Corinna

Chase Family: The Regency #3

by Lauren Royal, Devon Royal

“Corinna” is the SWEET & CLEAN ROMANCE edition of “The Art of Temptation” by Lauren Royal
From a New York Times bestselling author and her daughter…

London, 1817: Lady Corinna Chase is a talented painter—who also happens to be a girl. Unfortunately, in London’s art world, that means fewer opportunities and more obstacles. But rebellious Corinna isn’t about to let anything divert her from achieving her dreams. Not even the suspicious behavior of the gorgeous Irishman who’s just moved in next door…

Sean Delaney isn’t who he says he is. Well, he is Sean Delaney, but many people have the impression that he’s John Hamilton, a renowned landscape artist (probably because that’s how he introduced himself). The real John may have blackmailed Sean into the deception, but Sean’s going to have to get himself out of it—or risk spoiling not only his sister’s future, his family’s good name, and the enterprise he built from scratch, but any chance he may have with his lovely new neighbor…

Meanwhile, Corinna's older brother Griffin is helping their cousin Rachael find her father. Rachael is a beauty, but Griffin is wedded to his bachelorhood. Besides, they’re cousins—and though it’s not unusual for cousins to wed, Rachael can’t stomach the thought of marrying even a very distant (and handsome) one like Griffin. Until their search leads them to discover they’re not actually related, after all…

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Regency, Ebooks, Regency Romance

405 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 2, 2007

About the author

FALL IN LOVE WITH A HISTORICAL ROMANCE BY LAUREN ROYAL!

LAUREN ROYAL is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of humorous historical romance. Her “truly enchanting” novels have won many awards including Booklist's “Top 10 Romance of the Year,” and they’ve earned raves from reviewers including Publishers Weekly, who calls her “an impressive talent.”

All of Lauren's books are complete, stand-alone stories, and yet they are also all connected—because they all feature her beloved “outrageously funny, loyal, compassionate, and unconventional” Chase family!

Lauren writes steamy historical romance on her own and sweet/clean historical romance with her daughter, Devon Royal. Lauren lives in Southern California with her family, two constantly shedding cats, and a stupendous collection of fuzzy socks. When she's not busy writing, she enjoys singing along (off-key) to Hamilton, dancing (badly), and (wasting time) watching HGTV.

Want great free and 99¢ books sent to your inbox on select Fridays? Sign up for Lauren's Book Club newsletter at http://royall.ink/Newsletter

Become an honorary Chase cousin (and get a FREE historical cookbook)! Join Lauren's Chase Family Readers Group on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/ChaseFamilyReaders

Visit Lauren’s website at LaurenRoyal.com, where you can learn about the real people and real places in her books, enter a contest to win jewelry, and see the ever-growing branches of the Chase Family Tree.

Join Lauren on Facebook...

Readers Group: facebook.com/groups/ChaseFamilyReaders
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Reviews

[Rose Lillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's quite a few reasons why I liked this one better than the rest in the series so let me list it out for you.

1) Corinna is the best of the sisters, at least to read about. Her focus on her art career instead of just wanting to get married was refreshing in comparison to Alexandra. While Juliana wasn't only focused on marriage it was the main focus.

2) Sean not only straight-up pines for Corinna like the simp he is, but he also cares so much for Corinna's passions. Hell, he even stripped so she could draw him (for research purposes only, he swears).


3) The third act drama, and basically all the drama that kept Corinna and Sean apart, actually seemed plausible. And the solution aka the reading of the will scene was a goddamn joy to read I was laughing so hard. I'm pretty sure I actually said "oh snap" out loud.

4) This one was the shortest in the series sitting at a clean 400 pages, but being as we also get to experience the Chase brother find love (he may have annoyed me but it was hinted at for over 1000 pages so he can have it) and all the steamy scenes were actually steamy (looking at you Juliana, you just disappoint) it felt more fast-paced, therefore easier to digest without wanting to yank out my eyeballs.

5) This one made me have emotion. I knew, of course, that Corinna and Sean would end up together but I actually was worried about it for a bit there. The steamy scenes were steamy, the jokes were actually funny, Sean's dark moods felt warranted, Corinna's anxiety over her future was too relatable, I hate John Hamilton as he's supposed to be, and all the sad portions were actually sad. I mean my heart was racing during the will scene, as Corinna's was as well. It actually made me feel like the stakes were real.

