How to Woo a Reluctant Lady by Sabrina Jeffries

When a charming rogue proposes she marry him to meet her grandmother's ultimatum, the Sharpe clan's strong-willed sister makes a tempting counter-offer that preserves her inheritance and ignites his imagination.

Lady Minerva Sharpe has the perfect plan to thwart her grandmother's demands: become engaged to a rogue! Surely Gran would rather release her inheritance than see her wed a scoundrel. And who better to play the part of Minerva's would-be husband than wild barrister Giles Masters, the very inspiration for the handsome spy in the popular Gothic novels she writes?

The memory of his passionate kiss on her nineteenth birthday has lingered in Minerva's imagination, though she has no intention of really falling for such a rakehell, much less marrying him.

Little does she know, he really is a covert government operative. When they team up to investigate the mystery behind her parents' deaths, their fake betrothal leads to red-hot desire. Then Minerva discovers Giles's secret double life, and he must use all the cunning tricks of his trade to find his way back into her heart.

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This is the third book in Jeffries' Hellions of Halstead Hall series coming after The Truth About Lord Stoneville and A Hellion in Her Bed. I suppose that you could read the books independently of each other or out of order but they do have a common storyline of the mystery of the Sharpe parents deaths and I feel these books would be better being read in sequence.

This was Minerva's story and as set up in the last two books, her hero is the delightful rake, Giles Masters. Both characters were well rounded and had great depth - Minerva as the strong woman and Giles as the seducer and rogue. They worked together well and I liked the chemistry between the couple.

The mystery of the death of Minerva's parents is still to be solved and I assume that it will get a step closer in the next book which will be Gabe's story (the beginning of which was started in this book).

I enjoyed the story in this book although I would have liked to see a little bit more interaction between Oliver and Maria and Jarret and Annabel from the previous books. It wasn't the best or most engaging book I've ever read but I enjoyed it and it really captured by attention. If you're looking for a fun Regency romance or are reading the Hellions series then I would recommend this book to you. 4 stars.