Scandal of the Year
Grade : B

Sometimes nothing hits the spot better than a bad girl out to get her good boy. Though I use the terms girl and boy here, make no mistake that Laura Lee Guhrke’s Scandal of the Year is a mature story, well-worth the angst involved.

Trapped in a bad marriage with little hope of escaping, Lady Julia Yardley avoids her husband in inventive, yet sometimes scandalous ways. However, when a chance at freedom falls into her lap in the form of Aidan Carr, Duke of Trathen, she leaps at the chance and takes every advantage of the situation, although she knows reputations have been destroyed for less. Anything is better than where she stands currently.

From an early age, Aidan has fought his attraction to the reckless Julia by doing and acting as expected of a man in his position. In a moment of extreme weakness and cloudiness, he falls to temptation and ends up the source of scandalous gossip, as well as a participant in divorce proceedings. His temporary lapse in sanity is also disastrous for his own matrimonial prospects. And that is where his dilemma really begins: He needs a wife.

Though Julia embraces her freedom, it comes with a price. Determined not to be a burden on family, she seeks a way to support herself by taking advantage of her own personal skill set – attending societal functions and knowing everyone who is anyone - which unfortunately aren’t skills much in demand, except maybe to Aidan. After all, she could weed out the truly undesirable among those willing to overlook scandal in order to land a duke.

Though Ms. Guhrke’s subject matter is somewhat dark, she weaves just enough humor in to keep it from being too heavy. The flashbacks provide glimpses into the characters pasts and reveal enough to make the reader want more. There is angst and unrequited emotions, but they’re explained through flashbacks and add depth to the story.

It’s refreshing to read about mature characters with history who handle adult situations. Plus, both characters are sympathetic and likable and I wanted to get to know both of them. Julia seems reckless at times, but as the story develops it’s explained in a believable way. Aidan is an honorable man who longs for things he can’t have and accepts it and moves on until it becomes obvious he doesn’t have to keep moving.

However, the story isn’t completely free of problems, though it’s darn good in comparison with many. The resolution came too quickly and I wanted to experience more of them working through problems instead of the immediate reconciliation provided. Also, I wanted to know Aidan more. I enjoyed the fact that so much time is spent on Julia’s character, however, a little more time spent in his head would have been nice.

Scandal of the Year is a solid historical romance with interesting characters and plenty of emotion. In addition, the historical setting with flashes of modern convenience only added to the author’s unique voice. Simply put, it provided a worthwhile reading experience I valued.

Reviewed by Heather Brooks
Grade : B

Sensuality: Warm

Review Date : March 25, 2011

Publication Date: 2011/02

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Heather Brooks

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