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The Book
Welcome
to Thorncliff Manor, where London's elite mix, mingle, and may even find their
heart's desire...
There
are thousands of things Christopher, Viscount Spencer, would rather do than
hunt for a bride, especially since experience has taught him that women are not
to be trusted. Then he finds the intriguing Lady Sarah scrambling around in
Thorncliff's conservatory and he is instantly charmed by her passionate nature.
But why is she so intent on avoiding him?
The Daring Exploits of a Runaway Heiress is available now!
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Excerpt
“Good,” her father said as they
stepped over the threshold into a massive hall with polished marble floors. At
the center, a large wind rose was inlaid in black and gray tones. “I’m glad we understand each other.”
Sarah
would never know if he said anything further, for her entire focus was riveted
upon the marble archways that flanked
the sides, the niches that stood above
them, filled with poised
statues and crowned by
towering windows through
which golden rays of sunlight cast their
glow. Above these, the ceiling
curved toward an enormous painting depicting a fray of soldiers, angels and
leaping horses.
“Come
along, Sarah,” her stepmother hissed, the words undoubtedly
louder than intended as they rose
through the air and bounced off the
walls, filling the vast space with
bitterness. “Don’t stand there
dawdling. We’re being shown to our rooms now.”
On a heavy sigh, Sarah followed her
family as they were led to a long corridor by a maid. Though
the ceiling here was not as high as in the hall, it was still high
enough to make Sarah wonder which poor
servant was given the
task of dusting for
cobwebs all the way up there, if
Thorncliff even had a ladder long
enough for such a task, or if they just
left the spiders alone in the hope
that no one
would see them. As they walked, Sarah also noted that footmen
had been placed at every
corner, their expressions
impassive as they stared
straight ahead, protecting the virtues of young ladies by
bearing witness to potential mischief.
Or perhaps they served to protect Lady Duncaster’s valuables from Thorncliff’s
many visitors, Sarah mused.
They soon arrived in another hall, this
one smaller than the first. A splendid staircase monopolized the space as it
rose up, splitting halfway before continuing left and right. Bronze statues of
women reaching toward the ceiling, each with a candelabrum in her hand, stood
on either side of the base, while tall lanterns reminiscent of the streetlights
Sarah had seen in London stood at the very top.
“I daresay I’ll lose myself in this
place,” Alice murmured as she looked up at the ceiling, almost tripping on the
steps in the process.
“If you do, I’m sure a maid or a
footman will direct you to your room, though I doubt it will even be an issue,
since you and Juliet will be in either my own or Hester’s company,” Lady
Andover said, referring to the lady’s maid the three sisters would be sharing.
Sarah
didn’t need to
look at her
sisters to know they
would both be scrunching
their noses at
such a prospect, for as kind
as Hester was, she’d
gotten on in years and
lacked the energy
Alice and Juliet craved. “We would so much rather have Sarah for our
chaperone,” Juliet said. “Oh please, Mama, can’t we spend our days with her
instead? You won’t wish to run through a
maze with us anyway, and Hester prefers to sit in the shade all day.”
“Which is very correct of her,”
Lady Andover said. “Young ladies
should stay out of
the sun
and off their feet
as much as
possible. They certainly
shouldn’t be running around like savages.
Besides, Sarah will be quite busy during her stay here. She’s going to
make the acquaintance of Mr. Denison and will no doubt be quite occupied by his
company. Isn’t that so, Sarah?”
“Quite so,” Sarah said, dreading the
meeting her father had arranged for her.
“So you see,” Lady Andover continued,
her breath coming in short bursts as they reached the top of the stairs,
“Hester and I will have to do.”
“As
you requested in
your letter, my
lady,” the maid said as they
followed her down a long corridor lined with
burgundy runners, “you’ve been
placed conveniently close to each
other. The rooms are also quite
spacious, so hopefully you will all be very comfortable.” Halting in front
of a door carved in rich tones
of auburn-colored wood,
the maid pressed down
on the handle
until the door
swung open. “For the young
ladies,” she said before crossing to the door opposite and doing the same. “My
lord and lady. If you need anything,
please don’t hesitate to ring the bell pull.”
“Thank you,” Lord Andover said as he
popped his head through the doorway and peered inside the room. “I think this will do very nicely.”
Bobbing a curtsy,
the maid took
her leave while Alice and
Juliet escaped inside
their room. “I’m sure Hester will be up as soon as she’s
ensured that the footmen have our luggage under control. In the meantime, Sarah, please see to it that
your sisters get some rest,” Lady Andover said, her countenance stiff as
always. “The journey has been a trying one.”
“I
will do my best,” Sarah promised.My Review
I really loved the slower pace of Lady Sarah's Sinful Desires. Which isn't to say that the book is terrible slow, but that the romance doesn't proceed at a breakneck pace. This story really feels grounded in something that seems like a real, if ridiculous, issue of the time period.
There was a lot to love in this book. There's a falling in love period, which is awesome. I liked seeing Sophie and Christopher come together in a natural way.
There's some meddling that, normally would drive me nuts, but in this case was often so ridiculous or so goodhearted and genuine that I actually enjoyed it! This is a huge win because, as all long-time readers will know, I hate meddling. Hate it. But somehow, Lady Sarah got it right.
There's a fantastic contrast between Sophie and Christopher's families. And it's not that one is pure evil and the other is fantastic, though there's a little of that. There's also simply a contrast in how people relate to each other, and are able to express themselves.
I loved that Christopher knows what he wants pretty quickly and pursues it. I found this sexier than all the Alpha male, chest-beating, denying of emotions that features in some other stories.
I think what I liked most about this book is that Sophie's past, as alluded to in the blurb, is not washed away by the romance, nor is it played down or made somehow more palatable by the circumstances. I loved the way the story owns that and runs with it. It also managed to surprise me - which is tough!
Bottom line:
Lady Sarah's Sinful Desires is an entertaining historical romance. It's sweet and felt genuine and authentic, and I loved it. So very good. I will be back for more in the series!
5 stars
For fans of historical romance
About Sophie Barnes
Born in
Denmark, Sophie Barnes spent her youth traveling with her parents to wonderful
places all around the world. She's lived in five different countries, on three
different continents, and speaks Danish, English, French, Spanish and Romanian.
She has studied design in Paris and New York and has a bachelor's degree from
Parsons. But, most impressive of all, she's been married to the same man three
times—in three different countries and in three different dresses.
While
living in Africa, Sophie turned to her lifelong passion: writing. When she's
not busy dreaming up her next romance novel, Sophie enjoys spending time with her
family, swimming, cooking, gardening, watching romantic comedies and, of
course, reading. She currently lives on the East Coast. 
Thank you for hosting LADY SARAH'S SINFUL DESIRES!
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