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Governess Brides #1
That Scandalous Evening
New York Times bestselling author Christina Dodd spins the captivating tale of a nobleman whose path crosses again with the one woman he absolutely cannot resist . . . .
A Disastrous Season
A simple statue began the scandal.
A Lady Concealed
An innocent English miss conceived of it, her hands gliding across the clay, delineating each smoothly defined muscle and sinew, creating a sculpture of the man she worshipped. When the likeness was exposed, along with Miss Jane Higgenbothem's secret tendre for Lord Blackburn, the ton's gleeful contempt sent the lady back to the country in disgrace.
A Gentleman Revealed
Now, a decade later, she's back in London, as a chaperone to her beautiful niece. But to Blackburn, Jane's unwitting model, the cool, reticent spinster is still a challenge. She once made the arrogant rake a laughingstock; so why is he tempted to revive an affair that almost began so long ago, on that scandalous evening . . . ?
A Disastrous Season
A simple statue began the scandal.
A Lady Concealed
An innocent English miss conceived of it, her hands gliding across the clay, delineating each smoothly defined muscle and sinew, creating a sculpture of the man she worshipped. When the likeness was exposed, along with Miss Jane Higgenbothem's secret tendre for Lord Blackburn, the ton's gleeful contempt sent the lady back to the country in disgrace.
A Gentleman Revealed
Now, a decade later, she's back in London, as a chaperone to her beautiful niece. But to Blackburn, Jane's unwitting model, the cool, reticent spinster is still a challenge. She once made the arrogant rake a laughingstock; so why is he tempted to revive an affair that almost began so long ago, on that scandalous evening . . . ?
360 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
200 people are currently reading
2259 people want to read
About the author
Christina Dodd
103 books5,918 followersUpcoming:
— 6/30/26 TEACH THE TORCHES TO BURN: Daughter of Montague Historical Fiction #3 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
New and Now!
—MUCH ADO ABOUT MISTLETOE: Daughter of Montague Christmas novella https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— THUS WITH A KISS I DIE Daughter of Montague Historical Fiction #2
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— A DAUGHTER OF FAIR VERONA Historical Fiction Trade Paperback Once upon a time a young couple met and fell in love. You probably know that story, and how it ended (hint: badly). Only here’s the thing: That’s not how it ended at all…
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
— WELCOME TO GOTHIC: A Gothic novella in ebook (at last!) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— WHAT DREAMS MAY COME Daughter of Montague novella 1.5 "I’m the daughter of Romeo and Juliet. Yes, that Romeo and Juliet. No, they didn’t die in the tomb…" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— GIRL ANONYMOUS “Crackling sexual chemistry and a few love scenes guaranteed to scorch readers’ fingers as they turn the pages." — ⭐️ Booklist
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Readers become writers, and Christina has always been a reader. Ultimately she discovered she liked to read romance best because the relationship between a man and a woman is always humorous. A woman wants world peace, a clean house, and a deep and meaningful relationship based on mutual understanding and love. A man wants a Craftsman router, undisputed control of the TV remote, and a red Corvette which will make his bald spot disappear.
When Christina’s first daughter was born, she told her husband she was going to write a book. It was a good time to start a new career, because how much trouble could one little infant be?
Ha! It took ten years, two children and three completed manuscripts before she was published. Now her suspense, paranormal, historical, and mystery novels have been translated into 30 languages and sold more than 15 million copies in print. Praised for her “brilliantly etched characters, polished writing, and unexpected flashes of sharp humor that are pure Dodd” (Booklist), her award-winning books have landed on numerous Best of the Year lists and, much to her mother's delight, Dodd was once a clue in the Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle. She lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest, where her 700 lavender plants share the yard with her husband’s various “Big Projects,” including a treehouse, zipline, and their very own Stonehenge.
Enter Christina’s worlds and join her mailing list for humor, book news and entertainment (yes, she’s the proud author with the infamous three-armed cover) at christinadodd.com. For more information on A DAUGHTER OF FAIR VERONA, visit daughterofmontague.com. Her legions of fans know that when they pick up a Christina Dodd book, they'll find the story, "Wildly entertaining, wickedly witty!"
Christina is married to a man with all his hair and no Corvette, but many Craftsman tools.
(Source: http://www.christinadodd.com )
— 6/30/26 TEACH THE TORCHES TO BURN: Daughter of Montague Historical Fiction #3 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
New and Now!
—MUCH ADO ABOUT MISTLETOE: Daughter of Montague Christmas novella https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— THUS WITH A KISS I DIE Daughter of Montague Historical Fiction #2
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— A DAUGHTER OF FAIR VERONA Historical Fiction Trade Paperback Once upon a time a young couple met and fell in love. You probably know that story, and how it ended (hint: badly). Only here’s the thing: That’s not how it ended at all…
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
— WELCOME TO GOTHIC: A Gothic novella in ebook (at last!) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— WHAT DREAMS MAY COME Daughter of Montague novella 1.5 "I’m the daughter of Romeo and Juliet. Yes, that Romeo and Juliet. No, they didn’t die in the tomb…" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— GIRL ANONYMOUS “Crackling sexual chemistry and a few love scenes guaranteed to scorch readers’ fingers as they turn the pages." — ⭐️ Booklist
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Readers become writers, and Christina has always been a reader. Ultimately she discovered she liked to read romance best because the relationship between a man and a woman is always humorous. A woman wants world peace, a clean house, and a deep and meaningful relationship based on mutual understanding and love. A man wants a Craftsman router, undisputed control of the TV remote, and a red Corvette which will make his bald spot disappear.
When Christina’s first daughter was born, she told her husband she was going to write a book. It was a good time to start a new career, because how much trouble could one little infant be?
Ha! It took ten years, two children and three completed manuscripts before she was published. Now her suspense, paranormal, historical, and mystery novels have been translated into 30 languages and sold more than 15 million copies in print. Praised for her “brilliantly etched characters, polished writing, and unexpected flashes of sharp humor that are pure Dodd” (Booklist), her award-winning books have landed on numerous Best of the Year lists and, much to her mother's delight, Dodd was once a clue in the Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle. She lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest, where her 700 lavender plants share the yard with her husband’s various “Big Projects,” including a treehouse, zipline, and their very own Stonehenge.
Enter Christina’s worlds and join her mailing list for humor, book news and entertainment (yes, she’s the proud author with the infamous three-armed cover) at christinadodd.com. For more information on A DAUGHTER OF FAIR VERONA, visit daughterofmontague.com. Her legions of fans know that when they pick up a Christina Dodd book, they'll find the story, "Wildly entertaining, wickedly witty!"
Christina is married to a man with all his hair and no Corvette, but many Craftsman tools.
(Source: http://www.christinadodd.com )
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 232 reviews
April 27, 2024
What a complete and utter surprise! Not typical in any way and how fun that was to discover!!
Two slightly damaged people with a history with each other that neither have forgotten. And neither has the ton.
Throw in Napoleon spies, a ditzy and yet occasionally insightful niece, overbearing relatives and loads of chemistry and you have all the ingredients for a “carried me away” book.
( Reviewed 4/21/24)
Two slightly damaged people with a history with each other that neither have forgotten. And neither has the ton.
Throw in Napoleon spies, a ditzy and yet occasionally insightful niece, overbearing relatives and loads of chemistry and you have all the ingredients for a “carried me away” book.
( Reviewed 4/21/24)
January 29, 2021
I greatly disliked this book. GREATLY. This was no romance. This was two unlikable characters using each other in some really odd and uncomfortable ways. The hero was awful, more unlikeable than any hero I've read before. OBSESSED with the size of his dick and with the most FRAGILE male ego I've ever encountered in fiction.
