Book Review: A Beastly Scandal

A Beastly Scandal

Fairytale-inspired Regency romances

Book 1 of 4
Shereen Vedam

Genre: Regency Romance

Publisher: ImaJinn Books

ISBN: 978-1-61026-124-1

Number of pages:  216

Word Count: 90,000

Cover Artist: Josephine Piraneo

Book Description:

A BELLE OF THE BALL…

Lady Annabelle Marchant was a belle of the ball in London until she used her psychical senses to save a man’s life.  She failed miserably, leaving him dead and her disgraced.  All she wants now is a chance to comfort his widow by cleansing the woman’s home of her husband’s restless spirit.  But the widow’s son, the beastly Lord of the Manor, accuses her of coming to the wilds of Cheshire to snag him as a husband.  Thoroughly disgusted, she is bent on proving him wrong.

…BECOMES PERSONA NON-GRATA…

Lord Rufus Marlesbury, the Earl of Terrance, is suspected of murdering his father.  He has come home to clear his name by finding the real killer before the new year or the king has promised that Rufus will be called in front of the House of Lords to answer for the crime.  He does not have time to waste fending off a marriage-minded miss who has inveigled an invitation to his home by playing on his grief-stricken mother’s worst fears.

…WHEN A MURDERER IS ON THE RAMPAGE

With an unruly manor ghost terrorizing the occupants and corpses piling up in the village, Belle must find a way to see the man beneath the beast and Rufus must learn to believe in the love of a woman who has no reason to trust him.  Only by working together can they stop a vengeful ghost before it torments the guests or before the killer strikes again.

Review:  This was really a unique Regency. It is full of characters that are very easy to love even if they may infuriate you for a time. (Lord Rufus, you know I'm talking about you).

Belle is a sweet heroine, and I loved her ability to communicate with ghosts and her easy friendship with Earnest, Lord Rufus' dog (who likes her better than him.)

For a short book, just over 200 pages, I did find the plot to be a bit slow at times. I wanted the action to more a bit more quickly with the ghost, or Belle and Rufus' relationship to heat up. (Well not too hot, I know this is a regency)

But though the story didn't move quite fast enough for my liking, I did love this book and many of the scenes, especially around Christmas and The Parkers. It was heartwarming to watch Rufus turn from Lord Terror to the much loved Lord Of The Manor, or perhaps on a more humorous vein, watch as the stick is removed from his backside, and Rufus becomes a more human and down to earth sort of guy.

He's a character, that even when you want to shake him, you love him, much like Belle.

The other thing that made this book so wonderful to read were the secondary characters, his aunt and cousin, as well as Lady Terrance and his sister Susie were so well written that you felt like you knew them or wanted to know them. You really felt their emotions, almost as much as you did those of the main characters.

The villain however was a bit disappointing. As soon as this character (and I'm not naming names..cos spoilers aren't nice) is introduced, you know he's the killer...you just have to wait and see how things transpire, and that's where the story drags.

This was a different sort of regency and that was refreshing. I always love stories with ghosts. They liven things up.  I look forward to reading the next book in this series

Rating: 4 flowers