Historical romance has been one of my most favourite genres to read ever since I read "Almost Heaven " by Judith McNaught. After that spectacular introduction to this genre, I have read many books of this genre, those by her and other writers. However, of all the books I have read, "A Matter of Temptation" by Stacy Reid is the only one which came closest to giving me the same feeling that I got when I first read Almost Heaven.

As in "Almost Heaven", the hero of this story Viscount Simon Creswick is also an intellectual genius with a logical and rational brain. He is the kind of guy who can rationalise his feelings and emotions into different slots in his brain and so can exercise iron control over them. This unusual ability allows him to analyse the norms and practices prevalent in the primitive society he lives in and form a clear understanding about what is unfair and how that needs to be changed.

Then there is the spirited and impulsive Wilhelmina Crawford, whose love for adventure and passion, is the prime cause of her elopement with an unsuitable man and her subsequent shunning from polite society. She is not anything like the other women in the society; she is loyal, strong, intelligent, clever and fiercely independent. And a bad judgement of her twin brother's, becomes the reason Mina aka Wilhelmina comes into Simon's life and turns it upside down. The sparks fly between them and completely overwhelms them both.

How will they both navigate these new found feelings and emotions? Is their path towards each other completely free of obstacles? If not, what are those roadblocks and do they manage to overcome them? Read the book to know the answer to these questions.

To start with, I absolutely loved how the characters have been written. Both of them are very unique people and so the way their relationship progresses is very interesting to read; at the same time, it flowed completely naturally too. How they both feel about each other initially, sets a good base for their mutually growing feelings, and the author develops it ever so beautifully, bringing it believably to its natural conclusion. There at a lot of intimate scenes too and people who like to read steamy books will definitely love them.

Author Reed's writing style of descriptive and totally absorbing. She uses a lovely and flowery language that is very much easy to follow; it doesn't get too complicated that it takes the reader away from the story as well. She just pulls you into the story, directly into the hearts and minds of her clearly defined characters. I also liked how she used these characters to bring the changing world of 1860s England in front of our eyes.

This is a wonderfully written love story of two unique and likable individuals and I can't recommend it more, particularly for romance lovers.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing this Advanced Reviewer Copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I loved Mina’s brave and cunning personality right from the beginning. It was charming and surprising to read about a heroine who was not afraid of her accomplishments. She owned them and the pages of the book. I also loved how Simon was enchanted by the same exact accomplishments that made her unique. I was hooked right from the first chapter of this book. I adored this book and would definitely recommend it.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

This is the first time I have read this author and I was pleasantly impressed. They book flowed and kept me engaged. Simon and Mina was a love story that was full of understanding and love. They understood each other and met each other where they connected. Both learning to show themselves that they were worthy of the type of love they wanted.

A solid beginning to a new series!

Above all I enjoyed Simon and Mina's chemistry, which was both incredibly steamy and heartwarmingly sweet. I especially liked Simon because while I would describe him as an alpha hero, he did not give me the overbearing ick that many alpha heroes do. He was commanding and protective while also trusting and respectful of Mina, and I often found myself highlighting passages said by him.

Overall there is a lot jammed into this book, which makes it easy to keep turning the pages, however I think I would have liked to see some elements fleshed out more even if it meant losing some of the side adventures and elements.

My first Stacy Reid read but definitely not my last!

Mina Crawford is in a sad situation. She was “ruined” years before when she ran off with a man she loved to get married, only to be abandoned. She now lives with her brother on a crumbling estate, and they are on the edge of ruin. After her brother accuses Simon Laoughton, the Earl of Creswick, of cheating at cards, they are set to duel. Mina is the better swordsman and disguises herself as her twin brother to take on the earl. After defeating him, he offers her a job as a female secretary at his estate as he admires her bravery and sharp mind. Women do not work in such capacity, and this is a scandalous situation. As the two work together, sparks fly. Will they be able to get over the scandal of the past? Will Simon be able to pass the much-needed reform bill?

