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A Simple Case of Seduction

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From the back streets of London to grand country estates, theirs is a journey of self-discovery, a breathtaking story of love and redemption.


Nothing is simple when it comes to seduction.

Daniel Thorpe has made a point of avoiding Daphne Chambers ever since she refused his proposal of marriage. But three years have passed, and as experienced enquiry agents solving crimes against the aristocracy, their paths were destined to cross.

Chasing criminals is no job for a lady. But the woman is too stubborn to take his advice. Is it any wonder she finds herself the victim of a silent stalker, one happy to hide and wait in the shadows?

Daniel was surprised when she accepted his offer of help, more surprised to find that one passionate kiss in a carriage brings all the old feelings flooding back.


Features: Regency romance with an emphasis on mystery. Contains descriptive sex scenes.

270 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 22, 2017

435 people are currently reading
304 people want to read

About the author

Adele Clee

53 books529 followers
Adele Clee writes historical romance mysteries set in the early nineteenth century. Her stories blend romance with intrigue, gothic atmosphere, and a touch of scandal, often unfolding in Regency and early Victorian London. Readers praise her scarred heroines, brooding heroes, and the way love and mystery intertwine across each series.

Amazon - http://author.to/AdeleClee

Download the complete Adele Clee reading list here: https://www.adeleclee.com/booklist.html

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5 stars
317 (47%)
4 stars
206 (30%)
3 stars
107 (15%)
2 stars
25 (3%)
1 star
14 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
Profile Image for Susan.
7,216 reviews69 followers
December 13, 2017
Three years after she rejected his marriage proposal Daphne Chambers and Daniel Thorpe meet again, in course of their work as enquiry agents. But she has a stalker and she needs his help. But is this connected to her belief that her husband was murdered.
An enjoyable Regency mystery with romance, with some interesting characters written in an easy to read style.
Profile Image for Merry .
874 reviews286 followers
July 19, 2020
This was an easy read. Rather thin on plot and romance, was nice but not strong. I would give it 3.5 and am rounding up. I have been reading the Sebastian St Cyr books and this doesn't measure up well against that series.
Profile Image for Mojca.
2,132 reviews166 followers
June 17, 2017
Three years ago, Daniel Thorpe offered marriage to his friend's widow, only to be summarily rejected. His heart broken, he still kept an eye on her throughout the years, keeping her safe. But it looks like he hasn't done a good enough job, since a ghost from the past is haunting her, never to be seen and never taking anything. It looks like the ghost is looking for something, but Daphne has no idea what or why. Looks like this might be a job for her guardian angel.


In my review of the previous book in this quasi-series, I mentioned how Mr Daniel Thorpe and Mrs Daphne Chambers had more chemistry and more spark in their one little scene together than the two leads of the book in the entire story. Well, that chemistry was utterly absent in their own book.
I have no idea what drew him to her and vice versa, I didn't feel any sparks nor attraction...They appeared merely props, characters written for the sake of the story, pushed together because they happened to be main characters. Period.

She was a tad too naive for a woman of her age, especially a woman in her profession, her gullibility, her bubbly-ness, and her idiotic blindness to her own ineptitude (she's survived so far mostly because he was there to get her out of trouble, which she learned toward the end) got annoying really fast, and I actually wanted something bad to happen to her to make her see reason.
But she had her guardian angel to get hurt instead of her, the gruff, abrupt thundercloud by the name of Daniel Thorpe. The chip on his shoulder was rather disproportionate to what actually happened to him, and he definitely held the grudge for too long (or maybe we weren't given all the facts), and no matter how attractive, protective, and charming (when he wanted to be) both the author and the heroine made him appear, I wasn't convinced.
I was utterly indifferent about both of them, not caring one way or the other about what did, might, and would happen to them.

The suspense also left me quite cold. It was uninspiring, dull, slow-paced, and, let's face it, quite forced with the whole treason sub-plot. It just didn't click, feeling disconnected from the rest of the story, making it seem like I was writing two different books (neither of them particularly good).

A real disappointment given the great introduction to these two characters in the previous book and all the possibilities of suspense elements given their specific line of work.
Profile Image for Angie.
1,387 reviews231 followers
May 22, 2019
At some point in their lives, most people experienced the imbalance between what they wanted to do and what they should do. Sometimes, cutting the heart off to all emotion was the only way to achieve a peaceful existence.

