ARC Review: Scandal of the Year by Laura Lee Guhrke

Title:Scandal of the Year
Author: Laura Lee Guhrke
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Abandoned at the Altar, #2
Publisher: Avon
Pub. Date: January 25, 2011
Received by: NetGalley

~ Blurb ~

Being jilted. It’s awful for a guy.

Especially if you’re a duke, and your fiancée left you for that other duke, the one who came back from Egypt just before your wedding. Humiliating, right?

But what if you managed to recover, got engaged to another girl, and then got jilted again, this time because of a notorious woman, a lot of champagne, and a moment of utter stupidity? Well, that’s beyond humiliating. That’s a scandal.

Ah, but what if you manage to put the scandal behind you and begin searching for a new bride, only to have the notorious woman who ruined everything reenter your life? What if she’s as enticing as before? What if just being near her threatens to ruin your marriage prospects and your reputation all over again? For Aidan Carr, Duke of Trathen, the unluckiest man in England when it comes to matrimony, another scandal is the worst thing he can imagine. It might also be the best thing that ever happened to him.

Scandal of the Year is the second installment of the Abandoned at the Altar series, and it is even better then the fantastic first! Laura Lee Guhrke gives us another unique historical setting, with dynamic characters that whisk readers away to a place in time that pops of the pages, forces you to take a side to the old Britain societal obligations - especially of woman, and embraces you with sensual, romantic second chances.

Poor Aidan Thomas Carr, Duke of Trathen. He has NO luck when it comes to finding his bride, the future duchess to settle down with, the woman to call the mother of his children. He's resigned himself to the notion that love and passion will never be the initial feelings that marriage will grant him, but he hopes that over time he and a future Mrs. Carr will find love and contentment. But, it seems like all his choices leave HIM abandoned at the altar -- something quite uncommon not just of the time, but for his sex more specifically. And the real sad part about it is that Aidan is truly a nice, stable, wealthy guy who just wants to find happiness.

When the second scandal that Aidan finds himself a part of rocks his determined search for a wife, leaving him abandoned at the altar once again, and feeling down and withdrawn from his quest. That is until, Julia, Lady Yardley, the woman who put him in the scandalous position in the first place, pops up in his life once again, and this time in search of his help for a personal matter.


Each thinks that the other is merely an acquaintance, someone they once knew years and years ago who's part of the same social circles, and shows up every once-in-again during social events. However, a proposition has forced the two together to help Aidan find his future duchess. What they didn't expect was for old flames to begin a slow slimmer until both are feeling the heat of their desire for the other. 


It's a battle of wills, determination, pride, and protection. But, neither are more powerful than love!!

Characters
The Protagonists
Julia - Lady Yardley - is the complete, utter opposite of Aidan. She is also the woman who Aidan's second scandal is tied to, one that is quite the offense of the early twentieth century. Julia has always been the 'wild', freedom seeking adventurer. And, while Julia could care less about what society thinks about her, she also hides a very vulnerable, hurt, and scared side of her behind a mask of witty and snarky remarks that deflect people away from who she is behind the pretense of toughness. And Guhrke does such a fabulous job at showing the reader the 'gray' area of Julia's personality. You can't help but feel for her and respect her, especially as her past is slowly reveled as one full of emotional and physical pain. The wall she's erected around herself ultimately ends up 'hardening' and numbing her, and despite her closeness and love of her family, it's Aidan that breaks down that barrier. 

All this time, all these years, she’d thought she was dead to feelings like this. But she hadn’t been dead, she realized; she’d only been sleeping. Now she was awake from that long, cold, frigid sleep, and she was a woman again, vibrant and alive. She could feel lust again, rich and carnal and overpowering. She could feel tenderness and joy, and she could feel pain.
     It scared the hell out other..

....

I cried. Because of what you made me feel, you see. I was happy, and it hurt. I didn't want to be happy, and I was frightened, and I could feel myself falling apart, unraveling, and ---."

Her personality provides a balance to Aidan's stiff, aristocratic, logical, rule ridden, highly moralistic one. But, at the same time, Julia rescues Aidan as much as he rescues her!