I enjoyed A Matter of Temptation. Stacy Reid has written interesting, unique characters. I loved their banter and romance. They definitely had chemistry. I also enjoyed the setting and the struggle to push the reform bill through. It was very interesting. I would call this romance novel a medium level of spice.

Although the front blurb talks about this being a Regency romance, it’s a Victorian romance. There are trains and the authors discussed include the Bronte sisters. This didn’t detract at all from my enjoyment of the novel, but I just wanted to point it out!

A bonus story, The Duke’s Shotgun Wedding is included and also enjoyable.

Favorite Quote:
“Then I shall fight to well to reclaim your good opinion, my lord. Rumor mentioned that once it is lost, it is never to be regained.” – I loved the shades of Pride and Prejudice.

Overall, A Matter of Temptation is a delectable new romance. It’s a perfect summer read.

Book Source: A Review Copy from Entangled Publishing for being a part of the TLC Book Tour. Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A Matter of Temptation is the first in a new series set in Victorian England. It is Mina and Simon's story. Simon hires Mina as his secretary. She needs money to help save her family estate. The biggest problem is both of them spend their time trying to resist temptation.

I really enjoyed this one. It was a lot of fun watching this couple fall for each other. Their banter was wonderful and made me laugh. Their attraction was intense and steamy. I loved Simon, especially what he was willing to do for Mina in the end so that they could be together. It was cute how he kept firing her only to have her say, "no thanks.". I did get a little slowed down by the reform political talk. At times, it felt a little like an info-dump/history lesson. Despite that, I still loved this book. I highly recommend it.

Oh, Stacy Reid, how I love thee. Another amazing book. Fun, sexy, heartwarming. Mina and Simon have such an interesting dynamic. I love that their story starts with Mina dressing up as her twin brother to fight a dual against Simon. What a fun meet cute. And then she becomes his secretary. I think my favorite thing about this story is that the third act conflict doesn't have to do with the couple breaking up and then coming back together two pages later (my least favorite romance trope). Let's just say that Simon is a gem. I love him. Another amazing book and couple from Stacy Reid.

I wish that I could give this book more than five stars! It had all the feels and led me through a wide spectrum of emotions. The storyline was wonderful and the characters just amazing. The heroine, “Mina”, was smart, fearless, and courageous! The hero, Simon, Earl of Creswick, was everything a book boyfriend should be. He was a dynamic leader of men, a fierce protector and lover! Neither had ever known love before but together they found an intense connection and passion. Though insurmountable obstacles stood in their way of a life with one another, this determined Earl never gave up or gave in to the demands of society. He would move mountains to be with the woman he loved! An absolutely wonderful story!

Stacy Reid was a new author to me, so I had no expectations for the novel. It was a pleasant surprise for me! I enjoyed the writing style and the characters in A Matter of Temptation.

Miss ‘Mina’ Crawford has managed to make herself almost invisible after her scandal a while ago. She helps out with her brother and the estate trying to be as perfect as she can be. But she is not happy. Her brother came home and shared how badly he screwed up recently and she is prompted to action, which ends up with her having employment with Simon Loughton, the Earl of Creswick. Her thought is to help her brother!

Simon Loughton needs a secretary who can keep up with him. A person who can be trusted to accomplish tasks and maintain a high level of work. When he hired Mina Crawford, he was sure that he would not fall for her, but she did intrigue him. Soon he is very, very interested and buying her clothes (so she will look the part - as a lady of the ton) and is worried about her riding back and forth to work (so she moves in).

Things become quite complex, not just because ‘Mina’ was part of a huge scandal and not just because Simon is totally in over his head with her. The story has many interesting characters and situations. A Matter of Temptation by Stacy Reid is a good read.

