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    Do You Want to Start a Scandal
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    Do You Want to Start a Scandal
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    Do You Want to Start a Scandal
    Ebook318 pages4 hours

    Do You Want to Start a Scandal

    By Tessa Dare

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    On the night of the Parkhurst ball, someone had a scandalous tryst in the library.

    Was it Lord Canby, with the maid, on the divan? Or Miss Fairchild, with a rake, against the wall? Perhaps the butler did it.

    All Charlotte Highwood knows is this: it wasn’t her. But rumors to the contrary are buzzing. Unless she can discover the lovers’ true identity, she’ll be forced to marry Piers Brandon, Lord Granville—the coldest, most arrogantly handsome gentleman she’s ever had the misfortune to embrace.

    When it comes to emotion, the man hasn’t got a clue.

    But as they set about finding the mystery lovers, Piers reveals a few secrets of his own. The oh-so-proper marquess can pick locks, land punches, tease with sly wit . . . and melt a woman’s knees with a single kiss. The only thing he guards more fiercely than Charlotte’s safety is the truth about his dark past.

    Their passion is intense. The danger is real. Soon Charlotte’s feeling torn. Will she risk all to prove her innocence? Or surrender it to a man who’s sworn to never love?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateSep 27, 2016
    ISBN9780062349057
    Author

    Tessa Dare

    Tessa Dare is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of more than a dozen historical romances. A librarian by training and a book-lover at heart, Tessa makes her home in Southern California, where she shares a cozy, cluttered bungalow with her husband, their two children, and a pair of cosmic kittens.

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    Reviews for Do You Want to Start a Scandal

    4/5

    200 ratings18 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Once again, Dare sucks me in with her unconventional characters and romances. By chapter 3, I was completely hooked and did not want to put the book down. You feel the immediate chemistry of the characters, the way they acknowledge that much but refuse to consider anything further. The circumstances of their entanglement border on farce, which the heroine acknowledges. The mysteries are interesting and rewarding in the end. And the blossom into love is worth the wait. Very well played. I hope we see another book in this series for the best friend.
    • 4/5
      The youngest girl in the family is caught alone in the study with a wealthy marquess much to the happiness of her mother who is husband hunting for her at a country estate during a ball. Charlotte wants romance and love and Piers has a secret that must be kept hidden, he’s a government spy for the crown. Afraid of being exposed, he offers marriage and she’s determined to find out what makes him cold and aloof and he’s determined not to let her get into his heart.
    • 4/5
      Charlotte Highwood is the youngest and the last to get married of her sisters and her mother will do absolutely anything to ensure Charlotte marries well. Including take advantage of Charlotte being found alone with a Marquess in the library during a ball at the Parkhurst estate. But Charlotte is determined to marry for love, not to protect her honour and she's pretty sure Piers Brandon is completely incapable of the emotion.A solidly entertaining historical romance from Tessa Dare filled with her trademark humour. I particularly enjoyed a subtle Hamilton reference as well as one of the funnier "birds and the bees" talks I've seen in a while. If you're a Tessa Dare fan, this one will likely tickle your fancy.
    • 4/5
      4.3 stars

      What are you doing to me? He'd whispered.
      Charlotte had no idea. But whatever it was, he was doing it back.

      Spoiler Alert: I like wallflowers and broody dudes. :) So, of course I liked this one. The way our hero was bamboozled by the heroine gets me every time. I would have liked to feel a bit closer to Piers, for some reason his background felt a bit underdeveloped, rushed or not delved into enough.
      Charlotte was so open, honest, and willing to get her man; I quite delighted in her. I would have liked her relationship with Delia to be focused, shown more to further develop her character.

      "What if I told you I know the risks, and I'm willing to take my chances?"
      "It wouldn't change a thing. Those walls, as you call them…They're part of me now, and they are iron strong." He lifted a hand to her face, skimming his thumb over her lower lip. "Even if I wished to, I wouldn't know how to dismantle them."
      "I know," she said quietly. "I know." She wreathed her arms around his neck. "That's why you need me. I'm going to burn them to the ground."

      These two were spine tingling at times and plain fun to read about. The setting stayed stagnant as they were at a house party which kind of made their developing relationship feel less rounded out but their chemistry helped patch over some of the overall missing elements of the story.

