A Common Scandal by Amanda Weaver
Book #2: The Grantham Girls Series
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 3/5 stars
My Review:

Dear Sophomore Slump,

I hate you!

Sincerely,
RoloPoloBookBlog

I came into this read expecting the same level of awesome I got with book one, A Duchess in Name. What I got was a strong character read with a rather weak and predictable plot. Yeah, so not what I expected 

Amelia Wheeler may have a finishing school education but she has a tomboy mentality and Lord help anyone who bows up on her. As a child, Amelia learned to defend herself which she had to do on a regular basis thanks to her penchant for finding trouble. While her parents had high hopes finishing school would work the rambunctious right on out of her, Amelia shows no signs of slowing down or staying out of trouble. Case in point, the moment she launches herself into the arms of her childhood friend, Nate Smythe in the middle of a society ball. Really, what else could she do after not seeing her friend for a decade?

Nate Smythe has spent more than a decade travelling the world and building his shipping empire. He came from nothing and in the past decade, he has amassed a fortune and is now looking for a titled family to marry into. With no title of his own, an advantageous marriage to a titled woman is the only way he will ever break into the exclusive world of the English peerage. Nate is almost mercenary in his desire to marry well and he quickly sets his sight on Lady Julia Hyde. Lady Julia’s father owns and operates the largest shipping company in England and Nate wants in on the action. In order to make that happen, he has to win Julia’s affection and try to forget how Amelia Wheeler being back in his life makes him feel.

In what is eventually outed as a huge set-up, Amelia and Nate find themselves as guests at a week-long house party. Due to their particular circumstances, Nate is obviously pursuing Lady Julia and Amelia is courting the affection of Lord Radwill. In the moments when they are together, Nate and Amelia not only bait one another but fight a serious physical attraction. As the week wears on, both Nate and Amelia grudgingly admit to themselves that being with someone other than the other person will make for a most unsatisfying life. Unfortunately, both feel bound to their path and commitments and it isn’t until they are forced to say the words aloud that they realize how pointless it is to fight fate.

The Bottom Line: I very much liked Nate and Amelia and the banter between them. They have known each other since they were children and know how to push each other’s buttons. As adults, they still know how to push those buttons but the stakes have become even higher. There are commitments and future happiness to consider as well as other people who have been pulled into the storm that is Nate and Amelia. Amelia is strong enough to be a true partner to Nate and that makes her an oddity in her time and place. Her penchant for trouble is seriously amusing and Nate’s responses to her ability to find trouble in an empty room are just as entertaining. In truth, Nate and Amelia are two very strong characters that have been put into a somewhat ridiculous plot. At nearly every turn, there is some new bit of stupidity playing out that forces a reaction and/or response out of Amelia and/or Nate. Between the titled men acting like damn fools and the drama with Amelia’s extended family, there isn’t any real substance here other than Nate and Amelia. I have said it before and I will say it again, strong characters can carry a weak plot and that is exactly what happened in A Common Scandal. With that being said, the first book in this series was so good and I think this second book just fell victim to the dreaded sophomore slump. I’m in it for the long haul and have already pre-ordered book three, A Reluctant Betrothal. ( )

Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over

My reaction to A Common Scandal by Amanda Weaver is, for the most part, quite positive. I enjoyed the characters, especially Amelia Wheeler and Nate Smythe, the leads, but also Julia, whose grand secret I figured out early and yet that pre-knowledge didn’t spoil a thing. The story itself held together and offered well-seeded surprises without breaking the story logic, while some of the confrontations were just lovely and completely within character.

The novel has a hard time choosing a genre, though, which may be confusing to some readers even when none of the twists broke the story. From the start, the style and detail is more that found in a sweet romance, but then it tosses the main characters into morally complicated company and becomes sensual even for Nate and Amelia with explicit description often reserved for erotica. Finally, it dips into historical thriller/mystery when there’s little of that style earlier, but again it’s appropriate to the moment.

I do think this is not for sweet romance readers who want the physical nature behind closed doors and after the marriage, but those who read sweet for the focus on the times and the characters won’t be disappointed. Nor will sensual readers, while the thriller/mystery aspects, as I said, are true to the story, just not often paired in this way. This mix of styles is why I worry the book might have trouble finding its audience, though the description is well-written to hint at what is to come.

The book opens with a prologue to introduce unconventional Amelia at 10 years of age running wild on the docks of Portsmouth thanks to a sickly titled mother and a commoner father who works hard to try to support his family in the manner that his wife is accustomed. In the prologue, we also meet Natty, presented in such a way as to have none of the characteristics of the male lead, and yet there are hints all this is to change.

The description is often compelling and full sensory, drawing me in, but at the same time, there were points when it threw me from the story as I tried to place the information in the timeframe (it often read more Regency than Victorian, or dropped into modern-feeling language). This is one of the downsides I found, but ultimately, the characters were compelling enough to make it a minor, if present, annoyance.

The aspect I found fascinating is the way it is written from the outside looking in. A Common Scandal addresses the awkward position of the newly rich, where the debutantes become targets for any title to let while young gentlemen who have earned a sizeable fortune have trouble being accepted in polite society. At times, it felt that more than just lacking the infatuation most historical romance has with titles and society the book outright objected to the titled, presenting them in their worst light. On the other hand, there were some in the titled set who demonstrated good character, so this wasn’t a complete condemnation, while at the same time, the contradiction between expectation and reality was lovingly described, especially through the window of Amelia’s parents.

When it comes down to it, this is a lovely story with fun characters and a few good twists. The shockingly modern escapades at times are ones that aren’t all that modern despite the general belief, and the exploration of moral compass is quite well done while never crossing into inspirational territory. I did have some quibbles, but nothing strong enough to destroy the read. If you let the story carry you and don’t fuss the details, A Common Scandal offers characters you can love, full-sensory description (I’m speaking of the places, but the same is true in the love scenes), and a fun romp through a society that wants you to believe one thing on the surface and is much different once you see beneath the facade.

P.S. I received this title from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review. ( )