Author: Nicola Cornick
ISBN-13: 978-1426868931
Publication Date: October, 2010
Acquired by Me: NetGalley
Description Courtesy of Author’s Website:
“Lady Joanna Ware is the darling of the Ton, a society hostess who has put behind her the misery of her unhappy marriage to a philanderer. Until her late husband bequeaths to her joint care of his illegitimate child…
Alexander, Lord Grant, is an explorer lauded as a hero and adventurer. He scorns the Ton and wants no family ties. Until his best friend bequeaths to him joint care of his illegitimate child…
Joanna and Alex disagree from the moment they first meet, so how are they ever to stay civil long enough to join forces and rescue the orphaned baby girl? Saving Nina takes them from the celebrity salons and balls of Regency London to the frozen wastes of the North Pole and tests both of them - and their emotions - to the very limit. For what will happen when their bitter hostility turns to an equally passionate desire?”
My Thoughts:
Nicola Cornick is fast becoming a favorite of mine. I find myself intrigued with her character and plot choices. I never know what to expect next with her selections. In Whisper of Scandal, Cornick starts her setting with Regency London and then sweeps the reader away on a journey by ship to Spitsbergen at the North Pole. Her descriptions of this harsh and cold climate left me filled with interest over the culture and lifestyle of those raised in such a remote landscape. This is one of my favorite parts of the book—reading about adventure and exploration of the unknown!
Lady Joanna and Lord Grant are well constructed characters. I liked their personalities and thought they complemented each other well. They are both strong figures, each one making their way out of their own private hell. There is a special sensitivity that they show to one another when the need arises, which makes them all the more likable for me. The hard part is just getting past the façade that they wear. Really, these two are very much peas in a pod.
The only difficult part for me in the book was Alex’s relationship with Joanna’s deceased husband. It was troublesome to understand his hero-worship for such a nasty character…I think I wanted more of a back-story between the two men to comprehend it fully. It would have been nice to see it developed even more thoroughly.
Finally, there’s a particular point of the book where the purpose is to rescue an orphaned child left behind in the barren land of the North Pole. I applaud this plot point thoroughly and have to say that I am extremely pleased with how Cornick wrote its conclusion. I thought it very clever and sensitive. Really, really loved that bit.
A note to remember: This is the first of a trilogy. I’ve also read the second book (my thoughts on that are coming soon) and am very much looking forward to the final installment—which coincidentally provides the tie between the three books. I love that we have already met the hero & heroine by the time we get there. A couple that I would not have thought to match—this I have to admit!
This book is a great fit for Regency lovers who love beautiful settings and love with a bit of tragedy thrown in.
The thoughts expressed in this post are solely based on my personal opinion and have not been influenced by any other entity or being. Use of my statements may not be reproduced without permission from me, the author of Fall In Love With Books.
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