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First Comes Scandal is just the sort of light, sweet-natured romance I – and likely the world – needs right now. With a marriage of convenience at its core, it’s a little traditional and a lot witty. It’s a lighthearted and enjoyable ride that will please most Bridgerton/Rokesby fans, even though it possesses a few flaws.
Nicholas Rokesby has been training to be a doctor in Edinburgh and is suddenly summoned home to Crake by his father, and has no idea why. The reason turns out to involve the recent kidnapping of bookish, spinsterly next-door neighbor Georgiana – Georgie – Bridgerton, a woman for whom he has sisterly feelings, as their families are quite close in relationship and proximity. When he discovers that Freddie Oakes was the kidnapper – Freddie is a good-natured gentleman whom everyone he knows gets along well with – he’s shocked. It seems he abducted Georgie in the hope of pressing her into marriage and gaining her fortune in order to settle a gambling debt, something she says she did not encourage.
Even though Georgie wasn’t physically violated by Freddie, her reputation is now in tatters. Thus, Nicolas’ father – Georgie’s godfather – suggests a marriage of convenience between Georgie and Nicholas in order to save her reputation.
Nicholas is aghast – remember, his feelings for Georgie are of the sisterly variety – and the notion of marrying for anything but love makes his blood run cold. Being the fourth son of the Earl and with his other siblings happily settled in advantageous and fecund marriages, he thought he might marry as he pleased as well. But his father is firm upon helping Georgie in her plight.
Georgie is painfully aware of her status as a twenty-six-year-old maiden and a bookish one at that. People, to her disgust, tell her she should have been grateful for Freddie’s intervention because, y’know – spinster – but while she’s never been against the institution of marriage she, too, wants to marry for love. But her mother’s been crying nonstop ever since the kidnapping and it’s likely that no man worth this salt will ever offer for her hand thanks to Freddie.
Thus do Georgie and Nicholas take up courting, and before either of them know it they’re on their way back to Edinburgh in the company of Georgie’s irascible cat, Cat-Head. But will their feelings ever turn from friendship and affection to true love?
It’s a Bridgerton/Rokesby novel so it’s a given you already know how a light, witty comedy like this one will turn out – a love match between two scholarly dorks who are wise in the way of the books but unwise in matters physical and romantic (those for whom virgin heroes are catnip, please enjoy this one), witty minor characters, and lots of banter.
SO much banter, and much of it is high in quality. Georgie and Nicholas are funny and sharp and a natural pair, and watching them figure that out is a treat.
The biggest of those flaws I mentioned is the novel’s pacing. Quinn jumps around a lot in the story, skipping months and days between big incidents, leaving the reader a bit bemused as we run to catch up with these two. I was also a bit annoyed by the feckless conclusion of the story, which is a little too light in tone for the way Georgie is feeling in that particular moment.
But otherwise, the reader is in comforting, professional hands. We get cameos from the other Bridgertons and Rokesbys, and the very tiny thus-far main line Bridgerton clan pop up (Colin is the most recently born of the siblings, and Benedict and Anthony also appear). There are wise (and wisenheimer) servants. There are some pretty good descriptions of time appropriate medical procedures and the frustrations faced by women interested in becoming doctors.
In the end, First Comes Scandal may not be the best in the series, but it comes highly recommended and will enjoy happy space on your shelf for years to come.
Buy it at: Amazon / Audible or shop at your local independent bookstore
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Grade: A-
Book Type: Historical Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 17/04/20
Publication Date: 04/2020
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.
Lisa Fernandes is a writer, reviewer and recapper who lives somewhere on the East Coast. Formerly employed by Firefox.org and Next Projection, she also currently contributes to Women Write About Comics. Read her blog at http://thatbouviergirl.blogspot.com/, follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/thatbouviergirl or contribute to her Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/MissyvsEvilDead or her Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com/missmelbouvier
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Finished this yesterday and enjoyed it. Quinn is so good at banter and humor, even in unexpected places. Her characters sound like real people, just quicker witted and funnier. For example, I loved the scene by the lake where Georgie upends Anthony & Benedict’s plan to gross her out when she declares she adores worms, the more the better. She makes you believe not just in the love story between the H/h but within the families — parents, siblings, nieces, nephews. Plus the epilogue is interesting in that it contains no babies.
Question: It’s been a long time since I read the original Bridgerton series. Are any of the people in the prequels (other than Edmund, Violet, and their children) mentioned in the Bridgerton books?
Thank you for the review. I need a little Julia Quinn just now. Just one-clicked at Amazon through your link, and have been starting every amazon purchase from AllAboutRomance.com. Is it true that you get a small commission for ANY amazon purchase?
Yes. You have to click through from our site and then, in that visit, buy whatever is in your cart. We get 1 to 4% of whatever you purchased. It really is what keeps us online. Thank you for thinking of us!
Hope you enjoy!
I hate to sound snit-snoty – but it’s a disappointment to read a glowing reviews of books that are not yet published :(
Patience is not my virtue, lol
And I’m in a dry spell with historical romance – could use this NOW!!!!!
Sorry–I always wonder about that. We try and limit it to just a few days before a book comes out. Honestly, we want to make sure we get the sale. (squirms)
But if it’s just frustrating, then that’s not good.
Thanks for the feedback.
I know there’s always discomfort in talking about money… but …
Ya’all run this site. You run it with the intent of not pay-walling it and yet being able to generate enough income to at least run at cost. I’d be incredibly sad if one day this site just showed up with the message “It’s been a fabulous XX years but we ran out of money so we’re closing shop…”
That would be infinitely worse so please don’t be apologetic about reality.
That is lovely of you to say. I struggle to balance sounding shrill and making sure the site survives and thrives.
It’s not uncommon for us to publish good reviews a few days before publication (and we’re not the only site who does this). At least you know you have something to look forward to?
SOON
I think it will change when the book is published.
Hello and Question..
When I went to Amazon the only print books are “large print” or “hard cover.” Are they the only way way a printed edition is available?
I am not a supporter of “e books” as I like to hold the book in my hand and pass it on to friends and the library.
Hope everyone is well and adhering to the “Stay at Home” instructions.
Amazon.com lists a mass market paperback, and so does Amazon UK.
Good Morning…Yes it finally was listed and I ordered it. Thank you for being there for all of us with your recommendation and reading clues.
I found it really fun. Quinn’s husband, like mine, is a physician and the medical stuff is wonderful.
It’s really delightful, isn’t it?
I enjoyed this one too.