Marriage is not the end of desire...
Lady Justine is willing to trade her good name, her reputation and her place in London’s gossip-hungry ton to secure her father’s release from prison. But when the notorious Duke of Bradford counters her offer with a proposal of marriage, the stakes grow higher still. For while the smoldering lord is famous for his conquests, the man is oblivious to both her devotion and her charms. And Justine is soon afraid she has wagered all for naught…
Are you ready to be scandalized?
I have been looking forward to Delilah Marvelle's Prelude to a Scandal ever since I read the article on her in RT Book Reviews magazine. Finding new authors to get excited about is one of my favorite things to do EVER and so I couldn't wait to get a copy of this book.
The Duke of Bradford is a man who needs a wife that can handle him and his problems and Lady Justine is his perfect match, the liberal-minded daughter of a scandalized scientist who writes research papers discussing the sexual habits of animals and landed himself in jail. She needs money and influence and he needs a wife. It certainly doesn't hurt that Bradford has been obsessing about Justine for years and Justine is infatuated with him as well. She's the type who can keep him on the straight and narrow and I appreciated her for it. I liked Justine even more when she gave him her copy of How to Avoid a Scandal, the ladies' guide for navigating society without trouble. That took spunk.
Not surprisingly, the main topic of this book is sex. Sex addiction to be more specific. In most romances of this particular genre, sex is a focus but it's relatively normal as it's fun for the main characters; but here the main man is fighting his compulsion for his sanity. It takes a careful writer to treat this scenario without judgment and compassion and Delilah Marvelle is more than up to the task, her treatment of Bradford realistic. On the whole, Bradford is a decent man but when his compulsions take over, he's crude and thoughtless. He feels shame for his lack of control and has changed his rakehell ways to become master of his own domain.
Delilah Marvelle packs quite a bit into the first book in her Scandal series. I am looking forward to reading books two and three, Once Upon a Scandal and The Perfect Scandal, respectively.
Prelude to a Scandal is now available in stores.
1 comment:
Sounds like an interesting read and that's coming from someone who's first choice in genres isn't necessarily historicals. Thanks for another good review.
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