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The Charleston Scandal
If you devoured THE CROWN you will love this exuberant story of a young Australian actress caught up in the excesses, royal intrigues and class divide of Jazz Age London, losing her way but reclaiming her heart in the process
London, 1920s: Kit Scott, a privileged young Australian aiming to become a star, arrives in the city to find the Jazz Age in full swing. Cast in a West End play opposite another young hopeful, Canadian Zeke Gardiner, she dances blithely into the heady lifestyle of English high society and the London theatre set, from Noel Coward to Fred Astaire and his sister, Adele.
When Kit is photographed dancing the Charleston alongside the Prince of Wales, she finds herself at the centre of a major scandal, sending the Palace into damage control and Kit to her aristocratic English relatives - and into the arms of the hedonistic Lord Henry Carleton. Amid the excesses of the Roaring Twenties, both Zeke and Kit are faced with temptations - and make choices that will alter the course of their lives forever.
Readers of Natasha Lester's A KISS FROM MR FITZGERALD will love THE CHARLESTON SCANDAL. Bestselling author Pamela Hart's energetic, masterful storytelling will have you glued right until the end.
London, 1920s: Kit Scott, a privileged young Australian aiming to become a star, arrives in the city to find the Jazz Age in full swing. Cast in a West End play opposite another young hopeful, Canadian Zeke Gardiner, she dances blithely into the heady lifestyle of English high society and the London theatre set, from Noel Coward to Fred Astaire and his sister, Adele.
When Kit is photographed dancing the Charleston alongside the Prince of Wales, she finds herself at the centre of a major scandal, sending the Palace into damage control and Kit to her aristocratic English relatives - and into the arms of the hedonistic Lord Henry Carleton. Amid the excesses of the Roaring Twenties, both Zeke and Kit are faced with temptations - and make choices that will alter the course of their lives forever.
Readers of Natasha Lester's A KISS FROM MR FITZGERALD will love THE CHARLESTON SCANDAL. Bestselling author Pamela Hart's energetic, masterful storytelling will have you glued right until the end.
383 pages, Paperback
First published November 24, 2020
14 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
About the author
Pamela Hart
31 books151 followersPamela is a best-selling, award-winning author of more than 40 books.
As Pamela Hart, she writes the Poppy McGowan Mysteries and historical fiction, including Regency romance.
As Pamela Freeman, she writes children's fiction and non-fiction, and is well known for her fantasy novels for adults, the CASTINGS TRILOGY and her Aurealis Award winning novel EMBER AND ASH.
Pamela lives in Sydney with her husband and their son, and teaches at the Australian Writers' Centre.
She has a Doctorate of Creative Arts from the University of Technology, Sydney, where she has also lectured in creative writing.
Also published under Pamela Freeman - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
As Pamela Hart, she writes the Poppy McGowan Mysteries and historical fiction, including Regency romance.
As Pamela Freeman, she writes children's fiction and non-fiction, and is well known for her fantasy novels for adults, the CASTINGS TRILOGY and her Aurealis Award winning novel EMBER AND ASH.
Pamela lives in Sydney with her husband and their son, and teaches at the Australian Writers' Centre.
She has a Doctorate of Creative Arts from the University of Technology, Sydney, where she has also lectured in creative writing.
Also published under Pamela Freeman - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
November 23, 2020
Kit Scott left her stuffy family behind in Sydney Australia to follow her dream and become a star of the stage in London’s West End. The war has just ended, the lucky young men to survive want to have fun, and this includes going out to the theatre, attending parties, drinking, listening to jazz music and dancing.
Zeke Gardiner is a Canadian actor from British Columbia, he’s good looking and he can sing and dance. The couple's cast together in a play, they spend a lot of time close together on stage and their relationship is only a professional one.
Kat and Zeke meet members of England’s high society, including Royalty, Fred Astaire and his sister Adele. When a photographer takes a picture of Kit dancing the Charleston with the Prince of Wales, it receives a lot of unwanted attention and the palace isn't happy. They introduce Kit to Lord Henry Carleton; of course she was dancing with him and not the future King.
The Charleston Scandal portrays what life was like in the roaring twenties in London, it was a time of daring change, fashion, society, music and dance played at huge part. I really liked reading about Kit and Zeke, and they had to decide if they wanted to be professional actors or give into temptation and be led astray by the frivolity, fun and excessive partying going on around them in 1920’s England! I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review; I loved The Charleston Scandal and five stars from me. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
Zeke Gardiner is a Canadian actor from British Columbia, he’s good looking and he can sing and dance. The couple's cast together in a play, they spend a lot of time close together on stage and their relationship is only a professional one.
Kat and Zeke meet members of England’s high society, including Royalty, Fred Astaire and his sister Adele. When a photographer takes a picture of Kit dancing the Charleston with the Prince of Wales, it receives a lot of unwanted attention and the palace isn't happy. They introduce Kit to Lord Henry Carleton; of course she was dancing with him and not the future King.
The Charleston Scandal portrays what life was like in the roaring twenties in London, it was a time of daring change, fashion, society, music and dance played at huge part. I really liked reading about Kit and Zeke, and they had to decide if they wanted to be professional actors or give into temptation and be led astray by the frivolity, fun and excessive partying going on around them in 1920’s England! I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review; I loved The Charleston Scandal and five stars from me. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
November 24, 2020
I must start by admitting that I fell asleep on my tablet and when I woke up I had a copy of this. I don't usually read romance, but I felt I should give this a go, and I was pleasantly surprised. I was immersed in the evocative setting of the Roaring Twenties almost immediately and found the atmosphere to be rich and accurate. Twenty-one-year-old Kit Scott, daughter of prominent Sydney-based Australians Agatha Scott and the Dean of St Andrew's Cathedral, emigrates to London in search of opportunity and to attempt to fulfil her dream of starring in a West End production. She decides to use the stage name of Kit Linton as she is all too aware that her acting would be overshadowed by her well-known family name and also because they weren't supportive of her becoming an actress and dancer. It's not been long since WWI came to an end and everyone just wants to have fun and celebrate life to the full, especially the menfolk. They attend parties and the theatre, drink liberally and dance the night away. She has never had to think about money while living at home but now as an independent woman, Kit is finding it difficult to manage her finances, however, all that changes when she's cast in one of André Charlot's plays, alongside another "colonial" named Zeke Gardiner, who hails from the Canadian province of British Columbia.
He's handsome and a talented singer and dancer, and it certainly appeared as though both of their stars were on the rise. Spending an inordinate amount of time together rehearsing and on stage pleasing the masses of theatre-goers, the two become close but it remains a strictly platonic and professional relationship. They begin to meet plenty of members of England's high society: Noel Coward, Fred and his sister Adele Astaire and Royalty, to name a few. But when a photographer snaps an image of Kit dancing the Charleston with David, Prince of Wales, it is splashed all over the newspapers and she finds herself amidst a royal scandal. The royals introduce Kit to elible bachelor Lord Henry Carleton in the hope it'll detract from the scandal. This is such an opulent read that it allows for complete escape from our current problems and become immersed in a enchanting time that has been extensively researched by Hart; it's so easy to transport yourself there. I loved Kit, even though she is a little naive, and her amazing friendship with Zeke was a delightful part of the plot. It's an emotional, evocative and compelling read from the first page and depicts perfectly the profound changes London was going through in terms of fashion, music, politics and even dating. It is a fun and absorbing historical novel I got lost in completely.
He's handsome and a talented singer and dancer, and it certainly appeared as though both of their stars were on the rise. Spending an inordinate amount of time together rehearsing and on stage pleasing the masses of theatre-goers, the two become close but it remains a strictly platonic and professional relationship. They begin to meet plenty of members of England's high society: Noel Coward, Fred and his sister Adele Astaire and Royalty, to name a few. But when a photographer snaps an image of Kit dancing the Charleston with David, Prince of Wales, it is splashed all over the newspapers and she finds herself amidst a royal scandal. The royals introduce Kit to elible bachelor Lord Henry Carleton in the hope it'll detract from the scandal. This is such an opulent read that it allows for complete escape from our current problems and become immersed in a enchanting time that has been extensively researched by Hart; it's so easy to transport yourself there. I loved Kit, even though she is a little naive, and her amazing friendship with Zeke was a delightful part of the plot. It's an emotional, evocative and compelling read from the first page and depicts perfectly the profound changes London was going through in terms of fashion, music, politics and even dating. It is a fun and absorbing historical novel I got lost in completely.
November 20, 2020
Kit Scott, daughter of a Dean in Sydney, Australia, was in London prepared to work hard and become a success. It was the 1920s and the West End play, opposite Canadian Zeke Gardiner was a dream come true for the two rising youngsters. Kit had fought with her parents before she left Australia – dancing and acting was all she’d ever wanted to do. But although they hadn’t wanted it for her, they were still loving parents, there for her if she needed them.
Kit’s life changed dramatically once the play’s season was under way. London’s high society included dancing at clubs and dining out, in the company of royalty no less. Meeting Fred and Adele Astaire, Noel Coward and more; but it was the night a group of them were dancing the Charleston with Kit beside the Prince of Wales on one side and Lord Henry Carleton on the other, that trouble started. A photographer who captured Kit with the Prince made headlines in all the papers – the royals went into damage control.
