LADY SCANDAL
by Wendy LaCapra
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BLURB:
Sophia Baneham has lived in the poison of her
dead father's shadow for longer than she cares to admit. Now she exists outside
of polite society's influence, holding gambling parties for London
Lord Randolph is a spy in the service of His
Majesty, but he’s given an oath to protect the daughter of his mentor. Even as
his gamble of marriage starts to spiral out of control and his passions ignite,
Randolph
But when danger closes in, Randolph
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My Review:
Lady Scandal is a lovely and shining historical romance and I enjoyed reading it. It 's a romantic and passionate story but there is also action, mystery and suspense. It was really exciting, I could not put it down, I wanted to know what would happen next.
The father of Sophia Baneham was a diplomat of the East India Company: for too much greed acted dishonestly, as a criminal and became the main enemy of Kasai-the Butcher, who threatened to kill him and his daughter. Her father died shortly after. For three years Sophia has been quiet and thought her life was not in danger but now Kasai is close to her. She has also discovered that Hugh Randolph, her new husband, has married her under false pretense. He's a spy, has worked for her father and she believes that now works for Kasai and has been instructed to killing her. Hugh tries to convince her that he wants to protect her, but Sophia doesn't trust. She decides to run away and will hide herself from her husband and from men of Kasai. Will Hugh be able to protect her and to show her his love?
The characters are lovely and well defined. Sophia is a heroine strong, courageous, independent and loyal, she feels guilty for being the daughter of a dishonest person. She's so headstrong as to endanger her life and those of the people she loves. Lord Randolph is a hero, a man to fall in love: he is willing to give up Sophia if it serves to save her life.
It's the second book in the series "Furies": each book tells the story of one of the Furies, a group of three women who have sworn to protect each other. I can't wait to read the story of Lavinia, the first book. This novel can be read as a stand alone, I have not read the first one and I had no trouble.
If you enjoy regency romance, then I'd definitely reccomend this novel.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Entangled via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.
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EXCERPT:
She was proud, as she should be, of her choice for a hiding
place. He thought of the silk night rail in his bag. The Sophia he knew would
not truly wish to remain indefinitely in a place like this.
…Not if given a viable alternative.
His idea could rebound, and he would be worse after then he
was now. But Sophia was worth a gamble.
“I intend to honor my promise to Elizabeth
Her eyes widened. “Pardon?”
“You ran from me, sweetness.”
“I ran after I was deceived,” she said. “I believed you
capable of any deception. You could have been working for Kasai .
You could have been the man who killed my father.”
Believed. Past. Not believe. Current. He still had a chance.
Please do not question this ruse.
He placed his hands behind his back and aimed for a very
innocent, yet grave, expression. “Naturally, I was concerned. I am much
relieved, now I see you are safe.” He furrowed his brow as if he were
formulating a plan instead of inventing a desperate pretense. “I would insist
on a guard, of course. A better one than I placed outside the dowager’s.”
She blinked. “You are planning to leave?”
“Clearly, you wish to be left.”
She narrowed her eyes. “And if I decide to become a Quaker?”
He laughed out loud. “You, who purred at the thought of fine
silk?”
She flashed a furious scowl. “You make me sound frivolous.”
“Sauce for the duck is not sauce for the gander?” He
squinted, trying to recall… “‘Just a rake’ you called me. Nothing more than a
libertine controlled by his appetites.”
“I never intended to insult you.”
“No. You intended to use me as you pleased.”
She swallowed. “I have been disabused of that notion.”
“Have you?” He fixed his gaze on her hunted-fox eyes,
acutely conscious they had lost their former sparkle, their former mischief.
“The Sophia I know would not give up with such ease.”
He closed the distance between them. Again, he cupped her
face. He savored the feel of her tiny oval jaw in his over-large hands. Her
barely there, involuntary pout invited him to dine.
Ah, her taste. Sweet. So sweet.
He had not planned the kiss, but how could he resist a mouth
so delicately pink, so tempting, and so terribly close? His lips touched hers,
dewy soft and achingly ambrosial.
She was better than strawberries, freshly picked and still
warm from the heat of the sun. Her lips moved against his, creamy and fluid.
Just before the blood rushed downward, he had the short-lived sense he was
complete.
He seized his final thread of fraying strength and broke
free from the mysterious force compelling him to keep her close.
“Goodbye, Sophia Jane.”
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Wendy LaCapra, a
2012 Golden Heart® Finalist, has been reading romance since she discovered
Victoria Holt (in the library's adult section!) From that point on, her
only dream was to create worlds with historical richness, intrigue and
pleasure. She lives in NYC with her husband and can occasionally be found
gossiping about history and romance with the Dashing Duchesses or
burning up the web with those mystical mistresses of resilience, the GH class
of 2012 aka the
Firebirds.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/wendylacapra
Website: http://www.wendylacapra.com/
A LITTLE INTERVIEW
Do
you have any tattoos? Where? When did
you get it/them? Where are they on your body?
I do have a tattoo! A quarter-sized copy of
Cicely Mary Barker’s Forget-Me-Not Fairy. She sits at the top of my thigh and
you can’t see her unless I’m in a bathing suit. I wanted her on my stomach, but
bless the tattoo artist for warning me I wouldn’t be my 21-year-old weight
forever!
Is
your life anything like it was two years ago?
It’s deepened, I think. Losing a parent,
achieving a dream and a major move have made me cherish my friendships and my
marriage.
How
long have you been writing?
A looonng time. I tried writing my first
story when I was in second grade. I turned to poetry and essays in my teens and
early 20s and I finished my first novel in the 2000’s.
What
advice would you give a new writer just starting out?
Make friends with others who not only share
your dreams and aspirations but are actively working on their dreams, too.
Shared goals and shared challenges are the secret sauce to sticking to this
crazy journey. No one will support you and challenge you more than your writing
friends.
Tell
us something about your newest release that is NOT in the blurb.
Humm… I love this book because I think it
has some of the best flirtation. These two just love to make each other’s eyes
twinkle. And (drinking game-tea, of course) keep your eye out for a Quaker, a
madhouse and a set of false dice.
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
The author will award one of ten ebooks to ten
randomly drawn winners via rafflcopter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thank you for hosting me! I am thrilled you liked the book!
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