Basically what I've spent the past 300+ words listing out is that while I was able to see every plot point from a mile away this book still made me feel the emotional punches it was going for which made it an actual enjoyable read. And Sean's better looking than a Greek god.

[Elis Madison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rich as Croesus Sean Delaney has a sister, Deirdre, who wants a divorce from her adulterous dog of a husband—well, actually, it's Sean who wants the divorce. Deirdre is fine with just living in sin with the man she loves. But Sean is a bit more conventional, and he'd like everything all tidy and proper.



So when his brother-in-law comes to him with a proposal, he listens. Seems Hamilton is the heir to the Earl of Lincolnshire. His uncle (the earl) is dying, and wants him to come see him before he goes. Hamilton doesn't want to bother. He's a celebrated painter, and his latest lover has invited him to her husband's usually inaccessible estate, and there are some legendary views he wants to paint (scenery—he doesn't do women, except in the Biblical sense).



If Sean, who looks a bit like Hamilton, will go see the earl and pretend to be Hamilton, Hammy will grant Deirdre the divorce. The old man is dying—he's not going to go out in public, so Sean won't be unmasked. It should be fine, right?



Seems the old man isn't quite as bedridden as Hamilton supposed. Oh, he's really dying, but seeing his "nephew" perks him right up. So he insists on going to a social function to say goodbye to his dearest friends. The old man all but begs. What's a guy to do?



Sean does manage to insist that the earl introduce him as someone other than Hamilton (cuz Hammy is a celebrated recluse—well, except he's also apparently banging half of England, but we won't think about how any "bangees" might recognize him). Sean manages to persuade the earl to go along with the deception. Until…



Corinna is the third and youngest sister of Griffin Chase, and she's an artist. For various reasons she believes Sean is in fact the famous artist Hamilton, and unfortunately, she can really stick her foot in it.



So Sean is "outed" as his brother in law, and now he's got all these people flocking around him asking him what he thinks about this painting and what inspired that painting. And, unfortunately, Sean knows squat about art—in fact, he's color blind.

By the time Corinna is persuaded that he is NOT Hamilton, the damage is done. And once she understands why he's masquerading as the earl's nephew, she's sympathetic. The earl is dying. He's a really nice guy. She hasn't the heart to have him go out knowing that his true heir is



She offers to help by standing by Sean so he doesn't reveal to all and everybody that he doesn't know art from fart, or green from purple. To have an excuse to hang around, she offers to do Lincolnshire's portrait. She wants to paint portraits anyway, and she's looking for a subject to submit to this big art exposition. Lincolnshire's a great subject.

The mutual attraction between Sean and Corinna, plus being thrown together for hours and hours, make for a sure thing. Except…

Problem 1: The earl insists on having Dierdre, his nephew's estranged wife, come visit, so the "couple" can be reconciled. He keeps insisting that they kiss…



…better than that.

Problem 2: Sean is rich as Jacob Fugger, but he's not a peer, and now it's inevitable that Sean will be exposed as an impostor. Things will go really bad. At best he'll be utterly shunned—Society doesn't like to be fooled. At worst he could be arrested. So if the difference in their social standing wasn't daunting enough, this is enough to keep him from offering for Corinna. A marriage between them could mean her ruin and that of her family. (On Rant—again with the whole "everybody within a 10 mile radius is ruined because one person loves the wrong guy" thing—I call bs. Maybe she's ruined along with her man, but I'll have to be convinced it would make her family the social equivalent of ebola.)

Problem 3: When Hamilton returns and learns people think Sean is him, he's unhappy—as in he tells Sean that not only does he refuse to divorce Dierdre, but he demands that she return to him and give him an heir. If he carries through on this, there's not much Sean can do. A wife is her husband's property, to do with as he will.

And problem 4: (This one is not in the story, but because I knew it, it was a problem for me.) In those days divorce was incredibly rare, and awfully complicated. The petitioner (Royal suggests that women couldn't do this—they could but only two succeeded) had to present grounds, such as cruelty, adultery, or impotence. Since Hammy is hardly going to petition on the grounds of his own impotence, by the time the divorce was granted by Parliament (after having first gone through the Consistory and criminal courts), Deirdre would have to be presented publicly as either a sadistic bitch or a whore. Either way, by the end she would have undergone what amounts to a public colonoscopy and hanging in effigy. There might be good moral reasons for Sean to want her free to marry and have legitimate kids, but as far as her social standing (and that of her children), Deirdre might be better off just living in sin. Sure, she might like to be free of the old ball and chain, but at what cost?

