Not Quite a Scandal (Audacious Ladies of Audley)
The Regency romance world is chock full of aristocrats. What sets Not Quite a Scandal apart is its exploration of aristocratic expectations clashing against the more egalitarian Quaker social construct. Bathsheba Honeychurch is on a mission to make the world a more just place. She’s convinced that her Quaker teacher’s abolitionist pamphlets will do the trick, and she is planning on spreading the word worldwide herself. Her fiancé, Ash, the boy next door who she promised to look after, is a kind and openhearted man, who will absolutely let Bathsheba pursue missionary work after their marriage, because well, she told him so. But when Ash becomes the Earl of Silliman—a reversal of fortunes for both Ash and the man who’d thought he would become the earl—circumstances change for everyone. Bathsheba must charge to London to make sure Ash doesn’t compromise his Quaker upbringing and discard her in the process. As Ash learns more of his estranged family, and the aristocratic world, he moves further away from Bathsheba and the Quaker beliefs. Bathsheba isn’t about to let him go, and finds herself tangling with Noel, the man who thought he’d become the earl, as he blocks Bathsheba’s attempts to disrupt Ash’s new life.
This is a refreshing take on the typical Regency romance, and though Bathsheba’s initial self-righteous selfishness is a bit grating, Noel, the discarded earl, is a grumpy foil for Bathsheba’s naïve worldview. The research is impeccable, and it was delightful to learn more about the Quaker culture. Second in a series.