Acting, dancing, being in Zeke’s company constantly during working hours meant they became firm friends. But the scandal from the Charleston dance meant Kit also had to keep company with Lord Henry. Kit had been very naïve when she arrived in London, she still was to a degree – but things were changing. And Kit was changing as well. She knew what she wanted, she was only twenty-one after all – but could she maintain her discipline in the face of the richness, the money, the pomp and pageantry that was in front of her?
The Charleston Scandal by Aussie author Pamela Hart was fabulous! The shows, the dancing, the music, the fun they all had. I would have loved to be in the audience for several of them; the gaiety, the laughter, the sheer entertainment – they knew how to have a good time in the Jazz Age! It wasn’t all fun though and the author depicts each and every emotion perfectly. There were lots of wonderful characters in The Charleston Scandal, Kit and Zeke of course, but Perry, Val, Susan were but a few. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Hachette AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Kit’s life changed dramatically once the play’s season was under way. London’s high society included dancing at clubs and dining out, in the company of royalty no less. Meeting Fred and Adele Astaire, Noel Coward and more; but it was the night a group of them were dancing the Charleston with Kit beside the Prince of Wales on one side and Lord Henry Carleton on the other, that trouble started. A photographer who captured Kit with the Prince made headlines in all the papers – the royals went into damage control.
Acting, dancing, being in Zeke’s company constantly during working hours meant they became firm friends. But the scandal from the Charleston dance meant Kit also had to keep company with Lord Henry. Kit had been very naïve when she arrived in London, she still was to a degree – but things were changing. And Kit was changing as well. She knew what she wanted, she was only twenty-one after all – but could she maintain her discipline in the face of the richness, the money, the pomp and pageantry that was in front of her?
The Charleston Scandal by Aussie author Pamela Hart was fabulous! The shows, the dancing, the music, the fun they all had. I would have loved to be in the audience for several of them; the gaiety, the laughter, the sheer entertainment – they knew how to have a good time in the Jazz Age! It wasn’t all fun though and the author depicts each and every emotion perfectly. There were lots of wonderful characters in The Charleston Scandal, Kit and Zeke of course, but Perry, Val, Susan were but a few. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Hachette AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
November 27, 2020
I loved this book! This was my first Pamela Hart book and I will definately be looking out for more of her books. I loved the setting and the writing made me feel like I was back in the 1920's. It was a fun and fast read for me, thoroughly lost in the story and characters.
1920's London and the Jazz Age is in full swing. Kit is a young, Australian actress and dancer in London to make her name. Back in Australia she is the daughter of an affluent family but in London she has to scrimp and save every penny. She lands herself a role in a West End production, opposite another "Colonial" in Canadian Zeke Gardiner. The life of an actor is not an easy one but they are doing what they love and they are happy. There is an attraction there but don't want to complicate their working relationship. Kit suddenly finds herself amid a royal scandal when she is photographed dancing the Charleston with the Prince of Wales! In an attempt to quash the story, the palace arrange for Kit to be seen stepping out with Lord Henry Carleton.
This is a fantastic historical fiction with characters that you will love. The music, the fashion, the society differences and the famous names - I fell in love with it.
Thanks so much to Hachette Australia for sending this one my way.
1920's London and the Jazz Age is in full swing. Kit is a young, Australian actress and dancer in London to make her name. Back in Australia she is the daughter of an affluent family but in London she has to scrimp and save every penny. She lands herself a role in a West End production, opposite another "Colonial" in Canadian Zeke Gardiner. The life of an actor is not an easy one but they are doing what they love and they are happy. There is an attraction there but don't want to complicate their working relationship. Kit suddenly finds herself amid a royal scandal when she is photographed dancing the Charleston with the Prince of Wales! In an attempt to quash the story, the palace arrange for Kit to be seen stepping out with Lord Henry Carleton.
This is a fantastic historical fiction with characters that you will love. The music, the fashion, the society differences and the famous names - I fell in love with it.
Thanks so much to Hachette Australia for sending this one my way.
March 7, 2021
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
A dazzling and energetic novel that dances to its own rhythm, The Charleston Scandal is the latest offering from historical fiction author Pamela Hart. A story of class, ambition, opportunity, breaking the rules and love, The Charleston Scandal is a decadent novel that I was happy to indulge in over a working week.
The Charleston Scandal follows an Australian actress who is set for success when she arrives in London. Kit Scott is Pamela Hart’s leading lady and this enigmatic woman has big plans. Kit hopes to tread the boards on the west end and her ambitions are fulfilled when she is cast alongside another rising star, a Canadian named Zeke Gardiner. This lucrative new role sees Kit rub shoulders with celebrities of the time and royalty. Things heat up for Kit when she is photographed with the Prince of Wales. With whispers of an illicit affair, the Palace tries to cover up this scandal as best they can. It leads Kit into the pathway of her relatives and a Lord, who will have a significant impact on Kit’s life. In a time of indulgence, excesses, temptations and decadence, The Charleston Scandal highlights the jubilance of these colourful times.
Pamela Hart is one author I always make a beeline for. Hart’s uncanny ability to transport the reader to times past in the form of a highly engaging narrative, complete with a trailblazer female character makes her stories a sheer joy to read. The Charleston Scandal has a beautiful cover that I was immediately drawn to and my obsession for the era depicted piqued my interest in this novel further. The 1920s is a decade I look to with fascination and I am always keen to read more about this intriguing time.
Kit Scott was a well-cast lead and I genuinely enjoyed following her journey. Kit comes from privileged stock and Hart’s writing allows the reader to gain an insight into life of the upper class, including the aristocracy. We also have a number of key real-life figures filtered through The Charleston Scandal, such as Noel Coward and Fred Astaire. This was a great touch and I found it pulled me further into the story at hand. Kit is matched by Zeke, a Canadian fellow aspiring performer. Zeke’s hails from a very different background to Kit, which allows Hart to explore lower class issues and a troubled past within the context of her lead character. I appreciated this contrast. The relationship between Kit and Zeke was tension filled and I did hope that these two would eventually stop dancing around one another to make things happen. The final spark that unites this couple is worth the wait.
Hart illuminates her time period well, which shows she is a writer who is not restricted to war time-based tales. The Charleston Scandal takes the reader on a flight of adventure, desire, choices, societal expectations, morals and extravagance of the 1920s jazz age. Linking in themes of societal movements, impressions, changing times, equal rights, cultural shifts, career choices, freedom and hard-hitting issues such as alcoholism and abuse, The Charleston Scandal is an involving historical composition.
A quaint and very charming novel that manages to capture the unique movements of the decadent jazz era, The Charleston Scandal is novel you will want to hold until you have read the final word.
*Thanks is extended to Hachette Australia for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
The Charleston Scandal is book #16 of the 2021 Australian Women Writers Challenge
A dazzling and energetic novel that dances to its own rhythm, The Charleston Scandal is the latest offering from historical fiction author Pamela Hart. A story of class, ambition, opportunity, breaking the rules and love, The Charleston Scandal is a decadent novel that I was happy to indulge in over a working week.
The Charleston Scandal follows an Australian actress who is set for success when she arrives in London. Kit Scott is Pamela Hart’s leading lady and this enigmatic woman has big plans. Kit hopes to tread the boards on the west end and her ambitions are fulfilled when she is cast alongside another rising star, a Canadian named Zeke Gardiner. This lucrative new role sees Kit rub shoulders with celebrities of the time and royalty. Things heat up for Kit when she is photographed with the Prince of Wales. With whispers of an illicit affair, the Palace tries to cover up this scandal as best they can. It leads Kit into the pathway of her relatives and a Lord, who will have a significant impact on Kit’s life. In a time of indulgence, excesses, temptations and decadence, The Charleston Scandal highlights the jubilance of these colourful times.
Pamela Hart is one author I always make a beeline for. Hart’s uncanny ability to transport the reader to times past in the form of a highly engaging narrative, complete with a trailblazer female character makes her stories a sheer joy to read. The Charleston Scandal has a beautiful cover that I was immediately drawn to and my obsession for the era depicted piqued my interest in this novel further. The 1920s is a decade I look to with fascination and I am always keen to read more about this intriguing time.
Kit Scott was a well-cast lead and I genuinely enjoyed following her journey. Kit comes from privileged stock and Hart’s writing allows the reader to gain an insight into life of the upper class, including the aristocracy. We also have a number of key real-life figures filtered through The Charleston Scandal, such as Noel Coward and Fred Astaire. This was a great touch and I found it pulled me further into the story at hand. Kit is matched by Zeke, a Canadian fellow aspiring performer. Zeke’s hails from a very different background to Kit, which allows Hart to explore lower class issues and a troubled past within the context of her lead character. I appreciated this contrast. The relationship between Kit and Zeke was tension filled and I did hope that these two would eventually stop dancing around one another to make things happen. The final spark that unites this couple is worth the wait.
Hart illuminates her time period well, which shows she is a writer who is not restricted to war time-based tales. The Charleston Scandal takes the reader on a flight of adventure, desire, choices, societal expectations, morals and extravagance of the 1920s jazz age. Linking in themes of societal movements, impressions, changing times, equal rights, cultural shifts, career choices, freedom and hard-hitting issues such as alcoholism and abuse, The Charleston Scandal is an involving historical composition.
A quaint and very charming novel that manages to capture the unique movements of the decadent jazz era, The Charleston Scandal is novel you will want to hold until you have read the final word.
*Thanks is extended to Hachette Australia for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
The Charleston Scandal is book #16 of the 2021 Australian Women Writers Challenge
April 9, 2021
*www.onewomansbbr.wordpress.com
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**3.5 stars**
The Charleston Scandal by Pamela Hart. (2020).