      This was fun, romantic, and heavier fluff at times, a Regency to delightfully pass the time.
      romance
    • 4/5
      Do You Want to Start a Scandal
      4.5 Stars

      Charlotte Highwood, undeservedly dubbed the desperate debutant, cannot take any more damage to her reputation. But when she and Lord Piers Brandon are mistaken for an unknown pair of lovers, Charlotte is determined to unmask the real culprits before she is forced to marry a man with a dark past and a cold heart, even if he does make her knees melt.

      Series note:For those who prefer reading in order, this is a crossover book between two series, Spindle Cove (the heroine is the youngest Highwood sister) and Castles Ever After (the hero is the elder Brandon brother). Nevertheless, the book can be read as a standalone although the various siblings do put in an appearance.

      An absolutely delightful read from the initial setup until the final scene. The romance is light with very little angst, some laugh out loud moments and a lot of lust.

      Charlotte and Piers are a classic case of opposites attract. He is dark, brooding and stoic; a man dedicated to duty and responsibility. In contrast, Charlotte is vivacious, forthright and leads with her heart. Despite their claims to the contrary, they are each exactly what the other needs. Charlotte forces Piers to open himself up to emotion while Piers brings some much needed calm to Charlotte's more exuberant nature. Their verbal sparring is engaging and their physical interactions are sizzling hot.

      The only problem is the mystery, which has such excellent build up of tension and suspense, but ends up being rather unsatisfying. It could have so much better if one particularly obnoxious and annoying character had turned out to be the villain.

      All in all, a sweet and funny story with charming characters. However, it is not recommended for anyone interested in some heavier and more serious historical fare.
    • 4/5
      Opposites attract

      I have loved the Castles Ever After series. Each one stands on its own, and despite feeling all through this one that I'd read it before (I hadn't), I loved it again.
    • 5/5
      It has been a gorgeous couple of days after a seemingly endless and brutal winter, and I have spent much of the last couple of days hiking with this audiobook as my companion. Today I saw someone looking at me oddly as I was walking. I looked down to see if I has a stain on my shirt, rubbed my nose, and then I realized what was drawing the stare. I was smiling, Not a little but a big glowing grin. What more could I possibly have asked for from this book. Funny, charming, smutty fun. Best in class.
    • 5/5
      After finished reading this novel, I can see why it was chosen as 2017 RITA finalist in historical romance category.
    • 5/5
      When Charlotte goes to warn Piers about her match-making mother and they are trapped in a compromising situation because of another couple, the resulting mystery is a wonderful romp. Charlotte and Piers are an amusing, lovable couple. Piers is very self-contained while Charlotte is open and intelligent. When she decides to help him in his work (he's a government spy), all hell breaks loose. I love that Piers lets Charlotte be herself since that isn't really his personality. This was a fun book to read and I love the way it all worked out.
    • 5/5
      4.5 "Scandals, Spies, and a Determined Heroine" Stars!A fun and enjoyable listen. The heroine marches to her own beat and pulls no punches ultimately quite unwillingly capturing the attention and pursuit of a Marquess who secretly is a spy and who is determined not to fall in love. However, the more he sets his sights on a marriage of convenience with the heroine, the deeper he falls for her unknowing spell as the heroine works tirelessly to solve a mystery that may mean the difference between her freedom or a loveless marriage of convenience. Can a HEA possibly ensue under the circumstances, when both the hero and heroine are striving hard not to pursue it? I devoured this little gem of a historical romance in a little less than a day. If you are looking for a sweet romance with a touch of suspense, then Do You Want to Start a Scandal may just be the book you're looking for. Source: Library Copy.
    • 4/5
      It's rare that I want to spend more time with the characters of a romance novel, but Piers and Charlotte were just so delightful as a couple that I wanted to follow along on the rest of their life together.
    • 4/5
      4.5 stars - always love a Tessa Dare book that involves one of the Highwoods. Thought this was clever and enjoyed the chemistry between Charlotte and Piers.
    • 3/5
      Very light, kind of silly (in a good way), and a pleasing romance. I didn't realize it was part of a larger arc (spindle cove), so I might have gotten more out of it in context, but on the whole, very nice.
    • 5/5
      This felt way more like a Castles Ever After book than a Spindle Cove one (though obviously, it has at least one character from each of the series. I gave all the CEA books a 4 or 5 star rating, and the SC ones were all 3s or 4s for me. I found this one delightful.

