Once Upon a Scandal - Scandal, Bk 2 Author:Delilah Marvelle London and Venice — 1829 — — Lady Victoria Jane Emerson's girlish notions were left behind when she is deserted by her first love, Lord Remington, without a backward glance. Five years later, she is being forced to choose a husband by her father who is dying from an unspeakable disease that has obliterated the l... more »ast of his mind. Though Victoria must marry out of duty, she has vowed to marry a man who will never break her heart.
Jonathan Pierce Thatcher, Viscount Remington, has returned home to London from Venice, free of all his family's debts but is unable to forget the incredible Victoria he was forced to abandon as a means of protecting her from a scandal that had destroyed his life.
To his astonishment, Victoria's dying father has chosen Jonathan and two others to vie for Victoria's hand.
Before Jonathan can convince Victoria he'd be a worthy husband, he has to convince himself he is no longer the man he left behind in Venice.
Victoria finds herself falling for the only man she will ever love...for a second time. But when she unearths the truth about the life Jonathan has been living in Venice, her heart is about to be tested. Again.« less
This was a "can't put it down read". I think it was the best in the series. The way Ms. Marvelle develops her characters keeps me coming back to her books.
Laura T. reviewed Once Upon a Scandal (Scandal, Bk 2) on
Story: 4 stars
Romance: 4 stars
This was the second in the series and I have enjoyed both of them; however, this one was better than the first IMO. [Although I have always been a sucker for the "Relationship Redeemed" theme in which the couple is separated by adversity and must rekindle their love.]
In this book, our H/h fall in love at the beginning of the story, but naturally a HEA ending is not that simple! No, our H ends the relationship with no explanation and just when she is finally ready to move on, he re-appears. Granted, the entire reunion section of the story was a bit of a stretch, but hey, it's Historical Romance!
Then, just when the HEA is finally in sight, a huge THREAT to their happiness emerges.
As far as romance, Ms. Marvelle surprised me by stretching the sexual tension f-a-r longer than she has in previous books. Not that this one is lacking in erotic foreplay--it has a very hot (albeit a little unlikely) scene about halfway through the book. There was a lot more relationship development before they FINALLY consummate the relationship than she usually uses. This story is strong enough that it didn't need a bunch of sex scenes to keep me hooked.
I can't wait for the third and final in the series.