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Scandalous #4
Six Degrees of Scandal
Olivia Townsend is in trouble and out of options. Pursued by a desperate man in search of a lost treasure, which she doesn’t have, she’s got only two things in her favor: her late husband’s diary, which she was never meant to see … and the man who was her first-and-only-love. Losing him broke her heart, though she’s been careful to hide it for the last ten years. But when he comes to her aid and vows to stand by her this time, no matter what, she can’t help but hope things will be different this time.
James Weston has blamed himself for letting Olivia down when she needed him years ago, and he will not do it again. Fortunately, his unusual life has equipped him well to outsmart the villain chasing Olivia. Unfortunately, being so near her again threatens to expose every secret in his heart…even those that should stay hidden forever.
James Weston has blamed himself for letting Olivia down when she needed him years ago, and he will not do it again. Fortunately, his unusual life has equipped him well to outsmart the villain chasing Olivia. Unfortunately, being so near her again threatens to expose every secret in his heart…even those that should stay hidden forever.
371 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 29, 2016
121 people are currently reading
1525 people want to read
About the author
Caroline Linden
57 books1,701 followersCaroline Linden was born a reader, not a writer. She earned a degree in mathematics from Harvard University and worked as a programmer in the financial services industry before realizing writing fiction is much more exciting than writing code. Her books have won the NEC-RWA Readers' Choice Award, the JNRW Golden Leaf, the Daphne du Maurier Award, and RWA's RITA Award, and have been translated into seventeen languages around the world. She lives in New England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 237 reviews
August 10, 2018
This book was the ending to this series, really. There is another one after it, but we find out the answer to the question that this whole series led to in this book, so.... not interested.
Our couple, Olivia and James meet when they are young children. He has younger sisters and is looking for a playmate for them, so he recruits Olivia:
"My mother said I had to entertain them but they don’t like the way I play dolls.” He made an aggrieved expression. “Why can’t a doll put on a fine dress and then have a sword fight with another doll? What else have dolls got to do all day?”
Okay, that's a valid question. What else DO dolls have to do all day? We already know what they do at night - murder and intimidation, but their days seem to be free.
Cute doll! I wonder if it's still available.
So, James and Olivia fall in love with each other as teens.... because, hey, there was no one else around. They lose their virginity together and plan to get married. Aww... so sweet. So innocent. So... wrong.
You see, back in ye old days, a father could basically sell his daughter off in marriage and it was perfectly respectable and legal. So, Daddy Dearest has other plans for Olivia.
Parenting level:
badass.
Oh, I meant bad asshole. My bad.
So, the couple was tragically separated for the past 10 years. Luckily, Olivia now has a stalker who also wants to rape her. James has his chance to play hero by following her around, never leaving her side, and having sex with her. ...okay, so maybe the results seem to be the same, but James is cute and Stalker McGee is creepy and villainish. I think he even has a twisty mustache.
Everyone is more badass with a mustache.
Along with watching them trying to get the villain put into jail and having sexy times on the run, we also get a revelation of a mystery that has gone on since book 1 in this series, and it's pretty awesome.
The only down side to this book was the pages and pages of them thinking about their regrets. Ugh!! I don't even think about my own regrets in life as much as these two, and I'm a hella lot older and have made a hella lot more questionable decisions. Just get over it. It's not like we can take stuff back. It's done. Move on.
Okay, you can have some regrets. Also, your mother is allowed a big regret.
Overall, this series was pretty fun as a whole. I would read more from this author because she does a good job making normal Historical Romance a little bit extra.
Our couple, Olivia and James meet when they are young children. He has younger sisters and is looking for a playmate for them, so he recruits Olivia:
"My mother said I had to entertain them but they don’t like the way I play dolls.” He made an aggrieved expression. “Why can’t a doll put on a fine dress and then have a sword fight with another doll? What else have dolls got to do all day?”
Okay, that's a valid question. What else DO dolls have to do all day? We already know what they do at night - murder and intimidation, but their days seem to be free.
Cute doll! I wonder if it's still available.
So, James and Olivia fall in love with each other as teens.... because, hey, there was no one else around. They lose their virginity together and plan to get married. Aww... so sweet. So innocent. So... wrong.
You see, back in ye old days, a father could basically sell his daughter off in marriage and it was perfectly respectable and legal. So, Daddy Dearest has other plans for Olivia.
Parenting level:
badass.
Oh, I meant bad asshole. My bad.
So, the couple was tragically separated for the past 10 years. Luckily, Olivia now has a stalker who also wants to rape her. James has his chance to play hero by following her around, never leaving her side, and having sex with her. ...okay, so maybe the results seem to be the same, but James is cute and Stalker McGee is creepy and villainish. I think he even has a twisty mustache.
Everyone is more badass with a mustache.
Along with watching them trying to get the villain put into jail and having sexy times on the run, we also get a revelation of a mystery that has gone on since book 1 in this series, and it's pretty awesome.
The only down side to this book was the pages and pages of them thinking about their regrets. Ugh!! I don't even think about my own regrets in life as much as these two, and I'm a hella lot older and have made a hella lot more questionable decisions. Just get over it. It's not like we can take stuff back. It's done. Move on.
Okay, you can have some regrets. Also, your mother is allowed a big regret.
Overall, this series was pretty fun as a whole. I would read more from this author because she does a good job making normal Historical Romance a little bit extra.
February 16, 2016
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Six Degrees of Scandal by Caroline Linden
Book Four of the Scandalous series
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: March 29, 2016
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***
Summary (from Goodreads):
Olivia Townsend is in trouble and out of options. Pursued by a desperate man in search of a lost treasure, which she doesn’t have, she’s got only two things in her favor: her late husband’s diary, which she was never meant to see … and the man who was her first-and-only-love. Losing him broke her heart, though she’s been careful to hide it for the last ten years. But when he comes to her aid and vows to stand by her this time, no matter what, she can’t help but hope things will be different this time.
James Weston has blamed himself for letting Olivia down when she needed him years ago, and he will not do it again. Fortunately, his unusual life has equipped him well to outsmart the villain chasing Olivia. Unfortunately, being so near her again threatens to expose every secret in his heart…even those that should stay hidden forever.
What I Liked:
Caroline Linden has never disappointed me! This Scandalous series is easily one of my favorite historical romance series of all time. I don't think I've rated a single one of the books (novel or novella) less than four stars. Generally I enjoy historical romance novels - I'm pretty easy to please, when it comes to this genre - but I LOVE Linden's books especially!
This is James and Olivia's story. Ten years ago, a twenty-year-old James promised a seventeen-year-old Olivia that would get married. But Olivia's family was under dire circumstances, and despite James' family being extremely rich, Olivia's father needed Olivia to be married as soon as possible. So Olivia was forced to marry Henry Townsend. Ten years later, Henry's been dead for two years. But with his death came strange happenings; a viscount Clary has been hounding Olivia, claiming that she has something valuable that Henry left behind. Olivia has been hiding from Clary, but James finds her. Determined to help Olivia and hunt down Clary, James abandons everything and he and Olivia begin the search for the treasure. But the pair discover that Henry's dealings were a lot shadier and dangerous than they thought.
I'm pretty sure this is the last novel in the series, and this makes me immensely sad! However, if it is the last novel, then I must say, the series ended on a beautiful note. I love second-chance romances! Usually I don't like romances with a female widow and male rake, but the backstory was so well-written, and the circumstances were terrible but not heartbreaking.
Olivia never wanted to marry Henry, and even while married to him, neither he nor she wanted to be married. When he died of sudden health causes, Olivia is left penniless, and Lord Clary starts to hunt her for whatever Henry left behind. But James has great timing, and starts to help Olivia. I like that Olivia accepts help from him, as well as stands on her own two feet. It's admirable to defend yourself and fight for yourself, but I think it's equally admirable to accept help when you need it.
I like Olivia so much! I thought I would dislike her a tiny bit, after reading Part One of this book (the background, what transpired between Jamie and Olivia before she was forced to marry Henry). Olivia blamed Jamie for not being there to prevent her marriage to Henry, and Jamie and Olivia part ways on a very sad note. So I thought I wouldn't like Olivia. But it was hard not to like her and respect her. She is strong and determined, but not willful and overbearing. And she is so full of forgiveness and love - I was so happy to see a female protagonist that wasn't stubborn in her ways; Olivia was very open to loving the man she once loved.
And Jamie! Ah, how I loved him. He never stopped loving Olivia, and regretted leaving her that day. He had wanted to make his own fortune so that he could marry her, but his absence made it possible for Olivia's father to find someone else to marry Olivia and provide money for the Herbert family. Poor Jamie! He's suffered terribly for ten years, and cannot forgive himself. Yet he is more than willing to leave everything behind and help Olivia search for the missing treasure that her late husband has hidden. Jamie is honestly such a sweetheart, not at all a rake or scoundrel (like many historical romance heroes are). While I LOVE the rakes and scoundrels, I also adore the wicked sweethearts, like Jamie.
The romance is so sweet, and not drama-filled! About 55% of the book is spent with no physical interaction - Olivia doesn't want to overstep, and Jamie doesn't want to overstep. Both of them are cautious and they don't know where the other stands. I love that it is Olivia that pushes Jamie, and that they stand steadfast once they realize that they're both still so in love with each other. There are no betrayals or big twisted secrets that keep them apart, just them learning to trust and love each other after ten years of bitterness and sadness between them.
And while the romance is sweet, there are some REALLY steamy scenes in the book. Only a few, but tastefully done. Linden always has a good balance of steamy yet not too much steamy.
This book is entertaining, exciting, and heart-warming! I was never bored, and despite it being your usual historical romance length, I breezed through this book. Linden's stories always captivate me, and this one is not exception. We learn something VERY important in this book! And That Reveal is one of the reasons why I think this is the final book in the series. But the epilogue... I'm curious. Linden left a door slightly ajar!
Anyway, I shall say no more. I love Jamie and Olivia's story. I can't decide whose story I liked the most, because I liked them all! Maybe Joan/Tristan's, Abigail/Sebastian's, or Olivia/Jamie's. But seriously, this whole series is so good!
What I Did Not Like:
Hmm. I can't think of anything, except maybe more from Jamie and Olivia in the epilogue? The epilogue features someone else - which is fine! - but I was hoping to catch Jamie and Olivia's happily ever after in even more detail, in the epilogue. But that's okay! Maybe there will be more books to the series. *winks*
Would I Recommend It:
I highly recommend this book - and series - if you're a historical romance fan. I read tons of historical romance novels, and I usually enjoy what I read, but I especially like this Scandalous series. I love how Linden weaves the stories together, places characters and subplots meticulously into each book. And I love how well-written and developed her characters are. And the romances!
Rating:
4.5 stars -> rounded down to 4 stars (I think I'm being a little mean here, but it doesn't quite feel like a five-star read, though it does feel like a year-end favorite). I so hope that there will be more (full-length) novels in the series, though I would be content if there weren't.
Six Degrees of Scandal by Caroline Linden
Book Four of the Scandalous series
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: March 29, 2016
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***
Summary (from Goodreads):
Olivia Townsend is in trouble and out of options. Pursued by a desperate man in search of a lost treasure, which she doesn’t have, she’s got only two things in her favor: her late husband’s diary, which she was never meant to see … and the man who was her first-and-only-love. Losing him broke her heart, though she’s been careful to hide it for the last ten years. But when he comes to her aid and vows to stand by her this time, no matter what, she can’t help but hope things will be different this time.
James Weston has blamed himself for letting Olivia down when she needed him years ago, and he will not do it again. Fortunately, his unusual life has equipped him well to outsmart the villain chasing Olivia. Unfortunately, being so near her again threatens to expose every secret in his heart…even those that should stay hidden forever.
What I Liked:
Caroline Linden has never disappointed me! This Scandalous series is easily one of my favorite historical romance series of all time. I don't think I've rated a single one of the books (novel or novella) less than four stars. Generally I enjoy historical romance novels - I'm pretty easy to please, when it comes to this genre - but I LOVE Linden's books especially!
This is James and Olivia's story. Ten years ago, a twenty-year-old James promised a seventeen-year-old Olivia that would get married. But Olivia's family was under dire circumstances, and despite James' family being extremely rich, Olivia's father needed Olivia to be married as soon as possible. So Olivia was forced to marry Henry Townsend. Ten years later, Henry's been dead for two years. But with his death came strange happenings; a viscount Clary has been hounding Olivia, claiming that she has something valuable that Henry left behind. Olivia has been hiding from Clary, but James finds her. Determined to help Olivia and hunt down Clary, James abandons everything and he and Olivia begin the search for the treasure. But the pair discover that Henry's dealings were a lot shadier and dangerous than they thought.
