Lord Scandal (Book Two: Rakes of London)

by Kalen Hughes and Isobel Carr

A Shocking Scandal. . . The last thing the Portrait Divorcee needs is to have her name connected to that of the equally infamous Brimstone. But the infuriating rake has made it very clear that he's... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0821781502
• ISBN13: 9780821781500
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: Zebra
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.34 lbs.
• Dimensions: 4.5" x 1.0" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

(4 1/2 stars) Even Better than Lord Sin

I'm really surprised at the lackluster reviews for this novel. I liked it even better than Lord Sin which was a pretty hot debut novel and well rated. I thought Lord Scandal was even more romantic and had a stronger plot. There are some quite unique elements in the story such as how Imogen became a divorcee and social outcast. Her situation places numerous interesting obstacles in her path, not to mention the scandalous reputation of her love interest. The developing relationship between Gabriel and Imogen from casual to deeper is very well done - especially Gabriel's perplexity at Imogen's reactions to their affair as she is not at all like the women with whom he normally dallies. George and friends from Lord Sin are heavily involved in the story and provide a lot of comic relief. (*Spoiler - maybe*) I wished it had spent more time tying the portrait into the end of the story - did Imogen ever learn Gabriel had it? I would loved to see him show her where it was and how long/why he had it. Both novels rate high on sensuality and I enjoy the writing style. I look forward to more novels from Kalen Hughes featuring the fascinating sporting gentlemen in George's "crowd".

Very enjoyable!

This follow-up to Lord Sin gives us a new romance that takes places between two members of Georgianna's ever-growing army of friends. What's delightful about this book is the way that it presents a fresh, developing relationship--Imogene and Gabriel are not George and Ivo, and the issues they face are very different--while keeping the reader in the merry social world established in the first book. I'm looking forward to the next!

I liked it

Gabriel Angelstone (also known as Brimstone) is a rake. He loves women and women love him. However, he doesn't believe in love per se, he goes through life enjoying women on a "casual" basis. Showing up early to a party being hosted by his close female friend George and her husband Ivo (the main couple in the author's previous book Lord Sin), he initially mistakens Imogen for George. Imagine his surprise when he discovers that it isn't George but a mysterious woman who's witty, well-read, and of course, beautiful. He's immediately attracted to her and can't resist making a pass at her. Imogen finds Gabriel attractive, but the last thing she needs is any notoriety, as she is trying to recover from being outcast from society. Imogen is a divorcee. Her husband divorced her after a shocking portrait of her was painted. Since that time, life has been hard for Imogen. She's been cast off by her family (and a brother who hates her) and prior to meeting George, was living in a boardinghouse. What follows is the romance of Gabriel who finds that yes, he now does believe in love and Imogen, torn between Gabriel and the hope of getting back into society - something that can't happen if she's with Gabriel. If you read Lord Sin, you'll find that there are some familiar characters back in this book (like the heroine, George) and lots of secondary characters. Timing-wise, this book takes place after the main story of Lord Sin, but before the epilogue in that book. I read and enjoyed Lord Sin and was curious to see how the author did with a second novel. I actually think I enjoyed this book more than Lord Sin. One of the issues that I had with Lord Sin was the lack of dialog in some key scenes. No such problem here, it seems like the author has done a great job with dialog. All in all, I enjoyed reading about Gabriel falling in love and Imogen unable to resist Gabriel.

RT Wasn't Joking . . .

When they said this was a "Scorcher", or when they said this author is on her way to stardom. I loved her debut book last year (LORD SIN; if you haven't read it, go get a copy now!) and I've been dying for this one to hit the shelves. Hot + Historical Accuracy = A must own book. The hero really is one of those "mad, bad and dangerous to know" types and I thought he was simply delicious. And the lengths he goes to in order to secure the heroine's trust and love are wonderful to watch (I have to say that this is one heroine I'd push under a bus if given half a chance, just so I could have the hero all to myself). If you like books with deep characterization and a large cast of truly interesting secondary characters (yes, George is back, and if you read her first book you'll know why I'm cheering!) then this is a perfect read for you.