Meredith Duran’s A LADY’S LESSON IN SCANDAL, Captivating Victorian…My Fair Lady with a Twist!

November is Victorian romances month. I’m starting with one by Meredith Duran. Her writing is unique, detailed, word intensive, impeccably researched, and so captivating I couldn’t put it down.

 

A Lady’s Lesson in Scandal is a Victorian romance, a sort of My Fair Lady with an inheritance twist. It introduces us to Cornelia (“Nell”), who was born a twin, the daughters of the Earl of Rushden. As a young child, Nell was stolen by a nanny who was half crazy, and hidden away in the East End of London. Raised in poverty, she became a factory girl, though she loved books, and in that, was well educated. She survived by her wits and her determination, but suffered terribly from too little food and too little care.

 

Just before the woman Nell called “Mum” died, she told Nell her father was Lord Rushden, and encouraged her to find him. Nell goes in search of the man she thought did her Mum wrong, intending to shoot him. But she finds instead a new, young Lord Rushden (the earl’s heir), Simon St. Maur, who is her 3^rd cousin. Simon, a handsome rake who has inherited the title and lands but no wealth to support them (all the money was left to the earl’s two daughters), recognizes Nell for who she is immediately. He offers to wed her, thereby helping her to become a lady and regain her rightful place and wealth, enriching both their coffers. Nell agrees, realizing only too late she has given Simon her heart.

 

Simon is fascinated by Nell who is so different from the superficial ladies of society he is used to, but if he cannot persuade the court to accept her as the lost twin, he intends to annul the marriage.

 

Duran weaves a suspenseful, believable romance, a story of two people caught between a life of wealth and a life of poverty, neither one comfortable in the other’s world, yet perfect together.

 

Meredith Duran’s A LADY’S LESSON IN SCANDAL - Captivating Victorian…My Fair Lady with a Twist!

It’s Victorian romance month on the blog and I’m starting with a good one. Meredith Duran’s writing is unique, detailed, word intensive, impeccably researched, and so captivating I couldn’t put this story down.

 

A Lady’s Lesson in Scandal is a Victorian romance, a sort of My Fair Lady with an inheritance twist. It introduces us to Cornelia (“Nell”), who was born a twin, the daughters of the Earl of Rushden. As a young child, Nell was stolen by a nanny who was half crazy, and hidden away in the East End of London. Raised in poverty, she became a factory girl, though she loved books, and in that, was well educated. She survived by her wits and her determination, but suffered terribly from too little food and too little care.

 

Just before the woman Nell called “Mum” died, she told Nell her father was Lord Rushden, and encouraged her to find him. Nell goes in search of the man she thought did her Mum wrong, intending to shoot him. But she finds instead a new, young Lord Rushden (the earl’s heir), Simon St. Maur, who is her 3^rd cousin. Simon, a handsome rake who has inherited the title and lands but no wealth to support them (all the money was left to the earl’s two daughters), recognizes Nell for who she is immediately. He offers to wed her, thereby helping her to become a lady and regain her rightful place and wealth, enriching both their coffers. Nell agrees, realizing only too late she has given Simon her heart.

 

Simon is fascinated by Nell who is so different from the superficial ladies of society he is used to, but if he cannot persuade the court to accept her as the lost twin, he intends to annul the marriage.

 

Duran weaves a suspenseful, believable romance, a story of two people caught between a life of wealth and a life of poverty, neither one comfortable in the other’s world, yet perfect together.

 

Meredith Duran’s A LADY’S LESSON IN SCANDAL - Captivating Victorian…My Fair Lady with a Twist!

 

Meredith Duran’s writing is unique, detailed, word intensive, impeccably researched, and so captivating I couldn’t put this story down.

A Lady’s Lesson in Scandal is a Victorian romance, a sort of My Fair Lady with an inheritance twist. It introduces us to Cornelia (“Nell”), who was born a twin, the daughters of the Earl of Rushden. As a young child, Nell was stolen by a nanny who was half crazy, and hidden away in the East End of London. Raised in poverty, she became a factory girl, though she loved books, and in that, was well educated. She survived by her wits and her determination, but suffered terribly from too little food and too little care.