Yet another marvelous novel from the amazing Adele Clee. Her writing style is beautifully descriptive, her characters are multi-dimensional, and her stories are wonderfully layered and capable of holding your attention all the way through. The relationship between Daniel and Daphne was so genuinely complicated; I loved seeing how they slowly began to accept and explore their mutual feelings for each other while striving to solve the murder case of Daphne's husband and Daniel's friend. I loved how vulnerable Daniel was at times and how much he encouraged and admired Daphne for her strength. I loved how Daphne was able to bring Daniel out into the light and remind him to live his life. Their dialogue and interactions were so entertaining, and I enjoyed every second of their story.

Coming into this novel I admit I had a few hangups surrounding the widow and rejected marriage proposal tropes. Nevertheless, Clee executed this novel perfectly and successfully carved out her own space in this genre once again. I recommend this novel to anyone who loves a strong heroine and a broody but dependable hero, a mysterious murder plot that brings them together, and an all-encompassing [and realistic] romance!

My Daniel Thorpe, gorgeous and steadfast as he fights to protect his love...
3,210 reviews67 followers
June 27, 2020
The H is keen on h, she likes him, but unaware of how he feels. Strangely they are both investigators, working together to solve the mystery involving her dead husband. Too much telling using dialogue. I got bored.
Profile Image for Maria Dariotis .
783 reviews17 followers
May 21, 2017
A Simple Case of Seduction
By Adele Clee
Rating 5 stars
Heat. 4 🔥

A man of steel reserve
Daniel Thorpe is a successful enquiry agent and for the longest time his life has been in turmoil, secretly he's been in love with his deceased's friends widow Daphne Chambers. When he felt duty bound to propose marriage to her, she flat out refused and crushed his heart. He's been unable to keep away from her and secretly been keeping a close eye on her. But when she asks for his help one evening he jumps at the chance just to be close to the woman he loves......even though it could be his undoing.

A woman who doesn't give up.
Daphne Chambers has had no way of supporting herself ever since her husbands death, being an inquisitive person by nature she sets up her own business as an enquiry agent. Much too Daniels dismay the woman is much too stubborn for her own good. There's just something about Daniel that has her pulse racing whenever he's close. When Daphne has a mysterious stalker pursuing her things start getting interesting.
Things are not what they seem when they realize that Daphne's husband was murdered. Secrets are revealed and emotions are exposed-will they be able to solve the mystery before the stalker makes his move.

What an awesome story I loved it! It grabs the reader from the get go! The plot is intelligent with intrigue and suspense keep the pages turning. Broody sexy hero a strong heroine who's no shrinking violet and there's so much sizzling sexual tension between Daniel and Daphne to keep things hot and the witty bander just keeps things interesting! Adele Clee has a winner with this sensational story, just a delicious steamy read!
I received a complimentary copy from the author for my honest opinion.
807 reviews8 followers
May 23, 2017
From nearly the start the tension and attraction between the two mature characters, which neither H nor h is willing to admit to the other, can be felt. Widowed Daphne thought Daniel's earlier marriage proposal was only out of duty. He has trouble getting her off his mind.
I truly enjoyed reading this. As I've come to expect from Adele Clee - and have not yet been disappointed - this is a well-written page-turner.
I received a free advance copy and voluntarily chose to review it.
Profile Image for 🦉Maggie Whitworth.
3,254 reviews113 followers
October 20, 2017
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋💋💋
Recipe or a fantastic book

Add 1 Hero (Daniel Thorpe)
Add 1Heroine (Daphne Chambers)
A splash of Desire
Pinch of Disaster
Stir in a murdered husband and friend
A Traitor
A gentle giant bodyguard
A runaway carriage
And a lot of love 💕

Now all you need is your chef , Adele Clee .
It really can’t get any better .
Now sit down, relax, put you feet up and enjoy . I did xx

