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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As always, this author’s writing is excellent. I think you’ll enjoy these novellas.
Kisses and Scandal – 3-Stars
This was, by far, my least favorite of the three novellas simply because the premise is so very unlikely. The characters are very likable, the writing, of course, is solid, but a footman (that is a real footman not a peer in disguise) and a Duke’s daughter just didn’t resonate with me.
Lady Philomena (Phil) is the sister to the scandalous Duke of Mayne. Phil’s mother absolutely doesn’t approve of her brother’s recent marriage to a scandalous widow who is much older than he is, so she has every intention of assuring Phil marries well and scandal-free. She’s given Phil a deadline to either choose her own groom or one will be chosen for her. Unfortunately for Phil, the man she loves and wants to marry would provide nothing but scandal. He is, after all, a footman.
James Finnegan comes from the slums of Dublin and along with two of his friends, they have a plan to acquire a fortune and leave for the Americas. When James wants out of their plans, his friends decide to move along without him. James will do whatever it takes to keep Phil safe, but can he also keep her love?
The ending stretched my imagination even further than the overall premise of the story and I just couldn’t buy into the whole thing. It just felt contrived to me.
Counterfeit Scandal – 4-Stars
Bridget was working for the Home Office as a counterfeiter when she fell in love with Caleb who was a spy. Caleb left on a mission, a long and very dangerous mission – and he didn’t tell her he was going. Just as she learned she was expecting Caleb’s child, she was told that Caleb had died. She resigned from the Home Office and soon met a man who cared for her even though she didn’t love him in return. He was fine with her having Caleb’s child. So, she married him because she thought it would give her child a better life. Well – that was a mistake. Her husband was good to her and her son, James, but he was naïve when it came to money, so Bridget and her husband ended up in debtor’s prison. Rather than subject her young son (about 3 years old) to life inside the prison, she took him to a foundling home and told them she’d be back for him.
Several years later, her husband is dead and she’s out of prison with all debts paid. She’s been working at Miss Brodie’s Academy for a year and has saved up enough money to rent a room and to retrieve James from the orphanage. Except, the orphanage isn’t there anymore. It burned and nobody can tell her what happened to the orphans who lived there.
She rents the room with the intention of spending every spare minute looking for James. However, as she is leaving the home where she has rented the room, Caleb is entering the same home. She is absolutely and totally shocked. She tells him that he must find a new place to live and otherwise expresses her anger. Later, she realizes that she needs Caleb’s help to find James, so she tells him the whole story. He has also explained why he hasn’t contacted her and why they faked his death. They decide to work together even though it will put Caleb’s life in danger.
Their search takes them to Spitalfields and Mayfair and into a lot of danger. Quite an exciting search.
How To Brew A Perfect Kiss – 5-stars
This was my favorite of the three novellas. I adored Thomas and Raeni and as a couple they were perfect. Both were – or had been – slaves – and now they are both in England to find their freedom. They had a wonderful tale to tell and I loved reading about them.
Thomas Gaines was a slave in America in the Carolinas, where he worked in the tobacco fields. Through courage and good luck, he managed to escape to England and has never looked back. He taught himself to read, found employment and saved his money. Now, he is the very prosperous owner of several businesses including the just-opened business on Bond Street.
Raeni Sawyer is the daughter of an English landowner in Jamaica and his slave mistress. Raeni was raised well and was never in want for anything – but she was not free. When her circumstances changed, she fled Jamaica for England. Alone and penniless in London, she found work in Bond Street Coffee and Tobacco which was owned by Mr. Thomas Gaines.
Their meeting was tumultuous, but the attraction was instant and only developed over the coming days and weeks. Thomas turned out to be very considerate and caring and Raeni was capable and gentle. Each filled a need in the other, and it was delightful to see them come to care for each other.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I have enjoyed Shana’s stories for years and to have three together, just makes it better!! Filled with emotion, intrigue and sparks flying everywhere!
Kisses and Scandal
Who doesn’t like to see the love that develops between two people of a different class? Love doesn’t care and that arrow goes where you least expect it! But will more than that keep them apart? A secret that comes to light?
Counterfeit Scandal
A new start can also bring up hidden secrets and when Bridget is finally free of debtor’s prison she has to face her past and that means Caleb coming back in. Will these two be able to reunite their prior passion?
How to Brew a Perfect Kiss
What do you do when you have few options and need money? Get a job where you can and that is what Raeni does at a coffee shop. Thomas comes to the coffee shop and is a little smitten with the new server until she spills coffee all over him. He soon sees she is much more but can she outrun her past?
Great stories not to be missed!
