You’ve met the men of the wildly popular Survivors series. Now meet the charming friends and relatives who walk the streets of London with them. Kisses and Scandal features three exciting novellas set in the Survivors’ world, including one never-before-published story.
Kisses and Scandal
Lady Philomena is the sister of the Duke of Mayne. She’s beautiful and sought-after, but she’s made the … the mistake of falling in love with… the footman. James Finnegan loves his lady but has a secret that won’t only break Philomena’s heart. It just might endanger her life.
Counterfeit Scandal
Now that Bridget Lavery is free from debtor’s prison, she wants to reunite with the son she had to give up. Caleb Harris is a man with a price on his head. Before he left for the war, he and Bridget had a passionate affair. Finding her again means everything to him, but loving her might just be too perilous for either of them.
How to Brew a Perfect Kiss
Raeni Sawyer is penniless and alone in a foreign country. When she finds a job at a coffee shop on Bond Street, she hopes it’s the beginning of a new life. Thomas Gaines is intrigued by his new server—until she spills coffee all over him. Despite her clumsiness, he sees her potential to be more. But will Raeni’s treacherous past ruin their bright future?
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It was a great escape reading Kisses and Scandal: A Survivors Series Anthology. I love the Survivors series and I enjoyed reading the new novella Kisses and Scandal. It is fun to see what happens to characters related to previous heroes and heroines. I had read the other novellas in the past but I can re-read Shana Galen’s writing over and over so I enjoyed reading Counterfeit Scandal & How to Brew a Perfect Kiss again. Wonderful entertainment!
Kisses and Scandal 4 Stars
Lady Philomena is the sister of the Duke of Mayne. She’s beautiful and sought-after, but she’s made the mistake of falling in love with… the footman. James Finnegan loves his lady but has a secret that won’t only break Philomena’s heart. It just might endanger her life.
I must admit I had to suspend belief with this story about a Duke’s daughter & an Irish footman, I was expecting James to be working undercover & was waiting for his true identity to be revealed! Very well written with strong characters & it flowed effortlessly
Counterfeit Scandal 5 Stars
Now that Bridget Lavery is free from debtor’s prison, she wants to reunite with James, the son she had to give up. Caleb Harris is a man with a price on his head. Before he left for the war, he and Bridget had a passionate affair. Then she’s told he’s died but she’s pregnant so marries only to have to give James up when she & her husband land in the Fleet prison. Years pass & when Bridget moves into a boarding house she thinks she’s seen a ghost but Caleb is certainly flesh & blood.
Fast paced, wonderful characters, a second chance story that touched my heart. I just loved everything about this short story, Caleb & Bridget were meant to be together & they once again rekindle their love whilst searching for James. A definite 5 star read
How to Brew a Perfect Kiss 5 Stars
When Raeni Sawyer’s father, an English plantation owner in Jamaica, sold her, she ran away & her brothers hid her on the journey to England. She was robbed & almost at the end of her tether when she found employment at the Bond Street Coffee & Tobacco shop, Thomas Gaines’ brand new establishment. Raeni’s first day doesn’t go well as she bumps into her employer & soaks him with coffee. She does fall on her feet when she becomes Thomas’ clerk
At last, Thomas Gaines’ story! which I’ve been impatiently waiting for.
It’s not often I find a novella to be a 5 star read but this certainly was, as ever beautiful characterisations & I felt Bond Street came alive. I also loved a story about coloured ex slaves who had escaped to England & had become successful. The romance between Thomas & Raeni was lovely with the attraction being there from the start but the more they became acquainted the more it grew. A lovely read that I read in a sitting
Three well written stories & I read each one in a sitting. Well portrayed with characters who all had depth, I loved how they were connected to the Survivors.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Kisses and Scandal
This kind of pairing is the fairy tale we all love. The lady falling in love with the footman and she doesn’t care what anyone thinks. This one has the added twist his secret puts her in danger and he must do whatever he can to protect her. I really loved how they seemed to click and it’s heartbreaking when the secret comes to light, but love wins in the end. It’s a quick and cute story that will have you giggling at her mother in the end.
