I thoroughly enjoyed reading Tempting Bella. Having not read Diana Quincy’s previous book in the Accidental Peers series (Seducing Charlotte), I was not sure what to expect. Quincy uses two romance tropes – the arranged marriage and big misunderstandings – but the whole story is so well done that we don’t mind if we’ve seen these themes before. I read through the book very quickly -- a sure sign that I was engaged in the story. Regency readers will not want to miss this one. There is enough steam to bring the story along and the hero is a 100% true blue good guy. Yum.
When Sebastian Stanhope is nineteen years old he is compelled to marry the plain thirteen-year-old daughter of a duke, Mirabella. Bella is in a unique position of being able to inherit her father’s wealth, but the wealth will be under the management of her husband. Both young people are encouraged to see the benefits of the situation. They separate after the wedding and live apart for six years. During that time Sebastian works hard at building the duke’s finances. He decides to let Bella have her freedom before they settle into the marriage. Bella spends the time traveling with her eccentric friends, feeling that her husband has abandoned her. Sebastian sees a beautiful woman at the opera and questions his vow to remain faithful to his wife. Bella is also attracted to the handsome man at the opera. He is thrilled to discover that the woman is actually his wife and begins to pursue her. When Bella finds out that Sebastian is her husband and he knew it, she feels betrayed. She also cannot dismiss the idea that he is just after her money. Sebastian and Bella are put through their paces as they work to overcome their pasts.
The characters really make Tempting Bella work. Sebastian is a genuine beta hero (I don’t think there are enough of them). He is almost too good to be true. But since this is fiction we are happy to believe in him. Bella is prickly to say the least, but we are given a lot of background that explains this. I am surprised that Sebastian didn’t get totally exasperated with her, but, remember, he is a GOOD guy. The secondary characters were interesting. Yes, some of them are not who they appear to be. There is a couple of bits of mystery and there is another relationship in the mix. Quincy’s writing is strong, especially in characterization. Overall, Tempting Bella was a very good read and a solid 4 star book.
**ARC provided by Publisher**
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