A lovely start to a new series. The Duke of Pelhams family is first introduced in The Duchess of Drury Lane. The Duke is a friend of the main male character. There's a hint of tension between the Duke & Marcus, Earl of Trafford. It's only a hint & it's not followed up on until A Simple Seduction.

Honoria is the oldest of the Dukes sisters and she's had a tough time of it emotionally. Her Father was a cold horrid man & her Mother wasn't much of one. This ultimately leads to a situation no child should have to bear. She's so emotionally wrecked that she turns down a season in London & lives in the country full time. Her state of mind and self-doubt play a huge part in the plot. She's lovely, sweet, kind, everything you'd hope your child would grow up to be. She's learned to become invisible to the people around her, but Marcus comes along and sees her. Once he has he can't unsee her. He's got his own demons and between them it's a story full of coming into your own and finding happiness, accepting it & getting an HEA. I'm now waiting on the next book, another sister finding an HEA. I like this family.

#ASimpleSeduction #MillionairesofMayfair #historicalromance #romance #JannaMacGregor ( )

Author Janna MacGregor never, ever, ever disappoints, and A Simple Seduction, the first in the Millionaires of Mayfair series keeps up her string of successes. Your heartstrings will be tugged from the very first page, where thirteen-year-old Honoria is banished from her father’s home because she’s not really her father’s daughter but rather the product of a liaison between her mother and another man. She overhears the Duke of Pelham tell her mother he doesn’t want to see Honoria ever again, that he will send her away to school and provide for her keep, but that he is also writing a letter outlining the scandalous details which is to be presented to the man she is to marry – ruining her reputation and her life at that time, and doing the same to her siblings, by the way. No one can cross or overrule the Duke, but her older brother Dane runs out to see her off and vows that when he becomes the Duke of Pelham he will come and get her and she, Dane and younger sister Pippa will be together again.

The next we see of Honoria is eleven hears later. Dane is now the Duke of Pelham, as both parents have passed away. He kept his promise to bring Honoria home, but she is nearly a recluse. She refuses to go to London, to live in the family home there, or be part of society and the ton. She is content to remain at their estate in the country and tend to household matters. Nothing Dane nor Pippa can say will change her mind. She has not shared the shame of her birth with anyone and does not intend to; but she has enlisted help to find that letter her hateful father wrote and intends to destroy it before it can ruin her brother and sister.

Even though she is content with her life, she has dreamed of more, and when Dane hosts a masquerade she decides to have her one-and-only fling and attend the ball in disguise, seduce a man for a night, and then return to her life, still hoping to find that letter. She feels so unworthy our heart breaks again for her.

Sounds pretty simple and straightforward, doesn’t it? Not so fast. Leave it to author MacGregor to provide an abundance of fun, laughter, sweetness, steaminess, heroes and villains based on this premise. Honoria does meet a charming man at the masquerade. They agree not to exchange identities and just enjoy the night. But then enjoy the night becomes let’s enjoy a few days because they are truly enjoying themselves. What if’s flit through their minds, as well as wild speculation as to who the other might be – high born, low born, titled, farmer, part of a serving staff – they go on and on but the big reveal will catch you by surprise. Pretty hilarious, except that this is Regency England and Honoria is now dishonored. Her family might also be dishonored. And guess what? Feelings, spoken or not, have developed between these two. Honoria is at times too clever for her own good and creates additional problems. Marcus is determined to press on. Honoria is still looking for that letter.

A Simple Seduction is an enchanting story. It’s full of the horrors of the mores and rules of that time but also full of love and hope and loyalty and family. It’s the perfect beginning to what promises to be a perfect series. We get a glimpse of who might star in the next two books and I am looking forward to them. I recommend this book without hesitation. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own. ( )