Ripe for Scandal

Ripe for Scandal by Isobel Carr 1020

Lady Boudicea "Beau" Vaugn has secretly wanted her brother, Leo's, best friend, Gareth Sandison, for years even while he has man-whored his way through half the women in the ton. Gareth has wanted Beau as well but she is Leo's little sister and he is far beneath her notice as the second son who is not destined to inherit anything. But Beau has a habit of getting into scrapes and when she is once again kidnapped by a rake who appears to want to marry her, her narrow escape threatens to ruin her reputation unless someone can save her. Gareth happens to be passing by and she clings to him as her savior, but both are concerned that they are taking advantage of the other for their own gain in finally getting the person they have longed for. Beau's family is horrified at this turn of events, believing that Gareth took advantage of her and Leo wastes no time in turning against Gareth and making sure that all their friends in the League of Second Sons refuse to have anything to do with him. Nevertheless both Beau and Gareth are determined to make the best of things as they head up to his secluded estate.

Their marriage gets off to a wonderful start as the two explore every wonder that the bedchamber offers and make plans to fix up the dilapidated house and woo the local stray dog into becoming a house pet. But when Gareth's older brother, Souttar, shows up with a little boy who is apparently Souttar's son from a secret marriage, Gareth is forced to pretend the child is his in order to avoid the scandal. Beau is distraught and upset with Gareth but that does not prevent her from falling in love with the boy, Jamie, and quickly developing a strong bond with him. Gareth suddenly finds himself on the outs with his wife for a crime he didn't commit and he desperately wants back into her good graces and he sets about wooing his wife, making nice with his "son," and trying to prove to her that he did not marry her out of necessity, but because he wanted her. When the people who tried to kidnap Beau before resurface it becomes clear that there is a very dark and sinister plot to ruin her and perhaps more and they must work together with their friends to save those they love and show how much they love each other.

Beau was kind of hard to get a handle on because she was strong and confident but she also was a bit naive when it came to men and her ability to hold her own against men who were after her for her money was too much to believe in a woman of that era. I did enjoy that she was comfortable with herself and had a good relationship with her family without allowing them to run roughshod all over her and that they obviously loved her. Gareth did not differ too much from a typical romance hero, which is not a bad thing in my opinion because there is a reason that type of male is the norm, except for his extreme dedication to his family. At times that dedication became irritating and I wanted to slap him, but it was also admirable and made sense because of who he was and made him seem both honorable and slightly ridiculous. I always like novels where characters have admired each other from afar because it adds a bit of extra angst and longing to the story, however, as usual, it also meant that I felt like I was missing part of the story behind them even though Carr did do a very good job providing backstory for them.

Their relationship progressed very well throughout the novel as they both worried that they were taking advantage of the other and that their feelings were not returned. They were obviously getting to know each other in a completely different way than they had previously known each other and I really liked reading that story. They had their ups and downs and they were so obviously happy together and worked well as a couple. The longing led to some great pent up lust that certainly exploded on the page; the sex was quite hot and really added to the story in my opinion even if there was one scene where he tried to use sex to control her. The added bonus of the child and protecting his family did add to the story because it gave them something more between them and showed off their true characters, but it was also a little worrying because I'm not a fan of men who have hidden children from their wives- even if it's not really his. The book moved incredibly fast and her writing style is fun and easy to read and Carr sets up the next book in the story really well without throwing her previous characters in our face.

Rating: A very fun book with two characters who had such a great relationship together, in bed and out, and a little extra problem thrown in.

Ripe for Pleasure

Ripe for Pleasure by Isobel Carr 523

Viola Whedon is one of the most celebrated courtesan's in London and has a reputation for being very picky with her lovers. Her fame only increased when she writes a tell-all memoir, but when she begins to write a second one, one of the featured men is quite worried that she will tell all about him. Leonidas Vaughn discovered letters written by an ancestor that hinted about a treasure hidden in the home that Viola now occupies. His cousin, Charles MacDonald, is determined to find the money no matter the cost because he has felt like an outsider in the Vaughn family his entire life. Leonidas too, wants the money, because, as a second son, he does not inherit the bulk of his families money and he needs money to keep Dryham, his horse breeding farm, afloat. He is more subtle than his cousin and the night Charles sends people in to Viola's house to ransack it, Leo is there to save her and Viola runs right into his arms. Viola believes it is her disgruntled ex-lover who is stalking her, and she agrees to be his lover in public in order for protection.

He is not her normal protector, and Leo has no intention of being just another man who buys her affection, he is convinced he can give Viola everything her former lovers can't. He claims that he will make her beg before he finally consummates their relationship and while she tries to resist him, it is not long before she does indeed beg. Their relationship is something neither of them expected to experience; they are coming to care for the other even while they do not believe their is any possibility that they can be mistress and protector, or anything more because of their stations in life. The closer they get the more Leo fears telling her why he originally wanted to meet her because he worries it will make her turn against him. But his cousin Charles has other plans and steps in before Viola can give voice to her feeling's for Leo and by then it might be too late for them to salvage what they once had together. His family will have to step up to the plate for both Leo and Viola to realize that it is more than possible that they can have a future together as long as they are willing to risk a scandal for love.

I am always a fan of books that feature a sexually active heroine, especially an unapologetic courtesan because it is such a turn away from the newly awakened virgin or the repentant and guilt ridden woman who was forced into a life of sin. Viola was amazing because she was a great courtesan, she admitted to at times enjoying the life she lead, and yet she wasn't entirely the happy fallen lady because she admits that it was a life she was forced into by circumstance. She is intelligent, she took charge of her own life, she stands up for herself, and she goes after what she wants in a forthright manner, but she is kind and cares for others. Leo is also a great character, if not as well developed as Viola, because he is a family man who looks our for his little sister, and he is willing to admit to and accept his growing feelings for Viola. I really felt like Viola and Leo worked so well together; they spent a lot of time together throughout the book and I liked that they had their arguments and handled them like adults and I liked that they seemed to just be on the same wavelength together.

There was quite a lot of sex in this book, as I expected in a book with this title and in a book about a former courtesan. It was incredibly hot and spread throughout the book and I liked that he was not intimidated or upset about her sexual past and that not a lot was made about his own sexual exploits. The plot involving the money was nicely done, simple and yet historical at the same time, and it remained an important part of the background that was essential, but did not overwhelm. It served as a nice addition to an already strong story involving their relationship. As usual I enjoyed the parts told from the point of view of the villain, Charles and he was quite an intriguing character. I was confused about the big deal made of how Leo was a second son and was a part of the "League of Second Sons." It seems like just an excuse for a new series of books, and while I have no problem with that, it just seemed odd because it was thrown in there every once in a while. I liked the writing style, the book was easy to read and fast, and did not drag on endlessly because it was on the short side- perfect for what it was.

Rating: A very enjoyable book with two great characters who had a well-developed and interesting relationship. I would definitely recommend this sexy book.