Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Review: What Happens in the Ballroom by Sabrina Jeffries

What Happens in the Ballroom by Sabrina Jeffries
Series: Designing Debutantes, Book 2
Publisher: Zebra
Genre: Historical Romance 
What Happens in the Ballroom cover
ISBN: 9781420153798
Source: Publisher
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Sabrina Jeffries Reading Order

A young military widow, Eliza Pierce is enjoying both freedom and financial success as part of Elegant Occasions. When her late husband’s best friend, Nathaniel Stanton, the Earl of Foxstead, hires Elegant Occasions to help another young widow of an officer become part of high society, Eliza wonders why. Is the woman a relative? Or is she the earl’s mistress and her adorable toddler his child? If so, why does he take Eliza in his arms every chance he gets…

Foxstead’s family situation makes it difficult for him to marry, so his visceral attraction to his best friend’s widow is an unwelcome complication. Burdened by family secrets and those of his commanding officer, he’s determined to do his duty even when it means being around Eliza every day. But how can he resist when the fetching Eliza keeps tempting him to break his own rules? For if he dares to expose the truth, will she ever forgive him? Or will she banish him from her life forever…

A widow with no intention to marry again is knocked off her feet by her attraction to her late husband’s best friend in What Happens in the Ballroom. Sabrina Jeffries’s second Designing Debutantes book sees Eliza Pierce meet her match in an earl who isn’t as rakish as his reputation suggests.

Nathaniel Stanton, Earl of Foxstead, is a man with many secrets, one of which has brought him to Eliza’s door. He made a promise to help launch Mrs. Jocelin March into society and help her find a husband, so he engages the help of Eliza and her sisters to do so. The attraction Nathaniel has always felt for Eliza comes rearing back the minute he sees her. And Eliza, no blushing debutante, isn’t afraid of the pull between them. But having survived a bad marriage, Eliza has no desire to wed again. And even if she did, she can tell Nathaniel is hiding something and that’s enough to warn her off. As attraction becomes more, Eliza’s hesitance and Nathaniel’s secrets threaten to derail their burgeoning relationship.

It's easy to fall into What Happens in the Ballroom. Eliza and Nathaniel are likeable protagonists, they have solid chemistry, and Jeffries’s writing is wholly entertaining. I enjoyed being swept away by their romance which had a good mix of humor, heat, and heart. While there are emotional moments and lessons to be learned by the characters for them to get their happily ever after, it’s not a wildly dramatic book, which was nice. It may sound tame, but I just plain liked this story. It was sweet and fun and I’m very much looking forward to seeing Verity Harper get her book.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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