Altough its only the second book of Sandra Brown that i've read i have to say that her writing is very characteristic, even without knowing the author of the two books, "Breath of Scandal" and "Hello, Darkness", one could easily link them to each other.Not only do both stories evolve quickly (which is exactly what's keeping the adrenaline-level so euphorically high), but the Characters are similar in what they represent, such as "The supportive good guy", "The independent heroine" or "The controlling egomaniac with authority complexes". Even that, however, does not make the plot less dramatical nor interesting, because they are desinged to fit in precisely that pattern.Now, about the plot:(view spoiler)[From the first scenes, it was obvious that something awful would happen to Jade later in the story, since she was so optimistic about her future but still had "unfinished bussiness" going on with Neal. Reading the first pages was like a countdown, every one brought the reader closer to the unavoidable tragedy. When it was just moments away from happening, i was mentally screaming to Jade something that would sound like: "Get.out.of.the.FUCKIN.car!".Then, the main scene wasn't fully described until the end of the book, (contrary to what one would expect) but some facts that are mentioned over and over during the plot where the most harsh for me, like when Hutch got mad at Jade because she scratched him and as a result of his anger hurt her really bad, without realising what he was doing til it was too late, or when Neal encouraged Lamar to prove to all of them (maybe mostly to himself) that he was a man and that he wasn't gonna back off like a „little faggot“.Still, the worst part (to me at least) wasn't the rape. It was the fact that afterwards, Jade was treated like a common slut, who provoked the rape herself with her behavior around the boys (altough it was clear that she was constantly screaming "No"), at first, people wouldn't even believe that it happened, just because the Patchetts had such a great influence on the community, not to mention Jade's best friend, who couldn't overcome her constant jealousy over the fact that Jade was more lucky than her 'till the day that she was raped.About the other two incidents with her unwanted pregnancy and her boyfriend's suicide, well... it really was the icing on the cake, but at least Gary could have had some control over his fate, after all, all he had to do is just listen to Jade, when she finally tried to explain to him what was going on between her and Neal.Anyway, both Jade's and Dillon's adulthoods started with such horrifing tragedies that i often wondered how they managed to keep on living while making the best that they could out of it. Maybe because they both had something to fight for, the one for justice and the other one for making up for lost opportunities.However, they were three things that i didn't really like about the book:The first was that Jade kept hiding her secret from EVERY SINGLE ONE to protect herself and her son, which was understandable, but even around the people who cared about her she continued holding her life a secret, refusing the help they could have offered her. Not to mention her nervousness around Dillon, who at last had to force her to tell him about her.Secondly, even before Jade returned to Palmetto to avenge herself and Gary's death, one insident followed another so that the three boys, their families and everyone else included in the crime against her were so fate strucked in the end, that it was really unrealistic. I mean, come on, personally i had liked to have seen what Jade herself could have done to each one of them, while doing it the legal way, just like she did with the Patchett Family.Now, about the third thing that bothered me, it was the last scene of the book that was pretty out of place, the one where Jade had won over Neal, Ivan, and her personal demons and drove out to the spot where she was raped 15 years ago, only to ask Dillon to have sex with her in the sunshine... not that she should had allowed herself to live in fear and to never go to that place again, but i dont know, it just seems a little bit weird to read.Anyway, despite some imperfections it was a interesting and capturing novel, and im looking forward to read more from the same writer. (hide spoiler)]
RELEASE DATE: February 26, 2013 – now available as an eBookRATING: 4 Stars Download it to your Kindle, Nook, or Kobo immediately!GENRE: Romance/Mystery/Thriller & SuspenseAUDIENCE: Fans of Tami Hoag, Sandra Brown, and Katy Gardner should really like "Breath of Scandal”.SERIES: StandaloneSUMMARY: Blurb from Netgalley:“On a rainy Southern night, Jade Sperry endured a young woman's worst nightmare at the hands of three local hell-raisers. Robbed of her youthful ideals and at the center of scandal and tragedy, Jade ran as far and as fast as she could. But she never forgot the sleepy "company town" where every man, woman, and child was dependent on one wealthy family. And she never forgot their spoiled son, who, with his two friends, changed her life forever. Someday, somehow, she'd return, exact a just revenge -- and free herself from fear, and the powerful family that could destroy her.”REVIEW: I tend to be a bit of a prudish reader. When girl talk turns to the hype from Fifty Shades of Gray, there’s absolutely nothing for me to contribute. That darn Sandra Brown, though, she hooks me in but good. Jade spends her adult life building up to an epic comeuppance for the three assholes that ruined her young life after gang raping her right before high school graduation. Through the grace of a few well-placed supporting characters, Jade gets through college and dives headlong into a career that will put her squarely in the path of the assholes from her past. The book takes Jade from a place where her dreams are shattered to the ending of redemption and justice. I loved it.Brown did a great job building a background for Jade’s love interest, Dillon Burke. He wasn’t just quickly pasted into the pages to woo Jade. His past built into Jade’s “present”, and beautifully dovetailed into her life and that of her unique family.There was a lot of heat written in these pages. It wouldn’t be a Sandra Brown book without a lot of hanky panky. For readers like me who prefer the suggestion of making love rather than the play by play, Brown makes it romantic enough that I stayed interested. For those readers who live to read the sex scenes, you all won’t be disappointed. *Tremendous thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for an ARC.FYI: Sandra Brown is a freakishly scary prolific author, and listing her books would take time away from actually reading her books. With that being said, go check out her website at http://sandrabrown.net/
What do You think about Breath Of Scandal (1991)?
