I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an advance reader copy of this story.

An Unexpected Temptation, by Sophie Barnes, is available at booksellers on 12-8-2020. Alas we've come to book 5 in The Townsbridges Romance series. It's going out with a bang. I loved the plot of forgiveness and how it can open you up to new experiences. A meddling teenager turns into a lovely young woman and turns the head of her older brothers former friend. Throw in being stranded together during a snowstorm and it's a perfect story of a shotgun wedding. Except these 2 are gladly sprinting to the alter after a few items are cleared up. A most enjoyable read.

#SophieBarnes #TheTownsbridgeRomance #AnUnexpectedTemptation #Netgalley #historicalromance #christmasromance ( )

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. An Unexpected Temptation by Sophie Barnes is the fifth and final novella in her The Townsbridges series. A child of fourteen when the series began, Athena Townsbridge is now all grown up at age twenty and has decided that she needs to make amends to Robert Carlisle, Marquess of Darlington, for standing up at his wedding six years ago and announcing that the bride and her brother were in love with each other, causing him to be left at the altar a second time. Visiting close by his country estate, she creates an opportunity to sneak out and ride over to make her apologies in person but ends up trapped there by a snowstorm. At first reluctant to accept her overtures, Robert comes to realize that she’s grown from the child he once knew and that perhaps it is time to put the past behind them because he finds himself enchanted by her now. A reasonably low angst story with medium steam, this one is my favourite of the series. Publishing Date: December 8, 2020. #AnUnexpectedTemptation #SophieBarnes #HistoricalRomance #Bookstagram #Bookstagrammer #NetGalley ( )

Let me offer you a word of warning – DO NOT start reading this book in the evening if you wish to get a full night’s sleep. Once you begin reading, you won’t put it down until you’ve finished. Luckily it is a novella so you might get a few hours of sleep.

I have wanted to read Robert’s story since the first book of the series, When Love Leads To Scandal. I knew his perfect match had to be out there somewhere – and she was – she just wasn’t anybody he would have ever expected. After his best friend, Charles Townsend, betrayed him, and Charles’s sister, Athena, brought life-altering scandal to his door, Robert was thoroughly and completely through with the Townsbridge’s. Well, he thought he was through with them until six years later when Althea showed up at his door begging for his forgiveness – which he was totally disinclined to give. However, after talking to her for a bit and realizing she was no longer that fourteen-year-old girl who’d ruined his life, then REALLY noticing that she was no longer that fourteen-year-old girl – well, maybe a little forgiveness was in order.

I absolutely adored the romance of this. Robert decided he wanted to woo and win Athena’s heart. He didn’t want her forced to wed him – as could have happened after she visited his home unchaperoned and was caught there for several days during a blizzard. He also didn’t want to change her – he admired her for who she was and couldn’t believe other men didn’t see her the same way. Oh! Yes! I absolutely adored Robert.

If you have ever read any of my reviews, you’ll know how much I love epilogues. Well, this one had an absolutely wonderful epilogue. It was the perfect way to wrap up this series – and I just know the author wrote it with me in mind – NOT.

I highly recommend this novella. I think it is the best one on the series and I just know you’ll love it as much as I did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )

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