Temptation & Twilight by Charlotte Featherstone

The third book in the Brethren Guardian series had a lot to live up to in my mind and for the most part, it delivers in spades!  The only thing that kept this from possibly being an even better story was how it starts.  At the end of the previous book, Pride & Passion, it ends on such a cliffhanger with our couple, Iain Sinclair, Marquis of Alynwick and laird to the clan Sinclair and Lady Elizabeth York.  Yet this book starts off back a couple weeks which threw me off for a bit.  Granted it is seen through Lizzie and Iain's eyes but still, it took about 80 percent of the book to finally get to the cliffhanger.  While I appreciate seeing the story through a new way and getting more in depth with our couple, I personally wanted the story to start where the previous one ended.

Elizabeth York was one of my favorite heroines I have read recently.   I enjoyed seeing the world through her blindness and thought it was done in a way that was realistic and believable.  She is strong and independent and has no qualms speaking her mind as she is on the shelf but is flattered when a handsome earl starts to pay her attention and genuinely seems interested in her for her.  However, her heart may not fully be in the relationship as Iain makes his presence known in her life again after the hurtful way they broke things off years ago.  Iain took a bit of warming up too as he is a major womanizer and actually is seducing another woman in order to gain information for his secret society, the Brethren Guardians.  Thankfully, when he realizes the extent of his feelings for Beth that he thought were buried, he is faithful to Beth.  Together, they have a lot to overcome from their past and, again, it takes quite a bit of time until the truth comes out.  When Iain finally breaks down and tells Beth his (selfish) reason for leaving her, its very heartbreaking...as is Beth's response.

Overall, this is another heartbreaking, haunting love story from Charlotte Featherstone.  She seems to have quick a knack for weaving a sensual romance that will leave your heart pounding one moment and tearing up the next.  The end of this book...wow.  Just wow.  The twists and turns were just wonderful and give a very satisfying conclusion to the mystery surrounding the Brethren Guardians.  So even though this book overlaps so much with the previous, but from a different perspective (and done to show the relationship regrow between our couple) it is a definite must read for fans of sensual love stories.  4 stars

I received this eARC from HQN via netgalley.com

The Brethren Guardian series
Best to be read in order, but I would recommend taking a break between books two and three to fully appreciate book three.

I think this is the end of the series but I hope there is at least one more story. . .