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A review by witandsin
Scandal of the Season by Christie Kelley
3.0
Ten years ago, Anthony Westfield, Viscount Somerton, lost his innocence and nearly destroyed the life of another in the process. Since then, he has become a jaded, closed-off, infamous rake. The only love he feels is for his mother and sisters and the only guilt he ever experiences is over the way he treated a nameless young woman that long ago night he became disillusioned. Anthony’s world is knocked off its axis when he meets that very woman once more…and she picks his pocket!
Victoria Seaton has created a new life for herself these past ten years. One where she cares for orphans and occasionally must pick a pocket or two to fund her orphanage. She is shocked, however, to find that the man whose pocket she just picked is not only the brother of one of her friends, but the man who could have ruined her a decade ago. Yet Somerton is nothing like the young man she remembers. He’s cold, calculating, and when he discovers her thievery, bribes her to aid him on a secret government mission. He’ll give her an unheard of amount of money for her orphanage, but in exchange, she must pose as his mistress for a week at a holiday country party. Victoria agrees, but swears she will only be his mistress in name only. But close quarters, a tumultuous past, and sizzling passion weaken Victoria’s resolve and strengthen the bond between her and Anthony.
Christmas is a time for miracles. Will Victoria and Anthony find that greatest miracle of all: love?
Scandalous secrets, intrigue, forgiveness, and desire all come together in the lovely Scandal of the Season. I admit, for the first half of the book I was somewhat concerned with how Christie Kelley would bring Victoria and Anthony together. Both have been so wounded by the past that the pain of their emotional scars threatens to overwhelm the story, but in a way that frustrated me as a reader, rather than made me empathize with them. The first half of Scandal of the Season contains quite a bit of one step forward, two steps back. However, stick with Scandal of the Season because the second half of the book is vastly more entertaining. The real emotional connection between Anthony and Victoria develops, not to mention the element of danger from Anthony’s mission finally becomes real. The second half of Scandal of the Season zipped along and captured my attention one hundred percent. The outcome of the story may be somewhat predictable, but there’s comfort in the resolution all the same.
Scandal of the Season can be read as a standalone, but the heroes and heroines of Ms. Kelley’s previous novels all appear. I will say, having not read Ms. Kelley’s books before, that I definitely want to read Victoria’s friends’ stories (Every Night I’m Yours, Every Time We Kiss, and Something Scandalous). In addition, Ms. Kelley finishes Scandal of the Season with a delightful tease for Victoria’s only unmarried friend – Anthony’s half-sister, the renowned mystic and matchmaker Sophie.
While Victoria and Anthony didn’t knock me off my feet, Scandal of the Season was still a solidly entertaining read. The secondary characters captivated me more than Scandal of the Season’s protagonists, which may not be a wonderful thing, but I was still pleased by it, for I now have three more books (and a fourth if, as I hope, Ms. Kelley writes Sophie’s story) that I am looking forward to reading.
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed.
Victoria Seaton has created a new life for herself these past ten years. One where she cares for orphans and occasionally must pick a pocket or two to fund her orphanage. She is shocked, however, to find that the man whose pocket she just picked is not only the brother of one of her friends, but the man who could have ruined her a decade ago. Yet Somerton is nothing like the young man she remembers. He’s cold, calculating, and when he discovers her thievery, bribes her to aid him on a secret government mission. He’ll give her an unheard of amount of money for her orphanage, but in exchange, she must pose as his mistress for a week at a holiday country party. Victoria agrees, but swears she will only be his mistress in name only. But close quarters, a tumultuous past, and sizzling passion weaken Victoria’s resolve and strengthen the bond between her and Anthony.
Christmas is a time for miracles. Will Victoria and Anthony find that greatest miracle of all: love?
Scandalous secrets, intrigue, forgiveness, and desire all come together in the lovely Scandal of the Season. I admit, for the first half of the book I was somewhat concerned with how Christie Kelley would bring Victoria and Anthony together. Both have been so wounded by the past that the pain of their emotional scars threatens to overwhelm the story, but in a way that frustrated me as a reader, rather than made me empathize with them. The first half of Scandal of the Season contains quite a bit of one step forward, two steps back. However, stick with Scandal of the Season because the second half of the book is vastly more entertaining. The real emotional connection between Anthony and Victoria develops, not to mention the element of danger from Anthony’s mission finally becomes real. The second half of Scandal of the Season zipped along and captured my attention one hundred percent. The outcome of the story may be somewhat predictable, but there’s comfort in the resolution all the same.
Scandal of the Season can be read as a standalone, but the heroes and heroines of Ms. Kelley’s previous novels all appear. I will say, having not read Ms. Kelley’s books before, that I definitely want to read Victoria’s friends’ stories (Every Night I’m Yours, Every Time We Kiss, and Something Scandalous). In addition, Ms. Kelley finishes Scandal of the Season with a delightful tease for Victoria’s only unmarried friend – Anthony’s half-sister, the renowned mystic and matchmaker Sophie.
While Victoria and Anthony didn’t knock me off my feet, Scandal of the Season was still a solidly entertaining read. The secondary characters captivated me more than Scandal of the Season’s protagonists, which may not be a wonderful thing, but I was still pleased by it, for I now have three more books (and a fourth if, as I hope, Ms. Kelley writes Sophie’s story) that I am looking forward to reading.
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed.