The Scandalous Vixen
by Tracy Sumner
My review:
“The Scandalous Vixen” by Tracy Sumner is one of those books that leaves you in no hurry to pick up another one by any author because you want to savor the experience you just had. It’s the second book in ‘The Duchess Society’ series. You can read this book as a standalone, but if you do, you’re probably going to want to go back and grab the first one, too.
“Lady Hell versus the Defiant Duke. The two most stubborn people in London putting on a show they think only they’re watching. When we’re all watching.”
Roan is a man who never expected to inherit a dukedom. When it happened, he was young and unprepared for the massive responsibilities piled upon him. While trying to come to terms with his new reality, he flees to a quieter part of England and it’s there that he notices a young woman walking on the beach. Helen captures his attention. When he has the chance to meet her in a social setting, he completely messes it up because of his own awkwardness.
A decade later, Roan has a reputation for a fiery temper, rakish behavior, and not caring much what people think of him. He does his best for his beloved sister, and the people for whom he’s responsible as a duke. Society holds no interest for him and neither does finding a wife. Helen has inherited her father’s massively successful shipping empire and excels at running it. In a time when women don’t own property and can’t do anything without the permission of a man, she is a fearsome oddity. She’s been hurt and betrayed before. Although Roan still captivates her when their paths cross, she would never let him know it. Her own fierce independence simultaneously frees and imprisons, empowers and weakens Helen. When the plot puts them together for a purposeful cause, the attraction that simmers between them flares up and everything gets out of control.
Both main characters in this story are interesting and likable. I thought Roan was particularly endearing. I was impressed by his resilience and his good qualities that get revealed, as well as by his honest empathy for Helen. Passionate scenes in this book are more than steamy; they also engage your emotions. Dialogue throughout the book is written well. The story of Roan and Helen has a good balance of laughter and tears, serious moments and funny ones. There are wonderful secondary characters who add tremendous depth and dimension to the world in which Roan and Helen live. I particularly liked Roan’s friend McCauley and younger sister Prudence, resourceful little Kieran, and Helen’s former suitor, Norcross. I am anxiously awaiting the next story to come from Tracy Sumner!
I read an advanced copy of this book and I’m giving my honest thoughts and opinions about it.