Thanks so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for giving me access to this book. We have plenty of romance readers in our community. This book is a solid romance read. It will make the traditional romance readers very happy. I will definitely be recommending this novel.

Did Not Finish
I got a third of the way through this book and decided to DNF it. It's not horrible by any means—I don't think Sabrina Jeffries could write a horrible book if she tried—but it was so boring, been-there-done-that, absolutely nothing new, at times unbelievable, and all too convenient for me. I couldn't find myself invested in either of the characters, the whole feel was too modern and their exchanges sometimes inappropriate, and the premise was quite silly honestly.

I really felt that I should read it nonetheless, since I did receive it as an ARC, but as more time goes on, I'm becoming much more willing to DNF a book if I really don't enjoy it. Why waste the time when there are SO many other books to read? My Goodreads TBR list has over 16,000 books no it—yes, that zero count is correct—so do I really want to waste time on a book I know I'm not enjoying? No thank you!

*This review is of an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Some changes and/or edits may be made to the final published version.

Good book. Delia is in London for the Season, with her aunt and widowed sister-in-law. While the aunt believes that the two younger women are there to find husbands, Delia has another goal in mind. She is searching for the man who cheated her brother at cards, ultimately causing his death and their financial ruin. To do so, she disguises herself as a man and haunts the gaming hell where it happened. Delia is very protective of her family and will do anything she can to take care of them. She is also keeping a secret that is another motivation for her actions.

Warren is a well-known rake and cousin to Delia's friend Clarissa (The Study of Seduction). She asked Warren to keep an eye on Delia, who she is worried about. Warren was reluctant, as he suspects Clarissa is matchmaking, but soon discovered that Clarissa was right to be worried. While out one night, Warren recognized Delia and is determined to stop her. Warren is a good man, in spite of the reputation he has earned with his late night activities. He is driven by demons from his childhood that have had a profound effect on his view of himself.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Delia and Warren. There are sparks between them from the moment they met. Warren was intrigued by Delia's forthright manner, and puzzled by why she acts the way she does. His concern is also motivated by something that had happened to Clarissa. Once he discovers her secret activities, Warren is determined to stop her. I enjoyed their confrontation, as the heat in their exchange was also exacerbated by their underlying attraction. Warren was willing to help with her search, though Delia's trust issues have her reluctant to believe in his sincerity. When both were coerced into attending Clarissa's house party, the heat and tension continued to build. Their flirtatious and frequently innuendo-laden conversations are hilarious. When the two were found in a compromising situation, marriage was the only solution. I loved how they accepted the necessity rather than fighting it. During the time leading up to the wedding, I loved their honest conversations and the increasing heat between them.

I loved the interactions between Warren and Delia. It was pretty clear that, although it had its beginnings in lust, what they had together was rapidly becoming more. Warren especially fights it because of his feeling that it is impossible for him to have a normal relationship. Delia accepted her feelings more quickly and was determined to show Warren what they could have together. I loved how she confused Warren by not reacting to his actions the way he expected. She was well on her way to figuring out the cause of the problem when they received a surprise visit from Warren's brother. That scene was intensely moving as Hart spoke of things which Warren would not. I ached for Warren and what he had been through, and his fear of how Delia would react. I adored her loving and practical response and the impact it had on Warren.

Throughout the story was the question of who had cheated Delia's brother and whether Delia would be able to find him and get her restitution and revenge. The mystery was solved in a very unexpected manner and had an unexpected link to other characters. The reasons the man had cheated were understandable, and it looked like it may have been a no-win situation on both sides. I liked that he took responsibility for his actions and was prepared to fix what he could.

I also enjoyed the secondary characters. I liked seeing more of Clarissa and Edwin now that they are married, and how happy they are together. I also liked the little bit I saw of Delia's aunt. She definitely looked out for her nieces. Her reaction to finding Warren and Delia together was not unexpected. However, her later conversation with Warren was. I thoroughly enjoyed his reaction to that conversation. The most intriguing one was Delia's sister-in-law, Brilliana. Her avoidance of Clarissa was puzzling until they were at the house party. Her reaction to Clarissa's brother explained a lot, both then and later. I'm looking forward to reading the next book and learning more about her.

This was a decent story and I somewhat enjoyed both the hero and the heroine. However, nothing really stood out making it a great book.

I really enjoyed Delia and Warren's story!

Delia is dressing up as a man at night to go to gaming hells to find the person responsible for her brother's death. She didn't count on Warren interfering with her plans. The bantering between these two had me laughing out loud. I just loved these two together!!

