Customer Reviews

Scandalous Proposal (Historical)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is my first novel by Julia Justiss. I read her novella in The Officer's Bride but was not particulary impressed. Looking at other comments about her work, it would appear that she started off not pleasing the reviewers but, fortunately,is growing with each additional work. Well, this one was terrific! It is a very evocative portrayal of a man and woman who, through circumstances beyond their control, knowingly and willingly enter into an illicit relationship which is fraught with the possibility of scandal. This creates a true frisson to their mutual passion which is shown in scene after scene to be deep, true and moving.

Emily Spencer eloped with her first husband and had a son. Both of them were disowned by their families but she was happy with him, following the drum during the Peninsular campaign. After his death, Emily returns to England and, to avoid her husband's family, she does not use his name and sets herself up as a designer and maker of hats. This makes her beyond the pale and a social outcast.

Until she is threatened with extortion by her landlord her life is as she wishes, her son safe and being privately educated by a priest. However, when her world is shaken by threats, she is rescued by the son of a customer, Evan Mansfield, the Earl of Cheverley. In order to "repay" him, she offers the only currency available to her - her body. He accepts, for he is terribly attracted to her, and they embark on a secret affair which becomes a "marriage blanc".

Unfortunately, a deathbed promise to his best friend means that Cheverley must marry his friend's sister, Andrea, and so the affair must end although, with reluctance but with helpless attraction, they continue to meet. Eventually, Cheverley goes abroad on government espionage business and eventually returns, injured and ill. Emily returns to nurse him and is discovered by her family, being taken into the family home, protected by the new head of the family, her husband's middle brother and one of her close friends from her army days.

Eventually Emily and Evan are reconciled although their path is not smooth. Both are full of self-doubts and both have been hurt by their pasts. However, their deep and abiding love help them to overcome the odds and their passion is finally satisfied.

This book is very well done; the plot is carefully executed, the descriptions of the ton, clothes, etc, are well done. The secondary characters are also good. I particularly liked Emily's brother and sister in law and Andrea. If you like adult characters with grown up emotions, behaving in a manner in context with the times in which the author places them, then you will enjoy this book. I look forward to trying some of the author's other work.

This is the story of the love affair between Evan, Earl of Cheverley and Emily Spenser, the owner of a hat shop. It's story of two people who overcome societal attitudes to find each other. I enjoyed this book because there was an element of reality about it. The hero was selfish but redeemed himself by his heroic actions on behalf of his country. Emily was a pragmatic mistress but found the freedom to express herself in the end. I would have given the book 5 stars if Emily had stayed a shop girl - if Evan had overcome his prejudices to risk everything to win her. As it was, Julia Justiss organised things very neatly ...a less tidy and certain ending would have suited this story, to my mind.

Wow! From those first pages, as we are introduced to Evan and Emilie, this book will own your heart and make you believe you have but to look into the eyes of another to find your one true love.

This story is from beginning to the very end-a true rollercoaster ride of emotions. Julia's characters are so well written you will actually feel the anguish and dispair, the joy and ecstasy rolling off the dialogue in waves.

Emilie-For all her secrets-she is the most surprisingly refreshing heroine I think I have read to date!

Evan-A Lord of Happiness-One of the Regency Era's best written generous and most chivalrous Hero's!!This man expresses his every emotion-and his passion comes thru in his pillow talk. Every encounter will have you sighing if not swooning.........................not over done-just right.


P.S. I could have read a thousand more pages!

This will be a very recommended read for all my friends!

I've only read one other book of hers "Untamed Heiress", and that book was excellent. This book is as well. It is a page turner no doubt. I'm looking for another of hers to purchase.

It's one of the best romance I have read in a long, long while. The story is fast-paced and totally captivating. The hero and heroine are very well drawn, I understand their motivations and like them both throughout the book. The intense feeling they have for each other is extremely moving. I will certainly be looking out for the author's next book.

Not so long ago I would have turned up my nose at anything that was deemed 'romance' but the availability of ebooks at very reasonable prices has me trying out all types of genres with glee. This one followed closely on the heels of another 'romance' story and at first I thought I was reading the same author. I kept thinking though that the author had really improved from her last book. Of course, I am a dill, and the author was Julia Justiss who I had never read before.

The characters were strong and likeable. No whimpy female here waiting for a big strong man to rescue her. The male was a good guy. He wasn't a bully or sadistic. He was a gentleman. There weren't too many misunderstandings and those that were there, were sensible and you didn't feel like shaking the characters.

I enjoyed the story. Ms Justiss is a fine writer and I appreciated the love story with a very real backdrop of Regency England.

I've read a lot ofd romance novels but this is by far my favorite! I went back and read it three times and cried each and every time I read it. Very emotional!

Yuck is the only word that describes this book. The hero is completed oversexed. He knows the heroine's stance on being an adulterer but he continues to ask her for their affair to continue after his marriage. This man's big brain has checked out and his little head drives this book and it's just...yuck.

As said by the reviewer before me, this is my first and VERY LAST Julia Justiss book.

I'm an avid romance novel reader and was sorely disappointed with this, my first and last, Justiss novel. The characters meet a few pages in and for Evan it is love at first sight. The characters are never developed seperately and I found myself completely unmoved and I simply did not care. I was so put off and it stayed with me through the whole novel which took a week to finish istead of a few hours.

If you liked Julia Justiss's first book, The Wedding Gamble, you'll love this one too. A rich, satisfying read with an intriguing heroine and a hero who is her match in every way.