham. I will look out for more from this series.

This Regency novella features characters we have met before in the other Sinful Suitors books, but this story stands on its own and you can enjoy it without having read the other books. This fun story features the danger and humor of an abduction attempt gone wrong, the longing of two characters who think they can't possibly be together, and the satisfaction when they clear up all the misunderstandings and admit how they really feel. Meriel and Quinn have some sizzling chemistry, and I love that someone finally stood up to Fulkham!

Mrs. Meriel Vyse was married to Gregory's younger brother. Now she is a widow and helps Gregory. Quinn Raines is a banker, he is like an open book and Meriel loves him.
I thought this was a marvelous story, there was a chance of danger and many secrets. The characters were true to themselves and the dialogue seemed very natural. The plot was a touch complex but the feelings invoked made it all worthwhile. The author did an amazing job of weaving all into a comfortable and easy to read tale.
I received this from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

A really short read.
A good story, it felt very quick and I would have been happy for it to be longer.

I am a huge Sabrina Jeffries fan and I really enjoyed this story. It was very sweet. However, it was extremely short. I finished it in less than thirty minutes. The plot and characters could have been developed more, but I understand this was supposed to be more of a companion to the rest of the books in the Sinful Suitors series. I am really looking forward to reading Fulkham’s story.

Super short story, probably the shortest story I have read. Two people love each other but neither is brave enough to stand up and say something until Quinn decides to fake an abduction in order to save her and be her hero. He thinks she loves another and wants for her to see that he can be what she needs. She desperately wants a normal life with him away from all of the spying she has been doing, but she doesn't think he will be able to accept who she really is. When the truth of the abduction comes out though, will she be able to forgive the deceit when all she hungers for is the truth? The story was ok. There really wasn't much to it. Cute but just ok. Too short to really get involved with the characters or their conflict.

I love Sabrina Jeffries' work and I loved this story. Although it was short (novella-length), she did an excellent job giving us insight into her characters' hearts. All three of the main characters were interesting and likable. I hope to read more about the heroine's brother-in-law in a future novel!

Novellas and short stories are difficult for writers to get across a believable character and interesting plot in a shorter work. While I usually really enjoy Sabrina Jeffries’ longer novels, I just didn’t find that this novella worked.

Meriel is a reluctant spy for her former brother-in-law but she wants to leave off spying. Quinn Raines has come to love her but decides to stage a fake kidnapping so he can rescue her and thus somehow earn her love. Unfortunately, he’s just as inept in planning a kidnapping as he’s stupid in thinking this was a good idea in the first place. I found I couldn’t care about him and wasn’t all that invested in their supposed romance.

I’d wait to read one of her full length novels instead.

I was given a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh Quinn, you definitely need another plan. This delicious little story grabs you from the beginning and never lets you go. Meriel and Quinn are great together. He tries too hard but she cannot let go. Fun story.

Meriel Vyse is stunned speechless when someone tries to abduct her on her way to a ball. Fortunately, Quinn Raines, her secret beau, shows up to foil the attack.
Quinn & Meriel love each other but she is reluctant to take the next step so Quinn arranges the fake abduction in the hope Meriel will see him as more than a boring banker but instead of rescuing her Meriel accidently stabs Quinn. A well written short story that I read in one sitting. The characters are well developed & they deserved their story all be it a short one. The plot was straight forward & delightful, it had me laughing. I look forward to more in the series.

I read a free ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. This is the honest review I promised to post.
"A Talent for Temptation" by Sabrina Jeffries was a fun read and a quick read.... I turned the page to see what happened next and discovered I had reach the end of the story. It was not a cliff hanger, but I guess I was not quite ready to leave the characters. I wanted to spend more time in their presence. I really think you will like this story as much as I did.