Sandra Brown is a somewhat new author to me, as I've only read one other of her books (French Silk) which was a pretty good mystery. So I guess shame on me for picking this one without doing my homework, and expecting more of the same.Breath of Scandal is more of a drama. There are some elements of romance to it, but that's not really the focus. What is boils down to is a revenge story. The main character, Jade, is gang raped as a teenager in the 70's, and what follows is a blow by blow account of every bad thing that ever happened to her, including her inability to form relationships, as she develops a single minded plan to get revenge on the rapists that takes 15 years to put into action.Personally, I read for pleasure. I'm not ashamed to admit that I like happy endings, and books that make me smile. I feel as though 'downer' books like this cast a shadow on my life while I'm reading them, and quite frankly, they depress me.As each new scene opens, the arc becomes more familiar. Jade (or Dylan, the other main character) has a happy life event, which is soon followed by crushing tragedy. The rape that is the catalyst for Jade's revenge is discussed in minute detail, as is her unpleasant experiences at the hospital and sheriff station afterward, and as if that weren't enough, the scene is recounted (at length) several times as Jade describes the events to others later in life.The characters are also cardboard cutouts. The small town bad guys, the hicks, the high powered executives, are all straight out of central casting - not a nuance among them. I never even felt like I got to know Jade all that well - even though I had to wallow around in every tragedy with her, she still felt like a stranger by the end of the book.I could ramble on, but I'm making myself mad, and starting to think about yanking back another star on my rating.
—Donna
I received a copy of this book from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review and as part of the book's blog tour promotions.I've always liked books written by Sandra Brown. Before all the trend for new adult and erotic romance erupted, romance novels were dominated by authors like her. Sandra Brown, Nora Roberts, etc. they were household names. This book is really a great story about a girl who was victimized by three boys and lost her very first love in a tragic way and who grew up into a woman intent on making those who hurt her pay for their sins as well as finding a way to end their corruption.Sandra Brown gave an amazing narrative. Her storytelling is one of the best. This book may have initially come out years ago, but the universal truth in this book is still definitely true for all ages. And the truth is that it is so easy to becom a viction and every victim will, at one point or another, work on getting revenge. However, we should also not lose sight of our individual goal which is to be happy, loved and free.Breath Of Scandal is truly a book that should be read at least once in one's lifetime. I really loved this book.tIt was something I could not put down, even when the sun was also up and I still haven't had any sleep all night long.
—Ishabelle *Sultry Steamy Reading*
Wow. Wow. Wow. I actually got this book by mistake. I had ordered a book by the same title by another author, which was a historical, which is my usual preference. I don't usually like contemporaries, but when I read the back cover, I was intrigued enough to read on. I loved it. (view spoiler)[OK, I admit I'm not the most PC person. If I had read the first part of this book, and seen what the heroine suffered, seen her set her sights on vengeance, only to see her do the "right" thing and leave vengeance to the Lord while she moves on, I'd be most unhappy with this book. Fortunately, the author is apparently of the same mind as I am. This gal takes her pound of flesh before she decides that it's time to move on. It's not the most morally correct book I've ever read, but it's one of the most satisfying. (hide spoiler)]
—Elle
