IT TAKES A SCANDAL is another wonderful historical romance by Caroline Linden. The story opens with two sisters -- Abigail and Penelope Weston. Their family is nouveau riche and their father has recently bought a stately home in the country. I was worried, at first, that Abby and Penelope would fall into a pattern of Abby always being the sensible good daughter, and Penelope would always be the wild one. Happily I found them to be equally more complex than that. While Abby is better at controlling her impulses than her sister, she is still a passionate young woman who speaks her mind. Likewise, while Penelope might be tactless at times, she is just as intelligent as her sister and not entirely selfish. I enjoyed the relationship between the sisters as depicted in IT TAKES A SCANDAL and look forward to reading Penelope's story.

I love the romance between Abby and Sebastian Vane. They first meet while Abby is looking for her mother's mischievous dog Milo. Sebastian's property borders her family's property. There is a strong mutual attraction right away. One of the things I thought was so great about Abby is how she expresses her true feelings to Simon without throwing herself at him and looking ridiculous. One of my favorite scenes is when Simon encounters her on the arm of a rival of his. He sulks a bit before she very appropriately puts him in his place. She realizes how it might look to him, but she refuses to be punished for his false assumptions. In spite of a bit of occasional moodiness, due to his unfair circumstances, Simon is never nasty to Abby and very romantic. He turns into a poet when he's around her. They have some very emotional and very steamy scenes together.

There are a few gothic touches here and there, which I enjoyed. Simon's situation can't help but elicit sympathy. He's an injured war hero returning to a father whom everyone regards as mad, and an estate which has been greatly diminished by his father's actions. I thought the element of mystery provided by the missing money and Simon's missing father adds a lot of interest to IT TAKES A SCANDAL. For me, the grotto was almost like an additional character. It is a romantic meeting place for Simon and Abby, it was a thing of legend for Simon and Benedict as boys, and in some ways it mirrors Simon himself. Like Simon, it is a forgotten treasure, hidden for years from most people's eyes due to neglect and disuse. I think Caroline Linden did a great job of creating a sense of place in IT TAKES A SCANDAL.

I loved this engaging and romantic historical romance! IT TAKES A SCANDAL has complex characters and a fabulous story with a little mystery thrown into the romance. I look forward to reading about other characters in future stories like Penelope, Benedict, and Samantha. If Penelope and Benedict are paired up, I think she would be the kind of intelligent, sassy woman he needs.