A breathtaking book with two astounding main characters! The book is certainly character-driven, even if I found the frequent references to the politics of the late Victorian era very, very interesting. The author certainly did her research with outmost accuracy! But, as I said, the characters were everything! The hero is quite intriguing, a former “enfant prodige” with an impressive mind, but who has difficulties with expressing and even understanding his own feelings. He’s endearingly naïve when he comes to love and affection! I particularly liked the fact that he understood Mina so well and that her “secret” was not the cause of the typical third-act misunderstanding of a romance book, because he was too smart, too self assured and too in love to find any fault in her behavior.
The heroine is a breath of fresh air, disarmingly honest with her feelings, even with herself. She’s kind and selfless and brave and I loved her very much. All the feeling was there, the lovemaking was breathtakingly emotional and the love they had for each other literally oozed from the pages. Definitely one of the best HR book I read lately.
(And check the audiobook, because the narrator was really good!)
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am a huge fan of Stacy Reid, but I had a really hard time with this book. I picked it up and put it down and it took me months to finish. I didn't love the twist at the end and I sometimes do this thing where I read the end first. Otherwise, I can't sleep and I have to finish the book in one setting. So that really backfired on me for this book. Once I knew what was keeping them apart, I struggled with the relationship between the two of them.

Not my favorite trope to be sure. But after getting into it, it got better. Her books are always so steamy and personally, I think she could teach a master class on writing love scenes. Just a truly talented author and this was probably the first book of hers that I didn't love. But it had nothing to do with her storytelling ability and more to do with just personal preferences so this shouldn't deter you. She's an A+++ historical romance author.

This was another fabulous, swoony romance from Stacy Reid! I loved how once Simon learns about Mina's secret, he doesn't get mad and refuse to talk to her. Instead he does everything he can to help her resolve her problem so that they can be together. It was so sweet, and I loved that there was not really any miscommunication (or lack of communication). The way they met at the beginning of the book was also fabulous as well!

I have honestly loved everything I've read from Stacy Reid. Her characters have so much heart and I can't wait to see more of them in the future. Mina and Simon were both so intriguing and worked so well together. They were a perfect match! Can't wait to read the next one.

If you know nothing about a book or the author, you check out the cover and the synopsis. Visually, this one gets mad props, but summary wise...there is SO MUCH MORE than what it gives you, I want to scream it from the rooftops!

You'll fall in love with the brother and sister duo, laugh at the assistance received for a bit of trickery, and hold your breath that the scheme to save them all ACTUALLY works. You'll bluster at the Earl trying to set things to right in his own way, be unable to deny his appeal especially with his progressive ideas and desire to help the common man or woman, raise a brow at his attempt to fire Mina "for her own good", while gasping at the direction their interactions take. It's a story with so many facets, it might as well be a diamond of the first water...and yet, while those may be flashy, they can also be more flash in the pan, and this story, this duo have staying power!

A great read this summer or any time of year with an intriguing story, wit, wisdom, laughter, love...and enough sparks to set the page afire (so yes, we've got some heat)! Regency Romance fans take note, this one is most definitely not to be missed!

Mina is living with her brother and helping with the family estate. She was involved in a scandal and can't fit into so called polite society. She finds out their family needs funds to continue living within their means so she gets a job as a secretary for an Earl. Simon needs to get a reform bill passed and agrees to hire on a fiery, redheaded, full of humor Mina as his secretary. He didn't count on being tempted by her or wanting more than business between them. A good read with plenty of steam.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley.

One of the best historical romances that I've ever read. Mina is such a unique heroine and Creswick was her perfect match. These two were messy and horny and delightful. New favourite trope is: you make me so flustered I need to laugh myself into this freezing cold lake to cool off. I appreciated how Simon saw Mina in all her mess and wanted to help her - not to fix it because he didn't believe she could handle it, but rather because she could and he didn't want her to have to.

I have to say Ms Reid can do better. This book did not the same appeal as her other books did.

While nothing is particularly wrong with the story the characters just did not appeal to me. I found Mina's brother weak and uninteresting.

This was a miss for me but will certainly appeal to many historical romance fans.

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love a strong heroine and a hero who "can't love" that falls for her from their first meeting. This book has plenty of heat and is an enjoyable read.

I love Stacy Reid and the world she has created with her books!! They are fabulous quick reads that I would highly recommend to anyone who likes historical romance. This book was fantastic and I loved the characters. I would recommend to others.

I really enjoyed this historical romance novel! The romance was lovely, and I really liked Mina as the lead. Overall, I would definitely recommend trying this book!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

I really enjoyed this book! It was my first one by Stacy Reid but won't be the last.

The characters were well developed and the relationship that was built up between Mina and Simon was believable and well done. Mina's willingness to just jump in to do whatever it takes to help her brother (and herself) was admirable and she wasn't one to shy away from a challenge...which made this story interesting.

