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Smuggler's Temptation
Mr. Quinton Avery Sinclair is a smuggler, a scoundrel, and now, a father. Thrust into parenthood by way of his sister’s untimely death, Quint must find a way to make his bread legitimately, lest his nephew suffer. One final smuggling voyage has carried his rotted ship across the Atlantic and into Boston’s harbor to sell a load of inherited whisky. It should be easy enough; lie to the taxman, escort the barrels to the warehouse, leave the selling to his contact within Temptation Brewing. No problem. At least, it was no problem until one Miss Eve Anderson started meddling.
Harlot, temptress, soiled dove; descriptors that became Eve's bosom friends in the wake of an indiscretion that landed her squarely in the scandal sheets. Such youthful folly taught her one important lesson: scandal sells. When her family's brewery later found itself flirting with bankruptcy, Eve put said lesson to good use, leveraging her reputation in the process.
Temptation is flourishing six years later thanks to an ongoing arrangement with The Boston Bell newspaper. She supplies the scandals, they supply the coverage, everyone earns a tidy profit. Quick, simple, predictable; the exact opposite of her other profession. Eve's love of midwifery, born from tragedy, ignites her soul, lending her purpose in a world otherwise devoid of it.
Her life is a careful and delicate balance between two worlds; harlot and healer. When a run-of-the-mill whisky arrangement turns out to be far more complicated than originally described, she finds herself torn in yet another direction. Will her carefully portioned life survive a smuggler's run?
Harlot, temptress, soiled dove; descriptors that became Eve's bosom friends in the wake of an indiscretion that landed her squarely in the scandal sheets. Such youthful folly taught her one important lesson: scandal sells. When her family's brewery later found itself flirting with bankruptcy, Eve put said lesson to good use, leveraging her reputation in the process.
Temptation is flourishing six years later thanks to an ongoing arrangement with The Boston Bell newspaper. She supplies the scandals, they supply the coverage, everyone earns a tidy profit. Quick, simple, predictable; the exact opposite of her other profession. Eve's love of midwifery, born from tragedy, ignites her soul, lending her purpose in a world otherwise devoid of it.
Her life is a careful and delicate balance between two worlds; harlot and healer. When a run-of-the-mill whisky arrangement turns out to be far more complicated than originally described, she finds herself torn in yet another direction. Will her carefully portioned life survive a smuggler's run?
378 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2025
6 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 29, 2025
I don't read too much historical fiction, but Smuggler's Temptation was a nice change for me. This book is a win if someone digs a deep, angsty, satisfying enemies-to-lovers burn.
Speaking of burn, this is book is a MASTER CLASS in slow burning it TO THE GROUND. Eve and Quint's dynamic is not just electric, it’s enough electric to power a city, Mina Ashford takes her sweet, sweet time building the tension. The thing is though, the slow build (even though you’re SCREAMING “aren’t you going to freaking smooch yet???” ) makes the ultimate hookup so incredibly rewarding. I was definitely rooting for them to hook up from the very beginning.
What makes this historical setting so interesting is Eve herself. Even though I don’t read many historical books, I don’t think it’s common for a woman in this era to have such an assertive, lead role, and Eve absolutely owns it.
The woman is a POWERHOUSE. She maintains a careful and delicate balance between her various jobs and uses her rep to keep things well above water. She's sharp, unapologetic, and is seriously one awesome bad a**. She's a fascinating, unconventional heroine who refuses to be pigeonholed.
Quint is the perfect morally grey hero. He has a tough exterior, but the glimpses of gentleness, like how he cares for Eve, caring for her office, for her, add this beautiful layer of vulnerability to the bearded, brooding hero.
To make a long story short, if you love an intense, super angsty enemies-to-lovers, and crave a historical heroine who is a major bad a**, this is SO a must-read for you!
Speaking of burn, this is book is a MASTER CLASS in slow burning it TO THE GROUND. Eve and Quint's dynamic is not just electric, it’s enough electric to power a city, Mina Ashford takes her sweet, sweet time building the tension. The thing is though, the slow build (even though you’re SCREAMING “aren’t you going to freaking smooch yet???” ) makes the ultimate hookup so incredibly rewarding. I was definitely rooting for them to hook up from the very beginning.