I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review
Profile Image for BigComfyChairBookReviews.
182 reviews14 followers
January 1, 2018
I loved this book! I enjoyed reading Daniel and Daphne’s story and about their developing relationship. I really liked that they already knew each other, and that Daniel admitted from the beginning (just to himself) that he had feelings for Daphne. Most unrequited love stories are about the woman in love with the man but in this case Daniel loves Daphne, he just isn't good at showing it. But, he does get better at it.
description
I do wish Daphne could have showed off her smarts and observation skills as a private lady detective in more ways...she seemed to be always referring to Daniel’s skill and I would've preferred a little more give and take. At least she gets some work a detective, she reminds me of Miss Fisher!
description
The only people I think wouldn’t be a fan of this book are people who aren't fond of the genre. I have read everything published by Adele Clee and one of my favorite things about her is her consistency. I think of her 18 works I've only given two 3-star ratings. The rest are 4s or 5s. So, if you liked this book I would recommend more of her books. This one is my personal favorite. WARNING: there is sex in this book, it is not erotica, but enough to be a steamy & hot adult romance. Please do not read if that offends you.
Romance-5/5 Steaminess-4/5 Explicitness-3/5
84 reviews1 follower
May 22, 2017
I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review. The story involves a man Daniel who has loved a woman Daphne since he first met her over 3 years ago. He proposed long ago and she declined because she thought he was not sincere. She married a friend Thomas who at times worked as a spy. He drowns and time passes. Daphne begin to think he was murdered and so the mystery begins. Daniel and Daphne work to solve the murder and come to love each other deeply. There are a lot of events that happen throughout the book that makes it interesting. It is well written and keeps your attention.
Profile Image for Martha B..
835 reviews11 followers
May 5, 2019
They each get a second chance when danger threatens.

Widowed three years ago and needing an income, Daphne Chambers became an enquiry agent. Although Thomas' friend Daniel did offered to marry her, she could not accept an offer based on duty. Now, she is being stalked. Now Daniel is back in her life. Now Daphne is questioning her reasons for declining Daniels offer of marriage.

When Daniel Thorpe met Thomas' wife five years ago, he fell in love with her. However he kept his feelings to himself. Then his friend died and he offered Daphne marriage and she rejected him. He never had contact with her again. Now there is a threat and now he is back in her life again. How is he ever going to around her without having her for his own.

Adele Clee is one of my top five favorite authors. Her writing style always pulls me into the heart of her story as her characters vividly come alive.

So it was with A Simple Case of Seduction. I really liked both Daphne and Daniel. I understood their damaged souls and their secret dreams. I also liked the supporting characters who were so vital to their story. The added element of danger only enhanced the sizzling chemistry between these two very strong personalities. This stand-alone read was engrossing and enjoyable, and the epilogue made the ending happy and satisfying.

Content alert: There is some swearing (d*mn and h*ll), it is moderate and doesn't really distract from the story. There is also some sexual content that is descriptive, but not vulgar.

FYI: I also posted my review on Amazon and on Book Bub. Since (for me) this rated 5 stars, I posted the book cover on my Pinterest page ( https://www.pinterest.com/marthajane6...).
Profile Image for Heather.
439 reviews4 followers
May 12, 2018
When Daniel Thorpe proposed to widowed Daphne Chambers, she rejected him believing that his offer was made out of duty and not love. Despite this, Daniel secretly watched out for Daphne and longed to protect her. Three years after the proposal, Daniel and Daphne are thrown together when they're forced to work as investigators on the same case. Daphne has been living in fear since her husband's death, pursued by a stalker she can't identify. Desperate to rid herself of the threat, she asks Daniel for help and he jumps at the chance to help the woman he loves.

I really enjoyed this one, it had a great mix of action and romance. Daniel and Daphne were introduced in The Secret To Your Surrender, which I haven't read yet, and I didn't have to read the previous book to understand their backstory. It was a steamy read with a few descriptive scenes.

I liked both main characters, they had great chemistry and a fun way of bantering with each other. For two crack detectives, they're pretty blind when it comes to detecting each other's feelings! Their jobs took them to some interesting places I hadn't seen explored in other historical novels. The twists and turns in the story definitely kept me hooked!

