Tempted by the Viscount

Shadows and Silk #2

by Sofie Darling

She doesn’t want a man…

Lady Olivia Montfort wants a fresh start. Six months after a scandalous divorce, the last thing she needs is a man—literally. However, to achieve her dream of owning a home she requires the help of a powerful lord. Viscount St. Alban would be perfect—if only he didn’t make her want to run far, far away…

He doesn’t want a scandalous lady…

Viscount St. Alban has been doing some running of his own. Newly arrived in London, Jake has left his past behind—he hopes. If not, his daughter’s future is at risk. He’ll do anything to keep her safe, including making a bargain with the notorious Lady Olivia. If only awareness didn’t spark between them…

Will want and need make way for love?

Olivia recognizes a lost cause and decides a night of passion will burn away their mutual desire—all the pleasure, none of the pain they’ve experienced in the past. Instead, a deeper connection is forged. As plans and secrets unravel, can Jake convince Olivia that the only thing she needs is…him?

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency, Amazon, Historical Fiction, Fiction

342 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 11, 2018

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Sofie Darling’s passion for historical romance began in middle school the moment she cracked open Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. An instant and enduring love affair was born.

Sofie spent much of her twenties raising two boys and reading every romance she could get her hands on. Once she realized she simply must write the books she loved, she finished her English degree and set pencil to paper. (Ticonderoga #2 is her quill of choice.)

When she’s not writing heroes who make her swoon, Sofie enjoys a nice weekend hike, a visit to a crumbling medieval castle whenever she gets the chance, and a slightly codependent relationship with her beagle, Bosco.

You can keep up with her latest and future releases by joining her newsletter here:

https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor...

Reviews

[Barbara Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Series: Tempted by the Viscount (Shadows and Silk #2)
Publication Date: 6/27/18

This is the second book in this series and also the second book I’ve read by this author. I’ve been looking forward to it because the last book was exciting and interesting and I hoped this one would be the same. However, this one wasn’t exciting. It was a bit dull and repetitive. He had to have a proper, scandal-free step-mother for his daughter and she couldn’t give up her freedom for any man. There were numerous scenes, but the same theme.

I really liked our hero, Jakob Radclyffe, Fifth Viscount St. Alban. He had no expectation of being a Viscount and certainly had no desire to be one. The title belonged to another branch of his family tree and he had hardly seen any of them in his lifetime. His father had married a Dutch shipping heiress and become part of that family. Jake was raised in that environment and had no clue about how the English lived – nor did he wish to know. However, after many, many pleas from his English family, he headed to London with his daughter, Mina, to accept the title. One thing Jake knew for sure is that he’d also have to acquire a proper, scandal-free English wife along with the title because Mina is half Japanese and she’ll need help fitting in and being accepted.

It was a long slog to try to get to like our heroine, Lady Olivia Montfort, and I never quite got there. I didn’t dislike her, I just never understood her. Twelve years ago, when she was seventeen and he was about twenty, she married a man she loved desperately – at least she thought she did. Then, because she rushed head-long into that marriage without getting to know the groom and without listening to any of the adults in the room – she was done with the marriage after six months! What! No, he wasn’t a good husband – but he was the normal husband of that period. He didn’t hurt her or mistreat her – he just wanted a society type marriage where he could float along on the surface of it – and she wanted more. Should that short six-months turn her against men and marriage forever? I think that whole reaction was way over the top. I mean – she was willing to have her daughter declared a bastard in order to have her marriage dissolved. I didn’t care for what I saw of her in the last book, and that didn’t improve with this book.

Jakob first saw Olivia at a ball at her former father-in-law’s home. He was immediately attracted to her. From what he’d learned of her, she was a scandal. Because of Mina’s heritage, he couldn’t afford to marry anyone whose reputation wasn’t pristine. Yet, he was drawn to Olivia more and more. When they find that each can help the other with a need, they strike a bargain – then they’ll go their separate ways. He’ll help her buy a house in her own name and she’ll get Mina into the school he wants her to attend. However – parting doesn’t come as easily as they thought.

I’m interested to see what happens next with the series. We’ve had one book I’ve loved and one I was just okay with, so now we’ll have to see what the next book brings. I’m not sure who will be featured in the next book, but I hope there is some excitement in it. This story hinted at a possible story at a later date between Mina and Hugh – right now Mina is fifteen and Hugh is probably seventeen or so. So, maybe the next book will feature Percy, Olivia’s dead/resurrected husband AND maybe we’ll see Olivia’s wicked uncle (from the first book) finally get some punishment.

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"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

[Pam Bereznak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new author for me. I have only read book 1 and 3 in this series. I didn’t realize until I was ½ way through book 3 that it was book 3 and not book 2. I hate reading out of order. Anyway, I am so glad I asked about her in my steamy FB group because she is definitely steamy and has such great depth with her characters and her storylines.

I had thought about just skipping this one since I accidently read book 3 before this one but glad I decided to read it. It was really a good read. I really liked Olivia and Jake. I love how she writes about their flaws but also how they are trying to become better people after their experiences. I hate to give to much away on any review I do. All I can say is, it is a really good read. :)

I am really loving Sofie's writing and look forward to reading many more of her books

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tempted by the Viscount by Sofie Darling is a daring, witty, sexy yet emotionally complex. A "Shadows and Silk" Regency Romance, but can be read as a stand alone.  This is my first read by this author,  and I highly enjoyed TEMPTED BY THE VISCOUNT.
Well crafted with charming and enjoyable characters.  The storyline is filled with an emotional complexity that will keep readers turning pages.  It is funny at times, with witty dialogue,  sexy, danger, shame, fear, deceit,  deception,  trust, guilt, truth, and a HEA. There are many struggles and challenges for Lord Jakob Radclyffe,  Viscount St. Alban and Lady Olivia Montfort, in order to meet these challenges to find their HEA. I thoroughly enjoyed this unpredictable,  intriguing and interesting story. A must read!

"I voluntarily received a complimentary copy, however,  these are my honest opinions. I was in no way required nor compensated to write a review."

 

Rating: 4.5
Heat rating: Mild
Reviewer: AprilR 

[Lori D · Rating 5 out of 5]

London, April 1825. Entertaining from beginning to end, this is a story of two people who have a reason to help each other. Sofie Darling's well drawn characters easily come to life as Lord Jakob Radclyffe and Lady Olivia Montfort strike an agreement. Jake tried to leave his previous life in the Far East behind as he returned to London and is trying to protect his daughter. As a man from his past begins to threaten his daughter, he is desperate to find a way out. Olivia is looking to start a new life for herself by becoming independent and buying her own home. But she needs the aid of a man and Jake seems to fit the bill as he asks for her help on his situation. Who would have thought an attraction would follow that has a life of its own? Can they overcome their attraction and just work together? A wonderful story of unexpected desire that will have you turning the pages and not wanting the story to end!! I really enjoyed this second book by Sofiie Darling and cannot wait for the next!! Although this is part of a series this can be read as a standalone but why not read the first book also? You will be glad you did.

[Space Cowgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Perfect 💘Love

London 1825
Jake, the new Viscount of St Alban, didn't want the title, but he had to take it. He much preferred sailing his cargo ships in the open sea. Now he's back in London and his job is keeping track of the books, no more sea voyages. He is also a widower and needs a new wife for his fifteen year old daughter.
Olivia is a widow and a divorcee, she's a bad girl and subject of gossip of the regency times. She also has a daughter and has vowed to never marry again. Her love is her art. She also has a monthly art gathering which promotes the work of a single living artist.
When the two see each other at a Salon gathering that turns out to be a huge ton crush, they each know the other is truly the ONE!
Both people spend a lot of time denying that the other is The one they want.
But events keep drawing them together.

ARC Received.

Loved the book and it is well written and plenty long enough to get completely absorbed into the story.!

[Phoenix77 · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 35%

[Suze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jake has unexpectedly inherited a title, so he's now back in England fulfilling his viscount duties. Jake wants to marry a decent woman, so he can save his daughter's reputation. They left the Far East with many secrets that aren't supposed to come out. However, an art theft that's linked to Jake's past threatens to make life difficult for his daughter. To protect her future Jake has to find out more about the thief. Lady Olivia, who's a passionate art lover, seems to have a connection to him, which Jake could use. The woman intrigues Jake, but scandal surrounds her. Should he get involved with her?

