Spinster and poor relation Dorothea Hindley is in London for one reason: to help launch her cousin into society, something that would be a great deal easier if Dorothea’s aunt hadn’t revived a long-standing feud with the mother of a viscount. The best Dorothea can expect for herself is a dreary marriage to a vicar. But in trying to keep her family from becoming the laughingstocks of London, … Dorothea finds a surprising ally in the viscount himself.Martin Drayton, Viscount Abernathy, can’t afford the distraction of the ancient feud his mother insists on reviving. King George III lies mad at Windsor Castle and Martin is involved in supporting the Prince of Wales’ cause in the Regency Bill. But when he enlists Dorothea’s help to cool the flames of the feud, their undeniable attraction simply adds fuel to the fire.Marrying a viscount never entered Dorothea’s head. But a moonlit kiss could lead to a scandal neither of them can afford. Can the accidental viscountess and her unexpected husband get their families to stop feuding long enough to save both the monarchy and their marriage?
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I couldn’t put this book down! What wonderful realistic characters with believable conflicts that kept me glued to the pages to the very end. Looking forward to more regency romance books from this author.
Dorothea is an poor relation who is helping her aunt launch her cousin in to society. There is a long-standing feud between her aunt and Lady Abernathy who has a daughter she’s also launching in society. Lady Abernathy’s son and Dorothea try working together to get the feud ended between the two families. They end up getting caught kissing and end up marring
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A very interesting storyline regarding the politics of the day and I really liked how the author focused more on how Dorothea and Martin had to adjust to married life without actually getting to know each other. Marriage is not just attraction and desire but there also has to be a mutual like and respect for each other to make everything work as the two have to discover for themselves. I will be reading more from this author!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Book one in the Just a Touch of Scandal series, by an Author I have not read before. This is Dorothea Hindley and Viscount Abernathy, Martin Drayton, his sister Cecilia, and the man Cecilia loves Sir Roger Phipps, the Dowager Lady Abernathy’s story. At times Martin and his Mother made me want to scream. I want to read the next book in the series. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is my first time reading something by Ms. Kinkead and it was a very charming read. Dorothea and Martin were strong and endearing characters. Their chemistry was undeniable and they definitely had a great connection. It was nice how the author also focused on Dorothea and Martin adjusting to their married life, as it’s not all about desire and lust. The author did a great job of bringing that time period and the characters to life. It was an entertaining and enjoyable read, and I will surely be looking for more of Ms. Kinkead’s books to read!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
More About a Hideous Mother-in-Law Than the Romance
I love a good Regency, as it is my favorite romance sub-genre. The premise of this sounded good, but unfortunately, for me, it missed the mark completely. I found the beginning scene confusing with all these unfamiliar people whose names I didn’t know or recognize yet and this terrible tension and bad blood that I just didn’t understand. While I don’t like info dumps in stories, sometimes authors can go to the other extreme. And then there is the compromise and subsequent marriage.
The biggest problem with the book, I think, is that the focus really shifted after the marriage. Except for the wedding night, I don’t really feel like the bulk of the book after the marriage focuses on the couple at all. It seemed like it focused more on the horrid relationship between the viscountesses. His mother was just awful—an old biddy unwilling to gracefully transition to her role as dowager countess—and he wasn’t man enough to stand up to her often enough or defend and support his wife. Ugh. It seemed to me that these two women were just in too many scenes together far too often, sometimes with a buffer and sometimes not.
But to me, it felt as if there were zero romance in this romance. I have read, of course, many Regency compromise stories. The couples do go through an adjustment period, slowly learning about each other, but over the course of the book, they manage to fall in love. That’s why we read these types of books! But that doesn’t happen in this story. We see no build to their relationship. Frankly, they actually have to be on the page together more often than they were in this book for that to happen. If I want to read a book about hideous in-laws, Regency romance is not the place I look… because I’m there for the romance. That belongs in a family drama book, not in a romance—at least not to this extent, where it felt like it completely overshadowed everything from the midpoint on. I did find the backdrop of the history of the Regency Bill to be interesting. I just wish there was actually some romance and love in this book. If you like your Regency romances to have an actual romance, steer clear of this book.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
ONE LANDSLIDE OF DOUBLE TROUBLE!!!
Holy haints! Caro drags the skeletons out into the light, ratcheting up the zeal and gusto as tempers flare, old wounds reopen and feuds regain momentum, wrapping this little gem up sleek, shiny and tight. Anarchy, escapades and havoc run amuck, booting this gem into a tempest, bursting it into a frenzy with an eye-opening culmination. Sparks fly as drama, turmoil, intrigue, spiraling suspense and intense situations along with a boatload of chaos, you have one block busting experience. Crazy mishaps and surprising circumstances, showcase the taxing trials and challenging tribulations, stumbling through the stunning twists and wicked turns, putting our characters through their paces, testing them in ways they never saw coming. Amazing scenario’s that punch dead center with such intensity and unnerving precision, catapulting this gem with unforseen impacts, blowing this baby wide open. Dynamics and countenance in layer upon layer that you peel back with each page your drawn into this web so deep until everything else ceases to exist. The characters are complex and authentic with depth and traits that blend and flow, transforming into genuine relatable personalities. The scenes are strikingly sharp with abundant details and depictions creating a colorful backdrop that makes the storyline pop. Amazing job Caro, thanks for sharing this little guy with us.