And the heroine was no better. Obsessed with the form and idea of this man so much that her entire reason for being was to give him pleasure.
And the sex scenes were horrifying. Don't even get me started. There was literally ZERO romamce here, no love, not even admiration for the good qualities in each other.
It's not often that I get this angry at a book but egads did I ever hate this one.
And the heroine was no better. Obsessed with the form and idea of this man so much that her entire reason for being was to give him pleasure.
And the sex scenes were horrifying. Don't even get me started. There was literally ZERO romamce here, no love, not even admiration for the good qualities in each other.
It's not often that I get this angry at a book but egads did I ever hate this one.
April 30, 2012
In 1809 unmarried ladies weren't supposed to think about, much less sculpt, the male figure. Why, the attention to detail a sculptor gives to the male physique even makes ME blush:
As "That Scandalous Evening" opens, our heroine has done just that. Deep in the throes of unrequited, virginal love for Ransom Quincy, Marquess of Blackburn (who is completely undeserving, I might add) she has poured her heart and soul into a sculpture of her beloved.
This sculpture, of course, is never meant to be seen, but through a series of catty maneouvers it is unveiled at a ball attended by both the Hero and the heroine. The ensuing scandal ruins Jane Higgenbothem and humiliates Blackburn beyond reparation.
Cut to ten years later: Jane reappears in London chaperoning her niece's first season. Lord Blackburn has also returned to London; injured in the battle of Talavera, he has been retained by the Foreign Office to ferret out a network of spies for Napoleon among the ton. Time and circumstance have changed them both tremendously. They meet again, sparks fly, and I sat back to enjoy watching it all play out.
I really had fun reading this one. I loved the premise - and the main reason for the Marquess' humiliation is absolutely hilarious. Even when seeing the sculpture ten years later, Jane still has absolutely no idea what Ransom is so upset about. She sees nothing but an example of her work, he .
There were some absolutely wonderful secondary characters in this romance, not the least of whom were Adora, Jane's charge and Blackburn's older sister Susan, Lady Goodridge. The hint of romance between Susan and Fitz, her manner of speaking and her bon mots were so appealing it made me hope that she got her own book.
The intrigue angle is deftly handled. All of Blackburn's intelligence is based on supposition and rumour, and in order to flush out the spy he must use every tool at his disposal, including Jane. This means the dreaded Big Mis occurs, but thankfully the author doesn't make us suffer through it for very long.
An entertaining read by a "new-to-me" author: witty, with an amusing take on the spinster/bluestocking trope, sizzling scenes and a dash of intrigue. I'm off to look up Christina Dodd's backlist.
4 stars.
As "That Scandalous Evening" opens, our heroine has done just that. Deep in the throes of unrequited, virginal love for Ransom Quincy, Marquess of Blackburn (who is completely undeserving, I might add) she has poured her heart and soul into a sculpture of her beloved.
This sculpture, of course, is never meant to be seen, but through a series of catty maneouvers it is unveiled at a ball attended by both the Hero and the heroine. The ensuing scandal ruins Jane Higgenbothem and humiliates Blackburn beyond reparation.
Cut to ten years later: Jane reappears in London chaperoning her niece's first season. Lord Blackburn has also returned to London; injured in the battle of Talavera, he has been retained by the Foreign Office to ferret out a network of spies for Napoleon among the ton. Time and circumstance have changed them both tremendously. They meet again, sparks fly, and I sat back to enjoy watching it all play out.
I really had fun reading this one. I loved the premise - and the main reason for the Marquess' humiliation is absolutely hilarious. Even when seeing the sculpture ten years later, Jane still has absolutely no idea what Ransom is so upset about. She sees nothing but an example of her work, he .
There were some absolutely wonderful secondary characters in this romance, not the least of whom were Adora, Jane's charge and Blackburn's older sister Susan, Lady Goodridge. The hint of romance between Susan and Fitz, her manner of speaking and her bon mots were so appealing it made me hope that she got her own book.
The intrigue angle is deftly handled. All of Blackburn's intelligence is based on supposition and rumour, and in order to flush out the spy he must use every tool at his disposal, including Jane. This means the dreaded Big Mis occurs, but thankfully the author doesn't make us suffer through it for very long.
An entertaining read by a "new-to-me" author: witty, with an amusing take on the spinster/bluestocking trope, sizzling scenes and a dash of intrigue. I'm off to look up Christina Dodd's backlist.
4 stars.
September 23, 2020
There is a very amusing premise on why eleven years after That Scandalous Evening, Miss Jane Higgenbothem still does not understand why her nude sculpture of Ransom Quincy, Marquees of Blackburn, garnered such laughter from the ton. Jane experienced Blackburn’s utter rage and ruin at his hands, while Blackburn experienced humiliation. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. Absolutely, a nude was very far from a proper a subject for a young lady of the ton to sculpt, absolutely it was not meant to be seen. It truly was That Scandalous Evening
Jane unfortunately is a very talented but extremely naïve painter and sculptress,
But still? Why oh why did Jane have to turn tail, leave London, and become a drudge for her brother in law? However, while in purgatory Jane did have the joy of raising her late sister’s stunning, sweet, but dim daughter, Adorna.
It’s true that eleven years ago Jane was a bit dim herself, unable to see past her star-filled eyes that Blackburn was an arrogant, condescending, selfish man. It is also true that a young lady from good family should not have artistic talents or aspirations beyond light sketching. She especially should not have a painting hanging at Napoleon's Fontainebleau.
Eleven years later Jane is back in London during Adorna’s first season as Adorna's cap wearing chaperone. Sadly, memories are long.
Blackburn still resembles a certain equine animal, but he has lost a lot of his arrogance after receiving injuries fighting in the battle of Talvera; and because young men from his estate died in that battle. It was a battle that showed an obvious betrayal of English plans. Blackburn’s lust for revenge against spies now outweighs all considerations.
It is inevitable for Jane and Blackburn to meet; Blackburn conceives the plan that being seen courting Jane would give him cover while he searched for a Foreign Office spy. My advice to the FO, don’t use amateurs for a professional’s job, because Blackburn’s performance and conclusions are abysmal for the most part.
The FO’s reasoning is that it took a member of the ton to catch a member of the ton. Wastrels were sometimes ripe for French pickings. I mean when even your tailor turns you away… you might be tempted by some extra blunt. Or you might turn traitor if you were about to be put out on the street.
I rarely have read or listened to a book where I have enjoyed the secondary characters as much as the hero and heroine. Ransome’s sister Lady Goodrich, who might have been a model for Downtown Abbey’s Lady Violet, the sometimes oddly astute Adorna, Lord and Lady Tarlin and the half-Irish charmer Gerald Fitzgerald all added so much to the book.
Lady Goodrich has kept Jane’s sculpture of her brother at her country estate, handy for when he needs reminding of his arrogance.. He should probably see it daily. Jane’s naiveté about the statue never stops being amusing.
I rarely listen to audio books. I need to change this. I thought the single person narrator; Karen Cass was almost perfect with every character and every emotion. Cass is outstanding during the scene when Jane realizes why Ransom married her. Every word Cass utters is filled with sarcasm, rage, disgust and humiliation; with an undertone of heartbreak leaking from every word. All this without over-the-top histrionics.
She is equally as good during Ransom’s groveling scene. My biggest complaint with most HR’s is that the hero’s groveling is pro forma. In That Scandalous Evening Ransom’s scene is epic, romantic, and might make up for ten years of disgrace for Jane.
The book is funny, sweet, and hot; an absolute joy to listen to.
Jane unfortunately is a very talented but extremely naïve painter and sculptress,
But still? Why oh why did Jane have to turn tail, leave London, and become a drudge for her brother in law? However, while in purgatory Jane did have the joy of raising her late sister’s stunning, sweet, but dim daughter, Adorna.
It’s true that eleven years ago Jane was a bit dim herself, unable to see past her star-filled eyes that Blackburn was an arrogant, condescending, selfish man. It is also true that a young lady from good family should not have artistic talents or aspirations beyond light sketching. She especially should not have a painting hanging at Napoleon's Fontainebleau.
Eleven years later Jane is back in London during Adorna’s first season as Adorna's cap wearing chaperone. Sadly, memories are long.
Blackburn still resembles a certain equine animal, but he has lost a lot of his arrogance after receiving injuries fighting in the battle of Talvera; and because young men from his estate died in that battle. It was a battle that showed an obvious betrayal of English plans. Blackburn’s lust for revenge against spies now outweighs all considerations.
It is inevitable for Jane and Blackburn to meet; Blackburn conceives the plan that being seen courting Jane would give him cover while he searched for a Foreign Office spy. My advice to the FO, don’t use amateurs for a professional’s job, because Blackburn’s performance and conclusions are abysmal for the most part.
The FO’s reasoning is that it took a member of the ton to catch a member of the ton. Wastrels were sometimes ripe for French pickings. I mean when even your tailor turns you away… you might be tempted by some extra blunt. Or you might turn traitor if you were about to be put out on the street.
I rarely have read or listened to a book where I have enjoyed the secondary characters as much as the hero and heroine. Ransome’s sister Lady Goodrich, who might have been a model for Downtown Abbey’s Lady Violet, the sometimes oddly astute Adorna, Lord and Lady Tarlin and the half-Irish charmer Gerald Fitzgerald all added so much to the book.
Lady Goodrich has kept Jane’s sculpture of her brother at her country estate, handy for when he needs reminding of his arrogance.. He should probably see it daily. Jane’s naiveté about the statue never stops being amusing.
I rarely listen to audio books. I need to change this. I thought the single person narrator; Karen Cass was almost perfect with every character and every emotion. Cass is outstanding during the scene when Jane realizes why Ransom married her. Every word Cass utters is filled with sarcasm, rage, disgust and humiliation; with an undertone of heartbreak leaking from every word. All this without over-the-top histrionics.
She is equally as good during Ransom’s groveling scene. My biggest complaint with most HR’s is that the hero’s groveling is pro forma. In That Scandalous Evening Ransom’s scene is epic, romantic, and might make up for ten years of disgrace for Jane.
The book is funny, sweet, and hot; an absolute joy to listen to.
August 16, 2010
This was my first book by Christina Dodd, and I was pleased by how much I enjoyed it. She's got such a large backlist that I'll have a lot of reading material to catch up on, yeah!
The beginning of this book was almost painful to read. Not in a bad way, more in an embarrassed for the character way. Poor Jane. I found it amusing that she assumed that people didn't like her statue because it wasn't good enough. Jane lived in society, but at times it seemed as though she marched to a different drummer. Maybe it was the artist in her.
Jane, like many young girls, found an object of worship in her first season. She stared at Ransom, the Marquess of Blackburn, in absolute adoration, and all the ton knew that she had puppy love for him. One night, the worst came to pass. A statue Jane had sculpted of Ransom was stolen and presented at a ball for all the ton to see. Both Jane and Ransom were humiliated, although only Jane was ruined. Over a decade has gone by, and now Jane is back in London. She's trying to keep a low profile, but all that is out the window once she encounters Ransom again.
I really liked Jane. She was pragmatic, but also a little bit of the lost dreamer she used to be. I was so pleased to see that she did not pine for Ransom the whole time she was away from London. Life beat her down and she grew up. I loved that she was still baffled by why everyone was so upset by her statue. She was quite proud of it. It cracked me up when I finally figured out why Ransom hated it so much!
Ransom is less than pleased to see Jane, although he can't help but enjoy the memory of the last time they saw each other. He decides to pursue Jane for his own ends. I loved that he actually had to work for it this time around. Jane's focus was all for her niece (who was a little darling) and Ransom had to fight for the attention that used to make him so uncomfortable.
This book had a sort of farce feel to it. Characters' actions work at cross purposes and misunderstandings abound. Ransom seemed to be the worst perpetrator. The man could misunderstand the statement "the sky is blue" if Jane was the one who said it. Those misunderstandings also led to some very funny situations.
Ransom drew out his snobby superiority a little too long for me. I was so glad that Jane wasn't just willing to take it though. There at the end when they were by the boat...if it hadn't been so close to the end I would have suspected a different outcome. That was quite an impressive apology though. I really felt that he finally understood. Even though it was a long time in coming it was heartfelt.
Ransom's sister was my absolute favorite character. I loved that the author wrote her dialogue like that. It really made me feel the drama that permeated her sentences. Also, how can I not love someone who still calls her brother Figgy when she thinks he's getting too arrogant. She was a brilliant character! I loved the scene where we found out what happened to the statue. It was hilarious.
Even though it wasn't a perfect book I still enjoyed it. I look forward to trying more by this author.
The beginning of this book was almost painful to read. Not in a bad way, more in an embarrassed for the character way. Poor Jane. I found it amusing that she assumed that people didn't like her statue because it wasn't good enough. Jane lived in society, but at times it seemed as though she marched to a different drummer. Maybe it was the artist in her.
Jane, like many young girls, found an object of worship in her first season. She stared at Ransom, the Marquess of Blackburn, in absolute adoration, and all the ton knew that she had puppy love for him. One night, the worst came to pass. A statue Jane had sculpted of Ransom was stolen and presented at a ball for all the ton to see. Both Jane and Ransom were humiliated, although only Jane was ruined. Over a decade has gone by, and now Jane is back in London. She's trying to keep a low profile, but all that is out the window once she encounters Ransom again.
I really liked Jane. She was pragmatic, but also a little bit of the lost dreamer she used to be. I was so pleased to see that she did not pine for Ransom the whole time she was away from London. Life beat her down and she grew up. I loved that she was still baffled by why everyone was so upset by her statue. She was quite proud of it. It cracked me up when I finally figured out why Ransom hated it so much!
Ransom is less than pleased to see Jane, although he can't help but enjoy the memory of the last time they saw each other. He decides to pursue Jane for his own ends. I loved that he actually had to work for it this time around. Jane's focus was all for her niece (who was a little darling) and Ransom had to fight for the attention that used to make him so uncomfortable.
This book had a sort of farce feel to it. Characters' actions work at cross purposes and misunderstandings abound. Ransom seemed to be the worst perpetrator. The man could misunderstand the statement "the sky is blue" if Jane was the one who said it. Those misunderstandings also led to some very funny situations.
Ransom drew out his snobby superiority a little too long for me. I was so glad that Jane wasn't just willing to take it though. There at the end when they were by the boat...if it hadn't been so close to the end I would have suspected a different outcome. That was quite an impressive apology though. I really felt that he finally understood. Even though it was a long time in coming it was heartfelt.
Ransom's sister was my absolute favorite character. I loved that the author wrote her dialogue like that. It really made me feel the drama that permeated her sentences. Also, how can I not love someone who still calls her brother Figgy when she thinks he's getting too arrogant. She was a brilliant character! I loved the scene where we found out what happened to the statue. It was hilarious.
Even though it wasn't a perfect book I still enjoyed it. I look forward to trying more by this author.
November 22, 2016
This started off really strong, even despite some mild rapey vibes.
Angst, hatred, scandal, passion!
And then halfway through it just really, really lost the momentum and fizzled into endless passionate kissing and passionate sulking that wasn't following a clear logical, emotional structure.
The sex scenes were really cringe-worthy. But hey, I made it all the way to the end and must say the spy intrigue was more believable than the romance.
Angst, hatred, scandal, passion!
And then halfway through it just really, really lost the momentum and fizzled into endless passionate kissing and passionate sulking that wasn't following a clear logical, emotional structure.
The sex scenes were really cringe-worthy. But hey, I made it all the way to the end and must say the spy intrigue was more believable than the romance.
dnf
January 20, 2021I'm continuing a brutal DNF streak, and this historical is the next to go. Love the reading group I'm in, I'm just struggling to read right now and I am not taking up time if the story isn't sparking joy. I made it about 30%.
January 12, 2020
3 Estrellas. Me ha gustado bastante este libro, sobre todo la primera mitad. Me pareció un argumento ingenioso y me engancharon mucho los primeros capítulos, pero ya los últimos se desinfló bastante. Con este son cinco o seis los libros que he leído de Christina Dodd, algunos me han gustado, otros no, y otros nada, a “Escándalo nocturno” le dejo el aprobado alto.
Esta es la historia de un romance que se gestó entre los protagonistas más de diez años atrás. Jane Higgenbothem era la hija de un vizconde endeudado, que de no ser por la “caridad” de su hermana y cuñado, no habría gozado de una primera temporada en Londres para poder casarse bien. Allí conoció a Ramson Quincy, el marqués de Blackburn, él único que realmente tocó su alma sensible de artista y del que se enamor�� perdidamente. La sociedad londinense daba todo por ellos, pero Jane guardaba un secreto, el arte era su vida, era una buena pintora y una magnífica escultora, y cometió la imprudencia de crear una escultura de arcilla, donde se veía perfectamente reflejado al marqués, en un desnudo como Adonis. Jane fue objeto de un engaño y burla cuando ésta se mostró al público sin su consentimiento, y acabó con sus esperanzas de conseguir al marqués o un sitio en la sociedad.
Han pasado once años del escándalo, y Jane vive son su sobrina y de la engañosa caridad de su avaro cuñado. Éste le ha dado un ultimátum, no tolerará más si indigna y escandalosa presencia en su casa, va a casarse de nuevo y debe procurarle a su hija un buen matrimonio, pues su nueva esposa no quiere en su casa ni una hijastra ni una cuñada pobre. De modo que Jane se encuentra en una situación complicada, la van a echar de su casa y no tiene perspectivas de futuro.
Aceptando la ayuda de una amiga de su infancia, Jane, y su sobrina Adorna llegan a Londres para que Adorna disfrute de su primera temporada y encuentre un buen matrimonio. Jane está resignada a que la reconozcan y vuelva el escándalo, pero ahora sólo es una chaperona que debe velar por el bien de su sobrina. A pesar de ello, en su primer baile se encuentra con Ransom Quincy, el hombre magnífico al que no puedo olvidar.
Años después de haber amado y sido humillado por Jane Higgenbothem, Ransom se alistó en el ejército para huir de las burlas. Ha pasado años luchando en España contra Napoleón, ha luchado y sido herido en combate, y la batalla de Talavera le dejó visibles cicatrices. Ahora, licenciado del ejército, lo que le queda es unirse a la oficina de exteriores y trabajar como espía. Su superior le ha mandado una misión para inmiscuirse en la sociedad y descubrir a los traidores británicos que están pasándole información a Napoleón sobre sus actividades.
Ransom y Jane volverán a encontrarse, ambos sentirán de nuevo la chispa de atracción de antaño, pero ambos más maduros y desconfiados, sobre todo Ransom, que sospecha de las actividades de Jane, y de su trato con ciertos franceses que se pavonean en la aristocracia británica.
Esto es más o menos lo que encontramos. Una historia de amor que empezó con ellos siendo jóvenes, que terminó mal, se vuelven a encontrar y crees que puede haber cierto amor odio, aunque yo no lo he sentido. Es obvio que ambos protas se siguen atrayendo, pero ella no quiere volver a confiar, y Ransom tampoco es capaz de confiar en ella mientras sospeche que es una espía ¿Qué mejor manera de espiarla y conocer sus intenciones que pasando más tiempo con ella o incluso cortejándola?
Como dije arriba, el inicio de la historia ha estado muy bien, pero ha tenido una serie de altibajos que no me han dejado disfrutarla más de lo que debería, algunas cosas o actitudes que no he terminado de entender, otras escenas que se me han hecho algo largas. Pero a pesar de ello me ha gustado bastante esta historia y sus personajes.
Quizás en algún momento me aventure a empezar la serie “Institutrices” de esta autora, pues según estoy viendo, aunque a éste libro se le encasilla en la serie “Fairchild” parece ser una precuela de “Institutrices”.
Esta es la historia de un romance que se gestó entre los protagonistas más de diez años atrás. Jane Higgenbothem era la hija de un vizconde endeudado, que de no ser por la “caridad” de su hermana y cuñado, no habría gozado de una primera temporada en Londres para poder casarse bien. Allí conoció a Ramson Quincy, el marqués de Blackburn, él único que realmente tocó su alma sensible de artista y del que se enamor�� perdidamente. La sociedad londinense daba todo por ellos, pero Jane guardaba un secreto, el arte era su vida, era una buena pintora y una magnífica escultora, y cometió la imprudencia de crear una escultura de arcilla, donde se veía perfectamente reflejado al marqués, en un desnudo como Adonis. Jane fue objeto de un engaño y burla cuando ésta se mostró al público sin su consentimiento, y acabó con sus esperanzas de conseguir al marqués o un sitio en la sociedad.
Han pasado once años del escándalo, y Jane vive son su sobrina y de la engañosa caridad de su avaro cuñado. Éste le ha dado un ultimátum, no tolerará más si indigna y escandalosa presencia en su casa, va a casarse de nuevo y debe procurarle a su hija un buen matrimonio, pues su nueva esposa no quiere en su casa ni una hijastra ni una cuñada pobre. De modo que Jane se encuentra en una situación complicada, la van a echar de su casa y no tiene perspectivas de futuro.
Aceptando la ayuda de una amiga de su infancia, Jane, y su sobrina Adorna llegan a Londres para que Adorna disfrute de su primera temporada y encuentre un buen matrimonio. Jane está resignada a que la reconozcan y vuelva el escándalo, pero ahora sólo es una chaperona que debe velar por el bien de su sobrina. A pesar de ello, en su primer baile se encuentra con Ransom Quincy, el hombre magnífico al que no puedo olvidar.
Años después de haber amado y sido humillado por Jane Higgenbothem, Ransom se alistó en el ejército para huir de las burlas. Ha pasado años luchando en España contra Napoleón, ha luchado y sido herido en combate, y la batalla de Talavera le dejó visibles cicatrices. Ahora, licenciado del ejército, lo que le queda es unirse a la oficina de exteriores y trabajar como espía. Su superior le ha mandado una misión para inmiscuirse en la sociedad y descubrir a los traidores británicos que están pasándole información a Napoleón sobre sus actividades.
Ransom y Jane volverán a encontrarse, ambos sentirán de nuevo la chispa de atracción de antaño, pero ambos más maduros y desconfiados, sobre todo Ransom, que sospecha de las actividades de Jane, y de su trato con ciertos franceses que se pavonean en la aristocracia británica.
Esto es más o menos lo que encontramos. Una historia de amor que empezó con ellos siendo jóvenes, que terminó mal, se vuelven a encontrar y crees que puede haber cierto amor odio, aunque yo no lo he sentido. Es obvio que ambos protas se siguen atrayendo, pero ella no quiere volver a confiar, y Ransom tampoco es capaz de confiar en ella mientras sospeche que es una espía ¿Qué mejor manera de espiarla y conocer sus intenciones que pasando más tiempo con ella o incluso cortejándola?
Como dije arriba, el inicio de la historia ha estado muy bien, pero ha tenido una serie de altibajos que no me han dejado disfrutarla más de lo que debería, algunas cosas o actitudes que no he terminado de entender, otras escenas que se me han hecho algo largas. Pero a pesar de ello me ha gustado bastante esta historia y sus personajes.
Quizás en algún momento me aventure a empezar la serie “Institutrices” de esta autora, pues según estoy viendo, aunque a éste libro se le encasilla en la serie “Fairchild” parece ser una precuela de “Institutrices”.
March 6, 2018
"That Scandalous Evening" is the story of Jane and Ransom.
A young belle Jane Higgenbothem was infatuated by the handsome Lord Ransom Blackwell, and adoring him with her artistic eye, decides to sculpt him nude from her imagination, only to be betrayed by a "friend" and ousted from society..
Eleven years later, she returns to the society as a chaperone for her beautiful niece Adora, and to face the demons she had not fully buried. But as she crosses paths with Ransom again, sparks and intrigue both ignite. And how the artistic passion leads to deeper feelings makes the story.
My first ever book by Christina Dodd was an engaging read from start to end. I adored how the spirited heroine a lot, and it was a 3 star until the epic grovel at the end- which totally made this an overall good reading experience.
If you like scandal filled books with little mystery and funny banter, look no further.
SWE
3.75/5
PS. GORG GORG cover! #humpable
PSS. That fig leaf humor though..LOL
A young belle Jane Higgenbothem was infatuated by the handsome Lord Ransom Blackwell, and adoring him with her artistic eye, decides to sculpt him nude from her imagination, only to be betrayed by a "friend" and ousted from society..
Eleven years later, she returns to the society as a chaperone for her beautiful niece Adora, and to face the demons she had not fully buried. But as she crosses paths with Ransom again, sparks and intrigue both ignite. And how the artistic passion leads to deeper feelings makes the story.
My first ever book by Christina Dodd was an engaging read from start to end. I adored how the spirited heroine a lot, and it was a 3 star until the epic grovel at the end- which totally made this an overall good reading experience.
If you like scandal filled books with little mystery and funny banter, look no further.
SWE
3.75/5
PS. GORG GORG cover! #humpable
PSS. That fig leaf humor though..LOL
November 6, 2011
I did enjoy the book but it was just okay.
Some of my complaints are:
- the current day language was a little out of place.
- I really didn't feel the ending. It was just lacking in emotion and was just like a quick wrap-it-up.
- some of the other characters seemed more interesting than the main characters.
- the main male character was not very likable.
- for someone who suffered great public humiliation before, the main character certainly doesn't mind putting herself in danger again.
A few things I did like:
- I liked the art angle
- I liked some of the details of the espionage
- the main female character was likable
I've read other similar books in the past that I liked more.
July 12, 2024
3.5 stars
And another 'classic' dealt with! Yay me 😁!
It was an okay book but I am not in thrall. I liked Jane, a little less Ransom; their romance had potential but the writing tone left me overall cold. It was good prose, but it lacked fluidity from my pov and the style itself was not my cup of tea (it is difficult for me to explain, and it might be a me thing). I got the intellectual side of the angst between them, of the hurt and consequences faced by Jane during all these years, of Ransom's belated remorse and his instinctual need to protect her against all circumstantial evidence mounted against her... but the writing did not make me feel for them. Some the key angst scenes of 11 years ago were sadly skimmed over with second hand narration. And the spy plot felt very vague and wonky (Ransom esp. came through as a very bad intelligence officer if he believed Jane would have been even useful to the French, no matter how sour he believed her to be towards her country).
I added 0.5 star specifically for the swooning and sincere kneeling move by Ransom at the end. Not very egalitarian of me 😅, but I love when Hs get down on their knees during their grovel. And not just any kneeling. The right kind of kneeling. It always smacks me wrong when in a book, the H says something like, 'Do you want me to kneel? Is that what you want? I will do it if you ask me to.'. I am always like, why do you make it as if it was an act you graciously deign to give the h in your supposed contrition/ grovel? Best say you don't want to grovel! 🤨😤 No, the right kind of kneeling is how Ransom did it: spontaneously, from his heart, from his earnest remorse, to plead with her humbly, to beg for her to not leave him, with head bowed and heart vulnerably exposed...❤😍 Good job on this bit CD!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2016
I was looking forward to this, but the story lagged and the hero, hah the hero, needed a two by four upside the head. Oooh, new category!
Plot: Backstory is the heroine was having a mediocre season in part due to her desire to be an artist and in part she's in love with the high-flying hero. She knows she is not in his league, but is happy to adore from afar. She is humiliated, as is he, when another sneaky deb unveils a statue, a nude statue, the heroine sculpted of the hero. She is laughed out of the ballroom. The hero is furious. Game over.
Present day, eleven years later, she is to accompany her ravishing niece to London. The h dreads it.
The H, in the meantime, was injured out of the war and has lowered himself to spying for England. Sidetone: spying was considered a scoundrel's game as it was without honor. This book and others drive that little interesting factoid home. The H is less than pleased to see the h back in London, but decides to use it to his advantage. He will stalk/seduce/woo her while the Ton watches in amusement as a screen for his spying, kind of Zorro deal but without the mask. Wow, what a guy. He ruins her the first time, and now he's really going to finish her off.
Quite a few secondary characters rule that provide side plots that merge into the main story at a later date: some dubious French aristocrats and tutors, a half-Irish roguish BF of the H who has more charm than he knows what to do with, the H's commanding but fair older sister, an ex-beau of the h's, and my fave, the seemingly vapid niece of the h. Almost any of these deserved more story than were given especially the niece. Despite her seeming ..stupidity... the niece has an understanding of the male psyche her aunt does not, provides a nice supporting role in one of the minor story threads and has an entertaining choice of fiancee at the end.
Many elements of the story were 4 star worthy: the spy story, the h's desire for and experience in art, interesting secondary characters, etc. But the hero was a dud. Vain, arrogant, and blatantly dismissive of the heroine's background, he has all the negative points of a Darcy without any of the charms, at least for me. I will say he does a supreme grovel at the end, an on-his-knees grovel, but it wasn't enough for me.
Plot: Backstory is the heroine was having a mediocre season in part due to her desire to be an artist and in part she's in love with the high-flying hero. She knows she is not in his league, but is happy to adore from afar. She is humiliated, as is he, when another sneaky deb unveils a statue, a nude statue, the heroine sculpted of the hero. She is laughed out of the ballroom. The hero is furious. Game over.
Present day, eleven years later, she is to accompany her ravishing niece to London. The h dreads it.
The H, in the meantime, was injured out of the war and has lowered himself to spying for England. Sidetone: spying was considered a scoundrel's game as it was without honor. This book and others drive that little interesting factoid home. The H is less than pleased to see the h back in London, but decides to use it to his advantage. He will stalk/seduce/woo her while the Ton watches in amusement as a screen for his spying, kind of Zorro deal but without the mask. Wow, what a guy. He ruins her the first time, and now he's really going to finish her off.
Quite a few secondary characters rule that provide side plots that merge into the main story at a later date: some dubious French aristocrats and tutors, a half-Irish roguish BF of the H who has more charm than he knows what to do with, the H's commanding but fair older sister, an ex-beau of the h's, and my fave, the seemingly vapid niece of the h. Almost any of these deserved more story than were given especially the niece. Despite her seeming ..stupidity... the niece has an understanding of the male psyche her aunt does not, provides a nice supporting role in one of the minor story threads and has an entertaining choice of fiancee at the end.
Many elements of the story were 4 star worthy: the spy story, the h's desire for and experience in art, interesting secondary characters, etc. But the hero was a dud. Vain, arrogant, and blatantly dismissive of the heroine's background, he has all the negative points of a Darcy without any of the charms, at least for me. I will say he does a supreme grovel at the end, an on-his-knees grovel, but it wasn't enough for me.
