A review by cakt1991
Her Adventures in Temptation by Megan Frampton

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 

Her Lessons in Temptation may be one of my biggest disappointments this year. Granted, Megan Frampton has always been hit-or-miss, but I forgot how sometimes her books are so low-stakes, that’s what makes them frustrating. 

And it sucks because the characters are the type I like, or even love. I loved that Simeon was defined as being “soft-hearted,” in spite of his rough upbringing…I’m so done with dukes with pots of money and/or rakes with chips on their shoulders in spite of their generally privileged existence (childhood trauma and past heartbreaks notwithstanding). I love that he spends beyond his means to help people, and that’s a great setup to start a book with. 

And Myrtle was also pretty solid, although she felt a bit more predictable, given how common bluestockings focused on scholarly pursuits, but still longing for passion and adventure, have become ubiquitous. But I’m still a sucker for them every time, especially when she’s paired with a partner who genuinely respects her intellect, and in spite of any other qualms I have, that is the case here. 

But in making these fairly inoffensive characters, it seems Frampton forgot to amp up the stakes to keep them together. I constantly questioned how they were still spending time together, not to mention how they’d even gotten thrown together to begin with, as it didn’t make sense. Not to mention the chemistry was largely nonexistent; the romantic encounters between them felt robotic, and when they’d talk about loving each other, but not being sure if they could tell the other, I wasn’t sure whether I was questioning the authenticity of the feelings at all, or wondering what was keeping them from telling the other, due to the aforementioned no-stakes situation. 

While this wasn’t the worst thing I’ve read from Megan Frampton, I’m disappointed at the missed potential, especially with the male lead. But if you enjoy your historical romance with lower stakes, I do still recommend it, as there is potential, especially if you’re looking for a hero that’s somewhat outside the norm.