Unwrapping: Review of LESSONS FROM A SCANDALOUS BRIDE by Sophie Jordan

Already a fan of Sophie Jordan, I was quite pleased when Avon Romance asked me to read an eARC of LESSONS FROM A SCANDALOUS BRIDE. It is the second book in the Forgotten Princesses series and I am remiss in that I haven't read the first book, WICKED IN YOUR ARMS yet but plan to catch up on that one especially after reading this one. Worried that I needed to read the first one before this, I'm glad to say I didn't need to and was not disappointed. I'm glad I was allowed to read it ahead of its scheduled release date of July 31, 2012 so that I could give all of my dear friends a heads up - this is one you'll want to put on your To Be Read List.

Blurb for LESSONS FROM A SCANDALOUS BRIDE:

A life can change in an instant . . .

No one knows this better than Miss Cleopatra Hadley, who went from poverty to plenty when she discovered one of England's richest men was her true father who wanted her to share his wealth . . . if she married into the upper echelons of Society. A high price to pay for someone whose mother taught her just how dangerous a marriage could be.

An imposing yet impoverished Scots nobleman, Lord Logan McKinney knows he must wed some vapid title-hunter with a substantial dowry in order to restore his once-thriving estate. Having the vibrant Cleo nearby, however, makes his task even more unpalatable - for she tempts him like no other woman . . . just as he's precisely the sort of man she most fears: exciting, unpredictable, fiercely passionate. But when attraction proves too powerful, they succumb to a kiss that quickly leads to lessons too scandalous for even the darkest nights . . .

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Cleo Hadley's been rescued from poverty and the oppression of her stepfather by a wealthy newfound father but she hasn't left behind the fears and worries that she's carried all of her life along with the heartache of lost siblings. If there's one thing she's learned growing up in the life she knew it was that there are no promises kept, no love of a man worth sacrificing a life for, and that she would always live her life the way she chose not the way a man chose for her. Her father, Jack Hadley, is seeking a higher standing in ton society and is determined to use his illegitimate daughters to gain it. Knowing Jack wants her to marry UP, Cleo sets her cap for the elderly and ill Earl, Lord Thrumgoodie much to the chagrin of his inheritors. Cleo chose the old man even with his reputation for lechery because she knew that with him she would never have to be a true wife. She would never have to fear getting with child or suffering through childbirth, the death of a child or the risk of her life. All the things, she'd watched her mother suffer through over and over -  each time, Cleo fearing it would be her mother's life that is forfeited in the name of loving a man.

Lord Logan McKinney, a Scotsman unafraid of what others think, needs a wife. He needs a wife with money so that he may restore McKinney Castle and provide well for his younger siblings. He hopes to be fortunate enough to meet a woman that will stimulate him both with mind and body. He's nearly given up hope of finding such a woman and is about to settle for Lady Libba, Lord Thrumgoodie's granddaughter when he discovers Cleopatra Hadley. He sets out to win her over and claim her heart as well as her fortune. Cleo, however, is determined to discourage him even as she craves his kiss and more.

From the beginning pages of LESSONS FROM A SCANDALOUS BRIDE by Sophie Jordan, the reader is caught by heart-tugging images and carried through Cleo and Logan's turbulent yet irresistible relationship. The pages seem to turn themselves as the story moves forward. Sophie Jordan touches on the greatest fear that plagues nearly every woman at some time in her life - the dangers that accompany the wonder of childbirth. Sophie created a strong yet frightened character in Cleo that most readers will feel themselves connecting with on many levels. Nature cannot be ignored. In Logan, she created a strong, family-oriented man that we easily fall in love with just as Cleo does only we are more easily able to acknowledge it. When tragedy strikes, readers will find themselves holding their breath till the outcome even though we know deep down there must be a happily-ever-after or hope anyway.

I highly recommend LESSONS FROM A SCANDALOUS BRIDE by Sophie Jordan - it may be a tad predictable but you are treated to delightfully touching moments, heart-tugging images and emotions that will carry you through the pages with joy, touching romance and some steamy scenes that will have you panting for more. Not only all that but you get to visit ton society and get treated to a robust highlander who will have you begging to move North even though the winters are too cold. Sophie Jordan has done it again with LESSONS FROM A SCANDALOUS BRIDE.

Happy Reading Everyone!!

LESSONS FROM A SCANDALOUS BRIDE, the Forgotten Princesses series by Sophie Jordan, Avon Romance, release date - July 31, 2012, print and ebook formats.