Scandalous Love

I love to laugh at some point, even when reading historical romance. When Nicole joins her parents, brother and Hadrian for dinner, unexpectedly dressed to impress, and then antagonizes him throughout dinner, you can't help but laugh to yourself and enjoy the read.

Brenda Joyce is so skilled at writing novels rich with historical detail and strong characters. Novels that once you have read, you can never forget. After hiding away in the countryside, due to a scandal, Nicole Shelton is challenged into attending a Masque in honor of the Duke of Clayborough. It is very brave of her to go due to the fact that many people who treated her badly after the scandal will be there. She is dressed as a gypsy, hair loose, calves exposed and barefoot. She makes an unforgettable impression. Everyone stares but no one says a thing because she catches the eye of the Duke, and he compliments her. Hadrian Braxton-Lowell is not the typical Duke. He doesn't drink or gamble and society does not interest him. He has had a rough childhood that has forced him to live by his honor and duty. He is indeed drawn to Nicole, and finds he cannot resist her. She is wild, full of spirit and refreshingly different, and a wonderful heroine. She is nothing like the ladies that he has known. She has had free reign and is more interested in riding horses than in painting watercolors. She is drawn to Hadrian as well, he is strikingly handsome and seems interested in her. What she doesn't know is the kind of interest he has and that he has been betrothed since childhood to Elizabeth Martindale. Though they try, they cannot fight their mutual attraction and desire. The pages heat up whenever they are together and you cannot help but long for them to be together as well. They go through a lot of emotions during this book and Brenda takes you along with them. I cannot say enough about how well written and interesting this book is. There is no villain, no other twist but the characters and their feelings. Scandalous Love is just the kind of book that makes you realize why you love historical romance.

I liked this book and these characters. Nicole and Hadrian are sensuous, vibrant, and funny. Their mutual attraction to each other was what I liked most, even though Hadrian had a lot of "emotional baggage". The storyline was somewhat predicitible, but had enough turns to keep you interested. I read this book in 2 days and was disappointed when I was done! Brenda Joyce writes the story true to the period in history. Very well written. My next book will be another by Brenda Joyce.

This was another execellent book. I discovered Brenda Joyce quite by accident and have been reading as many of her books as I can find. This book grabbed my attention from the begining and it was difficult to put it down. I like the additional story line which made reference to the DeWarrene's, through Isobel, and then to the Bragg family in America. I would like to see a chart of all the members of these families and how they relate to one another. Brenda Joyce is a gifted writer; I especially enjoy the historical accuracies in her novels, and the rich depiction of the era in which she is writing. Good show, Brenda.

This is the first Brenda Joyce novel that I have read & I could not put it down! I am a person that reads one chapter before going to bed, but I didn't do that with this book! This inspires me to try some of Joyce's other novels.