Seduction & Scandal is not bad at all. The characters are likable enough, the plot is at least nominally engaging, and nothing about it is annoying. Somehow, though, I never had trouble putting it down. It just lacked that something extra that keeps a reader turning pages.

Isabella has a scandalous past to overcome. Her mother, though highborn, made disastrous romantic choices, and Isabella spent much of her life destitute. Now living with her cousin and uncle, Isabella hopes to make a solid, respectable match. Mr. Knighton seems like a perfect choice. He’s an historical scholar, deeply interested in medieval studies. A bit boring, maybe, but after the life she’s led Isabella could use a little boredom (or so she thinks, anyway). Isabella has a secret, though; she gives voice to her darkest desires in the novel she’s writing. It’s written in the first person, and the hero is Death.

The reader realizes (before Isabella does) that Death is based on a man of her acquaintance – Lord Black. Isabella formally meets Lord Black at a ball. He’s mysterious, reclusive, and sexy as hell. Since Isabella is female, heterosexual, and has a pulse, she is immediately attracted to him. Just as immediately, she fights that attraction. Black looks like a bad bet from her perspective; he’s the type of guy she’ll completely lose her head over, and before she knows it she’ll be on the streets wondering where her next meal is coming from.

The author weaves a subplot throughout the book. Seduction & Scandal is first in a trilogy about dangerous (and perhaps magical) objects taken by templar knights and handed down through the generations. Lord Black is one of three guardians, and two of the objects are missing. They have to figure out who knows about their guardian status and sacred objects. This plot dovetails somewhat with Isabella’s cousin Lucy’s interest in seances and the supernatural.

So what works here? Well, I genuinely liked both main characters, and for the most part understood their motivations. Black is a hero in pursuit. He has no commitment problems, doesn’t think all women are evil, and is generally a good guy (although he has some reservations about having progeny that will have to continue the sometimes-not-fun guardian job). I found Isabella’s writing interesting, and it gives some insight into her more passionate side. Isabella’s fear of poverty is understandable, and she it leads to some well-drawn conflicts with Lucy (who is a bit like Marianne in Sense and Sensibility), wondering why Isabella can’t follow her heart and show her emotions.

Actually, I found Lucy’s story a little more interesting than Isabella’s. She lost a lover and has subsequently become obsessed with the supernatural. She has an intriguing suitor (also a guardian), who’s clearly in love with her. I plan to read her book even though I was somewhat lukewarm on this one.

What doesn’t work? Well, I wasn’t completely in love with the guardian/templar subplot, and would like to have seen a little less of that. Since this was the first book in the series, it probably required a bit more set-up. Perhaps it will take more of a back seat next time. The other issue was more central to the romance. It seemed pretty plain to me that Black’s intentions were serious and honorable. He probably could have explained that better and assured Isabella that he wanted to marry her, and that she would not end up starving on the streets. But I guess that would have made the book much shorter. In any case, this conflict felt somewhat artificial, and may well have been why the book was fairly easy to put down.

On the whole, though, this isn’t a bad read. Featherstone’s writing shows promise, and I plan to tune in for the next book – even though I wasn’t completely satisfied by this one.