What makes this historical setting so interesting is Eve herself. Even though I don’t read many historical books, I don’t think it’s common for a woman in this era to have such an assertive, lead role, and Eve absolutely owns it.
The woman is a POWERHOUSE. She maintains a careful and delicate balance between her various jobs and uses her rep to keep things well above water. She's sharp, unapologetic, and is seriously one awesome bad a**. She's a fascinating, unconventional heroine who refuses to be pigeonholed.
Quint is the perfect morally grey hero. He has a tough exterior, but the glimpses of gentleness, like how he cares for Eve, caring for her office, for her, add this beautiful layer of vulnerability to the bearded, brooding hero.
To make a long story short, if you love an intense, super angsty enemies-to-lovers, and crave a historical heroine who is a major bad a**, this is SO a must-read for you!
January 29, 2026
4.5/5 I adored this debut novel. It was captivating, fun, and worth it to keep me up until 1am to finish it.
Set in working class Boston, a few years before the turn of the 20th century, about a brewery business owner/midwife and a half Scottish smuggler.
I enjoyed how the prologue set up Eve’s character, a strong heroine that knows how to go after who and what she wants. At the time though, she’s also at a crossroads on what comes next. When it fast forwards to six years later, Eve has taken charge of her family’s brewery, Temptation Brewery, turning around the failing business by capitalizing on her reputation. Yet her real passion lies with midwifery. Her time is split between both these jobs and while she has help with them both, Eve bears the weight of the brewery and midwifery.
Quint is a self proclaimed scoundrel, having spent most of his years as a smuggler. Yet now being a single father, he’s reevaluating his career choices. And this one last smuggling trip is his only chance in setting up this new life.
Eve doesn’t know though that the inherited whisky Quint brings is smuggled and is forced to come up with a scheme to quietly sell it all. And the best way to do that is for Eve and Quint to intentionally create a series of scandals while pretending to be engaged.
Right off the bat, Quint and Eve have chemistry. Eve’s no nonsense approach to taking control of situations intrigues Quint. And Quint’s witty quips and ability to scatter Eve’s thoughts won’t let her get Quint out of her head. They both drum it to their recent celibacy and yet also acknowledge internally that work must come first before play. I loved the tension this created and added to it as they faked their engagement in public.
While Quint wanted to play the rogue at first, I was endeared by him early on when he saw through Eve’s schemes. I love it when a hero is able to truly see a heroine when everyone else doesn’t bother. Eve has people who love her but no one has ever cared or stood up for her. And that while she’s leaned into using her reputation for (albeit planned) scandals for the greater good - what’s the cost to her. I loved this and ate it up.
There’s also lots of family dynamics that plays into the storyline in the second half. I enjoyed this as I always love seeing the day to day life of a couple once they’ve decided to be together. One scene caught me surprise and reminded me of a part of a favorite movie of mine - Crazy Stupid Love about “keeping it in the family.”
If you’re looking for a good stopping point in the back half, I’d suggest stopping before starting chapter 31 or you might end up staying up late to finish the book.
This seemed more of Eve’s story as she had more internal struggles to overcome and Quint’s were more external.
I had to pause a few times and reread certain passages to piece backstory information together because while a lot of it was unraveled as you go, some felt like I should’ve known it already but didn’t. And there were some inconsistencies of characters between their names and nicknames within the same paragraph. It didn’t throw off my overall enjoyment of this story though and I can’t wait to read what’s next.
Smuggler’s Temptation is the author’s debut book and first in the Scandalous Brews series.
There are two open door encounters.
Set in working class Boston, a few years before the turn of the 20th century, about a brewery business owner/midwife and a half Scottish smuggler.
I enjoyed how the prologue set up Eve’s character, a strong heroine that knows how to go after who and what she wants. At the time though, she’s also at a crossroads on what comes next. When it fast forwards to six years later, Eve has taken charge of her family’s brewery, Temptation Brewery, turning around the failing business by capitalizing on her reputation. Yet her real passion lies with midwifery. Her time is split between both these jobs and while she has help with them both, Eve bears the weight of the brewery and midwifery.
