Book Review: Once Upon a Scandal (Delilah Marvelle)

Lady Victoria Jane Emerson left behind her girlish notions of romance when Jonathan deserted her without a backward glance. Now the time has come when she must finally choose a husband, and she has vowed to marry someone who will never break her heart.

Jonathan Pierce Thatcher, Viscount Remington, has returned home, free of all his family's debts. Only to discover that by some miracle he has been chosen to vie for the hand of his beloved Victoria. To convince his only love to once again believe in the magic of love and the promise of desire will be his greatest challenge yet. And one he cannot fail!

I shall admit - while Once upon a Scandal is not the best romance book I've read, it definitely ranks high amongst the most interesting ones I've read. This book has a particularly pecular set of characters and settings, which - sucker for romance that I am - enchanted me to no end.

I have been drawn to the blurb, of course - a long-lost lover (Viscount Remington) who have deserted our heroine and is now suddenly back for her hand... yes I know, romantic. The cover is also gorgeous and sigh-worthy, right?

Although this is a stand-alone novel it genuinely feels like a short story befitting an anthology. There are only a handful of scenes between the beginning and the ending, all of which are lengthy, which obviously gives the book its volume. Which is why, the pace felt a little too quick, and also underscores why it feels like an anthology short story. The salvaging point though, is that they are all mildly interesting at least, and did not drag like it easily have. While they are not remarkable, the premise had me turning the pages in the hopes it gets better.

What really strikes out most are the characters. In particular, Jonathan - or Viscount Remington as he is mostly addressed - is a breath of fresh air to the many heroes of the genre. Unlike most gentlemen of his time, this character is affectionate, sensitive and wears his heart on his sleeve. He is very outspoken in what he feels for Victoria. On the contrary, Victoria is guarded and reserved, bitter almost in the second half of the book. They share a very peculiar relationship - I was not sure how to look at it, as it is the very opposite of consistent. They simply ricochet off different paths every time. Although there is an effort to include tenderness in their interactions, it feels a little bit awkward as one cannot be entirely certain as to their emotions.

While Once Upon a Scandal is supposed to be inspired by the fairy tale of Cinderella, I felt there was hardly similarities between the two, and would rather forget that little piece of tidbit. Also, the book is partly based in Venice, which felt like a complete waste as the setting hardly played a memorable role in the plot - sure, things happened in Venice, but it takes more than that to make a setting worth noticing. Having said that, despite the lack of tangible plot in the book, it ends rather vaguely - and so, should there be a sequel, I will perhaps pick it up.

Two Stars.

* E-galley copy courtesy of Net Galley.