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Hellions of High Street #1
Scandalously Yours
Proper young ladies of the ton—especially ones who have very small dowries—are not encouraged to have an interest in intellectual pursuits. Indeed, the only thing they are encouraged to pursue is an eligible bachelor. So, the headstrong Sloane sisters must keep their passions a secret. Ah, but secret passions are wont to lead a lady into trouble...
SCANDALOUSLY YOURS
The eldest of the three Sloane sisters, Olivia is unafraid to question the boundaries of Society—even if it does frequently land her in trouble. Disdaining the glittery world of balls and courtship, Olivia prefers to spend her time writing fiery political essays under a pseudonym for London's leading newspaper. But when her columns attract the attention of the oh-so-proper Earl of Wrexham, Olivia suddenly finds herself dancing on the razor's edge of scandal. With the help of her sisters, she tries to stay one step ahead of trouble...
However, after a series of madcap misadventures, Wrexham, a former military hero who is fighting for social reform in Parliament, discovers Olivia's secret. To her surprise, he proposes a temporary alliance to help win passage of his bill. Passion flares between them, but when a political enemy kidnaps the earl's young son, they must make some dangerous decisions... and trust that love will conquer all.
SCANDALOUSLY YOURS
The eldest of the three Sloane sisters, Olivia is unafraid to question the boundaries of Society—even if it does frequently land her in trouble. Disdaining the glittery world of balls and courtship, Olivia prefers to spend her time writing fiery political essays under a pseudonym for London's leading newspaper. But when her columns attract the attention of the oh-so-proper Earl of Wrexham, Olivia suddenly finds herself dancing on the razor's edge of scandal. With the help of her sisters, she tries to stay one step ahead of trouble...
However, after a series of madcap misadventures, Wrexham, a former military hero who is fighting for social reform in Parliament, discovers Olivia's secret. To her surprise, he proposes a temporary alliance to help win passage of his bill. Passion flares between them, but when a political enemy kidnaps the earl's young son, they must make some dangerous decisions... and trust that love will conquer all.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
52 people are currently reading
1183 people want to read
About the author
Cara Elliott
20 books225 followersCara Elliott started creating books at the age of five, or so her mother tells her. And Mom has the proof preserved in a family scrapbook—a neatly penciled story, the pages lavishly illustrated with full color crayon drawings of horses. Cara has since moved on from Westerns to writing about Regency England, a time and place that has captured her imagination ever since she opened the covers of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.”
A graduate of Yale University, Cara has garnered numerous accolades for her writing, including two Daphne Du Maurier Awards for Historical Mystery /Suspense and two RITAs nominations for Regency Romance.
Cara loves to travel to interesting destinations around the world—however, her favorite spot is London, where the funky antique markets, used book stores and specialty museums offer a wealth of inspiration for her stories.
A graduate of Yale University, Cara has garnered numerous accolades for her writing, including two Daphne Du Maurier Awards for Historical Mystery /Suspense and two RITAs nominations for Regency Romance.
Cara loves to travel to interesting destinations around the world—however, her favorite spot is London, where the funky antique markets, used book stores and specialty museums offer a wealth of inspiration for her stories.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 103 reviews
July 25, 2016
I've given this a B- at AAR, so that's 3.5 stars
Scandalously Yours is the first in a trilogy of books about the three Sloane Sisters – Olivia, Anna and Caro – who are, the blurb tells us, proper young ladies with small dowries, who are encouraged to do little other than pursue eligible bachelors. Of course, our heroines accept no such thing, and each of them secretly indulges in their passion for – respectively - politics, novel-writing, and poetry, while putting up with their mother’s insistence that they flutter their eyelashes and simper at available young men.
The eldest sister, Olivia, will have nothing to do with the simpering, however. She is adventurous and determinedly outspoken with a gift for political rhetoric. Having acted as her late father’s secretary on an expedition to Greece, she is a rather more well-informed than many other young ladies her age, and yearns to do something with her life rather than just look decorative and pour tea. Olivia has decided that marrying well – or at all – is not for her as she no wish to find herself subject to a husband’s authority, so, much to her mother’s despair, she refuses to hide her “oddness”.
She is also, secretly, “The Beacon”, the anonymous author of newspaper editorials which highlight the plight of the less well off in society, and who is an advocate of reform.
In fact, it seems that all three girls are unconventional and free-thinking, although the other two hide it and Olivia doesn’t. Their father was a noted and well-travelled expert on primitive cultures and rituals; an unconventional man who did not believe that his daughters should be brought up in ignorance of everything but hat-trimming and needlepoint. He talked openly to the girls about his work and the artifacts and diagrams he had collected (many of them containing sexual images and references) and thus, all three are more clued up about men and sex than most young women of the times. Their conversation about pizzles (!) early on in the book was hilarious, although even given their broader education, they still seemed a little too comfortable discussing such things.
Our hero is John, Earl of Wrexham, a widower and former military officer with a ten-year-old son. Having returned from the war in order to take his seat in the Lords, he is also looking about him for a suitable wife and step-mother. He is referred to in society as “The Perfect Hero” – courageous, honest, honourable and well-mannered, he is a paragon of virtue. Unfortunately, all that honesty and virtue also serves to make him seem as though he has a stick up his arse much of the time, as he can seem too proper and unyielding.
John is not looking to marry for love and has determined to seek a wife who is well-born, well-behaved and conventional. He decides that Lady Serena Wells is the perfect choice – but the problem is that his son, Prescott (Scottie) doesn’t like her, nicknaming her “the Steel Corset” because of her stern and very proper manner.
In a scene which reminded me of the Banks children writing a letter advertising for a new nanny, Scottie puts together a list of his requirements for a wife for his father and a mother for himself and sends it to the Mayfair Gazette. Naturally, it becomes London’s latest on-dit and the paper is inundated with replies. But the ladies who respond are not what Scottie is looking for – apart from one “Lady Loose-Screw” who sounds like the perfect candidate, so he arranges to meet her.
Being only ten years old presents rather a problem, however, as his attempt to run off to London alone is foiled when his father catches up with him on the road. Fortunately, however, Wrexham needs to go to London anyway, so they journey there together.
In London, John meets Olivia and is surprised to discover that her political views run along very similar lines to his. He also discovers her secret identity as The Beacon and asks her to help him to refine and polish his speech, which she agrees to do, and soon they have developed a strong friendship.
As a former soldier, John is very concerned about the conditions being faced by soldiers returning from war. Work is hard to find, especially for those who have been injured serving their country, and he plans to use his maiden speech to highlight these issues and make a strong case for offering these men financial support by way of some sort of pension. Although he is an earl, he is not inured to a life of privilege and unlike some, is not primarily concerned with preserving his own level of comfort. This brings him into conflict with others of his station who are most definitely not like-minded and it is not long before the threats which have been made against him to try to bring him to heel are carried out and his son is kidnapped.
John and Olivia, with the help of the rakish Lord Davenport (who is clearly being set up as the hero of the next book) then undertake a madcap – and uncomfortable – dash across England in order to effect the boy’s rescue while trying (not always successfully) to keep their hands off each other.
I liked Olivia’s boldness and honesty, even though I felt it was sometimes just a tad too extreme for the time at which the novel is set. But I didn’t like the number of times I was reminded that her flouting of convention and outspokenness was why she had been nicknamed the “Hellion of High Street” by the tabbies of the ton. I got it the first time, thanks. While I like reading about heroines with minds of their own, to have one who, at this period in history, delights in going out of her way to be different was too difficult to swallow, especially as she had no money to speak of. Women had very few options back then – it was get married or nothing; and for the woman with little money, being unmarried often led to a very difficult existence à la Emma’s Miss Bates.
Wrexham was rather endearing, despite his stuffiness, and his desire to do the right thing for his son was a very attractive quality. It was also nice to read about a widower who had actually loved his wife, rather than one whose marriage had been little more than cordial and who had never been in love before. He was supportive of Olivia, never dismissive of her views and suggestions, and revealed himself to have a dry sense of humour – but I confess he did come across as a little on the bland side.
I enjoyed the way the relationship developed between the two, with them finding common interests and striking up (an admittedly charged) friendship before they became lovers, a friendship they managed to maintain even after Olivia had somewhat cavalierly brushed aside Wrexham’s proposal following an afternoon’s passionate interlude. (I normally roll my eyes at that point in a novel – when the hero proposes to the heroine after they’ve hit the sack and she turns him down; but here, I felt Olivia’s character had been so well set up that the rejection made sense given all she had previously said about not wanting to be subject to a man’s authority.) However, their working partnership, both before and after they did the horizontal mambo was well written and was one of the highlights of the book.