1920s, London. Kit, a privileged young Australian aiming to be a star, arrives in the city to be quickly cast in a West End play opposite another young hopeful, Canadian Zeke. She dances into the heady lifestyle of English high society and the London theatre set. When Kit is photographed dancing the Charleston alongside the Prince of Wales, she finds herself at the centre of a major scandal, sending the Palace into damage control and Kit into the arms of the hedonistic Lord Henry. Amid the excess of the Roaring Twenties, both Zeke and Kit are faced with temptations - and make choices that will alter the course of their lives forever.
I did enjoy this one. But I found Kit to be a bit irritating at times in that it felt like she wanted everything: she wanted the theatre life, but she also wanted the high society life and unfortunately at that time it wasn't really possible to have both; she also didn't really want to commit to Zeke or Henry but it felt like she wanted them to love her anyway. Aside from that, I found it an easy and pleasurable read. I feel there was quite a few cameos from real people but the only ones I really recognised were Fred and Adele Astaire who I thought were a great addition to the cast of characters. Of course I then ended up in a Wikipedia dark hole from looking up various characters from the book haha; I do appreciate a novel that can also guide me to learn about real history.
Overall: a historical fiction that will have you hoping for Kit to get exactly what she wants in life (when she works out what that is!).
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**3.5 stars**
The Charleston Scandal by Pamela Hart. (2020).
1920s, London. Kit, a privileged young Australian aiming to be a star, arrives in the city to be quickly cast in a West End play opposite another young hopeful, Canadian Zeke. She dances into the heady lifestyle of English high society and the London theatre set. When Kit is photographed dancing the Charleston alongside the Prince of Wales, she finds herself at the centre of a major scandal, sending the Palace into damage control and Kit into the arms of the hedonistic Lord Henry. Amid the excess of the Roaring Twenties, both Zeke and Kit are faced with temptations - and make choices that will alter the course of their lives forever.
I did enjoy this one. But I found Kit to be a bit irritating at times in that it felt like she wanted everything: she wanted the theatre life, but she also wanted the high society life and unfortunately at that time it wasn't really possible to have both; she also didn't really want to commit to Zeke or Henry but it felt like she wanted them to love her anyway. Aside from that, I found it an easy and pleasurable read. I feel there was quite a few cameos from real people but the only ones I really recognised were Fred and Adele Astaire who I thought were a great addition to the cast of characters. Of course I then ended up in a Wikipedia dark hole from looking up various characters from the book haha; I do appreciate a novel that can also guide me to learn about real history.
Overall: a historical fiction that will have you hoping for Kit to get exactly what she wants in life (when she works out what that is!).
November 23, 2020
What a beautifully written story, taking us back to the 1920’s when times are changing and young Australian Kit Scott arrives in London to try and make a name for herself on the stage, dancing, singing and acting have meant so much to Kit, even if her family would prefer she stay in Sydney and form a good marriage. I do hope that you pick this one up and get lost in the story like I did and meet some famous and fabulous characters along the way.
Kit is thrilled to be in London and even more thrilled that she is chosen to be the second lead in the new musical starting in the West End, her partner is Canadian Zeke Gardiner and they go together really well and are dancing up a storm, the two colonials. The play is a hit and Kit is out partying with the other actors, she is mixing with Fred Astaire and his sister Adele, Noel Coward and the likes of The Prince of Wales, when a photo of Kit and The Prince doing the Charleston makes the rounds of the press, and a scandal begins the palace steps in and it is not long before she finds herself out and about with Lord Henry Carleton.
Zeke and Kit become very good friends they get on famously and both are doing their best to stay friends, there are a lot of feelings between these two, but with Kit spending more and more time with Lord Henry Zeke worries about what she is letting herself in for. Kit has such a fabulous nature and sees the good in everyone, but she can see that changes are happening and there are changes that should be happening. Kit is struggling to make the right choices, she has been bought up a lady and there are ways that are just so natural for her but she sees other people struggling to get the respect they deserve, and she is battling with right and what she sees as wrong.
This story was filled with so much fun and laughter the dancing, singing I am sure my feet were tapping while reading I felt so much a part of the story and the fun these actors could have on the town, there are so many wonderful characters, Perry and Val then the support that the Cowards gave to Zeke, all in all this is a fabulous story one that had me turning the pages, it must have been hard at times back then with the changes taking place, and the choices that people were starting to have. Lots of emotions throughout I felt for Kit there are lots of happy and sad times, thank you MS Hart for another awesome read, one that I highly recommend.
Thank you Hachette AU for my copy to read and review.
Kit is thrilled to be in London and even more thrilled that she is chosen to be the second lead in the new musical starting in the West End, her partner is Canadian Zeke Gardiner and they go together really well and are dancing up a storm, the two colonials. The play is a hit and Kit is out partying with the other actors, she is mixing with Fred Astaire and his sister Adele, Noel Coward and the likes of The Prince of Wales, when a photo of Kit and The Prince doing the Charleston makes the rounds of the press, and a scandal begins the palace steps in and it is not long before she finds herself out and about with Lord Henry Carleton.
Zeke and Kit become very good friends they get on famously and both are doing their best to stay friends, there are a lot of feelings between these two, but with Kit spending more and more time with Lord Henry Zeke worries about what she is letting herself in for. Kit has such a fabulous nature and sees the good in everyone, but she can see that changes are happening and there are changes that should be happening. Kit is struggling to make the right choices, she has been bought up a lady and there are ways that are just so natural for her but she sees other people struggling to get the respect they deserve, and she is battling with right and what she sees as wrong.
This story was filled with so much fun and laughter the dancing, singing I am sure my feet were tapping while reading I felt so much a part of the story and the fun these actors could have on the town, there are so many wonderful characters, Perry and Val then the support that the Cowards gave to Zeke, all in all this is a fabulous story one that had me turning the pages, it must have been hard at times back then with the changes taking place, and the choices that people were starting to have. Lots of emotions throughout I felt for Kit there are lots of happy and sad times, thank you MS Hart for another awesome read, one that I highly recommend.
Thank you Hachette AU for my copy to read and review.
December 13, 2020
4.5*
‘She’d yearned for a world where people could be themselves, even if it was only here, behind closed doors, among friends. But if she were herself would they like her? Or would she be too dull and respectable for them?’
One is always guaranteed a great read with a Pamela Hart story and her latest release lived up to expectation. Listening to a podcast, Pamela explained how it was time to move on from the war years and into the 1920s - it was time to celebrate! Pamela brilliantly captures all the glitz and glamour of the era along with the push to break with long held traditions.
I enjoyed reading Kit’s story as she tries to break free from her upper class upbringing in Sydney to the stage and lights of London. Pamela introduces real time events and people such as Noel Coward and the Astaire’s from the entertainment side, to royalty with the Prince of Wales and his circle of friends, adding a real depth to the story. Kit finds herself torn between two lifestyles and two men representative of each way of living. Pamela perfectly portrays the hedonistic partying lifestyle of dancing and drinking but balances it with a more reflective aspect of cutting ties of past lives and ways of living. The ‘scandal’ itself is not simply the one off capture on film but rather, how women especially struggled to forge a new path from the ashes of war.
Within this seemingly lighthearted tale, I appreciated the spotlight Pamela shone on issues such as the role of women, LGBT clubs, alcoholism and domestic abuse and the fictional likelihood of living the life of royalty and landed gentry. Testament to Pam’s writing is how seamlessly she interweaves all of the above to produce a complete and engaging tale.
I congratulate Pamela for stepping away her war year novels and producing this compelling read of life after the war in London. It captures the emotions and perfectly portrays everything from the growth of fashion and music, to politics and social conventions. This is a wonderful tale of historical fiction that I thoroughly enjoyed.
‘Zeke was right, and yet ... there was still a place for formality and etiquette in the world, wasn’t there? To make things run smoothly, the way they should. ‘All these rules,’ he said, leaning comfortably against the wall and watching the crowd with shrewd eyes. ‘They’re just to make sure you can exclude people who aren’t your class. That’s all etiquette is.’ There was truth to that. But surely there was more to it?
‘She’d yearned for a world where people could be themselves, even if it was only here, behind closed doors, among friends. But if she were herself would they like her? Or would she be too dull and respectable for them?’
One is always guaranteed a great read with a Pamela Hart story and her latest release lived up to expectation. Listening to a podcast, Pamela explained how it was time to move on from the war years and into the 1920s - it was time to celebrate! Pamela brilliantly captures all the glitz and glamour of the era along with the push to break with long held traditions.
I enjoyed reading Kit’s story as she tries to break free from her upper class upbringing in Sydney to the stage and lights of London. Pamela introduces real time events and people such as Noel Coward and the Astaire’s from the entertainment side, to royalty with the Prince of Wales and his circle of friends, adding a real depth to the story. Kit finds herself torn between two lifestyles and two men representative of each way of living. Pamela perfectly portrays the hedonistic partying lifestyle of dancing and drinking but balances it with a more reflective aspect of cutting ties of past lives and ways of living. The ‘scandal’ itself is not simply the one off capture on film but rather, how women especially struggled to forge a new path from the ashes of war.
Within this seemingly lighthearted tale, I appreciated the spotlight Pamela shone on issues such as the role of women, LGBT clubs, alcoholism and domestic abuse and the fictional likelihood of living the life of royalty and landed gentry. Testament to Pam’s writing is how seamlessly she interweaves all of the above to produce a complete and engaging tale.
I congratulate Pamela for stepping away her war year novels and producing this compelling read of life after the war in London. It captures the emotions and perfectly portrays everything from the growth of fashion and music, to politics and social conventions. This is a wonderful tale of historical fiction that I thoroughly enjoyed.
‘Zeke was right, and yet ... there was still a place for formality and etiquette in the world, wasn’t there? To make things run smoothly, the way they should. ‘All these rules,’ he said, leaning comfortably against the wall and watching the crowd with shrewd eyes. ‘They’re just to make sure you can exclude people who aren’t your class. That’s all etiquette is.’ There was truth to that. But surely there was more to it?
November 29, 2020
A new Pamela Hart novel is always a cause for celebration – and a reason for sitting down and reading until my eyes droop. The Charleston Scandal marks a departure from her previous books in that it’s not set during wartime, but the 1920s. England is ready to party after World War I with glamour, sparkly dresses, a lot of drinking and some other vices. For Kit Linton, an Australian actress, it’s all rather fun until it’s not.
Kit has come from an upper-class Sydney family to try to make it on the stage. She’s landed a role in a new play opposite Canadian Zeke Gardiner and it looks like she’s set. She parties with Adele and Fred Astaire and Zeke lives with Noel Coward and his family. But one night she is papped (yes, it even happened in those days) dancing the scandalous Charleston in a group at a club. That group just happens to include the Prince of Wales. The palace isn’t happy and a decoy is suggested – a fake romance with Lord Henry Carleton. It was only meant to be for a short time, but Kit enjoys the luxury Henry and his set can offer, and Henry is falling for her. But that life is so different to her stage life, and Zeke who she feels a real connection to. When the play ends and Kit is out of work, she has to make some big decisions about her life, career and if she will follow her head or her heart.
Overall, The Charleston Scandal is very enjoyable. It captures the hedonistic essence of the 1920s so well – the dancing, drinking and gorgeous dresses. Kit is an interesting character who is easy to like, as she tussles between a boring life of comfort and making her own way in the world. Zeke gave a nice contrast, coming from a poor and broken family – demonstrating all that Kit didn’t fully appreciate that she had. Even Henry has his entertaining moments, showing that he does care for Kit in his own way. (Not to mention being a relic of the landed gentry with nothing to do era). I also enjoyed the real characters such as the Cowards and Astaires. (For shame, I did not even know Fred had a sister until this novel – it’s worth reading about Adele as her life was just as fascinating). I haven’t seen The Crown, but the Royals acting badly was fun and the response to the scandal sounds in line with what would happen during those times.
The story is a fun read, following Kit’s highs and lows, but also allowing for deeper exploration into serious topics. These include the underground LGBT clubs and the crime of being homosexual, alcoholism, class and the limitations placed on women. The issues don’t seem forced or put upon, but rather a natural part of the story. Sometimes I felt that Kit’s longings for comfort via money or the society she was used to were a little repetitive, but the fun of the parties and clubs more than made up for that. The seriousness when Kit’s play finished and she was forced into other work was also beautifully written, detailing the limitations on young working women of the time. Fans of A Letter From Italy will also be overjoyed as some characters make an appearance.
No need to get your dancing shoes on, The Charleston Scandal will carry you away to the 1920s.
Thank you to Hachette for the copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
Kit has come from an upper-class Sydney family to try to make it on the stage. She’s landed a role in a new play opposite Canadian Zeke Gardiner and it looks like she’s set. She parties with Adele and Fred Astaire and Zeke lives with Noel Coward and his family. But one night she is papped (yes, it even happened in those days) dancing the scandalous Charleston in a group at a club. That group just happens to include the Prince of Wales. The palace isn’t happy and a decoy is suggested – a fake romance with Lord Henry Carleton. It was only meant to be for a short time, but Kit enjoys the luxury Henry and his set can offer, and Henry is falling for her. But that life is so different to her stage life, and Zeke who she feels a real connection to. When the play ends and Kit is out of work, she has to make some big decisions about her life, career and if she will follow her head or her heart.
Overall, The Charleston Scandal is very enjoyable. It captures the hedonistic essence of the 1920s so well – the dancing, drinking and gorgeous dresses. Kit is an interesting character who is easy to like, as she tussles between a boring life of comfort and making her own way in the world. Zeke gave a nice contrast, coming from a poor and broken family – demonstrating all that Kit didn’t fully appreciate that she had. Even Henry has his entertaining moments, showing that he does care for Kit in his own way. (Not to mention being a relic of the landed gentry with nothing to do era). I also enjoyed the real characters such as the Cowards and Astaires. (For shame, I did not even know Fred had a sister until this novel – it’s worth reading about Adele as her life was just as fascinating). I haven’t seen The Crown, but the Royals acting badly was fun and the response to the scandal sounds in line with what would happen during those times.
The story is a fun read, following Kit’s highs and lows, but also allowing for deeper exploration into serious topics. These include the underground LGBT clubs and the crime of being homosexual, alcoholism, class and the limitations placed on women. The issues don’t seem forced or put upon, but rather a natural part of the story. Sometimes I felt that Kit’s longings for comfort via money or the society she was used to were a little repetitive, but the fun of the parties and clubs more than made up for that. The seriousness when Kit’s play finished and she was forced into other work was also beautifully written, detailing the limitations on young working women of the time. Fans of A Letter From Italy will also be overjoyed as some characters make an appearance.
No need to get your dancing shoes on, The Charleston Scandal will carry you away to the 1920s.
Thank you to Hachette for the copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
Read
March 24, 2021Pamela Hart has 1920s glamour, London’s West End theatre district and royalty all wrapped up in her latest release, The Charleston Scandal. We follow the journey of Kit Scott, an Australian actress defying her upper-class family by treading the boards, and Zeke Gardiner, a Canadian ex-pat working his hardest to create a better life for him and his mother.
United by dance, the pair have little in common outside their rising star-status, especially when photos of Kit dancing with royalty make the tabloids. Despite their on-stage chemistry, class divisions and unexpected family interference drive a wedge between Kit and Zeke.
I picked up many snippets of wisdom from this well-written and carefully researched story, not the least the society’s expectations for women in this era. I also enjoyed the way Pamela wove real characters, like Noel Coward and Fred Astair, into the storyline. Thanks to Hachette for the review copy. Full interview here: https://www.mayalinnell.com/post/pame...
United by dance, the pair have little in common outside their rising star-status, especially when photos of Kit dancing with royalty make the tabloids. Despite their on-stage chemistry, class divisions and unexpected family interference drive a wedge between Kit and Zeke.
I picked up many snippets of wisdom from this well-written and carefully researched story, not the least the society’s expectations for women in this era. I also enjoyed the way Pamela wove real characters, like Noel Coward and Fred Astair, into the storyline. Thanks to Hachette for the review copy. Full interview here: https://www.mayalinnell.com/post/pame...
October 5, 2020
Really enjoy Pamela's books and this was no exception.
Set in 1920's London, aspiring actress Kit Linton meets numerous famous people including Fred Astaire and the Prince of Wales on her journey from Australia to the West End.
Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Set in 1920's London, aspiring actress Kit Linton meets numerous famous people including Fred Astaire and the Prince of Wales on her journey from Australia to the West End.
Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.
February 9, 2021
Of course, we all have our preferences of genre in reading, but I firmly believe that excellence can be achieved in any genre, whether that’s literary, fantasy, romance, crime, women’s fiction, historical fiction, non-fiction, poetry or whatever. Some of these categories place more emphasis on certain aspects – plot perhaps, or a great twist, or historical accuracy or the beauty of the language. But one thing I’ve found that every great 5 star book has in common – whatever the genre – is the compelling need for the reader to care deeply about the characters, and this can be achieved no matter what you are writing or reading. The Charleston Scandal (Hachette 2020) by Pamela Hart is definitely a 5 star romance read, and even though I don’t read a lot of romance, this book kept me captivated throughout.
If you loved Mary-Rose MacColl’s The True Story of Maddie Bright, or anything by Natasha Lester, then this book will appeal. Set in London in the 1920’s, this novel is full of royal intrigue, lavish excess, the class divide, the Jazz Age, the secret life of drag performances, and everything else that made the Twenties Roaring. Kit Scott is a privileged young Australian performer who has danced, sang and acted her way into London society and a life on the stage. Canadian Zeke Gardiner comes from a very different and difficult background, but performing together they have a frisson and spark that no one can deny. But one night changes everything, when she is photographed dancing the Charleston with none other than the Prince of Wales, as she is asked to keep up a pretence for the sake of the Royal family. She is forced to spend time with the hedonistic Lord Henry Carleton and finds that despite her initial reluctance, she begins to enjoy his attention, his fortune and the life he could offer her.
This novel presents a well-researched and authentic portrait of the aristocratic lifestyle of the time, with actors and performers rubbing shoulders with the Royal set, and famous names like Noel Coward and Fred and Adele Astaire all running in the same crowd. But there is a large divide between this sumptuous lifestyle of week-long parties, tennis and picnics, and the lower classes who are forced to ‘mend and make do’ with their paltry wages and uncertainty about work and finances.
The strength of this book, besides the incredible historical detail, is in the characterisations. The major players – and even the minor ones – are well-rounded and fleshed out, with believable motivations and behaviour. The dialogue is spot-on and the gentle humour that suffuses the book – especially Kit’s internal monologue about her emotional dilemmas and the choices she must make – really make The Charleston Scandal an easy and satisfying read. And while there is no abject violence or gratuitous sexual action, the story is layered with a certain risqué and titillating subtext that strikes just the right chord of tension and humour.
If you loved Mary-Rose MacColl’s The True Story of Maddie Bright, or anything by Natasha Lester, then this book will appeal. Set in London in the 1920’s, this novel is full of royal intrigue, lavish excess, the class divide, the Jazz Age, the secret life of drag performances, and everything else that made the Twenties Roaring. Kit Scott is a privileged young Australian performer who has danced, sang and acted her way into London society and a life on the stage. Canadian Zeke Gardiner comes from a very different and difficult background, but performing together they have a frisson and spark that no one can deny. But one night changes everything, when she is photographed dancing the Charleston with none other than the Prince of Wales, as she is asked to keep up a pretence for the sake of the Royal family. She is forced to spend time with the hedonistic Lord Henry Carleton and finds that despite her initial reluctance, she begins to enjoy his attention, his fortune and the life he could offer her.
This novel presents a well-researched and authentic portrait of the aristocratic lifestyle of the time, with actors and performers rubbing shoulders with the Royal set, and famous names like Noel Coward and Fred and Adele Astaire all running in the same crowd. But there is a large divide between this sumptuous lifestyle of week-long parties, tennis and picnics, and the lower classes who are forced to ‘mend and make do’ with their paltry wages and uncertainty about work and finances.
The strength of this book, besides the incredible historical detail, is in the characterisations. The major players – and even the minor ones – are well-rounded and fleshed out, with believable motivations and behaviour. The dialogue is spot-on and the gentle humour that suffuses the book – especially Kit’s internal monologue about her emotional dilemmas and the choices she must make – really make The Charleston Scandal an easy and satisfying read. And while there is no abject violence or gratuitous sexual action, the story is layered with a certain risqué and titillating subtext that strikes just the right chord of tension and humour.
December 22, 2020
Deliciously good fun
What a wonderful story! All the trappings of 1920s lords and ladies but with a modern spin that's still believable in an historical setting.
And also - just plain good fun. Something we definitely need these days!!
What a wonderful story! All the trappings of 1920s lords and ladies but with a modern spin that's still believable in an historical setting.
And also - just plain good fun. Something we definitely need these days!!
November 26, 2020
This book didn’t grab me the way Pamela’s others have. A great story but I think I wanted more from Kit. Perhaps it’s the romantic in me... I just needed a little more.
March 23, 2021
An interesting love triangle story that results in a HFN for two of the main characters (the two who deserve to be together). The setting details are lush and lovely, and the conflict holds the story together well.
March 9, 2021
The Charleston Scandal is the fifth historical fiction release from Australian writer, Pamela Hart. With exquisite writing, I have enjoyed Hart’s previous books. I knew I was in for a good time while learning a little something along the way. Class, royalty, acting, women’s rights and sexuality are just some of the themes addressed that provide insight into the past and today.
From page one, I was swept up in England of the 1920s with Kit Scott and Zeke Gardner. Kit is a young Aussie woman born into a world of privilege. An actress and dancer, she makes the decision to move to London by herself. Working in West End plays, Kit’s partner in the romantic roles is Zeke. I immediately knew that Zeke was ‘the one’ but the road to true love never runs smoothly.
Knowing the right people, Kit finds herself unexpectedly mixing with royalty. Dancing the Charleston alongside the Prince of Wales becomes an experience Kit won’t forget when a scandal erupts. To escape the scandal, Kit feigns a relationship with another member of royalty, Lord Henry Carleton. While Kit’s feelings towards Zeke are gradually developing, Lord Henry wants his relationship with Kit to evolve. As Kit’s heart is torn in two, both her and Zeke lose their jobs. Kit finds herself in retail and Zeke, cabaret. Will Kit and Zeke find their way back to each other?
If you are a fan of the royals, The Charleston Scandal is a light fun read but, it lacked the drama I was expecting.
From page one, I was swept up in England of the 1920s with Kit Scott and Zeke Gardner. Kit is a young Aussie woman born into a world of privilege. An actress and dancer, she makes the decision to move to London by herself. Working in West End plays, Kit’s partner in the romantic roles is Zeke. I immediately knew that Zeke was ‘the one’ but the road to true love never runs smoothly.
Knowing the right people, Kit finds herself unexpectedly mixing with royalty. Dancing the Charleston alongside the Prince of Wales becomes an experience Kit won’t forget when a scandal erupts. To escape the scandal, Kit feigns a relationship with another member of royalty, Lord Henry Carleton. While Kit’s feelings towards Zeke are gradually developing, Lord Henry wants his relationship with Kit to evolve. As Kit’s heart is torn in two, both her and Zeke lose their jobs. Kit finds herself in retail and Zeke, cabaret. Will Kit and Zeke find their way back to each other?
If you are a fan of the royals, The Charleston Scandal is a light fun read but, it lacked the drama I was expecting.
November 18, 2020
I had great hopes for this book. A scandal involving the activities of the Prince of Wales? No, not Charles, who has given his parents enough heart attacks over his dalliance with Camilla Parker Bowles, a married woman. This was David, who had a string of romances with multiple married women, including the one he finally gave up the crown to marry, the impossibly chic, twice married, American Wallis Simpson.
So a scandal that upset the grey men who run the Palace, based on a single photograph of David dancing the Charleston with a pretty young Australian actress, would hardly ruffle the staid feathers of the courtiers, in my opinion. But there you have the premise of the novel. But don’t let that put you off reading it, because there are sufficient interesting examples of what young actors and actresses had to go through to practice their art in 1920’s London.
The main characters are most appealing. Kit or Katherine Scott is the daughter of a very proper church family from Sydney. She was raised to be a lady. Schooled in the right manners and customs of the upper classes, so her hunger to join the stage horrified her family.
Canadian, Zeke Gardiner was forced to leave school to support his mother as they both fled from a drunken abusive man. Zeke sent most of his acting salary home to pay his mother’s rent, hoping one day to buy her a house. Zeke is of course, drop dead gorgeous with piercing blue eyes and his attraction to his beautiful cast mate was put under wraps while they performed together as the ingenues of the production. Their dancing and singing brought them to the attention of some well known names.
Soon they were invited to join the group surrounding the Prince of Wales, his gay brother George, various married aristocratic folks and Fred Astaire and his sister Adele. Zeke even roomed with Noel Coward’s mother in her boarding house, so Noel was a great friend.
One night, in a line up of inebriated, enthusiastic Charleston dancers, a photograph was taken and cropped to make it look as if Kit was dancing with the Prince. So the palace machine went to work to spread the tale that Kit was instead dancing and dating Lord Henry Carleton, whose parents demanded he marry an aristocratic girl. No girl from the colonies was suitable even tho their son was a confirmed alcoholic.
There is interesting tension for Kit, who was attracted to the luxury and lifestyle of the wealthy but also wanted to make her own money and achieve success on the West End stages.
A quick read, that will not disappoint fans of Pamela Hart’s previous novels, The Soldier’s Wife and The War Bride.
So a scandal that upset the grey men who run the Palace, based on a single photograph of David dancing the Charleston with a pretty young Australian actress, would hardly ruffle the staid feathers of the courtiers, in my opinion. But there you have the premise of the novel. But don’t let that put you off reading it, because there are sufficient interesting examples of what young actors and actresses had to go through to practice their art in 1920’s London.
The main characters are most appealing. Kit or Katherine Scott is the daughter of a very proper church family from Sydney. She was raised to be a lady. Schooled in the right manners and customs of the upper classes, so her hunger to join the stage horrified her family.
Canadian, Zeke Gardiner was forced to leave school to support his mother as they both fled from a drunken abusive man. Zeke sent most of his acting salary home to pay his mother’s rent, hoping one day to buy her a house. Zeke is of course, drop dead gorgeous with piercing blue eyes and his attraction to his beautiful cast mate was put under wraps while they performed together as the ingenues of the production. Their dancing and singing brought them to the attention of some well known names.
Soon they were invited to join the group surrounding the Prince of Wales, his gay brother George, various married aristocratic folks and Fred Astaire and his sister Adele. Zeke even roomed with Noel Coward’s mother in her boarding house, so Noel was a great friend.
One night, in a line up of inebriated, enthusiastic Charleston dancers, a photograph was taken and cropped to make it look as if Kit was dancing with the Prince. So the palace machine went to work to spread the tale that Kit was instead dancing and dating Lord Henry Carleton, whose parents demanded he marry an aristocratic girl. No girl from the colonies was suitable even tho their son was a confirmed alcoholic.
There is interesting tension for Kit, who was attracted to the luxury and lifestyle of the wealthy but also wanted to make her own money and achieve success on the West End stages.
A quick read, that will not disappoint fans of Pamela Hart’s previous novels, The Soldier’s Wife and The War Bride.
November 24, 2020
Thank you Hachette for sending us a copy to read and review.
A captivating story of a beautiful young workaholic actress who gets caught up in scandal, romance, temptation and behind the scenes of a musical production.
Kit Scott, a Australian who wants her name set in lights arrives to become a star in the busy West End.
Her dreams are set in motion when she is cast opposite handsome Canadian Zeke Gardiner.
She is then thrust into the world of high society and the seedy lifestyle mixing with the greats of that time.
On a night out she is photographed dancing with a guest.
This is no ordinary patron, it’s a member of royalty and soon she is part of rumours and defamation and then her life is turned upside down.
Pamela has given historical fiction fans a classy storyline and written about a time that should not be forgotten and celebrated more.
1920’s glamour, theatre and entertainment is the backdrop for this story, an era I love reading about.
A novel that essentially gives the reader an insight into the roaring twenties and a slow burn romance.
It’s the kind of book you can get lost in and gobble the thought of being taken on a journey through the jazz age era.
There was a couple of times that scenes were drawn out and that lost my interest a little but overall it’s strong, sweet and transports you back in time to a tale of new love, honour, friendship, finding ones feet and class divide.
A captivating story of a beautiful young workaholic actress who gets caught up in scandal, romance, temptation and behind the scenes of a musical production.
Kit Scott, a Australian who wants her name set in lights arrives to become a star in the busy West End.
Her dreams are set in motion when she is cast opposite handsome Canadian Zeke Gardiner.
She is then thrust into the world of high society and the seedy lifestyle mixing with the greats of that time.
On a night out she is photographed dancing with a guest.
This is no ordinary patron, it’s a member of royalty and soon she is part of rumours and defamation and then her life is turned upside down.
Pamela has given historical fiction fans a classy storyline and written about a time that should not be forgotten and celebrated more.
1920’s glamour, theatre and entertainment is the backdrop for this story, an era I love reading about.
A novel that essentially gives the reader an insight into the roaring twenties and a slow burn romance.
It’s the kind of book you can get lost in and gobble the thought of being taken on a journey through the jazz age era.
There was a couple of times that scenes were drawn out and that lost my interest a little but overall it’s strong, sweet and transports you back in time to a tale of new love, honour, friendship, finding ones feet and class divide.
April 13, 2022
Skandál v rytmu charlestonu je knihou, která vás v okamžiku pohltí a zahalí atmosférou zlatých 20. let. Své čtenáře obklopí bouřlivými večírky, hudbou a prostřednictvím lehce naivní herečky Kit Scottové a jejího hereckého kolegy a dobrého přítele, Zeka Gardinera, je zavede do společnosti známých osobností, jako jsou Noel Coward, Fred a jeho sestra Adele Astaire, stejně tak jako i samotný Princ z Walesu. Je to velice emotivní a poutavý román, který na pozadí něžně romantické linky, zobrazuje velké změny, kterými Londýn té doby procházel. Autorka píše velice sugestivně a svým vyprávěním vás zaručeně přenese ze současnosti, do dob dávno minulých. Já jsem si atmosféru této knihy hodně užila a autorka se tak stává jednou z mých oblíbených. Skutečně doufám, že u nás vyjdou i další její knihy.
January 14, 2021
The cover is misleading. It began well with great promise with interesting references to real people such as Noel Coward and the Astaires, but the "love triangle" between the protagonists Kit, Zeke and Henry become boring.
December 5, 2020
3.5⭐⭐⭐⭐ I have several of Pamela Hart's novels on my shelf waiting to be read and I'm looking forward to getting to them at some point.
Pamela Hart's newest novel is set in the 1920s involving a young actress, Kit, who has come to London from Australia to follow her dream. Kit comes from a well-to-do family and through her upbringing has taken on the views of the aristocracy, where class is important and people below your class aren't as good as you are. While I liked Kit, I didn't love her, I could see she struggled to find who she was and where she belonged in this new world, but it took her a long time to fully realise that the class system was systemically wrong and to make a decision to follow her heart.
I did love Zeke, a young man from Canada who has, just as Kit has, come to London to be on stage, while at the same time running from his past and supporting his mother financially. Zeke was a lovely guy, who was down to earth and completely loyal to Kit and his friends. He struggled with his feelings, believing himself to be not of the right social class for Kit. I really felt for him in his struggle.
The Scandal that happens between Kit and the Prince, was so innocuous it was hard to fathom that the palace would make such a big thing of it, but I guess that's royalty, or at least it was back then. I didn't like the way kit was forced to pretend to be stepping out with Lord Henry, who I didn't like much at all. Being pulled into this social scene even further only made Kit's struggle with who she was and where she fit in harder to work out.
I enjoyed getting a behind the scenes look at the acting and dancing scene in the 1920s, it was also fun seeing the social scene that they got to be part of, Fred and Adele Astair and Noel Coward and the friendships they forged, I'd of loved to have been a part of that scene. The way the titled people behaved was not a surprise, but I would never want to be a part of that scene.
An enjoyable read full of decisions and moral dilemmas. I hoped all the way through that Kit would make the right decisions and see how wonderful Zeke was.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Australia for a digital copy of this novel in return for an honest review.
Pamela Hart's newest novel is set in the 1920s involving a young actress, Kit, who has come to London from Australia to follow her dream. Kit comes from a well-to-do family and through her upbringing has taken on the views of the aristocracy, where class is important and people below your class aren't as good as you are. While I liked Kit, I didn't love her, I could see she struggled to find who she was and where she belonged in this new world, but it took her a long time to fully realise that the class system was systemically wrong and to make a decision to follow her heart.
I did love Zeke, a young man from Canada who has, just as Kit has, come to London to be on stage, while at the same time running from his past and supporting his mother financially. Zeke was a lovely guy, who was down to earth and completely loyal to Kit and his friends. He struggled with his feelings, believing himself to be not of the right social class for Kit. I really felt for him in his struggle.
The Scandal that happens between Kit and the Prince, was so innocuous it was hard to fathom that the palace would make such a big thing of it, but I guess that's royalty, or at least it was back then. I didn't like the way kit was forced to pretend to be stepping out with Lord Henry, who I didn't like much at all. Being pulled into this social scene even further only made Kit's struggle with who she was and where she fit in harder to work out.
I enjoyed getting a behind the scenes look at the acting and dancing scene in the 1920s, it was also fun seeing the social scene that they got to be part of, Fred and Adele Astair and Noel Coward and the friendships they forged, I'd of loved to have been a part of that scene. The way the titled people behaved was not a surprise, but I would never want to be a part of that scene.
An enjoyable read full of decisions and moral dilemmas. I hoped all the way through that Kit would make the right decisions and see how wonderful Zeke was.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Australia for a digital copy of this novel in return for an honest review.
September 27, 2022
This book follows Kit Scott, a young Australian actress looking for success on the London stage during the Jazz Age of the 1920s. Cast in a West End play, she meets Zeke Gardiner, a Canadian actor with a secret past. When Kit becomes involved in a major scandal involving the Prince of Wales, both she and Zeke are faced with temptations, and must make choices that will alter the course of their lives forever.
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There was nothing actually wrong with this one, I just found it a little boring. I love historical fiction, especially anything set on or around a stage, but for me, nothing much happened in this book. It’s very much plot driven, with little to no character development, but I still can’t really tell you what the plot was about, other than an aspiring actress trying to decide between the stage and nobility. I wanted more decadence, more character development, more of the promised scandal. It was a pleasant enough read but not really one that will stay with me.
This book was kindly gifted to me by the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Follow me on Instagram for more: www.instagram.com/katie.reads.things
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There was nothing actually wrong with this one, I just found it a little boring. I love historical fiction, especially anything set on or around a stage, but for me, nothing much happened in this book. It’s very much plot driven, with little to no character development, but I still can’t really tell you what the plot was about, other than an aspiring actress trying to decide between the stage and nobility. I wanted more decadence, more character development, more of the promised scandal. It was a pleasant enough read but not really one that will stay with me.
This book was kindly gifted to me by the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Follow me on Instagram for more: www.instagram.com/katie.reads.things
December 22, 2020
http://jessjustreads.com
Pamela Hart’s The Charleston Scandal is a step away from the heartfelt war novels that her readers will be familiar with, and is instead an immersive story set during the roaring 1920s London after the war has ended and women are beginning to realise they can hold a place in this world.
Be transported to the glorious 1920s, where status is everything and parties are prevalent. It’s not what you know, but who you know.
The Charleston Scandal features an interesting array of characters, evocatively capturing the setting with fashion, culture, status and connections. Kit’s journey not only illustrates life in the 1920s, but it also highlights the difficulty for women – and actresses – to find work at the time. They weren’t taken seriously, and it took a strong, determined woman to defy society’s expectations and maintain that career path.
“He was – rather surprisingly – dressed in the most conservative suit Kit had ever seen. No tan with brown shoes here. Not even light grey. This was a proper navy pinstripe, complete with black shoes and a regimental tie. Surely that couldn’t be right?”
Written in third person and switching perspectives between a couple of different characters, The Charleston Scandal puts women at the centre of the narrative, exploring their struggles and triumphs in a time where women were not seen as equal to men.
While Kit is a little insipid at times, perhaps a little too forgettable, she is determined and she grows confident over the course of the novel. By the end, she knows exactly who and what she wants in life and she won’t let anyone’s opinions of her change that.
Themes explored in the novel include alcoholism, domestic abuse, women’s rights, equality and determination for a career that’s more than just socialising.
“She sailed off feeling momentarily on top of the world, until she recalled Lady Bridlingham’s curl of the lip. No matter who her escort or how nice her frock, that curl said she didn’t belong there and she never would.”
Admittedly, there doesn’t feel like there is a lot of tension in this novel. It just feels like party after party after party, and then some theatre/acting scenes thrown in. After a while, the plot felt a bit same-same. Zeke and Kit’s friendship felt like it was on the backburner for too long in the novel, so by the time anything significant happens between them, it almost doesn’t feel substantial enough? I think romance readers might be disappointed with this novel.
