In Scandal They Wed

Evelyn Cross has sacrificed everything for her son. While she may not be his biological mother, she has loved him unconditionally as a mother ever since he drew his first breath. Because of the circumstances of his birth, Evelyn has moved away from home and now resides in the country where she is barely able to support herself and her child. Each day is a struggle to keep her growing boy healthy and when Spencer Lockhart shows up at her cottage, Evelyn knows she is looking into the eyes of the man who fathered her son. And then she agrees to marry him. Spencer Lockhart has been searching for the woman his now deceased cousin loved and hurt. Finding information about her has been sketchy at best and almost impossible to obtain. Finally, however, Spencer finds himself at her home and he is hard pressed to refrain from demanding that she and her child leave with him immediately. Politely poor is one thing, but his cousin's son is living in almost squalor. Before he knows what he is doing, Spencer implores the boy's mother to marry him in order to alleviate a scandal and she agrees. And so, In Scandal They Wed. Talk about mistaken identities and well-kept secrets! In Scandal They Wed begins with Evelyn's son's birth and the drama never lets up. Spencer and Evelyn both have the best interests of their loved ones and while their attraction to each other is instantaneous, both feel guilty for the feelings they feel for each other. Evelyn wants to hate Spencer for something he didn't do and Spencer in turn wanted to remember that Evelyn was a fallen woman. Imagine their surprise when the truth came out! Secrets abound, passions ignite, and love is found in Sophie Jordan's In Scandal They Wed! It is truly a historical romance readers will want to read again and again! Talia Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I have never written a review about the many books I read, but I'm drawn to write for this one. I read books for entertainment and to escape regular life and this one is a great caper. I had fun reading it and enjoyed every minute! I like books that are smart and fun and I found this one difficult to put down. If you're a fan of historical romance, you'll enjoy this one! Time well spent and a delightful read!

I have no idea what some of the other reviewers were thinking to give this book such low ratings. I can only figure that they just don't get how refreshing it is to read a book that doesn't follow all the usual romance clichés. As I was reading "In Scandal They Wed", the sixth book by Sophie Jordan, I kept trying to figure out what makes her books so special, then it hit me...reading them is effortless. Without throwing in a murder subplot for artificial conflict Sophie Jordan creates a spellbinding story that focuses strictly on the hero and heroine and their individual insecurities. She uses those flaws to drive the plot towards the highly anticipated HEA. Take Evie Cross and Spencer Lockhart, who come together in a marriage of convenience not for money, or revenge, or any of the other standard tropes, but for the sake of a four-year old boy. With "In Scandal They Wed" Sophie Jordan has given readers a unique spin on the marriage of convenience plot that is romantic, captivating, witty, and just plain superb. I completely believed their love story and I cared about both of these characters while the supporting characters rounded out the story perfectly. As I was reading the book I could totally visualize it in my head. With a master's touch Sophie Jordan has written another keeper for my shelves. See my full review at [...]

In 1850 Evie Cross' half-sister Linnie gives birth to a son out of wedlock. Linnie's mother wants to dump the bastard and her husband is silent. Evie futily pleads with her father, but persuades her stepmother to allow her to raise the child in rusticated isolation, which destroys her chances for any marriage. In 1854 in the Crimea, a Russian sniper kills Ian Lockhart. With his final breath, he pleads with his cousin Spencer Lockhart to make it right for his baby; whispering the name Linnie. One year later, Spencer is back in England seeking Linnie and his infant second cousin. However, upon finding her, he never expected a sniper would shoot him at home. Evie takes Spencer into her house after her Aunt Gertie shot him. He thinks she is Linnie and she does not correct him. Out of honor, Spencer proposes; Evie wants to accept as she is attracted to him and sees him as her only hope for marriage, but fears how he will react to the truth. This is an entertaining Victorian romance starring a strong courageous heroine an honorable hero used to being deceived and a deep support cast. Fast-paced from the opening birthing scene and never slowing down, readers will relish this engaging historical wondering how Spence will react when he learns he offered to marry the wrong woman who is the right women for him. Harriet Klausner

When Evelyn Cross saves her sister's illegitimate baby from being dumped in an orphanage, she gives up her own future to raise the innocent child. But without the support of her parents, she struggles to survive. The arrival of a handsome stranger, duty bound to help his cousin's offspring, both excites and terrifies her. If he finds out she's not the child's mother, will he take the boy from her? Spencer Lockhart promised his dying cousin he'd look after the woman and child he abandoned to go off to war. Instead of the gentle, sweet maiden his cousin spoke of, Spencer finds a feisty woman determined to thwart his attempts to help her in spite of her dire circumstances. His father's third son, he'd never expected to become the Viscount and now that he has, he needs a wife. Marrying Evelyn will solve both his problem and hers, and get her into his bed in the bargain. Both Evelyn and Spencer have baggage and secrets which result in lies of omission that threaten to destroy their budding love. While Spencer is bent on seduction, Evelyn must resist or reveal the truth that will prove she's not her son's real mother. The stakes for Evelyn in this story are high--custody of her son--and she's convinced she'll lose him if Spencer learns of her deceit. Spencer is torn between guilt for wanting his cousin's woman and jealousy of what he believes is Evelyn's enduring love for the dead man. Once again Sophie Jordan has created a hero and heroine with real world problems, painful pasts and deep feelings that elevate her books far beyond a stock marriage-of-convenience story. Evelyn's willingness to give her sister's unwanted baby a future at the cost of her own is both touching and heart-breaking. And Spencer's sacrifice to set a wrong right, makes him a hero worthy of the title. A cast of richly drawn characters and their fully realized world captured me on page one and kept me enthralled to the Happily-Ever-After. In fact, I started the book on a Saturday evening and didn't put it down until I reached the end. IN SCANDAL THEY WED is yet another wonderful historical romance from an author who never fails to deliver!