Scandalously Yours is a promising start to a new series. It’s an easy, undemanding read, the characters are likeabIe and the writing is intelligent and often humorous. The secondary characters – Anna, Caro, Davenport and Scottie – are all well drawn and engaging, and the author’s incorporation of elements of the political situation at the time provides an interesting backdrop to the romance, and is also key to a number of the plot developments. Overall, however, I couldn’t quite ignore the issues I had with the characterization of the two principals. That said, I’d certainly recommend the book to those who like their romance laced with a dose of history, and I may pick up the next book in the series as I have the feeling that Davenport has the makings of a rather delicious hero.
Scandalously Yours is the first in a trilogy of books about the three Sloane Sisters – Olivia, Anna and Caro – who are, the blurb tells us, proper young ladies with small dowries, who are encouraged to do little other than pursue eligible bachelors. Of course, our heroines accept no such thing, and each of them secretly indulges in their passion for – respectively - politics, novel-writing, and poetry, while putting up with their mother’s insistence that they flutter their eyelashes and simper at available young men.
The eldest sister, Olivia, will have nothing to do with the simpering, however. She is adventurous and determinedly outspoken with a gift for political rhetoric. Having acted as her late father’s secretary on an expedition to Greece, she is a rather more well-informed than many other young ladies her age, and yearns to do something with her life rather than just look decorative and pour tea. Olivia has decided that marrying well – or at all – is not for her as she no wish to find herself subject to a husband’s authority, so, much to her mother’s despair, she refuses to hide her “oddness”.
She is also, secretly, “The Beacon”, the anonymous author of newspaper editorials which highlight the plight of the less well off in society, and who is an advocate of reform.
In fact, it seems that all three girls are unconventional and free-thinking, although the other two hide it and Olivia doesn’t. Their father was a noted and well-travelled expert on primitive cultures and rituals; an unconventional man who did not believe that his daughters should be brought up in ignorance of everything but hat-trimming and needlepoint. He talked openly to the girls about his work and the artifacts and diagrams he had collected (many of them containing sexual images and references) and thus, all three are more clued up about men and sex than most young women of the times. Their conversation about pizzles (!) early on in the book was hilarious, although even given their broader education, they still seemed a little too comfortable discussing such things.
Our hero is John, Earl of Wrexham, a widower and former military officer with a ten-year-old son. Having returned from the war in order to take his seat in the Lords, he is also looking about him for a suitable wife and step-mother. He is referred to in society as “The Perfect Hero” – courageous, honest, honourable and well-mannered, he is a paragon of virtue. Unfortunately, all that honesty and virtue also serves to make him seem as though he has a stick up his arse much of the time, as he can seem too proper and unyielding.
John is not looking to marry for love and has determined to seek a wife who is well-born, well-behaved and conventional. He decides that Lady Serena Wells is the perfect choice – but the problem is that his son, Prescott (Scottie) doesn’t like her, nicknaming her “the Steel Corset” because of her stern and very proper manner.
In a scene which reminded me of the Banks children writing a letter advertising for a new nanny, Scottie puts together a list of his requirements for a wife for his father and a mother for himself and sends it to the Mayfair Gazette. Naturally, it becomes London’s latest on-dit and the paper is inundated with replies. But the ladies who respond are not what Scottie is looking for – apart from one “Lady Loose-Screw” who sounds like the perfect candidate, so he arranges to meet her.
Being only ten years old presents rather a problem, however, as his attempt to run off to London alone is foiled when his father catches up with him on the road. Fortunately, however, Wrexham needs to go to London anyway, so they journey there together.
In London, John meets Olivia and is surprised to discover that her political views run along very similar lines to his. He also discovers her secret identity as The Beacon and asks her to help him to refine and polish his speech, which she agrees to do, and soon they have developed a strong friendship.
As a former soldier, John is very concerned about the conditions being faced by soldiers returning from war. Work is hard to find, especially for those who have been injured serving their country, and he plans to use his maiden speech to highlight these issues and make a strong case for offering these men financial support by way of some sort of pension. Although he is an earl, he is not inured to a life of privilege and unlike some, is not primarily concerned with preserving his own level of comfort. This brings him into conflict with others of his station who are most definitely not like-minded and it is not long before the threats which have been made against him to try to bring him to heel are carried out and his son is kidnapped.
John and Olivia, with the help of the rakish Lord Davenport (who is clearly being set up as the hero of the next book) then undertake a madcap – and uncomfortable – dash across England in order to effect the boy’s rescue while trying (not always successfully) to keep their hands off each other.
I liked Olivia’s boldness and honesty, even though I felt it was sometimes just a tad too extreme for the time at which the novel is set. But I didn’t like the number of times I was reminded that her flouting of convention and outspokenness was why she had been nicknamed the “Hellion of High Street” by the tabbies of the ton. I got it the first time, thanks. While I like reading about heroines with minds of their own, to have one who, at this period in history, delights in going out of her way to be different was too difficult to swallow, especially as she had no money to speak of. Women had very few options back then – it was get married or nothing; and for the woman with little money, being unmarried often led to a very difficult existence à la Emma’s Miss Bates.
Wrexham was rather endearing, despite his stuffiness, and his desire to do the right thing for his son was a very attractive quality. It was also nice to read about a widower who had actually loved his wife, rather than one whose marriage had been little more than cordial and who had never been in love before. He was supportive of Olivia, never dismissive of her views and suggestions, and revealed himself to have a dry sense of humour – but I confess he did come across as a little on the bland side.
I enjoyed the way the relationship developed between the two, with them finding common interests and striking up (an admittedly charged) friendship before they became lovers, a friendship they managed to maintain even after Olivia had somewhat cavalierly brushed aside Wrexham’s proposal following an afternoon’s passionate interlude. (I normally roll my eyes at that point in a novel – when the hero proposes to the heroine after they’ve hit the sack and she turns him down; but here, I felt Olivia’s character had been so well set up that the rejection made sense given all she had previously said about not wanting to be subject to a man’s authority.) However, their working partnership, both before and after they did the horizontal mambo was well written and was one of the highlights of the book.
Scandalously Yours is a promising start to a new series. It’s an easy, undemanding read, the characters are likeabIe and the writing is intelligent and often humorous. The secondary characters – Anna, Caro, Davenport and Scottie – are all well drawn and engaging, and the author’s incorporation of elements of the political situation at the time provides an interesting backdrop to the romance, and is also key to a number of the plot developments. Overall, however, I couldn’t quite ignore the issues I had with the characterization of the two principals. That said, I’d certainly recommend the book to those who like their romance laced with a dose of history, and I may pick up the next book in the series as I have the feeling that Davenport has the makings of a rather delicious hero.
July 18, 2014
Mini review; apologies for lack of substance
Elliott beings her Hellions of High Street series with her trademark humor and witty dialogue. Our heroine, Olivia, is sharp, critical, at times acidic, and above all, stubborn to a fault for her political causes, a trait which she shares with the Earl of Wrexham. When these two first met, daggers are drawn and words brandished as rapiers, yet each couldn't help but admire the other's spirit and intelligence. When an alliance is proposed between them to mutual benefit, will be it purely business, or might love enter the equation? I recommend readers to experience the fun and wit of this book for themselves, and to subsequently read the other two books of the Hellions series.
Elliott beings her Hellions of High Street series with her trademark humor and witty dialogue. Our heroine, Olivia, is sharp, critical, at times acidic, and above all, stubborn to a fault for her political causes, a trait which she shares with the Earl of Wrexham. When these two first met, daggers are drawn and words brandished as rapiers, yet each couldn't help but admire the other's spirit and intelligence. When an alliance is proposed between them to mutual benefit, will be it purely business, or might love enter the equation? I recommend readers to experience the fun and wit of this book for themselves, and to subsequently read the other two books of the Hellions series.
not-my-cuppa
July 19, 2018I’m not leaving a rating for this since I barely read any of the story. However, it quickly became apparent to me that this author’s writing style was not for me. There were so many italics. Italics for emphasis. Italics for flashbacks. Italics for weird, fragmented thoughts. I did a quick page through and noticed there italics and random internal rambling continued throughout the novel. That just doesn’t work for me. I’m all for getting inside characters’ heads. Even a random italic phrase is fine. But several instances of italics on one page? Very distracting and not for me, especially when they accompany fragmented sentences. No comment on storyline, just not my style.
January 7, 2016
'Hellions of High Street' is the name of this series - who could resist? In the first book, we meet John, Earl of Wrexham, and sympathise with the reluctance of this seasoned warrior of the Peninsular Wars to indulge in frivolity at a ball. As a widowed man, he's considered a good catch by every dowager with a simpering miss to promote.
Olivia Sloane has no time for the girls just out of the schoolroom; she swears if she has a mind to, and has no looks or dowry worth considering. Only the prospects of her two younger sisters stops her from telling people what she really thinks of their wasteful indulgent pursuits. Her father has written on primitive tribal cultures for the Royal Society, so she's unlikely to be shocked by much.
She's also better at chess than the Earl of Wrexham is expecting.
John is not the usual bachelor either, having a son ten years old. Of course the boy was in the care of a tutor while John campaigned, so now the earl is having to learn to be a father. Young Prescott resents his authority, and tells him that the house used to be happy while Mama was alive. John doesn't know it, but there is an advertisement circulating for a stepmother.
