Title: The Perfect Scandal
Author: Delilah Marvelle
Publish Date: March 1, 2011 by HQN
Pages: 379, paperback
Reviewed by: ISALYS
Reason for reading: Reviewed for The Season for Romance
Tristan leads a very quiet life and always strives to be the perfect gentleman. He does so because he has a dark secret that he’s ashamed of. A secret few understand, including his grandmother. Raised by his grandmother after his parents double-suicide, she knows all too well the struggles he has faced and somewhat overcome. Unfortunately, even as a grown man well into his twenties, he still lives in the shadows of his vice.
Zosia was extricated from her homeland of Poland and has become a prisoner of sorts in her London townhouse. Without explanation, she was placed in the custody of the English King and was told she must marry a suitable Englishman. She accepted her fate and set her eyes on Tristan whom she had been watching from afar. She knows that he is everything her ideal husband should be: handsome, an upstanding member of society and most importantly, has great political connections.
One evening while Tristan was going for an evening walk, he spied his beautiful neighbor sitting by the window as she brushed her hair. He was transfixed. She caught him watching her, opened the window and struck up a rather unorthodox conversation with him. He was dumbfounded by her lack of manners, well, lack of by English standards. He was initially put-off by her, but he was also intrigued. After paying her a visit one day, he learned that she was an amputee. She had lost part of one of her legs when part of a building collapsed on her during a fire. Despite her situation, she remained entirely independent and self-confident.
Tristan and Zosia began spending more time together and learning about each other. Tristan decides to reveal his deep, dark secret and to his pleasant surprise, found Zosia to be very compassionate. He quickly developed feelings for her and when he found out that the King himself was her guardian, he sought his grandmother’s help in gaining the King’s consent on their marriage. He soon learned more about her than he bargained for. Zosia herself was unaware of her own history and the pivotal role she would play in Russian and Polish politics.
This review was a bit challenging to write for me because there was so much going on in this book. There was a depth and intensity to this novel that is rarely found in regency romances. Tristan’s secret was something I would not have expected from his character. Zosia was so much more than a pretty face. She was very politically astute and had grand ambitions to help save the people of her country. Together, they were a very complex, interesting and passionate pair.
Amidst the developing relationship between these two, Delilah also gave us great insight into the actual political relationship between Russia and Poland during the 18th century. However, although very interesting, the political undertones made the story a bit heavy and difficult to follow at times.
I like it when I can escape into a novel and be completely absorbed by it, but I love it when I can do that while learning something historically relevant. Delilah wraps up this trilogy with an impressive tale of two damaged people who find hope, love and acceptance in each other.
RATING: 4 hearts
HEAT LEVEL: 4 - Hot
Giveaway & Interview with Gwen Hayes
We are VERY excited to have stopping by the blog today the fan-ta-bu-lous Gwen Hayes author of Falling Under! Yeah, you know the book that you've been constantly hearing about? The one that's been getting rave reviews? Yup! That's the one!
B♥S: Welcome Gwen! Thanks for stopping by! What inspired you to write Falling Under?
GH: Inspiration is so strange. I had been writing a romantic comedy and the first line of Falling Under kept trolling around my head not leaving me alone. It was so bizarre. I finally had to give it a page. And then another. I kept telling my friends...this story in my head is so weird. I don't know what it is. Luckily, they encouraged me to keep writing it.
B♥S: Smart Friends! The young adult genre has been booming lately. With all the Young Adult releases lately, what makes yours stand out? Aside from the AMAZING cover (love, love, love the cover!)
GH: My cover is really amazing, isn't it? I think that one of the things that makes my book stand out is that I tend to focus a lot on the romance. I love writing about the first flush of love. Also, my secondary characters are very unique. That might be an understatement.
B♥S: Ahhh romance. Who doesn't love LOVE? Now that your debut novel has been released, what are your thoughts on the whole process (publishing, touring, interviews, fame, etc.)?
GH: As far as publishing goes--I am so glad I surrounded myself with people who really know what they are doing. My experience with everyone at NAL/Penguin has been very positive. They are not only good at their jobs, but you can tell they enjoy them too. My book is 100 times better for getting to work with them.
I don't know about fame--I don't think I have to worry about it right now anyway.I know that being a writer means I spend a lot of time in my head and alone, so sometimes it's difficult for me to be the center of attention. I'm not really shy, but I do shy away from photographs and things like that. For instance, I'm terrified to read out loud.
B♥S: Oh yeah. I'm terrified of public speaking too. If you could live inside a book/story for 24 hrs, which would you choose? Why?
GH: I think that in order to answer that question, I will need to try out several bookstores for 24 hours at a time. Set up my tour and I'll get back to you. *packs Snuggie and pillow*
B♥S: Snuggies! We LOVE snuggies!! What kind of planning do you do when writing? Drafts? Outlines? 'Wing-it'?
