A Brush With Scandal by Allison Grey is actually connected to the other book written by Grey (The Lady Thief of Belgravia) but you don't have to have read that one to be able to pick this one up. I only mention it because as I started reading, the names of some of the characters and pieces of their storylines sounded familiar and because it wasn't as obvious (e.g. the covers are VERY different and it isn't noted as a series), I figured I would save you the confusion if you had the same reaction. All that said, I enjoyed the prior book by Grey so if you haven't read it, I recommend you do and those characters do make an appearance in this book as well.

That said, this story focuses on Violet Latimer. Violet has finally gotten away from Seven Dials but her past (in the form of Archie Neville - a criminal who has just been released from prison and is determined to marry her and find out who put him there) has caught up to her in Paris and she has to make a run for it so she goes to her friend Della (whose husband the Earl, happens to have some connections that can help her) to come up with a plan.

Enter John Barrow. Currently working as an undercover detective, used to work for the Earl and he is doing everything he can to clean up the rookeries and get rid of the gangs. When Violet comes to him for help, they come to an agreement. John will help her escape if she will help him collect the information he needs to get rid of Archie for good.

What neither Violet or John counted on was that they would be drawn to one another and as their situation becomes more precarious, Violet isn't sure who she can trust and they both have pasts and secrets. The question is whether they are ready to move forward...oh and if they can survive everything that is going on Archie and the gangs too.

This was another great story by Grey. I love how she mixes the historical romance with a bit of the suspense and brings together a solid story. If you're looking for a new book to pick up, I recommend grabbing this one when you can.

This was a fascinating story that took me through a whole gamut of emtions.. Great cast of characters that came alive as the story progressed. Very emotional at times and totally absorbing.

As with book 1, you get a romance and mystery that's exciting and fast paced. John and Violet both have one person they need to get rid of Archie, the villian. Archie is trying to force Violet into a marriage. John is trying to bring down Archie and his gang. Violet and John join forces and along the way fall in love. It's a race against Archie, can Violet and John bring down this nasty dude for their hea??

Nicely written, with lots of villiany, romance and character development, I really enjoyed this book and hope to read more of this author.

##netgalley #ABrushWithScandal

A Brush With Scandal
by Allison Grey
Pub Date: Oct 09 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
1882. An artist from the notorious Seven Dials will paint her way into London‘s heart…

Violet Latimer longs to escape her scandalous origins in the rookery of Seven Dials and finally make a name for herself as a painter. But her past is never far behind her, and nor is the notorious criminal, Archie Neville. Fresh out of prison, he's determined to make her his wife – and catch whoever put him away in the first place.

Calling on her high society friends for help, Violet finds herself in an unlikely alliance with the last man a girl from the rookeries should ever approach, undercover detective, John Barrow. A man from her side of the tracks – and dangerously handsome too – John offers Violet a bargain: he’ll help her escape from Archie if she’ll help him collect the information he needs to bring Archie down for good.

But neither Violet nor John have counted on the attraction that ignites between them. As their dangerous arrangement progresses, Violet feels all her plans for the future unravelling in the heat from John’s eyes. Can she dare to trust this man, despite the secrets she senses he’s keeping? Will surrendering to her heart be Violet’s salvation, or her downfall?

With an unforgettable heroine and swoon-worthy romance, A Brush with Scandal will delight fans of Lisa Kleypas, Minerva Spencer and Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. The second book by Alison Grey, set in Victorian London slums. The main characters Violet and John had been introduced in the previous book. Violet was a prostitute and thief with her friend Della. John a valet with the Earl of Bradford. In this book, both had tried to move on from their impoverished beginnings. This story brings them back together as they try to overturn the gangs and violence of the slums. . This story has many twists and turns. I frequently feared for Violet's safety, fearing the worse at every turn.
I enjoyed the story and couldn't put it foen once I got about a quarter through. Recommended to lovers of historical fiction.

