Lady Is Tempted Book

I first read this book when it first came out in 2002 and loved it. At the time, I was a beginner to historical romance so I found the whole situation really angsty and heartbreaking. In this second round, not so much. I guess I've read enough historical romance in the last 10 years that I've become more discriminating (some would say pickier.)

Deborah and Tony become lovers the first night they meet and quickly fall in love, but alas their romance is doomed from the beginning. Tony just got engaged to the most beautiful debutant of the season and cannot cry off. You see, Tony's family has been mired in scandal and he's been craving respectability all his life. He definitely doesn't want to give us his chance to clean up his family name. However, Deborah doesn't want to be his mistress, no matter that he says she'll be the woman of his heart. So starts a back and forth where he's not taking no for an answer and never thinks how devastating it will be for HER not to be respectable woman anymore (you would think that in his situation, he would sympathize.)

The problem was solved very conveniently without any intervention from the leads, which I don't like because I prefer when characters take an active role in solving their own problems.

Not the worst historical I've read but I'm definitely removing it from my 'favorites' list.