At every turn we meet another pleasant surprise; Olivia has a sister who secretly writes exciting novels, while her own thoughts are on the social care available for army veterans, including those who have lost limbs so cannot find employment. We spend time in a shop deciding how chess
pieces made of different materials feel in the hand. Young Prescott has a mind of his own, which leads to him stowing away in a coach boot to get to London.
The standard of detail in New York author Cara Elliott's writing is excellent and the lively adventures will appeal to historical romance fans who want something out of the ordinary. I did think that well-off people had more servants about them. I found the character list engaging
and quite realistic, and if the romance took a little time to show, that's because it was hard for people to spend long in each other's company unchaperoned. This tale does develop into an adult romance, quite naturally.
Olivia Sloane has no time for the girls just out of the schoolroom; she swears if she has a mind to, and has no looks or dowry worth considering. Only the prospects of her two younger sisters stops her from telling people what she really thinks of their wasteful indulgent pursuits. Her father has written on primitive tribal cultures for the Royal Society, so she's unlikely to be shocked by much.
She's also better at chess than the Earl of Wrexham is expecting.
John is not the usual bachelor either, having a son ten years old. Of course the boy was in the care of a tutor while John campaigned, so now the earl is having to learn to be a father. Young Prescott resents his authority, and tells him that the house used to be happy while Mama was alive. John doesn't know it, but there is an advertisement circulating for a stepmother.
At every turn we meet another pleasant surprise; Olivia has a sister who secretly writes exciting novels, while her own thoughts are on the social care available for army veterans, including those who have lost limbs so cannot find employment. We spend time in a shop deciding how chess
pieces made of different materials feel in the hand. Young Prescott has a mind of his own, which leads to him stowing away in a coach boot to get to London.
The standard of detail in New York author Cara Elliott's writing is excellent and the lively adventures will appeal to historical romance fans who want something out of the ordinary. I did think that well-off people had more servants about them. I found the character list engaging
and quite realistic, and if the romance took a little time to show, that's because it was hard for people to spend long in each other's company unchaperoned. This tale does develop into an adult romance, quite naturally.
August 23, 2015
This is the first book I've read by this author and I plan on finishing this trilogy. I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to her sisters getting their own HEA. I think Scottie, the hero's son, and his friend Lucy stole the show. I hope they get their own HEA when they're older.
October 24, 2023
A pleasant read. The characters are likable, the pacing is good, and the writing, while not enthralling or deeply stirring, is better than competent, even clever at times. I couldn’t quite go to 5 stars on this because the main female character, Olivia, was all about her unconventionality to the exclusion of all the other qualities women are, and because she, this forthright speaker of her own mind (in fact, a spewer of her own mind) kept hiding her thoughts from John. Yeah, yeah, the author is trying to sell Olivia’s cerebral-not-emotional outlook on life but it felt inauthentic, like more of a plot device than the personality of a living, breathing person.
The Kindle version of this book is riddled with publication errors, which does not enhance the reading experience.
The Kindle version of this book is riddled with publication errors, which does not enhance the reading experience.
June 22, 2015
This is not the first time Cara Elliott has featured a group of smart, incredibly talented women in her series -- she did this with her Circle of Sin stories, but, what makes her Hellions of High Street series different is the injection of lightness and humor.
I'm a sucker for smart women in my romances, and the Sloane sisters are incredibly so. Olivia is an activist, and very passionate about her causes. This novel started out very well. I liked how independent-minded the heroine was, and how disinterested she was in the marriage game -- but, sadly, still needed to participate in the social activities for the sake of her younger sister (and their impoverished family). Olivia's younger sisters aren't much different from her: one is secretly a gifted poet (who is engaged in a word war with another poet, who happens to be a lord), and the other sister is secretly a romance writer. I love how distinct each sister is, and I can't wait to start reading their stories.
Olivia's first meeting with the Earl of Wrexham was over a game of chess, and I love how the game actually reflects our main characters. There's a lot of strategy involved as Wrexham tries to find a second wife (and mother to his young son). There's also a lot of thinking and planning as he also prepares to make a potentially policy-changing/world-changing speech in the House of Lords, but he needs the help of The Beacon, a famed reform writer for one of London's leading newspapers.
Wrexham is an interesting study: the world views him as a perfect hero, but he knows he isn't. He knows he is about the shatter this illusion once he makes his speech and he looks towards that event with both excitement and fear. I loved the metafiction at work here: Wrexham is the hero of this story, and, on paper, he's supposed to have everything (ergo, perfect): a title, money, the respect of his peers, etc. But, as we read how woefully inadequately Wrexham interacts with Olivia and how terribly he is botching up fatherhood, we know he isn't perfect.
But this is where the story gets a bit confusing: there's a little bit of everything in this story and I didn't know where to focus on: The dynamic between Olivia and Wrexham are an odd-couple pairing: one is footloose and fancy free and the other is stiff, unbending and all about the rules. This, perhaps, was the most promising theme explored in the story, and I wished the author had just focused on this. (This actually reminded me a bit of The Sound of Music with the Steel Corset (Lady Serena), a lady Wrexham is considering to marry, but who has a very extreme view of where children ought to be -- like The Baroness in The Sound of Music.)
This situation gets complicated when Wrexham's young son, Scottie, is included and there's a bit about an ad placed in a newspaper about a man seeking a wife. It reminded me of Sleepless in Seattle . While enjoyable, it made me wonder what the focus of the story was: is it the reform? is it the love triangle? is it the odd-couple pairing? The element of suspense and action is also introduced much later, and requires our hero and heroine to chase through the countryside chasing after a villain.
There are two obstacles for Wrexham: a group of lords are unhappy with the reforms he plans to introduce in his speech, and are taking drastic measures to stop him. Wrexham's son is also involved in some hi-jinx as he tries to find the lady he believes would be a perfect match for his father. There's also Olivia and her secret, and how it would affect her sisters' prospects of marriage if anyone would know the truth about her.
A testament to how talented a writer Cara Elliott is: the story works. It's a bit unwieldy and weighed down by so many story threads, but she succeeds in making you interested in the sisters and their stories. She also succeeded in giving Wrexham and Olivia a very good happily-ever-after.
I'm a sucker for smart women in my romances, and the Sloane sisters are incredibly so. Olivia is an activist, and very passionate about her causes. This novel started out very well. I liked how independent-minded the heroine was, and how disinterested she was in the marriage game -- but, sadly, still needed to participate in the social activities for the sake of her younger sister (and their impoverished family). Olivia's younger sisters aren't much different from her: one is secretly a gifted poet (who is engaged in a word war with another poet, who happens to be a lord), and the other sister is secretly a romance writer. I love how distinct each sister is, and I can't wait to start reading their stories.
Olivia expelled another sigh. Unlike herself, who all too often wasn't smart enough to hide her rebellion against Society's rules, Anna was blessed with both beauty and brains. Her sister's manners were charming, her temperament sweet, and her appearance angelic. No one would ever guess that such a demure, dainty figure was, in fact, the author of the wildly popular racy novels featuring the intrepid English orphan Emmalina Smythe and Count Alessandro Crispini, an Italian Lothario whose exploits put Giacomo Casanova to the blush.
- Chapter 3
Olivia's first meeting with the Earl of Wrexham was over a game of chess, and I love how the game actually reflects our main characters. There's a lot of strategy involved as Wrexham tries to find a second wife (and mother to his young son). There's also a lot of thinking and planning as he also prepares to make a potentially policy-changing/world-changing speech in the House of Lords, but he needs the help of The Beacon, a famed reform writer for one of London's leading newspapers.
"Do you think that ladies are incapable of conceiving a plan of attack that requires thinking three or four steps ahead?" She knew the answer of course. Most men were predictable in their prejudices, assuming the fairer sex had naught but feathers for brains.
Which made his reply all the more unexpected.
"I have a sister," he said slowly. "So I am acutely aware of how sharp the female mind can be." A rumbled chuckle softened his solemn expression for just an instant. "Indeed, their skill at riding roughshod over an enemy's defines put the efficiency of many of my fellow officers to blush."
- Chapter 1
Wrexham is an interesting study: the world views him as a perfect hero, but he knows he isn't. He knows he is about the shatter this illusion once he makes his speech and he looks towards that event with both excitement and fear. I loved the metafiction at work here: Wrexham is the hero of this story, and, on paper, he's supposed to have everything (ergo, perfect): a title, money, the respect of his peers, etc. But, as we read how woefully inadequately Wrexham interacts with Olivia and how terribly he is botching up fatherhood, we know he isn't perfect.
