Peregrine Perriam knows his duty to his family. Unfortunately, that means marrying a stranger in order to secure the ancestral home that his family lost years ago. Claris Mallow is not what Perry expected. First, she's not at all grateful for his marriage proposal even though it would save her from a life of destitution. Secondly, she actually fired a gun at him. Lucky for them both it wasn't loaded with anything other than black powder. Perry doesn't accept defeat easily even if he's threatened with firearms, and he's willing to use every trick he can to tempt Claris into marriage.

SEDUCTION IN SILK by Jo Beverly delves into the Malloren world to bring her readers a sweetly, seductive romance that tests the chains of familial duty against the promise of love. There are many reasons I love Jo Beverly's novels. Her prose style is quick, witty, and flows so easily that I'm a hundred pages in before I realize it. Her characters are well-rounded, engaging, and relatable. The world interconnects and it's always fun to see who will pop in for a visit, but the main reason is that she creates a romance that manages to balance tenderness and passion while exposing the nature of love.

For me, SEDUCTION IN SILK did lack some urgency because Perry's conflict between his new duty to Claris and his duty to his family wasn't much of a conflict. His family is atrocious and they're not major characters where the reader can see both sides of the story and feel the tension that is created as Perry is pulled between these opposing forces. That said, I really did enjoy SEDUCTION IN SILK.

Perry's approach to romance is refreshingly sweet. When sex is often used as a weapon to bend others to their will, Perry never once uses sexuality and desire as a way to seduce Claris. It's a smart, classy move that allows trust and tenderness to develop between Claris and Perry. This only makes the intimacy sexier in my opinion. It's more than a physical need at that point but it's romance and sensuality and it's a symbol of their relationship.

Jo Beverly is a master of her trade and knows just how to please her readers. SEDUCTION IN SILK is no exception. Sweet, sexy, and tender, Perry and Claris's romance will leave the reader with a smile and little more faith that romance is alive and well.

Book Summary

From five-time RITA Award winner Jo Beverley comes an exciting new novel set in the scintillatingly wicked Georgian age. Two lives are thrown into chaos by a centuries old feud and a wicked curse.

SEDUCTION IN SILK

Peregrine Perriam, son of an earl, has no desire to marry, but when he’s named heir to Perriam Manor, he finds he has only a month to persuade a stranger, Claris Mallow, to the altar or the property will be lost to his family forever, and his line will be cursed.

Having survived her parents’ tormented marriage, Claris prefers poverty to any husband. When a high-born stranger demands her hand, she drives him off at pistol point.

Perry finds weapons of his own, however, and soon Claris is compelled to accept his proposal. But she does so on her own terms—especially that the marriage be in name only. Once mistress of Perriam Manor, however, she discovers she isn’t immune to Perry’s charms. Perhaps a real marriage might be worth the risk—including a real marriage bed…