Seduce Me With Sapphires is my first book by Jane Feather, it won't be my last. Ms. Feather has provided readers with an excellent historical romance. This book is well-written and populated with an outstanding cast of characters. Fenella is a bit of a color-changing sapphire, a different personality shift for different people she's with. Edward is the Tremayne born on the wrong side of the blanket and works doing research and writes plays. Fenella and Edward's story is loaded with drama, humor, sizzle and just a little action. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading my next book by Jane Feather. Seduce Me With Sapphires is book 2 of The London Jewels Trilogy but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My first thought on meeting the hero in this book was a strong desire to slap him for being presumptuous and even sexually assaultive. That desire never went away despite becoming convinced that the heroine found him to be her romantic hero and responded avidly to his sexual interest. Sadly, the heroine falls for an abusive man in his seductive phase, where verbal meanness is repeatedly apologized for long after the fact. Even though the heroine finds his emotional affect seriously wanting and painful, she is attracted to him sexually, even when he scolds her for making soft sounds during sex. Although the hero becomes violently physically assaultive towards the end, it is presented as acceptable because he hits an undesirable suitor. This is not my kind of hero or heroine. Still the author writes well, admits the foibles of her hero, focuses on a growing relationship. What is most pleasing is that the author never confuses a plenitude of good sexual contact as being the basis for declaiming love. Instead she shows two faulty characters working to change themselves and to create a relationship based on shared interests, needs, and goals.

I usually enjoy Ms. Feather's book, but I just couldn't get into this one. While there is no year given for when the story takes place, I find the heroine acts in totally uncharacteristic ways especially meeting the hero alone in his rooms. The first day they are together, they have sex. What? There is no angst about this from Fenella and she has no problem going back to his rooms again. This behavior is just too off-putting to me and I gave up on the book at the 30% mark on my kindle. This story is just not for me.

I could not get into this book. When I am into a book, I normally finish it in 24 hours. I have been trying to read this book all week and just can’t do it. I don’t care about these characters, and they don’t seem to care that much about each other, either. I’m not a stickler for historical accuracy (it’s fiction, whatever), but there are some huge whoppers in here, and I can’t get wrapped up enjoy in the story to overlook them. This is a no from me.

I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

There’s A LOT of sex in this book. Sex doesn’t bother me in the least, but this seemed particularly excessive and contrary to the time period (though no exact year was given). The heroine ignores all propriety. The hero is kind of a jerk the entire book. He always apologizes, eventually, but it gets old. The heroine takes him to task each time, but she keeps coming back for more. It’s a toxic relationship and while it seems to work for them. This is not the sort of story I want to read to escape.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I found I just wasn't able to believe this story, it didn't ring true from the very beginning and it never got more believable as it went along. I couldn't get into the story or the characters, who didn't fit the period. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this story. The banter between our two characters reminded me of real life. The passion between them was wonderful. I did worry at Edward's temper would cause problems in life...and it still may! The end came too quickly thought...all of a sudden I was reading an epilogue! I definitely recommend this book though. It's a great read.

I enjoyed this book, and it moved quickly. I did take off a star because of how quickly it moved at the beginning - the characters got together so fast and with so little build up it felt like I had somehow skipped a few chapters and with the book’s historical setting it felt off. Once the characters were more established it flowed nicely and I enjoyed the story.

I just couldn’t warm up to this novel. I liked the heroine for her independence and strength of character. The hero is, by turns, arrogant and sullen. But I just didn’t buy that this daughter of nobility would be traveling around London on her own without her parents seeming to care, even when she was heading out for dinner and not returning until the early morning. And then she announces that she’s going to appear on the stage in a production of a play by the hero and her parents barely blink an eye. Even in the early days of the 20th century, this wasn’t accepted behavior for a daughter of the aristocracy. And she goes to bed with the hero, after he’d aggravated her with his behavior. And it seems like no big thing for her to have given up her virginity to this guy she barely knew. And when he takes her to a brothel, she’s just fine with that. It just didn’t ring true to me.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Edward is the bastard son of a lord and a budding playwrite. Lady Fenella is an aspiring actress in a society that does not approve of this for anyone of the ton. Edward is sure she is the right person for the lead in his debut play and Fenella agrees with longing. Will something else come of their partnership?

Both Fenella and Edward are finely drawn as are the secondary characters. It was a bit of a stretch believing that Fenella would be able to spend the night with Edward without her family catching on but otherwise the plot was realistic and believable. The tension between Fenella and Edward added depth to the story.

I would recommend this book to my patrons.