But this is where the story gets a bit confusing: there's a little bit of everything in this story and I didn't know where to focus on: The dynamic between Olivia and Wrexham are an odd-couple pairing: one is footloose and fancy free and the other is stiff, unbending and all about the rules. This, perhaps, was the most promising theme explored in the story, and I wished the author had just focused on this. (This actually reminded me a bit of The Sound of Music with the Steel Corset (Lady Serena), a lady Wrexham is considering to marry, but who has a very extreme view of where children ought to be -- like The Baroness in The Sound of Music.)
This situation gets complicated when Wrexham's young son, Scottie, is included and there's a bit about an ad placed in a newspaper about a man seeking a wife. It reminded me of Sleepless in Seattle . While enjoyable, it made me wonder what the focus of the story was: is it the reform? is it the love triangle? is it the odd-couple pairing? The element of suspense and action is also introduced much later, and requires our hero and heroine to chase through the countryside chasing after a villain.
There are two obstacles for Wrexham: a group of lords are unhappy with the reforms he plans to introduce in his speech, and are taking drastic measures to stop him. Wrexham's son is also involved in some hi-jinx as he tries to find the lady he believes would be a perfect match for his father. There's also Olivia and her secret, and how it would affect her sisters' prospects of marriage if anyone would know the truth about her.
A testament to how talented a writer Cara Elliott is: the story works. It's a bit unwieldy and weighed down by so many story threads, but she succeeds in making you interested in the sisters and their stories. She also succeeded in giving Wrexham and Olivia a very good happily-ever-after.
March 28, 2015
I love reading historical romances; lately, though, the ones I've read have been great, but haven't blown me away. Even though I was hoping to blown away by this book, I was still a little doubtful that it would happen. I was so wrong, though, because Scandalously Yours knocked my socks off! I absolutely loved, Loved, LOVED it!!! It was such an amazing book and I'm so glad I was wrong!
Miss Olivia Sloane couldn't give a fig about what is proper and what isn't, while John, the Earl of Wrexham, cares a great deal about rules and being proper. Olivia speaks her mind, refuses to let Society and all the men in it tell her what or how to think, and she is more comfortable with logic and reasoning than with romance and fantasy. But she can't keep John off her mind or the feelings he stirs within her.
John doesn't know what to make of Olivia: she shocks him, challenges him, and intrigues him. He resolves to put her out of his mind, but then he needs her help and with it, he starts to learn that maybe following all the rules and being a proper gentleman all the time isn't so important after all.
I absolutely loved John and Olivia! I loved the whole he's-all-proper-and-she's-not deal. It was extremely fun and entertaining to watch their interactions and how they challenged each other, I could hardly stop laughing or smiling. It was just so awesome to see how much they grew and came to love each other.
Scandalously Yours is a witty, mostly light read with heat, mischief, beauty, and some danger thrown in. It was a spectacular book and I absolutely loved it! I'm so excited and can't wait to read the next book in the series!!
Scandalously Yours is a standalone, it's told from multiple points of view and it does have a HEA. ~ Paige, 5 stars
January 1, 2014
An absolutely amazing historical romance! Scandalously Yours was a brilliant read. I loved every bit of it, from the romance, to the thrills, to all the characters. It was all wonderful.
Olivia was a lovely heroine. She was very strong willed and clever and determined. When it came to what she wanted, nothing was going to stop her from getting it. My only issue with her was that, at times, she was a trifle too stubborn. But, overall, I really liked her.
John, the Earl of Wrexham, was amazing. He was so sweet, charming, smart, caring, loyal to his loved ones, and utterly adorable. I thought he was totally perfect and I adored him.
The romance was lovely. Olivia and John were so sweet together. Even when they were hiding their feelings, it was obvious that they cared for each other. And, the attractive between them was sizzling from the moment they met. Definitely some steamy moments in store.
Prescott (Scottie for short) was John's son and this boy was so adorable. He was just precious and I really liked his character.
The plot was fast paced and I was hooked the entire way through. There were a few thrills along they way. I really enjoyed the story and the ending was lovely. Can't wait to read more from this series!
Scandalously Yours was a brilliant historical romance. I loved every bit of it. It was a truly lovely, utterly enjoyable read. Romance lovers, this book is a must read.
*I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Olivia was a lovely heroine. She was very strong willed and clever and determined. When it came to what she wanted, nothing was going to stop her from getting it. My only issue with her was that, at times, she was a trifle too stubborn. But, overall, I really liked her.
John, the Earl of Wrexham, was amazing. He was so sweet, charming, smart, caring, loyal to his loved ones, and utterly adorable. I thought he was totally perfect and I adored him.
The romance was lovely. Olivia and John were so sweet together. Even when they were hiding their feelings, it was obvious that they cared for each other. And, the attractive between them was sizzling from the moment they met. Definitely some steamy moments in store.
Prescott (Scottie for short) was John's son and this boy was so adorable. He was just precious and I really liked his character.
The plot was fast paced and I was hooked the entire way through. There were a few thrills along they way. I really enjoyed the story and the ending was lovely. Can't wait to read more from this series!
Scandalously Yours was a brilliant historical romance. I loved every bit of it. It was a truly lovely, utterly enjoyable read. Romance lovers, this book is a must read.
*I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
April 19, 2015
The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say. - Anais Nin
Olivia Sloane has a talent for writing yet the ton forces her to hide behind a pen name. She also hides during social engagements. On one such occasion, Olivia matches wits over a chess board with a shadowed man marked by a military bearing. She later learns her challenger was Earl of Wrexham, a war hero and widowed father of a precocious son. Circumstance continues to bring them together, giving Olivia and Wrexham the opportunity to learn each other's secrets.
Elliott excels in the little details to make this a quintessential Regency romance laced with passion, humor, and warmth. The chess board becomes the catalyst for these fated lovers to learn how to outmaneuver their enemies ... and conquer each other's hearts. Elliott includes children in a subplot ala Sleepless in Seattle. I wasn't sure how this storyline would merge with the overarching story of the social reform. Yet Elliott weaves all threads together for a heartfelt romance, whetting my appetite for the other Sloane sisters to have their own adventure.
Recommended read for fans of Regency historicals, bluestocking heroines, and road trips.
Olivia Sloane has a talent for writing yet the ton forces her to hide behind a pen name. She also hides during social engagements. On one such occasion, Olivia matches wits over a chess board with a shadowed man marked by a military bearing. She later learns her challenger was Earl of Wrexham, a war hero and widowed father of a precocious son. Circumstance continues to bring them together, giving Olivia and Wrexham the opportunity to learn each other's secrets.
Elliott excels in the little details to make this a quintessential Regency romance laced with passion, humor, and warmth. The chess board becomes the catalyst for these fated lovers to learn how to outmaneuver their enemies ... and conquer each other's hearts. Elliott includes children in a subplot ala Sleepless in Seattle. I wasn't sure how this storyline would merge with the overarching story of the social reform. Yet Elliott weaves all threads together for a heartfelt romance, whetting my appetite for the other Sloane sisters to have their own adventure.
Recommended read for fans of Regency historicals, bluestocking heroines, and road trips.
November 28, 2016
I enjoyed this book and for a change I read one in a sedate pace.
I found this book enjoyable though the events dragged a bit.
- I liked that the heroine was a bluestocking but not the conventional type, she wasn't all facts she believes in legends and myths and dancing around campfires.
- I liked the hero though not at first, him letting people persuade him how to interact with his son with discipline and aloofness. And his fixation with the Steel Corset XD
- I liked his son he was a brave lad and I liked that his best friend was the daughter of an inn keeper.
- I liked the sisters, and how tight they were.
- Didn't like how Anne reacts when around The Devil Davenport, except his reputation I didn't see anything wrong with him except he was trying to help every single time.
Overall, *thumbs side-ways*
I found this book enjoyable though the events dragged a bit.
- I liked that the heroine was a bluestocking but not the conventional type, she wasn't all facts she believes in legends and myths and dancing around campfires.
- I liked the hero though not at first, him letting people persuade him how to interact with his son with discipline and aloofness. And his fixation with the Steel Corset XD
- I liked his son he was a brave lad and I liked that his best friend was the daughter of an inn keeper.
- I liked the sisters, and how tight they were.
- Didn't like how Anne reacts when around The Devil Davenport, except his reputation I didn't see anything wrong with him except he was trying to help every single time.
Overall, *thumbs side-ways*
February 28, 2018
Reviewed by Aubrey
Book provided by Netgalley
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
I was so amazed at how much I absolutely loved this book. I was beyond surprised because I really don’t normally like historical novels. I really want to and I hate that I don’t but I usually find them very dry and not worth my time. Without a doubt one of my favorite books that I have read this year. I adored Olivia. She is exactly how I see myself if I was born in the time this book was set. Headstrong, stubborn and outspoken. She really does not want to be part of the crowd or someone that is seen and not heard.
I don’t even know how to put my thoughts together right now. Elliott’s writing is superb. The dialogue between Olivia and Wrexham is witty, funny and super intelligent. Olivia is a female character unlike any character I have read in historical romance novels. She is a hardcore feminist and beyond intelligent with a knowledge of the political arena that most men did not have.
