The Seduction of His Wife

The Seduction of His Wife (Mass Market Paperback) Emma Hallaway-Mansfield, Countess of Asbury, has been free to pursue her passion for painting in the twelve long years since she last saw her husband. 

She was little more than a child when she entered into this marriage and while it hasn't turned out the way she might have hoped she's enjoyed a certain freedom not afforded to many women of her station. That's all about to come crashing down around her because her husband has returned to England and his timing couldn't be more horrid.

Richard Mansfield, Earl of Asbury, doesn't regret marrying Emma but he does regret all the time they've been separated and fully intends to rectify the situation - after all, a man needs an heir. What he doesn't expect is for the scared young woman he married to have turned into a vivacious siren he finds impossible to resist. He's heard the rumors about her indiscreet affairs and he intends to be the only man who will occupy his wife's bed from here on out. 

He'll soon discover he doesn't know his wife at all - not only has she remained faithful to him all these years, but she's become a highly sought after artist in her own right, not that many people are privy to her wicked hobby, you see, Emma paints nudes and sells them at a tidy sum.

With her sisters in residence and someone blackmailing her because of one of her earlier works, which happens to bear her face, the last thing Emma needs is her estranged husband waltzing into her life and making demands. She's determined to avoid him as much as possible - after all, what's the point of loving a man who's only going to leave again. 

Her sisters, however, feel that Emma needs to cut loose and have some fun and they've devised a set of challenges to see that she does just that which Emma grudgingly agrees to - since if the sisters lose then they have to pose for her. The last thing she expects is for her husband to catch her at each and every single one of the activities. 

 Richard's aware that his abandonment of Emma hurt her and he's determined to make up for it though he's not entirely sure how to do so. He's amused by the childish antics her sisters have her performing and quickly decides that joining Emma in her bedroom every night for a passionate tryst isn't going to be enough to heal the divide between them - he's going to have to seduce his wife - especially since he's discovered that he's truly in love with her.

Tiffany Clare's second published book, THE SEDUCTION OF HIS WIFE, is an exciting and imaginative read that captivates the imagination and arouses the senses. Suspense, intrigue and passion abound in this historical romance but what I found particularly touching about the story is the small blurbs at the beginning of each chapter. 

They appear to be sections taken from letters which Emma's written to Richard over the years - but never sent. There's a vulnerability displayed in those quotes that really endear her to the reader. Richard struck me as forbidding and standoffish at first but I quickly warmed up to him and got a kick out of his attempts to curtail Emma's independent nature - and that's before he finds out about her paintings. 

THE SEDUCTION OF HIS WIFE is a fun read full of surprises, a hint of scandal, and delightful secondary characters. Ms. Clare is definitely an author you'll want to add to your `must read' list.