The tangle gets untangled in the only way it possibly could—it's a great ending, in fact. And we also see the culmination of the trilogy-wide subplot between Griffin and his "cousin" Rachael.

It's a pretty good romance, with some interesting historical details (though there were a couple I question), and difficult obstacles. On the down side it's a Regency and there's nothing more to the story than the hearts and flowers. Total 3.5.

[Sandee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Corinna is bold, direct and not afraid to ask any question she needs to. Sean is honourable, handsome and modest. He is also in trade. There is so much story in this book. Corinna is an artist working hard for recognition, Sean is blackmailed into a pretense that challenges his honour. Then there is Rachel and Griffin. Rachel discovers that her father isn't really her father and looks to Griffin for assistance in determining her background. Add in an egotistical artist, and several large families and the fun is boundless. But there are other emotions here, including tears. I enjoyed this book very much. This is the third book in this series. I haven't read any of the others and that had no impact on my enjoyment of this book. It works well as a stand alone story.

[Dr. Sionainn · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's worth noting that I've been extremely irritable lately, which accounts for the fact that a book I would have considered barely passible at another moment becomes insufferable at this one. Plus, the fact that this is one of the few romance novels that has an Irish hero, and Royal bungled it on every level, makes me want to take a surgeon's scalpel to dissect how much I've come to hate this book.




First of all, this book is the romantic equivalent of milquetoast, where the bland main characters walk aimlessly around going "damn, that's crazy" until a deus-ex-machina happens at the end of the narrative to fix all their problems. There is no passion or tension anywhere or for anything. There's even a scene where Corinna is going to paint Sean naked, and even this had no sexual tension or excitement. Even the sex scenes were bland and forgettable. Also, the pacing of the book is aimless. Royal just sort of wanders off in a direction and think to yourself, yeah ok, I guess we'll go here, if you like. Despite what it says on the cover, this isn't just the story of Sean and Corinna, but also Griffin and Rachel, as well as this annoying-ass sitcom family who isn't charming or unique. So many pages are dedicated to this family, that it dilutes what the story claims to be about, which is Corinna (insufferable) and Sean (he's the best character).

Griffin and Rachel think they're cousins. They want to bang. They discover they're not cousins. Still want to bang. That's it. I didn't care and skimmed their pages (which made up a significant part of this book). I wrote in an update that I hate romance novel family series because they make novelists lazy and the narratives weak and flabby. This book proves that point 100x over. Family series are the romance novel equivalent of the Marvel Universe - lazy, insipid, and profit-driven. Write one book. Make that book work as a single narrative by giving a shite creatively. Done.

Corinna is supposed to be passionate about art, yet I genuinely felt like she knew almost nothing about it? She keeps saying that she's an artist, which, by proxy in this book's logic, makes her eccentric and unique (she says this explicitly at many points. Each time, I cringed deep inside my soul) One of my writing pet peeves is when a character keeps saying that they're 'insert-adjective-here', instead of having the author show that they are 'insert-adjective-here'. It's lazy, unimaginative, and boring. It also made her seem like a privileged try-hard who has no real personality, but is trying to convince others she's deeper than she shows herself to be. This only serves to make her not only bland, but also insufferably annoying. I also really hate when authors with no historical knowledge of misogyny think that women can 'girl-boss' their way out of centuries of institutionalized misogyny and oppression. For example, Corinna wants to submit a painting to the Royal Academy, a gallery and art school in London.

Despite the fact that 2 of the 34 founders of the Royal Academy were women (Mary Moser (1744-1819) and Angelica Kauffman (1741-1807) respectively. Queens), the Royal Academy was notoriously misogynistic, and denied women formal education until 1860. Even then, the first female student only got a place by only signing with her initials, and hiding her gender as long as possible. While she was there she faced horrific misogynistic backlash, and had to fight hard for every opportunity to teach and create afterwards. Corinna just strolls in and says "I'd like to submit", and every male member is like, "wow, you're so quirky and cute. We know this and we love you." Lads, when I tell you I wanted to punch a hole in a wall.

I have a wee stick up my arse when it comes to historical accuracy, and this novel made me want to tear my hair out. Corinna is allowed to just walk in and out of any place at any time she wants without a chaperone (including the home inhabited uniquely by unmarried men). There is a lot of mention of gossip and reputation in this novel, which is ridiculous. One of the major plot point hinges on the idea that the character's reputation will be destroyed, as though it wouldn't by the fact she never had a chaperone, leaves the house at all hours of the day, and submits a half-naked portrait of a man to the notoriously stuffy Royal Academy. If Corinna had submitted a half-nude portrait of a man to the Royal Academy (especially as an unmarried woman), her reputation and family name would be tarnished forever and she'd probably be banned. That's not even to touching upon the deep-seated elitism and misogyny of the Royal Academy, which goes far deeper than being a 'tee-hee' little obstacle for Corinna to overcome. When the Academy sees her portrait of a half-naked man, they're like, "wow....cool." Insane.

Also, there were also so many moments where I realized Royal didn't know (and didn't care to know) anything about Ireland or its history, and that she equivocated it with England but more Exotic TM.....like the Irish are basically English with English history and English manners and English culture, but sexier (the latter is admittedly true, but being sexier than the English isn't hard). On the first page, we learn Sean Delaney is from "Kilburton, Ireland", or so Royal writes. This is interesting seeing as THERE IS NO KILBURTON IN IRELAND. THERE'S KILBRITTAIN IN COUNTY CORK, BUT KILBURN IS IN ENGLAND*. The only thing that being Irish means to her, is having a vaguely sexy accent and using Irish Gaelic sometimes (don't even get me started on that), but being able to assimilate into British society seamlessly.

This book takes place in 1817, which is one of the worst plague and famine years in Irish history (besides the Great Hunger 1845-52). There were bad harvests in Ireland in 1815 and 1816, resulting in near-famine conditions in 1817. As a result, emigration skyrocketed and the people grew exponentially poorer. There was also a typhus epidemic to the point that a national fever committee was established to distribute government relief from October 1816 to December 1819. No mention of this, or anything regarding Irish history, is made by Royal. Insane, especially when you think of how much Kilbrittain and County Cork suffered from famine.

Sean (and society) was also weirdly neutral about him being Irish. She throws out that he's made significant effort to neutralize his Irish-isms (aye, me, etc), but never uses that to expand his character. She could have made a significant commentary about how appearing and sounding less Irish was the only option for an Irish immigrant who's trying to escape English discrimination in the heart of London. He also faces no real anti-Irish sentiment, which would never happen. Also, Royal giggles at the idea of using Irish Gaelic sexily, but never considers the fact that Gaelic is heavily suppressed at this time, and his relationship to it would be filtered through that social and historical reality.

At the time, magazines such as Punch portrayed the Irish as having "bestial, ape-like or demonic features and the Irishman, (especially the political radical) was invariably given a long or prognathous jaw, the stigmata to the phrenologists of a lower evolutionary order, degeneracy, or criminality." Being Irish in England meant having a target on your back at all times, no matter how much money you made. Priest and historian Charles Kingsley wrote to his wife about Ireland: "I am haunted by the human chimpanzees I saw [in Ireland] . . . I don't believe they are our fault [....] But to see white chimpanzees is dreadful; if they were black, one would not feel it so much [....] (quoted in L.P. Curtis, Anglo-Saxons and Celts, p.84). Also, enjoy a political cartoon from Punch magazine, portraying the Irish as monkeys next to the English lions:



Later, during the Great Hunger, Charles Trevelyan, Assistant Secretary to Her Majesty’s Treasury 1847 whose job it was to oversee famine relief in Ireland said of the Irish: “[The Famine] is punishment from God for an idle, ungrateful and rebellious country; an indolent and un-self-reliant people. The Irish are suffering from an affliction of Gods providence."

Also, Royal's stereotyping of Irish people, especially Irish women.....oh my god. Sean has a sister named Deirdre, who fits every racist stereotype of Irish women touted in British propaganda. Similar to the propaganda of Africans by the West, Britain portrayed Irish women as sexually insatiable, without morals, lazy, and exploitative. Deirdre is all of that and more. Corinna and her English sisters are delicate little ladies, while Deirdre is an audacious, whining, sexually carnivorous and manipulative Irish stereotype.

The more I think about this book, the more I hate it.

* The only spelling of Kilbrittain as Kilburton I could find was a misspelling on an immigration document of Irish settlers in Ottawa, Canada, which probably happened because they didn't know shite all about Ireland either.

[Mary - Buried Under Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very sweet story with an incredibly honorable hero and a heroine who's not afraid to ask for what she wants.

Corinna, albeit the daughter of a Marquess, is an artist whose grandest dream lies in being accepted as a member of the Royal Academy. Her current wish is to have her work hosted in the Summer Exhibition; a grand honor for any artist. She quickly crosses path with Sean Delaney, a man blackmailed into impersonating his brother-in-law, John Hamilton, to meet his dying uncle, Lord Lincolnshire and let Hamilton receive his inheritance so that Hamilton will give Sean's sister the divorce she wanted.

Immediately, Sean and Corinna both feel a powerful sexual attraction to each other, but it is Corinna who becomes daring and repeatedly asks for kisses. Although her behavior and those of her family may be too forgiving considering that they're aristocrats and live within the ton's rules, but that can be overlooked given their support and understanding at Sean's dilemma - to continue tricking the kind dying man into believing he is the nephew, or to tell the truth.

Despite how much he wants Corinna, Sean continually does the honorable thing and considers first her reputation, then the effect of his deception (although forced into it by John Hamilton) on their marriage. He loves her so much that he puts her need and happiness over his own, and becomes an absolutely endearing man to both the dying Lord Lincolnshire and Corinna.

Corinna also exhibits behavior not entirely suited for someone of her status, but she pursues Sean and initiates many of their intimacies. She is a caring person who urged Sean to keep the deception for the happiness of an old man, and in turn, slowly falls in love with Sean. She gains more determination throughout the book to pursue her love and her art, which proves her to be a multi-dimensional character.

The rest of Corinna's family also play a role in this story, as does the love between her brother, Griffin, and her cousin, Rachel. I have to admit to not caring much about their own love, or their characters, as Corinna and Sean stole the show.

This is my first book by Lauren Royal, and I will be sure to read her other ones.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this fun romance, which pairs the preoccupied artist with a rich but untitled man who becomes entwined in a web of deception. Very light and fun with good romantic tension. The book is a bit of an odd mix of good research of the times paired with totally unrealistic scenes of unchaperoned behavior, but this is forgivable given the fantasy element of the genre. I'll definitely be reading more of this author.

[Judi Easley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughts: part of a big series within a series clan. The characters are well developed because they're well established within their families which makes for a good solid read. The secondary characters were well researched and used interestingly (the Academicians). The use of color blindness was clever, but I'm not sure he'd be walking around seeing so much brown. Maybe taken a bit too far? Still, a very good story with several HEAs. Recommended.

[AnnMarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Corinna by Lauren and Devon Royal is the third book in the Regency Chase Brides series. It is the sweet and clean version of the book, Lost in Temptation written by Lauren Royal.

This is the story of Corinna. She is one of three sisters, the only one not yet married. Her brother Griffin wants her married, and is determined to stay unmarried himself until his sister is settled, but she is more concerned with her art. Her dream is to have her work accepted by the London art society, not just her landscapes, but portraits. The latter being unacceptable for any women to paint. The book begins with the three sisters in an art gallery, two of them bored waiting for Corinna to finish sketching a male marble statue. As a woman she isn't allowed to attend classes where she can study and paint real people, so she has to make do with sketching busts. The sisters get fed up of waiting and go about their tour, and while they are gone, Corinna meets Sean Delaney and John Hamilton.

Sean is a self made man of means, and John is his brother in law who has been an horrendous husband to Sean's sister Deirdre. John refuses to divorce Deirdre despite them having not lived together for years, and will make her return to him to produce an heir if Sean doesn't do a particular favour for him. The favour being impersonating John in order for him to inherit all of his dying grandfather's money and estates. The old man's dying wish is to spend his last days with his grandson who he hasn't seen since he was a baby. John doesn't want to bother with the old man and comes up with the blackmail scheme. Sean doesn't want to comply and is pretty sure nobody would believe he is John, a reclusive artist, anyway. So John suggests that if they can get somebody to believe the lie, then Sean must agree to the plan. Corinna just happens to be the first woman that John spots and he makes a beeline to her. That is how she and Sean meet, and that is when Sean is sucked into being 'John'. He hates being so deceitful but knows it's the only way to save his sister.

Corinna falls instantly in lust when she sees Sean, and believing he is John Hamilton, not only one of her favourite artists, but also a man who can help her get one of her paintings accepted into an annual showing of art, she is thrilled to have made his acquaintance. Sean needs her to understand and keep secret who he really is. Can he get her to believe him? He really needs her to because being an artist she will be the perfect person to help him keep up the ruse with the old Earl that he is John Hamilton, the famous artist. After meeting the old man and realising what a wonderful person he is, not only is he sticking to the impersonation for his sister's sake, but also for the Earl's. He wants the old man to die happy, knowing he has bonded with his grandson. It might all be lies, but nobody will get hurt by them except Sean himself.

Another couple in the story is Griffin and Rachael. Griffin is Corinna's brother, and Rachael is their cousin. Or is she? Their story revolves around Rachael finding out that the man she thought was her father, is indeed only her step father. She is determined to find out who her real father is and hopes desperately to find other family members. Griffin agrees to help her. He has always had a soft spot for her, but didn't do anything about it because of the family relationship. So helping her when knowing she isn't really family any more, tests his patience because he wants nothing more to take her in his arms and kiss her. Will they discover her real family, will any of them be alive, and for the romantics like me, will Rachael start seeing Griffin in the same light as he sees her? Will they become a love match too?

I absolutely adored this book, and it was so great to have more than just one couple's possible love story told. There are some very emotional parts in the story involving the old Earl, especially when he dies. And no, that isn't a spoiler because from the very start of the story you know he will die, there is no miraculous cure for what he has. Even knowing he will pass away, it still made me shed a tear when it happened. Of course there are many light-hearted moments too, and some lovely passionate moments.
I read this book as part of the anthology The Hero Least Likely, which I was given a complimentary copy of in exchange for my honest review.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book three of this wonderful trilogy. It has been clean, and Romantic, with little mysteries thrown in. The heroine in this book is Corinna. She loves painting and wants her work noticed. She meets a man named Sean, who is. blackmailed for his sister's safety. He agrees to set aside his life to sit with his hated brother in laws hated Uncle. He soon finds out how loving and kind the Uncle is, and that he is dying. The Chase family, are very involved, and Griffin also helps Rachael to search out her father, or any. family. There is love in the air. I really liked Corinnea. as she is a determined, but loving character. I also admired Sean, as he truly cared for the older man, and took great care of him. Rachael has seemed a bit cold, but she warmed up nice in this book. The other ladies like Alexandria, and ,Julianna, and everyone's aunts are there. I am so glad I was able to read these books in order. It was a treat. and I enjoyed it. She kept my interest with fun banter, and a great storyline, and characters I really cared about. The man, that you did not like, or trust Mr John Hamilton was careless of people, and their needs from the first. I loved the ending. I will try her newest book. I like how this writer puts her stories together. She did an excellent job, to grab, and keep my attention.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sean and Corinna. He pretends to be his brother-in-law the artist, so that the brother in law will agree to divorce his wife (Sean's sister). Supposedly the artist is very reclusive and no one knows what he looks like. I couldn't get past that, because the guy had slept with lots of women and had multiple bastard children. I finally gave up.

[Rose Wubker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet

This is a sweet book. The book is ever girls day dreams! A handsome man with integrity and goodness who falls in love with the main character. He is a man who is able to make your dreams come true. Of course there are obstacles they must overcome. There is also a side story that will warm your heart as well.

[MELISSA · Rating 5 out of 5]

An HEA worth fighting for

Budding artist Lady Corinna Chase and entrepreneur Sean Delaney have nothing in common. Yet they become embroiled in an impersonation scheme that takes on a life of its own. With witty dialogue, great settings and characters that feel alive, Ms. Royal once again entertains me thoroughly.

[Jessica Gaspar · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[D Call · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic Regency romance!

What a fun story! There were parts I was laughing aloud and had to share with my husband.

Corinna is direct; she says what she wants, asks what she wants to know; I found her absolutely delightful! "It seemed he’d forgiven her. Well, good. Now when was he going to kiss her? She frowned, suddenly realizing he hadn’t even tried to kiss her since that day in the bookshop. Not once. Whatever could that mean? Had he not enjoyed kissing her? He couldn’t have meant it when he said he’d never kiss her again, could he? Holy Hannah, she hoped not."

Sean is a vicar's son. He's got a knack for making money, plus he makes sure he's always fair. He's full of honor, and he sacrifices his life and business affairs for a time so his sister can get a divorce. He doesn't want her living in sin with her sweetie. "Was [Corinna] meaning to flirt with him? On purpose? His question was answered immediately, when she aimed another inviting look over her shoulder and said softly, 'I think you owe me a kiss.' He laughed. What else could he do? 'I’m not John Hamilton, remember? I’m no longer a trophy. Why should you want to kiss me again?' 'Maybe I liked it the first time.'" He stared at her lips. "'I told my sisters your secret,' said the lips. Full, beautiful, soft-looking— Wait a second. 'You did what?' he roared, shaking his head to clear it. Thinking that this time, he really might strangle her. He definitely wasn’t kissing her." She explains why she did and that her sisters approve the deception. "It seemed disaster had been averted. But that didn’t mean all was forgiven, no matter how wide she made her eyes. She wasn’t getting that kiss. 'They think it’s all right for you to kiss me.' She stepped even closer. 'Are you certain you don’t want to? I might get up earlier in the morning for a kiss.'” Then they barter for her wakeup time so she'll get to the house earlier! "On the day in question: He’d greeted her at the door at nine o’clock this morning, walked her into this salon, and laid a kiss on her that could have melted the Arctic. 'Was that worth getting up for?' he’d asked. She’d nodded, having temporarily lost her powers of speech."

Griffin and Rachael have been fighting their attraction for 2 years while investigating who her birth father is. In this book, after they get answers, it finally dawns on them that they're not cousins, so her rule to not marry cousins doesn't apply. About time!

Of course we see Alexandra and Juliana, get updates on everyone's lives. This series is written well, plot takes second seat to character interaction, and everything gets tied up.

Sex: kisses
Language: 12 F words, 16 Lord's name in vain, 4 S words
Violence: none
Cliffhanger: HEA
Do I need to read books before this one: no, but it will make it *infinitely* better
Would I read more of the series: already have

[The Book Coyote · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book! Sean Delaney is an Irishman who inherited a small fortune and through business sense and investment, made himself a rich man. Still, he is not accepted by the ton - he is still a lowborn man of trade. Attempting to secure his sister a divorce from her odious husband, he agrees to impersonate him and keep his brother-in-law's dying uncle company. Only problem is - he's supposed to be impersonating a painter - a problem when you're color-blind. So he enlists the help of Corinna Chase - an artist trying to get a painting into the Royal Academy. She helps Sean along with the hoax, and along the way, a romance flourishes between them. I found this to be an interesting set-up for a romance novel. Sean is a self-made man, in love with a woman far above him, while Corinna is a bit of a rebel, flouting convention by wanting to paint portraits instead of the more feminine still-lifes. Neither character dominates the other in this well-written book - both are full and interesting characters in their own right, and their coming together is all the more satisfying because of it.

[Chessela Helm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like the first two books, this is sprigged muslin porn at its finest. Corrina is a great heroine, focused more on her creative career than trying to find a husband. Meanwhile, Sean is a really nice guy who happens to be a walking sex god. Does he ever get sick of being a nice guy? No, no he does not. Why would he? He has an awesome, talented chick ready to bang him. Their relationship is endangered because of the ruse he's perpetrating (solely because he wants his sister to be rid of the a**hole she got knocked up by as a smug teen), and does Sean blame his sister? No, no he does not. I'm really glad he ends up with Corrinna, because his sister is kind of a pain in the ass, and he deserves a better class of woman in his life. I like to think their HEA includes his sister moving back to Ireland and leaving poor Sean alone.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rated this high because of the characters and the plot that is not the same as many others of the same time period setting and genre. Sean Delany, an Irish vicar's son, has become a great success in business in London. His sister is married to John Hamilton, a reclusive and highly successful artist. And not a good man. To help his sister gain the divorce she needs, Sean is pressed into impersonating Hamilton to Hamilton's uncle until the uncle dies. Corinna Chase lives next door. She is an aspiring artist who was sketching in the British Museum when Hamilton and Delaney observe her.
There is a parallel plot for Rachel and Corinna's brother. We met those two along with Corinna in Juliana's story in the previous book. The only criticism I have is that those two deserved their own book.

[Billye Herndon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hope there will be more about the sisters!

Loved the story about Corinna and Sean! Very happy that Griffin and Rachael’s story was included! Hate that all of people in this series tales are done!

Corinna had a dream to be an artist that was accepted to the Royal Academy. She wasn’t looking for a husband even if Griffin was trying to get her married. Along goes a man with a big secret! He wasn’t in her social circle but you never know when the heart will choose another path.

Griffin was trying to tell himself he didn’t want a wife yet and that he didn’t love Rachael. Rachael said she was never going to love Griffin. Maybe they will get together and maybe they won’t. You have to read to find out!

