Not Quite a Scandal has all of the angst and strong-willed protagonists I expect from Bliss Bennet. It’s a little weaker than its predecessor (Not Quite a Marriage), but it’s impeccably researched and filled with Bennett’s hallmark combination of imperfect characters finding imperfect romance in unique ways.

It’s worth noting that you will need to read Not Quite a Marriage before this one, as the two plots intertwine heavily. It’s very much not a standalone.

Bathsheba (Sheba) Audley Honeychurch** is a lively, wild-souled girl who has a big heart. She just wants to live up to her mother’s, example as an ideal Quaker and a reformer, but she knows, as a woman, her power is limited. The easiest way to influence the world outside of her home, she realizes, is to make a marriage with her best friend, Ash Griffin, once he comes of age. He will then be able to help her complete her dream of going overseas to minister and educate others, as well as advocate for the abolition of slavery. Sheba is too stubborn to admit to herself she’s not at all romantically attracted to Ash.

Noel Griffin has not inherited the earldom he has long anticipated–it has gone, instead, to his cousin Ash. Ash’s father became a Quaker and his family shunned him for that choice and pretended he had died and that he’d not had a son, Ash. But after his grandfather’s death, his grandmother confesses the truth. Without station and power, Noel is reduced to fulfilling his grandmother’s request – he must find Ash, train him to be the new Earl of Silliman, and encourage him to abandon those Quaker values and take his proper place in London society.

Sheba and Noel literally bump into one another outside of an anti-slavery meeting held by the Society of Friends. In spite of his own support of some of the Quaker’s causes, Noel is bent upon his mission. Noting Sheba’s sway over Ash, Noel is determined to get his cousin to abandon the religion and bring him back to the family nest, putting him at immediate loggerheads with the strong, assured Sheba.

But soon, Noel and Sheba find themselves talking about more than his cousin. It turns out they have many things in common – and might have a burgeoning attraction percolating for one another. But what will become of Ash, and will Sheba be forced to give up her dreams – and her religion – to find real love? And will Noel become aware of just what the Earldom’s entrenchment in the slave trade really means?

I liked a lot of Not Quite a Scandal. Sheba is a dynamite heroine – strong, stubborn, mule-headed, feisty and alive. Noel moves from being a more standoffish society type to a winning, strong-minded, caring hero who develops an understanding with Sheba’s strong religious convictions – interfaith marriage isn’t often explored in historical romance, and I wanted more of this. I didn’t quite bond with these two the way I bonded with Spencer and Delphy in the previous book, yet I rooted for, cared about, and treasured their romance. 

Everything here is, as is always, impeccably researched. From the meeting pamphlets to the tone of correspondence to how people behaved and what they wore, everything makes sense, rings true and taught me much. I loved the way Sheba’s strong bond with Delphy shapes everything, and I loved the way Noel’s love of and faith in his family drove him along.

The low spice factor here surprised me – but, as always with Bennet, there’s lots of sexual tension, which ends up detonating in a frantic pre-wedding make-out and some kissing, it doesn’t lead to the full monty. But that doesn’t really matter. Not Quite a Scandal is a beautiful treasure, and though I liked it a little less than it’s predecessor it’s a great slice of historical romance.

**I see your A Room With a View and Far from a Maddening Crowd references!

Editor’s note: There were some errors in the initial published version of this review that have since been corrected.