Book Review: The Trouble With Honor By Julia London

Title: The Trouble With Honor

Series: The Cabot Sisters #1

Author: Julia London

Genre: Historical Romance / Regency

My Rating: ★ ★ ★

Desperate times call for daring measures as Honor Cabot, the eldest stepdaughter of the wealthy Earl of Beckington, awaits her family's ruin. Upon the earl's death she and her sisters stand to lose the luxury of their grand home - and their place on the pedestal of society - to their stepbrother and his social-climbing fiancée. Forced to act quickly, Honor makes a devil's bargain with the only rogue in London who can seduce her stepbrother's fiancée out of the Cabots' lives for good. An illegitimate son of a duke, George Easton was born of scandal and grows his fortune through dangerous risks. But now he and Honor are dabbling in a perilous dance of seduction that puts her reputation and his jaded heart on the line. And as unexpected desire threatens to change the rules of their secret game, the stakes may become too high even for a notorious gambler and a determined, free-spirited debutante to handle.

We start the story with Honor Cabot entering a gaming club and proceeding to challenge them to a card game in which she manages to win £100 from a Mr George Easton, the illegitimate son of a duke.

At home Honor's step father the Earl of Beckington is on his death-bed and her loveable step brother Augustine who is engaged to be married to Miss Monica Hargrove who has made it clear that when they are married she is keen to have Honor, her sisters (Grace, Prudence & Mercy) and their mother removed from the Earl's house and moved out of society and into the country. While this is happening Honor and her sisters are also trying to keep it a secret that their mother due to previous head injury is going a bit senile.

To save her family Honor concocts a plan to have George Easton seduce (just a little, she doesn't want her ruined) Monica, so that she sees that there are other men out there that she could have and steer her away from Augustine. George of course refuses to take part in this ridiculous scheme at first but then his fascination of Honor plus the £92 she offers him finally has him agreeing.

I think the main problem I had with this was that Honor at times came across really selfish, even when people were telling her the hurt she could cause with what she was doing she just never seemed to care. Honor's sister Grace even tells her to stop this silly scheme of hers and comes up with the more sensible idea of maybe one of them finding a husband who will be able to support them and their family but no Honor is determined to do it her way.

The relationship between George & Honor was great. It never felt rushed and they did both have great chemistry with each other. I actually liked Monica as a character and then lets not forget George Easton's Butler/Valet (I'm not actually sure what his job was), he was so snarky and the interactions between him and George were great.

Overall it was an enjoyable read and I definitely will be continuing on to book 2.

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