Temptation's Darling is a light and easy jaunt into the past with a sweet romance, amusing drama, and enticing characters.

Vanessa Blackburn has been raised by her exiled father for most her life in the wild's of Scotland, with all of the freedom that a boy might have. When she comes of age though, Nessi agrees to return to England and the society world of her mother, no matter how much she may resent it all. If she can find a way for her father to return to his homeland and have her family reunited once again, it will be worth it. Even if she has to pretend to be someone she is not and marry a man who hates her. On her journey to England, Nessi meets an intriguing trio. A questionable young king, a fascinating nobleman, and a quiet manservant. Little does she know that their destination is the same.

Johanna Lindsey has made a name for herself in the romance community for over forty years now, and it's not hard to see why. Temptation's Darling is a wonderful historical romance. Vanessa "Nessi" Blackburn is a young woman who just wants to right things for her beloved father. The Earl of Ketterham was exiled from England by another nobleman with threat of his family's ruination after a deadly duel. Her mother, Kathleen Blackburn's, deception is to blame and Nessi and her father will never forgive her. But all is not as it seems. When Nessi arrives to her mothers home she disguises herself as a boy, and what she spies of her mother and younger twin sisters is like a step back in time. It's not long before Nessi reveals her true self and finds herself embroiled in a scheme to win the heart of Rathban's heir, the heir of the same man who banished her father. However, Nessi's heart has other plans! The touch of family saga woven into the plot was delightful. I didn't care for Nessi's mother, even after everything was revealed, but I did enjoy her sisters.

Montgomery “Monty” Townsend is the youngest son of the Earl of Marlham and a self-proclaimed rogue. After a stint in the military, Monty has taken it upon himself to "fix" the Prince Regent's scandals to pass the time. When those scandals start catching up with him though, Prince George orders him to retire to the country with the Prince's young ward. On the road they're attacked by bandits and Monty finds himself being rescued by a very feminine young man. I loved the mystery behind the maybe-king from some far-off country that Monty was tasked with looking after. Him and his manservant added an enchanting amount of humor and intrigue to the story-line. I found myself laughing out loud several times from Charlie's antics. As for Monty himself, he is far from the rogue he appears to be on the surface. Right away there is a sizzling tension between him and Nessi. But Nessi is determined to set things right for her family, even if that means marrying a man that she doesn't love. She convinces Monty to tutor her in winning the attention of a fellow rake. It's not long though before things begin to heat up between these two, and Monty begins to regrets his compliance in Nessi's scheme. While Temptation's Darling is a tender lover story, it's a bit light on the love scenes which was disappointing to me as the other books I have read from this author were brimming with passion. I adored Monty though, especially the lengths he'll take to ensure Nessi's happiness, even if it doesn't mean his own. And the end? *dreamy sigh* So stinking sweet.

All in all, Johanna Lindsey has penned another fabulous story in Temptation's Darling with likable characters, entertaining banter, and a fun plot. If you're a historical romance fan, you should definitely give this one a go!

What a fabulous story! Vanessa and Monty were a delightful duo. Vanessa is my favorite sort of historical romance heroine...strong-willed, determined, and bold. Monty was hilarious and perfectly flirtatious. I was hooked from the beginning and truly enjoyed this story from start to finish.

johanna lindsey was one of my original "must read" authors when I started reading romance as a teen. it was always a good day when a stop at the bookstore showed a new book by her on the shelves. it didn't matter if time or money where in short supply, she was one of those authors that the book immediately got bought, read, and kept for multiple future reading enjoyment. I haven't read some of her more recent releases, but enjoyed the ones I did. So I was thrilled to get a chance to read an arc of her latest release which sounded like an interesting premise.

that being said, this review is hard to write since the book disappointingly just didn't work for me. the various premises for the storylines & backstories that bring not just the h/h together but also some of the secondary characters are all on the silly/foolish/unreal side which wouldn't be quite so bad if the characters were better. alas, there was nothing really particularly likable about the primary or supporting cast or gave me a desire to root for the h/h. along with a slow pace it became difficult to connect with the story and made it hard to slug through. I found myself putting it aside several time, even reading another book in the middle of this one. The writing itself was well done and there was some chemistry btwn the h/h. it boils down to personal taste & preferences. for me, in this instance, the positives didn't outweigh the negative. I can see however where another would not have the same issues and may well enjoy it. any recommendation from me would be a very cautious one in this instance.

I received a copy of Temptation's Darling by Johanna Lindsey from NetGalley to enjoy and review. I can’t say enough good things about this book! I thought she did an excellent job of telling this story. I enjoyed the depth and the other characters that added fun to Vanessa and Monty’s story.

Description:
Threatened by powerful enemies, William Blackburn, Earl of Ketterham, lives in exile in the Scottish Highlands with his daughter Vanessa. When she comes of age William urges her to return to her mother in England to make her debut. Raised with all the advantages and freedom a boy would have, Vanessa doubts she can fit into the mold of a proper young lady. Still, she agrees to re-enter fashionable society, determined to end the vendetta against her father, never imagining the high price she will have to pay.

Lord Montgomery Townsend enjoys living on the edge, courting danger as he fixes potentially scandalous problems for the Prince Regent. While hiding out at the home of the Countess of Ketterham, Monty watches a disaster-in-the-making as his hostess tries to prepare her estranged daughter for a match with the pompous son of a powerful family. Puzzled as to why independent-minded Vanessa submits to being turned into a puppet and wants to marry the arrogant rogue, Monty nonetheless steps in to make her dreams come true. But no good deed goes unpunished and soon he faces more pressing problems, including the temptation to upend Vanessa’s wedding plans so he can marry her himself!

I have not read a Johanna LIndsey novel for quite a while.but she was always a favorite of mine when it came to a good historical. This book did not disappoint. I really enjoyed it

Another good enjoyable historical romance by Ms. Lindsey. Nicely done on the romance elements. Good writing.

i don't read much romance anymore for a variety of reasons but when i saw this book, it peaked my interest because, it looked and sounded good, plus i've read and enjoyed other novels from Johanna Lindsey.

maybe i liked this book so much( i will admit it did drag a time or too tho but that's okay) because i haven't been reading romance. it was romantic and witty and i don't give a rat's ass if it was a bit over the top - i REALLY liked it. LOL (and boy are reviewers opinionated about this one!)

. I loved the characters in this book. Nessi and Monty were honest and different than the usual historical book characters you read. They felt like the belonged to a contemporary. I know Joanna is the author that gave us Georgie but this felt different. I loved that it was her decision to save her dad . Charley and Arlo added so much to the story.
The reason for 3 stars is that there really wasn’t much to the story , the romance was there , the interactions , banter was amazing but that is it.

Temptation's Darling by Johanna Lindsey is the story of Vanessa 'Nessi' Blackburn and Lord Montgomery 'Monty' Townsend.
Monty has agreed to leave the army at his father's request but it has lead him to be board with society until he takes up keeping the potential scandals for the Prince Regent under control. Vanessa has lived with her father who left the town due to powerful people and their threats. But now his daughter Vanessa is of age and he has set her back to the town to have a coming out with her mother. Vanessa knows that she won't fit in do to the freedoms she has had but she does up to settle things and fix what has kept her father away.
Monty knows there is something more to Vanessa and doesn't understand why she is allowing changes to be made for her nor this push for such a marriage. But he is starting to want her for himself.
Enjoyed their story.

Because of some powerful enemies William Blackburn, Earl of Ketterham lives in exile in the Scottish Highlands with his daughter Vanessa. When Vanessa comes of age William urges her to return to her mother in England to make her debut. Vanessa agrees to re-enter fashionable society with the determination to end the vendetta against her father.

