A Matter of Sin by Jess Michaels | Book Review + Interview

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My Thoughts

A steamy new romance by Jess Michaels, A Matter of Sin starts off her The Ladies Book of Pleasures series with a bang! Highly sensual and romantic, A Matter of Sin, centers around widowed Lady Isabelle Avenbury who decides to take a lover after her youngest sister ties the knot. However, when she meets Seth Rowland at his house party, her plans go awry. Both of them are attracted to each other and start a sensual and steamy affair!

I loved reading A Matter of Sin. I was able to connect with Isabelle from page one. She had sacrificed a lot for her family and despite, loving her husband in her own way, she didn’t experience the kind of love that she had been dreaming of. When she sees a copy of The Ladies Book of Pleasures in Seth’s study, she borrows it and gets caught by Seth!

I also love Seth. He is on a bride hunt – well, under the insistence of his mother, but is tired of all the simpering misses that are fresh from the nursery. When he catches sight of Isabelle, he is entranced. Seth is a very likable character and I love that he wasn’t the typical rake. He was the perfect lover for Isabelle. Although there were minor obstacles that they had to face, in the end, I was glad that they found their HEA.

A Matter of Sin was a quick read for me and I was able to finish it in one sitting. Yes, it’s that good. The only complaint I have is that I expected it to be MORE steamy! I give this book four stars and highly recommend it to readers who love steamy HEAs!

Q: What was your inspiration for your new series, The Ladies Book of Pleasures?

Jess: I loved the idea of a scandalous book circulating through Society and titillating and infuriating the masses. Once that was in my head, I started thinking about who would be affected by that sort of thing. The three heroines of my series were fun to come up with and then figure out why they were friends, how they would react to the book, etc.

Q: Can you tell us about the first book, A Matter of Sin?

Jess: We start with heroine Isabel, who is a widowed woman with a sister to marry off. She’s happy to serve as chaperone, but she’s lonely and has been thinking about taking a lover. The Ladies Book of Pleasures helps push her into that when she and her sister end up at a country party hosted by an earl, Seth. They have this very passionate affair, but even as feelings begin to develop between them, they also have pretty major obstacles that would keep them from ever being together. Whether they’ll overcome them… well, that’s up to you to read to book and find out!

Q: What made you pick a widow to be the heroine?

Jess: I love writing widows, courtesans, etc because it makes so much more sense for them to be open to the sensuality that is inherent in my erotic historical romances. An innocent would likely have a harder time saying she intended to take a lover but for Isabel, that fits with her character after what she’s already experienced. I love Isabel, she’s just… nice. I would totally hang out with her.

Q: What is your favorite scene between Isabel and Seth?

Jess: I actually love when he confronts Isabel about “stealing” the book and she completely comes back at him. Not only does it lead to some sexy stuff, but it shows how Isabel is really her own person. Plus, they’re playful and it’s kind of awesome.

Q: was intrigued by Lady Isabelle’s sister Serena, are you going to write a book about her?

Jess: I don’t know at this point. Serena does not have a book in the series (Jacinda and Grace from the first book do). But I would think about it! I have a LOT coming out soon, though, so it will depend on interest and time for me. In fact, if you would like to DEMAND a Serena story after you read A MATTER OF SIN, let me know!

Q: The next book in The Ladies Book of Pleasures is coming out soon, can you tell us about it?

Jess: The second book in the series is A MOMENT OF PASSION and features shy, fallen Jacinda, who receives “The Book” as an anonymous birthday gift. This leads to great complications and she has to turn to her old friend Jason (Seth’s best friend in A MATTER OF SIN). How he offers to help is… unexpected for both of them. 😉 I LOVE their story. It comes out October 14 and the last book in the series, A MATTER OF DECEIT, will be out December 9. You *should* be able to pre-order A MOMENT OF PASSION on Amazon at this point. Barnes and Noble and the rest are slower.

I am so excited to interview Jess Michaels on IHR and super excited to read A Moment of Passion! Can’t wait! Thank you, Jess, for dropping by my blog today!