I selected this book on a whim from the catalog because I can never say no to a juicy historical romance. An artistic heroine and an undercover detective from the wrong side of the tracks: how could I refuse? This was the first time that I can recall where the female love interest was a former prostitute. Coming from such an impersonal background, her relationship with the hero was incredibly tender. They were so gentle towards each other. He was obviously attracted to her, but never failed to give her the patience and kindness she needed. I honestly wished they had more scenes together because I swear the villain got the most screen time.

The main antagonist of A Brush with Scandal was Violet's former lover, Archie Neville. He came from the rookeries just like her and demands she uphold her promise of marriage. He's fresh out of prison and hungry for blood. The entire book is spent running away, running around, and running into this bad guy. I wish he didn't dominate the majority of the book, but I managed to satisfy myself with scenes with John Barrow. I really liked the relationship between our main couple, even if they were constantly interrupted by villainy.

This was the first book I've read by Allison Grey and I'm tempted to read the book that preceded A Brush with Scandal. I loved the way she wrote the courtship of John and Violet, despite Archie's bothersome hijinks. Hopefully in the next book our antagonist will take a backseat to let our lovebirds build their nest in peace. It wasn't the true masterpiece I envisioned, but it was certainly A Brush with Scandal.

A delightful book combining the harsh reality of the poorest sections of London with the privilege of the rich and titled. Throw in a bit of skulduggery and detective work and you get a very readable novel. Very exciting to read.

An absolutely brilliant historical novel which will pull you in from the very first page.
It has everything in it from a beautiful love story with a heroine who just craves for love but feels she does not deserve it due to her past history where she had to sell her body to keep herself and her friend alive.
She is threatened by her ex boyfriend who is a notorious villain from the Seven Dials and will do anything to get her back and the only person who can help her is an undercover police officer who has infiltrated her ex boyfriend’s gang.
A great read especially on a cold winter night

A painter with a scandalous past, Violet seeks to escape her criminal pursuer with the help of undercover detective John. Their alliance, however, ignites a dangerous attraction, forcing Violet to choose between her ambitions and her heart.

If you’re looking for a high-heat historical romantic suspense, this book might be for you. The writing is good, but the story isn’t particularly believable. There’s no sensual tension because the hero and heroine slake their desire as soon as it hits, out in the open where anyone might see them, which could literally get them both killed. The hero and heroine are both TSTL, and the only reason they survive is pure luck.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

3⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advanced copy of A Brush With Scandal.

Violet has worked hard to escape her past and forge a new life for herself until Archie tracks her down reminding her of the promise she made him and how he plans to collect. She flees from him to her best friend for help to get rid of him. John a detective who is undercover plans to help out Archie away for his crimes. Violet is immediately attracted to John but does not feel like she deserves love. She offers herself up as bait to Archie knowing that John will be there to protect her.

This book had a good plot but it drug on a little long for me. But it was still a good read.

This book was a tough one to get through. The characters felt more like cardboard cutouts, and the overly dramatic dialogue didn’t do them any favors.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC.

#ABrushWithScandal #NetGalley
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The villain got more air time than the mcs. Archie was so bad, he was almost - Black Jack Randall quality- bad. It annoyed me that he was everywhere. I know we need some kind of conflict but it was too much, for 90% of the book. Let these lovely people, Violet and John, alone.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

A lovely love story full of drama and twists. Miss Violet Latimer helps to gather information needed to send to prison the leaders of a London gang that terrifies the residents and even the police. But, as Violet has a past, will people be capable of forgetting it? Is Detective John Barrow more preoccupied with an eventual promotion, or will he be more interested in living with his life love? You must read the book to find out more.

Steamy Victorian romance with danger, mystery and lots of romantic chemistry! Bridgerton fans will love this one!

I enjoyed the story of Violet and John as they traveled their path to find their happily ever after!

Whew this packs a huge wallop! This author is new to me! I didn’t realize I had previously purchased Della’s story and will read ASAP!
We have Violet Latimer artist, former rookery prostitute and best friends with a countess! She has left her past behind and is succeeding in Paris as an artist! Her past is back in London until the past comes calling with a debt she never thought to pay! Her nemesis Archie Neville and his gang of Bruisers wreaked havoc in the 7 dials and would stop at nothing to possess her again! He crossed an ocean to find her!
Enter John Barrow undercover for the Bruisers and a former Valet to an Earl!
With hard work and dedication he is Detective Inspector on the force! John has a secret agenda to right the wrongs of the past done to his little sister!
Violet left her past behind and has not felt any interest in any physical contact with a man for 3 years until now!
Their chemistry is off the charts and they work on a common goal to rid the Seven Dials of Archie and Tommy Neville and the Bruisers!
When the only way forward is for Violet to make an unforgettable decision she doesn’t hesitate!
Working so closely together with John an affair seems inevitable but how can a man even like her with her past!?
John tried to be practical making Inspector Chief Detective is a life long dream! Dreams can change because what if his new dream is saving the life of the obit woman he ever loved? Bravo
Nonstop action you can smell the dang dark rookeries and enjoy the opulence of Mayfair! Most of all you can enjoy the journey of two people who never dreamed of love!

A Brush With Scandal tells the story of artist, Violet, who escaped out of the slums of Victorian London and was featured in the author’s previous book, The Lady Thief of Belgravia. However, reading the prior book is not necessary to enjoy this somewhat darker novel.

Violet ends up working with an undercover detective to put away the leader and members of a brutal gang in Victorian England. She had previously been involved with the villainous leader and had turned him in to the police. Now out of jail, he wants Violet as his mistress and to find out who turned him in. Once he learns it was Violet, he will have his vengeance. There are some scrapes and scary sections. However, there is also romance between Violet and the detective.