When Jake needs to find a good school for his daughter, Olivia can assist him. In return Jake will help her to become independent. Olivia wants a townhouse of her own, but as a woman alone she isn't able to buy one. With Jake's involvement she can achieve one of her biggest dreams. Once they've fulfilled their parts of the bargain they plan to go their separate ways, but they keep running into each other. Is this chance or purpose and are they playing with fire to keep spending time together?

Tempted by the Viscount is a wonderful romantic story. I loved that Olivia is strong and determined. She chases her dreams, isn't afraid to speak her mind and knows how to get what she wants. I admired her intelligence and sparkling personality. She constantly challenges Jake, which is exactly what he needs. Jake is used to adventure and being a new member of the ton isn't what he had in mind for his future. She keeps his life interesting, which was fabulous to witness. There's plenty of chemistry between them and I liked how they can't stay away from each other, their attraction is too strong. I loved how Sofie Darling made sparks fly, it was easy to feel this magnetism.

Tempted by the Viscount is a captivating book filled with surprising twists and turns. I like reading a good story about secrets and Sofie Darling made me incredibly curious. I was spellbound by her words and enjoyed her gorgeous vivid descriptions. Her writing is energetic and compelling, which is something I really loved. Tempted by the Viscount definitely tempted me, it's a fantastic romantic book that put a big smile on my face from beginning to end.

[Cristina Pisano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recensione pubblicata nel blog Crispi's Books (1 Dicembre 2024)

Buongiorno amiche lettrici! 
Oggi desidero parlarvi di un romanzo che mi è piaciuto veramente tanto, perchè è riuscito a sorprendermi, cosa che non succede spesso! Adoro questa autrice, per il suo stile narrativo coinvolgente, dinamico, arguto e ironico, che a tratti appare complesso, ma che riesce sempre a mettere in moto i pensieri, le riflessioni e i ragionamenti. Una lettura che è risultata avvincente, non solo per la sottile vena ironica, che riesce a fare capolino qua e là, alleggerendo la trama, ma specialmente per la caratterizzazione attenta e stratificata dei protagonisti che presentano una marcia in più, come le situazioni descritte con quel quid di singolarità, benché rimangano attinenti all'ambientazione storica romanzata. Una favola d’amore che ruba il cuore mentre un alone di mistero e una sfumatura di suspense, perdura fino alla fine incuriosendo il lettore. La nota spicy è dosata ma intensa, così come lo è l’attrazione che viene fomentata dall’attesa. Una pressione che va in crescendo fino a sfociare in un exploit, che sa incendiare letteralmente le pagine. Ma sono soprattutto i risvolti del racconto che risultano avvincenti, nel toccare  argomentazioni diverse e più ampie, veicolando significati e messaggi importanti e sempre attuali. Tutti questi aspetti e molti altri, hanno reso questa lettura fantastica, tanto che ancora una volta mi sono trovata alla fine, piena di entusiasmo e un po’ triste, perchè ho dovuto lasciare andare l’intrigante Visconte di St. Alban e l’insolita Lady Olivia. Ebbene sì! Conquistata e affondata! 

«Non credete a tutto quello che sentite su Lady Olivia. Questi» disse, gesticolando verso la sala in generale, «non ci capiscono niente.»

Partiamo dai protagonisti, a cominciare da Lady Olivia Montfort. L’abbiamo già conosciuta nel primo volume dal titolo “Tre Lezioni di Seduzione”. Ha fatto la sua comparsa in alcune scene, in quanto è la gemella di Mariana, la protagonista del romanzo precedente. Se anche a voi, aveva dato l’impressione di essere una donna remissiva, cheta e un po’ banale, dimenticate tutto, perché non lo è affatto! Sicuramente è stata molto sfortunata nel matrimonio,  perché dopo dodici anni di presunta vedovanza, ha scoperto che il marito oltre a essere una spia, è anche vivo e vegeto, ma del tutto disinteressato a tornare da lei e da Lucy, la loro figlia. Pensate sia rimasta a piangere e a lamentarsi? No, non è così, perché invece ha deciso di fare qualcosa di assolutamente sovversivo, ovvero divorziare dal marito, Lord Percival Bretagne, grazie all’appoggio del suocero, il Duca di Arundel, che la considera come una figlia. 

Temprata dalla determinazione, sentì un paio di parole turbinarle in testa: libertà, indipendenza. Nessun uomo gliele avrebbe più fatte dimenticare.

Una scelta coraggiosa, che inevitabilmente l'ha gettata nell'occhio del ciclone e nel vortice dello scandalo, additata dal ton come una sgualdrina e una donna senza più rispettabilità. Dopo sei mesi di chiacchiere velenose e, approfittando della sua nomea e della sua condizione disdicevole,  ha preso in mano la sua vita, che di fatto le permette di dedicarsi con più libertà a una delle sue passioni più grandi, ovvero l’arte e al promuovere le opere di artisti sconosciuti. affinché possano vivere dei proventi del loro talento. Una vera benefattrice, eccentrica, indipendente e anticonformista, che non ha più intenzione di mettere la propria vita in mano a un uomo, in quanto ha avuto la prova che dell’amore e dei sentimenti non ci si può fidare!  Peccato che la prima serata mondana alla quale partecipa, dopo lo scandalo, incontra Jake, il Visconte di St. Alban, un uomo che non passa mai inosservato! 

«Il quinto Visconte St. Alban Jakob Radclyffe, fresco di nomina» sussurrò Mariana. «Ricco come Mida e ospite d’onore di questa sera. Rampollo di un armatore, se le chiacchiere sono vere.»

Chi è Jake? E’ un uomo di trentacinque anni, terribilmente sexy e carismatico.  Attira l'attenzione per via dell’altezza al di sopra della media, per la bellezza dei tratti, per il fisico possente, ma soprattutto perché non è un nobile qualsiasi, in quanto ha la madre olandese e il mare nel sangue. E' stato costretto ad abbandonare la sua vita da capitano, per vestire i panni del  Visconte di St. Alban per salvare il titolo nobiliare, essendo l’unico erede rimasto. Il padre era un ammiraglio inglese, figlio minore di una famiglia di ramo minore, che ha sposato una donna della potente famiglia dei Van Rijn, una stirpe dedita al commercio e proprietaria di una flotta che naviga nelle acque dell'Estremo Oriente. Jake ha vissuto in Giappone e a Singapore, fin da giovanissimo ha navigato per lunghe tratte, ed è sempre stato sicuro del proprio ruolo nel mondo, fino a quando,  per senso di responsabilità, ha acconsentito a prendere il titolo.  Un uomo che alimenta molte curiosità e tanto interesse, non soltanto per il suo aspetto intrigante e affascinante, ma soprattutto per il mistero che aleggia attorno alla sua persona e sulle origini della figlia Mina, una brillante, geniale e bellissima quattordicenne dai tratti orientali, e a pochi mesi dal debutto in società. 

«Non devi preoccuparti del tuo posto.» Le sue mani si strinsero a pugno. «Me ne occuperò io.» 

Per forza di cose Jake e Mina,  sono oggetto di pettegolezzi e costretti a passare sotto il giudizio feroce del ton, che è come una belva feroce, un carnefice  assetato di scandali. Per Jake quindi, diventa di vitale importanza che la figlia venga accettata nei salotti londinesi. Per questo motivo è disposto a tutto, anche a  trovare una moglie rispettabile, adatta per essere la matrigna di cui Mina ha bisogno, per poter avere un futuro in società.  E se invece una donna fuori dagli schemi e considerata dagli ipocriti esponenti della nobiltà inglese,  al pari di un mostro da baraccone, fosse quella più adatta? Razionalità o istinto? Cuore o ragione? Cosa deciderà di seguire Lord Jakob Radclyffe, mentre cerca di mantenersi lucido, non commettere passi falsi e combattere un’attrazione potente che lo divora ogni giorno di più? Senza contare che nel frattempo, sta indagando su ciò che potrebbe mettere a repentaglio il futuro della figlia!  Il richiamo dei sensi, l’affinità elettiva e i sentimenti sapranno vincere sulla razionalità? Ma soprattutto, Olivia saprà mettere a tacere il desiderio d’indipendenza e la paura di fidarsi ancora?

