Lady of Scandal by Tina Gabriellereviewed by Cybil SolynSeptember 2009, 352 pages, Publisher: Zebra, ISBN: 1420108484 Back Cover Blurb: Victoria Ashton has intelligence and ambition - qualities of little value to most marriage-minded gentlemen of the ton. Her own father has no idea of Victoria's hidden life as an anonymous trader in London's stock market. But her hopes of independence are shattered when her father's enemy, Blake Mallorey, assumes Charles Ashton's debts and presents Victoria with a stark choice: live with him as his mistress for one year, or condemn her family to bankruptcy. For years Blake has dreamed of justice, and his scheme becomes all the sweeter when he sees the beauty that Victoria has become. Scoundrel he may be, but Blake will not force anyone into his bed. He intends to entice Victoria, one wicked kiss at a time. But with a woman as spirited and sensual as Victoria, seduction works both ways - and a plan rooted revenge can blossom into a scandalous passion...
I was excited to read Lady of Scandal. There is something wonderful about trying a new author, and the premise of a woman becoming a man's mistress for revenge is a plot I enjoy. Also, both our hero and heroine are smart. I like that. But by page 60 I was skimming the book and yelling at the pages. When I finally finished, I felt like a weight had been lifted because I hated the characters in this book. That's right I HATED them.
Victoria Ashton, our heroine, is supposed to be smart. She is really good with the stock market and has been making money secretly by placing her own investments under a false name. She wants to be independent and is trying to avoid marriage to a greedy, ugly, old, friend of the family. She is supposed to be kind and giving and is always bailing her brother out of his gambling debts. She does what her father tells her even though she doesn't agree with his business practices and thinks he is immoral and greedy. She's a freaking idiot!
Blake Mallorey watched his family get ripped apart when he was a young man. His father invested with Charles Ashton, Victoria's dad, and lost everything. Unable to live as a ruined man, his father kills himself leaving Blake and the rest of his immediate family to live in the poorhouse where Blake's mom dies, his sister becomes a whore. Blake eventually leaves for India to make a fortune through hard work and savvy investments. All he has thought about for years is returning to England to get revenge on Victoria's father. His grand revenge plot> Making Victoria become his mistress so he can ruin the Ashton name.
Oooohhhh, I'm so scared. Aren't you scared? I mean, that's his BIG revenge plan. Sigh. As you can see I was a bit upset by the lameness of this revenge considering the magnitude of destruction Charles Ashton caused. Also what the hell did Victoria do wrong? He admits many times over that he likes her and respects her so why use her for revenge when even all the other characters in the book keep saying Blake could ruin Ashton in many other ways?
Victoria used to have a huge crush on Blake, but since the falling out she hates him. Why? I haven't a clue. What I do know is she agrees to be Blake's mistress because her dad wants her to. Why does she agree to do what her creepy dad says? Once again I haven't a clue. She then proceeds to spy on Blake for her father. Why? Heck if I know!
So this is why I didn't like this book. Both characters had so much potential but nothing made sense. Blake keeps trying to protect Victoria's reputation, but she's mean to him for it. He doesn't touch her unless she allows it, and yet she doesn't trust him. No, she trusts her ruthless and evil father. And Blake obviously cares for Victoria, but I don't understand why when all she does is act cruelly towards him.
Bottom Line: This book had all the pieces of a good book, but none of them gel because our heroine seems TSTL and our hero seems emasculated.
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Cybil Solyn, csolyn@rakehell.com
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