Liisa Ivary did a great job with the narration, I've listened to her before and she's wonderful with the accents and voices for each character. She read with intensity in the dramatic parts and it kept me on the edge of my seat. I requested a copy of the audiobook, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review. I always enjoy this author's books, and I can't wait for the next one!
Profile Image for Tam.
2,178 reviews51 followers
June 7, 2017
This book had all the elements that compose, for me, a satisfying story: Unrequited love, intrigue, suspense, murder, danger, romance, chemistry, complex, interesting characters and plot twists & turns! This was an adrenaline rush of a read from the beginning to the end, as Daphne and Daniel try to catch a murderer and stalker, while Daniel tries to, once again, finally capture Daphne's heart. These two characters immediately warmed my heart and seduced me with their endearing personalities and saucy, sassy repartee.

I, now, happily find myself a dedicated fan of Clee!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
Profile Image for Martha.
366 reviews1 follower
December 16, 2017
I loved the fact that BOTH the hero and heroine were competent, independent and highly intelligent. Daphne Chambers, a widow, did not resort to marrying (again) to solve her lack of income. Instead, she became a private investigator (enguiry agent) and defied societal expectations of what a woman could be. I have no idea if this was realistic for the Regency period but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Daniel Thorpe, with whom she was paired in her latest investigation, was remote, controlled and quite logical. Watching him learn to love and trust was very satisfying. Equally satisfying was the solution to the mystery behind Daphne's husband's murder three years earlier.
2,300 reviews11 followers
May 1, 2018
Daniel and Daphne's story has seduced me. I loved the second chances theme of this book and the way these two characters slowly learn the good and bad about each other. Both have their own strengths and both are delightful characters.
Adele Clee has written a very clever murder-mystery into this historical romance and it kept me guessing and enjoying the adventure. I am happy to recommend either the ebook or audiobook versions.
Liisa Ivary's narration of the audiobook was mostly good but from time to time I found her a bit overdramatic, but nevertheless acceptable.
I requested and received a free copy of this audiobook and this is my voluntary and unbiased review of it.
Profile Image for Monique.
626 reviews43 followers
June 10, 2017
I enjoyed reading Daphne and Daniel's story! I liked seeing their relationship change and grow as they solved crimes - including their hunt for who - or what - killed Daphne's husband.
While Daphne seemed to maintain her generally bright, sarcastic personality, it was a treat to witness Daniel's metamorphosis from a cold, distant grump, to a man with a genuinely romantic soul. (Plus - he was hot, with and without the beard - lol).
4.5 stars!

(FYI: the woman's outfit on the cover seems wrong. This story is set in the 1820's, yet her costume looks like it's from the 1870's).
3,542 reviews14 followers
December 16, 2017
A Simple Case Of Seduction by Adele Clee is a fantastic historical romance. Ms. Clee has given us a book that is well-written and loaded with fantastic, lovable characters. Daniel and Daphne's story is full of action, suspense, sizzle and humor. Their story kept me glued to my e-reader from cover to cover. I enjoyed reading A Simple Case Of Seduction and look forward to my next book by Adele Clee. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
Profile Image for Laila.
308 reviews31 followers
June 18, 2019
It's a well structured story-line. But Daniel-Daphne nexus not entirely convincing and in the end I come to dislike Daphne as a character, her own behaviors and thought processes didn't support her work as "enquiry agent" and/or her independent life as a woman in that era. And how old was she? She seemed to lack maturity. BTW the intimate scenes were cringe-worthy.
I'm a sucker for historical romance but it's has to be done right or I can be brutal.
Profile Image for Aisha.
378 reviews1 follower
June 1, 2017
I received this book as an ARC and this is my honest review. I a absolutely adored this book the characters were very well developed and worked well together throughout the story. I loved how Daniel and Daphne interacted even though they had built up tension. The story had a lot of twist and turns and kept you intrigued a great read.
1,939 reviews9 followers
December 21, 2017
What would you do to keep a secret? Daniel knows that he shouldn't be thinking of Daphne in this manner, he adores her but she is the widow of one of his friends and he just can't act on his feelings. So he watches to make sure that she is always safe.
She knows that he is up to something she knows that he doesn't like her taking on cases no matter how good she might be at being an enquiry agent. Daniel fears that she is in terrible danger as there have been too many instances that involve Daphne. Can she tell Daniel the truth that she knows that someone has been following her since her husband's death. But he might think that she is being silly, he is so angry & worried when he does find out. But why is someone after her could it have something to do with her husband's death? They will need to get to the bottom of it before she loses her life. The more they dig the deeper the danger becomes? Will they ever make their feelings known to each other as they have danced around it enough?
A good read.
184 reviews
January 17, 2018
I’m not really a fan of the ‘woman is smart but. . ‘ type of book. In this one it’s the woman is smart but hopelessly naive. I’ve also seen woman is smart but ugly, woman is smart but flighty, woman is smart but silly. None of them float my boat. Women can just be smart. For real, we can.

