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Liked It “8/10 stars.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “I liked the flashbacks but it was over a third of way into the book when she only just begrudgingly agreed to dance with him. So I started to skim and things did pick up but I had lost interest.” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“I liked the flashbacks but it was over a third of way into the book when she only just begrudgingly agreed to dance with him. So I started to skim and things did pick up but I had lost interest.”
Dawn wrote this review Friday, November 6 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“8/10 stars.”
Kira G wrote this review Wednesday, August 19 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“At a very young age, Sophie Mercer eloped with handsome, callow, libertine, Tommy Evans. After he squandered her dowry, Sophie turned to writing to keep from being thrown into the poor house. Tommy’s friend, the Earl of Banallt, is no stranger to scandal. When he meets Mrs. Evans, an unconventional and intelligent woman, he is surprised by his reaction. Unlike other females, who easily fall into the rake’s bed, Sophie refuses to be seduced. It doesn’t take long before Banallt desires her more than ever—and for more than an illicit affair. Many years pass and Sophie, now a widow, is under her brother’s protection. A chance meeting at a party makes the Earl even more determined to win the woman he loves. Sophie doesn’t believe the scoundrel’s declaration of love or his chivalrous offer of marriage. Yet the sensual part of her is tempted to indulge in the scorching hot affair she fantasizes about. Can Sophie keep a cool head or will she succumb to the salacious scoundrel’s erotic pursuit to become just another notch on his bedpost?
Robin636 wrote this review Sunday, May 17 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
This fast-paced read is seduction at its best. The author has created characters that come alive on the pages. She has made Sophie a captivating, spirited woman as opposed to a conventional beauty. And the Earl of Banallt is the kind of darkly handsome man woman drool over. The scintillating repartee between heroine and hero is not only enjoyable but readers will definitely something or someone to put out the sparks. The sizzling sensuality and the amorous action move the plot as rapidly as the volatile romance developing between Sophie and Banallt.
”
“Sophie Evans was once married and deeply in love with Tommy Evans. She eloped to be with him when she was a young girl. It turns out he only wanted her for the inheritance she would bring him. He was a rake and a libertine, yet she loved him anyway. Her husband Tommy was friends with the Earl of Banallt. The Earl's reputation for womanizing was legendary and it was no surprise that Tommy would be friends with him. The Earl after taking one look at Sophie was fascinated by her and wanted to have an affair with her. Sophie, with her upstanding morals, refused to be seduced, which only made Bannalt more fascinated. Fast forward to present time and she is now a widow. The Earl is convinced he has changed his ways and wants to make Sophie his wife.
Jill D wrote this review Friday, May 15 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Scandal is an excellent historical. This is my first book by Carolyn Jewel and I really enjoy her writing style. There is not a lot of external action to this book. It is much more a progress of the the characters emotional debate within themselves and each other that move the plot along. Usually, these types of books tend to bore me, but because the characters are so strong in this book, it works in this case.
Scandal first starts with Sophie currently living with her brother after her husband Tommy has died. The reader knows she has a past history with Bannalt, but it is not clear exactly what that relationship entailed. A few chapters alternate between present and past and eventually the whole story in all it's gory detail is revealed. (It's really not that gory!)
The real strength to Scandal is that these characters really felt as if they were truly nineteenth century people. So many times you read a historical where the characters could be replaced in any time or setting and there would be nary a difference in their behavior. You don't realize it until you read a book like Scandal and can see the difference.”
“Sophie once eloped to marry the man she loved, but he turned out to be a fortune hunter and promptly proceeded to act the rake and have numerous mistresses and what not. Her husband is now dead, but during those years, she got to know one of his friends--another rake--ad friendship blossomed between them, until he did something "unforgivable", which is not disclosed until near the end of the novel. When the book starts, her ex-friend, Banallt, wants her to marry him and it is clear from his POV that he loves her.
Selene wrote this review Saturday, March 21 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
This book is close to being very good, but it has some weaknesses that makes it more average, for me. One is structure. Sophie doesn't trust him because of their "awful" past, and Banallt is wonderfully comprehensive of this as he also thinks his actions were horrible. However, everything we see him do in the novel, even the flashbacks of the past, aren't really horrid at all. Even the great revelation of how their friendship was broken didn't strike me as very bad, to tell the truth. Especially not after a whole novel of build-up. This all works together to make it somewhat difficult to sympathize with Sophie's reluctance to trust the hero. However, Jewel manages to make a credible attempt of it, if not wonderful, until the heroine does something unforgivable, and by far worse than anything we see the hero do. From that point on, I found it really hard to sympathize with the heroine, and I thought the hero was too forgiving, never even having an argument about it, for crying out loud!
There is a farily intersting plot-twist half way through, but I did find myself wishing the author had done more with it. I also missed a more thorough description of the hero's previous marriage, especially since there was so much about Sophie's. Oh yes, and the sex scenes seemed kind of choreographed and I found myself having troubles at times to figure out what positions they were actually in. Three stars. ”
“4.5
Cindy ♥ W wrote this review Saturday, January 31 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
This book releases on 2/3 but a little bookstore with the initials of b and n had it on the shelf early. I don't know what it is about getting a book before release date, but, I enjoy it immensely.
Now for my review. I have to say this was a very, very good book, and only had some minor problems with it. In Jewel's attempt to take a scandal and tell it in a different way, BRAVO and Thank you! I felt this was a new story. When the book begins, we know Banallt is a rake, but yet his love for Sophie, having her or not, has already reformed him. He's smitten, ruined (his words), and utterly enchanted by Sophie's mind, heart and body. They meet under uncomfortable circumstances, but yet become friends while he is a friend of her husband's. In Private Arrangements, it annoyed me bouncing back and forth between present and past, but in this book, it was so enjoyable. You feel the build up of their relationship, and regardless of it starting out a bit slower than I like, it still worked well.
(Sorry, I just don't want to give spoilers) I felt that the tragedy that struck Banallt should have been revealed earlier in the story, and that it should have had a bigger effect on Sophie. Not many books end with the heroine's monologue for being a big pain in the butt, but this one does. She needed too, she wasn't b***hy, she was letting the past control her future. For me, the end happened too quick and I wanted to know more. So, while I haven't decided if I'll keep it or not, It was a great read!
Ms. Jewel, please tell me there will be a story with Tallboys winning the heartbroken Miss Fidelia.”
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