Bonus: Do You Want to Start a Scandal?

Avon Books

Do You Want to Start a Scandal?
Tessa Dare
2016

The Summary
"On the night of the Parkhurst ball, someone had a scandalous tryst in the library.

• Was it Lord Canby, with the maid, on the divan?
• Or Miss Fairchild, with a rake, against the wall?
• Perhaps the butler did it.

"All Charlotte Highwood knows is this:  it wasn't her.  But rumors to the contrary are buzzing.  Unless she can discover the lovers' true identity, she'll be forced to marry Piers Brandon, Lord Granville--the coldest, most arrogantly handsome gentleman she's ever had the misfortune to embrace.  When it comes to emotion, the man hasn't got a clue.

"But as they set about finding the mystery lovers, Piers reveals a few secrets of his own.  The oh-so-proper marquess can pick locks, land punches, tease with sly wit...and melt a woman's knees with a single kiss.  The only thing he guards more fiercely than Charlotte's safety is the truth about his dark past.

"Their passion is intense.  The danger is real.  Soon Charlotte's feeling torn.  Will she risk all to prove her innocence?  Or surrender it to a man who's sworn to never love?"

The Good
Tessa Dare's novel was surprisingly amusing.  Kicking things off with its humorous title, Do You Want To Start a Scandal? is a fun little romance novel to read in an afternoon.  The characters are well developed, even if the plot is a little thin, and the romantic entanglements are deliciously steamy.  It's a guilty pleasure that has a sense of humor, which I enjoyed.

The Bad
Embarrassing moments are sure to happen in a romance novel, but I found these moments to be singularly embarrassing.  Mortifying, actually.  Like I blushed when I read them, and I'm not usually embarrassed by much when it comes to romance novels.

Moreover, despite enjoying Do You Want to Start a Scandal?, I wasn't very impressed with the plot.  I thought the characters were well developed and I liked the way they interacted; however, I didn't care for the overall setting or the plot.  Charlotte is a clever girl, and yet she's consistently trampled upon by her peers or underestimated or mocked or discounted as a shameless flirt.  I suppose I just hoped for so much more for her.

The Ugly
Society can be cruel and unforgiving.  It can tear a woman's reputations to ribbons and leave her cast out, savaged by the very people she considered her friends.  It's rather heartbreaking, all things considered.  My heart immediately went out to Charlotte.