The Rogue's Proposal (House of Trent #2) by Jennifer Haymore

Title: The Rogue's Proposal (House of Trent)
Series: House of Trent (Book 2)
Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Forever (November 19, 2013)
ISBN-10: 1455523372
ISBN-13: 978-1455523375
Author's Website: http://www.jenniferhaymore.com/
Notes: I received an eARC loan from the publisher.

Emma Curtis and her family have lost everything or so she thinks. Her husband of only three months was murdered and her family fortune stolen. All the evidence points to one man--Roger Morton, a man her husband had dealings with. As her father is too ill to leave his bed and take matters into his own hands, Emma has taken it upon herself to find and wreak vengeance on the man who murdered her husband and restore her family's fortune. She's willing to do practically anything to get it even if it means sacrificing her reputation. With little funds for travel, food or lodgings, she approaches a man known for his rakish ways--Lord Lukas Hawkins.

Lord Lukas Hawkins is on a seemingly impossible mission--to find his mother. She was last known to be in the accompaniment of Roger Morton but hasn't been seen in close to three months. Suspecting foul play is involved, he's trying to track down Morgan to find out what happened. He just can't seem to find the blasted man. When Emma makes her case for teaming up and accompanying him on his chase, he's sees it as a means of killing two birds with one stone. Emma is a young and pretty widow, and he finds himself attracted to her. He accepts her proposal to help him in exchange for his allowing her to travel with him as they track Roger Morton down, but he has a stipulation of his own...

"I can offer you the heights of pleasure, Mrs. Emma Curtis. If, at some point during the term of our agreement, you were to beg...I promise, I'll not deny you."

Ms. Haymore has certainly turned up the heat in her latest series, House of Trent. This is her second book in the series and you won't feel lost by diving right into this one. I had no problem starting with book two, but I have to admit, I'm very curious as to whether or not the first book in the series is as steamy as this one. I'd thought her previous series, the Donovan Sisters, was sweet and charming, but those are not words I'd use to describe this book.

Emma Curtis is a strong, beautiful, smart and a somewhat headstrong young woman who had picked the wrong man to marry. She's vowed never to repeat her mistake by falling for another rogue, but the pull toward Lord Lucas is a dangerously seductive one. Her first husband had been handsome, and left her one too many a night alone even though they'd been married only a short while. She doesn't want to risk a repeat so she makes it perfectly clear a liaison between her and Lord Lucas is not on the table. What they have will be strictly a business transaction. Nothing more, nothing less.

Lord Lukas Hawkins is a rogue of the highest order whose sexual prowess is known among the ton. Said to be an insatiable and domineering man with wicked needs, he's tormented by a dark past. When Emma approaches him he immediately decides to seduce the young widow making sure she knows the rules. He's not looking for anything more permanent than a tumble in the hay, but he'll be a perfect gentleman unless she asks nicely. Nice, however, is not what he has in mind.

Overall, I'd give this one a 4 out of 5 roses. A fun story with a steamy romance. There is a twist that I saw coming, but enjoyed it none the less. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, I'm giving this one a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed. Ms. Haymore delves into the land of bondage, but does so in a way that those squeemish of the practice won't feel overwhelmed. She gives the reader enough leeway to let their own imagination take hold allowing them to make the experience as wicked as they desire. I actually think this is a fine example of how to add bondage to a mainstream romance without crossing the line into erotica.  

Order of the series: