Caroline Linden – Flippin' Pages Book Reviews

How to Get Away with Scandal by Caroline Linden

Tracy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: Scandalous #5

Release Date: January 12, 2026

After two disastrous, unwanted marriages, Evangeline, Countess of Courtenay, is now widowed and has decided that marriage is not for her. Unfortunately, after the death of her last husband, she was left with a tarnished reputation and hasn’t helped matters by skirting scandal more than once. Despite that, she is content with her life and at 42, she thinks her life is pretty much settled, but that was before she met handsome and much younger Swiss explorer Sir Richard Campion and spent a wonderful night with him, before sneaking out in the morning. She thinks that is the end of it and that her night with him will just be a lovely memory, yet four years later they meet again when he moves in next door to her.

When Sir Richard Campion met Evangeline, he was captivated by her and wanted her more than any woman he ever met. They spend one amazing night together, and he is ready to stay in London rather than leave on a planned expedition. However, the choice to stay is taken away when he wakes up the next morning and she is gone and no one will tell him where to find her. He leaves on what should be a year-long journey and, thanks to the war, doesn’t return for four years. But as luck would have it, he meets her again and they pick up where they left off. But some things haven’t changed like he wants forever and she is determined to spend forever as a widow.

I was really excited for a new book in this series, especially with characters we met years ago in the first book. Sadly, I just didn’t enjoy this story as much as I have the other books in the series. Evangeline and Richard are wonderful, complex characters and I was delighted to read about an older couple. I just found myself bored, Evangeline’s refusal to consider marriage got old, especially after they had been together for so many years and the story just dragged until the “third act” breakup scene and then Richard’s change of heart. Overall, this was a sweet, second-chance at love romance with a mature couple and a happy ending, and while it wasn’t the story I was hoping for, it was a nice read, nonetheless.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

Fortune Favors the Viscount by Caroline Linden

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Wagers of Sin, #4

Release Date: June 27, 2023

Miss Emilia “Millie” Greene is desperate, her former employer has passed away with no heir, leaving a penniless estate and his young daughter. Emilia is concerned for Lucinda, but it isn’t until she learns that the man the Viscount left guardianship to is none other than her former betrothed, that she knows there is no way she can leave Lucy in his care and decides to find an heir. She begins to search and finds Nicholas Dashwood – now she just has to go to London and convince him to claim the title and take Lucinda as his ward. It should be easy – because really, what man wouldn’t want a title?

Nicholas “Nick” Dashwood is the owner of the popular gaming hell Vega Club. He is a self-made man, who is rich, mysterious, and perfectly content with his life. But that was before he met Miss Emilia Greene, a governess who is sure that Nick is actually the only heir of the late Viscount Sydenham and therefore the next of kin to her young charge, Lucinda Sidney. Nick has no desire to claim the title, but Emilia is relentless and refuses to let Nick dismiss her out of hand. Against his better judgment, Nick agrees to hear her claims and grudgingly agrees that being elevated to the peerage would benefit his sister. He agrees to look at the evidence she has gathered and will consider filing a claim to the title if she will become his sister’s governess. He even agrees to support Lucy and house them, especially when he learns whom Lucy’s father named as her guardian. He is almost sure that he is not the heir, but has his solicitor look into it. Now he just has to make sure none of this changes anything in his life and ignore the growing attraction he is feeling for Emilia.

What a great addition to the series! This book is well-written, nicely paced, and features a slow-burn romance between relatable and likable characters. The story is filled with secrets, past betrayals, awful families, longing, danger, steamyish love scenes, trust, more danger, a nasty villain, wonderful secondary characters, as well as cameos with former characters, and finally, a HEA that warms your heart. I loved this book, but I did feel like I was left with some unanswered questions, nothing really major or anything that would change the story, but unanswered questions nonetheless. This is the fourth book in the series and I thought it was the last book, but now I’m not really sure if that is the case or not. Either way, this book could be read as a standalone title with no problem, but do yourself a favor and read the series in order.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

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