I'm pretty sure this is the last novel in the series, and this makes me immensely sad! However, if it is the last novel, then I must say, the series ended on a beautiful note. I love second-chance romances! Usually I don't like romances with a female widow and male rake, but the backstory was so well-written, and the circumstances were terrible but not heartbreaking.
Olivia never wanted to marry Henry, and even while married to him, neither he nor she wanted to be married. When he died of sudden health causes, Olivia is left penniless, and Lord Clary starts to hunt her for whatever Henry left behind. But James has great timing, and starts to help Olivia. I like that Olivia accepts help from him, as well as stands on her own two feet. It's admirable to defend yourself and fight for yourself, but I think it's equally admirable to accept help when you need it.
I like Olivia so much! I thought I would dislike her a tiny bit, after reading Part One of this book (the background, what transpired between Jamie and Olivia before she was forced to marry Henry). Olivia blamed Jamie for not being there to prevent her marriage to Henry, and Jamie and Olivia part ways on a very sad note. So I thought I wouldn't like Olivia. But it was hard not to like her and respect her. She is strong and determined, but not willful and overbearing. And she is so full of forgiveness and love - I was so happy to see a female protagonist that wasn't stubborn in her ways; Olivia was very open to loving the man she once loved.
And Jamie! Ah, how I loved him. He never stopped loving Olivia, and regretted leaving her that day. He had wanted to make his own fortune so that he could marry her, but his absence made it possible for Olivia's father to find someone else to marry Olivia and provide money for the Herbert family. Poor Jamie! He's suffered terribly for ten years, and cannot forgive himself. Yet he is more than willing to leave everything behind and help Olivia search for the missing treasure that her late husband has hidden. Jamie is honestly such a sweetheart, not at all a rake or scoundrel (like many historical romance heroes are). While I LOVE the rakes and scoundrels, I also adore the wicked sweethearts, like Jamie.
The romance is so sweet, and not drama-filled! About 55% of the book is spent with no physical interaction - Olivia doesn't want to overstep, and Jamie doesn't want to overstep. Both of them are cautious and they don't know where the other stands. I love that it is Olivia that pushes Jamie, and that they stand steadfast once they realize that they're both still so in love with each other. There are no betrayals or big twisted secrets that keep them apart, just them learning to trust and love each other after ten years of bitterness and sadness between them.
And while the romance is sweet, there are some REALLY steamy scenes in the book. Only a few, but tastefully done. Linden always has a good balance of steamy yet not too much steamy.
This book is entertaining, exciting, and heart-warming! I was never bored, and despite it being your usual historical romance length, I breezed through this book. Linden's stories always captivate me, and this one is not exception. We learn something VERY important in this book! And That Reveal is one of the reasons why I think this is the final book in the series. But the epilogue... I'm curious. Linden left a door slightly ajar!
Anyway, I shall say no more. I love Jamie and Olivia's story. I can't decide whose story I liked the most, because I liked them all! Maybe Joan/Tristan's, Abigail/Sebastian's, or Olivia/Jamie's. But seriously, this whole series is so good!
What I Did Not Like:
Hmm. I can't think of anything, except maybe more from Jamie and Olivia in the epilogue? The epilogue features someone else - which is fine! - but I was hoping to catch Jamie and Olivia's happily ever after in even more detail, in the epilogue. But that's okay! Maybe there will be more books to the series. *winks*
Would I Recommend It:
I highly recommend this book - and series - if you're a historical romance fan. I read tons of historical romance novels, and I usually enjoy what I read, but I especially like this Scandalous series. I love how Linden weaves the stories together, places characters and subplots meticulously into each book. And I love how well-written and developed her characters are. And the romances!
Rating:
4.5 stars -> rounded down to 4 stars (I think I'm being a little mean here, but it doesn't quite feel like a five-star read, though it does feel like a year-end favorite). I so hope that there will be more (full-length) novels in the series, though I would be content if there weren't.
October 26, 2022
Olivia Townsend and James "Jamie" Weston grew up together. Just at the cusp of adulthood (17 and 20, respectively), they confess their love for one another, agree to get married, and bang one out down by the pond. Y'know, like the kids do. Then they are separated for TEN YEARS. Olivia gets married to some other dude; Jamie macks on ladies across England: standard shit. Except NOW, Olivia is in TROUBLE and Jamie is GOING TO HELP. Obviously, they are free to bang their way across the country.
1. If you have been following my romance reviews with any frequency, you know I do not like second chance romances. I just don't: they don't appeal to me because they never take into account the fact that no person is a static marker, and that all memories are intrinsically warped and twisted to suit the internal narrative of the individual doing the remembering. And they're usually filled with narrative shortcuts because all the emotional development ALREADY HAPPENED so we just need to get everyone naked and IT'S FINE RIGHT. (It's not.)
...anyways. This book doesn't do that, but I still didn't like it.
2. WHY, you ask? Well. Olivia and Jamie's separation is because of external influence, and when they come together they both fully acknowledge that there has been time and changes in both their lives so they have to figure out what their future might look like if they're both even interested in having one together.
Which they are. Of course.
And the moment they confess their love for one another (50% of the way into this thing), that entire thread about having to relearn one another is dropped. It's a terrible optical illusion: we'll pretend like this second chance romance is actually going to engage with the very real flaw facing the majority of this well-beloved trope, but then for real everyone will wave their boners at one another and it'll be FINE. (It's not.)
Exhausting, and disappointing.
3. I don't get Olivia. I don't think I understood a single thing about her except that she fell in love with the cute boy next door when she was a girl, then married a charming huckster, then descended into poverty upon his death. Her passions, her desires (beyond Jamie's dick), her drivers are all completely overshadowed by her feels for Jamie.
4. Jamie was... I don't know. He didn't really rev my engine? I wanted more competence porn from him; I wanted more emotional connection and vulnerability. I was ENRAGED when we got into the last few chapters and he refused to speak up about marriage (or why he was delaying talking about marriage) to Olivia. Like, DUDE. DID YOU LEARN NOTHING? USE YOUR FUCKING WORDS. COM-MUN-I-CATE, MOTHERFUCKER.
Seriously: I wanted Olivia to just move on so he could appropriately grovel instead of just tossing that half-assed proposal in her lap at the end, like "Oh, yeah, now that the villain has been arrested, I was thinking, like, maybe we could get married? Maybe? That cool with you?"
UGHHHHHH.
5. I was SUPREMELY unimpressed by the revelation of authorship. Like, it could have been anyone? And it was....that person? O.......kay?
6. The ending was a slop of stuff and none of it really meant anything since I didn't care about the smuggling plot. I didn't care about a lot of this, actually. So.
1. If you have been following my romance reviews with any frequency, you know I do not like second chance romances. I just don't: they don't appeal to me because they never take into account the fact that no person is a static marker, and that all memories are intrinsically warped and twisted to suit the internal narrative of the individual doing the remembering. And they're usually filled with narrative shortcuts because all the emotional development ALREADY HAPPENED so we just need to get everyone naked and IT'S FINE RIGHT. (It's not.)
...anyways. This book doesn't do that, but I still didn't like it.
2. WHY, you ask? Well. Olivia and Jamie's separation is because of external influence, and when they come together they both fully acknowledge that there has been time and changes in both their lives so they have to figure out what their future might look like if they're both even interested in having one together.
Which they are. Of course.
And the moment they confess their love for one another (50% of the way into this thing), that entire thread about having to relearn one another is dropped. It's a terrible optical illusion: we'll pretend like this second chance romance is actually going to engage with the very real flaw facing the majority of this well-beloved trope, but then for real everyone will wave their boners at one another and it'll be FINE. (It's not.)
Exhausting, and disappointing.
3. I don't get Olivia. I don't think I understood a single thing about her except that she fell in love with the cute boy next door when she was a girl, then married a charming huckster, then descended into poverty upon his death. Her passions, her desires (beyond Jamie's dick), her drivers are all completely overshadowed by her feels for Jamie.
4. Jamie was... I don't know. He didn't really rev my engine? I wanted more competence porn from him; I wanted more emotional connection and vulnerability. I was ENRAGED when we got into the last few chapters and he refused to speak up about marriage (or why he was delaying talking about marriage) to Olivia. Like, DUDE. DID YOU LEARN NOTHING? USE YOUR FUCKING WORDS. COM-MUN-I-CATE, MOTHERFUCKER.
Seriously: I wanted Olivia to just move on so he could appropriately grovel instead of just tossing that half-assed proposal in her lap at the end, like "Oh, yeah, now that the villain has been arrested, I was thinking, like, maybe we could get married? Maybe? That cool with you?"
UGHHHHHH.
5. I was SUPREMELY unimpressed by the revelation of authorship. Like, it could have been anyone? And it was....that person? O.......kay?
6. The ending was a slop of stuff and none of it really meant anything since I didn't care about the smuggling plot. I didn't care about a lot of this, actually. So.
June 9, 2022
Part 1 (chapters 1 through 3) was cute. The H/h meet as children and became good friends out in the country. They eventually fall in love and agree to marry each other. However, things don’t go as planned and the heroine’s father arranges for her marriage to a peer for money.
Part 2 (chapters 4 through 21) takes place 10 years later. The heroine is a widow for 2 years now. She’s trying to find out what secrets her late husband hid from her and why the villain is after her. The hero helps her investigate and their love is rekindled, but the hero has a secret that could create scandal.
Part 3 (chapters 22 through 26). I didn't realize there was a part 3. 😅 I thought these chapters were included in Part 2. My guess is that this part is the resolution to the plot. We learn what secret the hero has been hiding. I initially sighed with irritation that there was even a secret. But I didn't expect that it was going to be that! Good job, Ms. Linden.
The epilogue was too long and not romantic. It kind of leads to the novella next in this series.
I didn’t enjoy parts 2 and 3 of the book because they focused too much on the mystery. Some of Olivia’s story began in Book 3 in this series but I think you can read this as a standalone.
Part 2 (chapters 4 through 21) takes place 10 years later. The heroine is a widow for 2 years now. She’s trying to find out what secrets her late husband hid from her and why the villain is after her. The hero helps her investigate and their love is rekindled, but the hero has a secret that could create scandal.
Part 3 (chapters 22 through 26). I didn't realize there was a part 3. 😅 I thought these chapters were included in Part 2. My guess is that this part is the resolution to the plot. We learn what secret the hero has been hiding. I initially sighed with irritation that there was even a secret. But I didn't expect that it was going to be that! Good job, Ms. Linden.
The epilogue was too long and not romantic. It kind of leads to the novella next in this series.
I didn’t enjoy parts 2 and 3 of the book because they focused too much on the mystery. Some of Olivia’s story began in Book 3 in this series but I think you can read this as a standalone.
September 18, 2016
I've given this a B+ at AAR, so that's 4.5 stars.
I’ve enjoyed every book in Caroline Linden’s Scandalous series and the latest, Six Degrees of Scandal is no exception. The books are all linked by the popular 50 Ways to Sin series of erotic stories penned by the mysterious Lady Constance, a woman whose sexual encounters with men who are often thinly disguised versions of gentlemen of the ton are eagerly snapped up by all who can get their hands on them. Readers have followed Lady Constance’s uninhibited search for erotic pleasure, and society is rife with speculation as to the identity of the author. One of the draws of Six Degrees is her promised reveal – which I’m not going to spoil, other than to say that it certainly doesn’t disappoint.
For all that though, the discovery of the truth about Lady Constance is just one of many things to enjoy in this beautifully told story of love lost and regained.
A decade or so before the main story starts, we meet young Olivia Herbert and James (Jamie) Weston, and follow them briefly through adolescence and into young adulthood, charting the development of a deep and meaningful friendship that blossoms into love. When they are just seventeen and twenty-one respectively, they pledge themselves to each other and give themselves to each other in full expectation of becoming betrothed at the earliest opportunity. Olivia’s father is in desperate need of money and Jamie’s father is incredibly wealthy, so neither of them foresees any objection from either party. But Jamie, with the over-confidence and lack of foresight of youth, makes a disastrous decision which sees him leave home on his father’s business without first asking for Olivia’s hand.
Neither he nor Olivia knew how desperate the Herbert’s financial situation truly was, and even though James is absent for only a short time, he returns to find Olivia already married to Henry Townsend, whose wealthy father has paid her father’s debts in return for finding a steady wife for his somewhat rackety son.
Over the years, James has taken great pains to avoid coming into contact with Olivia, throwing himself into the various projects which have amassed him a tidy fortune. But work is no substitute for love and he has never been able to forget her or stop loving her, which is why, at the beginning of the story, he travels to Gravesend in Kent in pursuit of her at the behest of his sister Penelope, who is one of Olivia’s closest friends.
Readers of Love in the Time of Scandal will recall that the now-widowed Olivia was being threatened by the unsavoury Lord Clary, who believed her to be in possession of something of her late husband’s that he desperately wanted. Having no idea what this could be, or any knowledge of Henry’s activities, Olivia tells Clary of her ignorance, but he doesn’t believe her and begins harassing her and her friends in order to get what he wants. Scared for her life, Olivia runs, but not before she receives an unusual communication from one of Henry’s solicitors requesting the return of a record-book that should have been destroyed with all his other papers.
Suspecting that the book could shed some light on what Clary is after, Olivia refuses to hand it over, having begun to believe that Henry must have been involved in something underhand. When Jamie arrives in Gravesend, Olivia is surprised but relieved to see him, and this is one of the things I really liked about the book; Olivia isn’t too proud to accept the help he offers. Jamie knows he let her down badly all those years ago and is determined to do better this time; and I loved how his talent for logic and strategy so often help the pair of them to find another piece of the puzzle and take a step forward in their search for the truth.
While the mystery – two of them, if you count the one surrounding the identity of Lady Constance – is a key element of the storyline, it is never allowed to eclipse the rekindling of the romance between Olivia and Jamie. Their situation is a potentially perilous one and so there is no need for the author to insert silly roadblocks in order to prolong or create dramatic tension; events flow smoothly and naturally with the stakes getting gradually higher and higher as the book progresses. Of course, there is never any question that Jamie and Olivia will end up together, but that doesn’t matter because Ms Linden has written their path back to each other so beautifully, and with such maturity and understanding, that it’s a delight to read.
The characterisation of the two leads is particularly strong and their story is not so much one of a couple falling in love as it is of a couple who have always loved one another but need to grow back into love and to regain their trust in each other. Their relationship is very much one of equals. Olivia is a strong woman who is capable of doing things for herself and standing on her own two feet, but who also has the strength to admit that she doesn’t have to go it alone any more. And Jamie is just adorable. Sweet, capable and sexy, he’s a wonderful beta hero who never patronises Olivia or tries to wrap her in cotton wool – much as he would like to – because he recognizes her need to play her part in their plans and has confidence in her ability to do so.
Six Degrees of Scandal is an excellent way to end what has been one of the most consistently well-written and enjoyable historical romance series to appear in the last few years. I’m sorry to see it reach a conclusion, but am happy it’s ended on such a strong note and I know it’s a series of books I will revisit. Anyone who has been keeping up with the Westons (and the Burkes) won’t be disappointed with the way things wrap up, and for anyone who hasn’t yet read any of the series – you’re missing out, so go and get yourself a copy of Love and Other Scandals and get started!
I’ve enjoyed every book in Caroline Linden’s Scandalous series and the latest, Six Degrees of Scandal is no exception. The books are all linked by the popular 50 Ways to Sin series of erotic stories penned by the mysterious Lady Constance, a woman whose sexual encounters with men who are often thinly disguised versions of gentlemen of the ton are eagerly snapped up by all who can get their hands on them. Readers have followed Lady Constance’s uninhibited search for erotic pleasure, and society is rife with speculation as to the identity of the author. One of the draws of Six Degrees is her promised reveal – which I’m not going to spoil, other than to say that it certainly doesn’t disappoint.
For all that though, the discovery of the truth about Lady Constance is just one of many things to enjoy in this beautifully told story of love lost and regained.
A decade or so before the main story starts, we meet young Olivia Herbert and James (Jamie) Weston, and follow them briefly through adolescence and into young adulthood, charting the development of a deep and meaningful friendship that blossoms into love. When they are just seventeen and twenty-one respectively, they pledge themselves to each other and give themselves to each other in full expectation of becoming betrothed at the earliest opportunity. Olivia’s father is in desperate need of money and Jamie’s father is incredibly wealthy, so neither of them foresees any objection from either party. But Jamie, with the over-confidence and lack of foresight of youth, makes a disastrous decision which sees him leave home on his father’s business without first asking for Olivia’s hand.
Neither he nor Olivia knew how desperate the Herbert’s financial situation truly was, and even though James is absent for only a short time, he returns to find Olivia already married to Henry Townsend, whose wealthy father has paid her father’s debts in return for finding a steady wife for his somewhat rackety son.
Over the years, James has taken great pains to avoid coming into contact with Olivia, throwing himself into the various projects which have amassed him a tidy fortune. But work is no substitute for love and he has never been able to forget her or stop loving her, which is why, at the beginning of the story, he travels to Gravesend in Kent in pursuit of her at the behest of his sister Penelope, who is one of Olivia’s closest friends.
Readers of Love in the Time of Scandal will recall that the now-widowed Olivia was being threatened by the unsavoury Lord Clary, who believed her to be in possession of something of her late husband’s that he desperately wanted. Having no idea what this could be, or any knowledge of Henry’s activities, Olivia tells Clary of her ignorance, but he doesn’t believe her and begins harassing her and her friends in order to get what he wants. Scared for her life, Olivia runs, but not before she receives an unusual communication from one of Henry’s solicitors requesting the return of a record-book that should have been destroyed with all his other papers.
Suspecting that the book could shed some light on what Clary is after, Olivia refuses to hand it over, having begun to believe that Henry must have been involved in something underhand. When Jamie arrives in Gravesend, Olivia is surprised but relieved to see him, and this is one of the things I really liked about the book; Olivia isn’t too proud to accept the help he offers. Jamie knows he let her down badly all those years ago and is determined to do better this time; and I loved how his talent for logic and strategy so often help the pair of them to find another piece of the puzzle and take a step forward in their search for the truth.
While the mystery – two of them, if you count the one surrounding the identity of Lady Constance – is a key element of the storyline, it is never allowed to eclipse the rekindling of the romance between Olivia and Jamie. Their situation is a potentially perilous one and so there is no need for the author to insert silly roadblocks in order to prolong or create dramatic tension; events flow smoothly and naturally with the stakes getting gradually higher and higher as the book progresses. Of course, there is never any question that Jamie and Olivia will end up together, but that doesn’t matter because Ms Linden has written their path back to each other so beautifully, and with such maturity and understanding, that it’s a delight to read.
The characterisation of the two leads is particularly strong and their story is not so much one of a couple falling in love as it is of a couple who have always loved one another but need to grow back into love and to regain their trust in each other. Their relationship is very much one of equals. Olivia is a strong woman who is capable of doing things for herself and standing on her own two feet, but who also has the strength to admit that she doesn’t have to go it alone any more. And Jamie is just adorable. Sweet, capable and sexy, he’s a wonderful beta hero who never patronises Olivia or tries to wrap her in cotton wool – much as he would like to – because he recognizes her need to play her part in their plans and has confidence in her ability to do so.
Six Degrees of Scandal is an excellent way to end what has been one of the most consistently well-written and enjoyable historical romance series to appear in the last few years. I’m sorry to see it reach a conclusion, but am happy it’s ended on such a strong note and I know it’s a series of books I will revisit. Anyone who has been keeping up with the Westons (and the Burkes) won’t be disappointed with the way things wrap up, and for anyone who hasn’t yet read any of the series – you’re missing out, so go and get yourself a copy of Love and Other Scandals and get started!
March 14, 2023
⭐⭐⭐
3 stars.
➕ What I liked :
A little bit “older” heroine (26)
Rather good chemistry and romantic build up.
Second Chance Romance.
Friends to lovers.
Widowed heroine.
Road Trip.
➖ What I disliked:
The main characters needed a little more depth.
The villain did not get any real comeuppance.
The heroines awful parents got no comeuppance.
A little too much focus on the darkness/suspense part of the story.
3 stars.
➕ What I liked :
A little bit “older” heroine (26)
Rather good chemistry and romantic build up.
Second Chance Romance.
Friends to lovers.
Widowed heroine.
Road Trip.
➖ What I disliked:
The main characters needed a little more depth.
The villain did not get any real comeuppance.
The heroines awful parents got no comeuppance.
A little too much focus on the darkness/suspense part of the story.
April 6, 2017
Man, this was boring. I'm exhausted, I can't even write a review. It started interesting enough, but then it got soooo tedious oh my god the 380 pages felt like a thousand.
February 11, 2017
Ending the series on a meh. But then, I expected as much because Olivia has been kind of a wet presence in the other books. Actually, this book goes a decent ways to changing that. She's still not great, but at least she makes more sense as we get to know her backstory.
Speaking of which, the biggest drag of the book is that the romance is over (and culminated) in the first two chapters. They love each other. They plight troths. They do the thing. And then carelessness and undue pressure separate them for a decade. Even so, there's never any sense that the love for either has paled or diminished at all, so there's never any question that they'll be together and the book starts with there being literally no bar to their relationship getting its groove on. Which makes the surrounding plot that much more important.
Unfortunately, the plot is a big bag of meh as well. Clary was a suck in book three and he's even more of one here. Worse, there's more than a dash of authorial manipulation to keep him present despite Jamie's pretty clever obfuscations. I did appreciate a couple of places where Jaimie got to shine as the take-charge businessman he is. Indeed, if there's an element that stands out here, it's Jaimie. Particularly finding that . I particularly liked his handling of the regret for his (large) part in their separation ten years ago.
Jaimie wasn't enough to raise this above the average, however. It's a solid-enough three-stars, but it's still only that. I don't regret the book, and if you've read (and liked) the rest of the series, you'll probably enjoy this as well. I just prefer when a series goes out with a bang and this is more of, well, a meh.
A note about Steamy: There are three plus one explicit sex scenes, a couple pretty short. It's still in my mid range, but on the high side. Frankly, I think Linden could have made better use of the spoiler above, but it ended up being kind of a disappointment, really...
Speaking of which, the biggest drag of the book is that the romance is over (and culminated) in the first two chapters. They love each other. They plight troths. They do the thing. And then carelessness and undue pressure separate them for a decade. Even so, there's never any sense that the love for either has paled or diminished at all, so there's never any question that they'll be together and the book starts with there being literally no bar to their relationship getting its groove on. Which makes the surrounding plot that much more important.
Unfortunately, the plot is a big bag of meh as well. Clary was a suck in book three and he's even more of one here. Worse, there's more than a dash of authorial manipulation to keep him present despite Jamie's pretty clever obfuscations. I did appreciate a couple of places where Jaimie got to shine as the take-charge businessman he is. Indeed, if there's an element that stands out here, it's Jaimie. Particularly finding that . I particularly liked his handling of the regret for his (large) part in their separation ten years ago.
Jaimie wasn't enough to raise this above the average, however. It's a solid-enough three-stars, but it's still only that. I don't regret the book, and if you've read (and liked) the rest of the series, you'll probably enjoy this as well. I just prefer when a series goes out with a bang and this is more of, well, a meh.
A note about Steamy: There are three plus one explicit sex scenes, a couple pretty short. It's still in my mid range, but on the high side. Frankly, I think Linden could have made better use of the spoiler above, but it ended up being kind of a disappointment, really...
August 21, 2017
Somewhat bland romance containing little romantic tension with the focus of the plot being the capture of the villain. The hero and heroine fell back into each other's arms quite comfortable after 10 years of separation after her previous sudden forced marriage to another. As they reunited without too much fuss, that left the rest of the plot free to unravel the mystery surrounding her husband and his illicit activities as well as tidying up the loose ends which arose throughout the series and giving it a fitting finale.
October 16, 2017
What should a woman do when her first love, the man who deserted her in a time of need, returns a decade later ready to risk his life to save her from a murderous villain?
In the exciting, romantic conclusion to her engaging Scandalous series, Caroline Linden presents the story of Olivia Herbert and James (Jamie) Weston, who grew up on neighboring estates in Kent. The two families did not socialize, however, as Jamie’s father was an (immensely wealthy) attorney and Olivia was the daughter of a (spendthrift) baronet. Lady Herbert, adhering to the rigid class distinctions of the day, considered the “upstart Westons” to be beneath her notice. As the Herberts’ fortunes decline though, and when Jamie appears to show an interest in Olivia, Sir Alfred and Lady Herbert’s prejudices began to crumble.
Unbeknownst to them, Jamie and Olivia have fallen madly in love and given in to their passion, expecting that parental approval of their betrothal would be forthcoming. Eager to prove himself to his father and not realizing how precarious the Herberts’ finances have become, Jamie leaves on a business trip before formally asking for Olivia’s hand – a decision that proves disastrous for Olivia when her parents insist that she marry Henry Townsend, a man she doesn’t even know. Henry’s wealthy father has agreed to pay all of Lord Herbert’s debts to order to obtain a sensible wife for his frivolous son. When Olivia’s frantic letters to Jamie go unanswered, she sees no choice but to marry Henry; Jamie returns to find that Olivia has been married for four days. Olivia is furious and broken-hearted but she treats him with cool civility, as she wants to maintain her friendship with his sisters.
Ten years pass, and while Olivia remains close to Abigail and Penelope Weston, Jamie sees to it that he rarely crosses Olivia’s path. Olivia’s marriage is not a happy one but neither is it a horror. When Henry suddenly dies, however, Olivia finds that he has spent his inherited fortune and left her penniless. Henry’s friend, Viscount Clary, repeatedly visits Olivia, initially expressing sympathy but ultimately demanding that she return an item that belongs to him. Olivia has no idea what he is talking about, but his manner becomes increasingly threatening. After Clary tries to force Penelope Weston to tell him Olivia’s whereabouts, almost killing her (see Love in the Time of Scandal), Olivia flees London in search of Henry’s solicitor. He had sent Olivia a record-book that she believes may shed some light on Henry’s business, and she is beginning to suspect that that business was possibly illegal and that Clary was involved.
After visiting the solicitor and getting nowhere, Olivia is walking home near dark and is followed by a shadowy figure. Fearing that it is Clary, she grabs a nearby shovel and wallops the stranger – who turns out to be Jamie. He has followed her to Gravesend to protect and help her, and thus begins a beautiful second-chance romance mixed with a road-trip aimed at resolving a puzzling mystery.
The unwinding of Henry Townsend’s schemes is very well done and kept me turning the pages far past my bedtime. But the beauty of this book is in Olivia and Jamie finding the happiness that eluded them a decade earlier. Jamie has never stopped loving Olivia, and he bitterly regrets his failure to be there when she needed him.
For her part, Olivia has spent ten years feeling like a fool for giving Jamie her love and trust, but with his return to her life, she realizes what she has forfeited by refusing his friendship.
Olivia is an admirable heroine; she is strong and determined to solve her own problems. When Jamie offers his help, however, she is not too proud to accept and to forgive him. Jamie is utterly lovable and perhaps a little too good to be true, but I don’t object to that in my romance heroes. All of the main characters from the earlier books put in an appearance, but I was particularly struck by the lovely vignette of one of the minor characters, a charming old fisherman/smuggler who helps them even though he does not have to. ‘A man’s oath is his bond,’ he said quietly, ‘but when a fellow dies . . .’ He shrugged. ‘I allow some duty is owed to the chap’s widow.’
All in all, Six Degrees of Scandal is a most enjoyable book, and I believe that the author has so deftly woven in details from the other books that this one works quite well as a stand-alone. If you have read those books, however, you may be wondering about Lady Constance, the courtesan whose supposedly true stories of her erotic adventures, 50 Ways to Sin, have consumed the ton with speculation about the author’s true identity. Her identity is indeed revealed here and I can almost guarantee that you will be surprised. Well done, Caroline Linden.
First appearing at Romantic Historical Reviews.
In the exciting, romantic conclusion to her engaging Scandalous series, Caroline Linden presents the story of Olivia Herbert and James (Jamie) Weston, who grew up on neighboring estates in Kent. The two families did not socialize, however, as Jamie’s father was an (immensely wealthy) attorney and Olivia was the daughter of a (spendthrift) baronet. Lady Herbert, adhering to the rigid class distinctions of the day, considered the “upstart Westons” to be beneath her notice. As the Herberts’ fortunes decline though, and when Jamie appears to show an interest in Olivia, Sir Alfred and Lady Herbert’s prejudices began to crumble.
Unbeknownst to them, Jamie and Olivia have fallen madly in love and given in to their passion, expecting that parental approval of their betrothal would be forthcoming. Eager to prove himself to his father and not realizing how precarious the Herberts’ finances have become, Jamie leaves on a business trip before formally asking for Olivia’s hand – a decision that proves disastrous for Olivia when her parents insist that she marry Henry Townsend, a man she doesn’t even know. Henry’s wealthy father has agreed to pay all of Lord Herbert’s debts to order to obtain a sensible wife for his frivolous son. When Olivia’s frantic letters to Jamie go unanswered, she sees no choice but to marry Henry; Jamie returns to find that Olivia has been married for four days. Olivia is furious and broken-hearted but she treats him with cool civility, as she wants to maintain her friendship with his sisters.
Ten years pass, and while Olivia remains close to Abigail and Penelope Weston, Jamie sees to it that he rarely crosses Olivia’s path. Olivia’s marriage is not a happy one but neither is it a horror. When Henry suddenly dies, however, Olivia finds that he has spent his inherited fortune and left her penniless. Henry’s friend, Viscount Clary, repeatedly visits Olivia, initially expressing sympathy but ultimately demanding that she return an item that belongs to him. Olivia has no idea what he is talking about, but his manner becomes increasingly threatening. After Clary tries to force Penelope Weston to tell him Olivia’s whereabouts, almost killing her (see Love in the Time of Scandal), Olivia flees London in search of Henry’s solicitor. He had sent Olivia a record-book that she believes may shed some light on Henry’s business, and she is beginning to suspect that that business was possibly illegal and that Clary was involved.
After visiting the solicitor and getting nowhere, Olivia is walking home near dark and is followed by a shadowy figure. Fearing that it is Clary, she grabs a nearby shovel and wallops the stranger – who turns out to be Jamie. He has followed her to Gravesend to protect and help her, and thus begins a beautiful second-chance romance mixed with a road-trip aimed at resolving a puzzling mystery.
The unwinding of Henry Townsend’s schemes is very well done and kept me turning the pages far past my bedtime. But the beauty of this book is in Olivia and Jamie finding the happiness that eluded them a decade earlier. Jamie has never stopped loving Olivia, and he bitterly regrets his failure to be there when she needed him.
This time, he wasn’t going to let her down. This time, he wasn’t leaving her until Lord Clary was in prison and every nasty, dirty secret of Henry’s had been exposed and burned, and Olivia lost that worn, tense expression. And if she could be persuaded to give him another chance, he wasn’t going to let her go, either.
For her part, Olivia has spent ten years feeling like a fool for giving Jamie her love and trust, but with his return to her life, she realizes what she has forfeited by refusing his friendship.
Suddenly she wished she hadn’t done it. It had protected her wounded young heart, but at the cost of a friendship that had sustained her since she was a child. If she hadn’t pushed him away, Jamie might have helped her endure her lonely, loveless marriage. Henry wouldn’t have cared. And Olivia knew that, if she had asked, Jamie would have advised her when Clary started hounding her.
Olivia is an admirable heroine; she is strong and determined to solve her own problems. When Jamie offers his help, however, she is not too proud to accept and to forgive him. Jamie is utterly lovable and perhaps a little too good to be true, but I don’t object to that in my romance heroes. All of the main characters from the earlier books put in an appearance, but I was particularly struck by the lovely vignette of one of the minor characters, a charming old fisherman/smuggler who helps them even though he does not have to. ‘A man’s oath is his bond,’ he said quietly, ‘but when a fellow dies . . .’ He shrugged. ‘I allow some duty is owed to the chap’s widow.’
All in all, Six Degrees of Scandal is a most enjoyable book, and I believe that the author has so deftly woven in details from the other books that this one works quite well as a stand-alone. If you have read those books, however, you may be wondering about Lady Constance, the courtesan whose supposedly true stories of her erotic adventures, 50 Ways to Sin, have consumed the ton with speculation about the author’s true identity. Her identity is indeed revealed here and I can almost guarantee that you will be surprised. Well done, Caroline Linden.
First appearing at Romantic Historical Reviews.
March 21, 2016
With Six Degrees of Scandal, Caroline Linden wraps up her Scandalous series, which now consists of 4 novels and 2 novellas. What a series this was; I enjoyed it enormously and it was bittersweet to see it end.
In this final installment, all of the loose ends from previous novels are neatly tied up and we get several delightful scenes that allow us to "check in" on the characters from other novels within the series. For some, this may be too sweet, but for me, I adored it. The series feels complete and it is fun to see the changes that the characters have undergone from the first book.
Six Degrees of Scandal is Olivia Townsend and James Weston's love story and is told in 3 parts. The first part gives the reader a view of Jamie and Olivia's young love and ultimate separation (10 years before), the second part describes their adventure across England in pursuit of the truth, and part three wraps up the mystery and brings everyone together. For those who have read the previous books (which I highly recommend both because they are great and because the story will mean more to you), this story picks up from the end of book 3 with widowed Olivia on the run from the devious Lord Clary as she tries to understand what her dead husband was up to that has caused her to fall into such dire straits. James Weston, the brother of Abigail (book 2) and Penelope (book 3), is determined to never fail Olivia again and finds her in the cold outskirts of a sea town and offers his aid.
Despite ten years of separation (the heartbreaking reasons are explained in part 1), Olivia and Jamie are comfortable with each other and the years seem to melt away. The mystery is fast paced and I was not quite sure how it would end, but despite this dramatic element, the story on the whole felt very sweet. Olivia and James still seem young and they are determined to not make the same mistakes they did before, which lowers angst, but made the story more romantic in my opinion. Here is a quote that captures the contrast of the story's sweet romance and suspense:
We also find out who Lady Constance is. I will not spoil it for you, but I will say, I did not see it coming, but I love who it was. This also leads to a scene at the end of the book with the heroines from the previous novels that is hilarious.
Overall, I thought this was wonderful and the icing on the cake for a series I enjoyed enormously. With this series, Linden has become an auto buy author for me and I have been perusing her backlist to check out older novels I have missed. Linden has a slightly modern voice for those who are historical romance purists, but I have no complaints. She captures emotion well, writes some of the best sex scenes (and I rarely care about these), and tells a beautiful story.
As I've said before, I'd highly recommend reading the other books in this series first to truly get the most out of this final novel, but Linden does provide sufficient detail that you could follow the story easily if you started here. Also, know that this is an Avon romance so there will be sex scenes. For my taste, I think Linden is one of the best. I love how she balances character development, romance, heat, and language in a way that is both tasteful, erotic, and at a level that still leaves something to the imagination. For the most part, this book is pretty tame, but there is one scene that ratchets up the sensuality and ties into Lady Constance and the wicked pamphlet that is featured in each book in this series.
As Jamie says at one point to Olivia:
Highly recommended. <3
In this final installment, all of the loose ends from previous novels are neatly tied up and we get several delightful scenes that allow us to "check in" on the characters from other novels within the series. For some, this may be too sweet, but for me, I adored it. The series feels complete and it is fun to see the changes that the characters have undergone from the first book.
Six Degrees of Scandal is Olivia Townsend and James Weston's love story and is told in 3 parts. The first part gives the reader a view of Jamie and Olivia's young love and ultimate separation (10 years before), the second part describes their adventure across England in pursuit of the truth, and part three wraps up the mystery and brings everyone together. For those who have read the previous books (which I highly recommend both because they are great and because the story will mean more to you), this story picks up from the end of book 3 with widowed Olivia on the run from the devious Lord Clary as she tries to understand what her dead husband was up to that has caused her to fall into such dire straits. James Weston, the brother of Abigail (book 2) and Penelope (book 3), is determined to never fail Olivia again and finds her in the cold outskirts of a sea town and offers his aid.
Despite ten years of separation (the heartbreaking reasons are explained in part 1), Olivia and Jamie are comfortable with each other and the years seem to melt away. The mystery is fast paced and I was not quite sure how it would end, but despite this dramatic element, the story on the whole felt very sweet. Olivia and James still seem young and they are determined to not make the same mistakes they did before, which lowers angst, but made the story more romantic in my opinion. Here is a quote that captures the contrast of the story's sweet romance and suspense:
She looked up at him, and he winked, his hazel eyes twinkling above his scarf. Olivia snuggled a little closer to his side, feeling that this moment was the happiest she'd known in a decade, in spite of the frigid air in her face and the threat of Clary pursuing them.
We also find out who Lady Constance is. I will not spoil it for you, but I will say, I did not see it coming, but I love who it was. This also leads to a scene at the end of the book with the heroines from the previous novels that is hilarious.
Overall, I thought this was wonderful and the icing on the cake for a series I enjoyed enormously. With this series, Linden has become an auto buy author for me and I have been perusing her backlist to check out older novels I have missed. Linden has a slightly modern voice for those who are historical romance purists, but I have no complaints. She captures emotion well, writes some of the best sex scenes (and I rarely care about these), and tells a beautiful story.
As I've said before, I'd highly recommend reading the other books in this series first to truly get the most out of this final novel, but Linden does provide sufficient detail that you could follow the story easily if you started here. Also, know that this is an Avon romance so there will be sex scenes. For my taste, I think Linden is one of the best. I love how she balances character development, romance, heat, and language in a way that is both tasteful, erotic, and at a level that still leaves something to the imagination. For the most part, this book is pretty tame, but there is one scene that ratchets up the sensuality and ties into Lady Constance and the wicked pamphlet that is featured in each book in this series.
As Jamie says at one point to Olivia:
Be wicked with me.
Highly recommended. <3
June 6, 2020
3.5 Stars rounded up.
Loved the plot and the storyline with two lovers finding each other again after 10 years of separation.
Loved the plot and the storyline with two lovers finding each other again after 10 years of separation.
July 11, 2024
Review from 2016
A- for narration; B+ for content.
This final book in Caroline Linden’s Scandalous series brings it to an extremely satisfying conclusion, tying up the loose ends deliberately left over from Love in the Time of Scandal, and also finally revealing the identity of the mysterious Lady Constance, author of the popular Fifty Ways to Sin series of erotic pamphlets.
The story opens some years earlier when young James Weston (brother of Penelope and Abigail, heroines of the previous two books) meets Olivia Herbert, who lives on the neighbouring estate. The Westons have recently purchased Haverstock House, Mr. Weston being a very successful businessman, and Jamie invites Olivia home to play with his sisters. Olivia’s father is a baronet, but the family finances are in dire straits, so even though the Westons are nouveau riche and will never be fully accepted into society, Lady Herbert allows the acquaintance. Over the years, Olivia and the Weston girls become firm friends, and she and Jamie fall in love. When she is seventeen and Jamie twenty, they pledge themselves to each other, making love one idyllic afternoon. Knowing how badly the Herberts need money, Jamie is confident that his suit will be accepted, but with the arrogance and over-confidence of youth, he fails to seek her father’s consent before going away to attend to some business on Mr. Weston’s behalf.
Jamie is devastated when he returns some weeks later to discover that Olivia’s father has married her off to Henry Townsend, whose wealthy father was seeking a steadying influence for his wayward son, basically selling Olivia to him so that he could pay off his debts. In the ensuing eight years of her marriage, Olivia and Jamie keep a distance between them, both of them knowing it’s the only way they can cope with the depth of the hurt that now lies between them.
Listeners of the previous book will recall that Olivia was being harassed by Lord Clary, a thoroughly unpleasant piece of work who insisted that she hand over something he believed to have been in the possession of her late husband. Olivia honestly has no idea what he is talking about. Henry died two years earlier, at which point her income suddenly dried up and it became apparent that he had made no provision for her whatsoever. In an attempt to discover what Clary might be after, Olivia flees London and heads to Gravesend in Kent, from whence the Townsend family originates. Following an unsuccessful visit to the family’s solicitors, Olivia is scared she is being followed back to the remote cottage she has rented by the sea and prepares to attack – only to discover that her ‘stalker’ is none other than James Weston, who has tracked her down at the behest of his sister Penelope, who is very worried about her friend.
Surprised, but pleased and relieved to see him, Olivia takes Jamie back to the cottage where the two of them start to try to figure out exactly what is going on. Having heard something of Olivia’s situation from his sister and her new husband, Benedict, now the Earl of Stratford, Jamie is convinced that Clary and Henry Townsend were involved in some sort of illegal trade. The question is, what was it, and what is Clary so desperate to obtain that he would hound and frighten Olivia so badly?
One of the things I enjoyed most about the story is the way in which Olivia is neither too proud nor too stupid to accept the help that Jamie offers. That’s not to say that she doesn’t play her part; she and Jamie are very much equal partners in their investigation and he recognises Olivia’s need to be involved and treats her as neither delicate nor incapable. I also loved the fact that Jamie is so thoroughly delighted by Olivia’s growing confidence in herself and her abilities; when he first encounters her in Gravesend, she’s scared, drawn and very much the victim of Clary’s bullying, but as the story progresses, she begins to rediscover her own strength and Jamie adores her all the more for it. There’s no question that these two are still very much in love with each other, but they have to re-learn to trust one another and to come to terms with the mistakes which separated them in the past. Because their situation is a potentially dangerous one, there is no need for the author to have to invent silly roadblocks to create tension in the story – something else I greatly appreciated.
Beverley A. Crick returns to narrate this final instalment in the series, and delivers another accomplished and enjoyable performance. Her pacing in both narrative and dialogue is excellent as are all her acting choices; and she differentiates well between the major and secondary characters throughout. She lowers the pitch of her voice just a little to portray Jamie and adds some edge to her tone, which is enough to make him sound like the thoroughly nice guy he is and to enable listeners to distinguish his speech from Olivia’s and from the other male characters. Lord Clary is characterised by a slow, supercilious drawl which quickly marks him out as the villain of the piece, and salty ol’ sea-dog Captain Pike’s speech is bluff and appropriately accented. I noticed a few odd mispronunciations here and there (irrevocably is pronounced irre-VOKE-ably instead of ir-REV-ocably, for instance), but there weren’t too many.
I’m giving Six Degrees of Scandal a strong recommendation in terms of both narration and content. It probably helps to have read or listened to Love in the Time of Scandal in order to fully understand the set-up here, but it’s not essential, as the author has included enough of the pertinent details to allow Six Degrees to work as a standalone. Caroline Linden is an auto-buy author for me these days, and the whole Scandalous series, beginning with Love and Other Scandals is well worth investigating by anyone looking for intelligently written, well-developed historical romances.
A- for narration; B+ for content.
This final book in Caroline Linden’s Scandalous series brings it to an extremely satisfying conclusion, tying up the loose ends deliberately left over from Love in the Time of Scandal, and also finally revealing the identity of the mysterious Lady Constance, author of the popular Fifty Ways to Sin series of erotic pamphlets.
The story opens some years earlier when young James Weston (brother of Penelope and Abigail, heroines of the previous two books) meets Olivia Herbert, who lives on the neighbouring estate. The Westons have recently purchased Haverstock House, Mr. Weston being a very successful businessman, and Jamie invites Olivia home to play with his sisters. Olivia’s father is a baronet, but the family finances are in dire straits, so even though the Westons are nouveau riche and will never be fully accepted into society, Lady Herbert allows the acquaintance. Over the years, Olivia and the Weston girls become firm friends, and she and Jamie fall in love. When she is seventeen and Jamie twenty, they pledge themselves to each other, making love one idyllic afternoon. Knowing how badly the Herberts need money, Jamie is confident that his suit will be accepted, but with the arrogance and over-confidence of youth, he fails to seek her father’s consent before going away to attend to some business on Mr. Weston’s behalf.
Jamie is devastated when he returns some weeks later to discover that Olivia’s father has married her off to Henry Townsend, whose wealthy father was seeking a steadying influence for his wayward son, basically selling Olivia to him so that he could pay off his debts. In the ensuing eight years of her marriage, Olivia and Jamie keep a distance between them, both of them knowing it’s the only way they can cope with the depth of the hurt that now lies between them.
Listeners of the previous book will recall that Olivia was being harassed by Lord Clary, a thoroughly unpleasant piece of work who insisted that she hand over something he believed to have been in the possession of her late husband. Olivia honestly has no idea what he is talking about. Henry died two years earlier, at which point her income suddenly dried up and it became apparent that he had made no provision for her whatsoever. In an attempt to discover what Clary might be after, Olivia flees London and heads to Gravesend in Kent, from whence the Townsend family originates. Following an unsuccessful visit to the family’s solicitors, Olivia is scared she is being followed back to the remote cottage she has rented by the sea and prepares to attack – only to discover that her ‘stalker’ is none other than James Weston, who has tracked her down at the behest of his sister Penelope, who is very worried about her friend.
Surprised, but pleased and relieved to see him, Olivia takes Jamie back to the cottage where the two of them start to try to figure out exactly what is going on. Having heard something of Olivia’s situation from his sister and her new husband, Benedict, now the Earl of Stratford, Jamie is convinced that Clary and Henry Townsend were involved in some sort of illegal trade. The question is, what was it, and what is Clary so desperate to obtain that he would hound and frighten Olivia so badly?
One of the things I enjoyed most about the story is the way in which Olivia is neither too proud nor too stupid to accept the help that Jamie offers. That’s not to say that she doesn’t play her part; she and Jamie are very much equal partners in their investigation and he recognises Olivia’s need to be involved and treats her as neither delicate nor incapable. I also loved the fact that Jamie is so thoroughly delighted by Olivia’s growing confidence in herself and her abilities; when he first encounters her in Gravesend, she’s scared, drawn and very much the victim of Clary’s bullying, but as the story progresses, she begins to rediscover her own strength and Jamie adores her all the more for it. There’s no question that these two are still very much in love with each other, but they have to re-learn to trust one another and to come to terms with the mistakes which separated them in the past. Because their situation is a potentially dangerous one, there is no need for the author to have to invent silly roadblocks to create tension in the story – something else I greatly appreciated.
Beverley A. Crick returns to narrate this final instalment in the series, and delivers another accomplished and enjoyable performance. Her pacing in both narrative and dialogue is excellent as are all her acting choices; and she differentiates well between the major and secondary characters throughout. She lowers the pitch of her voice just a little to portray Jamie and adds some edge to her tone, which is enough to make him sound like the thoroughly nice guy he is and to enable listeners to distinguish his speech from Olivia’s and from the other male characters. Lord Clary is characterised by a slow, supercilious drawl which quickly marks him out as the villain of the piece, and salty ol’ sea-dog Captain Pike’s speech is bluff and appropriately accented. I noticed a few odd mispronunciations here and there (irrevocably is pronounced irre-VOKE-ably instead of ir-REV-ocably, for instance), but there weren’t too many.
I’m giving Six Degrees of Scandal a strong recommendation in terms of both narration and content. It probably helps to have read or listened to Love in the Time of Scandal in order to fully understand the set-up here, but it’s not essential, as the author has included enough of the pertinent details to allow Six Degrees to work as a standalone. Caroline Linden is an auto-buy author for me these days, and the whole Scandalous series, beginning with Love and Other Scandals is well worth investigating by anyone looking for intelligently written, well-developed historical romances.
May 21, 2019
I expected more from Jamie and Olivia. The first half of the book was a 4 stars, but his hesitation to commit after they were reunited was not justified and I lost interest in the story. The end was a little nonsensical. Not my favorite in the series.
May 8, 2016
A perfect ending to one of my favorite series!
The thing I loved most about this book is that while I liked Olivia and Jamie separately, they were strongest together. Despite the fact that Olivia's dead husband turned out to be a smuggler and that one of his conspirators blackmails her and threatens her life, it never veered into overly-dramatic territory. The blackmail plot worked perfectly with Olivia's discovery that she is stronger than she thinks she is, and that she doesn't depend on Jamie to rescue her, but that they work best together.
They come a long way in this story. They started out as childhood friends and later sweethearts, but because they were young and stupid were separated. Olivia is married off by her broke father to someone else, and while she was married, they hardly spoke. The second part of the story takes off after her husband died and left Olivia broke and without an annuity, fleeing a blackmailer and trying to recover a stolen painting. Jamie tracks her down to help her, and they gradually become reacquainted. I loved that their love is actually stronger the second time around, and that they didn't let the past ruin the present: they dealt with it like grown-ups and moved on, and the absence of drama made me love this book even more.
Also, in this last book of the series, the mysterious author of a series of scandalous pamphlets that all the heroines (and even some of their partners) secretly read, and it was epic. I loved who she turned out to be, and it made for an adorable conclusion!
The thing I loved most about this book is that while I liked Olivia and Jamie separately, they were strongest together. Despite the fact that Olivia's dead husband turned out to be a smuggler and that one of his conspirators blackmails her and threatens her life, it never veered into overly-dramatic territory. The blackmail plot worked perfectly with Olivia's discovery that she is stronger than she thinks she is, and that she doesn't depend on Jamie to rescue her, but that they work best together.
They come a long way in this story. They started out as childhood friends and later sweethearts, but because they were young and stupid were separated. Olivia is married off by her broke father to someone else, and while she was married, they hardly spoke. The second part of the story takes off after her husband died and left Olivia broke and without an annuity, fleeing a blackmailer and trying to recover a stolen painting. Jamie tracks her down to help her, and they gradually become reacquainted. I loved that their love is actually stronger the second time around, and that they didn't let the past ruin the present: they dealt with it like grown-ups and moved on, and the absence of drama made me love this book even more.
Also, in this last book of the series, the mysterious author of a series of scandalous pamphlets that all the heroines (and even some of their partners) secretly read, and it was epic. I loved who she turned out to be, and it made for an adorable conclusion!
April 3, 2016
It's the best Caroline Linden book I've read so far, and I thought the romance was well-done. Unfortunately, however, said romance was resolved by the halfway point and the rest of the book was a not-very-compelling mystery revolving around a Titian painting. Still, it was a relaxing Sunday read and I think the writing style is more sophisticated than the other books in this series that I've read, which is a definite plus.
This novel had a promising beginning, a bit reminiscent of the start of Again the Magic. I won't compare the two books anymore than to say that I wish that Six Degrees of Scandal, like that novel, had ratcheted up the tension between the hero and heroine and thrown more obstacles in their way.
This novel had a promising beginning, a bit reminiscent of the start of Again the Magic. I won't compare the two books anymore than to say that I wish that Six Degrees of Scandal, like that novel, had ratcheted up the tension between the hero and heroine and thrown more obstacles in their way.
December 20, 2022
Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers.
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: I don’t recall much – it’s more of a stressful novel with them on the run from a villain most of the book
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine
(These are all personal preference on a scale of 1-5 (yours ratings may vary depending what gives you feels and how you prefer you sex scenes written, etc) except the Steam Scale which follows our chart from The Ton and Tartans Book Club )
Should I read in order?
Ideally yes, though it’s not TOTALLY necessary. The heroine in this book has a scene with the villain of this book in Love in the Time of Scandal (book 3) and Love in the Time of Scandal has a hero that is developed in It Takes a Scandal (book 2)….you see? Also, there is a pamphlet written throughout the series that is a bit of a mystery and the writer is revealed in this novel.
Basic plot:
Olivia is being stalked a man in search of something her husband was involved in years ago. Luckily, she reconnects with her early love James Weston and he is ready to help her solve this mystery and keep her safe.
Give this a try if you want:
- Late Regency time period (1822)
- Road trip feel
- Childhood friends
- One bed at the inn
- Mystery to work together on
- Second chance
- Widowed heroine (widow of 2 years)
- Celibate hero
- Medium steam – 3 full scenes, though one is on the short side
Ages:
- The hero is about 3 years older than the heroine. When they are first together, heroine is just 17 (hero around 20). Most of the book takes place when the heroine is 26 (hero is around 29)
My thoughts:
I am sad I just could not get into this one. I don’t usually like second chance – but did really enjoy the part I of this story with their childhood relationship and romantic interest developing. But once part II started, I just got so bored.
Most of this story focuses on Olivia escaping the villain in the book while trying to solve the mystery of her dead husband’s business dealings. There was a lot of focus on the darkness and suspense, which isn’t really my thing and not much romance. It isn’t until about halfway through the book until they started feeling things on page again for each other it seemed to me and then they dove into it fast so there was no tension for me. And it never really recovered from that.
In the prior books, I have been enjoying the insertion of 50 Ways to Sin. The heroine’s all seem to read it and discuss and there’s a mystery about the writer of the pamphlet. But, it wasn’t until 75% into the book that 50 Ways to Sin was even brought up. It felt almost like an after thought but then the whole rest of the story was taken over by it.
I will admit I’m disappointed in the writer.
I also felt like I didn't really know Jamie or Olivia that well by the end of the book. Jamie seemed to have a bit more depth than Olivia but so much time was spent on villain and mystery activity that they just felt a bit flat for me by the end of the book.
Overall this one was not a favorite for me and I wouldn’t reread it. I think those that like mystery and suspense will enjoy this a lot more than I did.
Content warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: I don’t recall much – it’s more of a stressful novel with them on the run from a villain most of the book
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine
(These are all personal preference on a scale of 1-5 (yours ratings may vary depending what gives you feels and how you prefer you sex scenes written, etc) except the Steam Scale which follows our chart from The Ton and Tartans Book Club )
Should I read in order?
Ideally yes, though it’s not TOTALLY necessary. The heroine in this book has a scene with the villain of this book in Love in the Time of Scandal (book 3) and Love in the Time of Scandal has a hero that is developed in It Takes a Scandal (book 2)….you see? Also, there is a pamphlet written throughout the series that is a bit of a mystery and the writer is revealed in this novel.
Basic plot:
Olivia is being stalked a man in search of something her husband was involved in years ago. Luckily, she reconnects with her early love James Weston and he is ready to help her solve this mystery and keep her safe.
Give this a try if you want:
- Late Regency time period (1822)
- Road trip feel
- Childhood friends
- One bed at the inn
- Mystery to work together on
- Second chance
- Widowed heroine (widow of 2 years)
- Celibate hero
- Medium steam – 3 full scenes, though one is on the short side
Ages:
- The hero is about 3 years older than the heroine. When they are first together, heroine is just 17 (hero around 20). Most of the book takes place when the heroine is 26 (hero is around 29)
My thoughts:
I am sad I just could not get into this one. I don’t usually like second chance – but did really enjoy the part I of this story with their childhood relationship and romantic interest developing. But once part II started, I just got so bored.
Most of this story focuses on Olivia escaping the villain in the book while trying to solve the mystery of her dead husband’s business dealings. There was a lot of focus on the darkness and suspense, which isn’t really my thing and not much romance. It isn’t until about halfway through the book until they started feeling things on page again for each other it seemed to me and then they dove into it fast so there was no tension for me. And it never really recovered from that.
In the prior books, I have been enjoying the insertion of 50 Ways to Sin. The heroine’s all seem to read it and discuss and there’s a mystery about the writer of the pamphlet. But, it wasn’t until 75% into the book that 50 Ways to Sin was even brought up. It felt almost like an after thought but then the whole rest of the story was taken over by it.
I will admit I’m disappointed in the writer.
I also felt like I didn't really know Jamie or Olivia that well by the end of the book. Jamie seemed to have a bit more depth than Olivia but so much time was spent on villain and mystery activity that they just felt a bit flat for me by the end of the book.
Overall this one was not a favorite for me and I wouldn’t reread it. I think those that like mystery and suspense will enjoy this a lot more than I did.
Content warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
April 11, 2016
Caroline Linden has solidified herself as one of my top HR authors with this series! I wouldn't mind an additional book or 2 in this series. It's been such a blast!
----------------------------------------
FULL REVIEW
I read the first book in the Scandal series last year and enjoyed it so much, I knew I would continue on with the series. A few weeks ago, I decided to binge read the rest of the series. With each book, I fell more and more in love with Caroline Linden's writing and her characters. I was particularly eager to pick up Six Degrees of Scandal because it features a second chance romance and everyone knows I'm a huge sucker for those.
What I loved about Six Degrees of Scandal is that we get to see the development in Olivia and James' relationship since they were tiny boppers. Their relationship grew from neighbors to friendship to more and it was delightful. Of course, things end on a sour note the first time around, but readers can tell that their love is one that will only become more passionate and stronger with time. Along with watching their relationship bud, we get to truly see the kind of people both Olivia and James are. They were both fantastic characters that I loved from the very start. Olivia was a fierce, headstrong and very determined young woman. She was put in a terrible position after the death of her husband, Henry, who kept so many things hidden from her, but she didn't complain about anything. Instead, she dealt with her situation with her head held high and on her own. She was fiercely independent, and I loved that about her, but I was also glad when James came into the picture to give her hand. I think I loved James even more than I loved Olivia. He was so kind, a gentleman through and through and a complete sweetheart. You feel for him because for years he has been tormented by his poor decisions when it came to Olivia. You root for him and want him to bag the woman who is his perfect complement. I dare you not to fall for this man!
Their romance was as expected absolutely wonderful. I love a good second chance romance novel and this one was done so well. I swooned, I clutched my heart and I died of envy because these two were certainly able to evoke very strong emotions from me. I love that Olivia and James didn't jump into the relationship soon after reuniting. Instead, it's a slow progression and once they gave in to the chemistry and tension between them, it was sweet, steamy and satisfying for every one involved, including the reader. What I especially loved about these two together as a couple was how they worked as a team. And there was absolutely zero contrived drama between the two of them. Of course, they had to work through their disappointment of the past, but they had a conversation about it and opened up their hearts to each other. I swear this romance just gave me so many butterflies! I'm swooning just thinking about it. Another aspect I enjoyed about Six Degrees of Scandal was that it had a plot beyond the romance - James and Olivia were on a task to figure out what exactly her late husband, Henry, was up to and along the way they meet danger in the form of a villainous character who I wanted throw into a river. It was certainly a very entertaining read.
Six Degrees of Scandal or any book in the Scandal series is a must-read for fans of historical romance. It has the perfect balance between the plot, the characters and the romance. If you're a fan of the genre, you will adore it! I, for one, can't wait to read more from Caroline Linden!
April 5, 2016
Whyyyyyyyyy do I keep reading this series? There's nothing wrong with it, it's just so tepid and I just plough through, hoping that maybe it will be charming or funny or sexy or compelling and it's never any of those things. Linden is a very good writer and a perfectly capable storyteller and I understand why so many people like her but the stories and the characters in the Scandalous series just do nothing for me. Now, Linden's Truth About the Duke series is a different story. Those are marvelous.
Six Degrees of Scandal is a lost love second chances story, which I usually love, but here I just didn't care about either MC. In the beginning of the book, we meet James and Olivia when they are young and in love and they seem very sweet and dumb. We meet them ten years later they are sadder but wiser, but still, the most defining characteristic for either is just "sweet." They're nice people. That's about it.
These two very nice people are thrust into a convoluted and messy smuggling plot devised by some not-so-nice people, including a cartoon villain who is unhealthily obsessed with Olivia. They sort of flop around until, through a series of lucky guesses, they sort of figure out what's going on. Then they flop around some more until they come up with a harebrained and dangerous scheme to catch the cartoon villain. Oh, and we find out who the mysterious Lady Constance, who has been writing the "50 Ways to Sin" pamphlets, is -- and it's not who you think it is, because it's not someone who makes any sense, and it all feels pretty slapdash.
Then there's a too-long, indulgent epilogue with all the other perfectly sweet but not very interesting characters from the earlier books in the series. The End.
Six Degrees of Scandal is a lost love second chances story, which I usually love, but here I just didn't care about either MC. In the beginning of the book, we meet James and Olivia when they are young and in love and they seem very sweet and dumb. We meet them ten years later they are sadder but wiser, but still, the most defining characteristic for either is just "sweet." They're nice people. That's about it.
These two very nice people are thrust into a convoluted and messy smuggling plot devised by some not-so-nice people, including a cartoon villain who is unhealthily obsessed with Olivia. They sort of flop around until, through a series of lucky guesses, they sort of figure out what's going on. Then they flop around some more until they come up with a harebrained and dangerous scheme to catch the cartoon villain. Oh, and we find out who the mysterious Lady Constance, who has been writing the "50 Ways to Sin" pamphlets, is -- and it's not who you think it is, because it's not someone who makes any sense, and it all feels pretty slapdash.
Then there's a too-long, indulgent epilogue with all the other perfectly sweet but not very interesting characters from the earlier books in the series. The End.
June 2, 2018
4.5 stars
This was my second time enjoying this story. I read it the first time and listened this time through. Overall, this is one of the best series! There is not one book that is a dud, and this is probably my second favorite of the four books.
This was my second time enjoying this story. I read it the first time and listened this time through. Overall, this is one of the best series! There is not one book that is a dud, and this is probably my second favorite of the four books.
November 10, 2021
Enjoyable, but too much travelling and plotting for it to be fab for me.
February 28, 2016
Wow! What a great book to end this series. You won't want to put it down. Mysteries to solve, love, a villain, art and the unveiling of Lady Constance's (author of "50 Ways to Sin") identity.