Philomena is a strong woman that when she sets her mind on something she will have it. I loved that she never backed down from what she wanted or worried about the scandal. She also knew that her heart wanted him no matter what.
James joined the household as a footman for his part in a dangerous scheme, but meeting Philomena changed him and now he must protect her. I love that he was always the one worried about the scandal. There was never a doubt about his feelings for her.
Counterfeit Scandal
This one will suck you in from the start! The war tore them apart, but they were meant to be together. I loved that they worked together to find Jimmy and it brought them closer. There are a couple of scenes that had me holding my breath waiting to see what happened. The ending was perfect.
Bridget had a very hard life and her son his the driving force that keeps her going. I loved her right away with how honest she was with the girls about things. She put her anger aside and opened her heart again.
Caleb is always looking over his shoulder because his former work haunts him. I loved that he was determined to be honest with her and not hide anything again. He still wanted to protect her.
How to Brew a Perfect Kiss
I’ve loved Thomas since he appeared in An Affair With a Spare and was excited to see his story. There is heat between instantly and not just from the hot coffee on his pants. The dangers of the past weren’t going to keep them apart.
Raeni is a strong young woman that has fled from her home and is trying to make it on her own. I loved her right away with how brave she was and how smart she was.
Thomas will never think twice about helping someone that he knows needs helps. Add in that he loves the woman and he won’t stop at anything to protect her or help her.
Copy provided for an honest and voluntary review
This is an anthology of three stories, all related to the Survivors series.
Kisses and Scandal: Lady Philomena, the sister of Phineas, the Duke of Mayne, has fallen in love. She wants to marry for love and not settle for anything less, but didn’t plan on falling in love with a footman. James Finnegan obtained his job as at the country home of Lady Philomena and her mother, planning a scheme with two fellow Irishmen to make money for their poor families. He never planned on falling in love with his lady. I didn’t care much for James at first, but he grew on me as the story went on. I didn’t see how this situation would ever work out for the mismatched pair, but loved the way it all turned out. And I enjoyed the bit at the end that set up the next story in the Survivor’s series, The Highlander’s Excellent Adventure, which is Duncan’s story.
Counterfeit Scandal: Bridget Lavery’s life has been rough – after her lover disappeared and she was told he was dead, she marries a man she doesn’t love to give her child a father. Her husband’s debts send them to debtors prison, so she leaves her child at an orphanage. Now a widow working at Mrs. Brodie’s Academy and searching for her son, since the orphanage burned down with no trace of where the children were relocated, she’s running out of hope. When her former lover returns from the dead, she enlists Caleb’s help in finding their son. Although his life is in danger from his war activities, he agrees and the search is on. Of course there is intrigue and danger, as well as the heartbreaking ache for the child lost. I loved that the child is Jimmy from the orphanage featured in No Earls Allowed and I was happy to see a happy ending for him, as well as for his mother and father.
How to Brew a Perfect Kiss: Thomas Gaines is a successful businessman, and his success is all the more sweet because he escaped from a life of slavery in America to England, where slavery is illegal. When Raeni Sawyer is hired at his new coffee and tobacco shop in London, he’s taken with her, even as he wonders how she came to be in London with nothing. He finally learns that she is the mulatto daughter of a plantation owner who has escaped to freedom in London from Jamaica. She was robbed of her money and belongings as soon as she came to London, and is need of some help. Of course there is some conflict and a bit of danger, but I was happy to see this unique couple figure out how to make it all work, since they were made for each other. This was my favorite of the three stories, I loved it.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
Kisses and Scandal
Philomena is the sister of the Duke of Mayne (who has his own book, so good) and she knows her heart but can she convince James? And who is James but a footman in her house. Oh yes, we went there – the footman and the heiress. What I really liked about his story is that James is not some long lost peer or a high ranking spy. He is poor and for Phil to put that aside and to go against her mother (who does eventually turn around) is so beautiful.
Counterfeit Scandal
A second chance/reunion romance that will make you fall in love with Caleb and Bridget. This story is amazing and wonderful. From the moment they meet again you can feel the tension in the room. Then they begin the search for their son. You couldn’t wish for a happier ending. I wish it had been longer as I wanted to know more about their lives.
