“Lusciously romantic and sparkling with wit, Scandal in Spades will captivate you until the very last page.” -Anna Campbell, bestselling author of the Dashing Widows series To the Marquess of Bromton, honor is everything. So when he discovers he’s a bastard, he attempts to manipulate a high-stakes card game to bestow his estate upon the rightful heir. But the winner demands more than Bromton … winner demands more than Bromton bargained for–a marriage…to his scandal-ridden sister. Lady Katherine may be the least marriageable lady in all of England, but a child of their union would be a true heir. Only his wife-to-be is not at all like he expects…and she has no interest in marrying him.
Scandal has hardened Lady Katherine and narrowed her world to duty and family. There’s nothing to be trusted in the Society she left behind, especially not the imperious marquess with his single-minded pursuit. Or his knee-weakening kisses. Except, the more their connection deepens, the more Bromton surprises Katherine. But the truth about their courtship could destroy everything.
Each book in the Lords of Chance series is STANDALONE:
* Scandal in Spades
* Heart’s Desire
* Diamond in the Rogue
more
Lusciously romantic and sparkling with wit, Scandal in Spades will captivate you until the very last page.
Scandal in Spades is book one in the Lords of Chance series by Wendy La Capra. It is necessary to read these books in order, and they are amazing works.Each story is based on a different member of the rakish quartet of friends – Spades, Clubs, Diamonds and Hearts. La Capra infuses steamy romance with wit and humor. I fell in love with the dark, brooding Marquess of Bromton – Spades. “Yes, the marquess’s black hair fell about his face in bold, thick locks, but hair was his only feature that could be deemed au courant – or, rather, au Byron – the look Markham’s other friend had favored. When it came to Lord Bromton’s figure, there wasn’t a hint of fop. His deeply cut cheeks sported stubble Katherine doubted any valet could tame – stubble that accepted full, one could say even say forceful, lips.”
There were moments when I laughed out loud at the verbal volleys exchanged between Katherine ( the heroine) and Bromton. This book is definitely one I will read again and again.
Giles Langley, Marquess of Bromton aka Spades has learned that his entire existence is a lie. He has been raised to be the Marquess and embodies the role – he is proper, he is pompous, he is entitled and he cannot abide scandal – so learning that the former Marquess is not his father and his now widowed mother has married an artist is enough to drive him to desperation – he has convinced himself that he must right the wrong done to the marquisate – so upon learning that none of his properties are entailed, he searches his family tree and forms a plan. He befriends Percival Stanley, Earl of Markham aka Hearts, a very distant relative – actually the only other male relative in the Langley line – and convinces him to place a wager on a game of vingt-et-in along with his other friends, Lord Rayne aka Diamonds and Lord Farring aka Clubs. Giles has had each man place secret wagers and “fixes” the game so Markham will win – and win he does, all of Giles unentailed property. Markham confronts Giles and tells him he knows he cheated – he refuses to take the winnings, but proposes an alternative – Giles could marry his sister, Katherine.
Katherine’s hopes of a happy life were crushed when Beau Brummell declared her the “Most Unmarriageable Maiden in England” due to two failed betrothals, her first was a love match, but he died before they could marry and the second ran off with his mistress after fighting a duel the day before he was to marry Katherine. She has accepted her lot and cares for her younger sister, Julia and manages Markham’s estate, while she might not be happy, she is content. She does worry what her tarnished reputation will mean to Julia when she has her come out next season, but she hopes the talk will have died down and her perfect behavior will ensure that Julia is successful. She is less than thrilled when Markham sends her a letter saying he is bringing home a guest. She an Julia plan how to get rid of them. But Giles is a man on a mission – marrying Katherine and having an heir, will ensure that Langley blood holds the title. He will marry her.
She is attracted to Giles, but she doesn’t trust him. Why would a man who prides himself on living a scandal free life, want a tarnished spinster? Slowly, they get to know each other and Katherine begins to fall for Giles, but she is sure that once he learns her secret, he will leave. He pushes for them to marry and she tells him to give them two weeks to get to know each other and if at that time he still wants to marry her, she will say yes. Giles is changing, much to his surprise and he is falling for Katherine. He begins to feel guilty about keeping the truth from her, but convinces himself it is a good thing for her, being married to him will improve her social standing and will help her siblings as well. So when she tells him her secret, at first he is taken aback, but he insists that he still wants to marry her and that her past is the past. Katherine is a little surprised that the oh so proper marquess is willing to overlook her past, but she is happy too and agrees to marry him.
