Whisper of Scandal (Scandalous Women of the Ton, 1)

In 1811 Navy Captain Alex Grant visits Lady Joanna Ware, the widow of his late best friend David to offer his condolences. His only regret was the mission to find a North East trade route through the North Pole kept him from doing so eighteen months ago when David died on that quest. However, he is stunned to see some miscreant demanding she consider his suit. Joanna greets Alex by calling him darling and gives him a welcome home kiss. Both are stunned by the reaction in light of the fact they never liked each other. Each has mixed feelings between desiring more kisses and wanting to run away from each other. However, keeping away from each other is not an option as they must journey to the Arctic to bring her stepdaughter home. The Arctic trek brings a fascinating fresh subplot to a strong Regency romance starring a widow and widower who from that first searing kiss know they loathe yet desire each other. The lead couple is a wonderful match as each has preconceptions of the other based on their respective relationship to David. Fast-paced whether it is London or the Arctic, sub-genre fans will relish this entertaining historical. Harriet Klausner

This book is not a whisper of amazing but a shout out of greatness Is it possible for two people to have been involved another's life and see this individual so totally differently? Can a person be a saint to one and a sinner to the other - absolutely, in the case of one David Ware. His widow Lady Joanna saw the man and her life with him as cold, desolate and at times brutal. His best friend Alexander, Lord Grant saw an explorer, hero and the greatest example of what one can accomplish in life with hard work and adventuresome spirit. Joanna never felt love for this match but despised that he blamed her for their lack of children and made no pains to disguise his infidelity and outright betrayal of her trust. Alex has nothing but disdain for Joanna and feels that all the words of evil that David spoke are true and cannot see any redeeming factors surrounding her or the lavish lifestyle she leads. He sees her as frivolous and taking full advantage of the tidy sum David left his widow. But peeling back an onion reveals numerous layers does it not? By fate, circumstance and responsibility are out of control for both Joanna and Alex's as they are forced to face each other and come to a compromise of sorts as it seems David is still manipulating both of them from the grave. With Alex a part of David's extended life and best friend David gave Alex the responsibility of handling his estate and carrying out his final wishes which he never thought included Joanna and a sea adventure. So by bad luck Alex is forced to Seal the Deal with Joanna and while both of them stand their ground about how David was in their individual lives and fight every time they share space they do agree to the terms that were set aside in the codicil even if it involves sailing to The Arctic to retrieve what David so carelessly left behind. But the more time Alex spends with Joanna the more he comes to see her as the greatest of temptations and less the vixen he had thought her to be. She is warm, loving and cares for those who are less fortunate. Her kisses are all too soon melting his heart and turning up his passion for not just any woman but this woman that he at first thought a frivolous. But Joanna is strong and just as full of the lust for him as he has for her and shows him that in preconceived notations some turn out to be very untrue. The adventure aboard the Sea Witch shows both of them what they are made of how important they are to one another. They each tear down the other's walls of despair and prior guilt to burn up the nights with a flame that comes from no candle but instead from deep inside their being. With every Nicola Cornick book you know you are in for a wonderful read and a most enjoyable adventure. This book and adventure in no way disappoint and in fact make it so you start reading slower just to not have the book come to an end. The writing style is lush and with each page you know that there are two characters that jump out at you