Scandal & Scoundrel Book 1
Miss Sophie Talbot stows away in the carriage of Kingscote, the roguish Marquess Of Eversley, after causing another scandal for her family, newly elevated to the aristocracy.
Kingscote, or King, is racing home to his dying father in order to complete his final act of vengeance against the man who destroyed all his happiness.
On the way, Sophie is shot and King takes it upon himself to ensure she arrives safely at her destination and avoid her family, who are now hunting for her.
I like Sophie, she is labelled as the boring, untalented, bookish sister, of which she has three others. She despises the snobbery of the aristocracy and wants nothing to do with them.
King behaves like a jerk. He is quite horrid to Sophie, but I urge readers to look past this and pay attention to the reason behind his actions. He fancies Sophie, but he fights it every step of the way for he no longer feels he deserves to be happy, and blames himself for the death of his lost love. This is why I believe he is horrid to her. He tries to push her away with his dismissive behaviour. Sophie manages to see beyond it to the real King beneath. Should she have demanded more grovelling before she forgave him? Hmmm…
The majority of this story takes place in a carriage on the road north, but it is not lacking in amusing and adventurous situations. The dynamics between the characters are witty and charming and keep the story ticking over nicely. Not to mention, being stuck in close quarters, alone, allows for some pretty steamy interactions.
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Feels: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