I loved that Simon was willing to consider Mina to be his secretary even though that was pretty scandalous for the time and this created a great avenue for them to build a relationship that included friendship and respect.

If you're looking for a quick and engaging read in the historical romance genre, I recommend picking this one up. I'll definitely be reading more by Stacy Reid.

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5



« “I love laughing with you."
Such simple words, yet they they
slammed into her heart with the force of a hammer, for it sounded like he'd never had reason to laugh before. Mina quickly tipped onto her toes and brushed a kiss across
his mouth, then stepped back.
"I love laughing with you, too, Simon.” »




This was my first Stacy Reid book and i’ve really come to enjoy it. The two main characters were well defined and there was never a dull moment with them.

Simon is a powerful and influential man with an extraordinary intelligence and insight, he’s also a man of honor and plans on helping his former political opponent’s son by agreeing to a duel with him.
However the young men’s twin sister, Mina, shows up at the duel in his place and manages to win it against all odds, fascinating the earl.
Soon enough Simon understands Mina’s brave, curious and witty character and decides to assume her as a segretary.

From then on, working side by side the attraction between them two sparks, grown even more by the similar approach that they have on different topics: to Mina’s surprise, the apparently cold hearted men she’s working for is actively fighting to garantee more rights to lower classes and to women, going against the prejudices of his own peers.

I must say that Simon immediately started to grow on me! He’s a man who’s used to being in control of every aspect of his life, but somehow he’s delighted to go out of the ordinary to satisfy Mina’s adventurousness! Did i mention that he read erotica books in order to be sure to satisfy her??
He’s basically a simp who wouldn’t let anything stop him from making Mina happy.


The scene where he took her out in disguise was so funny (especially the carriage part😂) and the epilogue completely warmed my heart❤️

I will surely read more from this author!


I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thanks so much to Netgalley, Entagled Publishing and Stacy Reid for the chance to read it!

This is a great read! Stacy Reid is one of my favorite HR authors and I was really excited for a new one from her! I really like how she can take tropes and weave just the right amount of angst, suspense or any other feeling the reader may have into it, and stay pretty creative with her story telling.
I adore, I mean ADORE our two main characters. Their personalities really meshed in a good way that made the read even more enjoyable. I could read way more of them together, which is pretty typical of Stacy Reid's couples to me.
This was an entertaining, fast read and I read it in one sitting. That's my kind of book, one that can catch my attention and I can't put down! I highly recommend this wonderful story.

I adored Mina and Simons story! I also have a soft spot for forced proximity and Hero's that have certain rules that are thrown into chaos when a woman intrudes in their life. This book gave me everything I was hoping for plus some. The writing was easy to follow and drew you into their world.

DNF at 64%. Please don't shoot me 😬

I'd seen a lot of friends rave about this book, so obviously I was very intruiged and wanted to see what the hype was. I really liked - well, actually loved - the first 50% of this book. For one, the writing is excellent! I loved how ballsy Mina was, how she stood up to Simon and how she was on this quest to live again after closing herself off from everything because of a scandal when she was younger. I also loved Simon, whom I strongly suspect has intellectual giftedness (highly intellectual, advanced reasoning beyond the norm, learns concepts quickly, strong sense of justice and morality etc, it just fits when you think about it). I loved that he managed his (not) feelings by forbidding Mina to smile, for he had promised her there would be no occupational hazards in his office 😏

"Have you forgotten your speech on occupational hazards?"
"No."
"Then do not look at me so, Miss Crawford."
"Perhaps if we were to mutually agree that kissing can be delightful, then it would not be ravishment, my lord."

The real magic lies in their interaction, which sparkles like the stars in a summer sky. I was giggling like a schoolgirl most of the time, their witty banter was top notch, Mina teasing him and him barely containing himself or being so confused by what he was feeling, her opening him up to love even though he had placed himself beyond those petty feelings... *chef's kiss* I really loved to see Simon grow out of his emotional stuntedness into a caring, loving and romantic gentleman. The way he checks off every item of *the list* had me swooning!

But then, something changed when they started having sex. I actually stopped reading when I started to like it less and attributed it to a mental health slump, but then after re-reading it and getting that 'not quite right' feeling again, I knew it was something about the book that wasn't working for me anymore, even though I can't quite pinpoint what it is.

I do however strongly suggest you give this book a go! It's a really good book, even though it stopped working for me.

(I don't rate my DNF's, but since Netgalley is forcing me, I'll rate how I would've rated the book until it stopped working for me.)