He heads off to London to get a special license and decides to visit his mother. When she learns that his is going to marry and hasn’t been honest with Katherine, she warns him that he is making a mistake, but he is still angry with her and says truly awful things to her, so awful she tells him he is no longer welcome to call on her. Ruffled by her words but still set on his plan, he returns to Southford, where he finds Farring and Rayne at the village inn. Farring is happy for him, but Rayne is angry – Giles had a long standing understanding with his sister Clarissa, which he broke off when he learned the truth of his birth, but he never explained why and caused a rift with his friend – He sends them off to the house and tells them that he is just going to freshen up and will meet them later – he then proceeds to get rip roaring drunk with the locals. Katherine was visiting a tenant and slipped into the inn to escape the rain. The innkeeper decides to play matchmaker and sends her up to a room to dry off and then sends up a very drunk Giles. They share a moment of passion and both leave looking forward to their wedding night.
But when tension between Rayne and Giles finally comes to a head and Katherine learns the truth, will there even be a wedding?
This was a fantastic story, well written, flowed great, had probably the most realistic sibling interaction that I have ever read in a book, steamy love scenes, great secondary characters, secrets, some groveling and an ending that gave me goosebumps and made me teary eyed. I have never read this author before, but I am going to check out her backlog and will be looking out for her future books!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher*
Redemption for a Marquess
The Marques of Bromton needs to atone for his past, but his deliberate loss of his estates and wealth in a game of cards isn’t the price he must pay. Lady Katherine has a past that has seen her retreat from London. When Brom pursues her can she tell him the truth, but Brom has his own secrets. I absolutely love this book and plan to read all the books in the series. Wonderfully written with a lot of emotional impact. A great read for a free afternoon.
So, I have to admit the beginning was a little jumbled for me. But once the hero and the heroine got together, I loved it.
My opinion was solidified by the subtext, especially this line, said by Katherine, and talking about getting a hat: “We believe possession of a pretty-something will somehow enrich our person.”
She wasn’t talking about a hat, y’all. Wendy LaCapra is SO GOOD at this kind of thing. And writing great characters. And telling a great story.
With a touch of humor and humility in her characters, Wendy LaCapra really delivers with Scandal in Spades. The characters are relatable and entertaining. Great descriptions of the world and clothes make you feel like you are there. I’ll be looking for the rest of this series!
The characters were wonderful as wonderful as their interactions. The backstory was woven in effortlessly. It was a unique plot, which is refreshing as it seems so many historical romance novels are stuck on one story. The sex scenes remind me of old movies where you get just enough of the idea of what is going to happen, leaving much to the imagination and then moving to the next scene. And, there were not those scenes on every page with story woven in. An easy read.
Enjoyed this author giving her characters such witty banter.
Bromton and Katherine are a great couple. He was once a snooty marquess and she a scandalous spinster through no fault of her own. He finds out he’s a bastard and tries to lose everything he owns to Katherine’s brother who is a distant blood relation in order to keep the estate somewhat in the family. Instead, he has to woo and marry his friend’s sister, Katherine. Of course, they both end up being what the other needs, but road to their happy ending has many twists and a not very nice friend who almost ruins it all. Great character development and exciting read. Highly recommend it.
This has been reviewed a number of times from front to back so I will keep it simple. Giles Langley, Marquess of Bromton aka Spades is an arrogant, pompous, handsome, wealthy, honorable bastard. Katherine Stanley is the least marriageable woman in England & sister to Percival Stanley, Earl of Markham aka Hearts (one of Bromton’s best friends).
The story flows along so smoothly that you don’t even realize you are turning pages. The supporting cast of characters are so interesting & endearing & I hope to see more books telling their stories. Giles & Katherine have such an electric connection & the humor in their journey leaves you smiling. I loved the emotional moment Giles had with his Mother & the proof that forgiveness is never too late to offer or give.
I found everything I enjoy in a romance novel – charismatic characters, sexy flirting, lusty love & most of all a scandalously HEA ending! I highly recommend this read & I look forward to reading more wonderful books from Wendy LaCapra!
Scandal in Spades by Wendy LaCapra is the story of Giles Langley, Marquess of Bromton and Lady Katherine Markham . Giles has learned that he is a bastard and is not the real heir to the titles he has. So trying to make things right he enters a card game set on having Markham win what should rightfully be his. But Markham won’t take what he has ‘won’ because he knows that Giles cheated to loose. But Markham does have a deal for him…he wants Giles to marry his sister Katherine. Giles question Markham on why his sister isn’t married already and he learns of two failed attempts and how society treated her afterwards…she is called “the most unmarriageable lady in the Kingdom”. Giles realizes that any child they would have would be the rightful heir and correct the issue with the title.
