Completing the quartet of Matches
Made in Scandal, we find the story of a mysterious
lady who set up matches for the ladies in the earlier books.
They seemed unlikely at the time -- a London actress sent to
Venice, for instance -- but were clearly inspired choices. I
was curious to learn who had been behind the arrangements;
now we meet her in her own story. Kirstin Blair is called
upon to help her one-time friend Cameron Dunbar in the tale
of A SCANDALOUS WINTER WEDDING.
London in 1819 is bustling, and somehow Cameron's niece
Philippa has disappeared, along with her maid. He doesn't
want to involve any authorities, because scandal would
attach to the girl's name if she came home safely but had
been unchaperoned. This insistence on being above reproach
had a lot to do with marriage prospects, and often women
were not allowed freedom of movement until they were the
property of a husband, or respectably widowed. Perhaps
Philippa has eloped? Been kidnapped for ransom? Met with
some accident? Kirstin has many contacts at various levels
of society, and her first concern is not for repayment but
for the girl's safety. Cameron, being a Scot, is practical
and makes money from importing overseas goods like spices,
wine, dried coconut. I think that's a nice touch.
In between chapters, we get flashbacks to the previous time
these two interesting people met. This was while travelling
on a coach during a snowstorm; they dined together at a
coaching inn. In this way, we get to know the characters
better and so see why they are not good friends at this
point. On the other hand, the breaks do slow down the
current story.
Even as romantic tension builds between our two principals,
the work continues of investigating the secrets of rich
society, and this is nicely balanced with the fact that
Kirstin has been hiding a secret of her own for quite a long
time. Marguerite Kaye writes carefully, filling the page
with the foods and drinks of the day, the social structures
and friendships. I particularly like a section in which the
ladies from this quartet of tales meet to talk. A SCANDALOUS
WINTER WEDDING keeps us guessing and will be enjoyed by fans
of historical romance, although it lacks the exotic locales
of the earlier books. Sometimes, romance is found when you
least look for love.
From one snowy Christmas…to a sizzling-hot
reunion!
A Matches Made in Scandal story.
Kirstin Blair has spent seven years trying to forget
brooding Cameron Dunbar. Now self-made man Cameron needs her
help to recover his missing niece, and Kirstin must face the
truth—seeing him again sparks the same irresistible
attraction that first brought them together!
She must decide: resist, or give in to temptation and risk
Cameron discovering everything she’s fought so hard to protect…
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