Scandals is ruined by a “too stupid to live heroine”. Unbelievable plot twists and purple prose also spoil the experience. To top it off, this book takes what could have been an enjoyable Gothic plot and turns it into a parade of cliches.

Wealthy, young Victoria Hawthorne is in love with laborer Ned Thomas. What does she see in him? Beats me. During an assignation in her father’s stables, Ned paws her and uses the old “If you really loved me…” line. Luckily for Victoria, her father comes along and saves her before things go too far.

For some reason, Victoria still loves Ned. Her father whisks Victoria off to London, hoping to marry her off. Though the incident with Ned happened in a stable in Yorkshire and there were few witnesses, for some reason all of London society knows about it. (Psychic hotlines in 1855?) Soon all of London society brands Victoria a harlot. She is the beautiful daughter of a wealthy nobleman, but her dance card is blank.

Victoria’s only suitor is Steede Warring, the Earl of Blackstone, recently back from India. Steede fits a classic Gothic archetype. Not only is he rich and handsome, he is also rumored to have killed his wife. (Despite a huge lack of evidence, of course.) Victoria agrees to marry him but secretly plans to run off with Ned, though she hasn’t heard from Ned since the incident in the stables. Steede saves her from this stupid plan and marries her in Gretna Green.

Despite the lack of evidence, Victoria believes the rumors about Steede and thinks he’s trying to kill her. At Blackstone Manor, Steede introduces her to his daughter, Mary, who has been mute since the death of her mother. Victoria works hard to gain Mary’s love, even as she contends with the jealousy of Mary’s Indian nurse, Kalinda. (Do you hear any warning bells going off?)

Finally showing intelligence, Victoria makes progress with Mary. Just when the reader starts to feel hope for this heroine, Victoria does something stupid again. She is told that her horse is behaving strangely, but she rides it anyway. The horse throws her, of course. Victoria discovers that this was no accident, and naturally, she decides Steede must be responsible. After more plot twists and unfounded paranoia, Victoria finally learns the truth.

Victoria is supposed to be intelligent, yet she does so many stupid things. Strangely, Victoria seems knowledgeable and well-read. She is also a good care giver, handling Mary with common sense. Yet whenever the plot needs a little push, that common sense disappears. Unlike her intelligence, Victoria’s paranoia knows no bounds. When Steede tries to rescue her from a runaway coach, she thinks he’s trying to kill her. She reads murderous schemes into everything he does. I don’t know how Steede put up with her.

I wish more scenes had been told from Steede’s point of view. Despite the gossip about Victoria, he trusts in her innocence. He is perceptive enough to realize Victoria was deprived of her father’s love. Steede yearns to make up for that loss. I hated to see a caring hero wasted on a book like this.

The secondary characters are badly portrayed. Victoria’s father has been distant to her ever since her mother’s death. Haven’t we heard that one before? Kalinda is the typical servant who is jealous of the new master’s new wife. And Ned is such a stock character in the romance novel I wanted to scream.

I’m a huge fan of Gothics, but the Gothic plot elements in this book really disappointed me. If you’re in the mood for a romance with Gothic overtones, avoid this book. Instead, hunt down books by the grand dames: Phyllis Whitney, Victoria Holt, and Mary Stewart, among others. Some used bookstores still have Gothic sections. Take advantage of these resources before they’re gone. Unlike reading this book, it will be worth the effort.