Very small thing, but Hitler is name-dropped towards the end of the novel. The book is set during the 1920s and my understanding is that Hitler didn’t really rise to ‘fame’ or power until at least 1933. It felt a little bit jarring – perhaps premature – to mention him in this story.
“He had more than one. She lost track; she had given herself a three-drink limit at the start of the night, although getting anything other than champagne from the waiter was a herculean effort.”
For fans of historical fiction.
Thank you to the publisher for mailing a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Pamela Hart’s The Charleston Scandal is a step away from the heartfelt war novels that her readers will be familiar with, and is instead an immersive story set during the roaring 1920s London after the war has ended and women are beginning to realise they can hold a place in this world.
Be transported to the glorious 1920s, where status is everything and parties are prevalent. It’s not what you know, but who you know.
The Charleston Scandal features an interesting array of characters, evocatively capturing the setting with fashion, culture, status and connections. Kit’s journey not only illustrates life in the 1920s, but it also highlights the difficulty for women – and actresses – to find work at the time. They weren’t taken seriously, and it took a strong, determined woman to defy society’s expectations and maintain that career path.
“He was – rather surprisingly – dressed in the most conservative suit Kit had ever seen. No tan with brown shoes here. Not even light grey. This was a proper navy pinstripe, complete with black shoes and a regimental tie. Surely that couldn’t be right?”
Written in third person and switching perspectives between a couple of different characters, The Charleston Scandal puts women at the centre of the narrative, exploring their struggles and triumphs in a time where women were not seen as equal to men.
While Kit is a little insipid at times, perhaps a little too forgettable, she is determined and she grows confident over the course of the novel. By the end, she knows exactly who and what she wants in life and she won’t let anyone’s opinions of her change that.
Themes explored in the novel include alcoholism, domestic abuse, women’s rights, equality and determination for a career that’s more than just socialising.
“She sailed off feeling momentarily on top of the world, until she recalled Lady Bridlingham’s curl of the lip. No matter who her escort or how nice her frock, that curl said she didn’t belong there and she never would.”
Admittedly, there doesn’t feel like there is a lot of tension in this novel. It just feels like party after party after party, and then some theatre/acting scenes thrown in. After a while, the plot felt a bit same-same. Zeke and Kit’s friendship felt like it was on the backburner for too long in the novel, so by the time anything significant happens between them, it almost doesn’t feel substantial enough? I think romance readers might be disappointed with this novel.
Very small thing, but Hitler is name-dropped towards the end of the novel. The book is set during the 1920s and my understanding is that Hitler didn’t really rise to ‘fame’ or power until at least 1933. It felt a little bit jarring – perhaps premature – to mention him in this story.
“He had more than one. She lost track; she had given herself a three-drink limit at the start of the night, although getting anything other than champagne from the waiter was a herculean effort.”
For fans of historical fiction.
Thank you to the publisher for mailing a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 21, 2021
I was drawn to this book by that elegant cover and I thoroughly enjoyed my trip back in time to 1920s London. The Charleston Scandal follows the fortunes of young Australian actress and dancer, Kit Scott, hoping to find fame on the West End stage. When she is cast opposite Canadian Zeke Gardiner, their friendship brings her into contact with the great and good from high society and the shining lights of the London theatre world.
Kit was someone I liked for her eagerness and determination from when she first stepped on the stage and danced onto the pages. The author has blended fictional characters with historical figures such as Noel Coward, Fred Astaire and his sister Adele as well as the Prince of Wales, who later became Edward VIII. There are many other names who you will recognise from stage and screen. I hadn't known the Astaires were in London in the Roaring Twenties and was fascinated reading about them at a time when Fred was most definitely in Adele's shadow.
I loved reading about Kit and Zeke and all the actors in the play and their lives in the theatre. The parties they were invited to through their association with Noel Coward and the Astaires sounded like they would be such fun and so glamorous. The scandal referred to in the title was when Kit was photographed dancing with the Prince of Wales. Although it seems to me that he probably gave the palace much more to worry about that dancing with an actress, damage control was necessary and a relationship with aristocrat Lord Henry Carleton was just the thing to divert attention. It was so intriguing to read about this love triangle. Kit was determined not be involved with her co-star Zeke despite the obvious attraction between them. Lord Henry brought her into contact with her own English aristocratic relatives and perhaps he would be the perfect match for her. The hedonistic lifestyle of Henry and his friends contrasted so sharply with Kit's life but it was a lifestyle she was used to having been brought up in that way and having actually been a debutante.
I so enjoyed the mix of historical fact and fiction, theatre royalty and actual royalty and the will-they-won't-they romances. This is stylish historical fiction which will transport you to 1920s London. With the shows, the clothes, the dancing, the partying, the music, the glitz and the glamour, it was such an enjoyable book to read.
Kit was someone I liked for her eagerness and determination from when she first stepped on the stage and danced onto the pages. The author has blended fictional characters with historical figures such as Noel Coward, Fred Astaire and his sister Adele as well as the Prince of Wales, who later became Edward VIII. There are many other names who you will recognise from stage and screen. I hadn't known the Astaires were in London in the Roaring Twenties and was fascinated reading about them at a time when Fred was most definitely in Adele's shadow.
I loved reading about Kit and Zeke and all the actors in the play and their lives in the theatre. The parties they were invited to through their association with Noel Coward and the Astaires sounded like they would be such fun and so glamorous. The scandal referred to in the title was when Kit was photographed dancing with the Prince of Wales. Although it seems to me that he probably gave the palace much more to worry about that dancing with an actress, damage control was necessary and a relationship with aristocrat Lord Henry Carleton was just the thing to divert attention. It was so intriguing to read about this love triangle. Kit was determined not be involved with her co-star Zeke despite the obvious attraction between them. Lord Henry brought her into contact with her own English aristocratic relatives and perhaps he would be the perfect match for her. The hedonistic lifestyle of Henry and his friends contrasted so sharply with Kit's life but it was a lifestyle she was used to having been brought up in that way and having actually been a debutante.
I so enjoyed the mix of historical fact and fiction, theatre royalty and actual royalty and the will-they-won't-they romances. This is stylish historical fiction which will transport you to 1920s London. With the shows, the clothes, the dancing, the partying, the music, the glitz and the glamour, it was such an enjoyable book to read.
October 2, 2021
An exuberant story of a young Australian actress caught up in the excesses, royal intrigues and class divide of Jazz Age London, losing her way but reclaiming her heart in the process.London, 1920s: Kit Scott, a privileged young Australian aiming to become a star, arrives in the city to find the Jazz Age in full swing. Cast in a West End play opposite another young hopeful, Canadian Zeke Gardiner, she dances blithely into the heady lifestyle of English high society and the London theatre set, from Noel Coward to Fred Astaire and his sister, Adele.When Kit is photographed dancing the Charleston alongside the Prince of Wales, she finds herself at the centre of a major scandal, sending the Palace into damage control and Kit to her aristocratic English relatives - and into the arms of the hedonistic Lord Henry Carleton. Amid the excesses of the Roaring Twenties, both Zeke and Kit are faced with temptations - and make choices that will alter the course of their lives forever.The ingénue is a stock character in literature, film and a role type in the theater, generally a girl or a young woman who is endearingly innocent. Ingénue may also refer to a new young actress or one typecast in such roles.The term comes from the feminine form of the French adjective ingénu meaning "ingenuous" or innocent, virtuous and candid. It may also imply a lack of sophistication and cunning.The Bright Young Things, or People,was a nickname given by the tabloid press to a group of Bohemian young aristocrats and socialites in 1920s London.They were party goers,went on nighttime escapades,and some became alcoholics and abused substances.André Eugene Maurice Charlot was a French impresario known primarily for the highly successful musical revues he staged in London between 1912 and 1937. He also worked as a character actor in numerous feature films.The Roaring 20s was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in the US and Europe, particularly in major cities.The era was full of social, artistic and cultural dynamism.The spirit of the era was marked by a general feeling of novelty associated with modernity and a break with tradition.
January 5, 2023
I really enjoyed this story. The first sentence mentioned Tap Dancing so I knew it was going to be on a winner. Looking at the author’s other genre, this appears to be a little of a departure. Many of her former stories appear to be very romance heavy. In fact, she is described as an author of regency romance. But in this story, the romance was more of a plot vehicle which I prefer.
The characters felt well developed and although it really felt more like Kit’s story, there was a bit of depth behind Zeke too.
The author does well to make Kit’s skating between worlds seem natural rather than a forced plot device despite, underneath, it being a bit implausible.
I enjoyed the struggle Kit had between the desire to be a part of the excesses of the landed gentry and her growing awareness of the the inequality, elitism, and underlying disrespect for others less privileged, that this world involves.
Having spent time in the UK at a similar age to Kit, and coming from Australasia too, it was a struggle I could identify with. That struggle with crossing the barrier from comfortable living into being in the servant class (boarding house matron) and the frustration of how British upper crust could dismiss and ignore employees without so much as a thank you. It grated on me that this was not the “done thing”. So I could identify with that struggle Kit experienced.
Ultimately, I found this to be a fun read with a well developed world, a fairly believable set of characters. I suppose many would describe it as a love triangle but I think it was more that Kit was presented with two men who represented two very different possible futures and the story followed her journey to self discovery to help her decide which of those futures she actually wanted to pursue.