Quell’uomo la faceva sentire... Be’, la faceva sentire. E lei non aveva alcun interesse nei sentimenti suscitati da un uomo.

Non è insolito leggere negli storici di donne ribelli e anticonformiste, però qui, esiste un contorno che definisce e riesce a stratificare ulteriormente la figura di Olivia, descrivendola come una donna spumeggiante, forte ma al tempo stesso fragile, impaurita di fronte alla potenza dell’attrazione e dei sentimenti, così come altrettanto timorosa per la possibilità di commettere errori che la porteranno a soffrire. Nonostante questo, è comunque pronta, tra mille dubbi e tanti “vorrei ma non posso”, a cedere e a gettarsi nella passione, perché all’attrazione non esiste rimedio! Contemporaneamente risulta anche battagliera, astuta e indomabile, democratica e sensibile di fronte ai bisogni dei meno abbienti, pronta a mischiarsi con chi non appartiene al suo rango, seguendo la necessità di tratteggiare a carboncino la realtà,  attraverso un verismo che si sta imponendo attraverso una nuova corrente artistica.  Ma nel suo piccolo riesce a fare la differenza, in quanto l'arte, oltre a diventare per lei, una valvola di sfogo, si trasforma nel filo conduttore che unisce nel suo salotto, una moltitudine di soggetti diversi, per estrazione, classe sociale, possibilità finanziarie, ecc.  L’arte e la cultura non sono elementi di divisione,  bensì occasione di sviluppo, aggregazione, unione ed evoluzione,  in quanto anche nei sobborghi della società, prende forma il talento che deve essere sostenuto!

Lei era stata priva del minimo accenno di educazione o di controllo. Di nuovo, gli venne in mente quella parola. Sciolta. E, ancora una volta, la voleva così. 

Come la gemella Mariana, Olivia possiede una mentalità riformista, pertanto ha un ruolo nel consiglio direttivo della “Scuola Progressista per Signorine e l’Educazione delle Loro Menti” considerata dalla maggior parte degli esponenti del ton come inutile, in quanto era comune per la mentalità dell’epoca, considerare le donne esseri inferiori, alla mercè del volere degli uomini, quindi obbligate a contrarre un matrimonio il prima possibile, per dare lustro alla casata e assicurarsi un futuro benestante. Una consuetudine che di fatto, le destinava a una vita senza diritti, priva di possibilità, sbocchi e di realizzazioni personali, se non quella di essere madri e mogli. Per fortuna la realtà storica e le tante personalità brillanti femminili che si sono distinte nei secoli, hanno scritto pagine importanti in trattati di scienza e letteratura, contribuendo a modificare il pensiero comune e dimostrando la falla di un sistema e di una mentalità maschilista. 

E avevano parlato di perfezione e di disastri. Che perfetto disastro poteva fare con lui. Oh. Da dov’era venuto fuori questo pensiero?

La vicenda è ambientata a Londra nel 1825, nella quale sono accennati gli strascichi e gli effetti della Campagna Napoleonica, combattuta dall’esercito inglese nella Penisola Iberica, a fianco degli spagnoli e portoghesi, alleati contro le milizie francesi.  Iniziano a soffiare venti di novità, mentre l'Inghilterra affonda i propri tentacoli perseguendo mire espansionistiche (esiste una presa di posizione precisa) e le secolari tratte commerciali. Ogni aspetto toccato nel romanzo, è riconducibile a questo periodo storico, caratterizzato da un particolare fermento culturale e ideologico, in un secolo che ha visto grandi scoperte, conflitti e rivoluzioni. Non manca da parte dell’autrice, la volontà di sorprendere, mentre gioca sulle  personalità dei suoi protagonisti e sulla loro caratterizzazione multi sfaccettata.

«Trovo che la perfezione mi annoia nel giro di pochi minuti. Forse un po’ di disordine è...» Quello di cui avete bisogno. Le parole gli si bloccarono in gola.

Un uomo e una donna che appartengono al loro tempo, ma che diventano  figure originali, moderne  e “di rottura”, poiché poco inclini a rispettare le regole, bensì favorevoli a evadere dal sistema, ma solo dopo essere passati all’interno di una centrifuga emotiva e un percorso evolutivo che li porterà a modificarsi e a modificare il loro approccio nei confronti della società e la visione del mondo. Entrambi, hanno un buon punto di partenza, Jake, ha sempre vissuto in una realtà diversa, mentre Olivia, ha imparato a sue spese il valore della libertà, a costo di essere additata per quella strana. Insieme troveranno la forza di vivere il loro amore e di ribellarsi al formalismo sterile e al vuoto, che impera nella classe sociale alla quale appartengono. Sono figure che incarnano il concetto di libertà, di democrazia e che lottano a loro modo, contro la disuguaglianza, la diversità, il senso di inadeguatezza e le ingiustizie sociali. Anche se nobili, fanno parte del popolo dei “diversi”, pertanto portano avanti una loro battaglia, che diventa in questa realtà romanzata,  un manifesto di modernità, per dare voce anche agli invisibili. 

«Lasciatemi indovinare. Per voi l’arte è bella, facile e dimenticabile.» Indicò il quadro. «E questo non è nulla di tutto ciò. È brutale, oscuro e indimenticabile.»

I temi sociali, toccati durante il racconto sono diversi e variegati. Il distacco e la consuetudine dei nobili, nel loro ergersi al di sopra delle parti, arroccati nella loro posizione privilegiata, tanto da non considerare il popolo, se non come scarti o carne da macello, da utilizzare nelle guerre.  Oltre la tipica chiusura mentale degli esponenti della nobiltà inglese, che si riflette nel ton, il vero mostro della storia, con i suoi scandali e i pettegolezzi onnipresenti, si sfiora anche il tema della distanza sociale, della povertà e le ripercussioni inerenti al razzismo, quest’ultimo abbinato al significato di paternità in tutte le sue eccezioni, e all’istinto di protezione, per il quale  Jake eccelle. Un uomo dai forti valori, che quando si arrabbia, il suo accento olandese si rinvigorisce, mentre gli occhi fiammeggiano e si  trasforma in un leone, pronto a proteggere chi ama, a costo della sua stessa felicità. Un uomo di mare che zoppica a comportarsi come un nobile, ma che viene messo a confronto con Percey, uno dei tanti figli della nobiltà inglese. A questo proposito,  segnalo  momenti toccanti ed espressioni commoventi e sensibili, dedicate a Mina, al suo pensiero e sull'inevitabilità del fatto che lei è, e sarà per sempre un pezzo di un puzzle che non si incastrerà mai in nessun posto. Diversa per aspetto, rischia di essere esclusa, giudicata e svilita. Una realtà che un padre come Jake, mosso dal coraggio dato da un amore sconfinato, non potrà mai accettare!

«Un pezzo non può essere messo in un posto con la forza. O si incastra, o non si incastra.»

E poi, come dimenticare la fantastica e dal nome altisonante “Scuola Progressista per Signorine e l’Educazione delle Loro Menti”? Una bandiera che sventola e urla a gran voce: progresso, modernità, sviluppo, cambiamento!  Un progetto che raccoglie i primi venti di ribellione che hanno odore di femminismo! A questo proposito una menzione speciale ai banchi nelle aule, che diventano oggetto di un siparietto molto divertente! Insomma, un romanzo ricco, pieno, colmo e saturo di tante cose, raccontato con abilità, attenzione e giocosità da un’autrice che dimostra di avere uno stile narrativo deciso e maturo, che sa modularsi a seconda delle situazioni descritte. Ma noi lettrici italiane, possiamo apprezzarlo grazie alla traduzione minuziosa, sapiente e precisa di Isabella Nanni che riesce ogni volta a far arrivare tutte le sfaccettature, l’emozione, l’ironia, ma anche i tanti messaggi racchiusi nei romanzi di questa autrice, come da tante altre, originariamente in lingua inglese. (Thanks!)  

«Non posso averti.» Lui aggrottò la fronte. «Tu non puoi avere me?» Si protese in avanti e le si chiusero gli occhi. Le sfiorò il padiglione sensibile dell’orecchio e sussurrò: «Olivia, tu sei il premio. Nessuno te l’ha mai detto?»

