Find The Summer Of Wine And Scandal: A Novella Executed By Shana Galen Rendered As Textbook
written, enjoyable romance. Read in the anthology "A Gentleman for all Seasons" I read this in the anthology A Gentleman For All Seasons, It is refreshing because right from the beginnjng we just know the MCs are not destined to end up as dukes, duchesses, princes or princess, maybe not even respectable country gentry! Already tarnished by their separate pasts, their journey is learning about each other, with a growing fondness based on who they are at their core and not what society, or themselves, have labeled them.
This story has some very dark elements,as our heroine's past is exposed, For a novella the author provides enough backstory for the reader to see realtime character development, . . mostly in our hero's character, . . while both our H/h become their better selves in the end, Yes there is the typical insta lust/attraction it is a short story after all, but I love that its mutual respect and friendship that cements their HEA in the end.
This is the second novella by Shana Galen Ive read and I really like her writing style, This book is really well written with great characters, I very much enjoyed this short novella, It was a historical romance that had an interesting twist to it,
It was a quick read that was immensely enjoyable,
Caroline Martin is not your average heroine, She has a secret that is worse than any village gossip could believe, She trusted the wrong man and it cost her everything,
Peregrine Lochley is a dandy and the youngest son to boot, He has been exiled by his family to the country and is on the verge of being disowned,
When Caroline and Lochley meet is rocks both their worlds, Can two people any more different learn to love and when secrets are revealed will that budding love be enough, Peregrine Lochley third son of a viscount detests the country but hes been banished from London by his father, Then the wheel of his curricle sinks in mud and a country miss digs him out, Feeling obliged to repay her kindness, he invites her amp her family to dine at Friars House, the estate let by his friends the Gages.
Caroline Martin is a mystery, and the more Lochley happens upon her, the more he wants to uncover her secrets, Then Lochley rescues Caro from two men accosting her in Tunbridge Wells, he finds out the ugly truth about Caro and about himself, Caroline Martin made one mistake, She trusted a man who betrayed her, Now she lives in seclusion on her fathers vineyard,
A very engaging novella, which is well written with characters that are well portrayed, I must admit I didnt like Peregrine at the beginning nor his reaction to Caro's secret but he did redeem himself amp I grew to like him.
I admired Caro for holding her head high amp her parents were amazing, I read this delightful novella in a sitting
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Nothing goes with wine
Dandy Peregrine Lochley detests the country.
Its exceedingly dulluntil the wheel of of his curricle sinks in mud and a country miss digs him out, Feeling obliged to repay her kindness, he invites her to dine at Friars House, the estate let by his friends the Gages, Caroline Martin is a mystery, and the more Lochley happens upon her, the more he wants to uncover her secrets, But when Lochley rescues Caro from two men accosting her in town, he finds out the ugly truth about Caro and about himself,
Better than scandal,
Caroline Martin made one mistake, She trusted a man who betrayed her, Now she lives in seclusion on her fathers vineyard, When she meets viscounts son Peregrine Lochley, shes tempted to trust again, Her worst fears are realized when he discovers her secret, Can he accept her, despite her flaws, or will this wine expert reject her like an inferior vintage
This novella was previously featured in the anthology A GENTLEMAN FOR ALL SEASONS.
This story has an interesting heroine, who made one mistake that snowballed into something so scandalous she doesnt think shell ever recover, Peregrine Lockley has no clue about her past and is intrigued by Caroline upon their first encounter and cant stop thinking of her, I loved that Caro has a chance at happiness and that Peregrine proves what a good man he really is underneath his dandy persona, My Musings
I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful romance from the first page to the last, I always know I'm in for a treat when I read one of Shana Helen's lovely historicals, Her stories are unique well written with great pacing, witty dialogue and plenty of deep emotion, I highly recommend this excellent novella by this talented author, Happy reading ! As always, Shana Galen delivers a great read, This one deals with a heavy subject but it is handled beautifully, This was such a sweet romance to read, It was a short book but the characters were well developed and the pacing was great, Caroline had made a bad decision three years prior that still affected her reputation, Carolines family supported and loved her even when it ruined their reputation also, I didnt care for Lochley at first because he seemed so haughty but as I continued reading and learned more about him it was hard not to love him.