      2nd read- I gave it a full 5 the first time, but on second read I think it's more of a 4.5 rounded up. The heroine really is kind of a silly person, and the events are more comical as well. The human element though, the inner longing of wanting someone to help look out for you, and wanting to be accepted for who you really are, were done very well. Their deeper emotions made a lot of sense given their characters and circumstances.
    • 3/5
      A fun romp, with a little more rumpy-pumpy than usual. I especially enjoyed the spying and the detective work - lots of nice little twists.
    • 4/5
      What I liked:
      The writing is exquisite and the story keeps moving. The relationship feels very believable. The romance develops in time. The heroine's mother is a wonderful character.

      What I didn't:
      Some of the explanations near the end for the mystery didn't quite make sense to me. Also, Piers does something dangerous that seems like it would endanger the heroine, which is what he's been freaking out about.
    • 4/5
      Summary: Charlotte is visiting her friend at a house party. Her mother is also in attendance and keeps trying to get Charlotte married off. The man currently in her mothers sights is Piers. Charlotte meets Piers in the library to warn him about her mother. Another couple enters the library so Charlotte and Piers hide. The other couple proceeds to get romantic and are overheard. Unfortunately, Charlotte and Piers appear caught in a compromising position as the couple had managed to exit the room moments before discovery. Charlotte's mother insists the couple must become engaged and Piers agrees. Charlotte doesn't want to marry Piers and decides that if they can just find out who the actual romantic couple is then they can escape a potentially loveless marriage. My rating:4/5 starsThis is book 4 in the Castles Ever After Series and also part of the Spindle Cove series. I have read one other Spindle Cove book and all three of the previous Castles Ever After. I do feel like I would have understood this book better if I had read more of the Spindle Cove books. I liked the idea of this being a crossover but I also felt it was difficult to follow certain aspects if you haven't read the other books. I would not recommend this as anyone's first read of Tessa Dare.I am a huge fan of Tessa Dare. This book has all the humor and witty dialogue that make Tessa Dare books so fun to read. Every book I have read by this author, to date, has been a fun read and Do You Want to Start a Scandal was no exception. I really enjoyed my time with this book and these characters.Also, Tessa Dare is phenomenal about writing bedroom scenes. They are just the right level of steamy but they aren't so graphic as to be distasteful (as sometimes happens with romance).I didn't feel that Charlotte has the same depth as the other women in the Castles Ever After series which disappointed me. She felt young. I don't recall whether she was late teens or early twenty but I couldn't relate to her as well as the older more mature characters in the rest of the series. I generally liked Piers. There were a few things that annoyed me with Piers such as his interest in Charlotte initially being just about her beauty. Also, a few things he does in the book were understandable but extreme ways of dealing with situations. The mystery subplot ended in a way I found disappointing though it was very much in line with what one tends to expect from the historical romance genre. Overall I loved the writing, had some issues with the characters, and wasn't in love with the plot. However, Tessa Dare is an incredible writer and I can't recommend her books enough. They are such a joy to read. I don't think this is a good first Tessa Dare to pick up but I think it is nice if you have read Say Yes to the Marquess because it picks up on Piers story and I was glad to know what happened to him. If you like romance I recommend Tessa Dare. So far I haven't read a single book by her that I really didn't like.
    • 5/5



      5/8/2020
      “Don’t be alarmed,” she said, closing the door behind her. “I’ve come to save you.”
      When you can't keep straight the names of Dare's books, an essay. (Ok not really)

      So I knew I read this once, that I've read it twice makes so much sense on why I remembered so much. I literally just grabbed one off the library hoping it was what I needed, it turns out it's probably very close to one of my favorites, and never ever have I appreciated it more than I do when it's really one of the only things that's distracted me this week. Have I mentioned I don't think there's anything better than house party historicals?

      Seeing that this is becoming one of my go to comfort reads, it's probably time to purchase it to leave Piers and Charlotte to someone else to fall in love with. Also, I'm just gonna bump it up bc I don't think reading something 3 times is a 4.
      _______
      Solidly in the top quartile...

      I read this a year ago, and hilariously, forgot a lot of it. Not that it wasn't memorable, but that my memory for books is THAT flimsy. I hadn't forgotten the dialogue though. Whew.

      Original Review:

      I maybe stayed up far too late loving every second of this delightful book. The dialogue and push and pull, the WONDERFUL heroine’s courage and demands for her own life. The broody yet fun hero’s actions were so sweet...I’m not sure why I’m not giving it a 5. It’s a 4.5 for me, and an really solid one. Maybe I’m just spoiled lately.