Scan barcode
marimaiz's review against another edition
4.0
I thought the way the main characters were being completely different from each other, was a great plot. Also, getting to know Julia and finally figuring out why she wanted the divorce so much was interesting because it makes the reader wonder about how much society has changed... And how much it hasn't.
beckymmoe's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this one even better than the first in the series, The Wedding of the Season. It took two characters from the first book, Julia and Adian (the "abandoned at the altar" groom), and really brought them to life. Reading the first novel, you could definitely feel the tension between the two, and this book really makes the reader see what has gone on between the two of them, both in the distant and not-so-distant past. Julia becomes much more than Trix's embittered cousin, and Adian becomes much more human. Characters from Guhrke's other series, the Girl-Bachelors, also make cameo appearances, which adds to the fun. Can't wait to see more in this series!
silvercal's review against another edition
5.0
I was really looking forward to reading this book, which follows Wedding of the Season, and features the straight laced Aidan, Duke of Trathen, and the carefree Julia and I am so glad that it was just as excellent, if not a bit more, than the first! The book opens with Julia finally getting her divorce from her hateful husband, Yardley. But in the process of getting it, she ends up causing yet another broken engagement and scandal for Aidan as she uses him in her desperate plan to leave her husband.
Now six months later, Aidan is entering back into the ton in hopes of finding a proper duchess and producing an heir. He keeps thinking about Julia and their afternoon together in the cottage but is only having hazy memories. When they bump into each at a ball, the sparks are still there but they both ignore them. Julia keeps up her pretense of carefreeness that she has built all around herself as a result of some horrible actions done to her from her ex husband and continues to believe that she can never be good enough for Aidan. At the same time Aidan keeps having these memories of all their past run ins, which include the first time they meet thirteen years ago, that he just can not seem to let go.
As the book unfolds and we learn more and more of both Aidan and Julias past together and Julias deep emotional scars, Aidan slowly transforms from the stuck up man and gradually loosens up a bit and when Aidan and Julia finally reconnect....so romantic, sweet, and hot. After reading the first book and seeing how Aidan was with Trix (Julias cousin) I wasn't sure how he could change enough to satisfy Julia, but Ms Guhrke seems to have done a good job. And I was surprised at how long Julia and Aidan have known each other and how they always had these lingering feelings even though they barely knew each other. There are plenty of fun moments as Julia is quite a character with everyone and her dog Spike adds some good doses of humor as well. It was really an emotional ride as you want to know what Julias secrets are and what really happened that afternoon and when she finally confides to Aidan how Yardley treated her, well, it was worth the wait. Overall, if you are in the mood for a fun, sexy, emotional (but not deep) this is a great book to check out. 4 1/2 stars
I received this ebook from netgallery.com
Now six months later, Aidan is entering back into the ton in hopes of finding a proper duchess and producing an heir. He keeps thinking about Julia and their afternoon together in the cottage but is only having hazy memories. When they bump into each at a ball, the sparks are still there but they both ignore them. Julia keeps up her pretense of carefreeness that she has built all around herself as a result of some horrible actions done to her from her ex husband and continues to believe that she can never be good enough for Aidan. At the same time Aidan keeps having these memories of all their past run ins, which include the first time they meet thirteen years ago, that he just can not seem to let go.
As the book unfolds and we learn more and more of both Aidan and Julias past together and Julias deep emotional scars, Aidan slowly transforms from the stuck up man and gradually loosens up a bit and when Aidan and Julia finally reconnect....so romantic, sweet, and hot. After reading the first book and seeing how Aidan was with Trix (Julias cousin) I wasn't sure how he could change enough to satisfy Julia, but Ms Guhrke seems to have done a good job. And I was surprised at how long Julia and Aidan have known each other and how they always had these lingering feelings even though they barely knew each other. There are plenty of fun moments as Julia is quite a character with everyone and her dog Spike adds some good doses of humor as well. It was really an emotional ride as you want to know what Julias secrets are and what really happened that afternoon and when she finally confides to Aidan how Yardley treated her, well, it was worth the wait. Overall, if you are in the mood for a fun, sexy, emotional (but not deep) this is a great book to check out. 4 1/2 stars
I received this ebook from netgallery.com
sharanya's review against another edition
3.0
*TW for mentions of marital rape & domestic abuse.
Well, that was a quick breezy read but...there’s a reason why I don’t do “past lovers still in love” romances. I loved the heroine & found her struggles to overcome her demons & forge a new life compelling, but the hero? Very lukewarm. I loved the witty banter as always, but damn, was the plot a mess, with a rushed, botched ending. Overall it was okay, but I have definitely read better.
Well, that was a quick breezy read but...there’s a reason why I don’t do “past lovers still in love” romances. I loved the heroine & found her struggles to overcome her demons & forge a new life compelling, but the hero? Very lukewarm. I loved the witty banter as always, but damn, was the plot a mess, with a rushed, botched ending. Overall it was okay, but I have definitely read better.
jkh107's review against another edition
4.0
Aidan Carr, the Duke (10 points!) of Trathen is a solid, upright, honorable citizen. Which is why it seems out of character for him to be named correspondent in a scandalous divorce case. Yet he cannot get the memories of his tryst with the notorious Julia, Lady Yardley, out of his mind. Except for the parts he can't remember at all. All of which combine to totally drive him crazy, even as he tries to move on with his life.
Julia, Lady Yardley, is relieved to finally be free of her brutal husband, even though she had to seduce and betray a friend to finally get her husband to divorce her. Yet her financial problems remain, and the only person who can help her appears to be the Duke of Trathen...
This book is a fascinating look into the relationship between two people who seem to be opposite: Aidan dearly wants to be married and have a family, while Julia has very good reason to be wary of entering any institution where someone can control her again. Aidan seeks respectability, while Julia has always been freewheeling. Yet Aidan has his reckless side (he loses control when he drinks, which is why he doesn't usually drink), and Julia is nowhere near as promiscuous as she presents herself.
I really enjoyed this book. Like the first in the series, I thought the ending was a little rushed and a little pat, but overall it is a solid, enjoyable romance, and one that really makes a modern reader appreciate the humane-ness of modern divorce law!
Julia, Lady Yardley, is relieved to finally be free of her brutal husband, even though she had to seduce and betray a friend to finally get her husband to divorce her. Yet her financial problems remain, and the only person who can help her appears to be the Duke of Trathen...
This book is a fascinating look into the relationship between two people who seem to be opposite: Aidan dearly wants to be married and have a family, while Julia has very good reason to be wary of entering any institution where someone can control her again. Aidan seeks respectability, while Julia has always been freewheeling. Yet Aidan has his reckless side (he loses control when he drinks, which is why he doesn't usually drink), and Julia is nowhere near as promiscuous as she presents herself.
I really enjoyed this book. Like the first in the series, I thought the ending was a little rushed and a little pat, but overall it is a solid, enjoyable romance, and one that really makes a modern reader appreciate the humane-ness of modern divorce law!
kiwicoral's review against another edition
4.0
This was very very good. I’m sad to say it’s been languishing on my shelf as the author is normally on my B List of historical romance, but this is my favourite of hers that I’ve read.
Here we have really well drawn leads. They both have a thorough backstory and their actions fit their characters (for the most part). The heroine is strong and determined. The hero is a good man. Not a bad boy, or a nice guy - a good man. He’s a duke but isn’t a snob, and treats the heroine more than fairly considering their past. He’s never condescending or patronising. He also stands firm in his convictions; he’s not a pushover. This is actually a really rare archetype for a historical romance hero.
I love the Edwardian time period (heroine owns her own car!), and the various settings were well described. And there’s a bulldog!
The only things stopping me from giving it five stars is that it’s a little muddy when the hero decided to go from “don’t pursue her” to “pursue her”; and the time jumps felt a little stilted.
But this is a really solid entry for this author!
Here we have really well drawn leads. They both have a thorough backstory and their actions fit their characters (for the most part). The heroine is strong and determined. The hero is a good man. Not a bad boy, or a nice guy - a good man. He’s a duke but isn’t a snob, and treats the heroine more than fairly considering their past. He’s never condescending or patronising. He also stands firm in his convictions; he’s not a pushover. This is actually a really rare archetype for a historical romance hero.
I love the Edwardian time period (heroine owns her own car!), and the various settings were well described. And there’s a bulldog!
The only things stopping me from giving it five stars is that it’s a little muddy when the hero decided to go from “don’t pursue her” to “pursue her”; and the time jumps felt a little stilted.
But this is a really solid entry for this author!
bedsidestack's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
malin12ccf's review against another edition
4.0
Scandal of the Year is a sequel of sorts to Wedding of the Season, and in it, the man jilted in the previous book, Aidan Carr, the Duke of Thathen, finally finds his Duchess, but only after yet another broken engagement. While his first engagement was broken once he found Lady Beatrix Danbury in the arms of her childhood sweetheart, in a particularly passionate snog, his second attempt at matrimony was ruined about a year later, when he was found naked in bed with Lady Julia Yeardley (Beatrix' cousin, a supporting character in the previous book) by her husband.
