SOMETHING SCANDALOUS

Author: Christie Kelley ISBN: 9781420108767 4/2010 HISTORICAL Publisher: KENSINGTON ZEBRA
Time Period: 1817 England

Raised as the youngest daughter of the Duke of Kendal, Elizabeth learns a devastating truth on his deathbed: he wasn’t her father at all. And because the Duke had no sons, his title and fortune must go to his only male heir: a distant cousin who left England for America long ago. Anticipating the man’s imminent occupation of her home, Elizabeth anxiously searches for her mother’s diary, and the secret of her paternity… Arriving in London with his seven siblings, William Atherton intends to sell everything and return to his beloved Virginia farm, and his fiancée, as quickly as possible. But as Elizabeth shows William an England he never knew, and graciously introduces his siblings to London society, it becomes clear the two are meant for each other. Soon, Elizabeth finds herself determined to seduce the man who can save not only her family name, but her heart…

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Christie Kelley’s SOMETHING SCANDALOUS is a romantic romp that is sure to entertain. I immediately fell in love with the characters in this story, and I believe others will also. It is a tale of love, acceptance, and finding oneself—even if it requires digging deep to uncover the hidden past.

Elizabeth is being evicted from her home, and her only hope for the future lies with discovering her past. She searches desperately for a hidden diary her mother kept, certain that within its pages she will find the truth about the father she did not know. What she finds, both in her father’s journal as well as in her mother’s own hand, is a tale that is both shocking and revealing. It portrays the people who raised Elizabeth in a whole new light—and it illuminates more about her past than she expects.

The man who comes to sell his inheritance and wash his hands of his whole British heritage finds himself unexpectedly drawn to Elizabeth. It does not matter that he has a tenuous relationship back in America; Will cannot help how he feels whenever he is near Elizabeth. It is not until his American fiancée does something drastic that he is forced to acknowledge the facts of his own heart.

I love the way Elizabeth embraces her past. When others might run from the truth, she is strong enough to face the realities of the hand she’s been dealt. She is also smart enough to see what really matters—and what doesn’t. Fortunately, Will is like-minded, and together they make a formidable team.

With engaging characters, an intriguing plot, and a writing style that brings the words right off the page, SOMETHING SCANDALOUS is one for the keeper shelf. Well done!

Kay James