That Scandalous Evening (Mass Market Paperback)

by Christina Dodd (Author) "Let us hope no one remembers the scandal..." (more)
Key Phrases: quizzing glass, Miss Higgenbothem, Monsieur Chasseur, Miss Morant (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Christina Dodd brings fresh ideas to the often-used Regency world in which she sets this sprightly, sexy story of a statuesque spinster who returns to London, the site of her disastrous Season years ago, to chaperone the "coming out" of her dangerously beautiful niece. Jane Higgenbothem was ruined when the nude statue she made of Ransom Quincy, Marquess of Blackburn, was exposed to public view. Now Ransom, working undercover to expose a traitor to the Crown, decides he'll deliberately renew the old scandal by courting Jane, as a diversionary tactic for his investigation. But the truth is, his desire for Jane is raging out of control and he means to have her--even though she herself may be the spy he's seeking. Subplots involving Jane's niece and Blackburn's best friend offer surprising delights, while the inventive and humorously timed lovemaking between Jane and Blackburn ratchet up the heat index. Dodd's witty, affectionate depiction of human foibles makes this battle of the sexes highly entertaining. --Ellen Edwards

From Publishers Weekly
Miss Jane Higgenbothem was ruined and sent home in disgrace when her youthful adoration for the rakish Ransom Quincy, Marquess of Blackburn, was exposed?along with the nude statue she made of him. Now 11 years later, she tries to keep a low profile on her return to London as chaperon to her young niece. Unfortunately, she immediately bumps into Ransom again, who has never forgotten his humiliation at her tendre or the undersized statue of him. His revenge, he decides, will be to court her?not only will it irritate her, but, the war hero believes, it will distract gossipy polite society and the French from his search for a ring of spies. But both of them have grown up, and the stuffy Ransom has not counted on the mature Jane's resistance nor on his growing attraction for her. Dodd (A Well Pleasured Lady) combines the ambience and majesty of Regency England with witty dialogue, a fun cast of characters and plenty of plot twists.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Avon (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380790912
• ISBN-13: 978-0380790913
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #208,447 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If only the fig leaf was larger..., April 6, 1999

By A Customer

This was my first book by Christina Dodd, and I found it very entertaining.

Eleven years earlier during Jane's first season she makes a terrible mistake, she falls in love with Ransom Quincy, the Marquess of Blackburn. Unfotunately he doesn't feel the same way about her. Jane is an artist and decides to sculpt a nude statue of Blackburn, with only a teeny weeny little fig leaf covering him. Another unfortunate occasion occours when everybody finds out about the statue and of course a scandal erupts, for not only did she sculpt Blackburn in the nude, she also sculpted him with such a small fig leaf. It doesn't help that later that week Jane is found at Blackburn's residence unchaperoned AND in a compromising position. She is ruined.

Eleven Years Later. Jane comes back to London as a chaperone to her very, very beautiful neice Adorna. Blackburn is back in London after serving for England in the Napoleonic Wars. They meet again at a ball and sparks fly, not to mention a few tempers, since Jane has grown up quite a bit in the past 11 years. Blackburn is immediately smitten and they find themselves in another compromising position, only this time Blackburn agrees to marry Jane in order to save her reputation.

A great book overall and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves the Regency period.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is entertaining, funny, boldly sensual., September 10, 1998

By A Customer

I enjoyed this book tremendously! It's the first I've read by Miss Dodd, and it won't be my last. I liked the clever banter between her main characters. Miss Higgenbottom's experiences are hysterical, particularly when she discovers why her scuplture isn't quite accurate in its depiction of the male physique. I chuckled out loud when she realized her error. Yet I found her to be endearing in her innocence. Miss Dodd does a nice job of developing her characters, tells an entertaining tale, and she writes terrific steamy love scenes that go on for pages! This is a delightful read! I highly recommend it!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a facinating, intriguing and ultimatly delightfu read, December 19, 1999

By	Dana Andrienko (New York, US) - See all my reviews

This was the first book i read by CD and it has started me on my quest to search for all that she has written. i have read countless romances, following my resent fixation with the era, and this was the ONLY one that captivated both the time and the theme. all other romances seem to place modern day heroines in the past, dressing up twentheith century hard ball vixens in victorian dresses, with only physical attraction between the main charecters. in this book, you find the calm, poised reserveness of the heroine much closer to the truth of the time. the small details, such as the walk around the ball room the first time the main charecters are reunited and the scence where Jane admits she cannot scream, she is too reserved are brilliant. brought together with histerical conversation between Ransom's sister and her suiter and Jane's vain attemptes to understand exactly WHY the stautue she sculpted was so embarresing this plot is made strong and enticing, the charecters all the more real and passionate for the emphasis on their charecteristics and not their physical attributes. Jane strength is represented through out the book by her refusal to be mindlessly wooed by the dashing gentleman and her love put to the ultimte test when sha is betrayed. Ransom's charecter is sculpted and refined throughout the book, with significant flashbacks to show how his shalow and boring chrecter was reshaped and redefined. his love is undeniably proven when he, the Lord Blackburn, gets down on his knees in the dirt and beggs forgivness of his beloved. this book is a must read!