One Night of Scandal 
asked by imtheboss on November 25, 2006 5:57 AM
Proper decorum has never come easily to Carlotta Anne Fairleigh—not even tonight, when the lovely, impetuous miss is finally making her debut. As she waits to make her entrance, she can't help wondering about the darkened house next door, the supposedly abandoned home of Hayden St. Clair, the man society has dubbed the "Murderous Marquess." Certainly one small peek through his window before the festivities would be harmless . . .
And, naturally, this latest "adventure" ends in disaster, thoroughly compromising the budding debutante's reputation and leaving her suddenly, unthinkably . . . betrothed! Soon she's en route to the wilds of Cornwall in the company of the handsome, mysterious marquess whose name the ton whisper with fear and loathing.
Yet there is something thrilling—and surprisingly tender—about her dark, unreachable groom, and the desire in his eyes is undeniable. But before Lottie will surrender to the yearnings in her heart, she must unlock the secrets of Hayden's past, no matter how scandalous—or perilous—they may be.
Reviews
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One Night of Scandal
by: Teresa Medeiros
Reviewer: Pamela Ackerson (author Home of the Braves trilogy)
Teresa Medeiros is one of my favorite authors. As many books as I read, there may be a handful of authors that I actually remember. She is one of them. One Night of Scandal is about an adventuress debutante, Carlotta Fairleigh, and it did not disappoint me--passionate scenes that sizzle, with main characters that feel like real people, Ms. Medeiros makes you feel as if you are a fly on the wall, watching the story unfold before your eyes. Definitely one of those books you want to put in the shopping basket.
by: Teresa Medeiros
Reviewer: Pamela Ackerson (author Home of the Braves trilogy)
Teresa Medeiros is one of my favorite authors. As many books as I read, there may be a handful of authors that I actually remember. She is one of them. One Night of Scandal is about an adventuress debutante, Carlotta Fairleigh, and it did not disappoint me--passionate scenes that sizzle, with main characters that feel like real people, Ms. Medeiros makes you feel as if you are a fly on the wall, watching the story unfold before your eyes. Definitely one of those books you want to put in the shopping basket.
reviewed by macfan on November 26, 2006 6:16 AM
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As a child Carlotta Fairleigh had earned the title "The Hertfordshire Hellion" for her madcap adventures. Now grown up, some things haven't changed. On the very night of her come out ball, Lottie discovers that the infamous Hayden St. Clair is residing in the house next door, but only for that night. Already wearing her ball gown and with guests due to arrive at any moment, Lottie is determined to get a glimpse of him. After all, what better inspiration could there be for an ardent reader and would-be author of gothic novels than to look upon the man whose wife had mysteriously died just months after he had killed one of his best friends in a duel defending her honor. Going out on a limb (literally), Lottie sneaks into his backyard and soon finds herself in the arms of the man known far and wide as the "Murderous Marquess."
Hayden St. Clair, Marquess of Oakleigh, is a man accustomed to being alone. For four and a half years he's been the subject of rumors and gossip and, on his last night in London, the last thing Hayden wants is company, even if it comes in a beautiful package. At first he assumes Lottie is a courtesan sent by his friend Ned, and is even tempted to sample the goods. By the time the truth comes out, however, the alarm has been raised for the missing Lottie, and the pair must face even more scandal or marriage. Desperate to keep her beloved guardian from facing the marquess in a duel, Lottie convinces Hayden that marriage is their only option. The newly married but not at all blissful couple head off to Oakwylde, his estate in Cornwall, for a head-on collision with the ghosts of Hayden's past and his willful ten-year old daughter.
ONE NIGHT OF SCANDAL is everything a reader wants a historical romance to be. It's poignant and tender with sparks of passion and humor. First introduced in A KISS TO REMEMBER, Lottie is all grown up and fulfills the promise she showed as a child. Her joie de vivre is exactly what Hayden needs to bring him out of the darkness his guilt and sorrow have sunk him in. One can empathize with Lottie in her determination to reach out to her stepdaughter Allegra, and to end the years of sadness that have shrouded Oakwylde. Given the wealth of characters in this blossoming series, readers can only hope that Teresa Medeiros will return over and over to this fascinating family and their friends. Be warned! Starting this book will most likely cause you to have a sleepless night, as it is almost impossible to put down.
TheSchemer
Hayden St. Clair, Marquess of Oakleigh, is a man accustomed to being alone. For four and a half years he's been the subject of rumors and gossip and, on his last night in London, the last thing Hayden wants is company, even if it comes in a beautiful package. At first he assumes Lottie is a courtesan sent by his friend Ned, and is even tempted to sample the goods. By the time the truth comes out, however, the alarm has been raised for the missing Lottie, and the pair must face even more scandal or marriage. Desperate to keep her beloved guardian from facing the marquess in a duel, Lottie convinces Hayden that marriage is their only option. The newly married but not at all blissful couple head off to Oakwylde, his estate in Cornwall, for a head-on collision with the ghosts of Hayden's past and his willful ten-year old daughter.
ONE NIGHT OF SCANDAL is everything a reader wants a historical romance to be. It's poignant and tender with sparks of passion and humor. First introduced in A KISS TO REMEMBER, Lottie is all grown up and fulfills the promise she showed as a child. Her joie de vivre is exactly what Hayden needs to bring him out of the darkness his guilt and sorrow have sunk him in. One can empathize with Lottie in her determination to reach out to her stepdaughter Allegra, and to end the years of sadness that have shrouded Oakwylde. Given the wealth of characters in this blossoming series, readers can only hope that Teresa Medeiros will return over and over to this fascinating family and their friends. Be warned! Starting this book will most likely cause you to have a sleepless night, as it is almost impossible to put down.
TheSchemer
reviewed by lauren on November 28, 2006 10:55 AM
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I was so incredibly excited to get my hands on One Night of Scandal after having read A Kiss to Remember--which is, by the way, one of my favorite romance novels of all time. The novel (which, like one reviewer has already stated, is more of a companion than a sequel to the first) started out brilliantly. Lottie's fall from grace and the disastrous results that ensue, as well as the reintroduction of familiar, loveable characters seemed too delicious to be true, but I must say, once she is borne off to the "end of creation" (Cornwall), the story's pacing seriously slows. Allegra and the whole ghost-story-dead-wife-gone-insane intrigue is tolerable, but there isn't any excuse for the lack of romance and character development between Hayden and Lottie. I mean, if you really think about it, the novel was mostly from Lottie's point of view, and even when you've reached the end of the story, you still feel as if Hayden is a perfect stranger. You don't quite sympathize with him like you did for Sterling in AKtR; you don't indentify with his mysteriousness and brooding; the sporatic conversations between him and Lottie are strangely empty and out of place, and the passionate groping somehow sprung up out of nowhere. In AKtR, there was no way in avoiding the sex that occured between two characters who were perfectly obsessed with each other, whereas, the sex in ONoS could almost have been deemed unnecessary. However, I found many positive things in this novel, such as the sweet mother-daughter relationship between Lottie and Allegra, even if it did take away a little (okay, alot) of the romance, as well as other heartfelt, humorous moments. I also thought it had a powerful ending that struck a chord, so I suppose you could say it was the beginning and ending that mostly made this book for me. I finished it with a smile on my face. Though the steaminess doesn't come even close to the first book, and the story lags in places when it easily couldn't have, I recommend this to any fan of Teresa Medeiros (God bless this woman), especially if you enjoyed reading AKtR.
BTW, did anyone else catch the historical inaccuracy in which Beethoven is made out to already have died? The story takes place in 1825; Beethoven didn't die until 1827. ^_^
BTW, did anyone else catch the historical inaccuracy in which Beethoven is made out to already have died? The story takes place in 1825; Beethoven didn't die until 1827. ^_^
reviewed by scanner on November 29, 2006 7:16 PM
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The beginning the book was superb. Hayden was smitten to say the least...Lottie was also intrigued and curious about this dashing, murderering marquess. The characters were instantly likeable that I was sure that the rest of the book would be equally so. That is until he marries her and takes her home and things turn really bad. His kid made me nuts, his emotional scars was so convoluted it was ridiculous. I was so sick of this guy and his problems by the end of the story I was hoping she would high-tail it out of there. Grrr...this could have been a great book ...man was I disappointed.
reviewed by wendi on November 29, 2006 7:25 PM