Another great historical romance. I loved how Simon respected Mina from the beginning. He didn’t care that she was a women and he let her do the job of a man of the time. Their communication and openness was nice to see. I loved the balance of the steamy scenes as it wasn’t an extremely slow burn and they had good banter leading up to it. Overall a fast enjoyable read

Thank you @entangled_publishing @stacy_romanceaddict @tlcbooktours @tlcdiversity and @netgalley for the gifted copy

I am a huge Stacy Reid fan and she is a one click must buy for me.

On that note, this book and I didn't click. I loved Mina and Simon was okay, but there was no real pull for me for either of the characters. I still enjoyed this book and will be giving it a four star, but I don't see myself re reading it like I have her other books.

Since her reputation was ruined six years ago, Wilhelmina Crawford has been living a quiet existence in the country, paying for her mistake by rusticating at her family’s estate and trying to help her brother find a remedy to their impoverished state. She’s imminently restless with her life so when her brother admits he’s challenged the powerful Earl of Creswick to a duel with swords, she disguises herself and goes in his place. When she beats the earl, rather than being incensed, he is impressed and offers Mina a position working as his secretary. It’s unconventional, but the earl is a political genius and Mina is eager to earn some money to help her brother and their tenants.

Simon Loughton, the Earl of Creswick, is working diligently to pass a reform bill that will help England’s most impoverished citizens get the vote. He’s a bit unnerved to find the help he needs comes from a fiery woman who also makes him laugh.

Now he has to live with this temptation in his office every day and Mina is finally getting the chance to live a little, in the way she’s always wanted to. Unfortunately for them both, the undeniable connection between them won’t be enough to erase Mina’s past mistakes, or the scandalous secret she has that could potentially ruin them both.

This story had a bit of a twist that I don’t think I’ve read before, and I found that plot originality very refreshing. I liked how the connection between Mina and Simon grew and wasn’t only on a sexual level. They laughed and had experiences, talked, and worked together. Simon was afraid of his feelings at first, but I loved how he embraced them once he realized he was sort of waking up when he was with Mina. She helped him truly live and enjoy life beyond just his work and I really liked the fact that he just accepted that and went with it after his initial hesitation. Though these two certainly faced obstacles, this still felt like a low angst read to me and I greatly appreciated that. I loved the fact that Simon went for what he wanted and stood up for himself, remaining unfazed even when Mina faltered or hesitated. My favorite aspect, though, was them presenting a united front in the end and facing things together. I definitely wanted to see the grandmother be put in her place a bit more, but I still liked how much Simon stood up for Mina and refused to allow her to be disparaged by anyone. This was a heartwarming read for me and Simon’s devotion especially made this feel like a true romance as these two fought for their HEA. It was a delightful read for me.

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

I love Stacy Reid! Seriously, the woman can write! My heart was torn in all kinds of direction reading this new novel and I am not yet quite recovered. My pillow is spotting a certain tear stain from the absolute heart wrenching I was just put through as I devoured this book. Mina is such a strong and vibrant character that it is hard not to love her. She presents a fairly decent mystery with her ruination that is not quite fully explained until much later in the story. Simon on the other hand is much more reserved from the beginning so I felt like I got to know him more slowly and yet more thoroughly by the end because, while a romance, this story focuses also on how he grows as a character. I love that we get dual POV to clearly appreciate both protagonists!

As for the romance, at times Simon seems nearly demisexual and having just found his person—frankly it was a bit precious how he was discovering feelings; in those other times when the room temperature rises a few hundred degrees, there is a thread of BDSM type dominance games at play that was kind of fun and flirty! You don’t always get that in historicals so it was really refreshing. Outside of the main story, this book is set in a time of great social change and I really enjoyed the political aspect, even if I wasn’t really all that concerned beyond the romance. It definitely felt a bit like we were trying to make Simon the absolute best man in existence with his progressive feminism and pro-worker reforms, which did occasionally feel a bit too good to be true. As if to say, ah now here is a man created by a woman for women! That being said, I much prefer Simon’s perfection to the usual—men whose failings as human beings we must ignore for the sake of enjoying the romance. No more across the aisle romance, or toxic predators! Let’s celebrate the dark haired, blue eyed pretty boys who get their kicks from being challenged and beaten (not physically!) by women!!

