Two Sinful Secrets by Laurel McKee

Lady Sophia Huntington has always been a bit of a black sheep to her proper family.  She likes to have fun and not bow to the rules of society all the time and she elopes with a man that causes her family to shun her.  With his passing, she is in dire needs of funds and having always been good at cards, she gambles to earn herself some money.  She wins a rather large amount from an unsavory gentleman and refuses his advances and heads to Paris to begin anew.  Sophia befriends a lady that is opening a gambling den and she sees herself happy here until a man from her past comes into the establishment.  Dominic St. Claire has never forgotten the smoldering kiss he shared one night with a masked lady and is stunned to finally stumble upon her in Paris.  The passion stills burns bright between them but their is an ancient family history between the Huntington and St. Claire's that makes Dominic hesitant to form a bond with Sophia, to be a part of the family that caused so much pain to his.  And when the unsavory gentleman reappears and starts causing trouble, will the solution that Dominic and Sophia come up with be enough to stop him and stifle the family history?

I really enjoyed this book.  I enjoyed how Sophia was good at cards and had no problem gambling to get funds for herself and refused to sell her body when the offer was presented.  She is quiet yet bold and full of determination to protect those she loves.  Her estrangement from her family causes her quite a bit of pain and I thought how that situation was handled was a change of pace that what I expected to happen.  Dominic is charming and fun and also determined to protect his family, especially from the Huntingtons so the feelings he starts to feel for Sophia cause him to reevaluate what he knows.  Dominic knows he belongs with his family and Sophia just wants a place to belong and she seems to finally find that with Dominic.  The addition on the unsavory man adds a bit of drama and helps force true feelings to be revealed.  I really adore the St. Claire family with their warmth, love and laughter and I loved seeing more of the theater aspect.  Overall, a wonderful addition to what is shaping up to be a smoking hot, fun series!  Recommended for fans of unique heroines, brooding, dashing heroes woven together with smoldering passion, a dash of intrigue, a strong family bond and a delightful, sinful romance.  4 stars

eARC provided by Grand Central Publishing (Forever) via netgalley.com 

The Scandalous St. Claires

More to come (I hope, there was a strong set up for another story)