The relationship between Olivia and Wrexham would be one that I would want to have. They respect each other and are friends before anything else. They work well together. There is strong sense of trust that most relationships don’t have.
I have to read the rest of the books in the series. I also really liked Olivia’s sisters Anna and Caro. They were also strong and spunky females that were raised unconventionally for the time. Now that their father has passed away the mother feels the need to marry all 3 girls off to wealthy men. The 3 girls feel differently.
I would recommend this book to anyone that loves different romances that happen differently than most romance novels. I laughed out loud often and cheered on Olivia. Olivia is my hero. Forget book boyfriend. I want Olivia to be my book girlfriend.
Book provided by Netgalley
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
I was so amazed at how much I absolutely loved this book. I was beyond surprised because I really don’t normally like historical novels. I really want to and I hate that I don’t but I usually find them very dry and not worth my time. Without a doubt one of my favorite books that I have read this year. I adored Olivia. She is exactly how I see myself if I was born in the time this book was set. Headstrong, stubborn and outspoken. She really does not want to be part of the crowd or someone that is seen and not heard.
I don’t even know how to put my thoughts together right now. Elliott’s writing is superb. The dialogue between Olivia and Wrexham is witty, funny and super intelligent. Olivia is a female character unlike any character I have read in historical romance novels. She is a hardcore feminist and beyond intelligent with a knowledge of the political arena that most men did not have.
The relationship between Olivia and Wrexham would be one that I would want to have. They respect each other and are friends before anything else. They work well together. There is strong sense of trust that most relationships don’t have.
I have to read the rest of the books in the series. I also really liked Olivia’s sisters Anna and Caro. They were also strong and spunky females that were raised unconventionally for the time. Now that their father has passed away the mother feels the need to marry all 3 girls off to wealthy men. The 3 girls feel differently.
I would recommend this book to anyone that loves different romances that happen differently than most romance novels. I laughed out loud often and cheered on Olivia. Olivia is my hero. Forget book boyfriend. I want Olivia to be my book girlfriend.
June 21, 2015
The Sloane sisters are a family of Polite Society. They attend balls and are pressured to marry up by their mother like most young women their age. These sister's each bare a secret that could not only ruin their reputation, but also the family name; each of them write and publish themselves with a man's name! (Le gasp!) Each book focuses on each sister in turn and follows her exploits on trying to lead a perfect life in the 1800s England while trying to be true to herself, and whatnot, but also hide the self that's real. Then they all try to not feel sexy urges, too. Cause you know if you want to kiss a dude your a total slut by 17th century English standards.
The Bad- If you have read one book of the series, you really have read them all. The only difference would be the character names. I read these books back to back and man I was feeling deja vu. It was cut and paste the same! It's like the author had a check list that she kept following while writing the series.
1) Sloane sister meets a guy that is higher up in English society and gets on her nerves yet cannot help but be attracted to him. Check
2) Dude pov shows that he is also equally annoyed by Sloane sister but whenever he thinks of her his pants get a little tight. Check
3) Guy finds out that the heroine is really the uber popular Society Issue Critic/Racy Romance Novelist/Poetry writer. Check
4) While succumbing to their passions the guy notices how pink the inside of the girls ear is and that's hot. Check
5) Offers to marry girl right after they bang cause he ruined her. Only to be rejected by girl for making such an offer. (Even though it's the 1800s and back then that's a good deal for a chick.) Check.
6) Some plot happens where there's running to catch the bad guy. Check
7) And they get hitched. Checky Check flipin' CHECK!
Whew! So I guess you have read the series if you read the checklist; your welcome.
Now this is where I am gonna get serious. Throughout the series the sisters all recount how their late father documented various cultures and thus they had a 'different' upbringing, thus explaining their undercover careers that no normal lady would pursue.
The reader learns things like how their father studied primitive cultures by visiting the tribes-people of Crete. This sentence sums up the series in this topic. I could go into more detail but that would make this review very long, and these books are simply not worth the time.
Keywords: Primitive, culture, tribes-people and Crete
Now let me precede in ripping it apart. I have graduated college with a BA in Anthropology. So I have based my academic career in studying culture's, human/primate behavior, forensic's and much more!
Primitive:
That being said I do hope that the author was trying to make the main heroine's come off as snobby racist English girls because that's how it come out to me. First off, no culture should be considered 'primitive' for reasons being, when one thinks of the word 'primitive' you tend think 'simple' and/or 'dumb'. This is insulting because you wouldn't walk out of your air conditioned house, go up to a camp ground and tell people who are camping that they are 'primitive'. You would not also say to them, "You are so stupid, you could be sleeping in an air-conditioned house but instead you are sleeping outside like a pig."
This is exactly what you are saying when you call another person's way of life 'primitive'. There are tribes in existence at this very moment. They are not stupid people. The environment they live in either calls for that particular lifestyle or it just works for them. It would not be economical to have cars in the middle of a desert with no roads would it? Or what about the Amish? It's not because they don't know better, it's just that's how they choose to live.
Tribes-people:
In the first book, Scandalously Yours the main character says something to the effect of, 'the tribes people half were related to half of the island' (NOT a direct quote!). Let's define tribe- a group of nomads (travelers, never 'settle') numbering 20-50 people. I don't believe the author knows what a tribe is because if these people where in fact a tribe, they wouldn't be related to half the island. Unless there were two tribes. One would wonder, why would one be a nomad on an island? Well it's possible, it would depend on how big the island is. After all nomads go where the food is, so to speak. So how big is this island?
Crete:
Well I will tell you! It's much smaller than Japan! Wanna guess where Crete is? Remember the setting is 1800s Europe! So where would 'primitive' people be? Africa of course!~
Wrong! :) Crete is an island off of Greece!
Whaaaaaa?! Greece? But there's like people there that are so not 'primitive'..........
Yes ladies and gentlemen Crete is the biggest island off Greece and has been considered the place where all the smart peeps go. In fact Crete has been regarded as the 'place to be' for over thousands of years! Ottoman empire- idea started in Crete. Venice, Italy lifestyle = Crete. Greece universities = CRETE.
So I'm sure ya'll are thinking, 'But wait, if it's the 1800s wouldn't there NOT be any tribes in Greece? I mean their not known for tribes or 'primitive' culture. Also weren't the Brits heavily influenced by Greece?'
And the answer is YES!
This makes no sense! I think I could have maybe looked over the author writing the norm ignorance of culture's had she not made it Crete. I mean it's really hard to get into the story when you have such a gaping plot hole.......
I mean come on Cara Elliott! You could have googled 'Crete' and been like 'Oh snap, I guess this the one place NOT to set a fictional primitive culture!'.
The Good- Yeah that ship has sailed, then swallowed up by the plot hole.....
The Book- So if you only have a grasp of culture from from the 1800s, NEVER google things and are looking for a cut and paste read that screams "give me your money for little of my effort!" then The Hellions of High Street series is for you!
Want to read
August 5, 2023🎁 FREE on Amazon today (8/4/2023)! 🎁
September 21, 2014
***This book was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.***
I do love a sweet historical romance, and Scandalously Yours is definitely that!
The main characters were both likable. Olivia wasn't concerned with what the ton thought of her. She was much too focused on scholarly pursuits to care about society. She was (though she wasn't aware of it) quite charming.
Wrexham was quite practical in all things, including his pursuit of a wife. My favorite thing about his character was how he worried about being a good parent and if he was making the right decisions for his son. And he was drawn to Olivia because of her intelligence and stance on certain parliamentary issues. Wrexham was kind and considerate, and he had no problem going with the flow, then adjusting his life when things took a different turn.
I loved their first meeting. Olivia's boldness set the tone for their entire story. I love that she was able to shock Wrexham from their very first meeting. It definitely was enough to intrigue him, and he couldn't seem to get her off his mind.
The banter between the hero and heroine was witty and entertaining, as was the banter between Olivia and her sisters. Wrexham's charming and amusing son was a great addition to this story, and his friend Lucy was a hoot.
This wasn't your average historical romance. Wrexham and Olivia were definitely unique. I really appreciated that despite his role in society, Wrexham never once tried to 'strong arm' Olivia into anything. Instead of using power play, he chose to put everything on the table.
If you're looking for a fun, romantic opposites-attract story with a bit of action tossed in, this book is definitely for you!
I do love a sweet historical romance, and Scandalously Yours is definitely that!
The main characters were both likable. Olivia wasn't concerned with what the ton thought of her. She was much too focused on scholarly pursuits to care about society. She was (though she wasn't aware of it) quite charming.
Wrexham was quite practical in all things, including his pursuit of a wife. My favorite thing about his character was how he worried about being a good parent and if he was making the right decisions for his son. And he was drawn to Olivia because of her intelligence and stance on certain parliamentary issues. Wrexham was kind and considerate, and he had no problem going with the flow, then adjusting his life when things took a different turn.