October 27, 2019
2.5/5 stars.
The amount of Italics used in this book has effectively given me a migraine.
Or it could be the unending plot - which did not interest me at all.
Or the douchey hero.
Sigh.
The amount of Italics used in this book has effectively given me a migraine.
Or it could be the unending plot - which did not interest me at all.
Or the douchey hero.
Sigh.
November 21, 2010
This was just an ok read for me. Ransom never redeemed himself to me. He was a priggish idiot 10 years ago and he never lost that status for me. I thought Jane was a bit too doormattish is some ways. The last 10 pages of the book just didn't make up for the rest.
January 21, 2021
DNF'ed at 60%
Questionable consent issues and a writing style that confounds me, lead to me DNF'ing this book. I've never disliked a Hero as much as I do Ransom.
Questionable consent issues and a writing style that confounds me, lead to me DNF'ing this book. I've never disliked a Hero as much as I do Ransom.
April 8, 2021
I may be biased but Christina Dodd's That Scandalous Evening is off-the-charts adorable. I have a great penchant for farcical Regency romances and this is so utterly droll. I don't like Second Chance stories but this one worked for me.
11 years ago, Jane, in her Disastrous Season, created a sculpture of her MCM, Ransom Blackburn. Jane had the hots for Ransom and Ransom was annoyed by her attention. When her snake-in-the-grass friend, Frederica sees her man, Athowe, fall for Jane, Frederica decides to show the sculpture to everyone at the ball. The sculpture is Ransom, naked, with a little fig over his you-know-what. Ransom is so insulted and humiliated that Jane, the next day, decides to meet him to talk to him about her work and make him understand. There is so much comedy of errors where Jane, in her earnestness, thinks it's her shoddy work that has Ransom up in arms. Ransom, meanwhile, decides to take Jane in his arms, when his sister and friends walk in on them. The scandal from last evening has now irrevocably damaged Jane's marriage prospects.
Present-day Jane is now the chaperone for her beloved sister's daughter, perfect-looking Adorna. Ransom and Jane meet when Ransom's friend, Fitz, sees Adorna and becomes one of her admirers and asks Ransom to introduce them, as Fitz's social standing is due to his friendship with him.
Since those intervening years, Jane has grown up. Her sister passed away and her husband, a miser, has not made her life easy. She's also been able to laugh at herself, the earnest to the point of being serious little girl with a crush on Ransom, who was shallow and not very nice. Ransom, after going to war and returning to be a spy for British Intelligence, has also mellowed out. He thinks it would be a good cover to pretend to be courting Jane in order to track French spies at parties, undetected.
It's in the little asides by the characters where this book shines for me. The female characters shine - they have so many great lines! I love anytime Jane discusses her art- she's so proud of her work, and I love Jane for it! Adorna's astuteness of reading men is used to great effect, particularly when Adorna notes how Ransom stares at Jane. Fitz is another great character, as a charmer/fortune hunter who needs to nab an heiress in order to help his ailing mom. He's set his sights for Ransom's sister, Susan, whose speech is punctuated by italicized words to emphasize a particularly high-handed intonation. I love her insulting names to her foes, Figgy to her brother, and Freddie to Frederica.
For a farcical comedy of errors-Ransom thinks Jane is a spy for like half the book- this book was also filled with chemistry. I love erotica but I also love the sensuality of little moments- a stare, putting a hand on an arm, remembering a memory from 11 years ago and wondering if the other person is thinking about it too- Ransom is great.
Overall, enjoyable to read, however I did find the last 100 pages too predictable. It was lightened up by Fitz and Susan, but the main spy plot was a little zzz but nothing too egregious.
11 years ago, Jane, in her Disastrous Season, created a sculpture of her MCM, Ransom Blackburn. Jane had the hots for Ransom and Ransom was annoyed by her attention. When her snake-in-the-grass friend, Frederica sees her man, Athowe, fall for Jane, Frederica decides to show the sculpture to everyone at the ball. The sculpture is Ransom, naked, with a little fig over his you-know-what. Ransom is so insulted and humiliated that Jane, the next day, decides to meet him to talk to him about her work and make him understand. There is so much comedy of errors where Jane, in her earnestness, thinks it's her shoddy work that has Ransom up in arms. Ransom, meanwhile, decides to take Jane in his arms, when his sister and friends walk in on them. The scandal from last evening has now irrevocably damaged Jane's marriage prospects.
Present-day Jane is now the chaperone for her beloved sister's daughter, perfect-looking Adorna. Ransom and Jane meet when Ransom's friend, Fitz, sees Adorna and becomes one of her admirers and asks Ransom to introduce them, as Fitz's social standing is due to his friendship with him.
Since those intervening years, Jane has grown up. Her sister passed away and her husband, a miser, has not made her life easy. She's also been able to laugh at herself, the earnest to the point of being serious little girl with a crush on Ransom, who was shallow and not very nice. Ransom, after going to war and returning to be a spy for British Intelligence, has also mellowed out. He thinks it would be a good cover to pretend to be courting Jane in order to track French spies at parties, undetected.
It's in the little asides by the characters where this book shines for me. The female characters shine - they have so many great lines! I love anytime Jane discusses her art- she's so proud of her work, and I love Jane for it! Adorna's astuteness of reading men is used to great effect, particularly when Adorna notes how Ransom stares at Jane. Fitz is another great character, as a charmer/fortune hunter who needs to nab an heiress in order to help his ailing mom. He's set his sights for Ransom's sister, Susan, whose speech is punctuated by italicized words to emphasize a particularly high-handed intonation. I love her insulting names to her foes, Figgy to her brother, and Freddie to Frederica.
For a farcical comedy of errors-Ransom thinks Jane is a spy for like half the book- this book was also filled with chemistry. I love erotica but I also love the sensuality of little moments- a stare, putting a hand on an arm, remembering a memory from 11 years ago and wondering if the other person is thinking about it too- Ransom is great.
Overall, enjoyable to read, however I did find the last 100 pages too predictable. It was lightened up by Fitz and Susan, but the main spy plot was a little zzz but nothing too egregious.
June 28, 2023
I loathe rating books one star…it always feels too harsh, but I have to go one star on this one. None of this worked for me. The lead characters were unbelievable, their romance was unbelievable, the whole spy storyline was wonky, the love scenes were more awkward than hot, the ending was incredulous. The only thing I really liked was Susan, Ransom’s sister. Her dialogue was fun and funny. This was a complete miss.
October 16, 2010
2.5 Dodd often has great concepts/hooks, but I find her plotting to be rather silly and her character development all tell and no show. Though this book got positive reviews elsewhere, I didn't think it much better than any of the others of hers I've read. Guess I'm just not a fan of the "excuse any plot/character confusion, as long as it's funny" type of romance...
Want to read
July 4, 2019gotta love the free bin @ 2nd & charles
February 18, 2025
I really loved this one! Christina Dodd really created a compelling story here.
Jane is an artist and she has come to London for the season. She falls “in love” with Lord Blackburn who is very handsome but also a bag of butts. In her spare time she makes a sculpture of him that’s just for her knowing she will never have him. Then one day she is ruined, by him and he refuses to marry her. So Jane goes away for years.
Eleven years have passed and Jane has come back to London to help her niece through her first season. She is hoping that now one will remember her. Too bad Blackburn is back and he hasn’t forgotten her.
Jane is an artist and she has come to London for the season. She falls “in love” with Lord Blackburn who is very handsome but also a bag of butts. In her spare time she makes a sculpture of him that’s just for her knowing she will never have him. Then one day she is ruined, by him and he refuses to marry her. So Jane goes away for years.
