Temptations of a Wallflower audiobook

4/5 stars. Re-read : The writing is still beautiful, the characters well defined and the conflicts well placed. Wonderful read, once again. Also holy hell it's hot! First time reading Eva Leigh, I did not expect to like this book but the premise intrigued me. I loved the lack of melodrama and theatricals in the love story. I love that the MC's spoke to each other in times of conflict and didn't make stupid, childish and impulsive decisions. Trully brilliant. And also, hella hot.

"I wanted everything. To write, and to love you. My books aren't foolish to me. Writing is who I am. I can't not write. If I did, I'd cease to exist.""She'd made her choice. that choice wasn't him. Yet he knew that it was the right one. She needed to be herself, entirely. Not to pretend or cut off a limb just to prove something to him or to assuage his pride. This was the woman he'd come to care about so deeply. the one with conviction. who knew what she wanted and took it." Loved this! I initially thought this was going to be a marriage of convenience from the synopsis and it was one of the times I was happily proven wrong because the way they ended up married was much nicer. This book flowed much more smoothly than Eva Leigh's previous two books, and it shows a definite progression in her writing. There's a confidence and sureness in her writing and the way she executes the characters and their development. It was an utter delight to read from start to finish. Jeremy and Sarah were extremely likable characters--- I never need my characters to be likable, but the fact of the matter is, Jeremy and Sarah were just such good, decent people. I've been on a roll reading a string of non asshole beta heroes, and I really like the change. I mean, I still do enjoy and love my arrogant bossy alphas but it's REALLY nice reading beta heroes tbh. Jeremy was absolutely lovely? He was open minded and caring, and sweet and adorable and was also a volcano in bed (not the first time but everytime after that!). I liked that he was also unsure of himself, and sought to truly put Sarah's happiness first through his actions. Like I don't think he ever really said it besides to her father, but he really showed it how much he wanted her to be happy and how much he cared about her. Sarah was also great. Sarah, out of all the previous Leigh heroines in this series, was the one I really identified with and I thought felt the most fully formed out of all the Wicked Quills ladies. Reading her explanations of her journey towards becoming an anonymous erotica writer was such a thrill, on why she wrote and why she did what she did. And I think anyone who writes can identify with it. "My early writing efforts strived hard to be significant... I loved to write but hadn't done it well. Not until I penned my own erotic novel. And then I found myself. My voice, at last. Here it was, all this time, but I'd needed to find the right subject." Eva Leigh puts in some much needed commentary about the still pervading sexual imbalance of power between men and women, than men are supposed to know everything and women are not, and puts it in Sarah and feelings about her writing. "If we women had as much knowledge as men, it makes us both stronger. It doesn't take away power-- it adds to it." There's also some meta commentary about the romance genre in the entire book and how it's been seen from being immoral to frivolous and Jeremy helpfully states that "There's nothing wrong with a little escape. And there's certainly nothing at fault with teaching someone how to hope for a better life." I loved how part of the last act of the novel was the arc where both Sarah and Jeremy needed to see how much writing meant to Sarah, that the writing WAS HER. She was the writing. And that for Jeremy, he had to see that Sarah shouldn't have to choose between the writing and him. That the writing was her, and she should always choose herself first. I'm thankful for this book and I can't wait to re read to see if it makes it into my favorites list. Jeremy and Sarah definitely make it to my favorite heroes and heroines list!

Full review at Smart Bitches, Trashy BooksTemptations of a Wallflower is out now and it’s just as good as I’d hoped. It’s a very meta story–a romance novel about the importance of romance novels and women having the language and ability to discuss their sexuality–but it’s also just an enjoyable read.The conflict in this novel comes in two forms: 1. Jeremy is beneath Sarah socially making it impossible for them to be together and 2. Sarah can’t tell Jeremy that she secretly writes erotic novels. Honestly, I’d read a book where a vicar and a duke’s daughter fall in love but can’t marry because of station even without the secret author conflict.There’s a really interesting exploration of the characters’ sexuality that goes on in this book. Sarah is a virgin, but she’s read enough “French novels” to write about sex in detail. Jeremy has only had sex once before. Both of them are inexperienced, but they still want rich sexual lives. Neither of them is uneducated or naïve. When they do have sex, it’s not perfect the first time, but it improves. Jeremy uses techniques that he learned from Sarah’s novels (although he doesn’t know they are hers) to bring her to orgasm. They also talk a lot, and communication about needs and desires is a huge part of this book. It was such an interesting departure from the rake who is good in bed because he’s smexed eleventy billion women. I’d rather read about a beta-hero who did some studying to learn his technique, quite frankly.Temptations of a Wallflower is very very sexy (people talking openly about sex and finding what works for them together is sexy) and it’s also very smart. There were a few things I still wanted. Overall, I found the third book in the Wicked Quills of London series to be eminently readable and very hot, and I highly recommend it.- Elyse