Se non fosse chiaro, consiglio assolutamente la lettura di “Tentata dal Visconte”,  un romanzo che presenta tutti gli ingredienti giusti per regalare una travolgente esperienza di lettura, attraverso una storia d’amore, che prende vita in una società che, nel bene e nel male, può essere paragonata a quella attuale. Uno scontro tra desiderio e dovere, tra passione e razionalità, che ha il merito di generare una ventata d’aria fresca, che si rincorre in un tracciato narrativo che diverte, coinvolge e rasserena, mentre sfiora temi importanti e sempre attuali. Un duello dei sensi, dove a vincere è il desiderio, che diventa servo e ragione della magia stessa dei sentimenti.  Buona lettura e alla prossima! 

Recensione a cura di Cristina Pisano

[Sarah Cupitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fear I should've started this series in order (anyway easy 5/5 for a witty and steamy storyline filled with tension and amazing backstory that made me wish this was a spin-off bridgerton series)

note to self see bookmarked pages on kindle - reached max word limit on here lol

notes/some favs:
- “The threat of public humiliation is a powerful motivator. Never underestimate its ability to reveal the true measure of a man.”
- Take poetry, for instance, the fewer the words— well chosen, of course— the more powerfully it communicates its message. Fascinating, no?
- Not an hour ago, she’d been an ice queen, untouchable. Now rational thought was abandoning her, and all she could do was feel.
- Honesty was an overrated virtue.
- She steeled herself and faced him, her back against the pianoforte. “In the years between my widowhood and my divorce, I developed a most scandalous interest in the arts.” “As a patroness?” he asked. “Or an artist?” “Both.”
- He liked the way my lord sounded on her lips. It almost felt like an intimacy.
- The clothed Maja is the saucier of the two Majas, the one more knowledgeable about her seductive prowess than her nude self.
- She’d allowed him to put his stamp on every room. Ha. She’d not only allowed it, but had assisted it.
- Again, that word came to him. Unbound. And, again, he wanted her that way.
- She would be unbound, and he would be undone.
- Through the haze of enervation and satiety came the thought that she’d been a fool in coming here. She hadn’t extinguished the flame between them. She’d only stoked it higher.
- But, oh, this feeling knotting her insides didn’t feel like freedom. It wanted more. It wanted to become bound to a budding addiction. She could easily envision a future of enslaved dependence on that man, on what his body could provide hers.
- His gaze drank her in like desert sand consumed the first drops of a monsoon rain.
- He found himself in the strange position of envying a piece of paper. This was the man she reduced him to.
- “Every woman in London would leap at the chance of being saddled with the likes of you,” she shot at him. “Every woman in London?” he shot back. On a different night, his question would fluster her and send her running for safety, but not tonight. She’d intuited something vital to this man, and she wouldn’t let it go. “You seek to punish yourself. That is the reason you won’t allow yourself to marry for love . . . “You’re afraid.” “Aren’t we all?” he threw back at her. “Of yourself,” she returned. He flinched as if she’d physically struck him.
- she wanted this man one last time. Every time was supposed to be the last time. Yet it never was.
- They took from each other what was needed. He wanted her to take from him until he had nothing left.
- You’ll never start truly living until you trust yourself and let your fear die.
- “Love isn’t enough. It’s chaotic and fleeting.” “Look at the stars, Olivia.” Her eyes fluttered open, and she took in the fathomless indigo sky. “That isn’t chaos. It’s order. The past, present, and future suspended above our heads. Our past, present, and future are written there. If you squint hard enough, you can see it: a future so bright that the shadows of the past can never dim it.”
- One is either interested in the world, or one isn’t.
- Without you, I am an orderly star lacking the ability to come to life.
- “What of your freedom, Olivia? Your freedom to be an unwed lady of means. Your freedom to pursue the life you choose. You defied society to achieve it.” He hesitated, weighing his next words. “I can’t have you resenting me for taking something so precious from you.”

plot/other:
- Now? She was a real, live divorcée, little more than a new species on display at the zoo.
- Pointedly, her gaze lowered and met his. “Gentlemen do not shake hands.” “Sailors do.”
- A single second was too long for him to have been in her studio. Surrounded by drawings of himself.
- She nearly jumped through her skin when he began examining one of the smaller sketches, facing her. But his expression, neutral and emotionless, gave no sign of awareness that he was being watched.
- “That would make you different from any man and wife I ever heard of. But you may have the right of it. Marriage isn’t a romantic enterprise, and yet women keep getting tricked into thinking it so.” “Tricked?” “Most definitely tricked. If young women truly understood marriage, they would run as fast as their feet could carry them the instant a man got down on one knee. Marriage changes nothing in a man’s life. But for a woman? It changes everything.” “And not for the better?” “Not in my experience of it.”
- “Rumors?” “Of his gaming, his horses, his…” Again, her voice lowered to a whisper. “Mistress.” Muscles twitched beneath her palm, but Jake’s features remained otherwise impassive. She wouldn’t have even known of his reaction was she not touching him. “That is when she allows it to hit her: hers is nothing more or less than a society marriage. Her husband is no different from the men of his set, and she is no different from the women of hers. Their extraordinary love has been perfectly ordinary all along.” “Betrayed by an ideal.”
- A curious and ineffable joy sprang up from the pit of her belly and shimmered through her veins. High- born or low- born, Jake had loved Mina’s mother.
- She stepped left and away from him. “The wind must have blown it shut.” “Won’t the key open it?” He watched her, waiting for her to produce the item. “I believe the key is in the lock.” She stared at the deadbolt. “On the other side.” (lol OH NO what will they DO haha)
- “Mina isn’t my daughter by blood.”
- “When I returned, we took a moonlit stroll to the bridge where I’d first seen her. Very romantic until she told me that she’d fallen in love with another man while I was away and was now increasing.” “Increasing? With another man’s child? How—” “Devastating?”
- “A better man would have softened in that moment.”
- “A father’s love for his daughter is that predictable,” Jiro replied, a flicker of emotion, unfathomable and quick, fleeting across his features. “I was counting on it.”
- “London knows what it needs to know.” “But does Mina?”
- She glanced around, and her heart jumped into her throat. They were one of only four couples dancing. Of the two hundred or so guests, at least half formed a loose circle around the dance floor, watching… Her and Jake. How had she forgotten them? Abandoning her arm’s length distance, her erect posture, and her stiff arms, she gathered into him, pressed full- length into his body, and strained toward his ear. “Do you see how they watch us?” she asked, keenly aware of the ton intently, delightedly observing Lady Olivia Montfort make a spectacle of herself with the Right Honorable Viscount St. Alban. “Of course.” His warm breath tickled the fine hairs of her neck. “The haiku.” How had she forgotten the haiku? She spoke her next words before they stuck in her throat. “They assume we are lovers.” “We are lovers.”
- “Meet me in the center of the duke’s labyrinth thirty minutes hence.”
- “You used me.” “Yes,” he replied. “Thoroughly.” “Yes.”

funny:
- “You may want to acquaint yourself with its pages. According to the London Diary, you are the most dashing viscount in all of London this Season. I suspect its readership agrees.” “And are you counted amongst its readership?” he asked, his sharp focus pinning her into place. “To my everlasting shame, I am,” Olivia said and stopped dead. She’d stumbled neck- deep into that one.
- What in the world was the woman trying to accomplish? His undoing?
- Tiny, electric waves of shock rippled through Olivia, sudden lust licking quick at their wake.
- she hadn’t expected it to feel so immediate, so real, yet so fantastical. As if she’d been granted permission to conflate reality with this morning’s dream.
- “It’s a trifle difficult to be angry with a man who is trying to save the day.” Her smile twisted in mischief, and she handed his coat back to him. “And one who looks ridiculous while doing so.”
- It was entirely possible she liked everything about this man.
- “No?” His inability to take no for an answer was almost comical. Almost.

tension:
- How she longed to rid her body of its betraying blush.
- “It is a strange sensation,” he began, “to have your body so completely in hand and, yet, the essence of you so far away.”
- He pulled her close, and his lips feathered against her ear. “My apologies, if I implied your physical beauty and mental acumen are mutually exclusive entities. You might be the rare lady who possesses both.”
- His hands were gorgeous… and large. But it wasn’t just the size of them, it was the sheer capability of them. They’d saved her life. What more were they capable of?
- Her eyes told him what her lips wouldn’t: there was more to this story. And she wouldn’t be revealing it to him today. Was she aware how near her body was to his? How easily he could reach up, cup the back of her head in the palm of his hand, and draw her face toward his…
- She dropped his hand like a hot coal and stepped backward until her skirts touched the wall at the front of the room. Afraid to move and break the spell, he held still. In a matter of seconds, he could close the gap and have her pressed against the chalkboard, legs wrapped around his waist.
- She’d made a truly spectacular entrance with her arms spread wide and her face tilted to the ceiling. Unbound was the word that came to mind. He’d never seen an English woman so unbound.
- Part of her begged to touch him, to stroke her fingers across his bare skin and know his every texture. Looking would never be enough.
- He pivoted to face her, and she became acutely aware of how close she’d ventured. Only a scant bit of air separated her chest from his. Her head tilted back, and his gaze reclaimed hers. She detected latent ferocity within those depths. The sort that wouldn’t let her go if he ever got her between his teeth. She wasn’t sure she would want him to.
- The quality that made him want to forget his place, his purpose, himself, and dip his head and claim those lips until they were satisfied, sated. As if a mere kiss could accomplish satisfaction and satiety between them.
- the more he learned about her, the more he wanted to sink a little deeper, to discover more, convincing himself all the while that he wasn’t going too far, that he would be able to find his way back to the surface before he drowned in her.
- “It is the first rule of the nobility. Everyone can wait.” “Then my apologies for not having made you wait longer.”
- “I take it we’re in accordance about what’s to be done?” she both stated and asked, desperate to change the subject. His eyebrows lifted, and now it was his turn to let a beat pass before replying. His turn to hold her in suspense. Mayhap he would ignore her query and make one of his own. One less pragmatic. One more in line with the subtext rippling between them. His reaction to her confession yesterday had the unanticipated effect of only strengthening her desire for him. No wife of mine will ever be subject to such a marriage. A shiver, warm and liquid, purled up her spine. “About this house?” He broke eye contact. “I think you should take it.”
- Her feet crossed the threshold, and the breath caught in her chest. A rooftop garden, lit only by the moon and stars above, transported her into another world, one not bound by the rules of this one. One lush with green grass and springtime tulips and lit only by moonlight and twinkling stars. This rooftop was magic, pure and simple. She whipped around to find Jake— how could his name be any other in this moment?— and detected foreknowledge in his eyes. He’d known, but he hadn’t wanted to rob her of the pleasure of discovery. What a lovely act of generosity. “This is it,” she heard herself say, feeling all distance between them, both physical and emotional, vanish.
- “Such idealistic words from a woman who has sworn off love and marriage.” Her heart thundered in her chest. “My circumstances aren’t the same.” “Are they so different?” The intimacy of yesterday and tonight’s confessions hung between them.
- “Are you cold?” She nodded. Exhausted by the revelations and near revelations of this night, she lay back and snuggled deep inside his voluminous wool overcoat. “Silly on an April night.” Before she had a chance to review the import of her words, he’d already begun a course of action. Namely, he slid off his chair and knelt beside her. “As you already have my overcoat for warmth, all I can offer you is the rest of me.”
- “This doesn’t have to lead anywhere,” he said, his words a low rumble that shook every cell in her body.
- Her eyes blinked open, unsurprised to find his serious gaze steadily, patiently, observing her. What an aphrodisiac his seriousness was.
- She pushed it wide for a better view of his chest when she noticed the shadow of a bruise located directly over his heart. On an impulse, she bent her head and pressed her lips to bruised skin. Her eyes lifted and found him quietly regarding her. The kiss might not solve anything, but sometimes an instant of grace was all one needed to get through to the next moment. Ever lower, her finger trailed until it reached the top of his trousers. His hand darted out and covered hers, stilling it. “Not like this. Not again.” She arched an eyebrow in silent query. “Are you still cold?” She shook her head. “I’m burning up.” “Good.”
- “We shan’t starve after all.” His eyes caught hers. “I might be starving already.”
- He needed a wife, and she didn’t need a husband. They were completely wrong for each other. She almost believed it, except when they were together, they felt so right.
- “You should be dancing.” Her eyes startled open on a surprised gasp. “Jake?” Could it be? She blinked. It could. He bowed. “In the flesh.” Flesh. The word caught between the chinks of her armor, and her heart hammered in her chest. It was possible that her heart would break free of her ribs and reveal itself to him. “It’s really too bad that yours is—” She stopped herself from finishing that sentence. So thoroughly covered. Had she been about to speak those words aloud? The smile that curled about his lips and reached all the way up to his eyes told her that she didn’t need to. He’d done it for her in his head.
- “You bastard!” She reared back her right hand and swung it around to slap his lying face. Except her hand never made contact. He caught her wrist and held it fast, suspended in the night air. His gaze pinned her in place, and her body flushed hot, her focus concentrated on the point where his gorgeous, capable hand wrapped around her wrist.

smut:
- She wasn’t certain she could survive another night after an almost kiss. And she had no intention of finding out. Her heels lifted, her body grazing his full length. A groan escaped him, and his mouth lowered, his lips brushing hers, once, twice, her nipples hardening in want, in expectation
- He tore his lips from hers, only to trace his slippery tongue down the exposed column of her neck. Her throat emitted a ragged moan as his mouth trailed lower until he reached her breasts and his hands reached up to cup them from below.
- A cry erupted from her throat, a primal plea for more, for everything.
- Her fingers reached up over her shoulder, seeking out the back of his head, drawing his lips to the crook of her neck, to the exact spot his phantom lips had touched this morning in her dream.
- She didn’t need confirmation of his desire. That was pressed against her. She needed to know that she wasn’t the only one lost to this insanity between them.
- Then, in the way a levee will break from too much pressure built up behind it, his kiss deepened, and his fingers tightened about her waist, drawing her body into the long length of his, crushing her into him. A heady, breathless feeling swelled within her. She felt… Claimed.
- It was everything and not nearly enough as his mouth inched higher, closer, pushing her to the limit of her tolerance. Her body screamed for what he offered and withheld. His tongue on her, branding her with its fiery mark, was all that mattered. It was all that would ever matter. Madness.
- She unfolded her legs and came to her feet beside him, his mouth a breath’s distance from the hollow of her neck, this self- assured man in the supplicant position. Her position as woman on top felt good. Better than good. A feeling stole across her body, inch by inch. The feeling of power. She went lightheaded with it. To have a man like this, the most desirable man in London, at her feet…
- “Olivia,” he all but growled, “I might lose my mind.”
- She might never breathe again. She grabbed his shoulder lest her legs give way. Pleasure cascaded through her in tiny waves that grew larger, bolder with each ensuing ripple, insistent, demanding more. He feathered his other hand down her stomach to the mound above her quim. More was so close, so very, very close… A groan borne of lust and deep, unfiltered frustration tore through her. His head snapped up. “Do that again.”
- “Jake,” she called out, unsure of how much more of this exquisite pleasure she could take before she shattered into a million sparks of light. She wanted him inside her, his skilled fingers suddenly a poor substitute for the real him. “I want you. All of you.” The words had barely left her lips before the two of them were on the ground, him poised above her, his eyes locked onto hers. In a sure swift motion, he sank into her, and nothing else mattered. “Yes,” her voice ground out.
- “Did no one ever teach you how to grovel?” His gaze fixing hers in place, he allowed a heartbeat to pass, then another. “Please.”
- She went still, her breath ragged, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes drifted shut, intoxicated by her own private nirvana. She’d never looked so unbound, so unknowable.
- True love is hardy and messy. I want to spend the rest of my life making a perfect, little mess with you. Would you consider making an exception to every rule that states what a wife should be and take me as yours?

bit of a chunk here lol:
- Then she felt it. A presence, sensuous and demanding, hovering behind her. She didn’t need to see him. She knew him.
- A gorgeous, capable hand snaked around her waist and pulled her backward, leaving her no choice but to melt into his hard, unforgiving length. His breath traced a warm trail across the back of her neck, his mouth teasing but never touching, releasing goose bumps down the length of her spine. She was one exhalation away from madness, desiring only that his lips touch her skin.
- How could he be so close, yet so far out of reach?

[Ginnifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hidden gems allowed me the pleasure of this for an honest review!!

I love a good recency and this did not disappoint!! I don't put spoilers in my reviews but I will say if your looking for a good recency romance with characters you will be enthralled with pick this up immediately!!

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sophie is a woman who believed her husband died in the war. Twelve years later she finds out that he didn't die. She got a divorce with her father-in-laws help. Now she was considered beyond the pale.
Jake is the fifth Viscount St. Alban. He is the last of his line. If he doesn't marry and produce an heir the Viscountcy will return to the crown. Jake has a daughter of mixed race that needs a stepmother who will ease her way into society.
When these two meet they each have something the other wants so they decide to join forces to get what they want. But the sparks between them are hard to ignore.
This is a well written book that keeps you reading. It has you rooting for the two of them to make a match but understanding that their goals do not blend well. I have enjoyed both of this authors books of twin sisters with husband problems. I think you will too.

[Amber Bangsund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Tempted by the VISCOUNT

By: Sofie Darling

Genre: Historical Romance

Blurb: London, April 1825

Lord Jakob Radclyffe left his past behind in the Far East. Or so he thinks until a ruthless thief surfaces in London, threatening to ruin his daughter’s reputation. With the clock ticking, Jake needs the scandalous Lady Olivia Montfort’s connections in the art world to protect his daughter’s future.

Olivia, too, has a past she’d like to escape. By purchasing her very own Mayfair townhouse, she’ll be able to start a new life independent from all men. There’s one problem: she needs a powerful man’s name to do so. The Viscount St. Alban is the perfect name.

A bargain is struck.

What Olivia doesn’t anticipate is the temptation of the viscount. The undeniable spark of awareness that races between them undermines her vow to leave love behind. Soon, she has no choice but to rid her system of Jake by surrendering to her craving for a single scorching encounter.

But is once enough? Sometimes once only stokes the flame of desire higher and hotter. And sometimes once is all the heart needs to risk all and follow a mad passion wherever it may lead.


Excerpt; The string quartet struck up the opening notes of a waltz, the crowd raised its voice in a unified cheer, and Lord St. Alban held out his hand to her. “May I have the honor of this dance?”
She should say no. She needed to say no.
She couldn’t. Not without inviting more scandal from the odd curious eye that might be observing them. She’d endured enough scandal these last six months to last her a lifetime.
She stepped a hesitant foot forward and held out her hand, willing herself to look up at him. Most extraordinary were Lord St. Alban’s eyes: arctic blue rimmed in navy. They should be frosty, but they weren’t. They burned with the whitest heat of a blue flame.
She’d never entertained the idea that one could be incinerated by a waltz. But when he took her hand and her pulse jumped, she suspected that she would be lucky to escape this dance entirely unsinged.
She steeled herself and asked, “Shall we begin?”
On a nod, he pulled her toward him and set their bodies into motion. Her gaze remained resolutely fixed over his shoulder in the hope of foiling any attempt at small talk on his part. Her hope was immediately dashed.
“It is a strange sensation,” he began, “to have your body so completely in hand and, yet, the essence of you so far away.”
A shocked laugh escaped her. Words like body and essence could make a lady go speechless. They weren’t words used in polite circles, particularly in the way they’d crossed his lips, as if a promise was located somewhere inside.
Desperate to summon an upright ancestor or two, she said, “You know nothing of my body or my essence.

Review. I am going to give this novel 4.5 stars. Sofie Darling brings another fun, romantic and dramafilled to her historical novels. I have read her first book and this one is just as good. The characters are strong and the attraction between Olivia and Jacob is immediate and fiery. There are a few times I think the author could have made more exciting or cut.

Poor Jacob never wanted to be rich, but as he is he only surviving male from the l, he is thrust into society instead of following his desire to sail.
My heart became mush at how much Jacob loves his daughter, Mia. Which is one reason he does not want to fall in love with Olivia. Since Olivia has her own scandals following her around and to get the best for Mia’s education and fit into society.

Another wonderful historical romance that leaves me wanting to know what happens next. I highly recommend the books by Sofie.

Award and Raffle Code:
The author is offering a $25 Amazon gift card. Follow the link and enter to win.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/shar...


Bio and Links:
Sofie Darling is an award-winning author of historical romance. Her debut novel, THREE LESSONS IN SEDUCTION, won the Writers’ League of Texas’ Manuscript Contest in the Romance Category in 2016.

She spent much of her twenties raising two boys and reading every book she could get her hands on. Once she realized she simply had to write the books she loved, she finished her English degree and embarked on her writing career. Mr. Darling and the boys gave her their wholehearted blessing.

When she’s not writing heroes who make her swoon, she runs a marathon in a different state every year, visits crumbling medieval castles whenever she gets a chance, and enjoys a slightly codependent relationship with her beagle, Bosco.

Connect:
Site: https://sofiedarling.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sofiedarling...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sofie_darling
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/sofiedarling
Purchase Links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2yEhE75
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2trcdDA

[Penelope · Rating 3 out of 5]

MY RATING GUIDE: 3- 3.5 Stars. A bit more poignant than I prefer.
1= dnf/What was that?; 2= Nope, not for me; 3= THIS WAS OKAY/cute; 3.5= I ENJOYED THIS; 4= I liked it a lot; 5= I Loved it, it was great! (I seldom give 5 Stars).

London, April 1825 ~
Captain Jakob Radclyffe, 36, and his 14yr old daughter, Mena, have just come to London from Jakob’s mother’s family shipping business in Singapore. Jakob has spent his entire life on the sea, in a life he loved as a sea Captain. It was a lifestyle which demanded responsibility yet provided confidence, independence and considerable wealth as well. But upon the death of the distant and latest St Alban, his deceased father’s family in England demands he leave everything and take up his patriarchal duty as the 6th Viscount of St Alban.

Lady Olivia Montfort is the daughter of an Earl and the granddaughter of a Duke. But when she decided 6mos ago to divorce her apparently resurrected dead husband of the past 12yrs, Lady Olivia became this season’s most “scandalous” lady. Utterly unsatisfied in love and in her (pathetic) late marriage, Olivia has no desire to be any man’s woman. She only wishes to protect her 12yr old daughter, Lucy, from the hurtful exchanges of both the gossips of the ton and her ex-husband, Percy Bretagne (presently living somewhere on the Continent).

Jakob and Lady Olivia meet soon after Jakob’s entrance into society. Although attraction is immediate, past heartache has taught them both to be cautious. The heart cannot always get or keep what the heart wants.

Quote -
>”No wife of mine will ever suffer such a marriage.” Jakob

Comments ~
1) (I believe) TBTV is my first book by Sophie Darling. TBTV is bk2 in a 6bk series. I’m not sure if this is a spin-off series from an earlier series or if I missed something that was in bk1. I felt like whatever occurred between Percy (the ex-husband) and Olivia was important, but it’s not really explained in TBTB. Percy is referred to like I should know who he is and what he did, exactly - besides apparently desert Olivia for 12yrs. Further, Percy features in bk4 which seems odd to me, as he is not a likable (albeit absent) presence here. I found this all a bit odd.
2) TBTV was performed by Mary Sarah Agliotta. This was a nice listening experience.
3) TBTV evoked a poignant and a bit sad feeling as I listened. I liked the 2 main characters although I continued to be confused about Olivia (and Percy). The unknown problem hung over my reading. Yet both Jakob and Olivia are determined and protective. They had both experienced past heartbreak which they worked to keep behind them - but it’s presence remained known and remembered. Their pasts almost prevent them from future happiness. They were fortunate to have influential people in their lives who care about them (particularly, oddly, Olivia’s FIL).
4) Readers who like angst and the such in their reading would undoubtedly enjoy TBTV more than I. I prefer humor and lightness, feeling that life dumps more than enough reality on us daily. Nevertheless, I purchased book 5 in this series at the same time as I bought TEMPTED BY THE VISCOUNT. I hope it’s tone is lighter. ;).
4) The author did include interesting bits of information relating to the Far East and astronomy. Jakob travelled extensively as a ship Captain and I found this aspect interesting.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Publisher's Description:

London, April 1825

Lord Jakob Radclyffe left his past behind in the Far East. Or so he thinks until a ruthless thief surfaces in London, threatening to ruin his daughter’s reputation. With the clock ticking, Jake needs the scandalous Lady Olivia Montfort’s connections in the art world to protect his daughter’s future.

