Review: The Temptation of Lady Serena (The Marriage Game) - ENG

Author: Ella Quinn
Original Title: The Temptation of Lady Serena
Release Year: 2014
 
Literary Genre: Romance 
Setting: England, regency
Series: 3° of The Marriage Game series



Vote: 8





(Presto il commento in italiano)

THIS NOVEL WILL BE RELEASED ON 14 JANUARY 2014

I consider myself a big Marriage Game's admirer and if you haven't had the opportunity (or the to impulse) to read the first two romances of the series, The Seduction of Lady Phoebe and The Secret Life of Miss Anna Marsh, I heartily recommend them!

Well, The Temptation of Lady Serena outdid the precedents; it's amazing!

Robert is one of the most realistic and interesting characters I've ever read about but, I must say, I don't know why, the men in this series are always better than the women (with “better” I mean the final result and the general idea of the character and not a specific aspect); the female characters, with the story development, become “too perfect”, this is clearer with Anna Marsh and less evident with Lady Serena, who I appreciated a lot.

Robert, Viscount Beaumont, is the charming and beautiful classic rake who avoids and refuses to fall in love: contrary to what we often read in romances, his rejection comes from the awareness that love, actually, exists and he knows it very well, years before his heart was broken and he still bears the scars.

That's why when he meets the stunning Lady Serena Weir, a scottish daughter of an earl, is unprepared to all the strong feelings she arises, tearing down the armour he built around his heart.

Robert doesn't want to admit how deep their connection is but he's determined to marry her, at any cost, also when that means “play dirty”. In fact Serena, despite her corresponded love, wouldn't accept him unless he admits his true feelings; she won't settle for less than a love marriage.

Wow. I already had the opportunity to see how Ella Quinn is good and brilliant when it comes to the emotional part of her romances but in The temptation on Lady Serena she surprised me: the emotions here are so strong that the reader can actually feel them. Robert's torment, his doubts, his strong and obvious love he doesn't want to admit, his obsession...are amazingly described and expressed, I felt all of them.

Robert is so unprepared that he acts stupidly and the realisation of how autocratic he can be and the following regret, create splendid moments between our two protagonists.

I liked Serena, her background is really interesting and I loved her behaviour, especially at the beginning; I totally sympathise with her reasons.

There's only one “critic” I'd like to do, as in Anna Marsh I don't get why the author spent so much time with interludes, some of them are really funny and useful to better appreciate the characters but in other occasions they make the storyline heavier.

Buona lettura! 

M.E.G.

The Marriage Game series: 1. The seduction of Lady Phoebe (Phoebe, Marcus)

                                     2. The secret life of Miss Anna Marsh (Anna, Sebastian)

                                     3. The temptation of Lady Serena (Serena, Robert) 

                                     4. Desiring Lady Caro (Caroline, Gervais)

 ** I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review, thank you for the opportunity.