This book was my first Stacy Reid and it was an experience! I really appreciated the dynamic between Mina and Simon and certain aspects felt very fresh to me. I loved, for instance, that Mina is the initiator in their relationship early on, especially for the physical side of things, and I really liked that they felt evenly matched in terms of their experience in prior relationships. She was a virgin heroine, but he had only had a handful of sexual partners himself. Furthermore, Mina had a failed elopement as a teen, so she was more schooled in matters of the heart than Simon and had more experience following her passions. Simon had some experience in the bedroom, but it is very clear that he has not an expert—at one point he reads a few books to brush up on sex tips!—and he really wasn’t someone who felt passionately about sex before meeting Mina. That was a really interesting element to me because I haven’t seen that very often in heroes. The typical aristocrat hero is A) a rake, B) stuffy and repressed, or C) a more “normal” guy (i.e. he has enjoyed prior relationships, some of them casual, but he is more well-adjusted about it--I feel like a lot of Tessa Dare heroes are like this). The rake hero might be emotionally cold or stunted, but he tends to at least enjoy his fleeting encounters in the bedroom (even if recently casual relationships have lost a bit of their luster to him). Simon was none of these archetypes, however; he wasn’t a rake, because he didn’t prioritize sexual encounters, and he is not repressed, because he doesn’t really desire them. And he certainly isn’t your normal/well-adjusted type, because he is a hyper-logical, genius, child-prodigy, earl-politician. In short, I really liked how unique Simon’s character was! If you like the idea of a nerdy hero in a historical, I feel like Simon is as close as you are going to get to that contemporary archetype on the page.

I also really enjoyed the set-up of this story. Mina’s brother challenges Simon to a duel, but Mina is the better fencer, so she goes in his stead. Simon has only ever intended to teach the foolish young lord a lesson, but he is surprised to find himself bested in their duel. However, when his young challenger turns away after victory, he realizes that he has not been beaten by a man, but a woman. He asks her to be his secretary and, after some wrangling, she accepts. Their employee-employer dynamic was quite adorable, especially since, in the Victorian period, this arrangement would have been quite unconventional and it is clear from their first encounter that Simon and Mina aren’t just going to keep it professional. It felt like the workplace set-up was really just their way of getting to know each other on terms that felt safe and they have a real courtship due to all the time that they spend together. It was also very refreshing how open they were with each other about their feelings; they didn’t do a lot of repressive grappling over how they felt. Simon, in particular, makes it clear that he doesn’t want to ever give Mina up. The push and pull of their relationship felt like a real couple trying to figure it out and make it work.

Overall, I really recommend A Matter of Temptation to historical readers, particularly those craving a “nerdy” hero and a couple who have a steamy connection but also an intellectual one!

A love story where two characters legit understood each other and especially since this was a historical romance, the romance between them felt more special to me!

Historical romance has been one of my most favourite genres to read ever since I read "Almost Heaven " by Judith McNaught. After that spectacular introduction to this genre, I have read many books of this genre, those by her and other writers. However, of all the books I have read, "A Matter of Temptation" by Stacy Reid is the only one which came closest to giving me the same feeling that I got when I first read Almost Heaven.

As in "Almost Heaven", the hero of this story Viscount Simon Creswick is also an intellectual genius with a logical and rational brain. He is the kind of guy who can rationalise his feelings and emotions into different slots in his brain and so can exercise iron control over them. This unusual ability allows him to analyse the norms and practices prevalent in the primitive society he lives in and form a clear understanding about what is unfair and how that needs to be changed.

Then there is the spirited and impulsive Wilhelmina Crawford, whose love for adventure and passion, is the prime cause of her elopement with an unsuitable man and her subsequent shunning from polite society. She is not anything like the other women in the society; she is loyal, strong, intelligent, clever and fiercely independent. And a bad judgement of her twin brother's, becomes the reason Mina aka Wilhelmina comes into Simon's life and turns it upside down. The sparks fly between them and completely overwhelms them both.

How will they both navigate these new found feelings and emotions? Is their path towards each other completely free of obstacles? If not, what are those roadblocks and do they manage to overcome them? Read the book to know the answer to these questions.

To start with, I absolutely loved how the characters have been written. Both of them are very unique people and so the way their relationship progresses is very interesting to read; at the same time, it flowed completely naturally too. How they both feel about each other initially, sets a good base for their mutually growing feelings, and the author develops it ever so beautifully, bringing it believably to its natural conclusion. There at a lot of intimate scenes too and people who like to read steamy books will definitely love them.

Author Reed's writing style of descriptive and totally absorbing. She uses a lovely and flowery language that is very much easy to follow; it doesn't get too complicated that it takes the reader away from the story as well. She just pulls you into the story, directly into the hearts and minds of her clearly defined characters. I also liked how she used these characters to bring the changing world of 1860s England in front of our eyes.

This is a wonderfully written love story of two unique and likable individuals and I can't recommend it more, particularly for romance lovers.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing this Advanced Reviewer Copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I loved Mina’s brave and cunning personality right from the beginning. It was charming and surprising to read about a heroine who was not afraid of her accomplishments. She owned them and the pages of the book. I also loved how Simon was enchanted by the same exact accomplishments that made her unique. I was hooked right from the first chapter of this book. I adored this book and would definitely recommend it.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*