How the Scoundrel Seduces

How the Scoundrel Seduces (Duke's Men #3) by Sabrina Jeffries

Rating: 4 Stars
Source: NetGalley

Description:  Lady Zoe Kean has a problem.  It turns out she might not actually be who she thought she was when her aunt tells her that her parents bought her from her actual mother.  Luckily she has a favor to call in with one of the premier Investigative Services in London - The Duke's Men.
Tristan Bonnaud, the illegitimate son of a viscout, has reasons not to trust the aristocracy and is not exactly thrilled when he has to investigate Zoe's claim.  She always speaks her mind and never stops arguing with him but bit by bit it turns to something more.

Genre: Romance

Why I Picked This Book:  I loved the previous book in the series (When the Rogue Returns - Review) so when I saw the next one in the series I couldn't request it fast enough.

My Impression:
Pro:  I love that Jeffries' characters are always unusual.  In this book we have the illegitimate son of an aristocrat as well as a woman who is actually able to inherit her father's title. It was very easy to see why Tristan would have the issues that he has regarding trust and not respecting the aristocracy.  I liked that while Zoe would prefer to marry for love she was also a realist and understood that she may have to marry for duty.  The mystery of Zoe's birth was interesting and I liked that her father was not made out to be a villain but instead a man who truly loved his daughter but may not be perfect.  While I have read the 2nd book in this series I haven't read the 1st and had no problems with that.  The plot is so complete and the character development is so well done that while the books are linked they can truly act as stand alones.

Con:  While I thought Tristan had very good reasons for his hangups I can't really say the same about Zoe.  Basically it boiled down to she didn't trust him because he was mean to her once in the middle of an undercover investigation.  It seemed a little extreme.  My primary problem with the book and what almost made me put the book down halfway through was how angry Tristan was.  The main characters don't have to fall into insta-love when they meet (actually I prefer the didn't), in fact they don't even have to like each other but I need some resolution of that before things get to a physical level and I didn't feel like I quite had that.  Their early physical encounters seemed to be almost anger driven or as Tristan teaching Zoe a lesson and I didn't care for that at all.  Luckily this resolves itself and the end is truly satisfying.

Overall:  While I didn't enjoy this one as much as the previous book I had read from Jeffries it was still an enjoyable read with interesting characters.  I'm looking forward to reading more of Sabrina Jeffries' books.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Yes, definitely!  I already own the first in this series and am very much looking forward to reading it.

Would I Recommend this Book?:  If you have already read several of Jeffires' books than I would say to read it.  If you're new to her than I would recommend When the Rogue Returns over this one.