Season for Surrender by Theresa Romain

Alexander, Lord Xavier, makes yet another bet with his cousin Lord Longwood.  Its pretty basic--get the proper Lady Louisa to attend his holiday house party and stay the entire two weeks.  No seduction is necessary and is strictly off limits (can't ruin the young lady's reputation and get leg shackled!).  As Xavier always wins his bets, in fact, he is quite known about the ton for his wagering and his wickedness, he sees this as an easy win.  Yet when a simple game of cards needs to be paid out in the format of time, he finds himself spending more time with Louisa than he thought he would....and also opening up to her in a whole new way.  Louisa sees right through his facade he has built up.  She sees past all his 'Numbered Expressions' (Expression Number One: Veiled Disdain, etc).  As Louisa has a keen sense of observation, she notices all sort of little things that no one else ever has and it starts to affect him.  Their meetings in the library that Louisa adores, leads to heartfelt confessions and daring kisses.  However, when Lord Longwood uncovers a secret in a coded book, he threatens to harm Louisa if Xavier does not finally lose a bet to him.  As Xavier wants to do everything he can to protect Louisa, he hurts her in a way that cuts deep with her without giving her a proper explanation.  Will Louisa find a way to set Xavier free or will the betrayal be too much to overcome?

This book is a delight, plain and simple.  It was like eating a delicious cupcake, one you savor, then being a bit disappointed once its gone but yet it leaves you happy and fulfilled.  I enjoyed watching the proper, quiet bluestocking Louisa develop into a confident, lovely woman who will stand up for whats right while surrendering her body and heart.  I loved the fun wit between Louisa and Xavier and how the library becomes their 'spot' (and yes, it gets a bit heated).  I loved watching Louisa slowly uncover Xavier and discover the man he thought he never could be...Alex.  She opens his eyes to so much of what he was missing beneath his rakish facade, with his need to have the regard of the world.  Having been orphaned as a baby, Xavier has always craved the seemingly unattainable affection of others.  Xavier turns out to be quite a delicious hero, even when he hurts Louisa while trying to protect her.  I will admit, I am not a fan of books that feature a bet prominently but Ms Romain tackled it well with a nice twist from Louisa that made the book flow much easier for me.  The holiday elements are nicely done without overwhelming the story while the secondary characters for the house party add a dose of humor, excitement and tension (and are ones I hope to see again in the future!).  Overall, a perfectly delightful holiday romance filled with cheer, strong characters with real flaws, love and laughter.  I am truly sad I read it so quickly and I am anxiously awaiting Theresa Romain's next book!  4 cheery stars

eARC provided by Kensington Books via netgalley.com

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