A Common Scandal by Amanda Weaver

A Common Scandal by Amanda WeaverMy reaction to A Common Scandal by Amanda Weaver is, for the most part, quite positive. I enjoyed the characters, especially Amelia Wheeler and Nate Smythe, the leads, but also Julia, whose grand secret I figured out early and yet that pre-knowledge didn’t spoil a thing. The story itself held together and offered well-seeded surprises without breaking the story logic, while some of the confrontations were just lovely and completely within character.

The novel has a hard time choosing a genre, though, which may be confusing to some readers even when none of the twists broke the story. From the start, the style and detail is more that found in a sweet romance, but then it tosses the main characters into morally complicated company and becomes sensual even for Nate and Amelia with explicit description often reserved for erotica. Finally, it dips into historical thriller/mystery when there’s little of that style earlier, but again it’s appropriate to the moment.

I do think this is not for sweet romance readers who want the physical nature behind closed doors and after the marriage, but those who read sweet for the focus on the times and the characters won’t be disappointed. Nor will sensual readers, while the thriller/mystery aspects, as I said, are true to the story, just not often paired in this way. This mix of styles is why I worry the book might have trouble finding its audience, though the description is well-written to hint at what is to come.

The book opens with a prologue to introduce unconventional Amelia at 10 years of age running wild on the docks of Portsmouth thanks to a sickly titled mother and a commoner father who works hard to try to support his family in the manner that his wife is accustomed. In the prologue, we also meet Natty, presented in such a way as to have none of the characteristics of the male lead, and yet there are hints all this is to change.

The description is often compelling and full sensory, drawing me in, but at the same time, there were points when it threw me from the story as I tried to place the information in the timeframe (it often read more Regency than Victorian, or dropped into modern-feeling language). This is one of the downsides I found, but ultimately, the characters were compelling enough to make it a minor, if present, annoyance.

The aspect I found fascinating is the way it is written from the outside looking in. A Common Scandal addresses the awkward position of the newly rich, where the debutantes become targets for any title to let while young gentlemen who have earned a sizeable fortune have trouble being accepted in polite society. At times, it felt that more than just lacking the infatuation most historical romance has with titles and society the book outright objected to the titled, presenting them in their worst light. On the other hand, there were some in the titled set who demonstrated good character, so this wasn’t a complete condemnation, while at the same time, the contradiction between expectation and reality was lovingly described, especially through the window of Amelia’s parents.

When it comes down to it, this is a lovely story with fun characters and a few good twists. The shockingly modern escapades at times are ones that aren’t all that modern despite the general belief, and the exploration of moral compass is quite well done while never crossing into inspirational territory. I did have some quibbles, but nothing strong enough to destroy the read. If you let the story carry you and don’t fuss the details, A Common Scandal offers characters you can love, full-sensory description (I’m speaking of the places, but the same is true in the love scenes), and a fun romp through a society that wants you to believe one thing on the surface and is much different once you see beneath the facade.

P.S. I received this title from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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