Scandal

I enjoyed this book, and the characters. I had a problem with a few loose ends that were not adequately dealt with, but on the whole it was pretty good. Pay attention to the dates noted at the beginning of each chapter or you think you have a botched copy of the book - the narrative leaps back and forth over several years! It works only if you realize what it is you are reading!

When Gwilym, Earl of Banallt sees Sophie Evans again for the first time in a long while, he realizes his unbridled attraction to her hasn't diminished one bit. She isn't even his type, but he wants her nevertheless. He was a friend of her late husband, who was an unfaithful cad. Things didn't go so well between them before, and her brother is concerned for her reputation. He doesn't want another scandal affecting his family. Banallt tells him he intends to marry Sophie. But she rejects him, saying she refuses to marry another man who will cheat on her. Her brother tells him to respect her decision and stay away. Banallt thinks he will have to endure not getting what he wants for the first time in his life, and he doesn't like it. Sophie is a bluestocking and not even a particularly attractive woman, but she has an incredible genuineness that draws others to her. Years ago he fell in love with her then made a mistake, and lost her trust. Now he needs to find a way to convince her he has changed, that he loves her deeply and wants a life with her, or he'll lose her forever. In Scandal, Carolyn Jewel has penned a truly an outstanding historical romance with characters that sparkle with warmth and charisma. The chemistry between Banallt and Sophie is absolutely delicious. If you like determined heroes who love without wavering and are willing to go to great lengths to win their beloved, you'll adore this book. This book is a keeper, and you'll want to check out Ms. Jewel's backlist as well. Don't miss this one. 5 Kisses, 1 Pepper ~Lindy Reviewer, TwoLips Reviews, LLC [...]

Essentially a reformed rake story,'Scandal' is formatted with bits of the past interspersed throughout the present showcasing the tenable friendship that Sophie and Banallt shared, plus his irreproachable attempts to seduce her. Once an infamous rake, libertine, and fellow ne'er do with Sohpie's husband, Tommy Evans, and whose name is synonymous with scandal, the Earl of Banallt is now a changed man; the catalyst - his love for Sohpie. Despite the fact that their final moment together didn't end well, Banallt, compelled by his love, asks Sohpie's hand in marriage. Her answer though must be no. Finally free of heartache and regret, Sohpie is not about to allow herself to once again be shackled to a man who has no intention of ever being faithful. While his claim to care for her may seem sincere, a rake like Banallt, who is constantly proceeded by rumor and scandal, couldn't possibly ever come to love plain Sohpie Evans. Sohpie is a survivor. As a young and naive girl of seventeen, she ran off and eloped with a man she believed was as much in love with her as she with him. Turns out that what Mr. Evans loved was that which followed Sohpie's name - heiress. Unfortunately once the wedding was consummated, Tommy Evans took Sohpie's sizable dowry and ran off to London. Heartbroken and alone, Sophie makes friends with the characters in her head and spends most of her days writing fanciful stories. Enter the man of her fantasies. As a child, Sophie spun wondrous tales about the Earl of Banallt and his magical castle in her home town of Duke's Head. But one night, far away from home and her childish dreams, Sophie comes face to face with Banallt but he is far from being the prince she imagined. Drunk from a night out carousing with her husband, Sophie meets Banallt for the first time when he arrives at her home with Tommy and draped upon his arm is a woman of a questionable reputation. Struck by that first encounter, Banallt embarks on his immediate seduction of Sophie only to be slapped in the face. Having never been told no, Banallt's interest in Sophie takes a firm hold. Yet from this initial interest stems intrigue than fascination and eventually respect. Banallt and Sophie, although fragile, establish trust and Sophie begins to see Banallt as a friend. But that trust is soon tested and broken by a means that isn't immediately disclosed to the reader, and whereby Banallt leaves for Paris. After which, Sophie's world falls apart with the sudden death of her husband and the loss of her home to pay back the huge debt incurred by him. In Duke's Head once again, Sophie vows to herself to never be beholden to a man who has no intention of ever loving her. Although Sophie turned down Banallt's initial marriage offer, she once again extends her hand in friendship. And as trust is reaffirmed, Sophie finds herself falling once again under Banallt's friendly, yet intense, attention. When fate leaves her destitute once again, Sophie's only recourse is to

This is such a wonderful story, I felt compelled to weigh in... I won't sum up the plot, which you can read in the synopsis and in the other reviews. What drew me in was the authors wonderful way with words, and her realistic characters! Both Sophie and Banalt were so memorable and TRUE. Sophie is an eccentric bookworm and romantic. Against her very nature and instincts, constant betrayals by her first husband force her to raise a high wall around her heart. Her pain and strength are both palpable things in her life. Banalt is a rather typical, jaded, and yes - irredeemable - nobleman. However, his exposure to Sophie's innate strength, goodness, and "beautiful blue-green eyes", inspire a desire in him to become his better self. I felt that I knew them and was very invested in their lives and happiness. Ms. Jewel has done a marvelous job of showing and telling us about these two people. As readers, we understood their instincts, desires, and motivations. I was frequently moved to tears, on both their behalves, because I understood them. The secondary characters were equally well and honestly portrayed. I will not soon forget Sophie's brother, John. Bravo to wonderful characters and a wonderful story of second chances!

I have to say this was a very, very good book, and only had some minor problems with it. In Jewel's attempt to take a scandal and tell it in a different way, BRAVO and Thank you! I felt this was a new story. When the book begins, we know Banallt is a rake, but yet his love for Sophie, having her or not, has already reformed him. He's smitten, ruined (his words), and utterly enchanted by Sophie's mind, heart and body. They meet under uncomfortable circumstances, but yet become friends while he is a friend of her husband's. In Private Arrangements, it annoyed me bouncing back and forth between present and past, but in this book, it was so enjoyable. You feel the build up of their relationship, and regardless of it starting out a bit slower than I like, it still worked well. [...] Ms. Jewel, please tell me there will be a story with Tallboys winning the heartbroken Miss Fidelia.

Gwilym, Earl of Banallt, has quite a reputation of being a womanizer and a rake. Scandal follows him wherever he goes. Women practically fall at his feet, except for the one woman who has become an obsession. Sophie Evans, a widow he first fell in love with, while her husband was still alive. Tommy Evans married Sophie for her fortune, and left her in the country while he continued his debauched lifestyle in London. Banallt was one of Tommy's friends who joined him as he cut a path through London. The few times when Tommy would return home to see his wife, Banallt was with him, and the moment he met Sophie, his heart was hers forever. Banallt and Sophie formed a tentative friendship even after he tried to seduce her. Banallt shared so many things with Sophie and was ready to whisk her away to be his mistress. Sophie denied him and remained faithful to her marriage vows even when her husband did not. After her husband died she wanted nothing more to do with Banallt. Now over a year later, he has returned and will make Sophie his wife and this time he won't be denied. When Sophie sees Banallt with her brother, Mercer, she is shocked and scared. She and Banallt have quite the past and she refuses to be one of the many women he uses and discards. Her marriage left her emotionally scarred; she was so in love with her husband, and he in turn did the worst possible thing a husband can do to his wife, he broke his marriage vows. Sophie will never marry again and definitely not to Banallt. But Banallt won't let her be. Although she wants his friendship, it is too much of a temptation for her. And though Banallt says he has changed, Sophie cannot trust him with her heart. She would be destroyed if she fell for another man who would not be faithful to her. And since Banallt is so much like her dead husband in that respect, she won't give herself to him even though she craves him with every sense of her being. Banallt knows he must treat Sophie with tenderness and respect and show her he has changed, otherwise she will never accept him. Very slowly, he is able to break through Sophie's defenses. She reaches a point where she wants him in her life even though she won't admit her feelings to him. Suddenly, a horrible tragedy happens to Sophie and she has no where else to turn to except to Banallt. This is Banallt's chance to have everything he has ever wanted. He longs to hear Sophie say that she loves him as much as he loves her. The question is, will Sophie be able to give Banallt what he wants? WOW. Simply, wow. That is the only word I can use to describe this masterpiece. It has been such a long time since I have read such a rich, emotional and tension filled romance. Not only did Scandal have me hooked from the very first page, but this is the first book, in a very long time, where I had to read straight through into the wee hours of the night because I couldn't put it down. When an author can write such a book, that book is destined for greatness. I w