The Viscount’s Forbidden Flirtation by Sarah Rodi

Tracy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: A Season to Wed, #2

Release Date: April 1, 2025

French emigree, Miss Seraphine Mounier first meets Ezra Hart, heir to Viscount Hart when she tries to prevent a duel between Erza and her brother Henri, Baron Mounier. She is too late, but thankfully Erza deloped and apologized for the insult he paid to Henri, when he made derogatory statements about the French immigrants in England. This doesn’t pacify Seraphine, and she makes it clear that she doesn’t like Erza and wants nothing to do with him. But their paths keep crossing and the more time she spends with him, the more she softens towards him. Erza needs a noble wife with an impeccable background and there is no way the Viscount would accept her. She tries to distance herself from him, but Erza can’t seem to take a hint and when disaster strikes, he is her hero, and she falls head over heels for a man she can’t have. Too bad falling in love doesn’t guarantee a happy ending.

Ezra Hart is the heir to Viscount Hart, but that is not a right he was born to, and it is conditional. When Ezra was just 10 years old, the Viscount’s son died and he approached Ezra’s parents with a proposition, Ezra would come to live with them as their son and the Viscount will make him his heir and in exchange, he would give Ezra’s father a home and a living. Ezra missed his family, but had no contact with them, and never felt like he belonged with the Viscount. So, when the opportunity to go to school came, he was happy and made some lifelong friends, friends he convinced to go into the military with him when they finished school. He fought for years and now that the war is finally over and he has returned to England, his is trying to come to terms with his life. His experiences in the war skewed his feelings towards the French and while in his cups one night he made some awful comments that ended up published. Words he regrets and after meeting Seraphine, he will do whatever he can to make things right. He would love to make Seraphine his wife, but his inheritance is conditional and without the Viscount’s approval, he has nothing to offer her.

This was a well-written and interesting story with a very unique plot that touches on sensitive issues regarding prejudices and social status. I liked Erza and tried to be understanding of his original opinions of the French immigrants in England, especially as he had just returned from the war. I also tried to give the same empathy to Seraphine who had lived in England most of her life but was still treated like an outsider, yet I had a hard time warming up to her. However, I had a hard time believing she was as ostracized as she claimed, as she and her family were accepted into the highest echelons of society and had no shortage of invitations. Yes, there were a few people who were nasty – but that was more about jealousy than xenophobia. This was a very fresh story, but it did have a lot of etiquette errors – by my count Seraphine was ruined at least three times and seemed to have no concern for her reputation. Overall, I liked the story and thought the author handled the sensitive plot points very well. This is the second book in an author collaboration series but could easily be read as a standalone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *