It’s never wise to blackmail a highwayman.
Lady Corinne, rebellious daughter of the duke of Banfield, refuses to marry Lord Freddie Sherwin. Yes, he’s the catch of the Season and the man her father chose for her. He’s also the most despicable male of her acquaintance. With her wedding only weeks away, she flees and finds herself a prisoner of the notorious Thorn!
Who says the devil isn’t a woman?
The rich and powerful tremble at the highwayman’s name, while England’s villagers rejoice in his bold exploits. His identity is a secret; his life a mystery until Lady Corinne tumbles into his arms. If the Thorn wants her silence, he must hide her until her wedding day passes. It’s a devil’s bargain and one that can only lead to a hangman’s noose.
Corinne believes it the perfect plan until her highwayman reveals a passionate lover’s heart, and she realizes that in the seduction of scandal, she may have found the hero she’s been waiting for her whole life.
| Title: | The Seduction of Scandal |
| Author: | Cathy Maxwell |
| Series: | Scandals and Seductions (Book 5) |
| Pages: | 375 |
| Category / Genre(s): | Historical |
| Trope(s): | Highwayman |
| Point of View: | |
| Location: | England |
| Setting: | Regency |
| HEA: | ✔️ |
| Release Date: | 30th August, 2011 |
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Romance full of intrigue and deception
This is the fifth book in Maxwell‘s Scandals and Seductions series after A Seduction at Christmas, The Earl Claims His Wife, The Marriage Ring and His Christmas Pleasure. Corinne (the heroine in this story) briefly featured in the last book, but apart from that the books stand very much alone and in this one at least, there are no appearances by the main characters from previous books.
From start to finish I really loved this book. It is full of intrigue and romance all the while maintaining the lightness that put me in mind of The Scarlet Pimpernel. However, the real highlight of the book for me had to be Thorn. When we first are introduced to him I was intrigued as to how he would fare as a romantic lead but he turns out to be a brooding, tortured and lonely man who desperately needs the love of a good woman. I liked Corinne too and together the pair had good chemistry. The writing was sharp and this is the kind of story you’re desperate to pick up again if you can manage to put it down in the first place.
“[It] put me in mind of The Scarlet Pimpernel.”
My one negative about the book was the sheer number of typos. It drove me mad to see duplicated words, spelling mistakes, grammatical mistakes on top of the smattering of Americanisms dotted throughout the book. I realise that this isn’t necessarily the fault of the author so it’s a shame that it affected my feelings about a book whose characters and storyline I otherwise very much enjoyed.
Having said that, if you like regency romances that you can get lost in and really root for the characters then I would very much recommend this book to you despite its faults. 4 stars.
Cathy Maxwell’s enthusiasm for life graces the pages of her books and are the topic of the talks she gives to readers and writers groups about her chosen career.
She is no stranger to the limelight. After graduating from college, Cathy started off as a news broadcaster. She later decided reporting was boring compared to making news and joined the navy. After a successful stint in Naval intelligence, including a tour with the Pentagon, Cathy proceeded to pursue writing. Now, she has over thirty-five published romance novels (and five anthologies) to her credit, many of them spending significant time on the New York Times and USA Today mass market best-seller lists. Several have been nominated for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award and has been honored with RT Book Review’s “Love and Laughter” award among others. Recently, the Washington Romance Writers named her a recipient of the Kathleen Gilles Seidel “Legend” award for her service to the chapter. Best of all, she has made some wonderful friends along the way and has had a great time.
Originally from Kansas, she now finds herself in Texas! When not writing she is likely to be busy with one of many local charities or packing her bags to research her next novel. Cathy’s motto is “travel light” and she enjoys meeting her fans all over the world.
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Scandals and Seductions Series:
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