Reviews

The Art of Scandal by Regina Black

cydneyhumphrey's review against another edition

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reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I enjoyed this but I didn't understand the parallels between this story and Scandal—however, this was a solid debut and a passionate tale of passion and art and finding yourself. I loved Rachel getting her lick back! I'm also not sure if the author is a Sims player, but the town being called Oasis Springs was so cute and funny LOL. 

3 ⭐️s
2 🌶️

raeofpurple's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

whiskers_and_lipstick's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

the_incredible_sulk's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

lugysuperfly's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

This story follows Rachel after she gets a very risky text from her politician husband that was absolutely not meant for her. This spirals into an ordeal in which we learn more and more about Rachel's life story and the lengths she has had to go through to maintain face while being the perfect wife. We also have her counterpart, Nathan, who is just roaming through life with so much pain from family and feeling inadequate to fulfill his role in a very prominent family. Well, I don't really know what to think about this story. I guess I'll start with what I liked. I enjoyed seeing Rachel awaken from the numbness of this awful social life she has had to endure. She is basically coerced to navigate her marital problems while maintaining a public persona for her and her cheating husband. Rachel ends up meeting Nathan when both feel at their lowest or just trapped in this airless container life and develop a deep connection that leads them to the inevitable love for each other. The families in this story are intense, for lack of a better term. They have deep communication issues and secrets. We see race, social status and money rule the story and the character's lives. Also, the main characters are artists that have been restrained by their societal roles and I enjoyed seeing them break free from those chains. This read like a soap opera and even though it is not a long story, it felt long. We get very detailed information about their lives but it is done in a concise way giving the story a very mature and grounded feel. I hope this makes sense and gives you enough insight to peak your interest in the story. 

kassafras's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

arielkc's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

justakidfromthepnw's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

natalie_deane's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book was such a pleasant surprise! I've heard nothing but great things, but I feel like most of what I've heard has been focused on this being ~steamy~ and ~scandalous~. The funny thing is, this barely had any smut (though don't get me wrong, it's definitely sultry with plenty of sexual tension). And while there were definitely scandalous moments, this story—especially once you hit the halfway point—is so deeply grounded in the characters: their passions, their regrets, the things they have given up out of fear and/or responsibility, their complex family dynamics, and so much more. I got emotional more than once during this story, and the unexpected depth made me so excited to read future Regina Black books! I was also surprised that I didn't mind the age gap between Rachel and Nathan. Usually I just feel uncomfortable with this trope, but the author handled it so well by *not* making it a main plot point in the story and by avoiding either character weirdly fetishizing the age of their partner.

tdigiorgio's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5