He had made his own mistakes therefor he wouldnt judge others, There was so many emotions in this story, I was sad at how Caroline was treated but also awed by her strength to withstand others opinions, I thought this story was unique because I havent read many were the heroine made this mistake and was then accepted back into the family home.
This was a great book that was easy and fast to read,
This novella had me hooked from the beginning with a new take on the 'meet cute' trope, The characters were engaging, but I found the story a bit rushed due to the shorter length, It was a good read, though, and there are several secondary characters just begging for their own story, I recommend this novella for any fan of Shana Galen, I read this as part of the anthology sitelinkA Gentleman For All Seasons,
My full review is sitelinkhere,
Peregrine Lochley, the youngest son of Viscount Lochley meets Miss Caroline "Caro" Martin when she helps him free his carriage from the mud, Lochley feels awful for letting her do the work and impulsively invites her and her family to dinner, She asks if his hosts will mind and he assures her it will not be a problem, she is not so sure, . .
Caro has secrets, there is much speculation about the village about what happened to heryears ago after the town's fair, most people think she was sent away to give birth to a child, but the truth of her time away is much more heartbreaking.
She is ruined and her family is avoided and have not been invited to any events since she returned, She knows that once Lochley learns of her scandal, the invitation to dinner will be recalled, But to her complete shock, it isn't! They go to dinner and she learns that Lochley is known for his ability to pick wine, in fact, he will be judging the wine tasting at the upcoming fair.
An event that her family's vineyard will be entered in, When talk turns wine, Lochley goes to his room to retrieve a bottle and is shocked to find Caro wandering the halls, turns out the host's sister is a bit of a matchmaker and set them up, but Caro believes the worst of Lochley and thinks he is trying to seduce her and gives him an earful.
Days later their paths meet again and this time she helps him find his way back to his friend's estate, when they arrive, he kisses her and to her surprise, she likes it too much.
But this begins a friendship of sorts and he meets her again and again, Lochley is falling for her, but when a chance meeting in Tunbridge Wells has him learning the truth of her scandal, he is taken aback and is not sure he can accept the truth.
It will take some wise words from his friend Gage and some soul searching, before he comes to a decision, but is it too late Did his initial reaction hurt Caro too deeply for her to believe his feelings are sincere
I thought this was a well written, fast paced novella about overcoming the past and learning to forgive yourself.
It is filled with a lot of emotion, forgiveness, heartache, acceptance and sweet kisses, I liked Lochley and Caro, but I am not a big fan of the story's ending, if felt incomplete and a bit unfinished, Overall this was a good story and completely different than your typical Regency but be warned, there are some trigger issues attempted rape, survivor shame that might upset some readers.
I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eBook that was provided to me, A refreshingly different romance! Two lost and damaged souls find redemption and romance, A very unusual, but brave heroine who stands up to scorn and ridicule and the man that really sees her true self, Ms. Galen pens another winner with this short story, Nothing goes with wine Dandy Peregrine Lochley detests the country, Its exceedingly dulluntil the wheel of of his curricle sinks in mud and a country miss digs him out, Feeling obliged to repay her kindness, he invites her to dine at Friars House, the estate let by his friends the Gages, Caroline Martin is a mystery, and the more Lochley happens upon her, the more he wants to uncover her secrets, But when Lochley rescues Caro from two men accosting her in town, he finds out the ugly truth about Caro and about himself, Better than scandal. Caroline Martin made one mistake, She trusted a man who betrayed her, Now she lives in seclusion on her fathers vineyard, When she meets viscounts son Peregrine Lochley, shes tempted to trust again, Her worst fears are realized when he discovers her secret, Can he accept her, despite her flaws, or will this wine expert reject her like an inferior vintage This novella was previously featured in the anthology A Gentleman for All Seasons.
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