Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this ebook and this is my freely given opinion.
I presume this is the end of the series with this fifth book, as this is about the youngest of the Sinclair siblings, Lady Aurora. She is the last of the Deadly Sins as they were dubbed by their hated, but dead, half brother and his spiteful aunt. Thanks to her brother inheriting the Earldom, their fortunes turning around because of the fortuitous discover of coal under their hated estate of Dunnings, and their strengthened social standing thanks to connections such as to the Duke of Ware and his mother, the socially powerful Dowager Duchess, the Sinclairs were hoping to launch Aurora with every advantage, and she was looking forward to her debut. Except things do not go as as she hoped, and she finds herself bored and champing at the restrictions put on young women in Society, and being eyed by the malicious gossips in society waiting for her to show her wanton Sinclair behaviours and proving the gossips and ill wishers right.
She is a misfit who questions whether she even wants to fit in.
An added disappointment is that her friendship with her brother's friend and business partner, Charles Worthington, Worth, has disintegrated. He barely acknowledges her and has never danced with her; not even when she had her debut. Very disappointing, considering her liking of him and a bit of a hidden crush.
Worth is a good friend and business associate of Drew Sinclair. He is also a well known rake. He has no intentions of marrying or seeking a relationship with any woman, not after having had his heart broken after being deeply and sorely betrayed by his former fiancee, with someone very close to him. Since then, he has judged all women in Society against her as a standard, and only seeks temporary physical interludes with jaded widows and bored wives. Thus, when he finds himself suddenly realizing what an attractive woman Aurora has become, he has stayed away from her.
But then Aurora, curious and chafing at the bit, suggests to Worth that she needs to learn more about attraction and physical relations, and challenges him to teach her - threatening to seek another to tutor her if he refuses. Worth is aghast and intrigued - she is offering him what he is fighting his desire for, but he also jealous of others she may look to to teach her, and wants to protect her reputation as well. Worth thinks he finds a way around her tempting proposal by giving her a instructional book of erotica... not realizing she would turn the tables on him, and use the book and her curiosity to tempt and tease him beyond his self-imposed restraints.
A steamy age-gap secret relationship with brother's best friends story that gives a satisfying ending to the series, especially with the second older couple, second chance at love story that is within the story. I just wish that there was a bit of a happy ending also for the widowed Dowager Duchess of Ware, she seemed so sweet/bitter sweet, and wise here, and more of a karmic punishment for both the villainesses of the story.
3.75 stars out of 5