Barbara

When Love Leads To Scandal by Sophie Barnes

Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Townsbridges #1
Publication Date: 2/19/19
Number of Pages: 81

This short novella was a lovely introduction to the Townsbridges. It is a refreshing change because all three of the families involved in the story are loving and supportive from the parents on down. I liked the Townsbridge family but would have liked getting a little better feel for each of the siblings. Charles is heir to Viscount Roxley and he has four siblings — two younger brothers, James and William as well as two sisters, Sarah and Athena. You will absolutely love Athena and she might become your favorite character. I did expect a hint and/or a set-up for the next book to be contained in this book, but I didn’t see it. I also hope Robert gets his eyes opened and a HEA in a future book.

Charles loves his early morning walks in the park. There are few people there at that time and those that are aren’t paying any attention to him. He is startled when he hears a commotion and sees a young lady running toward him yelling, “My bonnet! Please, please, please, stop my bonnet!” Charles takes a slight jog to the left, saves the bonnet and meets the most intriguing young lady. Who is she? He can’t quit thinking about her. A few days later he has the answer to that question. She is the betrothed of his best friend Robert.

I’m not sure what to make of Robert. I have a hard time picturing a man like Charles being best friends with the sort of man Robert appears to be. I certainly can’t picture the kind of loyalty that Charles displays to him. There are hints about the reason Robert behaves as he does and I’ll be excited to see if he gets his own book so that we can maybe understand a little better.

Lady Bethany Andrews is the daughter of an Earl and her mother is American. She’s vivacious, joyful and loves life. She is amazed that she’s managed to become suitably betrothed even before her first season begins. Of course, she owes that to the close confines of a ship as she and her parents return from a family visit to America. But then – she met that intriguing man in the park – too bad she didn’t meet him first because he makes her heart race and her skin tingle. Oh well, too late now. She wasn’t expecting to marry for love.

Bethany and Charles fight their attraction and each is determined that nothing will come of it, but it is so hard when they are constantly thrown together. The tension is palpable and the author does an excellent job of showing their turmoil and resolve not to hurt Robert or cause a scandal.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable read, but I would have liked it to be just a little longer so I could get to know the Townsbridges a little better – I didn’t even get a real feel for their ages. I love how loving and loyal they are to each other.

I can certainly recommend it as an excellent read.

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“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”

Book blurb: London, 1812. At a fashionable address in leafy Mayfair, a far cry from Detective Stephen Lavender’s usual haunts, a man is found dead in his room. He has been brutally stabbed, but the door is locked from the inside and the weapon is missing.

The deceased is David MacAdam, an Essex businessman with expensive tastes. As Lavender and Constable Ned Woods travel between London and Chelmsford seeking to understand MacAdam’s final hours and unearth the grisly truth, they uncover a tangled web of deceit behind his stylish facade. The unusual circumstances of MacAdam’s death are nothing compared to the shady nature of his life and it seems the house on Park Lane is at the heart of a dark conspiracy.

But when a second body turns up, everything they think they’ve learned is thrown into doubt. Can Lavender and Woods find out who’s behind these shocking murders before more lives are ruined?

Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Detective Lavender #5
Publication Date: 2/12/19
Number of Pages: 313

This series just keeps getting better and better. The characters are wonderful, the writing is outstanding and the plots keep you guessing to the very end! You can read this as a stand-alone, but to appreciate the full richness of the characters and their relationships, you really need to begin at the beginning.

Stephen Lavender is a Principal Officer at Bow Street and he works with Constable Ned Woods in his investigations. Sir Richard Allison is a renowned physician who works with Bow Street on occasion. He is arrogant and expects to be treated like royalty whenever he deigns to work with Bow Street. So, imagine Lavender’s shock when Sir Richard requests his assistance on a case. It is right down Lavender’s alley. The victim, David MacAdam, was found in a room that was locked from the inside, the window was warped and couldn’t be opened and there were no other possible points of entry. It couldn’t be suicide because there was no murder weapon to be found.

Suspects abound and the victim isn’t what he appears to be. None of the witnesses are telling the truth – some are outright lying and others are omitting vital pieces of information. Lavender definitely has his work cut out for him with this one.

When a second victim turns up, it complicates the case even further. Of course, there are personal worries and complications as well – Lavender is awaiting the birth of his first child and Ned is concerned about his weight and takes extreme measures to fix it.

The suspects will blow your mind – you have everything from aristocrats to con artists to loan sharks. What they get up to will keep you flipping the pages as fast as you can to see what happens next.

Definitely a good read!

Flippin' Pages Book Reviews

Author: Barbara

When Love Leads To Scandal by Sophie Barnes

Murder in Park Lane by Karen Charlton

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