“A Brush with Scandal” by Allison Grey is the second book after “The Lady Thief of Belgravia.” I’m delighted to say that this spicy Victorian tale did not disappoint—though it did serve up some unexpected twists that left my heart racing.
Set in 1882, the narrative follows our fierce heroine, Violet Latimer, who yearns to transcend her scandalous roots in the notorious Seven Dials. Violet's aspirations to become a painter are inspiring and relatable; who hasn’t dreamed of breaking free from their past and pursuing their passions? The stakes heighten with the return of Archie Neville, a menacing figure from her past, freshly released from prison and determined to make Violet his wife. The dread of Archie loomed over the plot like a dark cloud, and the tension held me captive. I genuinely felt Violet's fear and desperation as she tried to navigate the treacherous landscape of her life.
Enter John Barrow, the captivating undercover detective whose rugged handsomeness is as compelling as the mission he undertakes. Their alliance—a bargain struck under dire circumstances—breeds an undeniable chemistry that, as the pages turned, transformed from tentative trust to an unforgettable romance. John, with his secretive charm, brought a heat to the story that was both tantalising and deeply emotional. As their daring escape plan unfolded, I found myself utterly absorbed, rooting for them to find safety and love amidst the chaos.
What I truly appreciated about the narrative was its unexpected suspense. While many Regency romances skim over the darker realities of life, Grey dives right into the gritty elements of Victorian society, showcasing the depths of criminality and the fight for survival. The undercurrents of danger kept me on the edge of my seat. However, I must admit that Archie’s character felt somewhat underdeveloped, leaving me wanting to know more about his motivations and complexities—he was an intimidating presence, but I wished for a little more backstory to ground the villain.
Despite a few slower moments where my thoughts drifted, the overall pacing picked up swiftly as the story reached its climax. I found myself biting my nails, urging Violet and John to tread carefully, especially when Archie was lurking. Their connection deepened in a slow burn that was perfectly executed, making their eventual partnership feel both earned and genuinely touching.
In conclusion, “A Brush with Scandal” is a delightful concoction of romance and danger, weaving a rich tapestry of character struggles and underlying tension. Grey’s storytelling keeps the pages turning, and while I found some elements could have been tighter, the romance and the strength of the characters shone brightly. I’m left with a sense of excitement to see what Allison Grey concocts next and how she'll mesmerise us further with her beautifully crafted, passionate stories. If you’re after a historical romance that entwines sincere love with thrilling suspense, this is a book you won’t want to miss!

I really enjoyed Violet’s story. Set in the seedy underworld of London’s East End it has plenty of danger and a rather thrilling ending. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Some books have a highly interesting premise and can deliver. A former London prostitute and petty thief rebuilding herself as an artist in late 1800s Paris, is tracked down by a former lover and crime boss. At which point she is able assisted by an undercover detective to not only remain safe but bring down the crime bosses empire from within. Said detective is then our well placed romantic interest.

Although I persisted to 60%, A Brush with Scandal was a rare DNF.

Many of the language choices in A Brush with Scandal were inconsistent, from a brogue to a high class dialect to something modern. Much of the story is told to us through internalised monologue rather than shown to us on the page.

Given much of the story takes place in the London Rookeries, little more than slums, you would expect an atmosphere akin to the grubby grey harshness of Peaky Blinders, this was not it.

I found it very difficult to be invested in the 2D nature of the characters and their troubles. There is suspending plausibility for the sake of a good story but sadly, A Brush with Scandal did not deliver for me.

With thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishhing and the author for the opportunity to read an eARC prior to publication.

It is a Victorian romance set mainly in the East End of London as Violet, with the help of John, an undercover detective, ensures a notorious gang leader is permanently removed from the notorious Seven Dials area of Victorian London. Violet thought her escape to Paris and a new life meant she was safe from her past, but when gang leader Archie tracks her down, she runs to her best friend. There is a physical attraction between Violet and John, but her life is at risk, and he has an arrest to secure, so they ignore it. When Violet risks everything to help John and secure her future, their passion dominates, putting their hearts and lives in danger. I like the evocative setting and the sense of danger the author creates. The characters are believable.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Former prostitute, Violet, has settled in Paris and is becoming an accepted painter, painting the darker side of life. She hopes that she's safe from Archie, one time crook, gang master and whom she had agreed to marry when he rescued her and a friend from the rookeries where they plied their trade. She's wrong and Archie finds her once he's released after 8 years in prison. She flees back to London, to her friend (now a Countess). Detective John Barrow is undercover working to get the evidence to put Archie and gang away for a long time. Violet and John immediately fall for each other of course. There are some good descriptions of life in the rookeries and in the higher echelons of society. Characters are ok but rather unbelievable. Still it's an historical romance cum thriller so we should expect that. The romance between John and Violet was sensitive at one level but then just visceral and unreal - one minute he's treating her gently because of her past, the next they're ripping clothes off over the dining table so to speak. I also intensely dislike the use of 'wanna' which is so horribly American, not Victorian English. There was no sense of time in that they moved between cities with ease and speed - not something likely in the 19th century. I would class the book as a quick, light read but without any real depth to the characters. Sorry. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

I loved The Lady Thief of Belgravia, so when I saw the sequel it was a no-brainer that I would read it! And A Brush with Scandal didn’t disappoint! Violet is as fierce as Della and John is almost as perfect as Cole was!