Lord Montgomery Townsend enjoys courting danger as he fixes potentially scandalous problems for the Prince Regent. While hiding out at the home of the Countess of Ketterham, Monty watches a disaster-in-the-making as his hostess tries to prepare her estranged daughter for a match with the pompous son of a powerful family. Monty is puzzled why independent-minded Vanessa submits to being turned into a puppet and wants to marry the arrogant rogue but he steps in to make her dreams come true. But Monty finds himself tempted by Vanessa and has desires to upend her wedding plans and marry her himself.

It's been a while since I've picked up one of Johanna Lindsey's books, and I had forgotten how much fun they can be. "Temptation's Darling" was no exception. I found it to be an enjoyable romp featuring humorous situations and endearing characters.

The heroine, Lady Vanessa Blackburn, was not like other young ladies typical of the Regency period. She preferred wearing breeches to gowns, knew how to shoot a pistol, and wasn't afraid to say whatever was on her mind. Vanessa knew what she wanted and was determined to find a way to get it, no matter what her parents or anyone else thought. The hero, Lord Montgomery (Monty) Townsend, was also outspoken and had a tendency to do things his own way. He purposely cultivated a reputation as a rake, but turned out to be a mostly honorable man underneath it all. Vanessa and Monty were very well matched, and watching them fall in love was a pleasure.

The book's secondary characters were also a lot of fun, especially especially Vanessa's younger sisters and Charley, Monty's "ward." The one exception was Vanessa's mother, Lady Kathleen, whom I found to be somewhat off-putting at times. She claimed to have a deep love for her family and wanted what was best for her daughters, but yet was willing to sacrifice Vanessa in a loveless marriage with an older man from a family who hated her own, and who didn't seem to be very kind. While I can understand Kathleen's (and Vanessa's) desire to bring Lord William home from his exile in Scotland, I didn't appreciate that she was so willing to sacrifice Vanessa's happiness in order to do so.

I also thought that the book's ending felt a little rushed, and that the situation with Vanessa's father was perhaps resolved a little too easily. That said, the book was overall a quick, enjoyable read, and it wasn't difficult for me to overlook these minor annoyances.

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Vanessa livid in Scotland with her exiled father now she must go back and enter society. She learns from her mother that she can help her father by marrying the son of the man who had him banished. Monty helps the Prince Regent by fixing his scandals and he meets Vanessa while staying at her mother’s house. Soon sparks fly between them but will Vanessa go through with the marriage bring her father home? Fast-paced, entertaining read. I found the characters interesting the story and chemistry were okay. A good historical read.

Johanna Lindsey has been a prolific author for decades for good reason: she knows how to bring great characters to life while telling an interesting story that grabs the reader's attention and keeps it until the pages run out. This was another of those great stories, and I genuinely enjoyed it.

You know the story: girl (in this case, Vanessa/Nessa/Nessi) grows up like a boy; girl meets boy (Monty) when dressed as boy; boy figures it out; shenanigans ensue! That is a major oversimplification as most of this happens in the opening couple of chapters, so it isn't long before our main characters are clearly enamored with each other after much flirtation and innuendo, but it takes them most of the rest of the book to catch up with the rest of us. Vanessa is a little distracted, however, as she is determined to bring her father back from exile and will literally do anything: including dragging a rake with questionable morals to the alter to accomplish that task. Monty, also considered a rake but less deplorable, has vowed never to marry himself, but he cannot imagine why someone as intriguing, beautiful, unique, and captivating as Vanessa would possibly want to shackle herself to someone so unappealing as the target she has set. As her friend, though, he agrees to help her --- because who better than to teach someone to snare a rake than a.... fellow rake?! And let's throw in a random boy-king ward of the prinny under the guardianship of Monty along with gorgeous twin sisters of Vanessa making their debut just to spice it up a little more!

I loved the plot of this book, and the characters were fun and engaging. There were some twists and turns to the end, and those were very fun. My only complaint was that the steamy goodness wasn't so steamy... and it was very high-level (I like a little more kick to my romances, and Lindsey usually delivers more than she did in this one). But overall, a fun read.

