Bold, brazen, and beautiful, the Reckless Brides refuse to play by society’s rules of courtship. But—come hell or high water—they always get their man…

For generations, the Kents have served proudly with the British Royal Navy. So when her younger brother refuses to report for duty, Sally Kent slips into a uniform and takes his place—at least until he comes to his senses. Boldly climbing aboard the Audacious, Sally is as able-bodied as any sailor there. But one man is making her feel tantalizingly aware of the full-bodied woman beneath her navy blues…

Dedicated to his ship, sworn to his duty—and distractingly gorgeous—Lieutenant David Colyear sees through Sally’s charade, and he’s furious. But he must admit she’s the best midshipman on board—and a woman who tempts him like no other. With his own secrets to hide and his career at stake, Col agrees to keep her on. But can the passion they hide survive the perils of a battle at sea? Soon, their love and devotion will be put to the test…

Series: Reckless Brides Trilogy

Review

Almost a Scandal is the beginning of The Reckless Brides trilogy by Elizabeth Essex. The book features a headstrong heroine and an alpha hero.

Sally Kent has grown up on the sea and around some of the finest men in the Royal Navy. When her youngest brother, Richard, runs from his duty Sally takes his place upon the ship he was assigned to. She plans to impersonate her brother to protect her family’s reputation and to live out her own dream.

David Colyear is a friend of the Kent brothers and knows there is something off about the newest midshipmen on his ship, but he isn’t sure what. When he finally discovers that it is Sally masquerading as her brother he promises to keep her secret, but finds himself tempted by the woman she has grown into.

I really liked the characters. Sally and Colyear are both headstrong and think they are right most of the time. They have to learn to work together to hide her true sex and to trust each other. They also have to fight their attraction to each other when around the other sailors. When they are alone and able to give into temptation the scenes are electric and full of romance. The ultimate happy ending to their story is very satisfying.

Although I enjoyed the characters and the plot of the story there were a few things about the writing I didn’t like. First, the amount of “sea talk” was too much for me. There were whole sentences and paragraphs that read like gibberish to me. I could figure out within the context what it meant, but I had to stop and think about it while reading. I’m not a fan of having to think too hard while reading a book for pleasure.

Example:  Devil take her for a stupid lubber, but when the afternoon sun cast hi shadow upon the deck, bloody Lord God but he was long in the bone.
Second, there are whole sentences that are repeated within the same section of the story. It’s jarring and made me wonder if I was rereading the same page.

Example: “Such an intriguing combination of the naïve and the bloodthirsty you are, Kent.”

A few pages later:  “…Such an intriguing combination of the bloodthirsty and the naïve, the lion and the lamb.”

I did enjoy the story, but these issues in the writing made it hard for me to love the book. I know that these things won’t bother other readers, but for me they were enough to hinder my enjoyment of the story. 

Reviewed by Carrie

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