The two main characters are a delight to have on every page and I love the added aspect of suspense, which I don’t see often in regency romances! Archie really is a true villain, although I feel like his character could have been fleshed out a little better instead of having him mostly loom in the background, ready to pop out at any second.

This definitely is a page turner and flies by in a heartbeat, I couldn’t put it down because I NEEDED to figure out how it would end!

Again I find myself saying: I’m excited to see what Allison Grey comes up with next!

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review!

A good historical read. Full of intrigue and excitement. A change for me as I rarely read this type of book so, it made a nice change. An insight into society back in those elegant days. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this, but I had a really hard time getting into it. I don’t know what about it specifically that made it difficult for me to read at times. It was well written, just don’t think this book in particular was for me.

I really really wanted to love this as I loved Allison’s previous novel about Della but for some reason I didn’t love this quite as much. I genuinely found Archie terrifying and so maybe it was me feeling nervous about him discovering what was happening under his nose. I kept shouting in my mind “careful! Not while he’s in the building!”
Anyway- I loved the characters, and ultimately the story line was great. Still an enjoyable read- just not quite 5 stars for me.

3.5 *
After meeting Violet and John in The Lady Thief of Belgravia, I was looking forward to their story and it is a great story line, filled with a sensual romance two people who started their lives in Seven Dials but have managed to get themselves out but how?

Violet Latimer loves painting and wants more than anything to escape her life, a life where she does what she has to keep a roof over her head and food on the table in the rookery of Seven Dials, she wants to paint and make a name for herself, finally she gets that chance when criminal Archie Neville is put in Newgate and Violet makes her way to Paris and does what she has always dreamed of. But then Archie is released and he comes for her in Paris to make sure she keeps her promise and becomes his wife.

John Barrow also grew up in Seven Dials and after working for many years as a valet to an Earl, John is now working as an undercover detective doing his best to rid the rookery of the gangs that rule when Violet comes to him for help to escape Archie they team up together to get rid of the gang but this is a dangerous mission and anything could happen, even losing his heart to the beautiful Violet.

This was a great story line and so many fabulous characters but I felt it was a bit long winded at times my mind wandered and took me out of the story but all in all the romance was a slow burn as Violet and John found their way through so much danger to find their HEA, and if you are looking for a historical romance filled with danger then this is the one for you.

My thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

What a great and gritty read? The books spends time in the underworld of London complete with gangsters, extortion and cruelty. Undercover police man John is undercover in the gangs spending his time bare knuckle fighting trying to earn the trust of those at the top. Alongside this is Violet who eight years ago turned in the gang leader in order to start a new life. Now Archie wants her back he is out of prison and willing to do anything and kill anyone to find her again. The book goes into the detail of the calluses on the bare knuckle fighters hands, the smell of dank in the underground rooms and the blood that spurts from a broken nose. it is the detail that makes this such a good read and when I struggled to put down once I started.

Interesting to read. The syoryline was well done, but the story didn't move very quickly and the book was a very long read. Others might enjoy it a lot.

This is a fast paced and entertaining read. The characters are well developed and interesting with some unexpected plot twists thrown in for good measure. Not your typical regency romance.

This Victorian romance was very entertaining. Full of drama, danger, mystery, and so much more that kept me engaged. I enjoyed that the heroine is a talented painter, and both she and the hero are courageous, determined, and likable. I highly recommend reading!

London 1882. Violet Latimer longs to escape her scandalous origins in the rookery of Seven Dials and finally make a name for herself as a painter. But her past is never far behind her, and nor is the notorious criminal, Archie Neville. Fresh out of prison, he's determined to make her his wife and catch whoever put him away in the first place. Calling on her high society friends for help, Violet finds herself in an unlikely alliance with the last man a girl from the rookeries should ever approach, undercover detective, John Barrow.
The second novel by the author & a well written book I liked that it featured characters from the first book as Violet & Della are besties. An enjoyable & entertaining book which I felt was more accomplished than the first. I really liked Violet & John, they were different, they’d both made something of themselves & so had known hardships, I liked the chemistry between them & they certainly fell in to lust but their journey to find love wasn’t easy as the villain doesn’t make their lives easy. There were edge of the seat moments & I loved the mix of mystery & romance. I look forward to reading more from the author
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own