Tempting Her Reluctant Viscount by Catherine Hemmerling

The Basics:
Tempting Her Reluctant Viscount by Catherine Hemmerling
Entangled: Scandalous
Book Three in the Lady Lancaster Garden Society Series
Historical Romance
Published July 8, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Why I picked up this book:

I loved the blurb. It just made me grin.


Blurb:

Hope Stuckeley has lusted after the handsome and charismatic Michael Ashmore, the Viscount Lichfield, for ages - never mind that she's never actually spoken to him. When the two join forces to investigate a London stock market scandal, pretending he is courting her gives her the chance to prove she's more than the bookworm he takes her for.

After years of service as a soldier and newly titled as a viscount, actual marriage and settling down are the last things on confirmed bachelor Michael's mind. But when their investigation puts the delectable Hope in danger, discovering the truth about the scandal could jeopardize the future he didn't know he wanted.

My thoughts:

I really liked the concept of the stock market scandal. I liked the idea of Hope being this prim and proper young woman who privately acted in a scandalous (for the time period) manner (what with dressing up like a man and being so smart, particularly about finances).

I didn't really find Michael to be a compelling hero, though I did enjoy those moments when he caught himself underestimating Hope or trying to anticipate her behaviour or her capabilities based on her gender.

This might be the only book for which I've ever actually read all the epigraphs heading each chapter. For some reason I found them more entertaining with this book than usual; they were certainly more accessible than I find epigraphs tend to be.

I enjoyed this book, but I didn't feel really strongly about it. I wasn't motivated to race through to find out what would happen next, and I didn't really feel a strong threat to Hope or to Michael. I think there were a few missed opportunities for some really emotional moments, particularly through the end of the book. Tempting chose to focus on the positives, I guess, rather than dwelling on the negatives that arose through the course of the story.

I did like the way that this book seems to be woven into the events of other books in the series - that made me want to check out the other books.

Bottom line:

This was a good historical romance, but it missed a certain something that I can't quite put my finger on that might have made a stronger impression. I recommend it, particularly for lazy afternoon reading.

3.5 stars
For fans of historical romance, smart heroines