A Scandalous Lady [Mass Market Paperback]

If this novel had been published in the 1880's, it would have been called a penny dreadful. Nowadays, we call it a romance--and it's a really good book!

A SCANDALOUS LADY is the story of Faith, a lost heiress, who meets the "prince of her dreams" while robbing him. He whisks her away to his "castle," where she makes several enemies who try to do her harm, while she struggles to rescue and help everyone from the cook to the unfriendly villagers. Meanwhile, she and the baron fall in love.

The main problem with this book is that Morgan clearly wants to write a Regency; unfortunately, because of the prequel to this story, she has to set it as a late Victorian. Mentions of Bow Street Runners, powdered hair, and other historical inconsistencies don't detract from the wonderful story however, which does have a very Victorian feel, and is engrossing from start to--well, not QUITE the end, but it's close. The two main characters are likable and make a great couple, and most of the secondary characters are interesting as well.

Morgan's not a great writer, that's true, but she does know how to tell a great story, and I'm not going to quibble over semantics and details when she managed to create a story I really liked and characters that I felt attached to. If you enjoy romance novels for the sheer pleasure and escapism of reading them, then you will most likely enjoy this book!

A Scandalous Lady is the sequel to An Unlikely Lady. This is Faith's story and it's really good, you will find it hard to put down.

Faith was abducted when she was a little girl. Taken away from her father and her twin sister at her mothers funeral she was swept away and eventually ended up in England. After leaving an orphanage in London, Faith made her living the only way she knew how. She was a pickpocket, and a good one until fate stepped in and she picked the wrong pocket and was caught.

Troyce has just returned to England from the states. He is the reluctant 3rd Baron of Westborough, and he has returned to England to set the family money situation right. He finds himself on the docks trying to find an investor for the restoration of a ship he owns. When he leaves the pub that he was in, he finds himself the victim of a pickpocket. He is surprised yet again when he realizes that his pickpocket is a young girl. Once he realizes that he is now 200 pounds lighter, he decides to take the girl home with him with the idea of getting her off the streets and making her pay back her debt to him through honest hard work as a maid. What he does not realize is that soon Faith will have stolen more then just his money but she will soon steal his heart.

While all of this is going on, Honesty (From An Unlikely Lady) is hot on the trail looking for her sister, soon Honesty and Jesse are on their way to England and the long awaited reunion between the two sisters.

This book was a great read and I found it hard to put down. The secondary characters are great and the chemistry between Faith and Troyce set the pages on fire. Ms. Morgan has managed to pen a great story full that you won't want to miss.

Rachelle Morgan's novel A Scandalous Lady was a nice read. The plot, although a bit unbelievable, still worked well because the main characters were very engaging and imminently likable.

Faith is a thief living in the slums of London. When she is caught pilfering the pocket of a nobleman her life takes a turn for the better for the man who catches her is at heart a humanitarian and he sees in Faith a diamond in the rough.

Troyce is a cash poor baron but he owns an estate and a townhouse. He also has a ship which he is refurbishing to former glory (this was a unique aspect of his character) but he needs investors. Troyce decides to install Faith into his household after he catches her picking his pocket. She is indentured to him for a year.

Faith is instantly agreeable to working for Troyce because she longs to leave the filth of the London rookery. She has a past which she only vaguely remembers but fortunately the reader is well aware of who she is and the people diligently searching for her. Faith is likable and above all genuine. She adapts well to her surroundings and she becomes very aware of her attraction Troyce. She also realizes that Troyce is a member of the nobility and that she really has no future with him.

Troyce is a bit protective of Faith yet also he is selfish. He wants a romantic relationship with her but also realizes their class distinctions too. Troyce actually lived in America for years so he struggles with the class distinctions but in the end he is British through and through.

This couple's romance plays out rather believably in spite of the fact that Faith's backstory is quite extra ordinary. Troyce is very aware of his financial burdens and even more aware of his lack of responsibility to his tenants. Through Faith he sees the hardships of others in a new light and she makes him a better man. His transformation is one of the best aspects of this novel.

There is tension and drama throughout the novel and with the exception of Troyce's sister I enjoyed all the secondary characters. Overall this garners four stars due mostly to the delightful heroine.