Last Night's Scandal (The Carsington Family Series)

These characters amused me with their dialogue, their love for each other and their sizzling chemistry. How satisfying it was to read a romance about two people who knew each other since their early teens and understood each other so completely. Lisle reminded me a little of Tyberius in Dara Joy's "High Energy"..Truly enjoyable!

One of the things I dislike about most romance novels is the lack of build-up; too often I read about men and women falling in love after a few days of being thrown into one another's company. In general, it strains the bounds of believability. The author won me from the beginning by laying out a deep and amusing history between our hero, Peregrine Dalmay (more commonly referred to by his title, Lisle), and our heroine, Olivia Carsington. Olivia & Lisle first come together at about age 12, when Olivia draws Lisle into a scheme to travel to Bristol to seek lost treasure. As punishment, Lisle expected to be sent away to another school - but instead, he is allowed to travel to Egypt with Olivia's aunt and uncle. He assists her aunt and uncle with archaeological work, and Egypt becomes his passion; he rarely returns home to visit England. Olivia writes to Lisle unfailingly over the next decade or so, and while Lisle does not write nearly so often, he clearly thinks of Olivia often and sends her items he thinks would interest her (such as a scarab). It's clear from the few pages of letters at the beginning of the novel that Olivia & Lisle are dear, dear friends - which is a wonderful way for a romance to start. Lisle returns home for the birthday party of an elderly relative, whereupon he discovers that Olivia has grown a bosom. Everything goes downhill from there. Forced by his parents to deal with a derelict and allegedly haunted property in Scotland - with the threat of being cut off financially, and unable to return to Egypt - Lisle reluctantly heads north after being taunted by Olivia to follow him there. Over the next few weeks, much bickering ensues as Lisle & Olivia try to restore the property, hire staff, and solve the mystery of the "ghosts." It was clear from the beginning that our hero and heroine loved one another; it was fun to watch their love grow into something more adult. The rest of the story was simple but entertaining, enhanced by a few well-drawn side characters. This was a fun read - I highly recommend it!

Olivia & Lisle's story is just so fun! I hoped Loretta Chase would write their story since Lord Perfect. Almost a decade after their original Quest, the pair are thrown together again. I do love it when a plan comes together for a fun romp! Olivia is more than a pretty face. In an era when women are first treated as daughters, then wives, then mothers, she wants more. She longs for adventure. She also knows that the attraction she feels for her dear friend Lisle is not going to do either of them any good. Lisle hates overemotional dramatics. His parents emotional ups and downs drive him mad. And Olivia stirs up all sorts of emotions for him. None of them brotherly. The book is just a delicious read. With two friends struggling with attraction while trying to do the best for each other, ghosts, treasure, and the best pair of little old ladies, a great time was to be had by all.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Loretta Chase. Earlier this year another writer whose work I enjoy wrote a book featuring characters who had been children in a much earlier book. I was severely disappointed by that book and the change, for the worse, in those characters as adults. When I read that Loretta Chase's newest book would feature Peregrine and Olivia (orignally appearing to great comic effect in LORD PERFECT), I was worried. As Olivia might have written, in one of her letters to Peregrine, it would be an INTOLERABLE DIsASTER if Chase recked Havoc on the characters of Noble Peregrine and Cunning Olivia. I should not have Worried. Not only does Chase succeed in bringing those two Appealing Characters into the adult world. She goes further and makes them even more Delightful and Amusing!! The plot includes a gloomy castle in Scotland, tart tongued old ladies reminiscening about their misspent youths, skullduggery, treasure and more. Yet, that is all merely a stage for the sparkling dialgue and steamy encounters between Peregrine and Olivia as they discover that the chemistry they had as precocious children has become downright COMBUSTIBLE. If you are a Chase fan, You know what to expect and will not be disappointed. If you are just discovering Chase, you will find you have stumbled upon treasure even more wonderful than the treasure Peregrine and Olivia find. I read the book straight through, and now must go read it again. Thanks, Loretta, for yet another delicious book!

I could tell you that this book was a seriously fun read, that Olivia has PERSONALITY and IMAGINATION to spare and Lisle is the perfect foil for her. I could also tell you that I read it straight through and to make sure you're somewhere where you can laugh out loud, because you're going to. But, that wouldn't really do this book justice. I loved Olivia and Lisle. On the surface, she's free-spirited and impulsive and somewhat lacking in what she would call MORAL FIBER (but in the best possible way) and Lisle is logical, orderly and a bit scholarly. I liked that the book gave you a chance to see that she has a responsible side and he has an impulsive side and that they complement each other well. Both of them see the world clearly and take their sweet time figuring out that it's a better place with the other in it. Two tiny critiques: One, in the book, I think they're 24 and 22 or so. They felt more like people in their late 20's than early 20's. Two, the Kindle price is way too high. Ebooks should ALWAYS be cheaper than paperbacks, especially when paperbacks are frequently available at 25% off in big box retailers. I shouldn't have to pay not to have something printed, packed, and shipped. A great read. Buy it. Read it.