A Lady of Scandal

Twin sisters, Ophelia and Cordelia Applegate may have looked alike in appearance but not in temperament. When impulsive Ophelia decided that the only way to achieve her dream of performing on stage was to run away from home to London - precautious Cordelia had no choice but to accompany and keep Ophelia out of trouble. Unfortunately, neither had thought beyond their escape from home and after arriving in London, near penniless, and without a friend to seek housing they managed to secure the aid of Ransom Sheffield, a handsome stranger who rescues them from an attack and secures them lodging with his cousin Giles, an equally hunky Vicar. Striking a bargain Ransom helps Ophelia land a part in new play where she connives to get Cordelia a job as the wardrobe mistress. As the twins manage to embroil themselves in one misadventure after another, they also begin to feel the first stirrings of love; Cordelia for the mysterious Ransom who may or may not be a thief; and Ophelia for the handsome Vicar who couldn't possibly fall in love with or wed an actress! This was another enjoyable romp through Regency England that had some truly memorable scenes as the irrepressible twin Ophelia gets her sister Cordelia embroiled in one peccadillo after another. Both sisters were charming and their romances with the irresistible Sheffield cousins were delightful. Ms. Byrd fills the pages with an impressive cast of secondary characters, some from previous books along with new ones to fill the pages with non-stop enjoyment of quirky interactions as well as wry and witty humorous dialogs. The secondary plot regarding the missing item that embroiled Ransom into the story, posed an interesting angle but lacked steam when compared to the other rather adventuresome peccadilloes the twins embroiled themselves in. Bottom line is that Ms. Byrd writes delightful Regency historical novels with darling romances and with this gem you get two romances for the price of one! Marilyn Rondeau, for RIO - Reviewers International Organization

Growing up in Northern Yorkshire, twin sisters Ophelia and Cordelia Applegate are total opposites. Ophelia constantly gets into trouble as she has a tendency to leap into the fire while chasing her dreams; Cordelia is pragmatic thinking things through before taking action except when it comes to bailing out her sister from her latest disaster. Ophelia's latest quest is to perform on the London stage. She tries to obtain work as an actress, but everyone rejects her. As she and her twin face abject poverty, the Sheffield cousins Ransom and Giles, a Reverend, come to their rescue offering them a place to stay while Ophelia continues seeking her break. As Cordelia falls in love with Ransom and Ophelia with Giles, each sibling worries they will be hurt; Ransom is a rake and a preacher would never wed an actress. A LADY OF SCANDAL is a fun historical romance starring likable sisters and the hunk cousins who fall in love with them. The lighthearted story line moves briskly as Ophelia lands the siblings into one problematic scenario after another while Cordelia struggles to get them out of her sister's latest fiasco. Though some might wonder why Cordelia fails to heed Einstein's definition of insanity (anachronism aside), readers will enjoy this jocular tale of love two times. Harriet Klausner