Temptations of a Wallflower is the third title in the Wicked Quills of London series by Eva Leigh. This is the first book by this author that I’ve read. The book can easily be read as a stand alone. After a slow start the story picks up mainly because of Eva's vivid and rich characters. The heroine outranks the here; usually what we read on historicals most of the time is the opposite of that situation. There's a lot of sexual chemistry without forgetting to be provocative and romantic.Jeremy and Sarah have an instant attraction to each other and become friends, they have a lot in common. She’s a dreamer, and shines with her wish for independence. Jeremy doesn't fall behind, he isn't the typical Vicar you expect in a romance novel. About the secondary characters I really like Marwood, Jeremy’s cousin!His cousin continued, “It almost makes me think . . .” He peered at Jeremy. “As if you were thinking of a specific woman when you gave that look.”At once, Jeremy said, “There’s no one.” He didn’t want Marwood considering Lady Sarah in any way.“Shame,” his cousin said. “A woman would want to be looked at that way.” He smiled. “If I wasn’t married, related to you, and inclined toward the amorous company of women, you’d have me in a heartbeat.”“Thank God for all those ‘ifs,’ ” Good dialogue, engaging characters and lots of sexual tension is what you get on Temptations of a Wallflower!I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable read, but I think this is the romance where I finally realized that I really just don't want to read graphic descriptions of straight sex (or, like, man parts), and maybe that's why I've been so off romance for years. I think it's either lesbians or euphemisms from here on out.Still, totally good book, loved the characters and the relationship.

So this was so sweet! As always, the plot was unique and this one had the marriage closer to the mid point, which is my favorite!!Also... Vicar as a repressed but sexually curious man... reading erotic novels to learn how the pleasure his wife?! A wife who happens to be the author of said books?!Yes, yes, yes!

4/4.5 Stars | Hot SteamHaving consumed TEMPTATIONS OF A WALLFLOWER twice already—first in a frenzy of discovery and then again to leisurely savor, I’m now considering a near-future third indulgence. I just can’t get over how much this sensational book transported me! Beautifully written, enticingly unconventional, intensely romantic, and wonderfully and wickedly provocative, Sarah and Jeremy’s blazing-hot, blockbuster-of-feels affair seriously knocked my knickers off. Strikingly different from the first two novels in the Wicked Quills of London series—both of which I loved with all of my literary heart—Sarah and Jeremy’s story takes a powerful and liberating turn as this soul-mated pair, while struggling to break free from society’s strangling conventions and their own individual lives’ oppressive confines, finds solace, strength, and scorching passion with each other. I adored watching this revelatory couple fervently unite, strike out for themselves, blossom, grow, and positively ignite the pages! Distinctive, fortified, and fascinating, Sarah is a series standout heroine whose winsome personality and effortless relatability captivated me. Passed over and dismissed by the ton as an unbiddable wallflower, I yearned for her happiness and sensual fulfillment. She’s a radiant dreamer—independent, driven, resilient, brave, and brimming with erotic curiosity and unquenchable carnal hunger that’s limitlessness is gloriously matched by the delicious, primal-lover-undercover, Jeremy. Their inspiring, amorous connection and explosive and titillating compatibility was aphrodisiacal perfection. As blue as I am to say farewell to this top-shelf trilogy, I couldn’t have conjured a more satisfying or idyllic grand-slam finale to the series. Sarah and Jeremy’s heavenly story enchanted from its inviting beginning to its unhurried and unforgettable conclusion—a showstopping, exquisitely incandescent, and phenomenally scorching reconciliation that no doubt will be bookmarked, highlighted, lovingly recalled, and universally revered by readers for years to come. Bottom Line: Read this book!Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

Definitely the best out of the three books. I enjoyed both protagonists and their romance felt so real. They went from friendship, to lust, to love and a deeper understanding after the heartbreak. It was a joy to read about their journey!