Kisses and Scandal by Shana Galen is a box set of Anthology stories. If like me you enjoy this author’s writing then you may want to consider this for you quick reading fix for her. Sets like this I love to have for times when I need that quick read to give me a break in my day or while having to wait. So that was the extra bonus for me. Overall enjoyed these books. Here is the books that you will be getting:
Kisses and Scandal
Counterfeit Scandal
How to Brew a Perfect Kiss
Only for love
A nice collection of novellas that have character connections to other books. A little edgy with a heroine in each novella that needs to be rescued by the hero she loves.
Three exciting stories with interesting characters and good stories. Each story is engaging and easy to read. Great characters and entertaining stories. Would recommend!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Three novellas.
In this well crafted collection.
Kisses and Scandal, with Philomena a dukes daughter and James the very inappropriate footman. There’s a kidnapping plan.
In Counterfeit Scandal, Bridget was left pregnant after Caleb went off spying. She was forced into doing things to survive, like marrying and counterfeiting. Meanwhile, Caleb was no saint and has a price on his head. He could have at least been celibate. Do they fibd their son and get a second chance?
I think my favorite was How to Beew a Perfect Kiss. Thomas is a shop owner and Raeni is his new employee from the West Indies. She’s not the best at serving coffee.
I really enjoyed this story about the working class and Thomas was great.
I liked that this collection featured different classes and not just the aristocracy.
Highly recommend.
When it comes to Regency romance, Ms. Galen is definitely one of my all-time favorites. As always, she has provided us with an excellent set of stories to enjoy in this anthology. While all were wonderfully written, I think How to Brew a Perfect Kiss was my favorite. You very rarely get a chance to read about the lives of colored folks in Regency romances and it was refreshing to see it so well portrayed. Despite the fact that these were novellas and not full novels, the stories were very well formed from beginning to end and the characters were strong. I was satisfied I had the whole story and was not missing anything. These truly were a set of delightful romances and I highly recommend you give them a read!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
These were fun little novellas. The first one is about the sister of a duke and a footman who is not really a footman but working with the villains in a kidnapping plot.
The second story, Counterfeit Scandal, is about a woman who had an affair with a gentleman she worked with at the Home Office during the war. The gentleman had to go undercover and he just disappeared from Bridget’s life. Fast forward 10 years and Bridget is now a teacher and searching for her son that she had to give up before going to debtors prison with her husband six years ago. She runs into Caleb, the gentleman from the home office, who is shocked to learn he has a son but agrees to help Bridget find him.
Both stories were very good. I have a hard time with novellas because I feel like only half the story gets told and things always seem incomplete to me. That was not the case with this book. All three stories were fully formed. I didn’t feel like I was missing anything.
A well written set of three stories of men with shaky past and the women who are there for them I enjoyed reading this set. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Great collection of stories! This is a wonderful collection of novellas. The heroes are all rakes with a heart. The ladies are all spirited but troubled. What a combination! The stories grab you from the beginning and you just can’t put them down. This is a must-read collection of stories.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Kisses and Scandals is not your typical Regency romance—it’s so much more!
Shana Galen’s novella has interesting characters, a storyline filled with secrets and a romance that sizzles off the pages. Loved the unlikely friends to lovers romance which developed between Lady Philomena and James.
After her London season, Phil knew she wanted to marry for love. Loved that Phil acknowledged to herself that she felt something different when James kissed her. James is a different type of hero. He kept me guessing during the entire story. James was kind and honorable but there was a bit of mystery to him. The secondary story was fabulous. Phil’s mother is determined to arrange a marriage for Phil while the couple is falling in love in front of her!
Shana Galen adds an element of suspense to the novel when James is forced to reveal a secret. This plot twist added a bit of drama to this well- paced novella. Loved that Lady Mayne saved the day for Phil and James—and of course the ending had a few surprises, too!
Counterfeit Scandal
Bridget Lavery met Caleb Harris when they worked together—she was a counterfeiter and he was spy. Caleb was sent on a mission and presumed dead. Bridget married when she realized that she was pregnant with Caleb’s child. She left her son at an orphanage when she was sent to debtors prison and promised him they would be reunited.
I loved this fast paced story. Bridget was determined to find her son and needs Caleb’s help to search for him. Caleb agrees to help Bridget even though it puts him in danger. Loved how the search reunited this couple who learned to trust and love each other again. And the nail biting conclusion—just perfect!
How to Brew a Perfect Kiss
Shana Galen features Thomas Gaines and Raeni Sawyer in a fast paced novella. Loved that Thomas is a successful businessman and owns two coffee shops. Shana Galen blends Thomas’s wish to have his Bond street coffee shop succeed with his desire for Raeni perfectly.
Raeni escaped her family’s plantation because her father was going to sell her. She suspects she is being followed and this puts the couple in danger. The chemistry between the couple sizzles, there is intrigue and an important lesson about the value of freedom.