Eleven years have passed and Jane has come back to London to help her niece through her first season. She is hoping that now one will remember her. Too bad Blackburn is back and he hasn’t forgotten her.
April 23, 2020
3 stars Jane and Ransom This is the infamous plain heroine trope. blah This one also has the infamous 11 years since they have seen each other trope. blah
So eleven years later...the heroine is still plain except now she is a spinster complete with a spinsters cap who is chaperoning her beautiful niece. The romance was so off for me that I was sort of hoping her HEA was to go do the artist stuff and traveling alone. LOL The side characters keeps this a three for me...barely.
So eleven years later...the heroine is still plain except now she is a spinster complete with a spinsters cap who is chaperoning her beautiful niece. The romance was so off for me that I was sort of hoping her HEA was to go do the artist stuff and traveling alone. LOL The side characters keeps this a three for me...barely.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2010
Could not finish. Too many cringe-inducing situations.
May 2, 2017
4.5 stars
"That Scandalous Evening" was surprisinly good (after I didn't like "One Kiss From You"), although I doubt that I will read more books by Christina Dodd. The next novels in this series don't sound interesting enough.
I always love "secretly (or in this case not so secretly) in love for years" stories and Jane was an amazing heroine. I liked her so much, more than Ransom! And that doesn't happen very often. ;-) She wasn't behaving like a 28-year-old woman (more like "new adult") but I liked her strength and that she wasn't forgiving Ransom everything just because she was in love with him. He had to fight and grovel in the end, which doesn't happen nearly enough. And Ransom definitely deserved the set-down!
Contrary to other readers I liked Ransom (most of the time), he wasn't as asshole-y as I expected. My biggest problem with him was that I simply didn't understand his feelings and behaviour in many scenes, although we have his POV. When was he acting because of revenge, desire, love? Sometimes I didn't get it, especially what he felt in the library scene (eleven years ago). Or when did his feelings change? He was so confusing, his emotions and intentions seemed to change from one minute to the other. XD I really wanted his POV in the last scene or at least an epilogue! I wanted and needed the latter, I just love good epilogues!
Jane and Ransom had an intense chemistry, they had so many sizzling hot scenes together, without it being to explicit for me. Although Ransoms "sex talk" definitely needs improvement. Who wants to be called "girl" when making love? That's so strange! And him telling her in the end that she moves like a "good horse" made me laugh so hard! XD
And the second big problem with "That Scandalous Evening" was that stupid and unnecessary spy plot. I generally don't like them, BECAUSE they are executed so badly in historical romances most of the time, with "That Scandalous Evening" being one of those novels. It was soooo ridiculous that Jane drew the right conclusions in minutes (or probably one evening), when Ransom and the other involved people had NO clue. Sorry, Ransom wasn't that stupid!
Conclusion:
A very good "in love for years" story, with a string heroine and a hero who behaved like a cad now and then. Sadly the spy side story was unnecessary and stupid.
"That Scandalous Evening" was surprisinly good (after I didn't like "One Kiss From You"), although I doubt that I will read more books by Christina Dodd. The next novels in this series don't sound interesting enough.
I always love "secretly (or in this case not so secretly) in love for years" stories and Jane was an amazing heroine. I liked her so much, more than Ransom! And that doesn't happen very often. ;-) She wasn't behaving like a 28-year-old woman (more like "new adult") but I liked her strength and that she wasn't forgiving Ransom everything just because she was in love with him. He had to fight and grovel in the end, which doesn't happen nearly enough. And Ransom definitely deserved the set-down!
Contrary to other readers I liked Ransom (most of the time), he wasn't as asshole-y as I expected. My biggest problem with him was that I simply didn't understand his feelings and behaviour in many scenes, although we have his POV. When was he acting because of revenge, desire, love? Sometimes I didn't get it, especially what he felt in the library scene (eleven years ago). Or when did his feelings change? He was so confusing, his emotions and intentions seemed to change from one minute to the other. XD I really wanted his POV in the last scene or at least an epilogue! I wanted and needed the latter, I just love good epilogues!
Jane and Ransom had an intense chemistry, they had so many sizzling hot scenes together, without it being to explicit for me. Although Ransoms "sex talk" definitely needs improvement. Who wants to be called "girl" when making love? That's so strange! And him telling her in the end that she moves like a "good horse" made me laugh so hard! XD
And the second big problem with "That Scandalous Evening" was that stupid and unnecessary spy plot. I generally don't like them, BECAUSE they are executed so badly in historical romances most of the time, with "That Scandalous Evening" being one of those novels. It was soooo ridiculous that Jane drew the right conclusions in minutes (or probably one evening), when Ransom and the other involved people had NO clue. Sorry, Ransom wasn't that stupid!
Conclusion:
A very good "in love for years" story, with a string heroine and a hero who behaved like a cad now and then. Sadly the spy side story was unnecessary and stupid.
June 30, 2019
Jane Higgenbothem tidak mungkin melupakan skandalnya 11 thn silam yg melibatkan Lord Blackburn yg sangat arogan. Tapi Jane hakul yakin bisa mengatasi pesona Blackburn kali ini, selagi dia mjd pendamping bagi keponakannya yg cantik msk debutante.
Jane jelas salah besar dgn dugaannya. Blackburn tidak menyembunyikan sama sekali ketertarikannya pd Jane sejak pandangan pertama mrk. Blackburn mengerahkan segala taktik dan cara supaya Jane menyerah dlm pelukannya, tidak hanya sebelum menikah, bahkan sesudah mrk menikah. Tapi Blackburn ternyata menyembunyikan satu itikad buruk yg bakal membuat Jane murka.
Blackburn adalah veteran perang dan saat ini bekerja sbg mata-mata, dan dia mencurigai Jane sbg mata-mata Perancis. Blackburn jelas bingung bin heran mengapa gadis perawan tua ini bisa menjadi mata-mata sekaligus artis yg andal, sekaligus yg menjerat hatinya, yg tidak pernah mempan ditembus gadis lainnya. Ada apa dgn gadis cerdas berbakat ini yg membuat hatinya jungkir balik?
Saya suka plot cerita yg disodorkan oleh author, dimana dua tokoh utama ini saling menaruh ketidakpercayaan satu sama lain. Belum lagi karakter Blackburn yg alpha dan SHHOOOMMBONG BANGET, tapi jelas terkewer-kewer dgn Jane yg cerdas dan lihay, mrk dipadukan bersama dan menciptakan duuuuarrr..... kembang api yg dahsyat. Moment saat mereka "flagrante in delicto" itu bikin saya ketawa ngakak.
Tambahan misteri utk mencari siapakah diantara para bangsawan ini yg menjadi mata-mata Perancis lumayan menambah suasana tetap "panas" dan seru. Serial ini memang tidak membosankan. Jadi pengen baca lagi novel lainnya dari seri ini.
Jane jelas salah besar dgn dugaannya. Blackburn tidak menyembunyikan sama sekali ketertarikannya pd Jane sejak pandangan pertama mrk. Blackburn mengerahkan segala taktik dan cara supaya Jane menyerah dlm pelukannya, tidak hanya sebelum menikah, bahkan sesudah mrk menikah. Tapi Blackburn ternyata menyembunyikan satu itikad buruk yg bakal membuat Jane murka.
Blackburn adalah veteran perang dan saat ini bekerja sbg mata-mata, dan dia mencurigai Jane sbg mata-mata Perancis. Blackburn jelas bingung bin heran mengapa gadis perawan tua ini bisa menjadi mata-mata sekaligus artis yg andal, sekaligus yg menjerat hatinya, yg tidak pernah mempan ditembus gadis lainnya. Ada apa dgn gadis cerdas berbakat ini yg membuat hatinya jungkir balik?
Saya suka plot cerita yg disodorkan oleh author, dimana dua tokoh utama ini saling menaruh ketidakpercayaan satu sama lain. Belum lagi karakter Blackburn yg alpha dan SHHOOOMMBONG BANGET, tapi jelas terkewer-kewer dgn Jane yg cerdas dan lihay, mrk dipadukan bersama dan menciptakan duuuuarrr..... kembang api yg dahsyat. Moment saat mereka "flagrante in delicto" itu bikin saya ketawa ngakak.
Tambahan misteri utk mencari siapakah diantara para bangsawan ini yg menjadi mata-mata Perancis lumayan menambah suasana tetap "panas" dan seru. Serial ini memang tidak membosankan. Jadi pengen baca lagi novel lainnya dari seri ini.
April 19, 2020
4 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The heroine, Jane, was in love with Lord Blackburn. Being an innocent artist in adoration, she did a sculpture of him in classical nude, using her imagination, but did not get er, the fig leaf portions right. The sculpture was neever meant to be seen, but seen it was because of a malicious lady. As a result her season was ruined and the hero felt angry and humiliated.
It's been many years since then and the heroine has grown up. I love how she had poise and wit in spite of dreading her return to London (to chaperone her niece's season). One could totally feel her discomfort and admire her grace under fire.
I love the secondary characters, from Lord Blackburn's managing sister to her niece.
The hero was a bit of a jerk. I think I would have left the scene setting at what I wrote above, but we found out he actually kissed her, got found in that compromising situation, and just left her in further ruin. That was hard to take. But the story moved along at a good pace, I enjoyed all the references to the backstory, e.g. his sister calling him Figgy, too much to mind, and he had a good grovel in the end (although it may have been better if it was a bit longer).
At A Glance
HEA
OW/OM
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The heroine, Jane, was in love with Lord Blackburn. Being an innocent artist in adoration, she did a sculpture of him in classical nude, using her imagination, but did not get er, the fig leaf portions right. The sculpture was neever meant to be seen, but seen it was because of a malicious lady. As a result her season was ruined and the hero felt angry and humiliated.
It's been many years since then and the heroine has grown up. I love how she had poise and wit in spite of dreading her return to London (to chaperone her niece's season). One could totally feel her discomfort and admire her grace under fire.
I love the secondary characters, from Lord Blackburn's managing sister to her niece.
The hero was a bit of a jerk. I think I would have left the scene setting at what I wrote above, but we found out he actually kissed her, got found in that compromising situation, and just left her in further ruin. That was hard to take. But the story moved along at a good pace, I enjoyed all the references to the backstory, e.g. his sister calling him Figgy, too much to mind, and he had a good grovel in the end (although it may have been better if it was a bit longer).
At A Glance
HEA
OW/OM
January 22, 2021
This was more of an OK vs Liked it, but I hate to 2 star a book unless I feel really passionate about disliking it. This one started out well, but as it progressed the spy premise felt quite unbelievable and the relationship between the love interests was odd--I wonder if it had been intended to be more humorous and fell flat; there are genuine funny moments, some even slapstick at times in the book, often with side characters. The hero is the grumpy controller type and the grovel IMO was barely existent at the end and did not make up for his obnoxiousness. Certainly an interesting one to discuss with savvy romance readers, so the book club aspect made this worthwhile. Had I been reading on my own, I would have skipped finishing.
May 6, 2023
A bit unbelievable, but still a nice story. Well narrated by Karen Cass.
March 18, 2015
I don't know why I liked this book. The hero is a pompous boor and the heroine is a goddess he doesn't deserve...and yet, I still liked this book. The intrigue played out like a farce instead of a truly serious matter. There were more nasty characters than nice characters. There was a woman whose boobs were the size of large melons while her brain was the size of a pea. And I'll say again, the hero was a pompous boor. Somehow, despite all of these characteristics that typically make me hate a book, I still enjoyed myself. Why? Because the heroine was awesome and Dodd writes a story that flows well so I enjoyed reading it. Note: Some of Dodd's other books have scenes where some readers will cry rape, but fortunately this book did not have that (otherwise there would have been no redemption).
The heroine is a painter and a sculpturist....and very talented. During her first season, she is in love with Ransom, the Marquess of Blackburn and sculpts him in her clay...nude. When the sculpture is exposed, she is ruined and returns to the country for 11 years of hard work and poverty with an awful relative before returning as a chaperone to her beautiful but witless niece. Our hero, who also felt disgraced by the sculpture (while his reasoning was very funny, it did not justify his cruel behavior), immediately recognizes Jane and proceeds to torment her and expose her to old gossip. However, he is a changed man and realizes that even though Jane makes him crazy, he is drawn to her and his feelings go deeper than the shallow ones he had 11 years before (I should hope so...he was the most shallow hero ever back then, as we learn from a few flashbacks).
The secondary characters and a well described ton propel the story forward from there, I loved the scenes where Jane is in artist mode. We see what she sees and feel what she feels which I loved. For some reason the hero never truly appreciates, Jane is in love with him and he inspires her art. I could see she truly did want him and for some weird reason, she enjoyed being with the overbearing stick. Therefore, when he finally is humble before Jane, expressing his feelings, I felt satisfied for her.
As I'm sure you could have guessed, I did not like the hero. However, I adored the heroine and wanted whatever made her happy, which was her art and ultimately our hero. The story was easy to read and light for it's subject matter (spies, ruination, 11 year old wounds). If you feel like you cannot enjoy a book because of the hero, perhaps this book isn't for you. But I'd still recommend it for a fun, diverting read. 4 stars.
The heroine is a painter and a sculpturist....and very talented. During her first season, she is in love with Ransom, the Marquess of Blackburn and sculpts him in her clay...nude. When the sculpture is exposed, she is ruined and returns to the country for 11 years of hard work and poverty with an awful relative before returning as a chaperone to her beautiful but witless niece. Our hero, who also felt disgraced by the sculpture (while his reasoning was very funny, it did not justify his cruel behavior), immediately recognizes Jane and proceeds to torment her and expose her to old gossip. However, he is a changed man and realizes that even though Jane makes him crazy, he is drawn to her and his feelings go deeper than the shallow ones he had 11 years before (I should hope so...he was the most shallow hero ever back then, as we learn from a few flashbacks).
The secondary characters and a well described ton propel the story forward from there, I loved the scenes where Jane is in artist mode. We see what she sees and feel what she feels which I loved. For some reason the hero never truly appreciates, Jane is in love with him and he inspires her art. I could see she truly did want him and for some weird reason, she enjoyed being with the overbearing stick. Therefore, when he finally is humble before Jane, expressing his feelings, I felt satisfied for her.
As I'm sure you could have guessed, I did not like the hero. However, I adored the heroine and wanted whatever made her happy, which was her art and ultimately our hero. The story was easy to read and light for it's subject matter (spies, ruination, 11 year old wounds). If you feel like you cannot enjoy a book because of the hero, perhaps this book isn't for you. But I'd still recommend it for a fun, diverting read. 4 stars.
February 27, 2021
2.5. I hated the hero throughout the book. But there were some fun/funny parts (intentionally? Sometimes?) and it was a very quick read.
April 12, 2010
I prefer my historicals to be somewhat knowledgeable about the times written about. I couldn't get much idea of what time in history in which this book was supposed to occur. The sudden inclusion of 21st century dialogue was jarring, to say the least, and the plot was so fictional that I had to finally decide to read it as a fairy tale so that I could enjoy it. After that I did, in fact, enjoy the book. Ms.Dodd can write well enough to keep one's interest. Evidently she has no desire to create the manners and mores of historical times but does enjoy the possibilities inherent in those times, as unrealistic as they may be.
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