A final note on the ending. Simon and I were both considering the ways in which this story could resolve and I’m not the least disappointed for this happy ending even if it sidesteps the major hurdles that caused my aforementioned tear stain. HEA or bust!

I get so few 5 Star stories these days, most are just revamps of other stories but this one while skirting those edges was original and the writing allowed me to be captured into this story from the first chapter. I can usually tell a 5 Star story by how much sleep I lose and I lost 2 good nights because of this story and wondered about how things were going to proceed when I was not reading. If real life had not intruded I would have finished it the first day (I even read some on my phone while waiting on my McMuffin). I will not tell much about the story because much of the enjoyment is seeing things happen you did not expect. Trust me to say if you are a fan of historical fiction this will rank high up in your list of exceptional stories.

It is always charming when love is slowly discovered, that is the case in this tale. Simon is an earl with a no nonsense approach to life, he is an advocate for the plight of those less fortunate and the working class. Everything he does is researched, analyzed, and planned with the utmost detail. He has no time for frivolity, courting, or emotions. His orderly life is truly upset when he encounters Miss Wilhelmina Crawford.. Wilhelmina is a spinster with a dark secret, living in the country. When her twin brother, Anthony, gets into a predicament she feels she is the only one who can save him. Although she is successful in her goal a whole new predicament arises as a result. The chemistry between the H and h is a slow burn but in a good way. They definitely prove that things aren't always what they seem. I was very engaged and curious to see what would happen next. This is most definitely a steamy romance novel.

I love a good Stacy Reid book and this one was perfection.

I loved Mina and Simon. She’s smart and sassy. He’s gruff and steadfast. Together they have banter and conversation and chemistry and mutual respect. I loved reading them get to know each other and see how their relationship progressed organically.

Plot wise, it’s good. The build up is slow and steady and I reveled in it. Mina and Simon are together for the majority of the story (which I always love) and they worked together in everything.

Overall, this was a fantastic book with characters who were so easy to root for. I can’t wait to read the next in the series.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

This is the start of a new series, and it has everything I love in a historical romance - women in trousers, stuffy earls who learn to relax, and rakes that you just know are going to be reformed in the best way.

Wilhelmina Crawford takes her brother's place in a duel with Simon Loughton, the Earl of Creswick, since she's a much better fencer. When the Earl finds out about the duplicity, he agrees not to expose her brother if she'll agree to be his secretary. It's unorthodox, and leads to all sorts of supposition from the rest of Society, but Mina was 'ruined' long ago so she's not concerned.

Naturally they develop respect for one another, and that leads to the inevitable happily ever after. This was a fun story to read, and I am looking forward to the next installment.

An earl and his unconventional choice of a secretary make a perfect match in A Matter of Temptation. Simon, an earl in the thick of politics, working to pass a reform bill, should be looking for a wife who is above reproach. Mina is the daughter of a viscount, but her past has a scandal that keeps her hidden from society and she carries a secret that could ruin her. Falling in love would be a terrible mistake for them both, but it’s also an irresistible temptation with two people as well matched as Mina and Simon.

Mina is smart and kind but because of a scandal in her past she’s considered “ruined.” She’s closed herself off because of it before she meets Simon. With him she finds that she can be herself, can give into the yearning need to be free. I loved seeing her find joy over the course of the story; she comes alive when she realizes she’s free to be herself around someone who accepts and understands her. Simon has thought himself cold, remote, but Mina sparks a fire in him he didn’t think he was capable of. He’s a cinnamon roll hero, one who opens his arms to Mina rather than close them off because she isn’t what society believes a woman of her standing should be. He’s sweet and loving, someone who uses his position of power to try and make the world better. With Mina, he’s also free to be just himself and it was so sweet watching these two fall for each other. Though their romance starts out as slow burn, when things heat up they truly sizzle. Mina and Simon are matched in passion as well as intellect, making it easy to enjoy their story.

