The Widow's Auction

While I know this is a 'fictitious' event I found Jeffries made it work. Both the hero and heroine had believable motivations and were likable, well fleshed out characters. A really enjoyable read. **Thanks so much to the author for an e-copy of this book for review.

Lady Kingsley, Isobel Lamberton, is a young widow at the age of 27 and spends most of her time running her late husbands charities. While at a meeting for the Lamberton Boys' School where the group is trying to decide what to do with the young boys in the school, Justin Antony, the Marquess of Warbrooke is irritating her with the plans he hopes the group will adopt. The banter between these two is great! Isobel gives it as good as she takes it! Isobel's friend, Phoebe, convinces her that she is missing out on some things in her life and gets her to enter the the Widow's Auction. This is an auction where disguised widows place themselves up for a night of debauchery and they earn a portion of the money that was bid on them. Imagine Isobel's surprise when the Marquess of Warbrooke is the highest bidder! She believes he doesn't know who she really is, but of course he does. Justin just wants to "scare" Isobel and show her that signing up for the auction was a bad idea....he doesn't plan to actually do anything with her. What neither of them expected was the electricity that the two of them produced. These two had such chemistry together they sizzled. Both of them had preconceived ideas about the other that were totally wrong. Once they realize this, their happy ending became very clear! This was a fun, sexy quick read. I really enjoyed both of these characters and the story line was really fun!

I love Sabrina Jeffries writing and her ability to tell a story. Her characters are strong, her plot lines are delicious and enjoyable, and she has done it again with this short novella. Yes, they fell in love in 24 hours, if that, but the story was so sweet and so romantic it was just a joy to read. I loved Bella's background and Justin's attempts to shock her into revealing that she was the one behind the mask was fun to watch. The scene (promise no spoilers) where she tells him her background, while still wearing the mask thinking it gives her a chance to be her true self and stop "hiding" for once, was awesome! Loved it. Justin's scheme to win her, in the end, was also so romantic and perfect.