A Touch of Scandal started off with a bang: Kate Fisk is leaving her employer's house to go watch a naked man bathe!!! Whoa!
Kate is the daughter of a servant, and her current employer is actually her brother William and his new wife, Rebecca. William has married "up" and doesn't want Rebecca to know his true station. He can't afford a bunch of servants so Kate works for them. It is while walking from her brother's home to her own that she comes across a beautiful man bathing in a small lake. Since that first view, she's taken to looking for him on her way home, hoping to get another peek. He sees her watching, and surprises her. He tells her only that his name is Garrett, and they almost instantly feel a connection. They agree to meet again the next day, where their passion for each other is expressed in a physical way.
Garrett, Duke of Calton, has been searching for William. William and Garrett are sworn enemies, but Garrett doesn't know Kate is William's sister. William holds Garrett responsible for the death of his twin and has made it his mission to make Garrett's life miserable in every way imaginable; this includes eloping with Garrett's sister and taking him prisoner in order to torture him.
Things come to a head and Kate ends up living in Garrett's home, surprised he's a duke, loving him although she knows she cannot. When Garrett's former mistress shows up, days away from having his baby, Kate knows what she must do.
This book had so many twists and turns, I was turning the pages to find out what was next! The storyline was not what I thought it would be - I love when that happens! From Kate's "mystery man" to William's and Garrett's enmnity, from Kate's awful mother to Garrett's snobby aunt, and between Garrett's ex-wife and his ex-mistress, the storyline had me wondering what else Kate was going to have to deal with before she got her well-deserved HEA. I even liked her sickly younger brother, Reggie (which, anyone who knows me knows how I feel about kids in romance books ---> bleh).
What I didn't care for was the "instant attraction" between Kate and Garrett. In a paranormal romance - oh, yeah, I love the instant attraction! Not in a historical romance. It was almost immediate that they couldn't live without each other. I think that with everything going on in the book Ms. Haymore would not have had a problem making the attraction a bit more gradual.
I give A Touch of Scandal 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.
Ms. Haymore's next story in this series, A Season of Seduction, is about Garrett's sister Rebecca - can she find love after William crushed her heart so badly? Although she seemed a bit timid, I liked Rebecca and would love to see her get a HEA
This book was provided to me by Hatchette Book Group in exchange for an honest review.
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