GH: Oh, I totally wing it. I mean big time. Remember how long it took for Theia to figure out what Haden was? I found out when she did.
B♥S: Do you listen to music while writing? If so, which songs/artists? {I may just make a CD out of your suggestions!}
GH: Sometimes, I can't listen to lyrics while writing, but putting together a playlist is a very important part of learning about my characters. I put together a sample on ilike.com.
B♥S: WOW!! Great list!! What is the best part about being an author? And the worst?
GH: The best part of being an author is when everything is going well and the characters are talking to you. The worst is when the WRONG story is talking to you and you can't write it because you are supposed to be working on something else.
B♥S: Besides writing, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?
GH:I read. I knit. I watch Glee.
B♥S: GLEE! Yayyy! What's your favorite snack/dish?
GH:Cheese and potatoes. And any combination of the two.
B♥S: OMG, We LOVE cheese and potatoes. {It's an obsessions, lol} So... Any tour dates for the South Florida area? :P
GH: Not yet. They don't let me out of my house very often. Thanks for having me!
B♥S: Thank YOU for stopping by!!
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Giveaway
2 Copies Available
*US and Canada ONLY please*
FILL OUT THIS FORM TO ENTER GIVEAWAY
Good luck and thanks for stopping by!
Giveaway
2 Copies Available
*US and Canada ONLY please*
FILL OUT THIS FORM TO ENTER GIVEAWAY
Good luck and thanks for stopping by!
New Releases 3.29.11
*Eeek*
Sooo many fabulous Paranormal Romance releases...hold me back, look away, hide the wallet!!
Sooo many fabulous Paranormal Romance releases...hold me back, look away, hide the wallet!!
And let's not mention some killer YA release!
Damn you March - making me spend, spend, spend what I don't have, have, have!
♥ Contemporary Fiction & Chick-Lit ♥
The Free World by David Bezmozgis
The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted by Bridget Asher
The Goodbye Quilt by Susan Wiggs
The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel
Anthem for Doomed Youth by Carola Dunn
♥ Biography / Inspirational / Non-Fiction ♥
All My Life: A Memoir by Susan Lucci
♥ Mystery / Suspense / Thriller ♥
The Alpine Vengeance: An Emma Lord Mystery by Mary Daheim
I Don't Want to Kill You by Dan Wells
Threshold: A Jack Sigler Adventure by Jeremy Robinson
An Evil Eye by Jason Goodwin
The Troubled Man by Henning Mankell
Closer Than Blood by Gregg Olsen
Mystery by Jonathan Kellerman
Mimosas, Mischief, and Murder by Sara Rosett
Indulgence in Death by J.D. Robb
The Bone House by Brian Freeman
Devious by Lisa Jackson
♥ Humor ♥
None
♥ Horror ♥
The King of Plagues (Joe Ledger, #3) by Jonathan Maberry
♥ (Urban) Fantasy / Sci-Fi ♥
Surrender the Dark by L.A. Banks
Con & Conjure by Lisa Shearin
Children of Scarabaeus by Sara Creasy
Master and Apprentice (Gavyn Donatti, #2) by Sonya Bateman
The Amazon Legion by Tom Kratman
Waking Nightmares by Christopher Golden
♥ Paranormal Romance ♥
The Darkest Secret (Lords of the Underworld, #7) by Gena Showalter
{Loveeeeee this series!! Like, for serious!}
Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance, #1) by Larissa Ione
{This is definitely on Isalys's wishlist!}
Lover Unleashed (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #9) by J.R. Ward
Vampire Mine (Love at Stake, #10) by Kerrelyn Sparks
The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf (Naked Werewolf, #2) by Molly Harper
Ravenous (Clare Point, #4) by V.K. Forrest
Highlander's Curse by Melissa Mayhue
gShiver of Fear (The Guardian Angelinos, #2) by Roxanne St. Claire
Rush of Darkness by Rhyannon Byrd
Phantom Evil by Heather Graham
♥ Historical Romance ♥
My Irresistible Earl (Inferno Club, #3) by Gaelen Foley
Claimed by the Highlander by Julianne MacLean
It Happened One Season by Stephanie Laurens, Jacquie D'Alessandro, Candice Hern, Mary Balogh
♥ Contemporary Romance ♥
Already Home by Susan Mallery
The Sweetest Thing by Jill Shalvis
My One and Only by Kristan Higgins
Home Free by Fern Michaels
Driftwood Cottage by Sherryl Woods
♥ Romantic Suspense ♥
Get Lucky by Lorie O'Clare
♥ Christian / Amish Romance ♥
Plain Proposal by Beth Wiseman
Lilly's Wedding Quilt by Kelly Long
♥ YA ♥
Fury of the Phoenix (Kingdom of Xia, #2) by Cindy Pon
Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach
Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later by Francine Pascal
Happy Shopping and Happy Reading!
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