Adult Review: The Danger of Desire by Sabrina Jeffries

The Danger of Desire by Sabrina Jeffries
Publication Date: November 22, 2016
Publisher: Pocket Books
Amazon Link: HERE
Received From: Purchased


Summary (from Amazon):
The third book in the sexy Sinful Suitors Regency romance series, this heart-pounding story shows why New York Times bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries is one of the most beloved historical romance writers today.

To root out the card cheat responsible for her brother's death, Miss Delia Trevor spends her evenings dancing her way through high society balls, and her late nights disguised as a young man gambling her way through London's gaming hells. Then one night, handsome Warren Corry, the Marquess of Knightford, a notorious member of St. George's Club, recognizes her. When he threatens to reveal her secret, she's determined to keep him from ruining her plans, even if it means playing a cat-and-mouse game with the enigmatic rakehell.

Warren knows the danger of her game, and he refuses to watch her lose everything while gaining justice for her late brother. But when she starts to delve beneath his carefully crafted facade, can he keep her at arm's length while still protecting her? Or will their hot desires explode into a love that transcends the secrets of their pasts?

Review:
When Warren's cousin asks him to keep an eye on Miss Delia Trevor, who always seems to be running off and keeping secrets, he reluctantly agrees. But as soon as he meets Delia for the first time, everything changes. She's not what he expected and because of her sharp wit and air of mystery, he's instantly attracted to her. But as soon as Warren begins to dig deeper into Delia's past, the more he discovers that she's putting her reputation and life in danger. Delia's brother committed suicide after gambling away everything, and she wants to find the man who cheated her brother and make him pay. But all she has to go off of is her brother's description of the cheater being a part of the aristocracy and having a sun tattoo on his forearm. So Delia disguises herself as a man and frequents a gambling den late during several nights so she can try to find the man her brother described. But Warren ruins her plans because he keeps getting in her way and threatening to reveal her if she doesn't stop her foolishness. And there's something about Warren that makes Delia want things she's never wanted before. Will Delia be able to get her revenge without losing her heart in the process?

The Danger of Desire begins at a ball where Warren's cousin asks him to watch over Miss Delia. Because of her own experiences with men, she wants to make sure Delia doesn't fall victim to any fortune hunters. But Delia is more than aware of what men are capable of, and has no desire to fall victim to anyone or to ever marry. Delia is witty and sarcastic and every scene that includes both Delia and Warren was a delight to read. Even their first meeting when they discuss being left handed was humorous and I could instantly feel the connection between them. Warren is surprised that Delia wants nothing to do with marriage, and that of course intrigues him even more. Warren is the typical rogue featured in most historical romance novels. He drinks, gambles, and sleeps with several women, never planning on settling down. And even though this character has been written so many times, I thought Sabrina Jeffries made Warren fresh because of his own internal struggles that have to do with his past and the face that he has ideas of what is right and wrong. For example, the reason he agrees to watch over Delia in the first place is because he wants to make sure no man takes advantage of her. So even though Warren is a rogue, he also has a kind side, and I thought Sabrina Jeffries created Warren with the perfect mix of both.

I genuinely loved this novel until half way through the story, because the story and the characters seemed to fall apart at that point. I felt as if Warren and Delia became less of themselves in the sense that they lost all aspect of what their beliefs were and who they were. Their characters became weaker and I didn't enjoy the relationship as much as I liked it at the beginning.

Overall, I would definitely recommend The Danger of Desire to anyone looking for a fun historical romance novel that features a spunky heroine and a roguish hero.

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