Quint is a self proclaimed scoundrel, having spent most of his years as a smuggler. Yet now being a single father, he’s reevaluating his career choices. And this one last smuggling trip is his only chance in setting up this new life.
Eve doesn’t know though that the inherited whisky Quint brings is smuggled and is forced to come up with a scheme to quietly sell it all. And the best way to do that is for Eve and Quint to intentionally create a series of scandals while pretending to be engaged.
Right off the bat, Quint and Eve have chemistry. Eve’s no nonsense approach to taking control of situations intrigues Quint. And Quint’s witty quips and ability to scatter Eve’s thoughts won’t let her get Quint out of her head. They both drum it to their recent celibacy and yet also acknowledge internally that work must come first before play. I loved the tension this created and added to it as they faked their engagement in public.
While Quint wanted to play the rogue at first, I was endeared by him early on when he saw through Eve’s schemes. I love it when a hero is able to truly see a heroine when everyone else doesn’t bother. Eve has people who love her but no one has ever cared or stood up for her. And that while she’s leaned into using her reputation for (albeit planned) scandals for the greater good - what’s the cost to her. I loved this and ate it up.
There’s also lots of family dynamics that plays into the storyline in the second half. I enjoyed this as I always love seeing the day to day life of a couple once they’ve decided to be together. One scene caught me surprise and reminded me of a part of a favorite movie of mine - Crazy Stupid Love about “keeping it in the family.”
If you’re looking for a good stopping point in the back half, I’d suggest stopping before starting chapter 31 or you might end up staying up late to finish the book.
This seemed more of Eve’s story as she had more internal struggles to overcome and Quint’s were more external.
I had to pause a few times and reread certain passages to piece backstory information together because while a lot of it was unraveled as you go, some felt like I should’ve known it already but didn’t. And there were some inconsistencies of characters between their names and nicknames within the same paragraph. It didn’t throw off my overall enjoyment of this story though and I can’t wait to read what’s next.
Smuggler’s Temptation is the author’s debut book and first in the Scandalous Brews series.
There are two open door encounters.
January 27, 2026
📖 Smuggler's Temptation by Mina Ashford
⭐ Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐️
🏰 Setting: 1891 Boston
🎭 Basic Plot: After becoming responsible for his young nephew, Quinton Sinclair runs one last smuggling operation through scandalous Eve Anderson's brewery.
👩❤️👨 Main Couple:
• Midwife heroine
• Heroine with a scandalous past
• Non-virgin heroine
• Working class mains
• Smuggler hero
• Half-Scottish Hero
🔥 Steam Level: 🔥🔥🔥
🥰 Emotional Depth: 💔💔
🤡 Hunor: 😂😂😂
💖 What I Loved: I really enjoyed how competent and cunning the heroine was. The sharp, playful banter sizzled with chemistry, and I loved that both characters are working class. Most of all, the romance felt refreshingly equal. Instead of one character rescuing the other, they learned to find comfort in one another and rely on each other.
✨ I truly cannot do this book justice. I very much enjoyed it. I've been in a bit of a slump lately, reading books I was struggling to enjoy. This was a breath of fresh air.
⭐ Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐️
🏰 Setting: 1891 Boston
🎭 Basic Plot: After becoming responsible for his young nephew, Quinton Sinclair runs one last smuggling operation through scandalous Eve Anderson's brewery.
👩❤️👨 Main Couple:
• Midwife heroine
• Heroine with a scandalous past
• Non-virgin heroine
• Working class mains
• Smuggler hero
• Half-Scottish Hero
🔥 Steam Level: 🔥🔥🔥
🥰 Emotional Depth: 💔💔
🤡 Hunor: 😂😂😂
💖 What I Loved: I really enjoyed how competent and cunning the heroine was. The sharp, playful banter sizzled with chemistry, and I loved that both characters are working class. Most of all, the romance felt refreshingly equal. Instead of one character rescuing the other, they learned to find comfort in one another and rely on each other.
✨ I truly cannot do this book justice. I very much enjoyed it. I've been in a bit of a slump lately, reading books I was struggling to enjoy. This was a breath of fresh air.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2026
I’m a bit torn about this book.
