Marriage Most Scandalous by J. Lindsey

Marriage Most Scandalous by Johanna Lindsey

Enter into the ballroom our hero, Sebastian Townshend. Such a suave and debonair rake is a magnet to women. Sebastian sees no reason to deny himself the succulent delights of the beautiful Frenchman, Juliette. Unfortunately, the next day Sebastian is informed with the consequence of a duel that the beautiful Juliette is actually the wife of his best friend.

Being true and honorable, Sebastian agrees to the duel and meets his best friend since childhood, Giles, at the dueling rock. Having accepted his fate, Sebastian prepares to die and raises his pistol into the air, but Giles fires first, hitting Sebastian's arm, causing him to drop his aim and shoot Giles. In the chest. Dead.

Upon returning home, Sebastian must tell his father that he went to the duel he had been forbidden to attend and he had killed his father's bestfriend's one and only son. The Earl of Edgewood banishes Sebastian from their family and tells him to leave England. Sebastian complies.

Eleven years later enter The Raven, a for-hire mercenary. Lady Margaret Landor, current ward of the Earl of Edgewood, feels her chaperone's life is in danger and has gone to the continent to find the missing Sebastian. Having no luck in her searches, Margaret finally decides to hire The Raven to find Sebastian as a last resort. What a surprise to Margaret that The Raven is the one and only Sebastian Townshend.

Sebastian refuses to help Margaret, but once she agrees to his outlandish fee, the true and honorable Sebastian can do nothing but comply. However, Sebastian's father is not likely to allow him to waltz back through the door eleven years later, therefore, Margaret and Sebastian agree to pretend to be married...if the need arises.

Sebastian is looking for a killer and falling more and more in lust with Margaret every day. After deciding they must pose as man and wife, Sebastian and Margaret go to his father's home only to find him being carted in the front door with a giant knock on the head and nearly dead. Douglas, the earl, is ill with a fever and is put immediately to bed. With Douglas currently indisposed, Margaret and Sebastian stay at his fathers house while he recovers.

Personally, I felt the whole father/son relationship was really played up but then fizzled badly. Sebastian's way back into the family was paved far too easily. Margaret and Sebastian went from cold to hot at the turn of the page so their 'love' for each other felt really forced. And the big finale...ob-vi-ous!

All in all, I was disappointed. This definitely was not my favorite Lindsey.

...Fiona...