What Happens in the Ballroom

 What Happens in the Ballroom (Designing Debutants 2)- Sabrina Jeffries

Zebra Publishing

Release Date: March 28, 2023

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: A young military widow, Eliza Pierce is enjoying both freedom and financial success as part of Elegant Occasions. When her late husband’s best friend, Nathaniel Stanton, the Earl of Foxstead, hires Elegant Occasions to help another young widow of an officer become part of high society, Eliza wonders why. Is the woman a relative? Or is she the earl’s mistress and her adorable toddler his child? If so, why does he take Eliza in his arms every chance he gets . . .

Foxstead’s family situation makes it difficult for him to marry, so his visceral attraction to his best friend’s widow is an unwelcome complication. Burdened by family secrets and those of his commanding officer, he’s determined to do his duty even when it means being around Eliza every day. But how can he resist when the fetching Eliza keeps tempting him to break his own rules? For if he dares to expose the truth, will she ever forgive him? Or will she banish him from her life forever . . .

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This was a fun, quick book continuing Sabrina Jeffries' series of three sisters trying to make a living by running a small but elegant business of catering parties and helping debutants. This time eldest sister and widow Eliza meets her match with Nathaniel, Lord Foxstead, when he asks Eliza and her sisters to help his ward Jocelin enter society in order to find a husband. While Nat and Eliza have known each other to some degree for years through her husband, spending more time together because of Jocelin leads to a slow burn romance. Neither is quite ready for marriage- Nat because of his duty to Jocelin and Eliza because her marriage and her parent's example has turned her off the idea. But the more they try to convince themselves a brief affair is all they need, the less they believe it!

I enjoyed this story, and how strong Eliza was despite what she's been through before we meet her. She works to be the strong one in the family and refuses to admit when she needs anything, even to herself, so she finds enjoying Nathaniel's company a surprise. I admire how she grew after her emotionally and psychologically abusive husband went off to war- even if he had come back I don't think he would have found her so easy to manipulate as he did when she was young and impressionable. She did what she needed to do- like start a business- because she and her sisters knew they couldn't rely on anyone but themselves. The fact that three young women were strong and smart enough to do that is great. Nathaniel knows he's emotionally attracted to Eliza early on, but he makes things complicated. By the end you understand why and from his point of view I get it. But he ended up doing quite a bit of lying- or at least playing fast and loose with the truth. He thought he was protecting people, and he was. But he had to learn that sometimes you can protect one person while trusting another at the same time. I loved that Eliza never let him get away with anything, and he had to really think and learn from his mistakes. I wish for Eliza's sake he hadn't had to make quite so many along the way, but  you were quite sure he wasn't going to repeat any of the ones he did make!

A light book about learning to trust others with your heart and becoming partners in all senses of the word, with some steamy scenes and delightfully romantic moments. Can't wait for Verity's turn!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review