Olivia has loved James Weston since childhood. As teenagers they planned to wed when James was more established in business. However, her father needed money and forced her to marry Henry Townsend for the money his father would pay her family.
The plot really kicks in when widowed Olivia is being threatened by Lord Clary. She flees London hoping to discover her late husband's secrets from his solicitor. James, at his sister Penelope's request, follows Olivia. They search for the unknown item, though suspect it may be a piece of art. Lord Clary is on their trail. For the rest - read this book - no plot spoilers from me!
My favorite quotes from this book are by Joan and Abigail speaking to Penelope. If you read, you will understand their comments. J-"Don't tell me you don't feel a true connection to the characters in your favorite books". A-"That is true, Pen. Just because they aren't real people doesn't make characters less...real".
Thanks to Avon and Edelweiss for allowing me an ARC of this book.
Olivia has loved James Weston since childhood. As teenagers they planned to wed when James was more established in business. However, her father needed money and forced her to marry Henry Townsend for the money his father would pay her family.
The plot really kicks in when widowed Olivia is being threatened by Lord Clary. She flees London hoping to discover her late husband's secrets from his solicitor. James, at his sister Penelope's request, follows Olivia. They search for the unknown item, though suspect it may be a piece of art. Lord Clary is on their trail. For the rest - read this book - no plot spoilers from me!
My favorite quotes from this book are by Joan and Abigail speaking to Penelope. If you read, you will understand their comments. J-"Don't tell me you don't feel a true connection to the characters in your favorite books". A-"That is true, Pen. Just because they aren't real people doesn't make characters less...real".
Thanks to Avon and Edelweiss for allowing me an ARC of this book.
February 11, 2017
This one was just BORING. I thought I might be into Olivia/Jamie, but as Jacob says, the romance is pretty much over in the first two chapters. And then the plot is BORING.
Also (big spoiler, I guess)
ANYWAY. I guess I need to go back to making Linden a library author for me. I love some of her books SO MUCH, but others are just such a miss.
Also (big spoiler, I guess)
ANYWAY. I guess I need to go back to making Linden a library author for me. I love some of her books SO MUCH, but others are just such a miss.
April 30, 2016
3.25 stars
July 26, 2021
Damn it, I kinda liked this book? Yes, the question mark is there because I'm directly confused at myself. I think I wanted to read just one more book to know if I like Caroline Linden as a writer or not and to be honest, the jury is still out. Her writing style fluctuates. Full review to come.
FULL REVIEW:
I'm not sure if I like Caroline Linden.
I’ve read about 5 or so books by Linden, all of them with varying levels of entertainment and adequacy. Some have been charming, if predictable. Others have been utterly delightful before becoming predictable - boring - and others have been utter disasters.
Six Degrees of Scandal is not a disaster. It's charming, in parts, but it's one of Linden's more morose works. It reminds me in this regard to Linden's A View to Kiss, where Linden has bottled up chemistry between her heroine and hero. This story can be fun when it wants to be, and I think that's my major criticism against Linden. She can be an interesting writer, almost like Meredith Duran in terms of the psychological inquiry she puts her characters under but her stories can collapse under the hallmarks that dictate what a light historical romance should be.
Six Degrees of Scandal is a second chances story, and I was particularly impressed with how she complicates, in a way that reminds me of Mary Balogh, tragedy that befalls Jamie and Olivia in their youth.
Jamie and Olivia are next door neighbours. Jamie comes from an up-and-coming middle class family while Olivia is the daughter of a baron. Jamie and Olivia first meet as pre-teens at church. Although her mom initially scolds her for "mooning" after Jamie, she soon changes her tune when his family buys the empty estate next to them. Now, Olivia can be escorted by Jamie and visit Jamie's sisters. Throughout the years, as the baron's coffers dwindle, Olivia grows closer to Jamie's sisters and of course, to Jamie.
Their budding romance is sweet, and when Jamie promises to wed her when he is on break from uni, Olivia is thrilled and tells her parents. Her parents, in a financial tight spot, are relieved, but soon become worried that Jamie has lied about his intentions to Olivia, as he is nowhere to be found after the so-called proposal. Things look very bad for Olivia when her dad goes to speak with Jamie's dad to confirm the proposal who hasn't heard anything about it. Olivia's dad returns more determined to wed Olivia off to the highest bidder ASAP.
Olivia is alarmed and although she sends Jamie letters, he does not return until it is just too late.
OOF. I loved the way Linden skillfully shared the youthful love, and the fear and second doubts from Olivia's POV. Absolutely hooked.
When we meet Olivia and Jamie after years apart, Jamie has decided to help Olivia since he has felt guilty for not being there for Olivia when she needs it. Olivia's husband has died, and now a smarmy friend of his is making trouble for her until she finds an object in her husband's keeping that he is demanding...
Most of the story is then about solving the mystery. There’s not really any will they or won’t they dynamic going on, except towards the end when there's a question again in Olivia's head of whether Jamie sees her as marriage material.
What held my interest, however, was how Linden shows Olivia’s evolved understanding of the circumstances leading to her loveless marriage. Olivia takes accountability for her own (in)action. Olivia realizes she could have done something to buy herself some time from being shacked up.
She learns from her mistake that she can't rely on a man to fix her problems for her. Not only that, but she realizes she was, in effect, subconsciously trying to hurt and punish Jamie all those years ago when she told him that they could no longer be friends now that she was married.
That's some Mary Balogh level of character development.
So, Six Degrees of Scandal is very much about Olivia empowering herself. Even though Jamie returns to her life to be there for her in the way that he wasn’t in the past, many times it is through Olivia’s quick thinking that the plot moves forward. She was put in a position where she would need to be rescued again but this time she realizes she has a part in how she wants to make her destiny.
And Jamie undergoes self-growth in the interval too. When he was young, he thought the world was his oyster, and he never thought that his suit would be rejected by Olivia's family. He was never wrong on that count, but he misjudged how fatal a lack of communication would be for people whose creditors were banging on their door, and he didn't think about how a secret proposal from a wealthy and handsome eligible young man might look to Olivia's parents, where the situation could be, understandably perceived as a seduction.
This book is very much about white feminist politics. And honestly, it wasn’t that terrible, because it was much more naturally woven in than some of the stiffer stories Avon were publishing around this time. I say this as an intersectional feminist because Avon was so very much pinkwashing their stories with outdated preaching about the inequality between the sexes (no shit!) that added no deeper nuance than an after school special.
Six Degrees of Scandal leaves me feeling meh but I did like how she drew the characters.
FULL REVIEW:
I'm not sure if I like Caroline Linden.
I’ve read about 5 or so books by Linden, all of them with varying levels of entertainment and adequacy. Some have been charming, if predictable. Others have been utterly delightful before becoming predictable - boring - and others have been utter disasters.
Six Degrees of Scandal is not a disaster. It's charming, in parts, but it's one of Linden's more morose works. It reminds me in this regard to Linden's A View to Kiss, where Linden has bottled up chemistry between her heroine and hero. This story can be fun when it wants to be, and I think that's my major criticism against Linden. She can be an interesting writer, almost like Meredith Duran in terms of the psychological inquiry she puts her characters under but her stories can collapse under the hallmarks that dictate what a light historical romance should be.
Six Degrees of Scandal is a second chances story, and I was particularly impressed with how she complicates, in a way that reminds me of Mary Balogh, tragedy that befalls Jamie and Olivia in their youth.
Jamie and Olivia are next door neighbours. Jamie comes from an up-and-coming middle class family while Olivia is the daughter of a baron. Jamie and Olivia first meet as pre-teens at church. Although her mom initially scolds her for "mooning" after Jamie, she soon changes her tune when his family buys the empty estate next to them. Now, Olivia can be escorted by Jamie and visit Jamie's sisters. Throughout the years, as the baron's coffers dwindle, Olivia grows closer to Jamie's sisters and of course, to Jamie.
Their budding romance is sweet, and when Jamie promises to wed her when he is on break from uni, Olivia is thrilled and tells her parents. Her parents, in a financial tight spot, are relieved, but soon become worried that Jamie has lied about his intentions to Olivia, as he is nowhere to be found after the so-called proposal. Things look very bad for Olivia when her dad goes to speak with Jamie's dad to confirm the proposal who hasn't heard anything about it. Olivia's dad returns more determined to wed Olivia off to the highest bidder ASAP.
Olivia is alarmed and although she sends Jamie letters, he does not return until it is just too late.
OOF. I loved the way Linden skillfully shared the youthful love, and the fear and second doubts from Olivia's POV. Absolutely hooked.
When we meet Olivia and Jamie after years apart, Jamie has decided to help Olivia since he has felt guilty for not being there for Olivia when she needs it. Olivia's husband has died, and now a smarmy friend of his is making trouble for her until she finds an object in her husband's keeping that he is demanding...
Most of the story is then about solving the mystery. There’s not really any will they or won’t they dynamic going on, except towards the end when there's a question again in Olivia's head of whether Jamie sees her as marriage material.
What held my interest, however, was how Linden shows Olivia’s evolved understanding of the circumstances leading to her loveless marriage. Olivia takes accountability for her own (in)action. Olivia realizes she could have done something to buy herself some time from being shacked up.
She learns from her mistake that she can't rely on a man to fix her problems for her. Not only that, but she realizes she was, in effect, subconsciously trying to hurt and punish Jamie all those years ago when she told him that they could no longer be friends now that she was married.
That's some Mary Balogh level of character development.
So, Six Degrees of Scandal is very much about Olivia empowering herself. Even though Jamie returns to her life to be there for her in the way that he wasn’t in the past, many times it is through Olivia’s quick thinking that the plot moves forward. She was put in a position where she would need to be rescued again but this time she realizes she has a part in how she wants to make her destiny.
And Jamie undergoes self-growth in the interval too. When he was young, he thought the world was his oyster, and he never thought that his suit would be rejected by Olivia's family. He was never wrong on that count, but he misjudged how fatal a lack of communication would be for people whose creditors were banging on their door, and he didn't think about how a secret proposal from a wealthy and handsome eligible young man might look to Olivia's parents, where the situation could be, understandably perceived as a seduction.
This book is very much about white feminist politics. And honestly, it wasn’t that terrible, because it was much more naturally woven in than some of the stiffer stories Avon were publishing around this time. I say this as an intersectional feminist because Avon was so very much pinkwashing their stories with outdated preaching about the inequality between the sexes (no shit!) that added no deeper nuance than an after school special.
Six Degrees of Scandal leaves me feeling meh but I did like how she drew the characters.
March 30, 2016
As reviewed at Roses Are Blue: http://wp.me/p3QRh4-me
Olivia Herbert first set eyes on James (Jamie) Weston in church when they were children, and he caught her attention and coaxed a laugh out of her. Though Olivia's awful parents felt they were far above the Weston family socially, they allowed a friendship to develop because the Westons were extremely wealthy. Jamie and Olivia (Livie)became best friends over the years, and when Livie was seventeen, she and Jamie declared their love for each other. Jamie proposed, Livie accepted, and they decided to marry in a year when Jamie was more settled in a career. Shortly after, Jamie left to go on a business trip. telling Livie about it in a note. Livie's parents were quite anxious to get their hands on some Weston money, and were not happy to find that Jamie left. They were even more unhappy to find that the couple planned to wait a year to marry. In desperation, Livie's father hastily arranges a marriage for Livie to another man, and he refuses to back down, despite Livie's pleas. Livie sends Jamie letters, but by the time he returns, he's a few days too late, and she is already married. They have a heartbreaking meeting, and Livie is adamant that they can now only be friends.
In the intervening years, Livie has maintained her friendship with Jamie's sisters, Abigail and Penelope. They pass along gossip about Jamie, sometimes mentioning a current lover, though he's never married. Livie's own marriage has never developed into more than the convenience it was meant to be. She is not mistreated, but she's not loved or cherished either. Henry, Livie's husband, suddenly takes ill and does not recover. After his death, his close friend, Clary, begins to pursue Livie. He not only wants her to have an affair with him, he insists that she is in possession of an object that Henry had , that Clary now wants very badly. Livie has no clue about what this object is, and she has no desire to pursue any relationship with Clary. It also seems that she has not been provided for by Henry, and is in difficult financial straits. When Clary's pursuit becomes stalker-ish, Livie sends a message to Jamie, asking for his help, and takes off to try to get away from Clary.
Jamie drops everything to come to Livie's aid, determined that he will not fail her again. He tracks her down, and she tells him the story of what has been happening to her. They begin to investigate, while trying to stay out of sight of the dangerous Clary and his henchmen. The journey leads to many discoveries, some of them involving the treachery of her husband and Clary. Most importantly, Jamie and Livie have never stopped loving each other, and each hopes that once this mystery is solved, they will have a chance at happiness that has been denied to them for ten years. Their interactions are beautiful, neither treats the other cruelly or bitterly, despite the sadness they've had to endure. They treat each other with respect, and soon the wonderful closeness they shared as children starts to come back to their adult selves. Jamie is a definite hero, ready to do anything he has to in order to keep Livie safe.
I fell in love with both Jamie and Livie, they are such wonderful characters, and they belonged together. My heart broke along with theirs when they were parted. Second chance at love is a favorite trope of mine, and SIX DEGREES OF SCANDAL delivered. This amazing book was emotional, passionate, heartbreaking, satisfying, and even humorous, as we finally learned the identity of the mysterious Constance, the author of 50 Ways to Sin. Caroline Linden wrapped up this series perfectly, and I happily give SIX DEGREES OF SCANDAL my highest recommendation.
Olivia Herbert first set eyes on James (Jamie) Weston in church when they were children, and he caught her attention and coaxed a laugh out of her. Though Olivia's awful parents felt they were far above the Weston family socially, they allowed a friendship to develop because the Westons were extremely wealthy. Jamie and Olivia (Livie)became best friends over the years, and when Livie was seventeen, she and Jamie declared their love for each other. Jamie proposed, Livie accepted, and they decided to marry in a year when Jamie was more settled in a career. Shortly after, Jamie left to go on a business trip. telling Livie about it in a note. Livie's parents were quite anxious to get their hands on some Weston money, and were not happy to find that Jamie left. They were even more unhappy to find that the couple planned to wait a year to marry. In desperation, Livie's father hastily arranges a marriage for Livie to another man, and he refuses to back down, despite Livie's pleas. Livie sends Jamie letters, but by the time he returns, he's a few days too late, and she is already married. They have a heartbreaking meeting, and Livie is adamant that they can now only be friends.
In the intervening years, Livie has maintained her friendship with Jamie's sisters, Abigail and Penelope. They pass along gossip about Jamie, sometimes mentioning a current lover, though he's never married. Livie's own marriage has never developed into more than the convenience it was meant to be. She is not mistreated, but she's not loved or cherished either. Henry, Livie's husband, suddenly takes ill and does not recover. After his death, his close friend, Clary, begins to pursue Livie. He not only wants her to have an affair with him, he insists that she is in possession of an object that Henry had , that Clary now wants very badly. Livie has no clue about what this object is, and she has no desire to pursue any relationship with Clary. It also seems that she has not been provided for by Henry, and is in difficult financial straits. When Clary's pursuit becomes stalker-ish, Livie sends a message to Jamie, asking for his help, and takes off to try to get away from Clary.
Jamie drops everything to come to Livie's aid, determined that he will not fail her again. He tracks her down, and she tells him the story of what has been happening to her. They begin to investigate, while trying to stay out of sight of the dangerous Clary and his henchmen. The journey leads to many discoveries, some of them involving the treachery of her husband and Clary. Most importantly, Jamie and Livie have never stopped loving each other, and each hopes that once this mystery is solved, they will have a chance at happiness that has been denied to them for ten years. Their interactions are beautiful, neither treats the other cruelly or bitterly, despite the sadness they've had to endure. They treat each other with respect, and soon the wonderful closeness they shared as children starts to come back to their adult selves. Jamie is a definite hero, ready to do anything he has to in order to keep Livie safe.
I fell in love with both Jamie and Livie, they are such wonderful characters, and they belonged together. My heart broke along with theirs when they were parted. Second chance at love is a favorite trope of mine, and SIX DEGREES OF SCANDAL delivered. This amazing book was emotional, passionate, heartbreaking, satisfying, and even humorous, as we finally learned the identity of the mysterious Constance, the author of 50 Ways to Sin. Caroline Linden wrapped up this series perfectly, and I happily give SIX DEGREES OF SCANDAL my highest recommendation.
July 5, 2016
Caroline Linden finally delivers answers to the questions she left us with at the end of Love in the Time of Scandal. This is Olivia’s story. She was the widow with a big secret and the super creepy stalker, Lord Clary. She is also the woman who should have married Penelope’s brother, Jamie. This story is both a mystery and a reunited lovers story. And it finally unmasks the elusive Lady Constance, whose stories have titillated characters in every book of the series.
Olivia and Jamie were the best of childhood friends, until that turned into something more. They planned to marry, but her parents gave her to another man. She never got over her lost love, but now that her husband is dead, she has even bigger problems. Lord Clary wants something from her, something that belonged to her husband, and her safety depends on figuring out what that is –and on staying as far away from Clary as possible. Even with all the years that have passed, she knows Jamie will help her, so she seeks him out, and he totally comes through.
It’s sad at first to see how their separation has so deeply affected them both. Linden does a great job really making me feel for each character. I felt their hurt, but I couldn’t really fault either one of them for what happened. That made it super easy to root for their reunion. It takes a little while to make the first step, but they have such a great dynamic, I didn’t feel bored or impatient waiting for them to get there.
Olivia feels much stronger in this book than she was portrayed in the last one. She is brave, but not to the point of being foolish. She knows when to be careful and when to ask for help. Jamie is clearly devoted to her and will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. It’s a great quality in a hero and together they both made me warm and fuzzy. There are a handful of good love scenes, but for me, they were a second place to a love story.
The mystery about Olivia’s husband and his secrets was ok. Clary is adequately menacing but had little depth. He is just a big Bad Guy in a story that needs one. This part of the book was really more the back drop to let the romance unfold.
I did like the part Lady Constance plays in the story, and how 50 Ways to Sin ended up really relevant to how everything went down. I was definitely surprised, so thumbs up there.
Overall, it was a quick and satisfying romance and a great way to end the series. You could read this as a standalone, but it would be better if you read Love in the Time of Scandal first.
Rating: B
*ARC provided by publisher
Olivia and Jamie were the best of childhood friends, until that turned into something more. They planned to marry, but her parents gave her to another man. She never got over her lost love, but now that her husband is dead, she has even bigger problems. Lord Clary wants something from her, something that belonged to her husband, and her safety depends on figuring out what that is –and on staying as far away from Clary as possible. Even with all the years that have passed, she knows Jamie will help her, so she seeks him out, and he totally comes through.
It’s sad at first to see how their separation has so deeply affected them both. Linden does a great job really making me feel for each character. I felt their hurt, but I couldn’t really fault either one of them for what happened. That made it super easy to root for their reunion. It takes a little while to make the first step, but they have such a great dynamic, I didn’t feel bored or impatient waiting for them to get there.
Olivia feels much stronger in this book than she was portrayed in the last one. She is brave, but not to the point of being foolish. She knows when to be careful and when to ask for help. Jamie is clearly devoted to her and will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. It’s a great quality in a hero and together they both made me warm and fuzzy. There are a handful of good love scenes, but for me, they were a second place to a love story.
The mystery about Olivia’s husband and his secrets was ok. Clary is adequately menacing but had little depth. He is just a big Bad Guy in a story that needs one. This part of the book was really more the back drop to let the romance unfold.
I did like the part Lady Constance plays in the story, and how 50 Ways to Sin ended up really relevant to how everything went down. I was definitely surprised, so thumbs up there.
Overall, it was a quick and satisfying romance and a great way to end the series. You could read this as a standalone, but it would be better if you read Love in the Time of Scandal first.
Rating: B
*ARC provided by publisher
September 18, 2016
I debated not finishing this book about 45 times (even up to the 54% mark on my Kindle) because:
1) I wasn't particularly invested in Jamie and Olivia
2) the entire Lord Clary storyline was tedious back in book three, so I could only imagine how I'd feel about it now, with it being brought to the forefront.
I kept reading anyway, although for the life of me I had no idea why, because after a good start, I was unbelievably bored. The beginning of the book was great, because it turned out that this was a second-chance romance, and I tend to like those if done well. I didn't object to that part, and was tentatively getting excited, but then, of course, there was a time jump to the present and that's when the hunt for Lord Clary and the missing object he wanted came to rear its ugly head. And as that was the main plot of the novel, it didn't work for me.
Why still the decent rating then? Because like all the other books in the series, this is well-written and I enjoy Caroline Linden's writing style. I also came to care for Jamie and Olivia, as long as I somewhat ignored the Clary business and .
I will definitely read more of her books in the future.
1) I wasn't particularly invested in Jamie and Olivia
2) the entire Lord Clary storyline was tedious back in book three, so I could only imagine how I'd feel about it now, with it being brought to the forefront.
I kept reading anyway, although for the life of me I had no idea why, because after a good start, I was unbelievably bored. The beginning of the book was great, because it turned out that this was a second-chance romance, and I tend to like those if done well. I didn't object to that part, and was tentatively getting excited, but then, of course, there was a time jump to the present and that's when the hunt for Lord Clary and the missing object he wanted came to rear its ugly head. And as that was the main plot of the novel, it didn't work for me.
Why still the decent rating then? Because like all the other books in the series, this is well-written and I enjoy Caroline Linden's writing style. I also came to care for Jamie and Olivia, as long as I somewhat ignored the Clary business and .
I will definitely read more of her books in the future.
May 12, 2016
Original post: http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/201...
I don’t know why but it took me forever, or at least two weeks, to get through this book. It was just so slow until the last quarter. But as a way of tying up all the stories in the series, while focusing on an end to the last loose string from the most recent book in the series, it does do a reasonable job. It also takes sexual violence, stalking and violent assault on women seriously which is always a good thing.
My Issues:
It had been a long time since I read the last book in the series so it was kind of hard to drag up the details.
Neither of the main characters and love interests feels well developed. This is exacerbated by whatever the heck Jamie does for a living being kind of a mystery. Which master is also preventing him from marrying — I thought axe murderer or at least something like insolvency.
The childhood reminiscences of Jamie and Olivia are sweet. Gosh, it seems in the Ton your parents were either awesome or shite.
Everything revolving around a lethal Lord who is obnoxious in the first book (I think I remember) and smuggling, and legalities. Frankly they were just too convoluted and relied on back story I could not recall.
In any event, while I enjoyed the other novels this one didn’t grip me in a MUST READ BOOK way.
I don’t know why but it took me forever, or at least two weeks, to get through this book. It was just so slow until the last quarter. But as a way of tying up all the stories in the series, while focusing on an end to the last loose string from the most recent book in the series, it does do a reasonable job. It also takes sexual violence, stalking and violent assault on women seriously which is always a good thing.
My Issues:
It had been a long time since I read the last book in the series so it was kind of hard to drag up the details.
Neither of the main characters and love interests feels well developed. This is exacerbated by whatever the heck Jamie does for a living being kind of a mystery. Which master is also preventing him from marrying — I thought axe murderer or at least something like insolvency.
The childhood reminiscences of Jamie and Olivia are sweet. Gosh, it seems in the Ton your parents were either awesome or shite.
Everything revolving around a lethal Lord who is obnoxious in the first book (I think I remember) and smuggling, and legalities. Frankly they were just too convoluted and relied on back story I could not recall.
In any event, while I enjoyed the other novels this one didn’t grip me in a MUST READ BOOK way.
January 12, 2016
Caroline Linden's latest book is well worth the wait. A continuation from the last book in the series Six Degrees of Scandal picks up with Olivia Townsend's story. Olivia's husband Henry has died and with his death his money has dried up as well leaving Olivia with very little. In addition, Olivia is fending off the unwanted advances of Lord Simon Clary who also believes she has something of her husband's that he wants. Borrowing some money from a friend she secretly runs to try to get away from Lord Clary.
James Weston has the money and the time to help Olivia discover what her late husband was involved in and to help her find out what Lord Clary wants. Jamie is happy to help Olivia and hopes to prove himself to her as he let her down so many years before. But Jamie has a secret that may come between him and Olivia.
Caroline Linden's characters are well-developed and her books are well-written with fully fleshed out plots. This is a story of second chances and missed opportunities that is heartwarming and fun to read.
James Weston has the money and the time to help Olivia discover what her late husband was involved in and to help her find out what Lord Clary wants. Jamie is happy to help Olivia and hopes to prove himself to her as he let her down so many years before. But Jamie has a secret that may come between him and Olivia.
Caroline Linden's characters are well-developed and her books are well-written with fully fleshed out plots. This is a story of second chances and missed opportunities that is heartwarming and fun to read.
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