Additionally, the word tummy should only be used by/for toddlers and teddy bears. “her tummy wound tighter and tighter”- yada yada, orgasm - really freaked me out. No. Just, NO.

Finally, she slithered through a window silently while wearing her full dress? There’s no silence in those big dresses. They were more or less like tying a bell on a cat. It’s small details like that that took away from it for me.
Profile Image for Christine Woinich.
2,760 reviews25 followers
May 28, 2018
This was a very interesting story. The narrator did a wonderful job keeping the characters separate and identifiable. Daphne was a strong and very intelligent woman, and I loved her independence. Daniel wallowed in his past, making him appear cold, but his sweet, tender side was always just beneath the surface. The story is full of danger, darkness, and twists. The emotions between Daphne and Daniel were strong, and gave the story that softer, lighter touch.

I received a copy of this audiobook as a gift, and this is my unsolicited review.
Profile Image for Joan.
2,207 reviews
December 15, 2017
When I started reading this novel, I had no idea that it was the second in a series, but to be honest, that made very little difference. There were no clumsy info-dumps about their history or past adventures, and the relationship between the Daniel and Daphne was very believable. I liked all the characters and although the ending was a tad predictable, there was more than enough tension to keep me reading on to the end in one go.
Profile Image for Laila Viking.
4,090 reviews30 followers
May 14, 2018
I just cannot get enough of these historical romances mixed with mystery. They are so engaging and captivating and keep you on the edge. The chemistry is amazing and the characters so well described. Sometimes Mrs Daphne Chambers behaves a bit naive and not as mature as I expected. But I could not put this book down before I finished just to know what happened next.
The mix of mystery, love, passion, chemistry, steamy scenes are so well written that you just must read this story.
Profile Image for Stephanie Bolen.
2,140 reviews28 followers
November 26, 2019
Not much of a mystery

Suspense is a delicate balance of timing, foreshadowing, and pacing. This book isn't a suspense or even much of a mystery. The life threatening events are quickly forgotten by both the reader and characters. The villain's motivations are just plain stupid. Actually all the characters are stupid. The longing hero is cute and I like the working woman angle But neither was enough to save it. Wouldn't recommend and don't want to read rest of series.
Profile Image for Angela Harriman.
456 reviews1 follower
February 11, 2023
Good story

I liked this one. The two main characters not only work together to solve the mystery, they also help each other through their personal problems. Great chemistry between the primary characters. I had trouble pinning down the villain. It was a surprise when the reveal came. Good climax. Nice wrap up. A bit sappy in places but I had trouble putting it down just the same. Entertaining.
Profile Image for Monika.
487 reviews
May 22, 2017
I loved this book. A spy story with twists and turns. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. Every time I thought I got it figured out the story took another turn. And the banter between the two main characters was so much fun that I actually laughed out loud a few times. Ms. Clee did a great job telling the story and I will read more of her books for sure. Highly recommended.
600 reviews1 follower
June 11, 2017
Romance with a twist

A bit of mystery and history make this romance move forward rather quickly. Love the terms enquiry agent in place of the modern day private detective. And the lady agent in search of the missing hat pin. Daniel and Daphne also shared an enquiry that involved threats, attacks on themselves and others all the while finding love.
Profile Image for Renae Goddard.
33 reviews2 followers
May 6, 2018
I love this book as much as Ms. Clee's others. At first, I did not care for Mr. Thorpe's gruff persona. But as the story progressed, his personality grew on me. He and Daphne must solve a mystery, and together their love blossoms. I like their chemistry and feel that they would make a great team solving mysteries together in a series.
Profile Image for MooseGirl.
792 reviews4 followers
April 18, 2020
Although not my favourite book by this author, I did enjoy it. I liked Thorpe and Daphne was okay (but I didn't love her). The story itself was entertaining, but I did lose my enthusiasm from time to time. It just didn't hold my attention as well as it could have. Still, it was a good book and worth a read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews

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