Loved the connection between the couple-the passion, the understanding and commitment. And the ending—truly romantic—just perfect.
If you are looking for a book to read during “the isolaton”, these novella are a perfect choice. Shana Galen is a gifted and entertaining storyteller- this novel is filled with engaging characters, suspense filled stories and heartwarming romances!
This was a fun collection of novellas that were written for the friends and relatives of the men in the Survivors series. They were all wonderful and were fast reads. Perfect for a quick read.
Kisses and Scandal
Lady Philomena had fallen in love with one of the family’s footmen, James Finnegan. James had come to the Duke of Mayne’s household with the plan of kidnapping Lady Phil with two friends and ransoming her so the men could travel to America and start a new life. He hadn’t expected to instantly fall in love or for her to reciprocate his feelings. He couldn’t back out of the plans, so he tried to protect her instead. Will they be able to have a future together?
Counterfeit Scandal
Bridget Lavery had found herself pregnant when Caleb Harris shipped out for the war. Without options, she married Robbie Lavery, later to find out he was in debt. Not wanting her son, James, to go to debtors’ prisons, Bridget left him at an orphanage. Years later after getting out of prison, she is looking for her son when she encounters Caleb, who was supposed to be dead. Caleb has a price on his head from the enemies he made during the war and he is on the run. Can he stay with his family and keep them safe?
How to Brew a Perfect Kiss
Raeni Sawyer had run away and found herself alone and with no money in England. She finds a position in a coffee shop, but her first day didn’t go too well! Thomas is the owner of the new coffee shop and realizes that Raeni has potential. He is impressed with her ideas for the shop and interested in her personally. He has always tried to keep his personal life separate from his business but the attraction he feels for Raeni complicates things. Can Thomas keep Raeni safe from her past?
I was given an ARC and am voluntarily writing a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Lady Philomena is the sister of the Duke of Mayne.
Lady Philomena was the Duchess of Mayne last chance to overcome the family scandal. After losing 4 sons who died mysteriously. Her remaining son Duke of Mayne marrying a older woman was the most sought after Merry widow.
Duchess was determine Philomena would have the most wonderful experience in London and marry well.
However Philomena didn’t want to live her mother’s life or dream.
She’s beautiful and sought-after, but she’s made the mistake of falling in love with… the footman. James Finnegan loves
I voluntarily read an Advanced Reader Copy of Kisses and Scandal: A Survivor Series Anthology and the views expressed are my honest opinions.
I like this book because Shana Galen ties up several loose ends from the previous Survivor books.
Kisses and Scandal was my least favourite from the book, especially because the novella ends in a most improbable way. However, at the same time, I commend Shana for taking that step. The heroine, Lady Philomena is the Duke of Mayne’s sister. Since the family had already withered a scandal when Phineas made a scandalous woman far older than him his Duchess, Phil’s mother is set to have her daughter marry impeccably well. Thus, Phil must either choose a suitable groom, or find herself married to one. This excludes Phil’s love interest, James Finnegan, who works as a footman in her mother’s house. Raised in poverty in Dublin, James and his two friends had concocted a plan to obtain enough funds to leave for a new world. However, he hadn’t expected to change his mind once he got to know Lady Phil. Will he be able to keep her safe when his friends act behind his back and put her in danger? 3/5
In Counterfeit Scandal, the art/counterfeiting teacher Bridget Lavery is searching for her son James, whom she gave up before entering debtor’s prison. Unfortunately for her, the orphanage had been burnt down and no one knew what happened to the inhabitants. When she runs into Caleb Harris, James’ real father and former spy, she enlists his help to find their son, despite the potential danger he can bring due to him being a wanted man. I had been looking forward to getting to know James’ (aka Jimmy) story and to re-uniting him with his family. This novella keeps you on edge throughout the search of little James. 5/5
In How to Brew a Perfect Kiss, Thomas Gaines finally gets his own story. We first met Thomas in Shana’s Survivor book An Affair with a Spare, where he plays a prominent part of the storyline. In fact, the readers loved him so much that they demanded he gets his own story. Thankfully, Shana agreed. Thomas moved to London to open business on Bond Street. Raeni Sawyer needed money and accepted a position at his teashop, despite not having the talent for serving. After a mishap, Thomas meets the beautiful Raeni and offers her a different position, that of his clerk. Will the closeness make them realize how perfect they are for each other? I love the little details such as thorough descriptions of Bond Street which give a realistic perspective to the novella. 5/5
Even if you are not a fan of the Survivor books, you will definitely enjoy these 3 novellas.
I requested an ARC, and these opinions are mine.
