ARC Review: A Passion for Pleasure by Nina Rowan

A Passion for Pleasure is Nina Rowan's second book in the Daring Hearts series. I somehow missed the opportunity to read her debut novel (A Study in Seduction), but I am glad to have read this one. Rowan is a talented writer who has created an intriguing story with a considerable amount of drama and suspense.

Clara Winter is a young widow living with her eccentric uncle who creates automata, self­operating machines. Her dead husband left custody of her son to her father who won't let Clara see him. Sebastian Hall, a brilliant pianist and Clara's piano teacher for years before, appears on a mission for his brother. He is a lost soul, having recently developed a disability with his hand. Sebastian and Clara make a bargain to marry as a way to help each other. There are many interconnected subplots that must be untangled as Sebastian and Clara work their way toward love.

I truly enjoyed reading A Passion for Pleasure. The characters were authentic and had a great deal of depth. Issues of forgiveness, family loyalty, and finding a new purpose in life were intertwined with intrigue and mystery. The story line was a bit complicated, but not overly so. Some of the characters were introduced in the first book, but it is not necessary to have read it to understand this one. I look forward to reading the upcoming books about the Hall family. A very solid, well written historical romance.


**ARC provided by NetGalley**

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