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Saturday, July 5, 2008
title: Scandalous Love
author:Brenda Joyce
genre: historical romance
publish date: 1992
pages: 409
first line: The Hall was filled with guests.
rated: 4 out of 5
In 1898, twenty-three year old Nicole Bragg Sheldon lives in Victorian England. She has caused a scandal a few years previously, when she left her fiance at the altar and refused to marry him. Now Nicole lives with her parents and siblings, expecting to live her life without ever marrying. She prefers solitude, horseback riding and books to parties and society. Nicole rides her horse like a man even dresses like one when she rides, wearing pants, which is unheard of.
The Duke of Clayborough, Hadrian Braxton-Lowell, moves in to Chapman Hall, which is nearby Nicole's home. The two are now neighbors. The Duke has been long engaged to Lady Elizabeth, and even though he doesn't love her, he does care for her and feels it is his duty to marry her. He of course, will keep his mistresses as he always has. When he meets Nicole at a costume ball, he notices her right away.
He invites Nicole to his home, when she accepts his invitation and shows up at the Duke's home, unchaperoned, he takes her out for a horseback ride. The Duke thinks that Nicole is married and has come to visit him to have a tryst. Meanwhile Nicole thinks the Duke wants to court her and maybe marry her himself.
Soon enough Nicole realizes the Duke just wants to sleep with her, and the Duke realizes Nicole is an unwed virgin. Once this is out in the open, the two of them are arguing and fighting from then on, even though they are both attracted to each other. Nicole is furious and winds up coming back to his home and hiting him in the face with a riding crop no less! The Duke tells Nicole to never come back, but Nicole won't give up that easily. The two of them can't keep away from each other anyway. They run into each other often from then on, and each encounter has some juicy drama involved. Nicole even meets Elizabeth, Hadrian's future bride, and feels guilty about her feelings for him, especially since Elizabeth is very kind to her.
This is a good read, full of romance and plenty of drama. I was laughing in the one part where Nicole visits the Duke and he is asking her if she likes to 'ride'. She thinks he means horseback riding.
She groped for something more to say. After all, if she could not expound upon the subject of horses, what could she discuss? "I am very fond of riding."
He slanted a look at her. "I am very fond of riding also."
His tone had changed and she swallowed. It was almost as if there were another meaning to his words. "I ride almost every day."
He was staring at her. "Are your rides docile, Nicole, or dangerous?" His tone was low.
She blinked. She could only think of how she preferred to ride at breakneck speed across the hunt course. "Dangerous." She could not fathom where this conversation was going.
"Dangerous," he repeated slowly. He had stopped and so had she, for he still gripped her hand. "How dangerous?"
"I-I don't know." His look was unnerving her. As was the tone of his voice.
"Do you find the danger exciting?"
There was nothing more thrilling than taking a four foot jump at a high speed. "Yes", she whispered.
His hand had tightened on hers. For a moment it seemed he could not speak. "You are so different from the others. I have never met a woman before who would admit she is attracted to the danger of her pastimes."
I enjoyed this read, the characters are interesting. Even though the storyline was a bit predicatable, I still enjoyed it.
I liked both Nicole and The Duke. I like that Nicole is unconventional and has a mind of her own, she doesn't just sit around and wait for The Duke, she goes out and gets him. Nicole did get annoying in some parts though, since she acts so much out of her emotions without thinking things through, almost like a spoiled child. The Duke is a great hero, he's your classic 'tall, dark and handsome'.
If you're in the mood for a good juicy, historical romance, pick this one up.
'Reminding herself to be casual, reminding herself that no one but she herself sould possibly know how rapidly her heart beat, she turned to face him. Thier gazes met instantly. It was a moment of extreme intimacy even though the courtyard was a madhouse, filled as it was with two dozen restless horses, their excited riders and all the grooms. He could not seem to tear his gaze from hers, and Nicole felt the full force of his power, for he seemed to be attempting to reach into the depths of her heart and soul.'
An interesting tidbit, while at the authors website, I found a different book cover for Scandalous Love:
It's Fabio on the cover! Ewwwww...gross! lol...I don't think he's hot in any way, shape or form. If this cover was still in print, I would not have bought the book...lol
"Soon, Nicole", he rasped, "soon, I promise you, I will give you everything you want; I will ride you as you've never been ridden before...."
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