Stacy Reid never fails to entertain and A Matter of Temptation is no exception. It’s a romance that is by turns sensual and sweet, featuring two bright, genuinely good characters who are interesting and intelligent. I look forward to revisiting Mina and Simon again.

Completely heart wrenching in its beauty. I love angst, but this story gripped my heart in an achingly beautiful way far beyond the simple pull of angst. The love between Mina & Simon is beyond everything. The sheer and utter hopelessness of their situation and the utter devastation of constantly being torn apart is enough to bring you to your knees. The emotions conveyed by Stacy Reid are palpable. Every emotion if felt to the depth of your soul, and your heart can’t help but break for these two star crossed lovers. The way Simon comes alive with Mina’s love is simply breathtaking. He is a force to be reconned with in the political sphere, but even more so in his devotion to this woman. I was moved beyond words at this remarkable story.

Stacy Reid has long been one of my favorite historical romance authors, particularly with her Sinful Wallflowers series, which will forever remain my favorite books written by her. I was excited to see a new book release coming from her, and of course, I joined a book tour for which the review is written. I will say that it was a bit slow-going in the beginning, and while the sexual chemistry was absolutely present, I didn't immediately feel connected to the characters. However, as the story progressed, I became much more invested in their relationship, and I absolutely loved seeing the character development for the hero. He went from being an emotionless earl who has no time for love, to a passionate man who wanted nothing more than to find a way to be with the woman he loved. There is a third act conflict in this book that was particularly irksome, especially as I had become so attached to the hero at this point, and it involved a secret the heroine kept from him. One that, honestly, would normally make me DNF a book. However, by the time it was revealed, I had gotten quite far along in the story, and I needed to see these two get their happily ever after. I knew Stacy Reid could deliver that, and while it was almost too neatly done for my preference, it was given to the reader as only a romance novel can promise.

Miss Mina Crawford blames herself for her family's struggles. In exile on her family's country estate, barely holding on due to lack of funds and no societal standing to help gain them more, she feels guilty and helpless. When her twin brother stupidly challenges an earl to a duel, she knows she can at least help there - disguise herself as her brother and use her expert fencing skills to best the earl, saving her brother from injury. And in doing so, she manages to secure herself employment...with the earl she had intended to deceive. Simon Loughton, the Earl of Creswick, needs a secretary, someone to help him as he researches ways to support his efforts with a bill that would reform voting rights for all people. He has no interest in a romance with Mina, but as they spend more time together, he discovers new temptation that he has never before encountered. Nothing about his attraction to Mina is logical, but nevertheless he is helpless to resist her. But Mina is hiding a secret, and it means she can never marry him. No matter how much she may want to.

Ah, Mina was a brave soul, one I could easily see being friends with! She was so relatable and refreshing, bringing a unique perspective to the story. As a scandalous lady considered on the shelf, she never thought to have a marriage in her future, and so she was daring in ways that most women during that time period could not afford to be. I loved seeing her banter with Simon, and it slowly brought him out of his shell. Instead of seeing things in an emotionless, logical way, he gradually came to adopt the same passion for life that she had. His love for her was so passionate, enough to overcome the walls he had placed in his mind, keeping him from feeling so strongly for another person. He recognized that Mina was the perfect match for him, but he didn't know how to make her see that as well. At first, both were content to keep things as an affair, one with an end date, but it wasn't long before they realized that they couldn't stay apart. Once Mina's secret was revealed, it was even more devastating to see the struggle they put themselves through. Mina thinking she could never have the man she loved...and Simon determined to find a way for them to be together. It was a hard journey for them both, but by the end, I was amazed at the change in Simon, brought to him through Mina's love. Just goes to show that love can do some wondrous things, if only two people are inclined to allow it.