How to Brew a Perfect Kiss
This story was perfect. Thomas and Raeni were so in love with each other from the beginning. I love when the main characters are not the usual dukes and ladies. But these two were dukes and ladies all the same. I definitely wanted more of their story. A fascinating story.
Shana has done it again. All fantastic stories that tie in with the Survivor’s series.
I received a complimentary copy from Booksprout.
Novella collection with Survivor series tie-ins!!!
My favorite thing about this collection is that all the stories feature heroes who are commoners and in some cases not entirely on the right side of the law.
Kisses and Scandal features the younger sister of the Duke of Mayne, from a Duke a Dozen, and the footman she’s fallen in love with. Philomena and James found love nearly at first too bad he has some less than honorable friends and her mother isn’t interested in a love match for her daughter.
Counterfeit Scandal is the story of the parents of Jimmy, from No Earl’s Allowed in the Survivors Series. Bridget was forced to marry when Caleb was called to war and she found herself pregnant, a decision that led her to debtors prison and Jimmy to an orphanage. As she works to get Jimmy back she’s reunited with Caleb but in true Galen fashion there’s some intrigue, danger, and suspense before we get the HEA.
How to Brew a Perfect Kiss: Thomas Gaines fled slavery and has built himself up to a thriving business owner. Raeni has also fled the auction block and is just looking to get lost in the London crowds, but what she finds is love. I’ve adored Thomas Gaines from his first moment on the page in a previous book and am so beyond happy for him to get his HEA!
I received a complimentary review copy of this book but all my opinions are my own.
Kisses and Scandal- As both the daughter and sister of a duke, Lady Philomena Duncombe is very much sought after, but she longs to marry for love as her rather scandalous brother did. Unfortunately for her, she’s found love with a footman in her family’s employ. James Finnegan returns Philomena’s love, but the secret he’s keeping could endanger her life even more so than her reputation.
This was a cute story and I’m always a sucker for unconventional heroes so a footman was just right. Philomena was also a sensible heroine who knew her own mind without being shrewish and that made her enjoyable to read.
Counterfeit Scandal- Now finally free from debtor’s prison, Bridget Lavery is determined to find the son she gave up before her three year confinement. Caleb Harris has finally returned to England after working as a spy during the Napoleonic Wars. He never forgot the passionate affair he had with Bridget before he left and always intended to return and marry her, despite the fact that she had to believe he’d died. Now he has a price on his head and will do anything to keep that danger away from Bridget and the son he just learned about.
This was an enjoyable, fast-paced read and a plot you don’t see very often. The characters were well-drawn, especially for a short novella and it was a good read.
How To Brew A Perfect Kiss- Former slave Thomas Gaines has made a new life for himself and become a successful businessman in England. Now he’s opening his first London shop and everything is going swimmingly until the new serving girl turns his world upside down.
Raeni Sawyer has grown up in between. Living on her father’s plantation in Jamaica she wasn’t a slave, nor was she free. But when her father reveals plans to sell her to his friend, she escapes to England. She knows her father will send men after her but she hopes to establish a new life, especially when she meets a kind, handsome man, her new employer, Mr. Gaines. But with men hunting her, she refuses to put Thomas in danger; despite their feelings for each other, she knows she must leave.
This was a set of quick, cute reads and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book contains 3 wonderful stories with characters you can’t help but love! Each story tugs at your heart and you will find yourself cheering for their HEA. Although all 3 stories are novella length, Shana Galen knows how to pack a LOT of action, intrigue and passion in them.
I especially loved “Kisses and Scandal”, Philomena and James’ story, because their story is one of my favourite tropes….when the hero is below the heroine’s station. I also enjoyed Bridget and Caleb’s story “Counterfeit Scandal”, they both go through so much before finding their HEA. I was bawling like a baby at the one scene when she has her son in her arms again after all those years!! As for “How to Brew a Perfect Kiss”, I loved Thomas and Raeni’s story and I’m soooo glad that slavery was illegal in England at that time!
I received an ARC of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.