I adore how their relationship was built on so much more than just passion - there was also trust, friendship, respect, and of course, love between them. The banter between the two was witty, natural, and delightfully charming. I loved reading it, I loved the writing, I loved Marcelline and Clevedon, and above all, I loved their romance. Chase tackles the expected issues that arise with Marcelline and Clevedon being a couple head-on instead of brushing them off, and I believe this is what made me add her to my favorite authors list. Without giving away the ending, I'll simply say that it's believable, realistic, and absolutely perfect. It's unheard of for a working woman of the Regency Era to be anything but the mistress of a duke, and I was anxious about how Chase would describe it without it coming across as far-fetched or implausible. While reading Silk Is for Seduction, the only thing I was afraid Chase wouldn't be able to pull off convincingly was Celevedon and Marcelline's relationship.

Clevedon, while not being the most original character out there, still had an incomparable charm that made me fall in love with him regardless. This is one woman I wouldn't even dream of messing around with.

For another, she's a rare blend of ambitious, sassy, collected, passionate, and mysterious that I found myself constantly in awe of. For one thing, she isn't an aristocrat or a desperate spinster. Marcelline is unlike any other heroine I've ever come across in all the historicals I've read. Truthfully, I'm a little shocked myself at how deeply I fell in love with this story. Chase had me so utterly enthralled in her world, all apprehensive and skeptical thoughts vanished even before I finished the first chapter. I tried extremely hard to squelch my anticipation with the fear that it would ruin this book as it has so many others, but I needn't have worried.

Seeing as this book is recommended by one of my all-time favorite authors, Ilona Andrews, to say my expectations were high would be a major understatement. Even before reading the ending, I should be recommending the book to all my friends and calculating how soon I should reread it so that the experience will still be as absorbing as it was the first time around. The plot should be so thoroughly engrossing that I only put the book aside out of necessity.ĥ.

The story should at least be intriguing enough that I never, ever have to force myself to read on.Ĥ. The writing should be expressive enough to make me genuinely feel the characters and their emotions.ģ. It should either make my (A) stomach ache from laughing, (B) cheeks hurt from grinning, and/or (C) eyes fill with tears, since that's the closest I ever come to bawling.Ģ. A 5-star book, as perceived by yours truly, should meet the following requirements:ġ.

Silk Is for Seduction by Loretta Chase