If I had one request, it would be to have added a little of Henry’s perspective to the story. His character is fairly well developed through third person accounts and his own actions, but it would have been nice to hear more of his thoughts from his own words.
The characters felt well developed and although it really felt more like Kit’s story, there was a bit of depth behind Zeke too.
The author does well to make Kit’s skating between worlds seem natural rather than a forced plot device despite, underneath, it being a bit implausible.
I enjoyed the struggle Kit had between the desire to be a part of the excesses of the landed gentry and her growing awareness of the the inequality, elitism, and underlying disrespect for others less privileged, that this world involves.
Having spent time in the UK at a similar age to Kit, and coming from Australasia too, it was a struggle I could identify with. That struggle with crossing the barrier from comfortable living into being in the servant class (boarding house matron) and the frustration of how British upper crust could dismiss and ignore employees without so much as a thank you. It grated on me that this was not the “done thing”. So I could identify with that struggle Kit experienced.
Ultimately, I found this to be a fun read with a well developed world, a fairly believable set of characters. I suppose many would describe it as a love triangle but I think it was more that Kit was presented with two men who represented two very different possible futures and the story followed her journey to self discovery to help her decide which of those futures she actually wanted to pursue.
If I had one request, it would be to have added a little of Henry’s perspective to the story. His character is fairly well developed through third person accounts and his own actions, but it would have been nice to hear more of his thoughts from his own words.
April 4, 2021
Set in 1920's London, our leading lady is aspiring actress Kit Linton. She has left her family and their narrow minded ways behind in Australia to head to London to fullfill her dream of a theatre career. She crosses paths with famous people including Fred Astaire, Noel Coward and the Prince of Wales. The scandal of the title leads us down a path in the story.....in our modern day terms not scandalous at all. Kit is photographed dancing the Charleston alongside the Prince of Wales, sending the Palace into damage control and Kit into the arms of the hedonistic Lord Henry Carleton. While she does have aristocratic English relatives, Kit has tried to distance herself from this lifestyle, as she tries to follow her own path and true passion in theatre. Theatre life is complicated, or id that complemented, by an affection for her co-star Zeke Gardiner, who is a good looking Canadian. He is also is finding himself in a different country and treading the boards, with his dancing and singing talent. Essentially a love story, .of many twists and turns, readers will be caught up in the era of 1920s London theatre life, a dash of royalty, a sprinkle of Charleston glamour and the blossoming of homosexuality and caberet cross dressing. Lords and ladies acting in reckless ways.....this is where the true scandel lies I think. There is a great ensemble of supporting characters like Val, Perry and Tallulah and I believe a little bit of historical license as the Prince of Wales and his brothers head the roaring 20s glitter. A fun and fast time was had by these characters. I loved the scene set and also the crossover to real people who were actually living in this time I found the romance between Zeke and Kit often frustrating............as I am sure they did too at times. Thanks to NetGalley, Pamela Hart and Hachette Australia for this escapism. I received a digital copy of this novel in return for an honest review.
May 21, 2021
‘London, 1920s: Kit Scott, a privileged young Australian aiming to become a star, arrives in the city to find the Jazz Age in full swing. Cast in a West End play opposite another young hopeful, Canadian Zeke Gardiner, she dances blithely into the heady lifestyle of English high society and the London theatre set, from Noel Coward to Fred Astaire and his sister, Adele.
When Kit is photographed dancing the Charleston alongside the Prince of Wales, she finds herself at the centre of a major scandal, sending the Palace into damage control and Kit to her aristocratic English relatives – and into the arms of the hedonistic Lord Henry Carleton. Amid the excesses of the Roaring Twenties, both Zeke and Kit are faced with temptations – and make choices that will alter the course of their lives forever.’
I have mixed feelings about this book.
I am a fan of Pamela Hart’s writing style, so I really enjoyed the flow and pacing of this book, as well as her descriptions and the amazing job she did if fleshing out each of the characters and their varied personalities.
I also didn’t have any issues with the characters. I understood why the characters were the way they were, I also enjoyed watching the characters grow and change as the story unfolded.
The issues I had with this book are all because of the era and story. I am not a fan of the 20’s, and unfortunately my lack of interested in the era meant that I found myself disinterested in the story as well.
I also had problems with the fact that this book jumped between different characters' point of view. This was made worse by the fact that you didn’t know who point of view you were reading; there were no headings alerting the reader to who they would be following in any given chapter.
I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me.
The Charleston Scandal by Pamela Hart is out now.
Geramie Kate Barker
gemsbooknook.wordpress.com
When Kit is photographed dancing the Charleston alongside the Prince of Wales, she finds herself at the centre of a major scandal, sending the Palace into damage control and Kit to her aristocratic English relatives – and into the arms of the hedonistic Lord Henry Carleton. Amid the excesses of the Roaring Twenties, both Zeke and Kit are faced with temptations – and make choices that will alter the course of their lives forever.’
I have mixed feelings about this book.
I am a fan of Pamela Hart’s writing style, so I really enjoyed the flow and pacing of this book, as well as her descriptions and the amazing job she did if fleshing out each of the characters and their varied personalities.
I also didn’t have any issues with the characters. I understood why the characters were the way they were, I also enjoyed watching the characters grow and change as the story unfolded.
The issues I had with this book are all because of the era and story. I am not a fan of the 20’s, and unfortunately my lack of interested in the era meant that I found myself disinterested in the story as well.
I also had problems with the fact that this book jumped between different characters' point of view. This was made worse by the fact that you didn’t know who point of view you were reading; there were no headings alerting the reader to who they would be following in any given chapter.
I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me.
The Charleston Scandal by Pamela Hart is out now.
Geramie Kate Barker
gemsbooknook.wordpress.com
November 24, 2020
This was my first Pamela Hart book, and I loved it.
Kit is an emerging actress/dancer from Sydney, partnered with Zeke (another Colonial – he’s Canadian) on the West End in a play – which is a dream for both. On a night of frivolity, rubbing shoulders with the likes of the Astaires and other “well-born” people Kit is snapped in a photograph dancing the Charleston with the then Prince of Wales.
To divert the attention of a Royal behaving badly, and prevent rumours of a burgeoning romance with a non-royal, non-high-born actress from the Colonies, the Palace float the idea that Lord Henry Carleton and Kit are in fact a romantic couple. There are few things I love more than royal intrigue and while a photograph of a Prince dancing, is likely to barely raise an eyebrow today (or not, celebrity "news" today is not really any better), it may have done slightly more in the Jazz Age. The scandal is not the point of the story though, so if you are going to read it for that reason alone, you will be disappointed.
You will not however be disappointed with the real story – the fun and frivolity of London in the Jazz Age, when your star is on the rise and you are being exposed to nights of excess, money, pomp and celebrity. The story however also contrasts the lows of the era, the naivety of those whose star is on the rise, the class divide and being exposed to nights of excess, money, pomp, and celebrity……
I love Kit and Zeke. Their backstories, relationship, and their ability to cope in a time of change was so well written. There are so many great supporting characters who only increased my enjoyment of this read.
I loved this book.
Thank you to Hachette Australia and Netgalley for the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Kit is an emerging actress/dancer from Sydney, partnered with Zeke (another Colonial – he’s Canadian) on the West End in a play – which is a dream for both. On a night of frivolity, rubbing shoulders with the likes of the Astaires and other “well-born” people Kit is snapped in a photograph dancing the Charleston with the then Prince of Wales.
To divert the attention of a Royal behaving badly, and prevent rumours of a burgeoning romance with a non-royal, non-high-born actress from the Colonies, the Palace float the idea that Lord Henry Carleton and Kit are in fact a romantic couple. There are few things I love more than royal intrigue and while a photograph of a Prince dancing, is likely to barely raise an eyebrow today (or not, celebrity "news" today is not really any better), it may have done slightly more in the Jazz Age. The scandal is not the point of the story though, so if you are going to read it for that reason alone, you will be disappointed.
You will not however be disappointed with the real story – the fun and frivolity of London in the Jazz Age, when your star is on the rise and you are being exposed to nights of excess, money, pomp and celebrity. The story however also contrasts the lows of the era, the naivety of those whose star is on the rise, the class divide and being exposed to nights of excess, money, pomp, and celebrity……
I love Kit and Zeke. Their backstories, relationship, and their ability to cope in a time of change was so well written. There are so many great supporting characters who only increased my enjoyment of this read.
I loved this book.
Thank you to Hachette Australia and Netgalley for the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 25, 2020
What an interesting book The Charleston Scandal has been. It’s the first time I’ve read anything by Pamela Hart but based on this book I’ll be back for more. I loved lead characters Kit Linton aka Katherine Scott and Zeke Gardiner. Both were beautifully drawn and positively bursting with life when performing their song and dance routines. You could hear their energy bursting off the page. The setting in 1923 London provided for fascinating side stories with plenty of famous names gracing the pages. I thought the glimpse of the lifestyle of the royal princes, particularly the Prince of Wales, was very well written, providing just enough suggestion of the drink, drugs and adultery that seems to have been prevalent among members of that set. Kit has been raised to obey all the rules of etiquette, to understand just how an aristocratic household should run and just how to behave when mingling with the aristocracy. I thought her defence of her profession in the face of aristocratic disdain and enjoyed the way author Pamela Hart highlighted the social prejudices prevalent a ross all levels of London society at the time. This story sparkles with fun and I found myself zipping through the pages. It was pure entertainment.
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