The writing and research of this period is very good, and I loved both of the main characters struggle with upward mobility.

First, this is another rollicking Victorian England adventure by Allison Grey! Before I say anything else, I want to draw attention to the clever title A Brush With Scandal which reflects the female lead character’s passion and talent for art. But this artist’s brush is shaded by scandal. She painted herself into a corner and no matter how hard she tries to start over, the past is not yet done with her. Violet is an exceptional artist from England but she has been living in France, cultivating her talent in the great culture rich city of Paris. She is happy and finally doing what she loves but the dangers of yesterday are knocking on her door again. And even though she has desperately tried to maintain a new lease on life, her past comes back to haunt her through a shady character she once escaped. Sadly, she made a promise years ago to a notorious criminal named Archie Neville who freed her and her friend Della from an orphanage, and now he is back and determined to reclaim his prize.

I actually read the author’s previous book The Lady Thief from Belgravia which is mostly about Della (who is also included in A Brush with Scandal). Violet was in that novel, too, as these two ladies are best friends. It was a rollicking great ride which I enjoyed and the current novel is somewhat of a continuation but the main focus now is on Violet. So, this is her story. And what a story it is! She is always trying to escape her scandalous roots in the rookery of Seven Dials but it seems an impossible task. Until… she meets handsome John Barrow, an undercover detective, who originally is from her neck of the woods, too. He has done well for himself first as a valet to an important societal figure but now he works for the law and is hoping to catch Archie and his gang and put them away for a very long time. Of course, Violet wants the same thing so they pair up to plan their attack. Along the way, these two become very close so yes, there is a romance element to the story. They are an interesting couple and both likeable characters. Their frustrations are well presented and they live a little dangerously at times affected by their attraction. But the ultimate goal to catch the vile criminal Archie and his men are always the main focus behind their actions. And for John, ensuring safety for Violet and her friend are number one on his list.

This story set in 1883 is full of danger, criminal activity, social conflicts and class distinction issues, plus it is highlighted with a dash of romance. A Brush With Scandal is an enjoyable ride through the past of Victorian England with interesting possibilities of what could have been happening at the time. I cringed at the criminals’ actions (as one would!), marvelled at John’s boxing skills and admired Violet for her courage and determination. My heart was also uplifted by the attempts of those from the poorer sides of the tracks trying to create better lives for themselves. I was able to picture the art that Violet created and how her gift could ultimately be used for great purposes. She had a good heart, like her co-pilot John, and I was very happy with the ending the author provided for them and others who play an important role in catching the criminals. A few messages that shine brightly from A Brush With Scandal are: the importance of never giving up against the odds and that everyone deserves a second chance and are worthy of love. This novel deserves 4 strong stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for a review copy.

I was engrossed by this story. The characterisation was great, the villains truly villainous and the male and female leads convincing. It was a tense, romantic thriller where the villain gets his comeuppance and the romance is successful against the odds. The book explored the world of gangs in the east end and how people were trying to escape a cruel grip of poverty and attain some respectability. I would have liked to see more action and less contemplation about the state of relationship between the two leads. The capture of one villain was entirely glossed over and could have been made much more of. However this was still an enjoyable read

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. Set in the 1880s, Violet wishes to be a painter and relinquish her ties to her past. She particularly wants to leave behind Archie, who just was released from prison and is determined to wed Violet all the while finding who put him in prison to begin with. Seeking help, Violet winds up being connected with John, an undercover detective. In exchange for protecting her from Archie, John wants her help in putting Archie away for good. But there is an attraction between John and Violet - which poses its own risks.

I liked the character of Violet. She grew up not in a good situation, but worked to improve herself and continued to maintain that status quo. I also appreciated the character of John, who was written with sincerity in regard to his profession.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thrilling, exciting and more than a few hold your breath moments. An unlikly pairing of police and prostitute but as the story unfolds and the pace increases in excitement, their pairing is as frustrating as it is believable. Set in victorian london and paris the characters throughout are strongly defined and this is a great read.

Oof.

This was really difficult to get through. The amount of Tell, Don't Show overwhelms any chance the story had. However, cardboard cut out characters and overly dramatic dialogue and reactions made this an exhausting read that added very little to the genre.

this was a strong Victorian historical romance and enjoyed the way the characters were written in this book. It was everything that I hoped for in this type of book and was engaged with everything that I wanted. The overall feel has that feel that I wanted in a romance and was as spicy as I wanted Allison Grey wrote this perfectly and can’t wait for more.

BOOK: A BRUSH WITH SCANDAL
AUTHOR: ALLISON GREY
PUB DATE: OCTOBER 2024
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REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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THINGS I LIKED
1. The FMC, Violet. I admired how she rose from her past and achieved her dream. I liked her
2. The MMC, John Barrow. I loved his passion for improving the situation where he grew up at Seven Dials. I liked it.
3. I liked that it was a love story of 'normal' people, and I liked that. There were not really any aristocrats.
4. I liked the author's representation of prostitutes. It's something sorely needed in historical books
5. The ending
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THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE
1. The MC's relationship. I liked them both separately, but they were not good together. I disliked how they fell in lust as they met without even knowing much of each other. I also didn't like how they slept together when their lives were literally on the line, not realistic.
2. I felt like the villain act was not well thought out. It was lackluster, and I was disappointed. All the dangerous scenes I was expecting didn't happen. The reveal in the end was subpar with how wicked Archie wad. Which was bad because it was a main theme of the book.
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I didn't really like this book because it was not my thing.