Matthew, the Earl of Wallingford, is a reprobate of the worst kind.  His entire life is wrapped around the pursuit of sexual delights and perversions wild enough to send any smart minded woman running.  Matthew’s persona is that of bored Lord and he refuses to act upon anything that he doesn’t enjoy.  An artist, Matthew is accosted outside an art gallery one night and is immediately taken to a hospital for treatment.  With his face swollen and his eyes unseeing for a time, Matthew heals to the sound of the most wondrous voice he has ever heard, the voice of his nurse, Jane.

Jane Rankin, a penniless but genteel woman, works as the companion to a wonderful lady during the day and as a nurse at night.  She has never questioned her desire for healing, but when she sees the newest patient she is expected to treat, Jane knows that somehow, her life will never be the same.  Her attraction to Matthew is instantaneous and innocent, however, Jane knows that Matthew will demand so much more from her and she is willing to accede to him all things but one.

Matthew is a man with secrets, secrets that keep him from being completely honest with Jane.  After all, who would want a man like him?

Sinful made me cry more than once.  I was almost in a tortured frame of mind the farther into this book I read.  I was enraptured by Matthew and his personality.  I could see underneath his bluster and blunder that there was a man who just wanted to be loved.  He wanted to be able to love in return without any threat to his person or to those of the people he loved.  His life was more than parties. He kept his secret desires very much hidden from the rest of the world, and readers find out exactly what this is. I hope they can forgive him his transgressions.  I know I did.

Readers might find the ending of Sinful incomplete.  This is explained or will be explained on Ms. Featherstone’s website and will include a special treat.  Sinful has an epilogue that ties everything up quite nicely.  I did love Sinful exactly as it was released, but if I am honest, the epilogue completed the love story of Matthew and Jane and I needed, as a romantic and as a reader, to see that their love continued and was forever.

Sinful is decadence at its best.  I had no choice but to read it cover to cover – the story is just that good.  Charlotte Featherstone is now on my list of authors to watch!