Katherine feels she will never marry and has turned from society but has been taking care of the family estate and helping to raise her sister. So when Giles starts to come around she is cautious and not trusting of her feelings..nor his.
But can these two find what they both need in each other?
Really a great read…could not put it down!
Spellbinding, Heart pounding, Entrancing. There are so many great thoughts I want to say about this book. It gripped my heart from the beginning and did not let go until the end. LaCapra’s well drawn characters came to life to the point I could feel their emotions. This is one of my favorite tropes of the emotionally wounded hero and heroine who become healed by love. Giles, the Marquess of Bromton, finds out he is a bastard after his “fathers” death, but all his life had been harshly groomed for his position. He and his mother are estranged after she tells him the truth and he feels he does not deserve to be the heir. He and three of his friends have named themselves after the cards of Spades, Hearts, Diamonds and Clubs and have formed a bond. Giles finds One of his friends Markam aka Hearts is a distant relative, and he devises a scheme to lose his property to him, a rightful heir. But as life does not always go as planned, Giles ends up agreeing to court and hopefully marry Markam’s spinster sister Katherine, who is deemed “the most unmarriageable maiden in England”. This is where the story begins to have many twist and turns and very strong emotions. As they meet, Katherine feels she is not worthy of anyone and will never find true happiness in a marriage. But fate has a possibly different plan. This story made my romantic heart beat faster as the story unfolded and I became invested in Giles and Katherine. Great secondary characters, that I cannot wait to see in future stories blended with suspense and closely held secrets held me captive to the end. Well done Wendy LaCapra!!
Giles Everhart Langley, the Marquis of Bromton known in the gaming hells as Spades, has just learned that he’s a bastard. Feeling his honour is at stake, he attempts to bestow his estate upon a rightful heir by manipulating a high-stakes card game. But the winner Percy Markham demands more than Bromton bargained for a marriage to his spinster sister Lady Katherine who was called the least marriageable lady in all of England by Brummell, but a child of their union would be a rightful heir.
Scandal has hardened Lady Katherine and narrowed her world to duty and family.
Giles & Katherine meet & are immediately attracted to each other. Giles has promised Markham that he will court his sister which he does & the pair fall in love. The wedding is arranged but the eve before the wedding Lord Rayne upsets the apple cart.
This is the first book I’ve read by the author & it had me gripped from the start. The story flowed really well & the characters had good depth. Giles & Katherine are both lonely but each hoped that in finding each other they that found their soul mate. I loved the way they grew to love & like each other. I was taken on a roller coaster of emotions throughout the book & shed a few tears at Giles’ second meeting with Mrs Blackwood. I hope the other three ‘suits’ have their stories as they are all so likeable, even Rayne, each added to the story & of course Clarissa needs her HEA too!
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Giles Langley the Marquess of Bromton has learned news that devastated all he held important. Now for the sake of his honour he must try and put things right. That’s why he has just cheated at cards. He played to lose but the man he played with has a different agenda.
Lady Katherine Markham was the subject of a cruel jibe after two betrothals and no wedding. Now five years later she has decided to stay a spinster. Unfortunately her brother has plans to bring a friend home. Last time he did that she was humiliated again. She must act first.
Our hero has not had a particularly happy life and sees no way to change that.
Our heroine wants nothing more than to protect her family from more scandal. She would also protect herself from more heartache.
It can be embarrassing to be reading in a coffee shop and crying at the same time. (You get funny looks) That’s what happened to me when I was reading this, especially near the end. You can’t help but get involved in our characters emotions.
This book will certainly play on your sympathy. There is a grand romance to go with it though, so you will be sure to enjoy it all. I did.
Scandal in Spades by Wendy LaCapra is an outstanding historical romance. Ms. LaCapra has given us a book that is well-written and packed with amazing, lovable characters. I especially enjoyed the characters in this book. This is a fairly short read, perfect for those with limited reading time. Giles has a trifecta of titles behind his name, but they don’t mean much when you’ve learned you’re a bastard. Katherine was the key to his dilemma. Their story is packed with drama, humor, sizzle and a dash of angst. I loved this story from cover to cover and look forward to reading more from Wendy LaCapra in the future. Scandal in Spades is part of the Lords of Chance Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Too pornographic for my taste.