Vivez la vie pleinement…Live life to the fullest.That’s always been Marie-Anne de Vauteuil’s motto. As a Frenchwoman of highly questionable upbringing, she was shunned by genteel society when her fiancé died years ago, leaving her a penniless, fallen woman. Almost married, almost a widow…She retreated to an isolated village where no one knows or cares about her sordid past. And with no one to … with no one to answer to, she will do as she pleases, including eating cake until her corset strings pop if she so chooses. But then, an invitation to London on a mission of mercy from the very family that cast her aside lands Marie-Anne back in society—and into the arms of a man who can be nothing but trouble.
When life gives you lemons…Make petit fours.
Wealthy American businessman Mason is a) accidentally engaged, b) desperate to get out of it, and c) neither wealthy nor a businessman. Marriage is the last thing on his mind. Money, however, is always of utmost importance. He’s only in London to gather material for the gossip pamphlets he illustrates, his scheme to make as much money as he can before he’s found out and skips town. But when he meets the irresistible Marie-Anne, she makes him rethink his life as a fraud, and for once consider his true talent as an artist. Her carefree attitude about life in general—and sex in particular—has Mason hoping for something he never believed possible: A proper life with a not-so-proper wife.
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Outstanding! I am officially a new fan of Ms. Kingston. The other books I have by her are being moved up the pile, and she will be on my auto buy list.
This is the second book in The Ladies of Scandal series, but it definitely stands on its own. The story was wonderful, but it was the characters who drove the book. Marie-Anne, a French woman who was our heroine, was an absolute delight! She was as effervescent as champagne, with a zest for life and passion. Our hero Mason, though an apparent shady character, was endearing and the perfect foil for Marie-Anne. You could feel the instant attraction when they met. I was laughing hysterically when they discussed their lack of dancing abilities, comparing themselves to animals in a menagerie.
The humor was one of my favorite things about this book. Pure wit. I smiled throughout most of the story. (Until close to the end, when I was unsuccessfully attempting to hold back tears.) The passion and chemistry were also awesome.. When Mason gave Marie-Anne her first “kiss”….,OMG, I practically swooned!
This is definitely an author to read. Block out a big chunk of time in your schedule, because you are NOT going to want to put this book down.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own.
Since the death of her beloved fiance years ago, before they could actually marry, Frenchwoman Marie-Anne de Vauteuil has been left in a strange limbo. She’s not quite a respectable widow but instead a scandalous fallen woman. She has retreated to a small village where no one knows of her colorful past and drowned her sorrows in cake and bread, until a random letter from the almost in-laws who have shunned her up until this point sees her invited back into London society for a season.
Mason is pretending to be a wealthy American businessman but is really only in England to gather fodder for the gossip column he illustrates for his cousin. His primary goal is to make as much money as possible before his ruse is discovered and he is forced to leave town. When he meets Marie-Anne, however, Mason is immediately taken with her and desperate to end the faux engagement he has fallen into. For the sake of her friends and almost sisters-in-law, the Shipleys, Marie-Anne agrees to help Mason escape a trip to the alter.
Mason finds that Marie-Anne challenges him to rethink everything about his life and encourages him to explore his true talent as an artist. Soon he begins to think he could have a real life and marriage with her, but Marie-Anne is not so sure; she loves Mason, but she can’t abide lying to her friends about how he makes his money and she’s not sure he’ll change the only life he’s ever known, even for her.
This book was hysterically funny. The secondary characters were charming as well, but I especially enjoyed Marie-Anne. Along with the hilarity, there was also a good deal of spot on observation about love and relationships. This was a first for me from this author and a delightful surprise. I’ll definitely be checking out more of her work as well as that of narrator Nicholas Boulton. He was fabulous.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.