I loved their first meeting. Olivia's boldness set the tone for their entire story. I love that she was able to shock Wrexham from their very first meeting. It definitely was enough to intrigue him, and he couldn't seem to get her off his mind.
The banter between the hero and heroine was witty and entertaining, as was the banter between Olivia and her sisters. Wrexham's charming and amusing son was a great addition to this story, and his friend Lucy was a hoot.
This wasn't your average historical romance. Wrexham and Olivia were definitely unique. I really appreciated that despite his role in society, Wrexham never once tried to 'strong arm' Olivia into anything. Instead of using power play, he chose to put everything on the table.
If you're looking for a fun, romantic opposites-attract story with a bit of action tossed in, this book is definitely for you!
December 11, 2014
*4.5
completely and utterly delightful! like, i would list all the reasons why i loved this so much but that would take quite awhile so i'll just say that i absolutely adored olivia and john because they were true partners. he respected her intelligence and her opinions and fell for her because of it and vice versa. i mean, this book has a proposal that occurs via a chess game!!!!!!! which honestly tells you all you need to know about these two and their relationship. how could i not love them??? and if that wasn't enough, olivia herself is a fantastic lady lead and her relationship with her sisters is also really great and loving because they care about each other and their happiness so much. i mean honestly, i could not stop the grin i had on my face while reading this.
i know there are some grammatical errors and some repetitiveness regarding dialogue that occurs throughout the book but i loved this too much not to round it up to a 5.
completely and utterly delightful! like, i would list all the reasons why i loved this so much but that would take quite awhile so i'll just say that i absolutely adored olivia and john because they were true partners. he respected her intelligence and her opinions and fell for her because of it and vice versa. i mean, this book has a proposal that occurs via a chess game!!!!!!! which honestly tells you all you need to know about these two and their relationship. how could i not love them??? and if that wasn't enough, olivia herself is a fantastic lady lead and her relationship with her sisters is also really great and loving because they care about each other and their happiness so much. i mean honestly, i could not stop the grin i had on my face while reading this.
i know there are some grammatical errors and some repetitiveness regarding dialogue that occurs throughout the book but i loved this too much not to round it up to a 5.
May 19, 2015
Loved It!
Scandalously Yours is captivating and amazing. My review will be in Fresh Fiction soon.
Thank you Cara Elliott
Scandalously Yours is captivating and amazing. My review will be in Fresh Fiction soon.
Thank you Cara Elliott
March 16, 2015
My review for Scandously Yours by Caro Elliot will be linked back here to Goodreads in the near future. Stay Tuned!
January 4, 2014
A delightfully romantic story. Review to follow.
May 15, 2015
Right - er - wrong, no, right.
Another author with another name. Scandalously Yours by Cara Elliott, who happens to have written under the name of Andrea Pickens looonnng ago. She was one of those authors who wrote those little Signet Regencies which I used to gobble up and I have to admit, this book reminded me a little of a Signet.
What we have here is the beginning of a series - the Sloane Sisters series. There is Olivia, Anna, and Caro. All of these sisters are rather outspoken women and not really looking for what other women seem to want - men. They seem to be ahead of their time by about 20 years or so. They are interested in politics and writing, they don't simper very credibly. Thanks to their anthropologist (I think) father they also seem to be aware of how men and women fit together. In fact, there is a highly amusing scene between the three sisters when they discuss a man's pizzle, along with a demonstration. I did chuckle when that scene came along. That scene and many of the other scenes involving the sisters is what makes this a hard book to review. I loved the sisters when they were together.
I also loved some of the other secondary characters in the book, namely our hero’s precocious son Scottie. Where this story fell apart for me was between the two main characters, our hero John and our heroine Olivia. They were more interesting apart than they were together. This story reminded me of Sleepless in Seattle. John is a widower and he actually loved his first wife. His son Scottie thinks that his father doesn't laugh enough and is on the lookout for a new wife for his father. Scottie also doesn't think too much of the women John is courting, especially one Scottie has nicknamed "the Steel Corset." Along with some help from Scottie's bestist friend Lucy they send an advertisement to a newspaper seeking a woman to fill the job of wife/mother.
Olivia, who writes under the pen name of the Beacon, sees the advertisement and just to be funny writes a sarcastic reply. She signs it "Lady Loose-Screw" but doesn't send the reply - however, her sister does. From Scottie's point of view this woman is the perfect candidate and he arranges to meet her. Scottie run's away to London, but his journey doesn't last long because John discovers his son’s plans and overtakes him on the road. After a bit of a tussle, they come to an agreement and set off to London together. John and Olivia meet, but he doesn't discover allll of her identities - she has more than one. The romance between John and Olivia was slow, without too much chemistry, and allowed me to reflect on other things. My rule: writing should never make me think. (Somehow that doesn't sound right.)
Reflection number one. Olivia hops into bed with John, he loves her, and she loves him - although they haven't admitted it yet. So, is the ultimate point of a HEA marriage? Because at times in this story that seemed to be the only thing that the couple was aiming for. Then they admit their love, but still there is hesitation and then there was the out-of-the-blue thought from Olivia's brain that John might love another. Don't know why that bit of pondering was added to the story at the point it was added. It would have worked better in the beginning. It took too long for all the back and forth "should I - do I - will she - will he" to be solved.
Reflection number two. Some might claim a spoiler is approaching. When one's beloved son is kidnapped and one is following over hill and dale in hopes of ambushing the villains, does one take time out for a spot of whankee-roo? It always bothers me in romances that a parent/sibling/loved-one can think of hopping into bed with someone when in reality their biggest emotion has to be fear, not lust. Yeah, yeah, I've heard about the surge of endorphins or whatever when people are in battlefield situations or fighting. But having someone you love kidnapped has to be a totally different can of worms. Which is why for me, partaking in a loving, intimate, lust-filled moment when a child has been taken just doesn't work. In fact, I can't think of any romance book which has this plot in it (and there are tons) that this has ever worked for me.
Reflection number three. Right. There is a point in this book in which the hero replies to the heroine with the slang word "Right." This is not the first time in recent history that this word has appeared in an historical. My immediate reaction was to rant about the proper use of historically accurate slang. I had it all ready, you know the routine - all those authors who have been around forever and should know better. However, before I jumped into my rant I opened up my handy-dandy book called 1811, Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Yes, I own this book. I use it for research and it was first published in 1811. Guess what word was in that book? Go ahead, guess. Yep, right there in black and white was the word "right." And, the definition matched the use in the book. Well, color me red.
What happened? I guess I don't know as much as I thought I did and sometimes there is a difference between what "feels" correct and what "is" correct. Sometimes our gut reactions are nothing more than just guts. I think a lot of times, we the readers jump to conclusions concerning historical accuracy based on our gut. Which is ok, but the problem arises when we act on that reaction - does anyone remember that horrible argument a few years ago (another website) on the use of the word "flute." There was quite a lot of name calling and ridiculous reactions that were thrown around in that discussion. Accusations of the author’s incompetence was thrown out and all the while the use of the word "flute" was correct. That poor author never saw it coming. Recently, I read a review in which the reviewer was questioning the use of the word "f..." in an historical. My first reaction to that comment was “OMG are you kidding,” however I did resist the temptation of responding. For your information that particular word has been around long enough to have a Greek spelling - so that's a long time. Although the word we know in English speaking countries is probably from the Dutch form. But we are still talking 1400s, and, the definition is mostly the same as it is today. So, yes that word would have been used as it was in the book that was reviewed. For me I have learned a lesson. I am actually going to check things out before I start my rants on accuracy. It's easy to do: one just opens a book and reads.
Odds-bodkins, enough reflection. However, that is what happens when one isn't totally enamored of a book. Overall, I found the main characters to be lacking in chemistry, which made their "romance" seem to go on forever. I was entertained by the secondary characters enough to check out the two sisters when their book is released.
Time/Place: Regency England
Sensuality: Ho-hum
KaysBlog
Another author with another name. Scandalously Yours by Cara Elliott, who happens to have written under the name of Andrea Pickens looonnng ago. She was one of those authors who wrote those little Signet Regencies which I used to gobble up and I have to admit, this book reminded me a little of a Signet.
What we have here is the beginning of a series - the Sloane Sisters series. There is Olivia, Anna, and Caro. All of these sisters are rather outspoken women and not really looking for what other women seem to want - men. They seem to be ahead of their time by about 20 years or so. They are interested in politics and writing, they don't simper very credibly. Thanks to their anthropologist (I think) father they also seem to be aware of how men and women fit together. In fact, there is a highly amusing scene between the three sisters when they discuss a man's pizzle, along with a demonstration. I did chuckle when that scene came along. That scene and many of the other scenes involving the sisters is what makes this a hard book to review. I loved the sisters when they were together.
I also loved some of the other secondary characters in the book, namely our hero’s precocious son Scottie. Where this story fell apart for me was between the two main characters, our hero John and our heroine Olivia. They were more interesting apart than they were together. This story reminded me of Sleepless in Seattle. John is a widower and he actually loved his first wife. His son Scottie thinks that his father doesn't laugh enough and is on the lookout for a new wife for his father. Scottie also doesn't think too much of the women John is courting, especially one Scottie has nicknamed "the Steel Corset." Along with some help from Scottie's bestist friend Lucy they send an advertisement to a newspaper seeking a woman to fill the job of wife/mother.
Olivia, who writes under the pen name of the Beacon, sees the advertisement and just to be funny writes a sarcastic reply. She signs it "Lady Loose-Screw" but doesn't send the reply - however, her sister does. From Scottie's point of view this woman is the perfect candidate and he arranges to meet her. Scottie run's away to London, but his journey doesn't last long because John discovers his son’s plans and overtakes him on the road. After a bit of a tussle, they come to an agreement and set off to London together. John and Olivia meet, but he doesn't discover allll of her identities - she has more than one. The romance between John and Olivia was slow, without too much chemistry, and allowed me to reflect on other things. My rule: writing should never make me think. (Somehow that doesn't sound right.)
Reflection number one. Olivia hops into bed with John, he loves her, and she loves him - although they haven't admitted it yet. So, is the ultimate point of a HEA marriage? Because at times in this story that seemed to be the only thing that the couple was aiming for. Then they admit their love, but still there is hesitation and then there was the out-of-the-blue thought from Olivia's brain that John might love another. Don't know why that bit of pondering was added to the story at the point it was added. It would have worked better in the beginning. It took too long for all the back and forth "should I - do I - will she - will he" to be solved.
Reflection number two. Some might claim a spoiler is approaching. When one's beloved son is kidnapped and one is following over hill and dale in hopes of ambushing the villains, does one take time out for a spot of whankee-roo? It always bothers me in romances that a parent/sibling/loved-one can think of hopping into bed with someone when in reality their biggest emotion has to be fear, not lust. Yeah, yeah, I've heard about the surge of endorphins or whatever when people are in battlefield situations or fighting. But having someone you love kidnapped has to be a totally different can of worms. Which is why for me, partaking in a loving, intimate, lust-filled moment when a child has been taken just doesn't work. In fact, I can't think of any romance book which has this plot in it (and there are tons) that this has ever worked for me.
Reflection number three. Right. There is a point in this book in which the hero replies to the heroine with the slang word "Right." This is not the first time in recent history that this word has appeared in an historical. My immediate reaction was to rant about the proper use of historically accurate slang. I had it all ready, you know the routine - all those authors who have been around forever and should know better. However, before I jumped into my rant I opened up my handy-dandy book called 1811, Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Yes, I own this book. I use it for research and it was first published in 1811. Guess what word was in that book? Go ahead, guess. Yep, right there in black and white was the word "right." And, the definition matched the use in the book. Well, color me red.
What happened? I guess I don't know as much as I thought I did and sometimes there is a difference between what "feels" correct and what "is" correct. Sometimes our gut reactions are nothing more than just guts. I think a lot of times, we the readers jump to conclusions concerning historical accuracy based on our gut. Which is ok, but the problem arises when we act on that reaction - does anyone remember that horrible argument a few years ago (another website) on the use of the word "flute." There was quite a lot of name calling and ridiculous reactions that were thrown around in that discussion. Accusations of the author’s incompetence was thrown out and all the while the use of the word "flute" was correct. That poor author never saw it coming. Recently, I read a review in which the reviewer was questioning the use of the word "f..." in an historical. My first reaction to that comment was “OMG are you kidding,” however I did resist the temptation of responding. For your information that particular word has been around long enough to have a Greek spelling - so that's a long time. Although the word we know in English speaking countries is probably from the Dutch form. But we are still talking 1400s, and, the definition is mostly the same as it is today. So, yes that word would have been used as it was in the book that was reviewed. For me I have learned a lesson. I am actually going to check things out before I start my rants on accuracy. It's easy to do: one just opens a book and reads.
Odds-bodkins, enough reflection. However, that is what happens when one isn't totally enamored of a book. Overall, I found the main characters to be lacking in chemistry, which made their "romance" seem to go on forever. I was entertained by the secondary characters enough to check out the two sisters when their book is released.
Time/Place: Regency England
Sensuality: Ho-hum
KaysBlog
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2021
This was an easy quick read but I must say it doesn't haven the wow factor like Bridgerton books do. I'm certainly loving historical romance and definitely enjoy the ton and the courting. I think I was born in the wrong era. Ha!
Scandalously yours follows Olivia Sloane who many call her The Hellion of the High Street, because of her never following convention and rules that society tells her to do. When she meets Earl of Wrexham, John in a shadowed room she suddenly finds herself close to a scandal. Both unwarily hitting it off by chess and blunt banter the two end up finding themselves together more than they would like.
John is trying to find a wife so his 10yr son Prescott has a motherly figure, but with try as he might, Prescott has over ideas...until he meets Olivia and knows she is perfect candidate for a Stepmother.
The banter between Sloane and Wrexham was hillarious, I couldn't help laughing. They just were so natural together. Sloane with Prescott was adorable and I just like how easy it was with there friendship. I love that Sloane didn't stick to rules with her doing absolutely everything against what the lady of the ton should be doing. I definitely enjoyed the steaminess in this book and certainly a scandal...sex before marriage with no propsal, these two definitely like to break rules.
This was a fun easy read and I enjoyed myself. But it didn't have the complete wow factor that Bridgerton books do. I wanted more of the ton, the balls and the courting. But nevertheless still a really good joyful read.
Scandalously yours follows Olivia Sloane who many call her The Hellion of the High Street, because of her never following convention and rules that society tells her to do. When she meets Earl of Wrexham, John in a shadowed room she suddenly finds herself close to a scandal. Both unwarily hitting it off by chess and blunt banter the two end up finding themselves together more than they would like.
John is trying to find a wife so his 10yr son Prescott has a motherly figure, but with try as he might, Prescott has over ideas...until he meets Olivia and knows she is perfect candidate for a Stepmother.
The banter between Sloane and Wrexham was hillarious, I couldn't help laughing. They just were so natural together. Sloane with Prescott was adorable and I just like how easy it was with there friendship. I love that Sloane didn't stick to rules with her doing absolutely everything against what the lady of the ton should be doing. I definitely enjoyed the steaminess in this book and certainly a scandal...sex before marriage with no propsal, these two definitely like to break rules.
This was a fun easy read and I enjoyed myself. But it didn't have the complete wow factor that Bridgerton books do. I wanted more of the ton, the balls and the courting. But nevertheless still a really good joyful read.
February 7, 2024
I was torn on this one... but it didn't offend me horribly, so it's still a 3 star.
Kinda lazy writing, undeveloped characters, overwhelming ridiculous plot devices, and completely lacking in historical setting details or believability.
Sweet & sugary. Minimally described love scenes.
Heroine meets all the tropes of being well-read, smart, opinionated, articulate, out spoken, and defying cultural norms.
Hero is frequently described as "perfect" but doesn't really show much of his own individuality. His big move is accepting that an unconventional wife can be better for him than a conventional one.
Their relationship is formed over working together on a speech for parliament. On top of this we throw in all sorts of classic romance devices- she has a hidden identity as a newspaper columnist, his son sends a letter to the newspaper searching for a wife which she responds to, his political opponents kidnap his son, they set off to rescue the son aided by mysterious knowledge and devices conveniently passed on to heroine by secretive side character who is clearly bound for the sequel. Includes ridiculous dancing nude in the moonlight scene.
It's all too much.... one of these plot devices could have served and all together its a silly over top top mess. I was pretty annoyed by the way the author alluded to things like letters to the newspaper, or the speech but author completely avoided or missed the opportunity to actually engage the reader with these things.
None the less, it was ok for a brainless fluffy quick read.
Kinda lazy writing, undeveloped characters, overwhelming ridiculous plot devices, and completely lacking in historical setting details or believability.
Sweet & sugary. Minimally described love scenes.
Heroine meets all the tropes of being well-read, smart, opinionated, articulate, out spoken, and defying cultural norms.
Hero is frequently described as "perfect" but doesn't really show much of his own individuality. His big move is accepting that an unconventional wife can be better for him than a conventional one.
Their relationship is formed over working together on a speech for parliament. On top of this we throw in all sorts of classic romance devices- she has a hidden identity as a newspaper columnist, his son sends a letter to the newspaper searching for a wife which she responds to, his political opponents kidnap his son, they set off to rescue the son aided by mysterious knowledge and devices conveniently passed on to heroine by secretive side character who is clearly bound for the sequel. Includes ridiculous dancing nude in the moonlight scene.
It's all too much.... one of these plot devices could have served and all together its a silly over top top mess. I was pretty annoyed by the way the author alluded to things like letters to the newspaper, or the speech but author completely avoided or missed the opportunity to actually engage the reader with these things.
None the less, it was ok for a brainless fluffy quick read.
January 28, 2014
3.5/5
John, Earl of Wrexham is a military hero. He has stood his ground, faced battle, seen unmistakable horrors yet why does run the opposite direction when at a ball? Because now his new found enemies are badgering mammas and their daughters and oh dancing! He wants to be involved in politics and change the world, not be stuck in a ballroom listening to the chatter about fashion and meaningless things. But he lets it slip to his sister that he's looking for a wife, a nice and proper wife and a mother to his son.
Olivia Sloane is known as a hellion bluestocking among Society. She considers herself plain and doesn't have a dowry. She's outspoken and doesn't pursue the feminine arts. Instead, she's a chess player, she's educated and she's been raised (by her liberal father, not her conservative mother) to know about the world and have a modern and open outlook on life. She plays nice for the sake of her pretty sister who she hopes will catch herself a nice and titled husband. But she doesn't particularly care about things many of her female peers wants. She wants reform and change, but what's a woman to do? She writes fiery political essays under a pseudonym.
When John and Olivia meet for the first time they are hiding from the chattering chits of the ball. They find comfort in the darkened room, yet are surprised to find each other. She hopes to shock John into leaving her alone by outrageously referring to the chess pieces she's holding and commenting on their, ahem, swords.
But John, the Perfect Hero and follower of all things moral and proper doesn't see how someone of Olivia's deposition could suit him and his son. Little does he realize, she's exactly what he needs. He gets a little help from his sister who introduces the two of them and from then on misadventures ensue.
There's a side story with John's son Prescott aka Scottie who wants to find the perfect surrogate mother and not have to endure the Steel Corset a perfect proper lady John is sort of courting. He and his best friend submit an advertisement in one of London’s most popular papers seeking a mother. They read over the replies and choose the best reply written by a “Lady Loose Screw” who happens to be Olivia who wrote the letter in jest. It was secretly submitted by Anna for fun and none of the sisters imagined it would get out of hand.
John is in the midst of writing a speech to the House of Lords seeking support for war veterans returning home. He seeks the writer of political essays who he feels could help him. When he discovers it’s Olivia, she intrigues him even more and they decide they have a common goal. They agree to work on the speech together and to try to remain friends, but we know how that goes.
When Scottie is abducted by those who are against John’s political aspirations Olivia enlists herself to help him. She feels partially to blame, but also wants to squash his enemies because she feels they are also her enemies.
Things I wasn’t expecting
There were times where I thought the characters spoke to modern. I got a sense of a proper upper crest (yet not snooty) speech from John, but they both used phrases that were out of touch. And for Scottie and his friend to be only 10 and 11 they seemed like much older teenagers. Yes, Scottie has been properly reared, but he sounded too much like a miniature earl (which I guess he would be).
I liked that the series (“The Hellions of High Street”) was named after the three Sloane Sisters. I liked that all the sisters supported one another and took part in Olivia’s adventures.
Things I would have liked to have seen
With all the talk of Scottie’s letters, I would have liked to have read what he exactly wrote. I also would liked to have read excerpts of the advertisements and of more about Olivia’s reply as Lady Loose Screw.
The characters talk out loud a lot. A few mutterings are ok, but I thought the characters spoke their feelings out loud a little too much for my liking. It reminded me of soap opera characters talking about their devious plans out loud. It was a bit odd.
It was sweet story of friends becoming lovers, of a heroine who helps the hero achieve greatness and of a heroine finding love when she never thought it was possible. I thought the story wrapped up a little too quickly. A large portion of the plot is driven by John and Olivia’s quest to save Scottie and it’s over really quickly and the instigators aren’t really brought to justice. There are very few misunderstandings between the two characters, but when
Lord Davenport proved to be a mysterious character I’m looking forward to his story in the next book with Anna. I hope we see more of John, Olivia and little Scottie and Lucy I hope they will get together in the future despite their difference in station. Well considering who his step mother will be I think she’ll more than convince John she’s good for their son.
John, Earl of Wrexham is a military hero. He has stood his ground, faced battle, seen unmistakable horrors yet why does run the opposite direction when at a ball? Because now his new found enemies are badgering mammas and their daughters and oh dancing! He wants to be involved in politics and change the world, not be stuck in a ballroom listening to the chatter about fashion and meaningless things. But he lets it slip to his sister that he's looking for a wife, a nice and proper wife and a mother to his son.
Olivia Sloane is known as a hellion bluestocking among Society. She considers herself plain and doesn't have a dowry. She's outspoken and doesn't pursue the feminine arts. Instead, she's a chess player, she's educated and she's been raised (by her liberal father, not her conservative mother) to know about the world and have a modern and open outlook on life. She plays nice for the sake of her pretty sister who she hopes will catch herself a nice and titled husband. But she doesn't particularly care about things many of her female peers wants. She wants reform and change, but what's a woman to do? She writes fiery political essays under a pseudonym.
When John and Olivia meet for the first time they are hiding from the chattering chits of the ball. They find comfort in the darkened room, yet are surprised to find each other. She hopes to shock John into leaving her alone by outrageously referring to the chess pieces she's holding and commenting on their, ahem, swords.
But John, the Perfect Hero and follower of all things moral and proper doesn't see how someone of Olivia's deposition could suit him and his son. Little does he realize, she's exactly what he needs. He gets a little help from his sister who introduces the two of them and from then on misadventures ensue.
There's a side story with John's son Prescott aka Scottie who wants to find the perfect surrogate mother and not have to endure the Steel Corset a perfect proper lady John is sort of courting. He and his best friend submit an advertisement in one of London’s most popular papers seeking a mother. They read over the replies and choose the best reply written by a “Lady Loose Screw” who happens to be Olivia who wrote the letter in jest. It was secretly submitted by Anna for fun and none of the sisters imagined it would get out of hand.
John is in the midst of writing a speech to the House of Lords seeking support for war veterans returning home. He seeks the writer of political essays who he feels could help him. When he discovers it’s Olivia, she intrigues him even more and they decide they have a common goal. They agree to work on the speech together and to try to remain friends, but we know how that goes.
When Scottie is abducted by those who are against John’s political aspirations Olivia enlists herself to help him. She feels partially to blame, but also wants to squash his enemies because she feels they are also her enemies.
Things I wasn’t expecting
There were times where I thought the characters spoke to modern. I got a sense of a proper upper crest (yet not snooty) speech from John, but they both used phrases that were out of touch. And for Scottie and his friend to be only 10 and 11 they seemed like much older teenagers. Yes, Scottie has been properly reared, but he sounded too much like a miniature earl (which I guess he would be).
I liked that the series (“The Hellions of High Street”) was named after the three Sloane Sisters. I liked that all the sisters supported one another and took part in Olivia’s adventures.
Things I would have liked to have seen
With all the talk of Scottie’s letters, I would have liked to have read what he exactly wrote. I also would liked to have read excerpts of the advertisements and of more about Olivia’s reply as Lady Loose Screw.
The characters talk out loud a lot. A few mutterings are ok, but I thought the characters spoke their feelings out loud a little too much for my liking. It reminded me of soap opera characters talking about their devious plans out loud. It was a bit odd.
It was sweet story of friends becoming lovers, of a heroine who helps the hero achieve greatness and of a heroine finding love when she never thought it was possible. I thought the story wrapped up a little too quickly. A large portion of the plot is driven by John and Olivia’s quest to save Scottie and it’s over really quickly and the instigators aren’t really brought to justice. There are very few misunderstandings between the two characters, but when
Lord Davenport proved to be a mysterious character I’m looking forward to his story in the next book with Anna. I hope we see more of John, Olivia and little Scottie and Lucy I hope they will get together in the future despite their difference in station. Well considering who his step mother will be I think she’ll more than convince John she’s good for their son.
December 26, 2020
Any romance that has an intelligent, strong, outspoken female character is high on my lists of "worth reading." Add in realistic shading of emotions in both the male and female character, a little humor and rule-breaking, and some adventure, and that book will hit my "SO good" list.
This book hit every note. I am ready to devour the 2nd and 3rd in the series as soon as possible.
This book hit every note. I am ready to devour the 2nd and 3rd in the series as soon as possible.
December 29, 2017
Oh, for once it is not love at first sight. I liked how the relationship grew and the affection was built on both attraction and understanding and appreciation for the other person intellect and decisions.
A silly romance, but one that ticks all the boxes for me
A silly romance, but one that ticks all the boxes for me
August 13, 2022
I have generally found Cara Elliot’s characters interesting, but not this time. This couple are as full of romance as their shared favorite topic of politics. The lives they each led before they met sounded much more intriguing than this story.
August 10, 2023
Good story
This book was the first I read of this author. I liked the characters. The story was good. I will definitely read the next in the series. I would recommend this book to others.
This book was the first I read of this author. I liked the characters. The story was good. I will definitely read the next in the series. I would recommend this book to others.
January 9, 2018
Probably give this a 3.5 stars
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