The Scandalous Five: The Prequel: A Cozy Mystery Romance Found Family Intrigue Women's Fiction

by Avani Clare

Glamour.
Gossip.
Girl gang energy.

Before the secrets. Before the adventures and the romances. There was one accidental meeting, one gallery, and five women who refused to play by the rules.

They weren’t meant to meet. They weren’t meant to bond.
And they definitely weren’t meant to become the Annual Royal Unity Summit’s most lovable scandal brigade.

But fate and an ill-timed museum detour had other plans.

For fans of cozy mystery romance, billionaires and royals, and the kind of dinner parties that end in verbal fistfights rather than dessert.

Set over one unforgettable night at a royal international summit gone sideways, this prequel brings together five wildly different women--each carrying her own secrets, her own past, and absolutely no intention of making friends. Until one princess and an unplanned group photo session change everything.

Get ready to fall headfirst into a new series where a strong ensemble cast, found family, and clean sparkling banter take center stage. The Royal Scandal Club delivers everything you crave in a high-society, cozy scandal mystery with clever women sleuths and a healthy dose of slow burn romance.

Think The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants for grown-ups, with a dash of The Bridgertons’ regal intrigue, and the high-society chaos of Her Royal Spyness.

98 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 2, 2025

Reviews

[Lilly Guirguis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cool!

Ended on a cliffhanger and some good confronting sexism moments!!’

Read if you love:
Aurelia
Isadora
Sebastian
Duke of Eastmoor
Eloisa
Celeste
Sabine
Lila

[Manuela Molteni · Rating 5 out of 5]

If chaos wore lipstick and pearls, it would look exactly like The Scandalous Five by Avani Clare. This sparkling little prequel throws together five wildly different women, a royal international summit that clearly didn’t read the “no drama” memo, and a plot that unfolds with the energy of a cocktail party gone deliciously wrong.

Avani Clare knows her game — she’s not here to play safe. Instead, she lines up her heroines like a pack of dynamite sticks, each with her own quirks, ambitions, and secrets, and then lights the match with impeccable timing. The result? A perfectly brewed scandal: short, punchy, and wickedly entertaining.

Despite its brief length, the book feels like an evening with old friends who always manage to get you into trouble — the good kind, the one that comes with laughter, side-eyes, and just a touch of royal embarrassment.

The Scandalous Five is pure prequel perfection: sharp, clever, and unapologetically fun. And if this is just the warm-up, then bring on the main event — I, for one, am already in the front row with popcorn and a grin.

[Callie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Scandalous Five is a surprising tale with some amazing characters. These women aren’t what you expect and that’s what makes them absolutely worth reading about.
Aurelia is a princess who helps small entrepreneurs in her kingdom, Eloisa is an etiquette coach who helps royals, Celeste is a security expert who is a chief security consultant for a billionaire, Lila is a princess who is an archaeologist prodigy, and Isadora is a CEO of a fashion empire who, after the loss of her husband, turned a modest beauty line into a respected cosmetics and fashion empire.
These ladies meet one night at a stuffy diplomatic summit while overlooking some priceless artifacts. This was a very interesting prequel and the interest for what comes next is high. The story is written well and the characters are quite interesting as well. So grab this prequel and the following when they come out, it’s sure to be interesting.

[Success De · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Scandalous Five is an absolute delight, witty, sophisticated, and full of charm. The moment I began reading, I was completely drawn into the world of royal intrigue, clever banter, and unexpected friendships. The author captures the essence of women’s fiction perfectly, blending heart, humor, and a dash of mischief.
The five leading women are each distinct and vividly written, from the polished princess to the fiercely independent outsider. Watching their lives collide in one chaotic evening at the Royal Unity Summit is both hilarious and heartfelt. This prequel sets the tone for what promises to be an exceptional series filled with mystery, romance, and female empowerment. As a reader and fellow writer, I can’t recommend it highly enough.

[Katarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this delightful, but unfortunately way too short, prequel, has me itching to get my hands on the next book. I need to know what happens next. I'm all in, 100% invested and a guarantee I will read every single book Avani Clare writes.
It's been a long time since I've gotten this excited about a book series. This one is a 10 out of 5 stars, must read, don't talk to me the day I get the next book of the series.

[Debdutch · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Scandalous Five” by Avani Claire

This unique and enjoyable story has mischief, humor, and ends with a cliffhanger /mystery. I received a free copy of this book and happily share my honest opinion. The museum scene containing observations of others was memorable.
I am curious to read the next book to find out what happens.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This prequel definitely wets the reader’s appetite for going on to read what happens next to the five women who meet one evening as strangers and bond over some royal artifacts!

The very different personalities are lightly touched on and more in-depth novels should hopefully fill out the characters and give them depth…enjoy!

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling read!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
At last ...a series with a complete cadre of formidable women! This was an excellent read as the author introduced us to each woman describing their personalities and strengths through conversation at a dinner. It was refreshing and the end delivers the mystery for the next book which I'm looking forward to reading soon! Highly recommend the series!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled across this prequel free of charge, read the description and knew I had to give it a try.

I am so glad I did. The author's description is perfect and what you get.

I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

[Kate Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous bunch of strong minded personalities. I am looking forward to reading more about these five women. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Anne Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book. Five women from very different paths find themselves together in a museum, escaping boredom from a “meet and greet” event. They eventually get talking and find they have a lot in common. Later, at dinner, this becomes more and more obvious to them.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed the meeting of the Scandalous (or Fabulous) Five in the prequel! Their story is already full of surprising twists and turns, a little suspense and strong characters!

[aem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty, and intriguing. I’m excited to see what happens next!