Two Scandals and a Scot
by Tracy Sumner
My review:
“Two Scandals and a Scot” is the fifth book in ‘The Duchess Society’ series by Tracy Sumner. This is a beautifully written historical romance that can be read and enjoyed as a standalone story. It presents the ‘marriage of convenience’ trope that is so much fun in romance novels, and twists it in a wonderfully entertaining way.
Theodosia (Theo) grew up far from the glittering world of high society. When discovery of a half-sister she never knew existed lands her in the household of a Duke as family, because her sister is his Duchess, Theo has a lot of adjusting to do. It isn’t always pleasant. In fact, it’s often extremely difficult. But she does her best, and is grateful for the benefits. In addition to now having a loving family, food, and shelter, the biggest benefit is that she can indulge in all of the books she wants. And she wants to read a lot of them because of her insatiable curiosity and desire to learn. Dash Campbell is part of her elevated circle now, but he doesn’t fit in much better than she does. He’s a ridiculously handsome gambler and the protégé of a close friend of her brother-in-law. Theo helps him write a book that the social elite can’t get enough of, and it further sets the stage for an unexpected future.
Dash takes a gamble and helps her when her world implodes at the glittering ball announcing her unwanted engagement. What else could he do when she ends up escaping that disastrous celebration in his empty carriage? The turmoil in their lives continues to intensify as the fast-paced story progresses. We also get to continually learn more about Theo and Dash – and fall in love with them both.
The main characters are multidimensional and compelling; I couldn’t stop turning pages because I just had to find out and experience whatever would happen next. When a writer can viscerally draw you into characters created to live in a world hundreds of years ago, you know it’s something special! The dynamic between Theo and Dash is also multidimensional. Their dialogue, banter, and physical chemistry all light up the pages. There’s a lot of emotion in this story, so you might want to have a tissue handy, but it’s neatly balanced by plenty of humor. If you’re familiar with the series at all, you’ll recognize (and be glad to see) many of the secondary characters. This is one of those stories where you can’t wait to get to the end and see what happens, but you also hate to see it end.