2020 Beat the Backlist challenge
ARC Review: A Scandal By Any Other Name (A Tale of Two Sisters #2) by Kimberly Bell
11:00
Series: A Tale of Two Sisters #2
Author: Kimberly Bell
Published January 30th 2018 by Entangled: Amara
Goodreads Synopsis
Julia Bishop has led a very sheltered life. Protected by her family from those who might ridicule her for her secrets, she stays hidden away in the country. But she longs for more, if only for an evening. To kiss a rake in full view of the stable boy. Unchaperoned picnics. Romance. But she knows she’ll never experience any of those things.
That is, until a handsome duke with a mysterious past of his own arrives…
Duke Jasper DeVere left London to grieve his grandfather’s death privately, away from the prying eyes and gossips of the ton. Seeking solitude at a friend’s country manor, he’s surprised he finds himself drawn to the company of the shy beauty determined to present the epitome of proper behavior.
That is, until the mysterious woman makes an indecent proposal…
Julia can’t believe what she’s suggested to the duke. Nor that he agrees a distraction is what they both need. But what will happen when Jasper must return to his duties and leave Julia behind? Will the memories of their time together be enough for a lifetime of solitude for either of them?
Because Julia can never leave her country haven and a duke can never stay…
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
Julia Bishop was born with a spinal condition that should've killed her in her youth, and because of the danger to her health, has been cosseted in the countryside for her entire life. With everything being run to a schedule to ensure she doesn't contract infection or overly fatigues herself, she's long grown sick of her sheltered existence. She's always wanted more, and while staying her her sister's estate while Amelia and Nicholas are on honeymoon, she comes across a handsome gentlemen, Jasper DeVere, who is fleeing his responsibilities, and is perfect for Julia's hopes. Jasper has just lost his beloved grandfather, and the grief, alongside the added pressure of being the new Duke of Albemarle, and can't see it in himself to live up to all expectations, so he flees the House of Lords, leaving even Queen Victoria in his wake. He needs time to mourn and allow himself some freedom, and meeting Julia was just want he needed. As they both are hiding parts of themselves, they still find themselves falling, and falling fast, but Julia's reputation and ridicule in local society, and Jasper's familial connection to the queen mean it's unlikely they'll be allowed to be together, but they'd do anything to make it possible.
This book was one I just couldn't put down, and I loved the main characters. We have Julia, Jasper, Amelia, Nicholas, and Ruby, who all were wonderful, and I loved the camaraderie between them all. Jasper and Ruby's sibling love and arguments were hilarious to see, especially as Ruby wanted Jasper to grow up and stand up to his responsibilities, but ultimately cared about him and wanted the best for her brother. Julia's illness, which is never explicitly named, but the author says is Spina Bifida, has always impacted her life, and the locals have always ridiculed her for her limp and her extended sickness periods, but with Jasper, she feels different, and not just the girl with the illness. He doesn't know about it at first, but as soon as he finds out, he's by her side at every step, through bouts of illness and when facing difficult society. Their love for each other was wholesome and perfect, and I couldn't stop myself from grinning while reading, especially later on in the story. Definitely a book to lift your spirits and full of romance and family.
Dates Read:
June 13-14, 2020
Rating
4 Stars
2022 Beat the Backlist challenge
ARC Review: The Importance of Being Scandalous (A Tale of Two Sisters #1) by Kimberly Bell
10:00
Series: A Tale of Two Sisters #1
Author: Kimberly Bell
Published July 25th 2017 by Entangled: Select
Goodreads Synopsis
A horse race in trousers on Rotten Row. Visiting a gaming hall in a dress that would make her mother faint. Sneaking an invitation to a masquerade ball attended by only the wickedest, most debauched members of society…
None of these things are scaring off bookish but strong-willed Amelia Bishop’s stuffy, egotistical fiancé.
The only thing left is to entice childhood friend Nicholas Wakefield into a truly engagement-ending scandal. The Wakefields are the height of propriety, and Nicholas’s parents have made it clear a wife from the neighboring Bishop family would be unacceptable…
But Nicholas would give up his family and his fortune if Amelia would ever see him as more than just a childhood friend. He’ll go along with her scheme, even if it means ruining them both, because he’s got a plan that will change her mind about him being merely the boy next door.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
Just as he returns home, ready to tell his best friend, Amelia Bishop, that he loves her, Nicholas Wakefield, discovers she is engaged, and to an Earl. Though he is from an aristocratic family, he's only a second son, and has no hope of competing. So discovering that Amelia doesn't actually want to marry Lord Montrose, and she is dead set on doing whatever it takes for him to agree to let her call it off, Nick can't let her go through with it alone.
This book filled in so many gaps for me. I actually read book 2, A Scandal by Any Other Name, first, and loved the camaraderie between Nicholas and Amelia, and Julia and Jasper. Being able to read Nicholas and Amelia's own story, and seeing how Jasper came to be involved in the family, was fantastic. I hated Amelia and Julia's mother as much as I did in the other book, and especially when we saw how she was willing to let her own daughter be kidnapped, and basically sold off to marry a man she didn't want, but because he had a title it was okay, was abhorrent. Amelia's feistyness, and her actions over the course of the book were joyful, and made this book so much more enjoyable. She and Nicholas were great together, and though it took a while to get there, the journey was part of the fun.
Dates Read:
November 5-6, 2022
Rating
4 Stars
