Scandal Of The Year: Abandoned At The Altar by Laura Lee Guhrke
Rated 2.5 out of 5 White Roses.
Content rated with the Pale Pink Rose.
Julia knew that the only way to escape her husband and the sham of a marriage she was stuck in, is for her husband to find her in a state of deshabille with another man. Julia also realized that the best candidate to be found in such a scandal with is none other than Aidan Carr, the Duke of Trathen. So when she was finally granted a divorce she showed no remorse whatsoever to society who was shocked and appalled by her behavior. She had her freedom. Her only regret was the humiliation Aidan had to endure so she can be free.
Aidan is, for the third time, looking for a wife. Twice jilted, he’s now a bit… well… hesitant to jump back into the fray. His first fiancé left him for her true love. Then the fiancé after that broke off the engagement after the scandal with Julia broke out. So now, he’s as ready as he’ll ever be, to hop back into that marriage mart and look for a suitable bride fit for a duke. But while Julia is definitely the farthest thing from “suitable”, Aidan finds himself constantly thinking about her and no one else.
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I actually found it very difficult to finish this story. It was actually a bit bland and didn’t really hold my interest. Not to say that the writing wasn’t well done, I just couldn’t find a way to immerse myself in the story. Many times I felt the urge to just skip to the end. And that’s not how a book should be read. A reader should look forward to each and every word and I just didn’t find that with Scandal of the Year.
There are also some contradicting points in the story that were a bit confusing. Julia was in an abusive marriage and yes, women at that time had very little they could do about the situation. But then she went from abused woman desperate for an escape (which any reasonable woman can understand) to manipulative, chain-smoking, devilish vixen. I could not find myself liking her as a heroine.
Then there was Aidan. He’s a very nice and decent man who is such a gentleman that he will not snub Julia even though a part of him wants to do so. He is so nice that he even hires her to help him find a bride. But the part that is confusing is that he spent so much time angry for what happened between the two of them that when she actually reveals the truth of the situation, he has no problem accepting it.
I am sure to some this book was marvelous and that’s perfectly fine. But Scandal of the Year did not float my literary boat.
Hugs,
The Lustrous Courtesan
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Scandal of the Year: Abandoned at the Altar
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