Ames‘ review of One Touch of Scandal
Desperation drove her into the arms of a devil…
Grace Gauthier had taken a position as governess hoping to find security and peace in a life that had very little of either. She’s always yearned for a good marriage, a family, and a home, but it was not to be. And when the brutal murder of her employer leaves her unprotected and alone—as Scotland Yard’s prime suspect—she has no one to turn to except the mysterious and reclusive Lord Ruthveyn.
A dark-eyed Lucifer, Ruthveyn guards his secrets carefully. His shadowed past as the Queen’s most trusted agent in India is the stuff of whispered rumor, as is his mixed ancestry. Deeply moved by her plight—and haunted by her beauty—Ruthveyn is determined to save Grace by unmasking a killer. But his growing passion for her soon places his own heart at risk and threatens to expose his dark gifts—and his dark society—to the world…
I enjoy Liz Carlyle’s writing. Wicked All Day, her last release, was enjoyable and I went into One Touch of Scandal with a few expectations. Although OToS didn’t meet all my expectations, it was a satisfying read and I found myself intrigued by the mystical elements that are NOT mentioned in the blurb. But this is in no way a paranormal romance.
Grace Gauthier is a woman without a country. She’s French and English, but she grew up in Algiers, following her to the battlefields of northern Africa. She returned to France to bury her father and then moved to England to work as a governess for a rich merchantman. When her employee, to whom she was engaged, is found dead, she is the prime suspect. Seeking help from a soldier who owed her father a favor, she heads to his club on St. James. He’s not at the club, but his best friend, Adrian Forsythe, Lord Ruthveyn, is. And he’s oddly drawn to Grace, despite his vow to never get close to a woman again.
One Touch of Scandal started off slow. But it gains momentum and by the halfway mark, I was completely caught up in Grace and Ruthveyn’s unfolding story. Ruthveyn, or Adrian, is half English, half Indian. He grew up in Calcutta with his sister Anisha and half-brother Lucan (from a second marriage). Ruthveyn’s mother was a powerful seer and taught both her children about tantras. Ruthveyn’s father also comes from a family of Scottish seers and his gift is very powerful. But Ruthveyn sees it as a curse. He’s learned how to suppress his gift while he’s with a woman, but he can never risk getting emotionally attached. Imagine Ruthveyn’s surprise when he touches Grace and he doesn’t ‘see’ anything. The reason for this, because it is explained, is very interesting. And the whole mystical aspect to One Touch of Scandal was fascinating. I don’t want to give spoilers on what’s going on, but it’s…different.
Now the murder plot – it was kind of overlooked until the end and I was ok with that. There’s a nasty Assistant Commissioner on the case and he’s out to get Grace and Ruthveyn. He’s trying to use Grace as a scapegoat and so Ruthveyn spends some time looking for evidence to prove Grace’s innocence.
Now I was somewhat disappointed in the chemistry between Ruthveyn and Grace. I get that he’s attracted to her because he doesn’t pick anything up when he touches her…but I kind of felt like that was it. Grace felt safe and protected and happy around Ruthveyn but…I was told these two were attracted to each other and not really shown. But once they do admit their feelings for each other, wowzer – hot stuff! So for me, the initial attraction was a bit huh? but once they’re together, things are good.
In the end, I enjoyed One Touch of Scandal and am giving it 3.75 out of 5.
This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here
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