This is an anthology with two of the three stories having previously been published. This review will only focus on the new story – Kisses and Scandal – as the others have been done with their respective anthologies.
Kisses and Scandal is the story of Philomena – sister to the Duke of Mayne – and James – a footman who is more than he appears. Their love story fairly jumps off the page, and you can’t help but root for them; especially when it looks like things have taken a turn against them.
I enjoyed getting to know Philomena, who seems to be a woman ahead of her time with her views on relationships between the classes. It’s nice to see such progressive thoughts in the genre after so many years of simpering heroines who needed rescuing in every sense of the word. Philomena shows she is capable of rescuing herself – literally – and knows her own mind.
As for James, he is clearly a victim of prior circumstance, and his relationship with Philomena is his saving grace. He’s clearly a man of honor, even when driven to do things less than honorable. He’s the perfect compliment to Philomena, and his love for her is evident in every action.
Overall, this is another great addition to the Survivors series, and I think it would work well on it’s own.
Kisses and Scandal isn’t your typical ”rich high society lady falls in love with the footman” story. Although I do like those stories. There is a twist. Not just regular danger but shocking danger. Will Lady Philomena pay with her life for foolishly falling in love with James, the footman? Check it out to see!
This is a delightful book of three short stories in Shana Galen’s Survivor series. I previously read and reviewed the 2nd and 3rd story in this book found in Mrs. Brodie’s Academy For Exceptional Young Ladies and The Bachelors of Bond Street. My favorite of the three stories is the last, How To Brew a Perfect Kiss.
Kisses And Scandal is the new story and features Philomena Duncombe the younger sister of Phineas from A Duke A Dozen. Phil’s mother has lost 4 sons and Phil is her last chance to have a marriage befitting the family. Phil has other ideas as she wants to marry the man she loves, their Irish footman James Finnegan. James has a secret. He’s there to have the inside track to kidnap Phil for ransom so he and his dubious friends can book passage to America to start over and provide funds for their remaining families living in Dublin’s slums. Unfortunately for his two friends James has also fallen in love with Phil and tries to protect her from this plan. His friends finally manage to kidnap her so he works to get her rescued. When all is said and done, Phil’s mother is finally won over and manages to get James knighted and married. Not my favorite of the stories in this series.
Counterfeit Scandal was in Mrs. Brodies Academy For Exceptional Young Ladies. I read and reviewed it previously. This is about Bridget O’Brien Lavery one of the academy’s teachers who is seeking her 8 year old son who was left in an orphanage while she got herself back on her feet. Unfortunately the orphanage closed and she can’t find her son. She meets an old love, Caleb Harris who now is an undercover spy for the government who helps her locate her son who is with the Neil Wraxall & Juliana’s orphanage from No Earls Allowed.
How To Brew A Perfect Kiss is from The Bachelors Of Bond Street. This was my favorite story of the three. It’s about Thomas Gaines a former Virginia slave who is now a merchant who once helped Rafe in An Affair With A Spare. He’s opened a coffee shop and one of his new waitresses crashes into him gaining his attention. She’s Raeni Sayer a slave daughter of a plantation owner in Jamaica. She’s on the run from her dad because she doesn’t want to marry the man he’s chosen in Jamaica. Her Dad educated her and she ran his office on the plantation. Thomas see her intelligence and puts her to work in his office since he’s in desperate need of help.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Three heartfelt stories that can represent the hero in all of us. These are about three ordinary couples trying to survive the people who want to hurt them. Shana Galen takes us to the other side of London where true heroes still exist. A Duke’s daughter who stands up to her mother and society and marries the footman she is in love. Two people who worked for the government during the wars who find each other again and also to make a new life and family. A runaway girl who finds love, protection and comfort with a black runaway slave, now a successful businessman in the city. All the couples have to overcome great odds in order to grasp the happiness they seek. These are all characters we have met in previous books which makes them familiar friends.
Each story was so different.
Are you looking for a book to chase boredom away that this is the book to pick up. Three charming tales by a wonderful writer are in the collections. There is Philomena, Bridget, and Raeni all ladies who have made some serious mistakes. How they handled the challenges they face made for interesting reading. Will she find her child? Will her father succeed and will danger follow her? Will an unconventional love have a chance? These questions and so much more are answered in these well-written pieces. Each story was so different and I enjoyed reading each one a great deal. I highly recommend the collection. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
This delightful anthology gives you three wonderfully entertaining novellas. I think what I really enjoyed about this collection of stories was that all the heroes were just regular guys. Do not get me wrong, I love a swoon worthy nobleman as much as anyone, but sometimes it’s nice to have just a regular bloke get his shot at a HEA too. I thought that these very much against the odds romances were a very fun and entertaining way to spend an afternoon. This is my frank, freely posted review.