That Scandalous Evening: The Governess Brides (Governess Brides Series, 1)

This was my first book by Christina Dodd, and I found it very entertaining. Eleven years earlier during Jane's first season she makes a terrible mistake, she falls in love with Ransom Quincy, the Marquess of Blackburn. Unfotunately he doesn't feel the same way about her. Jane is an artist and decides to sculpt a nude statue of Blackburn, with only a teeny weeny little fig leaf covering him. Another unfortunate occasion occours when everybody finds out about the statue and of course a scandal erupts, for not only did she sculpt Blackburn in the nude, she also sculpted him with such a small fig leaf. It doesn't help that later that week Jane is found at Blackburn's residence unchaperoned AND in a compromising position. She is ruined.Eleven Years Later. Jane comes back to London as a chaperone to her very, very beautiful neice Adorna. Blackburn is back in London after serving for England in the Napoleonic Wars. They meet again at a ball and sparks fly, not to mention a few tempers, since Jane has grown up quite a bit in the past 11 years. Blackburn is immediately smitten and they find themselves in another compromising position, only this time Blackburn agrees to marry Jane in order to save her reputation. A great book overall and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves the Regency period.

I enjoyed this book tremendously! It's the first I've read by Miss Dodd, and it won't be my last. I liked the clever banter between her main characters. Miss Higgenbottom's experiences are hysterical, particularly when she discovers why her scuplture isn't quite accurate in its depiction of the male physique. I chuckled out loud when she realized her error. Yet I found her to be endearing in her innocence. Miss Dodd does a nice job of developing her characters, tells an entertaining tale, and she writes terrific steamy love scenes that go on for pages! This is a delightful read! I highly recommend it!

I loved it--the zany humor, the hot sex, the tender moments, and the witty repartee. A book to brighten any day.

I just finished "Scandalous Evening" and I must say that Christina Dodd's literary style just keeps getting better and better. Jane Higgenbottom is a truly competent and gifted heroine, and Ransom Quincy is ever the reluctant hero. I especially enjoyed the scenes when Adorna, Jane's younger sister makes men do completely idiotic things without any effort at all. I really enjoyed this book!