 

Just before the woman Nell called “Mum” died, she told Nell her father was Lord Rushden, and encouraged her to find him. Nell goes in search of the man she thought did her Mum wrong, intending to shoot him. But she finds instead a new, young Lord Rushden (the earl’s heir), Simon St. Maur, who is her 3^rd cousin. Simon, a handsome rake who has inherited the title and lands but no wealth to support them (all the money was left to the earl’s two daughters), recognizes Nell for who she is immediately. He offers to wed her, thereby helping her to become a lady and regain her rightful place and wealth, enriching both their coffers. Nell agrees, realizing only too late she has given Simon her heart.

 

Simon is fascinated by Nell who is so different from the superficial ladies of society he is used to, but if he cannot persuade the court to accept her as the lost twin, he intends to annul the marriage.

Duran weaves a suspenseful, believable romance, a story of two people caught between a life of wealth and a life of poverty, neither one comfortable in the other’s world, yet perfect together.

Meredith Duran’s A LADY’S LESSON IN SCANDAL, Captivating Victorian…My Fair Lady with a Twist!

Meredith Duran’s writing is unique, detailed, word intensive, impeccably researched, and so captivating I couldn’t put this story down.

 

A Lady’s Lesson in Scandal is a Victorian romance, a sort of My Fair Lady with an inheritance twist. It introduces us to Cornelia (“Nell”), who was born a twin, the daughters of the Earl of Rushden. As a young child, Nell was stolen by a nanny who was half crazy, and hidden away in the East End of London. Raised in poverty, she became a factory girl, though she loved books, and in that, was well educated. She survived by her wits and her determination, but suffered terribly from too little food and too little care.

 

Just before the woman Nell called “Mum” died, she told Nell her father was Lord Rushden, and encouraged her to find him. Nell goes in search of the man she thought did her Mum wrong, intending to shoot him. But she finds instead a new, young Lord Rushden (the earl’s heir), Simon St. Maur, who is her 3^rd cousin. Simon, a handsome rake who has inherited the title and lands but no wealth to support them (all the money was left to the earl’s two daughters), recognizes Nell for who she is immediately. He offers to wed her, thereby helping her to become a lady and regain her rightful place and wealth, enriching both their coffers. Nell agrees, realizing only too late she has given Simon her heart.

 

Simon is fascinated by Nell who is so different from the superficial ladies of society he is used to, but if he cannot persuade the court to accept her as the lost twin, he intends to annul the marriage.

 

Duran weaves a suspenseful, believable romance, a story of two people caught between a life of wealth and a life of poverty, neither one comfortable in the other’s world, yet perfect together.

 

Meredith Duran’s A LADY’S LESSON IN SCANDAL, Captivating Victorian…My Fair Lady with a Twist!

November is Victorian romances month and Best Historical Romance Trilogies month. So we have a lot to do! I’m starting with one by Meredith Duran. Her writing is unique, detailed, word intensive, impeccably researched, and so captivating I couldn’t put it down.

A Lady’s Lesson in Scandal is a Victorian romance, a sort of My Fair Lady with an inheritance twist. It introduces us to Cornelia (“Nell”), who was born a twin, the daughters of the Earl of Rushden. As a young child, Nell was stolen by a nanny who was half crazy and hidden away in the East End of London. Raised in poverty, she became a factory girl, though she loved books, and in that, was well educated. She survived by her wits and her determination but suffered terribly from too little food and too little care.

Just before the woman Nell called “Mum” died, she told Nell her father was Lord Rushden, and encouraged her to find him. Nell goes in search of the man she thought did her Mum wrong, intending to shoot him. But she finds instead a new, young Lord Rushden (the earl’s heir), Simon St. Maur, who is her 3^rd cousin. Simon, a handsome rake who has inherited the title and lands but no wealth to support them (all the money was left to the earl’s two daughters), immediately recognizes Nell for who she is. He offers to wed her, thereby helping her to become a lady and regain her rightful place and wealth, enriching both their coffers. Nell agrees, realizing only too late she has given Simon her heart.

Simon is fascinated by Nell who is so different from the superficial ladies of society he is used to, but if he cannot persuade the court to accept her as the lost twin, he intends to annul the marriage.

Duran weaves a suspenseful, believable romance, a story of two people caught between a life of wealth and a life of poverty, neither one comfortable in the other’s world, yet perfect together.