This was a great addition to the Sinful Suitor series!

This author for me sits with my favorite all time authors, Jude Deveraux and Julie Garwood, old school romance. Her characters are so down to earth. The main characters in this book were just lovely. Delia is unconventional, and speaks her mind. Warren is very masculine and tender. The way that they came together was fitting for them. The banter was entertainment, the pure physical attraction. That is what I love most in a book where there are two particular characters of both sexes. The ending was VERY good and I already have the next book in que to read. I really love this series and the Dukes Men Series.

I love Sabrina Jeffries books and this one was no different. Loved the characters and their interaction with each other.

great book as always Sabrina Jeffries never fails to please!

would recommend you to ready it!

Another fantastic book by Sabrina Jeffries! I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

I love this author and this book is just as great as the others in the series. I would have liked a little more steam and emotions between the main characters, but it has the perfect balance of action and intrigue with romance to keep readers hooked from beginning to end. Can't wait for more.

Miss Bates was travelling for work on old chugga-chugga trains this week and, to their rocking motion, read a rom novel and novella, Sabrina Jeffries’s The Danger of Desire and Meredith Duran’s “Sweetest Regret”, two of her favourite romance writers. Jeffries’s rom was the follow-up to one of last year’s top MissB. roms, The Study of Seduction. As for Duran, it had been a while and MissB. was most happy to find herself in Duran’s erudite, moving romance ethos.

Jeffries’s late-Regency Danger of Desire sees yet another St. George’s Club heroes, Warren Corry, Marquess of Knightford, so-called rakehell (though he never behaves as such) pit himself against the shenanigans of miss-dressed-as-boy, Delia Trevor. Clarissa, Study of Seduction‘s heroine, asks Warren (possibly the worst rom-hero name ever) to look out for Delia. Delia, on her part, spends her nights, disguised as a young man, gambling her way to discovering the identity of the man who cheated her deceased brother of her, and his wife and son’s, living. Delia’s mystery and intrigue isn’t the only challenge facing her and Warren as they, at least initially, spar and circle each other. Warren, on the surface devil-may-care, contains a psychic wound, which explains his reluctance to marry.

Jeffries’s Danger of Desire is a lacklustre read, especially when compared to the marvelous Study of Seduction. The first third is the strongest, wherein Warren and Delia banter the wisdom of her nightly gambling forays and Warren takes on the role of foiler. When his foiling turns to protectiveness, the rom violins come out and the story turns conventional. Moreover, Miss Bates never felt that the narrative really gelled after that initial witty repartee opening. Jeffries created two protagonists with interesting personal dilemmas, but their coming together in mutual support, respect, and love never quite got off the ground. They’re amorous coming together, on the other hand, is all too frequent and apparent. The narrative, especially in the last third, meandered into sequal-bait territory and the culprit’s revelation was ho-hum deus ex machina, the romance narrative’s bane. Miss Bates went in wanting to like this, but it fell flat after a fledgling promise. Echoing Miss Austen, Miss Bates would say that Sabrina Jeffries’s Danger of Desire provides “tolerable comfort,” Northanger Abbey.

Meredith Duran’s reunited-lovers, cross-class novella is a whole other story (pun intended). It is a gem of a romance narrative because the protagonists so obviously belong together, their obstacles are believably insurmountable, at least initially, and Duran’s handling of the novella form is one of the best Miss Bates has seen. As Miss B. has argued elsewhere, Duran is a master of cross-class and divided loyalties conflict. In “Sweetest Regret,” she manages so much with such a low “word” count and the reason is because few romance writers understand and exploit the constraints and possibilities of the romance narrative. By making Georgiana “Georgie” Trent and Lucas Godwin reunited-lovers, after an embittered and painful parting two years ago, Duran cleverly brings a shared history and established love to and for her protagonists. Lucas Godwin, diplomat in Georgie’s father’s service, the product of mésalliance between an aristocratic father and commoner mother, abandoned Georgie, without explanation. Georgie, in turn, has lived in hurt, anger, and disappointed confusion since. Now, three days before Christmas, Lucas Godwin arrives at her absent father’s house-party on a mission to find a stolen, sensitive letter.

