Customer Reviews

Secrets of a Scandalous Bride

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I loved Sophia Nash's latest novel in her Widows Club Series. It was refreshing and a page turner. Elizabeth and Rowland, the hero and heroine of the novel capture your interest through out the novel. They are a couple that will do anything for each other's happiness. The plot centers around Elizabeth who is running away from an obssessed suitor who will do anything to marry her. Rowland helps her on a whim and the story keeps you glued to the book to see how the hero and heroine will get their happily ever after ending. I could not put the book down and read it in one night. You are really able to feel what the characters are experiencing and going through. You can't help but root for them. Elizabeth is a courageous heroine who believes in herself, her convictions and love while Rowland is an illegitimate son of a late Earl, who has scraped and schemed his way up the societal ranks. He does not believe he deserves happines and love. This novel is about how 2 people coming together and showing each other that love is never out of reach if you believe in it.

It was also fun to see all of the Widow club characters back and to see how their lives have progressed. We finally get to see the outcome of the infamous Ata and Mr. Brown romance. They definitely have their moments in the novel as they do not make their HEA easy. This is a standalone novel but if you are interested in the other novels they are listed below in order:

*Dangerous Beauty - Rosamunde's and Luc's story
*The Kiss - Georgiana's and Quinn's story
*Love with a Perfect Scoundrel - Grace's and Michael's story
*Novella - Four Dukes and a Devil - Victoria's and John's story
*Secrets of Scandalous Bride - Elizabeth's and Katherine's story

Happy Reading!

Really loved this book. Although it is the conclusion of a series, I was able to really enjoy the story without having read the previous books in the series.

Rowland and Elizabeth's story is wonderfully told by Sophia Nash. What I liked most is that Rowland is more of the anti-hero (especially in previous book where he was the villian). He is the bastard son of an Earl. He went out of his way to torment and persecute his half-brother, Michael, but in this story we see that he is really just a product of his circumstances. He was raised in a rookerey and is as described a chameleon. He is no gentleman at all until he meets Elizabeth. Elizabeth sees the haunted soul and falls in love with a man that she is warned off from everyone including his half brother. At the same time Elizabeth brings out the good that is hidden beneath the muck that he was raised in.

Trully a well written novel. For all those who love to root for the underdog, go out and buy this novel. In the end you might just fall in love with Rowland too.

This is the story of the redemption of a man without hope...a real villain...and an excellent example to other authors who try the same formula. Rowland Manning is a man without feeling, a man who tried to kill his brother and embezzle his sister-in-law. You'd think it would be hard to fall in love with him as a hero. But I did... The way Nash develops his character, explains why he behaves like he does, and then uncovers his feelings for Elizabeth is true romance. I could not put this book down...the tension and pathos was addictive. My only criticism as such is that it got a tad melodramatic toward the end, but I absolutely adored the relationship between Elizabeth and Rowland. The best recent release I have read in a while. NB: You don;t need to have read the previous books in the series but it helps.

Lately it seems like every author has to not only make the current book you're reading good, but make a sales pitch for every book before and after it. Sometimes I just want THIS book to be good. I don't want to have to try to remember the plot of something I read a year ago or feel like I'm missing out because I didn't read the first 3 books beforehand. AND I don't want to feel like the book I'm reading is just a way to push the next one. I LOVED the first book in this series. It's one of my most favorites of all time, which is why when I read a book like this it makes me annoyed that such a talented author isn't able to do what she does so well--which is write. Not be a salesman. I felt like this book, since it was the final, focused way too much on everyone else and just seemed to tie everything up so nice and neat in the end. It had such potential, but it fell a little flat and honestly all the other characters and the references to past books was just too distracting and took away from the plot.

I tried for over a week, but I could not finish Secrets of a Scandalous Bride. Ms. Nash is obviously a talented writer, but Secrets of a Scandalous Bride hit all my hot buttons and I couldn't get past Chapter Three. Maybe it's because this is the fourth book in the series and there were things explained in previous books that I didn't catch on too. I don't know. But here are the reasons why I couldn't get past the third chapter.

Chapter One: The heroine is attending a wedding where the hero is escorting the bride down the aisle. The heroine is in hiding (in full view of polite society where anyone can find her) and she is found by someone she wants to avoid. She runs and hides and ends up in the hero's carriage. The hero arrives and then feels her up acting like she's his mistress so that the people after her are distracted. Nothing really wrong there you say. I didn't think so either. However, the heroine thanks the hero for his unorthodox help and asks to be dropped off somewhere. The hero tells her no. For some reason he's going to use her to get back to at the ton. His reasoning for this is very vague. He proceeds to ignore all her protests and kidnaps her while hurling insults at her the entire time. Not once does either of them attempt to act like human beings and sit down and have a conversation to discover why the men were after her.

Chapter Two: The heroine is locked in a nasty storeroom. Yet, despite being treated like a prisoner this is what she's thinking. Quote: "Oh, she should have been terrified, but for some absurd reason, she had not been." Umm, why not? What has he done, how has he treated you that made you come up with this thought. I personally didn't see one. Now she's made to go in the kitchen like she's a maid instead of a victim. Instead of trying to leave and go back to her friends, she goes into his nasty kitchen, cleans it, and cooks a fabulous meal for the hero and his employees. He repays her by shoving the food away and snapping at her. Apparently he believes he's too good to eat a decent meal and feed his employees decent food. So for cleaning his kitchen and cooking him a decent meal she's locked up in her bedroom for some unknown reason other than the hero wants her to be.

