The Book of Scandal

This book tells the story of a couple who became estranged due to the death of their toddler son and their inability to meet the other's needs. Yes, it's a regency romance, but it is also a modern tale. I liked the characters, but found myself surprised by the compassion the book evoked and how terrible it is to lose a beloved child. Another Julia London winner!

Julia London's BOOK OF SCANDAL tells about the marriage of the Earl and Countess of Lindsey, who for the last three years have lived apart in every way possible. Nathan, the Libertine of Lindsey has been living the bachelor's life in the country and his estranged wife, Evelyn, has settled in London, where she serves in the court and lives the society court life. The Book of Scandal threatens the royal family and those closest to them, and when Nathan learns that his wife might very well be named among the scandal, he sets off to London to fetch her home...only to find her mere moments away from giving her heart (among other things) to another man. Nathan has no choice but to abduct her (when she doesn't seem too inclined to follow along willingly) to their country home. Once there, the memories that Evelyn and Nathan had both been running from--the death of their son and resulting hurt they caused each other in their grief -- demand to be dealt with. When I picked up this book, I expected a great read, par with London's stories. I received even better than that -- a heartbreaking, compassionate story about two parents who loved each other and their son and their grief over the loss of the child, the ways two people in grief hurt each other and how it's possible to find a way to love again. Nathan and Evelyn are flawed, they've both made disastrous mistakes and that makes their journey and their reunion that much sweeter. The weaving of the couple's history is wonderfully done, and the characters will stay with you long after you've reluctantly put the book down. I look forward to the next in the series. This is definitely on the keeper shelf.

In this romance, Nathan and Evelyn start out married but have been estranged for 3 years. Nathan has been building a bad reputation as a libertine and Evelyn has been living at court. But when political scandal potentially threatens the family, Nathan brings Evelyn back to his estate very much against her will. The reason for the estrangement is a big part of the emotion of the book. The death of their young son and the different ways they expressed their grief, resulted in the separation. Ms. London did a very good job conveying the differences in the ways Nathan and Evelyn thought about their son and handled their grief, including the different names they used for the son. Evelyn called him Robbie and Nathan called him Robert. Along with the process of rekindling the love they once had, Nathan and Evie face danger related to the political intrigue back in London. All of this together made a very enjoyable read. I very much enjoyed this book and recommend it.

The Earl and Countess of Lindsey have been married for years. Unable to cope with, accept, deal with the death of their toddler son, the two drift apart and become estranged. Nathan remains at the country home, Eastchurch while Evelyn flees to London. But with scandal brewing in London and Evelyn very possibly right in the middle of it, her husband, whom she hasn't seen in 3 years, comes to London and forces her to return home. The story that follows is a very poignant, eloquently written tale of two people struggling to come to terms with their son's death, the betrayal each of them felt in the aftermath and how they finally, together, sort through it and come to terms with it. I enjoyed watching their relationship grow and become strong again, the little blasts into the past and also Nathan's relationship with his butler, Benton. The quality of writing in this book rates right up there with London's Rogues of Regent Street series and is just as unputdownable.

Firstly, I consider myself a voracious reader of romance novels. As escapism there is no better substitute. I must own that many a time I have found myself frustrated by the idiocy of female characters as portrayed in historical romance and the need for writers to force happiness in situations where any sane minded woman (fictional or not!) would walk away. London's "Book of Scandal" was honestly, beautiful. There is SO much real emotion in this novel. The pain, the love and the conflicting emotions are beautifully portrayed, for both Nathan and Evelyn. This is the most satisfying novel that I have read in literally ages. The murder plot seemed unnecessary and a somewhat see-through attempt to lighten the story, but it was not enough to distract from the rest of the novel. I highly recommend "The Book of Scandal." It cleverly walks the line between romance and reality, showing that not all romance novels need to be based around 18 year olds reforming rakes or glib males who need to be "surprised" into falling in love. Nathan's character is given the same respect and depth of emotion as Evelyn, a welcome change. "The Book of Scandal" shows that love changes and develops overtime. Nathan and Evelyn are fully realized and leave the reader genuinely understanding and identifying with their situation, making the ending poignant and well deserved. I shed more than one tear as the novel reached its conclusion. Highly recommend.