Aidan is absolutely delicious! You wouldn't think it so much after reading the first book, but by the end of the second, you realize just how wonderfully wicked Aidan can be! From the start of the book you truly feel sorry for Aidan for all the stand-up's he's had to go through. All he wants is to fulfill his duty as an aristocratic duke by finding a wife and having sons.

"The eleventh Duke of Trathen, Aidan was in possession of half a dozen lesser titles as well. He was also one of the wealthiest men in Britain, with substantial lands and investments. He had an astute head for business, had a keen interest in politics, and was considered by many among the fair sex to be quite a handsome fellow.

This stellar resume not withstanding, the Duke of Trathen was a jilted man, having been abandoned at the altar not once, but twice. He was a bit skittish about making a third attempt, but every duke had a duty to his family and his heritage to marry well, produce sons, and pass everything on to the next generation, and Aidan was a man who would never ignore his duty."

Both Aidan and Julia try desperately hard to show society -- as well as convince themselves -- that there's nothing whats-so-ever going on between the two of them. But, when Julia seeks out the advice and help of Aidan for a personal matter, she inadvertently puts herself and Trathen in a very close, precarious and sensitive situation to help him find his future duchess. And both welcome the challenge to demonstrate the lack of desire between them. And both fail miserably. For each day they are brought together, they realize just how much they need and yearn for the other, despite their unwillingness to admit it -- especially when it comes to Julia.

"'I have you in my sights again, and I can't bear the thought of walking away now, not if there's the slightest chance you want me as much as I still want you.'

She opened her mouth to tell him there was no chance, but other words came out of her mouth instead. 'I thought I was here to prove I don't want you.'

His gaze was unblinking, steady, looking into hers. 'I'm hoping you fail.'"

Secondary Characters

I love the way that Guhrke weaves additional characters in to the context of the story. It really does make it seem like you're part of 'scene' unraveling during a period of time. Just as with the first book of the series, many of the same characters take part in this book to help enhance the protagonists as well as the series of events taking place. They never dominant scenes, however. If anything, they completely enhance the story and you can't help but want to see some of them get their own books!

Smexiness
There is some definite sexual tension that carries through the story between the hero and heroine -- and it is wonderfully depicted! It feels very 'right' and well paced that by the time the two characters follow through, you're thinking, 'Finally!!' And it's definitely worth the wait for these two. The language and description keeps it out of the context of erotic, but still keeps you warm! :) The bottom line is that the writing of the smexy scenes is fantastic and romantically fits the characters.

Voice & Writing Style
I think that Guhrke holds a true talent with capturing the voice of the time period. Vernacular dialogue and depictions of societal obligations, period clothing, homes, and lifestyles all come across clearly in the writing. The writing style is easy to read and follow and flows very well. I literally got lost in time while reading this story and had no idea just how long I had been sitting there reading! The story is written in third person omniscient which is my ultimate favorite!

Uniqueness

The very first thing you see is the poem "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley, 1875, which, by the end of the story makes complete sense with the characteristics of the protagonists. If I could give this a book a theme, I would pick the meaning behind Invictus to be it!!

A prologue that puts you right in a turn of the twentieth century courtroom to bear witness to one wicked scandal of the time!

Again, just as with the first story, the turn of the twentieth century where time seems to be on the wall with social obligations, titles, and independence -- especially for woman, is unique to me.

In the Series
While you could technically read this book without having read the first (I did), I highly recommend you read the first as well. The first book provides a little more depth in to the main characters of the second. There's a definite interconnectedness between the two stories, but you won't feel left out of any information if you read the second book first. The story will just be enriched if you read them in order.

~*~Final Thoughts~*~

This is a definite high recommend from me! If your a historical romance lover who loves strong woman caught between societal obligations of the time and the desire to break through, broken hero's who are more than enough man to take care of their obligations and their woman *grins*, and a wonderful historical voice within put forth by the author, then you need to grab this read!!

You'll be transported to a moment in time, fall captive to the historical vernacular, become part of an aristocratic circle of family and friends and foes, and be embraced by the timeless romance 'Scandal of the Year' has to offer. 

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