Olivia, too, has a past she’d like to escape. By purchasing her very own Mayfair townhouse, she’ll be able to start a new life independent from all men. There’s one problem: she needs a powerful man’s name to do so. The Viscount St. Alban is the perfect name.

A bargain is struck.

What Olivia doesn’t anticipate is the temptation of the viscount. The undeniable spark of awareness that races between them undermines her vow to leave love behind. Soon, she has no choice but to rid her system of Jake by surrendering to her craving for a single scorching encounter.

But is once enough? Sometimes once only stokes the flame of desire higher and hotter. And sometimes once is all the heart needs to risk all and follow a mad passion wherever it may lead.

My Thoughts:

This book had some exciting moments and some that were just plain dull.
However the sexual tension between our hero and heroine is not to be missed. It makes for a very sensual read.

Jake thinks since Olivia is a scandalous divorcee having an affair with her will be just the thing to rid himself of his need for her. She is too scandalous to fill his need for a stepmother for his daughter. Is she also somehow connected to the art thief he is now seeking or is it merely coincidence?

Olivia on the other hand has other ideas. She will not be taken for granted once again. After living several years certain that her husband is dead she suddenly found herself not a widow after all but an abandoned wife instead. With the help of her father-in-law she obtained an absolution of the marriage. Now she is not looking for another husband but it appears one may have fallen into her lap.

This was a very good read. I own the first book but have not yet read it so I can't comment on if this is the better or lesser of the two.

This book gets 4.5 of 5.0 stars from me for storyline and characterization and a high sensual rating of 4 of 5 flames. As much as both hero and heroine try to keep their distance the intimacy is very, very hot.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from the publisher to read both through Hidden Gems and a gifted file for an upcoming blog tour. I read this book voluntarily and all thoughts are my own.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

London - 1825

Lady Olivia Montfort, daughter of the Earl of Surrey, has just returned to society after a six-month absence. She caused a scandal when she petitioned the House of Lords for a divorce from her husband, Lord Percival (Percy), on the grounds of desertion. Her father-in-law, the Duke of Arundel, supported her petition which helped in getting the divorce granted. Percy had joined the military shortly after marrying and impregnating Olivia, and had gone missing not long afterward. He has been gone for 12 years, but it appears that he resurfaced 6 months ago in Paris, working as a spy. During his absence, Olivia, and her daughter, Lucy, have been living in the Duke’s home. People are shocked because they figured Percy had died. Now, Olivia wants to carry on with her life and move into a town home in Mayfair to complete her independence.

Olivia and her twin sister, Mariane, both have daughters. Wanting to ensure the girls get as good an education as males do, they formed their own school called The Progressive School for Young Ladies and the Education of their Minds.

At a ball one evening, a handsome man, Jakob (Jake) Radclyffe, Fifth Viscount St. Alban, enters the room with his young daughter, Mina, a beautiful girl of obvious mixed race. When Jake and Olivia are introduced, he asks about the school. She tells him that it a very progressive school so he applies there for Mina but is told that at age 15, she is too old to attend. After asking Olivia to intervene on Mina’s behalf, she agrees but tells him he must help her with something. Since she is a woman, she cannot buy her own residence so Jake agrees to buy it for her using her own funds. Soon, Mina is accepted to the school and becomes friends with Olivia’s daughter, Lucy.

Olivia is a talented artist and Jake sees some sketches she has made of what he knows is stolen Japanese artwork. Olivia is taking lessons from a Japanese man and Jake follows her to find out more about the man.

Jake’s search for a wife and mother for Mina and Olivia’s search for a home in Mayfair continue to throw them together resulting in some very lusty encounters. Is there a future for these two?

I found this book to be somewhat tedious to read. To me, the author added more sub-plots than necessary to support the book. Sometimes, less is more.

Copy provided by Author’s Pal Tour in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Tisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot burning love for Divorcee Lady Olivia & Viscount Jake Radcliffe
Olivia believed in love 12 yrs ago. When she became a widow for 11 yrs. To find out that her husband has suffered amnesia & worked for his country and left her. She got a divorce and believed she would have her independence raise her daughter Lucy. Olivia didn't expect to meet Viscount Jake & be attracted to him, let alone have those type of feelings.
Jake has a secret of his own, which involves his daughter Mia. Who he wants to get into society in a world that she doesn't fit in considering she is half Japanese. Jake needs to learn about his own obligation as Viscount. Considering he has been out to sea most of his life. Part of his new responsibilities he needs to find a wife for a stew mother to his daughter.
While having this secret he finds out some information with regards to Lady Olivia's sketches that relates to his past love who is the mother of his child.
However, he loves Olivia's beauty independence & being the co founder of her school for the girls minds. He wants his daughter to the school. But the School lady says his daughter is to old. Olivia will help get her in on one condition. He helps her get her own home thru his solicitor. then she will repay him. Since woman cannot purchase their own homes.
The passion between Olivia & Jake get intense. Olivia wants passion & starts her seductions with Jake. Thinking its just a one time sin. That cannot happen once Olivia feels Jake like a drug & wants more. Jake starts to fall in love with her. He wants to marry her. She doesn't want a husband again.
Will the stubborn Lady Olivia choose to keep her independence's & be alone. Or will she allow to take the chance on love again and trust another man. As well as feel as she is good as a step mother to Mia.

[PointedlyBlunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over ten years ago, Lady Olivia was widowed and left a single mother when her husband died fighting for his country. About six months ago, after finding out her husband was in fact alive, Olivia petitioned to have her marriage terminated and she is now one of very few women unfortunate enough to be saddled with the label “divorcée”. Lord Jakob Radclyffe is new to the Viscountcy and determined to make it easier for his half-Japanese daughter to be accepted amongst the ton when she comes of age. He’s looking for an appropriate wife with an impeccable reputation that will help guide his daughter in her new role and doesn’t consider love a factor in his hunt. But he soon meets the disgraced Lady Olivia and feels an attraction to her that makes him doubt if he’s doing the right thing.

The plot is entertaining, but a little slow and repetitious at times. Jake is an amazing hero even despite his hunt for a wife. He does entertain the idea of finding a more appropriate choice than Olivia for longer than I appreciated, but it’s obvious he was simply lying to himself the whole time. Lady Olivia is surprisingly strong for a heroine of that time period and I thoroughly enjoyed how she never allowed anyone to treat her less than she deserved. It’s rare to find historical romances where the heroine is the hero’s equal, but Tempted by the Viscount breaks that trend beautifully.

It’s a safe read with great chemistry and several sexy scenes.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Lana Birky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful read for those, like me, who yearn for romance that not only stirs the soul but also reflects the timeless struggle for personal freedom. The book follows the story of Lord Jakob Radclyffe and Lady Olivia Montfort as they navigate the complexities of society and the vulnerabilities of the heart.

Lord Jakob, a man haunted by his past, finds himself in a dire situation that threatens his daughter’s reputation. Enter Lady Olivia, a woman with her own tumultuous history, seeking independence in a world that chains her to the whims of men. Their paths cross, and a bargain is struck, igniting a spark that neither can deny.

