&

It's not often that I have a hard time following a Harlequin Presents romance. Everything is usually pretty straightforward -- sometimes the characters are more complex, sometimes they are more simple, but one of the best things about HPs is that the romances are like a square of chocolate: It's just chocolate. Sometimes the chocolate is a better quality, sometimes it's greasy on the tongue, sometimes there might be a hint of cayenne and more depth of flavor, but the story itself is pure romance, and you can follow the story from beginning to end, with emotions clearly outlined and the plot fairly simple.

This was a mess. Like Nestle Crunch got mixed up with a Reese's, but in the next minute you get an almond or some crap.

Nothing the two main characters does or feels really makes any sense. It's just OUTBURST OF EMOTION followed by OUTBURST OF ANOTHER EMOTION and there's no real link between those emotions. The writing itself is just hard to follow. The grammar is fine and the words themselves make sense, but I feel like in a single page I'm forced to jump from thought to thought without ever getting below those thoughts. People talk without really saying anything. They feel emotions without letting the reader know where those feelings are really coming from. 

OMG, and the ellipses. They are ALL...OVER...THE...PLACE. It's like the return of Barbara Cartland except hers were used to denote a breathlessness and uncertainty, whereas here I feel like they are used to simply avoid delving deeper into the characters (and letting the reader know why the hell the characters are saying/feeling/doing what they're doing.) It's like the author is leaving us to draw conclusions but she never gives us enough to draw conclusions from...

So this book was just a disappointment. Because, seriously -- the premise is that, to escape the crappy life that the hero once lived, the heroine asks him to save her and to buy her virginity (to pay off her dead brother's debts.) Why is he such an asshole to her? I don't really understand it. Why does she hate him so much? I don't really understand it. There's some lip service given to how he didn't come back and save her and her brother once he made good, but her reactions and his reactions and all of their actions are just like watching a ball slam randomly against a wall. It could have been angsty and good, but instead...

UGH. 

So I won't read this author again. Her style is obviously not suited to my taste. 

I've never read any novels from Harlequin before now. However, this little book - written by a lady with a passion for the Mills & Boon collection - has certainly perked my curiosity about this romance company.

A Hint of Scandal is steamy, light-hearted, wonderful little popcorn novel. The characters are amusing and the plot is a fun romp through decadent society, conflicting characters and a lot of sexual heat. The lead female is intelligent and not well understood, but thankfully is independent and strong in her own right. The male, while slightly obnoxious at times, was one that grew on me - to the point where I was keenly vouching for him as the novel progressed.

I should mention that (while is an enjoyable read) it is not high class literature. There are a fair few clichés thrown in and the story is character driven, not plot driven – the plot is mainly there for humour and direction for the romance. If you prefer an intricate storyline filled with twists and turns, this may not be your first choice. Beyond that, A Hint of Scandal was fairly well written for a light-read - there were a few odd word choices here and there, however, the writing was more sophisticated than some in this genre: it managed to remain erotic without becoming trashy and emotional without spelling-out every character’s feelings.

While not flawless (though really, what is?), this is a scrumptious debut from a young romance author - I'm excited to see where the future of writing takes her!