It is worth reading Duran’s Victorian-set novella for the blind-man’s bluff game that constitutes Lucas and Georgie’s reunion. It’s worth it to read Duran’s novella for her clever exploitation of the Christmas season, reflecting Lucas and Georgie’s reunion and re-admittance of love: the pre-season hush, the preparation, the joy of something new and promising being born. It’s worth reading Duran’s novella for the writing and the thematic Christmas allusions:

“Are you mad?” He cupped her cheeks, swept her hair back from her eyes. “I could use ten thousand words to describe you – but never, even at my most disillusioned, would plain and ordinary have numbered among them. You are … ” He shook his head as he gazed at her. “Georgie, you are a miracle. Clever without cruelty, kind without naïveté, beautiful without flaw. And I prayed nightly that you would be my miracle … “

How does Duran manage to write romance that is intelligent and moving? She builds a world of hurt between Georgie and Lucas and then chips away at it with confrontation, conversation, shared purpose, friendship, attraction, and ends with, cherishing. One of the most important ways to write a convincing HEA is not about the LURVE, but about how the hero and heroine will cherish each other. It is very easy to see how Georgie and Lucas will.

On a final note, Duran has understood that the romance novella cannot sustain the full brunt of the romance narrative arc: encounter/reunion, repulsion/attraction, conflict/obstacles, betrayal/loss/hopelessness/dark moment(s), and resolution/grovel/confession, and HEA. She most astutely allows Lucas and Georgie the former and saves the latter, the key moment of separation, the betrayal (which Miss Bates analyzed in detail elsewhere) for another person, outside the central couple. So, read Duran’s novella to see how the form is used by a master hand. In Duran’s “Sweetest Regret,” Misses Austen and Bates say, “there is no charm equal to tenderness of heart,” Emma.

Sabrina Jeffries’s The Danger of Desire is published by Pocket Books. It was released in November 2016 and may be found at your preferred vendors. Meredith Duran’s “Sweetest Regret” is published by Pocket Star Books. It was released in November 2016 and may be found at your preferred vendors. Miss Bates received e-ARCS, via Netgalley.

Warren has enough of his own problems, one in particular that’s plagued him for years. He’s not proud of the fear that haunts him; but he manages – thanks to booze and women. When his cousin Clarissa requests he keep an eye on her friend, he sees it as an opportunity to not only give him something else to do with his evenings, but as a way to get her off her matchmaking binge. Being happily married, she’s made it her mission to see that everyone she cares about gets to experience that same joy; and her best friend, Delia, acting suspicious gives her the in to match Warren and Delia without it being obvious – well, sort of.

Delia has cards to shuffle, debt to clear, and revenge to win. She refuses to sit idly by and let Warren ruin her carefully orchestrated plan. It doesn’t matter that he’s handsome, funny, and makes waterfalls beneath her skirts. She has a manor to protect and family to provide for. However, Warren has given his word to his cousin that he’ll watch out for the defiant chit, and that’s what he intends to do, especially when he finds out what she’s been up to. His determination to keep her close has nothing to do with the fact that she has the most alluring blue eyes and backside he’s every seen. No, those things bear no weight on his duty. He’s a gentleman, after all. At least that’s his story, and he’s sticking to it.

There’s nothing boring about these two. Thanks to Delia, Warren’s life gets a new kind of spice; and she gets pleasure out of trying to one-up the handsome Marquess. Her aunt added a bit of comical relief herself, and once she pulls her bunnies out her hat, it becomes clear where Delia inherited her behavior. There’s enough mystery to keep the pages turning, and I must say, there’s good balance between the romance and suspense. I was surprised when I found out who the culprit was. I mean, who would’ve thunk it? Definitely not me, which made this the best kind of suspense. I always enjoy it when I can’t figure it out.

This was a great addition to the series. I’m excited to find out how Brilliana and Niall will find their HEA, so I will be watching out for their story.

The third book in the Sinful Sinners series, like the others in the series is a classic Sabrina Jefferies read. For me a good read has to have likeable characters, romance, and a bit of mystery/intrigue. The Danger of Desire has all of these, along with two people who are trying to ignore their attraction for each other. Either have any intention of marrying let alone fall in love. Warren Corry, the Marquess of Knightford has a secret, the reason why he visits the stews all night, sleeping only during the day and he is not willing to share is secret with anyone. Miss Delia Trevor has her own secret, the reason she spends her nights gambling, disguised as a young man. He figures out her secret disguise but not the reason for it. Both have a ton of trust issues. The tale of how they finally work it all out is definitely a worthwhile read. As usual Ms Jefferies gives us the beginnings of the next book, making me very curious about that tale.

If you've read any of Sabrina Jeffries books in the pass you know your in for a nice ride, and this new book isn't a disappointment to any reader of Historical Fiction. Delia is in search of the person that brought about her brothers suicide. She is somewhat naive if not immature at times, in this quest to find the person with the tattoo. I hope you find this review helpful and enjoy the book as must as i did.