Review: Once Upon A Scandal by Delilah Marvelle

Lady Victoria Jane Emerson left behind her girlish notions of romance when Jonathan deserted her without a backward glance. Now the time has come when she must finally choose a husband, and she has vowed to marry someone who will never break her heart.

Jonathan Pierce Thatcher, Viscount Remington, has returned home, free of all his family’s debts. Only to discover that by some miracle he has been chosen to vie for the hand of his beloved Victoria. To convince his only love to once again believe in the magic of love and the promise of desire will be his greatest challenge yet. And one he cannot fail!

Jonathan Thatcher is determined to secure Lady Victoria’s promise of marriage before he leaves for Venice. He’s been in love with her for forever and though she hasn’t had her coming out yet he fears he won’t be back in time to vie for her hand in marriage once she starts her first season. He does extract a kiss from her before he leaves, even though she won’t agree to a secret engagement and also a promise that should he write to her she would reciprocate.

The pair write multiple letters to each other over the next year sharing their hearts and their love for each other. But Jonathan gets himself into a financial bind and agrees to a contract as a type of servant to a wealthy family in Venice that will last 5 years. A contract that will eradicate all of his debts. He writes to Victoria that he cannot communicate with her any longer and that she must forget him and find herself a husband. Victoria refuses to believe that Jonathan would honestly want her to marry another and keeps writing to Jonathan, for two years, with no response. She finally gives up with her heart broken into pieces.

Five years after leaving for Venice, Jonathan returns to vie for Victoria’s hand in marriage…along with 2 others. When Victoria sees that Jonathan is one of the men she is enraged. How dare her family put him with the others knowing that she does not love him any more and wants nothing to do with the man. Unfortunately the way the “competition” is made there’s no getting around marrying Jonathan in the end. Jonathan is determined, once again, to make Victoria love him. Jonathan’s not sure that Victoria will love him once she finds out exactly what the terms of his contract in Venice included.

I can describe this book in one word: Passionate. Both Victoria and Jonathan were incredibly passionate people and that passion showed in just about everything they did. The letters they wrote to each other, their anger towards life and the trials and tribulations they each had to endure as well as the love they showed to each other was just filled with passion and I loved it.

Now in this book, as the author fully intended, Jonathan was the more romantic of the two characters. While at times I found him to be a bit overwhelming it was so nice to see the man be the character that is pouring his love out and wearing his heart on his sleeve.

Overall I really liked this book a lot and can’t wait to read the next in the series, The Perfect Scandal.

And let me just add that I LOVE the cover of this book.  Love it.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5

This book releases from HQN Books on 1/18/11

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