ARC Review: Lessons in Scandal (Her Majesty's Matchmaker #1) by Avery Maitland
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Series: Her Majesty's Matchmaker #1
Author: Avery Maitland
Published July 6th 2021 by Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Goodreads Synopsis
“Dearest Diary, you will not believe the lengths that I must go to secure my place as the Queen’s favorite... gossip in the court is spreading, but I will tell only you my secrets.”
Welcome to book 1 in this exciting new series from best selling author Avery Maitland.
Scandal. Spectacle. Ruin.
A spy in the bedchambers of London’s elite, Constance must provide her royal mistress with gossip and amusement or risk losing her own place in court and face the ruin of her family and reputation.
Luckily for Constance, a new arrival at court provides a welcome distraction and an opportunity to teach her royal patroness a Lesson in Scandal.
Even before the young lady is presented to the Queen, there are whispers from those who doubt the girl’s parentage. Raised far from London society, does Ariana Lytton even have a chance to secure a good match in the short time left in the London season?
But now that the young lady has been presented to the Queen, a challenge has been set. One that even Constance may find impossible to manage.
Miss Lytton has secrets of her own, and when a potential match is presented, a dashing Viscount, no less, she must decide whether or not she is willing to sacrifice what little independence she has found to stem the tide of scandal that threatens to sweep her away.
Her Majesty’s Matchmaker is a steamy Regency Romance series featuring a determined heroine who will stop at nothing to make her own way in the world, all while navigating the sometimes dangerous world of the Royal Court.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
Miss Ariana Stanton has spent her entire life in Bath. She was born to a laundress who died in childbirth, and raised by a family friend, but has never known the truth about her father - until recently. When it's revealed that her father is a Lord Lytton, she writes to him, and unexpectedly is brought to London, late in the Season, to be presented at court, and married off. Newly remade as Miss Ariana Lytton, she grabs the Queen's attention, and that of the Queen's favourite, Miss Blackwood, who wants to learn more about Miss Lytton, and asks her friend, Colin Ashbury, Viscount Rafferty, to discover the truth. But an animosity between Ariana and Colin is soon formed, and Ariana can't get away from him quick enough. However, the strong feelings between them might not be hatred, but something even more scandalous.
This book read a little young to me, excluding the adult scenes, but it was a quick read. I liked Ariana, who was brash and strong, and the way she kept Colin on his toes was amusing. Colin was a little annoying, expecting Ariana to marry him because they kissed, and when she asked what he had to recommend himself, other than his title, it was heartening to see his soul searching and want/need to improve to be more than the well sought after Viscount. Both Ariana and Colin saw the other as the true person, and by the end, didn't care about their titles, or backgrounds, just that they loved each other. The Constance Blackwood chapters were a little annoying, but I can see why they were added - she's obviously going to be the 'Matchmaker' in the series title, and connect all of the books within the series. I'll probably read the next book, but not in a great rush.
Dates Read:
August 15, 2021
Rating
3 Stars
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