It’s remarkable for a debut — the characters are brilliant. I loved both Eve and Quin.
However, the whole chapter about Eve’s European romp felt unnecessary.
Why is Paul angry all the time? It’s mentioned that he spent time at sea, but we don’t learn anything more. There’s also a reference to him having trouble with the law, but again, it’s only briefly mentioned and never developed.
What happened to Sophie’s father?
I only understood who Maggie was halfway through the book. She was mentioned frequently, but I didn’t initially know who she was or what role she played in the story.
And what happened to the villain? He’s responsible for a great deal of wrongdoing, and then he disappear; his storyline feels unresolved. His initial character sketch doesn’t align with his later actions, nor does it fully explain his influence.
It’s remarkable for a debut — the characters are brilliant. I loved both Eve and Quin.
However, the whole chapter about Eve’s European romp felt unnecessary.
Why is Paul angry all the time? It’s mentioned that he spent time at sea, but we don’t learn anything more. There’s also a reference to him having trouble with the law, but again, it’s only briefly mentioned and never developed.
What happened to Sophie’s father?
I only understood who Maggie was halfway through the book. She was mentioned frequently, but I didn’t initially know who she was or what role she played in the story.
And what happened to the villain? He’s responsible for a great deal of wrongdoing, and then he disappear; his storyline feels unresolved. His initial character sketch doesn’t align with his later actions, nor does it fully explain his influence.
December 18, 2025
Really enjoyed this book by a new-to-me author. The premise was refreshingly different from a lot of historical romances on the market. I loved the working class characters (dynamic, real, complex!) and the setting (Boston!) but loved the FMC most of all. She’s both a force of nature and a vulnerable human who compromises and sacrifices yet will not give up her fight. (If I gush more about her I will give spoilers!) In places I felt the story (prologue) could have been shortened/tightened some for pacing, but the fantastic, witty dialogue and fiery interactions between the MCs had me hooked to the satisfying end. It didn't hurt the MMC was also a total sweetheart! I look forward to the next book in this series and more from this author.
November 19, 2025
Smugglers Temptation is by far one of my favorite books of this year, the story is set with such unique characters and each one was perfect. I fell in love with both Quint and Eve and loved both of their personalities, and their flaws. I absolutely adored Quint, and loved how he was with Eve and how he handled certain aspects. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Historical Romance but wants a bit of change from a lot of themes that come up in Historical Romance. I loved Eve and her background especially.
November 28, 2025
A good mix of mystery and romance. Each chapter pulls you into the characters stories and leaves you wanting more!
February 13, 2026
Boring as heck. DNF’d.
January 2, 2026
This is my first historical romance set in 19th century America. When I try to imagine the environment and clothes, I think of Far and Away, that lovely movie by TC and NK.
This book is a must read if you are a fan of that period of time or am simply curious about it like me. MMC Quint is such a sweetheart and FMC Eve is a sassy sexy character. The witty dialogues makes for a laugh and you are quickly immersed in their story! The side characters were also interesting and yea, I hate the Reverend (what a creep!) and hopes he gets what he deserves!
At risk of giving spoilers, I find the prison scenes especially well written, it was so vivid that I can imagine completely what transpired there and what it must have been like. I also love the scene in the apple orchard. As I said, Quint is a sweetheart.
This book is a must read if you are a fan of that period of time or am simply curious about it like me. MMC Quint is such a sweetheart and FMC Eve is a sassy sexy character. The witty dialogues makes for a laugh and you are quickly immersed in their story! The side characters were also interesting and yea, I hate the Reverend (what a creep!) and hopes he gets what he deserves!
At risk of giving spoilers, I find the prison scenes especially well written, it was so vivid that I can imagine completely what transpired there and what it must have been like. I also love the scene in the apple orchard. As I said, Quint is a sweetheart.
December 28, 2025
This book gave me everything I want in a historical romance. A smart and independent heroine, a hero who is pure heat, and writing that makes the everyday moments feel as captivating as the big swoons. It’s heartfelt, addictive, and had me rooting for these two the whole way through.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews