A Tempting Life

Lord Hawkesbury's Players #2

by C.J. Archer

PRAISE FOR C.J. ARCHER

"I had heard some great things about C.J. Archer's work lately, so I was looking forward to the chance to review this book. And, to my surprise and pleasure, everything I heard from her vivid characters to her excellent storytelling skills were completely, 100% true." ~ Bridget, reviewer for The Romance Reviews in her review of A Secret Life (Book 1 of Lord Hawkesbury's Players).

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Falling in love just became the greatest scandal in Shakespearean London.

Cold, ruthless Lord Warhurst needs to distance himself from scandal if he's to marry an heiress and save his decaying estate. But with his unwed sister pregnant and his father's past indiscretions still haunting Leo, scandal threatens to erupt in an explosive way. Especially when he begins to desire strong-willed and low-born Alice Croft, the seamstress to Lord Hawkesbury's Players and the woman helping him spy on his sister's lover. If anyone finds out, Leo's chance of marrying well will be ruined.

However the scandal will be nothing compared to what happens when Alice cracks through the hard shell around his heart. Because how can Leo afford to love a woman who only wants him for the fortune she thinks he possesses?

Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Historical, Audiobook, Fiction, Mystery

328 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 13, 2011

About the author

C.J. Archer is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of historical mystery and historical fantasy novels including the GLASS AND STEELE series, the CLEOPATRA FOX MYSTERIES, the MINISTRY OF CURIOSITIES and THE GLASS LIBRARY series.

She has loved history and books for as long as she can remember and feels fortunate that she found a way to combine the two. She has at various times worked as a librarian, IT support person and technical writer but in her heart has always been a fiction writer. She lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her husband, 2 children and Coco the black and white cat.

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Reviews

[L.R.W. Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a Great Story...

I loved this book. It had all the marks of forbidden romance where the lovers can't quite sync up their realities with their hearts...until it's nearly too late. What an awesome and captivating ending. Just bought the last book in the series.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was harder to love this one. It was a fun adventure, but the main character bugged me at times. I loved the main guy, Warhurst, but Alice had me confused a bit.

There were times when Warhurst was concerned that Alice was only interested in him because of his title and money, and for a lot of the book it felt that way. Alice only seemed interested in him because she could be more than her seamstress self. She had been trying for years to be something more and this was her ticket.



I am not sure it was supposed to come off this way, but it felt that way for a good chunk of the book. I liked her more near the end though. And it gave a unique perspective. At least it made it feel different than a lot of other books with similar plots. I did love having the Hawkesbury players back though. They are such a fun group and I love their interactions

[Keliipuunani · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this was a continuation, of sorts, of the storyline in Her Secret Desire only it focuses on Blake’s half-brother, Leo and the Player’s seamstress, Alice Croft. They are on a quest to force Lord Hawkesbury to wed Blake and Leo’s sister, for the sake of her honor. There was only one sex scene. Still too much for children.

The book was fine. It was fun to see Min and Blake growing as a couple in the background and see Leo and Alice dance around their feelings, like twits.

[Desiree reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

i got a copy of the e book and the pace and the people in the book is great min is up and coming play writer and then her dad is a inventor and want people to invest in his invention well his invention did not pay the bill that are adding up so min get someone to read her play and he buy it for 4 pound that was lot in the early 1800 and it bought food and some things needed. well she
has 2 suitors and then who she going to choose blake a privater or the other one that rich and stuck up the play she give the person is great book and then it a hit in town so now she going to have to make her mind up will she go for money or love you will in joy the book i k read it about 4 hrs

[Dianne Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story set in Elizabethan London. Alice Croft works as a seamstress assistant to the Hawkesbury Players. Baron Leo Warhurst asks her to help him by spying on Hawkesbury. She agrees in return for a shop of her own. Leo wants information on why Hawkesbury is being forced to marry another woman when he loves Leo’s sister. Alice and Leo fall in love, but Leo needs to marry wealth to save his estate. How does Queen Elizabeth help him? Will Leo and Alice marry?

[Caprice Alizah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t like this one as much as A Secret Life. I think it’s because the male lead in this one (the brother to the first book’s male lead) was just not as fun and interesting. It was also a little more graphic than the first in the sex scenes, and that made me put it down early and not finish it honestly. Take that with a grain of salt because I prefer scenes that just skip over the details of that.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Gripping Romance with Intrigue and Emotional Depth

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

CJ Archer’s A Tempting Life is a captivating historical romance that masterfully blends passion, scandal, and complex characters. The story centers around Lord Leo Warhurst, a cold, calculating man who is desperately trying to distance himself from a family scandal in order to secure a marriage to a wealthy heiress that will save his estate. But Leo’s life is far from straightforward. With his sister’s pregnancy threatening to create a scandal and his father’s past indiscretions continuing to haunt him, Leo’s world seems on the verge of falling apart.

Enter Alice Croft, a strong-willed seamstress from a humble background, who unexpectedly becomes involved in Leo’s life. As she helps him spy on his sister’s lover, Leo finds himself drawn to Alice, complicating his plans for a strategic marriage. What ensues is a slow-burning romance, full of tension and emotional depth. Alice’s ability to break through Leo’s hardened exterior is both poignant and powerful, and the development of their relationship felt natural and well-paced.

The plot is engaging, with an intricate mix of romance, family drama, and the ever-present specter of scandal. The stakes feel real, especially when Leo’s future is threatened not only by his sister’s pregnancy but also by his growing feelings for Alice—an ordinary woman he cannot afford to love. The moral dilemma Leo faces—torn between duty and desire—adds layers of complexity to the story, and I found myself rooting for their romance even when the odds seemed insurmountable.

What holds this book back from a perfect 5-star rating is that at times, the pacing can feel a bit uneven. The build-up to the romance is slow, which may frustrate readers who want quicker developments. Additionally, while the chemistry between Leo and Alice is undeniable, I sometimes wished for a little more depth in some of the secondary characters or plot points.

Overall, A Tempting Life is a beautifully written and emotionally rich novel that fans of historical romance will thoroughly enjoy. CJ Archer weaves together themes of love, duty, and personal growth in a story that will leave you eagerly turning the pages.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The audiobook was poorly edited with the start a direct copy of the preview in the last audiobook, complete with closing comments.

I never did understand Leo proposing- it wasn't set up as a logical next step or justified so it is fitting she had the heroine laugh, as I didn't understand it either.

Fortunately this author has written much better books so whilst I won't be listening to this one again, I'll stick with the writer.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Mystery

Book 2 in the series continues with some favorite characters from Book 1 and continues the mystery. One new leading lady is a credit to the female society at that point in history. She is brave, smart, talented and open-minded to many aspects Of life that Men in her life are
Not! Love the way the mystery is resolved
And the book’s ending…on to Book 3

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

C.J. Archer is very talented and I’ve enjoyed every book of hers that I’ve read or listened to. Her characters are so well written, you be thinking they are real. And dialog is witty and crazy. I think the narrator Marian Hussey could make reading a phone book interesting. Now I get to listen to another in the series!

[Tina Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story

This book continues the series of the Lord Hawkesbury Players group. This time it's a romance between Leo, Blakes brother and Alice, the seamstress. A charming story with some sex scenes.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this one first thinking it was the first book. Oops.
Anyway. I loved it! I am kinda sad that there isn't more adventure/mystery solving for Alice and Leo. I really loved them!
The plot was good,I loved the characters, can't wait to read more by this author!!

[Narules · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Continuity issues from the previous book, specially dealing with wealth. Although I liked our Alice’s tenacity, I wasn’t fond of this romance. Warhurst thought she was a gold digger the entire time.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 2 in a series. I love the narration by Marian Hussey. CJ Archer is a masterful storyteller and her characters are believable. This series takes place in London during Shakespeare's time. On to Book 3, A Forbidden Life.

[Kelsey Bedolli · Rating 2 out of 5]

While significantly better than Her Secret Desire, I still only give this one two stars for being overly predictable, having a disjointed sense of place, relying far too much on explicitly telling us character traits instead of letting the action speak, and relying on tropes.

[Di Schlenk · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read. the second in this period series.

[Suze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic book by CJ Archer

Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down!
Loved everything about it from cover to cover?
Can’t wait to start book 3 now!

[Ali Molenaar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tweede deel van een serie schattige historische romannetjes met een theaterachtergrond.
Korte bespreking: https://alimolenaar.nl/stukjes/theate...

[Library K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this under a different title, A Tempting Life.

[Serena Keene · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** 322 pages

[Anna]

Hi

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. Not living this series as much as some of her others, but still enjoyable.

[Allison Di Matteo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love CJ archers stories, they are lovely, well written stories that make you feel immersed, anger, and hope.

[Gale Costa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book and addition to the series. The struggle between society’s expectations of the classes and them marrying into their same class is the idea of this love story.

[Jackie Wickham · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a little bit longer to get into this one, but I overall enjoyed it. I’m glad it included characters from the 1st book in this series.

[Marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars- I won this book on audio from a Goodreads giveaway.

I really enjoy fiction with a "british" angle. It has been awhile since I read a historical romance, and this was a good one to start back with. I don't like to write review with spoilers, but this author did a nice job capturing the readers interest with the characters and story.

Now about the audio narrator, she was just ok for me. It took 3 starts for me to keep listening. She did a lot of voices and is probably classically trained, but I didn't love her and wouldn't choose her again. I will probably keep reading CJ Archer, but next time I will get the ebook instead of an audio

[Heidi (can’t retire soon enough) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series, all quick reads, has been perfect for keeping my cough company. Each features a glimpse into Elizabethan life told from the back stage of a struggling theatre company and mixes in romantic heroes and real people such as Shakespeare, Marlowe, Walsingham and the Queen herself.

Another spunky heroine helping a dashing gentleman. And did I mention Shakespeare?

[Michele Lacroix · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book even though I hadn't read the first in the series, it was great as a stand alone. Alice was a great herione, and Leo was a great hero. The setting in Elizabethian England was nice for a change.

[Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this second in the Lord Hawkesbury's Players series. I read it for the romance, but intrigue in the form of blackmail is what got me hooked on the story. Having read the first book in the series was helpful, but probably not necessary to appreciate Scandal's Mistress.

[Jacqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it

This was a continuation of Merry Ol'England in Shakespeare's early days with how the social classes were determined and looked down upon the lower classes. How marriage was used for advancement, position and monetary means.