Review: Meredith Duran’s BOUND BY YOUR TOUCH – Fabulous Victorian Romance with Egyptian Antiquities

Since this month starts a new “best list” for me featuring Victorian romances, I thought to begin with one I have enjoyed. Set entirely in London (though it involves the sale of antiquities from Egypt and other places) and likely set the late 1800s (there are new "electric lights"), it begins as Lydia Boyce is told by the man she expects to marry that he's marrying one of her younger sisters. Brokenhearted, Lydia is gracious, reconciling herself to the fate of a bluestocking spinster. She's intelligent, witty and able to carry her own in any debate. (She lectures at the museum and handles her father's antiquities business in London while he is in Egypt.)

Enter silver-tongued James, Viscount Sanburne. In an attempt to upstage his father, he interrupts Lydia's lecture to present his father with an Egyptian funerary stela (stone slab). Lydia is miffed and takes the opportunity to declare the stela a fake. James and Lydia are thereafter joined in what seems a dance of dislike and distrust, even as they work together to solve the mystery of the fake antiquities that seem to be a part of her father's business. All the while, people are trying to kill James for some jewels stolen from Egypt he knows nothing about. 

James is also waging a battle against his father who he blames for his sister's confinement in an asylum after she killed her abusive husband. He also blames himself for not saving her. Hence, his excuse for a life of debauchery.

It's a good story and will keep you turning pages. She writes well, and her stories are filled with convincing emotions and predicaments. No contrivance. And, something else that is different: Once they give their hearts, her heroes consistently love the heroines. I like that—a lot.

The only thing that I will note is that you really need a dictionary to understand some of the sophisticated and unusual terms she employs. Mind you, I'm not complaining. I learn something with each of her books. Here are some examples of the words I stumbled over in this one: stentorian, escritoire, tollick, instantiations, clarence, whilks, jeremiad and volte-face.

What Duran does best is capture emotion and tension between two people falling in love in difficult circumstances. She also writes splendid love scenes... totally appropriate for the people and circumstances. I think this one is a keeper, and like her others, I highly recommend it.

NOTE: Bound By Your Touch is related to the next one that follows, Written On Your Skin. Sanburne is a character in the latter book, and his friend, Phin, the cartographer and mysterious government agent in Bound By Your Touch, is the hero in Written On Your Skin. I recommend reading them in order.

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Review: Meredith Duran’s THE DUKE OF SHADOWS - Stunning, Complex Love Story Will Sweep You Away to India!

Let me say at the outset, I loved this book. It kept me reading late, late into the night, so you know it's intriguing. It's also different, an emotionally rich tale of love lost and found, set in India (and London) in 1857 and 1861. But I wasn't far into the first half when I realized I needed the following: (1) a glossary (for terms like patois, zenana, sepoy and grisaille), (2) an Urdu-English dictionary (or at least a translation of the phrases and dialog in that language), and (3) a map of India. If she ever does a deluxe edition, I recommend she include those things. But even without them, the story was amazing, more complex than her others.

It begins as Emmaline Martin travels to India to join her fiancé, a self-absorbed, cruel colonel in the British East India Company's army and an impoverished man of noble birth who only wants Emma for her money. The marriage was her parents' idea—her parents who are killed on the ship bringing Emma to India.

Emma arrives in Delhi emotionally bruised but fascinated with the country. She finds the life of an Englishwoman in Delhi's British society to be boring and, as an artist, she wants to see the colors and people in the bazaar but it's just not safe. She meets Julian Sinclair, cousin to her fiancé and heir to a dukedom and is instantly attracted to the handsome British nobleman who has Indian blood and understands the unhappiness of the Indian people living under the rule of the British.

Julian believes there will be an uprising, but he can't get the attention of the British. Of course, he isn't wrong. Much of the first book deals with the uprising and the horrible things Emma witnesses and experiences during that time. Julian and Emma have already realized their love for each other when they are separated in the ensuing battles.

The second half takes place 4 years later when, back in London, Emma and Julian are living as empty shells, he believing she was killed in India and she believing he didn't come for her.

There are many twists and turns in this unique first romance of Duran's as she immerses us in the tumultuous times in India when the Indian soldiers in the British East India Company's army (the sepoys) mutinied in various parts of the country. But in this tale, there is also treachery in the British ranks based on greed.

Duran introduces us not only to a wonderful hero, who loves Emma consistently throughout the book, and a heroine, who is sensitive and brave, but also to some great secondary characters who give you a feeling for the time and the place.

It's a story of survival in war, of learning to understand another culture and its effects on the people who are exposed to it, and of true love that marks you for life. The emotion feels real, not contrived. And the love scenes fit the story. Highly recommended!

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