Darling’s writing is expressive, transporting readers to a time where honor and scandal walk hand in hand. The chemistry between the characters is sizzling, making their journey from joint benefit to genuine affection both believable and deeply satisfying. While the novel does not shy away from the tropes of historical romance, it brings a fresh perspective to the genre with its strong-willed protagonists and their quest for self-determination. However, I found the pacing a bit uneven, with moments of repetition that slow the narrative flow. Despite this, the book’s strengths lie in its emotional depth and the resonant themes of love overcoming societal constraints.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never seem to read books in order! In Sofie Darling's Shadow and Silk series, order doesn't matter. After finishing To Win a Wicked Lord, the fourth book in the series, I read Tempted by the Viscount. It takes place in London, 1825. It tells the story of Lady Olivia Montfort. After discovering that her husband, Lord Percival Bretagne is still alive, Olivia gets a divorce "a vinculo matrimonii" on the grounds of desertion. Percy was a spy and was gone for 12 years. She and her daughter, Lucy, have been living with her father-in-law, the Duke of Arundel. Together with her twin sister, Mariana, Olivia has founded a school called The Progressive School for Young Ladies and the Education of Their Minds. Along comes Lord Jakob Radclyffe, the 5th Viscount of Alban. He is not only dealing with the debt of previous viscounts, but also with raising his daughter. He wants her to get into Lady Olivia's school. The Duke of Arundel becomes his protege and Lord Jakob and Lady Olivia get to know each other. What happens next is filled with twists, turn, and surprises. It was fun getting to see the younger versions of characters that were in To Win a Wicked Lord, especially Percy, Lucy, and the Duke of Arundel!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting story of love, truth, guilt, fear, and shame. Lady Olivia Montfort was this seasons gossip and scandalous item of the ton. She faced ridicule for a divorce and being progressive. A woman ahead of her time. Lord Jakob Radclyffe was the newly minted Viscount St Albans and he had demons of his own. Their attraction was obvious to all but themselves. As they continued to deny themselves the truth of their attraction, they would constantly butt heads over what they perceived they wanted for their future. Olivia was escaping her past, looking for independence and Jakob was looking for a proper wife free of scandal. As their paths crossed over and over again, it was hard for them to deny their pull towards one another. This story deals with the depths of the emotional scars and fears. It shares their hopes for the future for themselves and their children. This is a moving story of life and love. It was easy to identify with the characters. The plotline was emotionally complex. It was a great read. I highly recommend it. I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book via Hidden Gems and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Frances Law · Rating 5 out of 5]

A romantic romance.

I have been waiting for this book since I read 'Three Lessons in Seduction' and I have to say that I'm not disappointed. The characters are so well drawn and sympathetic. There is real romance in this book that makes other romances tame or just sexual. The tension between Olivia and Jake jumps off the page and draws you in because you come to care, not only for them, but for Mina and Lucy too. SD knows that sex isn't romance and she demonstrates it throughout the story. I loved the glimpses into life in the Orient at that time. People today do not realise how homogenised the world has become but here we are given just a glimpse of how different it used to be.
Olivia is a woman before her time and how difficult that was then. Of course, she was lucky to have the Duke of Arundel on her side, but it still took courage to live her life as she did.
Jake was the perfect hero but also an imperfect man. All he could see was that he needed a lady of impeccable lineage and character as a stepmother to Mina.
Together they made a perfect match - if they could only see it.
What a wonderful story! I really didn't want it to end!
5 stars plus!

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
I read this even though the first book in the series fell a little flat for me. I was intrigued by the premise and yet again, kept waiting to be more invested in the story. I wanted more from this. We know that her ex-husband left her and it's made a big deal of throughout the book (naturally) but we don't really get that thread tied off at all. We find out he's alive but never makes an appearance. He's the fmc's daughter and their strained relationship is something that's brought up repeatedly but never resolved.
The mmc's adopted daughter also has daddy issues (said with levity, calm down) but aside from Jiro and Jake agreeing that she can make the choice of whether or not to meet or know her real father, it's never brought up again. Jiro is a subject that is pursued throughout 75% of the book but with that one conversation, all is resolved? The daughter has several POV moments in this book and had voiced, internally and aloud, that she feels a piece of her is missing and would be interested in finding it someday but we don't get that closure for her?
Like I said, fell flat.

[Kri Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the inauspicious beginning with unexpected romance yet completely predictable for most readers. However, there is excellent storytelling like the first book a read from Mrs. Darling, The characters as the first book was very interesting as well along with the possibility to grow on future books is ginormous. This book happens to be a standalone in an interconnected series which is amazing and I was not prepared for this knowledge as I kept thinking the characters from the first book would make more of an appearance then they did but it was nice getting to know more about Olivia in the second book. I'm hoping to see Olivia's uncle from the first book in the third installment along with Percy, Olivia's dead/resurrected husband. This reasoning with the flowery language is why I gave this 4 stars out of 5. I feel the flowery language helped passed this story off and prove true to the time. I highly recommend this book!

[Julie ambrose · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh I’m tempted …..

What a glorious read from start to finish it had me riveted to every page .
A scandalous widow and divorcee and a newly appointed duke , both with a secret past history .
She never wants to love again and definitely never marry and he just needs a good and perfect society wife with a perfect pedigree to become stepmother to his daughter .
Things do not turn out the way they both expected ….they succumb to their desires and passion ignites into a sizzling burning inferno which neither can deny yet they know can not be anything but what they had .
She wants her independence and he requires a scandal free wife and his secrets are his priority.
Yet their hearts get the better of them but misery of their situation claims them .
This is a beautifully written story with many emotions bursting through its pages that I found difficult to put down .
A worthy read indeed .

[Viper Spaulding · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an unusual period romance, as Olivia is far more of a feminist than was common at the time. Her interest in Jake was tempered by her desire to help his daughter be accepted in society, so her motivations aren’t always clear. Jake is put off by the scandal of Olivia’s former marriage, but he can’t resist her and agrees to a mutually beneficial arrangement with her. From this inauspicious beginning, their romance is both unexpected (by them) yet completely predictable (by the reader).

The storytelling was excellent, the characters interesting, and there is a lot of future book potential in the second generation characters. As a standalone romance in an interconnected series, this book definitely drew me into this world and I will certainly read more by this author. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

[Deb Diem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tempted By The Viscount by Sofie Darling is an amazing historical romance. Ms. Darling has provided us with a book that is well-written and populated it with phenomenal characters. Olivia's husband was declared dead in the war, years later she learned he was alive and a spy and she was granted a divorce. Jake didn't want to be Viscount, but he now finds himself a Viscount with a secret. Olivia and Jake's tale is loaded with drama, humor, sizzle and a touch of suspense. I enjoyed this book from cover to cover and look forward to reading more from Sofie Darling in the future. Tempted By The Viscount is part of the Shadows and Silk Series but can easily 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. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Voirrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to be offered a pre-publication copy - this in no way influenced my review.

It was a real pleasure to find out more about characters met in the earlier book 'Three Lessons in Seduction'. And it was an even bigger pleasure to find that this was not the obvious story of Olivia being reunited with her newly rediscovered husband, but something a lot more interesting - and with a good deal more sexual tension than that would have had, too!

I'm not 100% sure young aristocratic ladies of the period would have called their mother 'Mum' rather than 'Mamma', or whether the haiku was a recognised form in England at the time - but I can easily forgive those slight niggles as Ms Darling writes such interesting characters with interesting twists and turns in their stories.

I can see both Percy and the next generation providing their own interesting stories in the future, too.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is definitely different which I really liked. Both Jake and Olivia are people just trying to get through life. Oliva is a strong woman and reading about how she was not going to give in was very satisfying. As with all romances, love wins out and I was happy to see that they got their HEA. The issue I had with the book is that it is very flowery and sometimes I was scratching my head wondering what just went on. For example, why is Jake in England looking for a thief? I don’t remember the reason coming up early in the book. I wished the storyline of his daughter was more prevalent. I do have to wonder if she will get a story…and Hugh?!?!?!

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[W · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5 stars

Engaging Historical Romance
Format: Kindle Edition

"Might there be, the old gentleman began, "a wide spectrum of possibility for the fairer sex between bluestocking and slut? Perhaps I'm acquainted with this paragon?"

That quote right there, it's in essence... the heart of this book . Let me explain, this is a well researched Historical Romance between the Regency 1811-1820 and the Georgian 1714-1830 era , that it give you a glimpse into the mentality , attitudes and laws of the society of that time ; and how the changes occuring in said society were viewed.

I like reading this book , the narrative and prose was just a little too flowery for me but I found it to be insightful, romantic and layered.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book .

[Tonileg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical English romance with a newly arrived and titled Lord arrived from the far east with a half Japanese daughter and he finds himself in lust with a newly divorced young lady.
Lord Jakob Radclyffe has a lot of secrets, but it is not a secret how much he loves his half Japanese daughter and is preparing to launch her into the best society as if she were an English born lady. Lord Radclyffe needs help to integrate into society so he get the help of a his grand-aunt that is a duchess and her friends how are also a Duke and the in-law to Lady Olivia Montfort so they get thrown together a lot. Cute romance with two original people that don't fit into the usual high society so they both get classified as 'scandalous'.

283 pages and kindle freebie
3 stars