jayvall reviewed Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare
Review of 'Do You Want to Start a Scandal' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Piers is the jilted fiance who left his betrothed waiting a bit too long in Say Yes to the Marquess. Charlotte is the youngest of the Highwood daughters who populate Spindle Cove. Separately they both head to a two-week house party and Charlotte warns Piers of her mother's high-handed, matchmaking ways. Of course, just as she assures him, that no matter what her mother might do or say, she is not interested in chasing after him, they find themselves in a compromising position. Though the pair agree to announce an engagement at the end of the house party, neither party wants to be married to the other. Which doesn't explain why they can't seem to keep their hands off of each other.
This was a lot of fun, and a bit different from the kinds of plots Tessa Dare usually writes. That's not to say that Do You Want To …
Piers is the jilted fiance who left his betrothed waiting a bit too long in Say Yes to the Marquess. Charlotte is the youngest of the Highwood daughters who populate Spindle Cove. Separately they both head to a two-week house party and Charlotte warns Piers of her mother's high-handed, matchmaking ways. Of course, just as she assures him, that no matter what her mother might do or say, she is not interested in chasing after him, they find themselves in a compromising position. Though the pair agree to announce an engagement at the end of the house party, neither party wants to be married to the other. Which doesn't explain why they can't seem to keep their hands off of each other.
This was a lot of fun, and a bit different from the kinds of plots Tessa Dare usually writes. That's not to say that Do You Want To Start A Scandal was missing any of Dare's trademark wit or sparkling dialogue, but that this novel had a bit more of a dark/mysterious angle than her current work usually does. Charlotte is constantly trying to figure everyone and everything out, and Piers has some secrets he'd like to keep hidden. I thought the pair was well-matched, and I quite enjoyed all of the secondary characters (except Frances, yuck.)
I suspect this might be the end of the Spindle Cove series, and this was only barely a Castles novel by virtue of Piers' past relationship with Clio. It will be interesting to see where Dare goes next, but she's a favorite author of mine, so I know wherever it is, I will happily follow.