Plot --- 4/5
Main Characters --- 4.5/5
Supporting Cast --- 4.5/5
Steam Level* --- 2.5/5
Violence --- nothing graphic
Language --- not egregious
POV --- 3rd

*Note that steam level is not a rating so much as a how hot was it: 0/5 - clean; 1/5 - mild; 2/5 - sensual but nothing descriptive; 3/5 - now we're getting somewhere; 4/5 - yes please! ; 5/5 - they did EVERYTHING in this one, y'all

I was excited to read this from the description to the first chapter but the story seemed to drag before I became invested in the characters. It was surprising that a Johanna Lindsey romance did not enthrall me.

Johanna Lindsay has done it again. This is a fantastic story. I got sucked in from the very start of the book. I love getting lost in her worlds. I never want to leave them so for me her books are always way to short.

I just reviewed Temptation's Darling by Johanna Lindsey. #NetGalley

This is my first book by Johanna Lindsey, and what a fun ride it turned out to be! I definitely need to dig her books out of my TBR file and move them up.

Lady Vanessa (Nessi) Blackburn lives in the Scottish Highlands with her father, who was forced to leave England six years ago as a result of a duel. Now that Nessi is 19, her father wants her to return to England and to her estranged mother in order to have a Season. She is returning to her mother's country home, dressed as a boy, riding her huge white horse and being escorted by two hidden brawny Scotsmen. On the same road Lord Montgomery (Monty) Townsend, a fixer for the Prince Regent, is escorting a young "maybe" royal and his manservant to a country home for safe keeping. Without giving a lot of fun storyline away, their destinations end up being the same location - Nessi's mother's home!

Nessi and Monty were enchanting leads. Nessi is a tomboy and a strong young woman who is excited to be back with her twin sisters; however, she resents her mother, who caused her father's flight from England. Monty is considered a rake who appears to seduce older woman, but is actually covering for the antics of Prince George. Their chemistry is wonderful, and their banter was witty and made me laugh. I really enjoyed Monty's "ward" Charley and Nessi's sisters. I did have a problem with her mother, though, expecting Nessi to marry a rather unpleasant man in order to clear up the problem that caused her father's banishment from England. However, the story was so much fun that I couldn't put it down! There was also a twist at the end that I did NOT see coming, which made it even better.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Vanessa Blackburn has been in Scotland separated from her mother and living with her father. She has to return to England for her season and on her journey home, she meets Montgomery Townsend, a known rake. I have been a Johanna Lindsey fan since my teens and while this book had romance, danger and some intriguing plot lines, it didn't grab as some of her work in the past. For me, it was enjoyable and I loved the relationship between Vanessa and Monty but it wasn't what I would call, "unputdownable."
Thank you for this ARC in exchanged for my honest feedback.

What I find to be most intriguing about a Johanna Lindsey story is not that it is a romance, but that her heroines are statement. Temptation's Darling is not the story of a victim. Vanessa is determined to live on her own terms, despite her sex and because of upbringing. I admire a woman who knows her mind and follows her heart. Vanessa still has much to learn about love, life and adventure. Monty could be the tutor of a lifetime, if pride doesn't get in the way. Temptation's Darling is a passionate tale of a courageous soul and an unpredictable love that will captivate the heart and inspire the soul.

I have been reading Johanna Lindsey’s books for over thirty years. She has been a favorite author so I looked forward to reading her newest book.

Sadly I was very dissatisfied with this book. I didn’t really care for the hero of the story. I didn’t like his general behavior. As for the mom, she causes the mess that Vanessa’s father finds himself in and then in order to get her husband to be allowed back into the country, she arranges for her daughter to be married to the son of the family that is threatening them.. The daughter just wants her father to be able to come home so goes along with it without even meeting the guy There storyline just puts me off. I just didn’t like it.. I had to push myself to finish the book.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I used to love this author as a teenager in the early 90s, but this book seems very dated to me in the here and now. I know a lot of established authors are re-issuing older novels and I am wondering if that is the case here. It’s by no means a bad book, just doesn’t feel very 2019. I would say this would be for diehard fans of Lindsey only, there are many more contemporary books to read.