I, also, didn't realize I was reading a Novella when I began the book, so I was surprised how quickly it moved along! Since it was a short story there wasn't a lot of time for character development, but you still got a pretty good idea of the character's personalities. Meriel is a widow who feels obligation to her Brother-in-law to help him out by being a social spy. Due to the obligation she feels towards him, and her feelings of her own social unsuitability, she has not allowed herself to take Quinn's intentions seriously. Quinn doesn't understand why she doesn't seem to take him seriously, but he comes up with a rash plan to prove to her that he is definitely interested. Will his plan pay off?

Cute and funny short story. I like when the hero is very much in love with the heroine at an early stage in the plot.

I do not believe I should judge Jeffries' art by a short novel, especially because I'm particularly fond of her books, but this is not one of her best to be honest.

I love Sabrina Jeffries' books, they are a guaranteed five-star read! Meriel is Fulkham's sister-in-law cum secretary, cum part-time, low-level spy/eavesdropper. Meriel is being courted by Quinn, who is a respectable banker, and she is falling for him. Meriel knows Quinn will never marry her, she is a commoner who doesn't even know who her parents were, and she is determined to break it off and let him go.
Quinn is in love with Meriel, he doesn't care about her past, his isn't as grand as Meriel thinks, and he wants to marry her. Quinn cooks up a scheme - pretend to kidnap Meriel so he can sweep in and be her hero - when his plan backfires, will she forgive him for his deceit? And will she finally agree to marry him?
Very passionate and sweet novella, good set-up for Fulkham's story, which I believe is next. Short read and very good.

I didn't realize before I started that this is actually a novella not a novel. I really enjoy Sabrina Jeffries books but her novels are SO much better than her novellas. Wanted so badly to love this novella but didn't. Excited for her next book though.

I'm still laughing at Quinn's attempt to prove to Meriel that he's not a boring banker, that he can also be The Hero, and that he's also capable of giving excitement. Oh, you hopeless man, you tried so hard.

I'm very excited for Fulkham's book now. Spymaster!

A Talent for Temptation is Merial and Quinn’s story, secondary characters from the Sinful Suitors series. Merial is Baron Fulkham’s widowed sister-in-law who still spies for him. Yet, she is in love with Quinn, but feels she is below him and not eligible as a worthy wife. After the foiled kidnapping attempt in which she stabs Quinn, he cannot admit he planned it to show her he was ‘manly’ and could take care of her. She continues to amaze him and a little bit alarm him with how well she can take care of the wound she caused.

There is a lot is a lot of misunderstanding between these two. Merial cannot tell him she is a spy for her brother-in-law and Quinn cannot understand why she will not allow him to openly court her with a goal of marriage. What follows in this novella is just about right if you are wanting a quick read for their HEA. Ms. Jeffries might have added a brief epilogue to let you know more about what happens in their future, but I am assuming it will be include in one of the upcoming Sinful Suitors books.

Publiher's Description:

Filled with New York Times bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries’s signature charm and wit, this novella in the hugely popular Sinful Suitors series is sure to tempt you!

Widow Meriel Vyse is stunned speechless when someone tries to abduct her on her way to a ball. Fortunately, Quinn Raines, her secret beau, shows up to foil the attack. Unfortunately, as the two of them are struggling with her abductor, Meriel accidentally stabs Quinn with a knife.

Unbeknownst to Meriel, Quinn set up the fake abduction so he could play the hero and win her hand in marriage. But now that his plan has gone disastrously awry, can he convince her that he’s still the man for her?

Sabrina Jeffries brings her famous “quick pacing, witty dialogue, and charmingly original characters” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) to this enchanting romance.

My Thoughts:

I love a Sabrina Jeffries read but this one was too short. It has all of her signature wit and charm but needed a bit more delving into the how and why these two have come to be.
An explanatory chapter or an epilogue would have been great.
I still gave this book which is more like a short story than a novella 3.75 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization and a hot sensual rating of 4.0 of 5.0 flames.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book via NetGalley from the publishing to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I have read and reviewed voluntarily.