Alexandra Vasti (Ladies in Hating) transports readers once again to Regency-era England, this time with a delicious mix of forged antiquities, smuggled goods, and squatting in the Cornish estate of a princess.
Lady Ruby Ballimore is smarter than ladies are expected to be. When she rather loudly proclaims that the art her host is showing off is forged, heads turn. The resulting scandal damages her host's reputation and her father's social standing, cementing her fate as a spinster. The man who procured the fake art, Captain Malcolm Archer, slips away upon discovery of his deception.
Ruby gathers two like-minded friends who both need a break from society to spend the summer at Pomeroy House, Princess Serafina's holiday home, which should be empty. If anybody asks, they will claim they are her ladies-in-waiting. But when they arrive, the door is opened by Malcolm, who is also pretending to work for the princess while secretly using Pomeroy as a smuggling station for his pirate crew.
Scandal of the Summer is a delightful departure from sparkling ballrooms and decadent house parties, but it still delivers the banter and yearning readers have come to expect from Vasti. Sparks fly between Malcolm and Ruby, and heads butt as the ladies try to make themselves at home with Malcolm and his charming group of smugglers. The supporting characters--including sapphists, diplomats, and more--form a colorful and deep backdrop for the love story (and a tiny assassination plot). Scandal of the Summer cements Vasti as a brilliantly modern voice in historical romance, perfect for contemporary readers who want to dabble. --Alyssa Parssinen, freelance reviewer and former bookseller