Having tried to get a divorce from her beastly husband for years, Julia finally managed it by getting Aidan incredibly drunk on champagne and seducing him, knowing her husband would find them in bed together, and the public scandal wouldn't allow him to stay married to her any longer. She knows that Aidan probably hates her afterwards, and that his previously perfect reputation was rather tarnished by the incident. So she's surprised when he not only acknowledges her at social functions, but seems quite pleased to see her. Deeply in debt, as her husband made sure she had no money of her own for most of their marriage, Julia is in desperate need for gainful employment, not something easy to find for a woman of rank, and a notorious divorcee to boot. When Aidan offers to make her his social secretary, she gladly accepts, even though her primary role will be to help him find a suitable wife, and she'll have to spend lots of time in close proximity to the only man who's ever really made her feel passionate.
Aidan seen from Julia's perspective is rather a different man than the one presented in Wedding of the Season, and as it's clear that he's always fancied her cousin since the first time he met her, it's probably a good thing he didn't end up marrying Beatrix. He's still a perfect gentleman, kind, honourable, protective and chivalrous, but instead of coming across as a bit of a boring prig here, it's clear that he keeps his true emotions tightly shackled, for fear of repeating his father's mistakes. He knows that unless he keeps his desires reigned in, he'll hurt the people around him, who depend on him, and he strives to do the right thing always. Like Beatrix, he thinks he knows exactly what he wants in a life partner, only to have his mind changed for him. When he realizes what he does want, however, he doesn't hesitate as long as she did, he pursues it with a singleminded determination.
While Wedding of the Season was a nice bit of escapist fluff which I wouldn't necessarily remember a year from now, I'm glad I read it, as it set up the scene for the protagonists of this book. Scandal of the Year was a great romance and a much more satisfying read, more so because Aidan and Julia, who seemingly couldn't stand each other in the previous book, are clearly meant for each other. Having met at chance encounters throughout the years, the first time shortly before Julia was about to make her disastrous marriage, they've got a much more interesting backstory than Beatrix and Will, and Julia's vulnerability and vehement unwillingness to ever commit to a man are very understandable. Both protagonists seem like much more complex characters, and their sufferings and struggles make their happy ending so much more rewarding. This book reminded me in turns of Blue Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas and His at Night by Sherry Thomas, and stood up well in comparison to both books. There is apparently a third book in this series coming out, and I now can't wait to read it.
Having tried to get a divorce from her beastly husband for years, Julia finally managed it by getting Aidan incredibly drunk on champagne and seducing him, knowing her husband would find them in bed together, and the public scandal wouldn't allow him to stay married to her any longer. She knows that Aidan probably hates her afterwards, and that his previously perfect reputation was rather tarnished by the incident. So she's surprised when he not only acknowledges her at social functions, but seems quite pleased to see her. Deeply in debt, as her husband made sure she had no money of her own for most of their marriage, Julia is in desperate need for gainful employment, not something easy to find for a woman of rank, and a notorious divorcee to boot. When Aidan offers to make her his social secretary, she gladly accepts, even though her primary role will be to help him find a suitable wife, and she'll have to spend lots of time in close proximity to the only man who's ever really made her feel passionate.
Aidan seen from Julia's perspective is rather a different man than the one presented in Wedding of the Season, and as it's clear that he's always fancied her cousin since the first time he met her, it's probably a good thing he didn't end up marrying Beatrix. He's still a perfect gentleman, kind, honourable, protective and chivalrous, but instead of coming across as a bit of a boring prig here, it's clear that he keeps his true emotions tightly shackled, for fear of repeating his father's mistakes. He knows that unless he keeps his desires reigned in, he'll hurt the people around him, who depend on him, and he strives to do the right thing always. Like Beatrix, he thinks he knows exactly what he wants in a life partner, only to have his mind changed for him. When he realizes what he does want, however, he doesn't hesitate as long as she did, he pursues it with a singleminded determination.
While Wedding of the Season was a nice bit of escapist fluff which I wouldn't necessarily remember a year from now, I'm glad I read it, as it set up the scene for the protagonists of this book. Scandal of the Year was a great romance and a much more satisfying read, more so because Aidan and Julia, who seemingly couldn't stand each other in the previous book, are clearly meant for each other. Having met at chance encounters throughout the years, the first time shortly before Julia was about to make her disastrous marriage, they've got a much more interesting backstory than Beatrix and Will, and Julia's vulnerability and vehement unwillingness to ever commit to a man are very understandable. Both protagonists seem like much more complex characters, and their sufferings and struggles make their happy ending so much more rewarding. This book reminded me in turns of Blue Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas and His at Night by Sherry Thomas, and stood up well in comparison to both books. There is apparently a third book in this series coming out, and I now can't wait to read it.
cindya's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely beautiful, this is definitely a keeper for me.
laura_sorensen's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the characters a lot, especially the heroine; but the ending seemed rushed.