Book Review: An Invitation to Sin - by Suzanne Enoch

Synopsis: An Invitation to Sin is the 2nd book in Suzanne Enoch's Griffin family series. Zachary Griffin, the youngest of the Griffin brothers, has spent his entire life flitting from one "career" to another. He can't ever seem to find an occupation that really suits him for more than a few weeks. His kind nature and sense of humor make his friends and family fond of him, but no one takes him very seriously. When he decides to join the army in an attempt to give his life some direction, his oldest brother, the Duke of Melbourne, sends him into the heart of rural England on the pretense of escorting his elderly aunt to Bath. The Duke hopes young Zach will do a little soul-searching and finally decide to take life seriously for a change. Our hero ends up trapped in the household of a gentleman farmer and his 7 unmarried daughters, friends of his aunt's. Caroline Witfeld, the eldest of the girls, is a dedicated painter whose one ambition is to be accepted into an art academy. After many rejections, she is given one last chance at a school in Vienna. In order to be accepted, she must paint a portrait of a nobleman and submit it for approval. When the handsome Lord Zachary Griffin shows up on her doorstep, Caroline thinks she's found the perfect subject for her portrait.

I enjoyed this story almost as much as Sin and Sensibility. It's very easy to identify with Zach's character. A lot of people are not fortunate enough to be born knowing exactly what they want to do with their lives. Many of us have to work very hard to discover a passion for a particular pursuit (and some people never find it). Caroline, on the other hand, has always known what her dream is and has devoted her life to realizing it. Yet, she doesn't realize that her art alone is not going to give her everything her heart desires. Again, Enoch presents us with characters who are far from perfect, who have real problems, and shows us how they discover themselves through one another. It makes for great romance. You really see why her heroes and heroines belong together.

LibraryThing rating: 4 stars