Jun142011

BOOK REVIEW: ‘Whisper of Scandal’ by Nicola Cornick

by Carolyn • Posted in 4 Star Reviews, Authors A-D, Book Reviews, Historical Romance, Mira UK, Nicola Cornick, Reviews by Carolyn

Title: Whisper of Scandal (Scandalous Women of the Ton #1)

Author: Nicola Cornick

Publisher: Mira (UK) | Harlequin (US)

Publication Date: June 2011 (UK) | Sept 2010 (US)

Paperback: 362 pages

Genre: Historical Romance

Source: Review Copy

Reviewed by: Carolyn

RATING: 8/10 – brilliant, couldn’t put it down

SUMMARY:

One whisper of scandal and a reputation dies…London, May 1811. Widow Lady Joanna Ware has no desire to wed again but that doesn’t stop the flurry of suitors knocking on her door. Desperate to thwart another proposal, Joanna brazenly kisses Arctic explorer Alex, Lord Grant. Unable to deny the blazing attraction that flares, Joanna knows she’s just set the gossip mill turning. After suffering countless infidelities during her marriage, she’s accustomed to scandal.

But nothing prepares her for the shocking news that her deceased husband has bequeathed his illegitimate child to her and his friend Alex. As rumours run rampant in the ton, Joanna and Alex travel to the Arctic to claim the orphan. Battling blizzards, dangerous wild life, and a treacherous plot, Alex must protect Joanna but not before he wickedly seduces her…

REVIEW:

“Whisper of Scandal” is a meaty historical romance, with great plot and well defined characters. I liked the heroine straight away. Widowed Lady Joanna Ware is a complex character, as is the hero, but she is immensely likeable, whereas Lord Alex Grant is not. It took me quite some time to warm to him due to his arrogent, presumptuous and incredibly shallow manner, where he dislikes Joanna without knowing her and only goes on one person’s opinion.

From the first chapter, when Lady Joanna and Lord Alex meet and Joanna kisses him in the hope to disuade her dead husband’s cousin from his advances, I thought this was going to be a fairly light historical romance, but it wasn’t.

Joanna’s husband, an adventurer, dies while abroad and we are given glimpses into this horrid little man’s life and his treatment of Joanna as we read further into the novel, which helped me understand her and how much she has been through. So when Lord Alex Grant is nasty to her, all I want to do is box his ears! But luckily, Joanna is an intelligent and articulate woman and gives as good as she gets. At times, Joanna puts Alex in his place so much so, I wanted to fist pump the air and cry “Yes! Take that, you cad!”

Although I didn’t particularly like Alex for most of the book, he did begin to grow on me when he joined Joanna on a trip to the Arctic to bring home an orphaned child, and by the end of the novel, I loved him nearly as much as she did!

The secondary characters are also full of life, I specially liked Purchase, the captain of the boat Joanna charters for the long voyage. He’s so protective and so in love with Joanna he will do anything to protect her.

The only secondary character I didn’t like was Lottie Cummings – what a horrid woman. She proclaims to be Joanna’s best friend and yet had an affair with her husband, she’s incredibly grating and very shallow. She doesn’t grow or change a bit throughout the entire novel and then she betrays Joanna again. Why Joanna continues to be friends with her I don’t quite understand.

The dialogue between all the characters is well written and sharp, especially between Joanna and Alex. I really felt their dislike of each other, even though they simultaneously want to rip each other’s clothes off. Venom drips from their words which are, at times, hurtful and spiteful, and it was immensely enjoyable to read. The only thing I will say is this did go on for a bit too long in my opinion and became a touch frustrating.

However, overall the pacing is very good and I believed Joanna and Alex’s growing love. It isn’t too abrupt, everything happens at the right time, and Alex soon comes to his senses. The sex scenes are sensual rather than explicit and the romance builds wonderfully.

The ending is just swoon-worthy, and so romantic – I won’t give anything away, but let me just say, I now want to go on a long boat voyage to the Arctic and be swept off my feet by a Lord…

VERDICT:

A lovely historical romance with all the right ingredients. If you enjoy the love/hate relationship – and I do, it’s my favourite kind – then you will gobble this up. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series, ‘One Wicked Sin‘.