IN GRITTY, WORKING-CLASS LONDON, SHE DOES WHAT SHE MUST TO SURVIVE . . .
When Nell Whitby breaks into an earl’s house on a midnight quest for revenge, she finds her pistol pointed at the wrong man—one handsome as sin and naked as the day he was born. Pity he’s a lunatic. He thinks her a missing heiress, but more to the point, he’ll help her escape the slums and right a grave injustice. Not a bad bargain. All she has to do is marry him.
A NOTORIOUS LADIES’ MAN COULD TAKE HER FROM POVERTY TO OPULENCE . . . BUT AT WHAT PRICE?
A rake of the first order, Simon St. Maur spent his restless youth burning every bridge he crossed. When he inherits an earldom without a single penny attached to it, he sees a chance to start over—provided he can find an heiress to fund his efforts. But his wicked reputation means courtship will be difficult—until fate sends him the most notorious missing heiress in history. All he needs now is to make her into a lady and keep himself from making the only mistake that could ruin everything: falling in love. . . .
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It must be said that I am a huge Meredith Duran fan – so much so that I might even qualify as a stalker, although my heart is pure and I have no nefarious thoughts as to what to do with her once I catch her. So of course, I was very excited to read her newest book, A Lady’s Lesson in Scandal, which was released on June 28th, 2011.
Nell Whitby has spent her life in the gutters of London trying to earn a living without lifting her skirts or selling her soul in the process. With nowhere left to turn after her mother’s death, she finds herself staring down the barrel of a pistol at Simon St. Maur, a peer she thinks has wronged her mother. Simon notices in the waif who is threatening him a striking resemblance to a missing heiress. He offers her a desperate bargain, one she seems oddly reluctant to accept – marry him, and claim the inheritance that could be theirs. Nell is no fool, but neither is St. Maur. Both know what they want, and what they must do to achieve it. Nell wants a lifetime free of knocking rats off her bread, and a measure of respectability wouldn’t hurt either. St. Maur wants the financial security offered by Nell’s inheritance. Love and mutual respect isn’t part of the bargain. But then again, it never is….
This story had me wrapped up in it from the very start. It has a definite Pygmalian feel to it, but for me it is a story that can be told a hundred different ways and still be enthralling. Ms. Duran does not disappoint, with a fresh twist that seems as much “Disney Tangled” as “My Fair Lady”. As always, it is the prose that makes Ms. Duran’s work shine. She says things in a way that requires pause and a measure of deeper thought in order to appreciate the brilliance of her writing. And yet, the plotline was so good, and moved so well, I found myself flying through the pages and having to force myself to slow down. No mean feat. I have reconciled myself to the fact that this book shall require a minimum of two readings: one straight through for the love of the story and the tears it jerked from my jaded eyes, and another slower, undulating journey through beautiful words and turns of phrase.
~ Guest Reviewer JenM |