The Scandalous Flirt

During her debut season, Aurora was involved in a scandal that nearly ruined her family. Rushed off to the country, she’s made a life for herself with the new ‘limited’ options, even as her tendency to speak her mind hasn’t changed much. But, a new scandal threatens her family, and she’s brought back to London to see if she can’t find a solution. Hired as a companion to the suspected blackmailer’s mother, Aurora will be singularly placed to find the culprit. Lucas, newly minted Marquess of Dashell is struggling to keep things on track, with an heiress he’s courting and a rather mercenary approach to marriage and his own happiness being unimportant – he’s a bit of a cold fish, and not particularly engaging. But, it’s also very clear that he’s not the blackmailer that Aurora was led to believe, and their cooperation to find the real culprit is now aided and manipulated a touch by his mother and her aunt. The second I’ve read in this series – the references to Sleeping Beauty are far between and more emotional in nature – the two are closed off from their emotions. He’s believing that emotion has no part in his life, hers are rather immature and erratic – and the two together have some moments that are clever –but miscommunication, his bad behavior and the overall feeling that these two were thrust together without really establishing either as a viable primary character was the overwhelming feeling I was left with. Both Rory’s aunt and Lucas’ mother were far more intriguing as people, and their determination to see the best for the couple was apparent – if not always apparent to readers. Quick reading, solid descriptions and clever twists to unveil the blackmailer, this was a decent read, but not imbued with the feeling that would leave me believing that love would conquer the differences between them, or that they were meant to be together forever. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Full review appeared on Reader's Edyn on 9/8/17 ... Let me first say that when you find yourself loving the secondary characters just as much as the main characters, you have truly found a gem. Lady Dashell and Aunt Bernice almost stole the story … almost. They cracked me up and added such fun and wit – almost golden girls style. Nit picking on one another and spurring the other out of the doldrums. I just adored them! If my “favorite line” wasn’t any indication of their entertaining dry humor, then I don’t know what would be. Now Rory was a bit misguided and gullible to begin with. She trusts easily, which is a conundrum given her situation following ruination. But she also has a quick sense and picks up immediately on inconsistencies. I really enjoyed watching her blossom into the person she would have been had a lecherous liar-pants not succeed in ruining her first. But also, had that nasty situation not occurred, she would never have entertained a future with Lucas; hard nut to crack as he was. With Lucas, you have to get past the tough exterior and hone in on the brief instances when his guard isn’t quite as high as usual. And I do mean brief. But the transformation for Rory when she glimpses little snippets of who he really is, are truly heart-stopping. He’s the perfect example of living up to expectations, even if it means sacrificing his own happiness. The problem enters when it becomes love or money – he’s facing a massive financial deficit that only an heiress can pull him out of. Rory, having been disinherited after banishment, cannot help him with that predicament. I absolutely loved every moment of his book. In fact, I stayed up and finished it all at once, forgoing sleep for reading. We’ve all done it. This was one of those times where putting it down and coming back to it wasn’t even an option. Not even a thought. I truly fell in love with all of the characters save a couple. But I did come to understand their ways and had a bit of empathy by the end of the book. This book has absolutely everything I look for! A bit of mystery, strong characters, well developed personalities, the larger-than life secondary characters who add another wonderful dimension to the book, and of course romance with scorching passion! If you like the type of book that you won’t regret getting invested in, then you have come to the right place. Also fabulous is that this is the 6th book in the series, but given that it is my first read in this series and wit this author, it is also a perfect stand-alone. I will most definitely be reading the other 5 books and Ms. Drake has become an instant favorite. Do yourselves a favor, romance readers, and buy all of her books TODAY! Kindle version provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you love your romance with a twist on a fairy tale, this has all the feels: a "fairy godmother," a pair of shoes, a prick from a spinning wheel, a little bit of mystery, and a love meant to be. Aurora was caught in a compromising position and sent to live with her aunt in the north of England. Content to live her life as a spinster until one day an elegant lady calls her home to help her sister, solve a blackmail within her family, and gives her a pair of shoes to help. In her search to find the blackmailer, she finds herself a lady's maid to a man from her past--a cold-hearted man who barely talked to her when she was in her Season. Thrown together in the search, there's an attraction, but to marry her, he would not be able pay all of the debts his father left after death. They uncover a lot of truths, and have to find a way to each other's hearts, and only a short time to do it. A slow-burn romance with a fabled love! **received an ARC from Netgalley**