This is my honest review.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Corinna is an artist. It is her main goal in life to paint portraits. But she can not get the anatomy correct. Since she is a woman she is not allowed to take the classes that have a live model. Meanwhile her brother is trying to marry her off.
Sean Delaney who is a successful businessman pretending to be the Earl of Lincolnshire’s nephew and heir. He has been blackmailed into doing this to secure his sister’s divorce from the real heir. The Earl is on his Deathbed but with meeting Sean he rallies for a while. The story is an enticing look at the two main characters as they try to do the right thing in a wrong situation.

[Gerda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this romance very much. In the beginning there were too many different characters so it became a little bit confusing, but after a while I could distinguish them.

The book is a mix of well done research on painters and the summer exhibition at Somerset House combined with some unrealistic scenes of unchaperoned behavior by the heroine.

The bonus material explains the houses the authors chose as the main characters' residences, some of them you can still visit in London others were replaced decades or even a century ago

[Rachel Crosby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creative, very humorous, fantastic plot - a wonderful novel!

This story is excellent in all the right ways. The characters, and there are two romances running simultaneously, leapt from the pages and became my instant friends. The fact that Corinna, the primary heroine, is a painter, endeared her especially to me. The writing is spot on and one hears the authors' happy voices throughout. What a joy it must have been to meticulously craft such an intricate, complicated and totally original story line. A pleasure to read, this book is definitely in my top 10, if not my top five.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not one, but two romances in this book. The author does a great job weaving both couples into one cohesive story, making the transitions seamless. I was initially not enamored of Sean’s decision to stand in for Hamilton, but he is so endearing with the Earl that you just have to adore him. All of the characters are endearing, the ABC aunts, the meddling sister and the stoic brothers-in-law. I love the inclusion of the recipes and their supposed attributes that are woven through all of the books in this series. I would love to read more about this engaging family and hope there are more books to come.

[Barbara "Cookie" Serfaty Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Art of Temptation (Chase Family Series: The Regency, Book 4)

The love story of two Chase family members. Corinna want her art work to be shown in the Summer Art Exhibit. Sean is force to pretend to be his brother-in-law, so he will divorce his sister. Sean meet Corinna think he is John but tell he not. Sean pretend to be Lord Lincolnshir's nephew because he dying. Rachel learns that she is not a Chase, can that change her life? Will Sean win the divorce for his sister? Great story.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars may be too generous for this cheesy little romance, but I have to judge it for what it is. Royal doesn't try to write great literature, but just entertaining historical romps featuring the likable Chase family (basically another iteration of the Bridgertons). Corrina Chase is a female artist trying to make it as a portrait painter, and Sean Delaney is a successful businessman with rural Irish origins. How they come together is a lot of fun, even though the situation stretches believability.

[Jeanne Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than I expected

As the main premise was set up, I thought this was going to be lame and infuriating. Blackmail? Cheating bastard? This wouldn't turn out well, surely...

But then more people were introduced, more layers of a story that eventually wrapped up in a satisfyingly happy ending.

[Dolores Robles · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Art of Temptation

I gave this story four stars because "The Art of Temptation" to me came across in several forms. One by the females tempting the men they loved. Two by Corrina's temptation when the painted Sean. Third, by Sean always wanting to do what's right. Plus many other temptations made it a great read.

[Donna Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the story & characters

Lots of people in the Chase Family and they're all interesting people in their own right. Corrinne and Sean are perfect for each other and circumstances make them an unlikely match, but it's a perfect match nonetheless. I thoroughly loved this well told tale.

[Kasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lauren Royal's books are known for their decent historical background.
In this case, she takes us on a short journey into the world of paintings and their creators of the Regency Era.
The romantic side of this story can be categorised as a double romance with two pairs of matched lovers at the end.
The main couple, Corinna and Sean, are exceptionally cute and their story is entertaining.
Great work.

[Susan R Clement · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this family

From Griffin and Rachel to Corinna and Sean to all the aunt's ant new spouses. They are so interesting, honorable, scandalous and funny at times.

I would change Corinna's cover to a blue dress where Sean was color blind and only knew blue.

[Elizabeth Myles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tempting Juliana was my favorite of the Regency Chase series, but I greatly enjoyed The Art of Temptation as well. Sean was great, and it was nice to see both Corinna and Griffin finally get their HEAs :). A nice wrap-up to the trilogy. I will miss the Chase family, though!