Reviewed by Suan Wilson
Posted October 22, 2009

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A child of the slums, Kate's choices are limited. She could become a common prostitute or, with her breathtaking beauty, a courtesan. When a rich merchant offers to educate her in speech, reading and more importantly, lessons from a famous courtesan, Kate accepts. She learns to harden her heart to slights and slurs, and takes pleasures in the simple joys of music, art and cooking. When she catches the eye of the Prince Regent, Kate's merchant sells her services to him. The Prince, who is involved in a messy divorce, manipulates the Duke of Darlington to act as Kate's escort.

As the head of a powerful and influential family, Grayson, the Duke of Darlington, resents the ruse the Prince has thrust upon him. He prides himself on his spotless reputation and the idea of squiring around that "woman" is distasteful. However, due to the Prince's threat of withholding his influence on an upcoming bill his family is pushing, Grayson has no choice in the matter.

At his initial meeting with Kate, Grayson is struck by her beauty and the curious mixture of innocence and sin that surrounds her. Grayson and Kate succumb to forbidden passion and love knowing there is no future, only heartache, awaiting them.

Ms. London's newest novel is exceptional! Her characters elicit heartfelt sympathy for their plight as they struggle with society and family expectations. She balances the tenderness of newfound love with their passionate embraces as Kate and Grayson blindly rush toward heartbreak and disaster.

A Courtesan's Scandal by Julia London

Summary

Kate Bergeron is the beautiful and mysterious former mistress of a cloth merchant...and the latest beauty to capture the interest of the Prince of Wales. Mired in a disastrous divorce, the Prince attempts to distract attention from his next amorous pursuit by ordering Grayson Christopher, the eligible Duke of Darlington, to pretend to London society that he is having the affair with Kate.

When Grayson reluctantly agrees to his Prince's demand, he finds the lady no more willing than he is. Kate will grudgingly act the part in public, but her favors are not for sale to any man.

As Grayson and Kate mimic ardor for the world to see, they find what started as a deception becoming all too real. And when passion flames into love, their predicament becomes extreme. For while marriage between a duke and a courtesan could never happen, Kate knows in her heart that she is willing to accept nothing less...