Let me begin by saying that I will most likely be in the minority here with my thoughts on this story. And the things that annoyed me, other people may enjoy or at least be able to overlook.

What is it lately with novels where the main characters are so ridiculously prickly that they have to fight about everything all of the time? What happened to stories that were romantic with just an occasional misunderstanding or argument to move the story along?

Edward and Fenella had nothing between them but sex. That was it. The author wanted you to believe that they "challenged" one another, but in reality, their relationship was toxic. And honestly, for a gently bred young woman, even if she did have more radical leanings, she was awful quick to jump into bed with a man she barely knew.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let me back up a bit. Edward has written a play. A play that he is obviously both proud of, and protective of. And apparently, he's been stalking Fenella long enough that he can't see anyone else being the Rose of his play. Of course, the author doesn't call it stalking, merely that he's always outside of her house, or catching glimpses of her here and there. Either way its creepy. Well, as luck would have it, our Fenella has been taking acting classes with the hopes of being on the stage one day (an occupation that certainly would bring scandal to her family, but I'll get to that later). Edward gets Cedric's acting group to perform his play. And starts yelling at them that they are doing things wrong. Of course, Fenella's Rose is ALL WRONG.

She goes to his lodgings. Lodgings that his female landlady owns, and yet allows a young, unchaperoned and unmarried lady to go to his rooms alone. Soon, Fenella is lying to her parents, bringing her best friend into her duplicity all so she can spend the night with a man she barely knows, and honestly? It didn't appear she liked him much either.

In fact, throughout the entire book, they do nothing but haze sex and argue. And of course, Edward can't simply let her walk away. Oh no. He must be heard NOW. Things must be settled NOW. He disregards her feelings, he patronizes her at every turn, and what's worse is she puts up with it! Even when she tries to snap back at him, he turns it around so he gets his way in all things. It was ridiculous. At some point I expected them to realize that they were being unfair to each other, and frankly, to grow up. And yet, instead of talking like rational adults, they argued, they went against each other. Fenella does something she thinks will make Edward happy, he yells at her on a very public street and accuses her of doing said thing for her own personal gain. And then wonders why she refuses to speak with him.

In my opinion, there was nothing to sell this story or this relationship. If all of her relationships are this vexing, I'm not sure if I would read more from this author.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

Although I have read the previous book in this series, the opening of this book felt like I was picking it up midway. Fenella meets Edward, a man she suspects has stalked her, and proceeds to sleep with him after a few days! Fenella is shockingly independent for the times and Edward sometimes comes off as creepy. I did enjoy the secondary characters and look forward to seeing what happens with them. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

When two personalities collide, will attraction be enough to flout the rules ....

I wanted to read this story because the blurb intrigued me.
If I had not known it was a historical romance, I found the narrative very modern.
In fact, it could have been set today with some adjustments of course.
As no date was specified, it is by checking the previous book in this series that I learned it was set around 1903.
As I have no knowledge of this time period, I felt a bit lost, I learned a little about society’s conventions during the regency and Victorian eras, but here I was at loss by the freedom given to Fenella. It is probably me as I do not know about rules during this portion of time.
So okay, she spend great time wandering alone in the city or at a man’s home, but having sex with him after two encounters, and without thinking of protection, it was more stupid than free to me. Especially when it is addressed he is a result from the other side of the blanket. So very careless of her and him.

After outside this, it was a tale of two characters clashing will. Those are two persons with a temper, they can be very easily angered if the right points are touched.
Edward appears to suffer from some Mood disorders, is it a creator’s syndrome?
I hope not as the many I know a little are all adorable peoples.
Yet, despite his easily infuriated self, he knows his flaws and when things go down, he refuses to let them fester and tries to settle them.
It is what I loved the most about him, he is quite an upsetting man, but for all his mistakes and defaults, he is also a thoughtful fellow, he apologizes when he realizes he was wrong.
Fenella is some way like him, she dislikes to be said what to do, why she is reading to throw society’s rules to the window to enjoy herself.
At time, I found her lacking when she refused to listen to Edward, she is upset but him too, why I thought her reaction rather childish.

While for a moment I was flying over the pages, not really connecting with their story then the last part of the book caught me, why I slowed my reading to see how they might mend the bridge they created by their actions and words.
Why my 3.75 stars rounded to 4.

So if you like angsty tale with readily flustered protagonists who address their issues with foods, discussions and love making, it is a story for you.

I was granted an advance copy by the publisher Kensington through Netgalley.
Here is my true and unbiased opinion.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

Pretty steamy, the romance is pretty basic, but I’m assuming you don’t read these for the plot. Solid three