"A Touch Of Scandal" Review

"A Touch of Scandal"
by Jennifer Haymore

Source: sent for review by Hachette

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

My Review:

Kate Fisk is forced by her family to be a maid in her brother's home. Between those duties and caring for her sickly young brother, Reggie, Kate never has time for herself. Until she spots the handsome stranger in her special spot, the pool between her brother's house and the abandoned manor where she lives with her mother and Reggie. She feels like the stranger has been sent from Mt. Olympus and she isn't even sure if he's real. But when he spots her spying on him and introduces himself, she realizes that reality is better than any fantasies she's made up about him. Garrett doesn't trust anyone anymore. Not even the seemingly innocent girl that his heart keeps telling him to trust. The two of them fall in love against all reason and before learning who the other really is. Little do they know how entwined their lives really are.

I loved the feeling of love at first sight at the beginning of the story. It felt really natural and real to me and had a sense of innocence about it that I really liked. Garret and Kate both had a lot of baggage. Garrett was already divorced and had a child, and Kate was responsible for Reggie. This didn't matter when they were together, it seemed like they could beat any odds against them.

I really liked Garrett's sister, Rebecca and can't wait to read her story next. She was very frail and delicate on the outside, but whenever it was needed, she mustered up everything she had to get the job done.

The only thing that kept this book from being a five star read for me was the long period of separation for Garrett and Kate. I wanted to read more about their interactions with each other, because they were so sweet together. But instead, they spent a lot of time pining away for each other.

I tried to read the first book from Haymore when it was released, but quit reading soon after I started. After the first scene, I felt like it was going to be erotica (which isn't my cup of tea) instead of historical romance. But this book never seemed over the top in that regard, so now I'm going to go back and give "A Hint of Wicked" another try. Although, that book involves a love triangle with Garrett and I have a feeling I'm going to have a soft spot for him over the hero of that book.


Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 5/5
Setting: 4/5
Romance: 4/5 (definitely a true love conquers all story)
Uniqueness: 4/5
Cover: 4/5 (pretty but the step-back is better :))
Writing: 4/5


Bottom Line: If you are in the mood for a sweeping, dramatic, 'true love conquers all' type of story, I highly recommend this one. It really stands out from the crowd.