Courting Scandal
When you think you want respectability but you love drama
It will never not be fun for me when a male character of some status talks a big game about needing to marry a woman above reproach, only to switch POV to the messiest heroine you’ve ever read and know she’s going to ruin his life but he’s gonna love every minute of it. I love scandal books because of how much the external world they’re in hold sway. Who amongst us hasn’t caved to public opinion one way or another and it ended up going against what we should have done? These books are juicy, frequently hysterical, and extremely messy. What’s not to love? Nothing!
A Scot To The Heart by Caroline Linden. Book 2 of a series about the family of the Duke of Carlyle trying to find an heir for the dukedom brings us the most likely (for now) recipient of the title: Captain Andrew St. James, a man of good standing if minimal prospects. In order to endear himself to his wealthy and powerful distant cousins, he’s promised to find a respectable English wife so as not to scandalize the dukedom he’s in line to inherit.
But when he goes home to tell his mother and sisters of their likely change of fortune (and he’ll get a stipend for life regardless of if he inherits for even trying to live up to expectations), he runs into his sister’s best friend Ilsa Ramsay, a widow with no interest in another stifling marriage and a potentially criminal father on her hands. But neither Ilsa nor Andrew can deny the attraction between them after a dance, and despite his need for a respectable partner, he immediately jumps into the fray to help Ilsa through the scandal that erupts around her.
Is the pull of his heart stronger than the pull for duty? HmmMMMmmmm.
How hot? 🔥🔥🔥
After Dark With the Duke by Julie Anne Long. I adore the Palace of Rogues series, and this might be my favorite so far! It’s a book about the burden of reputation, and it’s lovely.
On the scandalous side, we have opera singer Mariana Wylde, who’s hiding out at the Palace of Rogues (cough I mean Grand Palace on the Thames) after an ex lover of hers fought a duel in her honor that ended in injury and her reputation in tatters. She’s being called some predictably sexist things, and is afraid she’ll never get to do the work she loves again (or find work to live she can stomach, period). The hoteliers give her sanctuary, and a potential fresh start by organizing a concert she’ll perform in to resuscitate her reputation and help them keep the lights on in their lovely hotel.
Also staying at the Palace during this time is the “valorous” duke himself, the Duke of Valkirk, renowned for his honor on the battlefield and off and nearly two decades the Harlot of Haywood Street’s senior. He’s got some major writer’s block on his latest memoir draft, struggling to maintain the virtuous visage that’s been fairly thrust upon him, and of course lets the new hotel guest’s reputation precede her.
What begins as a clash of two larger than life personalities becomes a heart wrenching love story of two people learning to let go of society’s expectations and living in the light, together, unapologetically.
How hot? 🔥🔥🔥🔥
The Reluctant Countess by Eloisa James. A classic scandal story set up: a young Earl struggling to rehabilitate the reputation of his title from a failure of a father, and a woman he’s attracted to desperately whose reputation could not be further from what he needs right now.
Lady Yasmin Régnier might be a lady, but she’s French (uh oh) and dresses like it, her mother is a proud former mistress of Napoleon, and she’s reportedly free with her favors. Though she’s definitely not, and was in fact horrifically tricked as a younger woman rather than the world weary seductress everyone expects of her, she still has her pride, and she refuses to be less than who she is for the questionable respect of anyone… even the handsome and untouchable Giles Renwick, our young Earl in question.
These two have a lot working against them, from the gossip hounds of the ton to a vicious slut-shaming sister closer to home, but as with all of these kinds of books, they learn they’re stronger (and happier, an important detail all these dummies forget about until it’s almost too late!) together.
There’s also a doting and interfering grandpa character, which I always love.
How hot? 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Next week, I’ll be sharing the next Forced Proximity interview, this time with my Substack pal
of and many wonderful historical romances you might have heard me shout about on this very newsletter!Don’t forget to save my upcoming debut romance, whose marriage of convenience is agreed upon to AVOID courting scandal, Rehabbing the Billionaire, on Goodreads! Pre-order your copy on Amazon, or mark your calendar for August 1st to snag it on Kindle Unlimited!
What should I be reading next? Let me know in the comments!