The book wouldn’t have been too bad except for three things: 1) I have rarely met a hero I liked less, the way he treats the heroine hot and cold, hot and cold is so annoying, at some point he obviously realizes he loves the heroine, but I would have kicked him to the curb way before he comes around. 2) Why did the author think killing of one of the nicest people in the book would be a good idea? 3) There were a few points in the story when I felt like this would be a nice ending to the story only to read on and realize that the hero did something stupid again.... This book is Lucas Beckford's book...that is, it's about his love match with Juliet St. Claire. And, although I whole-heartedly loved Juliet St. Claire, I never warmed to her hero. However, that is ok, because this book still had merit based on the extra lens it allowed into the lives of Robert and Lydia and other supporting characters in this series. What I really liked about this book:1) More perspectives and information on Robert and Lydia. That was the main treat in this book! I consider this book more like "A Scandalous Wife 1.5." I loved hearing about Robert's nature & how his friends & family noticed a big difference within him after he fell in love with Lydia. I enjoyed Juliet's appraisal and perception of Lydia. That increased my liking of both Lydia and Juliet. 2) Juliet is a worthy heroine. She is intelligent, cautious, loving and has good instincts. Overall, I was happy that she found love even if it had to be Lucas. She endured a lot with that man, so I'm glad, in the end it worked out (as is typical in a novel...but hey..still happy for her...lol)3) One of the characters I most enjoyed seeing in action was Caroline Stavely (Robert & Lucas's sister). I liked seeing her work her magic around the people around her. She's more than a match-maker, she is one who takes the needed action to ensure that her friends and family are happy. 4) I also enjoyed the side romance between Hugh St. Claire and Susan Clark; that was really sweet and quite perfect. It was sooo fortunate that she avoided what would have been a miserable marriage to Hayward. 5) Lucas main redeeming quality is his love for Juliet. His love for his brother Robert that he demonstrated by allowing the ruin of his own reputation to propagate some measure of "damage control" in his second tarnishing of Lydia's reputation in society. Also, I like how Lucas shows affection toward his nieces/nephews. Let me count the reasons I don't like Lucas Beckford1) One of the reasons I can't stand Lucas Beckford is because he is exactly what Juliet described him as a "self-serving bastard." (Although he's not literally a bastard). Lucas is selfish, irresponsible (in his relationships because monetarily he's quite responsible), and impulsive. 2) The main reason I can't stand him is because of his mistreatment of Lydia. His treatment of Lydia is reflective of his poor value toward women, in general---at least that's my take. From the beginning I could not believe how Lucas held such disdain for Lydia. He ruined her as he was caught in bed with Lydia when she was 16 years old. He abandoned her and left his brother Robert to pick up the pieces. Ok, that was 5 years ago, but even after all of that time, Lucas's is condescending, resentful and loathsome in his treatment of Lydia. And, the only reason given is that she didn't end up being the innocent miss she originally presented to be---WHAT GIVES???? So, even though Lucas is a notorious rake who has been with innumerable women, because he was not Lydia's first sexual partner, he feels the liberty to refer to her as a "whore" and hold judgement of her that hardly wained throughout the first two books. Unfortunately, because there is never a well connected resolution to his disdain for her, I could not warm up to him as a hero. Although there are moments where you get the idea that he reconsiders his position, there is nothing really concrete or meaningful in this regard. For example, he never asked her forgiveness or verbalized that he was happy for his brother, Robert, in his newfound love for Lydia. I think Juliet had good instincts in this area because she excoriates Lucas for his behavior toward Lydia....way to go Juliet!!! (another reason I like the heroine).3) Lucas's poor value of women, in general, seeps through in his treatment of Juliet. He also abandons her after their first intimate sexual experience and then resurfaces into her life once he realizes he can't live without her. Unfortunately, when he re-enters Juliet's life she has gone through a MAJOR life crisis and tragedy. And, even with knowledge of this tragedy and loss, and her need for secrecy, the Jerk continues to patronize her in the presence of others (as a way of getting a response from her since, at this point she wants nothing to do with him). Oh yes, he does apologize, but overall he just doesn't seem to learn from his mistakes. He leaves her twice in the book...for unsubstantial reasons. That is too much for me. Overall, I notice that Ava Stone embeds a time apart between all of the hero and heroines of this series (since I've read the other books as well....well, with the exception of A Scandalous Secret). There were no truly emotional or memorable love scenes in his book. It was kind of lackluster for a reformed rake...lol. With all of that being said, I think the book was still worth my time when reading it as a part of the series because of the information you glean about the continuing lives of the characters in this series.
What do You think about A Scandalous Charade (2011)?
Sometimes it's nice to get lost in a period romance and this book did the job well.
—Denise
Really good detail and overall story. I can't say anything bad about it.
—adamlafleche
