Review: Everything About this Novel is Fantastic!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 26, 2013
Tempting Bella is a fantastic example of Historical Romance. The descriptions of the clothing, the mannerisms, and vernacular brings the reader back to a time that seems so long ago. Women were expected to be prim and proper - in highly decorated gowns - and perfectly polished. Men were in charge (haha...as far as that worked on headstrong women, anyway) and handled the daily affairs, household, and business.Our story begins with Mirabella Wentworth at the age of ten-and-three being unceremoniously wed to Mr. Sebastian Stanhope at the age of ten-and-nine. The purpose of this totally creepy wedding? Mirabella Wentworth's father, the Duke of Traherne, needs to settle a gambling debt with Cyrus Stanhope, Sebastian's father, which will, in turn, prevent the financial ruin of the Stanhope family. No worries, though ~ no consummation of the marriage happens and, although married, Bella and Sebastian go on to live their lives independently for the next six years....the end of said six year period is when the novel really begins.The duo has grown up and matured a bit; Bella is now 19 and Sebastian is 25, but they haven't set eyes on each other in 6 years. Feeling bad for Bella being forced into a marriage at such a young age with absolutely no say, Sebastian leaves her alone to experience life as a teenager should. The marriage could have been consummated when Bella turned 17, however, Sebastian decides to let her go abroad and do her own thing. Sebastian did what he thought was best under the circumstances. In the meantime, he was able to take the Traherne legacy and build it up to something strong and secure.Bella has nothing but resentment for the the now-man that she was forced to marry. Upset that he didn't try to dissuade the union or prevent it by walking away, Bella doesn't want anything to do with Sebastian. She's also very suspect of his motives behind the Traherne fortune. Knowing that she'll have to face him sometime, she returns from abroad but her identity is a mystery to not only him, but the whole town, since she was kept away from the villagers while growing up.A chance meeting at the opera has both Bella and Sebastian's hearts fluttering but neither knows the other's identity. Staying faithful to the person he married is of utmost importance to Sebastian, but he's drawn to this mystery lady. When he finally learns who she is he feels obligated to tell Bella his identity but each time he tries, something something prevents the actual revelation. What ensues is misunderstandings, distrust, and a building of a relationship 6 years in the making. Are Bella and Sebastian up to the task?This novel is phenomenal. I loved each and every aspect that the author gave the readers. This isn't a simple historical novel about early arranged marriages and scandal. There are many story lines woven between the pages of this majestic book.Bella is a fantastically written lead character. She has endured a lot at the hands of her alcoholic father, Duke of Traherne, including being passed off in marriage to settle his gambling debts. She's been abandoned by the man she was forced to marry; left to learn the ways of the world alone. She is not without friends, however. Her little group consists of Cary Orford, Josette Laroux, Tabitha Quartermain (Tabby), and a man simply known as Monty. Bella is fiercely strong and very protective of her family legacy, one she insists that Sebastian is draining slowly. She will do anything in her power to prove Sebastian to be the fraud that he has been cleverly able hide.Sebastian is a very strong, masculine, and tender hero to our Bella. He has been nothing but loyal and faithful to the wife she hasn't seen since their wedding day. He has gone about Traherne business as is his role as wife to Bella, Duchess of Traherne. He is genuinely a decent male and is frequently called the "saint." He just has to reel his wife back into his life for it to be truly complete.I adored the secondary story involving Tabby and Monty, too.The writing style is fluid and easy to read and comprehend. The story lines all intersect with each other at some point, bringing everything full circle.Please note that this is the 2nd book in the series and I have not read book 1 yet. I did, however, purchase it this afternoon. I absolutely can't wait to devour Seducing Charlotte (Book 1) just as I devoured Tempting Bella.There are some adult scenes in this novel.Review Copy Courtesy of: Entangled Publishing, at no cost, in exchange for an honest review.