Chapter Three: Our heroine awakens in her bedroom and attempts to escape. Our hero is lurking in the corner. She had one of his men send a note to her friends, her friend replies and sends a note back. Our hero finds out what his man had done, takes the note, and refuses to give it to the heroine. He gives her more chores to punish her for trying to get in touch with her friends. Yet, although she's been treated like a slave, she feels strangely safe because at least he hasn't attempted to ravish her. This is where I stopped reading.

Secrets of a Scandalous Bride didn't work for me. With family demands, work, more books to read, and little time. I wasn't intrigued enough to keep turning the pages to see what happens. That was just me. I hope you have better luck.

Happy Reading!

Review courtesy of Lynette's Two Cents Blogspot

I did not expect to like this book, because the previous two releases by Nash in this Widows series were not all that great, especially not LOVE WITH THE PERFECT SCOUNDREL. But I loved the hero of this SECRETS OF A SCANDALOUS BRIDE (even while being puzzled by the book's title. Yes, the heroine had a secret, but where was the scandalous bride?). Our hero, Rowland Manning, is a villain in the previous book and the redemption theme here is quite believable and well drawn. Also the romantic relationship that develops between crusty, grumpy, undemonstrative Rowland and friendly, outgoing Elizabeth is a joy to watch. It brought to mind the H/h relationship in Loretta Chase's LORD OF SCOUNDRELS but, mind you, Nash's book is not quite on a par with Chase's. (Few romances I have read come close to that great SCOUNDREL Jessica/Dain romance, with the exception of Darcy and Elizabeth in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.) The events and happenings in the book are not as well done as the actual romance, with oftentimes puzzling actions on the part of some of the characters. So I'm giving this book 4 stars for the feel-good romantic romance, something that I find lacking in many historical romances lately. Yes, you can find lots of sex and lust in all of the new books, but the additional warm and fuzzy feeling I get with a good romance is usually not there.

I loved this book! I've read thousands of historical romances and this is in my top ten list. It reminded me of DREAMING OF YOU, by Lisa Kleypas, which is my number one favorite book. The unlikely hero, Rowland Manning, isn't what he seems, and turns out to be a better person than he should be considering his early life of loss, poverty and deprivation. The author really gets into his head and brings this to light, and explains why he acts the way he does. Most people in his situation would have become cold and cruel, but he has a surprisingly soft heart and a sense of honor that has been hidden deep inside until he meets Elizabeth.

This book has very witty dialogue and the verbal sparring is quite funny. Rowland growls and has a sardonic wit, but he's always protecting Elizabeth even when it doesn't seem like it. She realizes from the start that he's providing a sort of refuge for her, and she doesn't fear him or feel put down. A a very tender emotional intimacy develops between these two characters. This is a lovely tale of the healing power of love and forgiveness, and is a perfect example of why I read romances. It was so good, after I read it I couldn't stop thinking about it, and read it again the next day. I enjoyed it even more since I knew what was going to happen and could concentrate on the details. A wonderful conclusion to a delightful series.

It was a very late night - could not put this book down once I started it...

This is historial romance with amazing characters.... Elizabeth is running for a man and when he shows up at her friend wedding she hides in a carriage outside the church - but it's bad boy Rowland Manning. As the books moves along it unfolds the characters and history that lead them to current life changing moments. I loved that where a normal book would end - this author gives us just a little more - I love happy endings...

The Widows Club Series; A Dangerous Beauty (Widows Club, Book 1) , The Kiss (Widows Club, Book 2) , Love with the Perfect Scoundrel (Widows Club, Book 3)

Although I did not give this book 5 stars, it did much to warrant a good rating. Sophia Nash did something I really liked--mixing the old "damsel in distress" set-up with a set of unlikely characters and a spin on the plot. I have to admit that I like my romance novels with large love gestures and lots of self-sacrifice. What Rowland Manning eventually does to save Elizabeth Ashburton fully satisfies that. However, there were of course some downsides which could be due to the fact that I've never read the series. I felt as if a lot went unexplained, and a few tidbits that could have made the characters more engaging were passed over. For example, I would have liked a better view of Rowland's poor relationship with his brother and why he chose the horse trading profession. Also the villain could have used a lot more development as his purported cruelty and deception were just that...purported. At times I found myself bored, but overall the book was enjoyable.

If you are attracted to heroes with a darker side, one terrific example of a redeemed villain is found in The Widows Club Series by Sophia Nash. In the third book of the series, Love With the Perfect Scoundrel, we are introduced to the villain of the piece, Rowland Manning. Driven by the hardships of his early life, Rowland is ruthless in his actions, even attempting at one point to kill his own brother. In the fourth book, Secrets of a Scandalous Bride, Rowland is the tortured hero of his own story. We get to know the reasons for his harsh, often brutal behavior. The cruelty and deprivations he suffered in his youth made him a lean, mean, vengeance machine. To keep himself "fighting mean," he even deprives himself of the pleasures of good food, surviving on a daily regimen of rigidly bare meals. One of the ways the heroine breaks through to him is to continue to ply him with delicious food. Gingerbread, with its deep, dark spicy goodness, is a loaded weapon to man so self-deprived. When the gingerbread is served to him by a beautiful, caring woman, how could Rowland not succumb to temptation? Just like The Grinch, Rowland's heart grew three sizes that day! Enjoy this book while indulging in your favorite gingerbread recipe, which, like Rowland, is unexpectedly sweet beneath the tartness!