With its appealing theme of reunited loves and making amends this second installment in The Scandalous Sisters series will draw readers in. Keep reading to get a tempting glimpse of How to Handle a Scandal by Emily Greenwood, along with a discussion about why readers love reunited loves, and then add this historical romance to your bookshelf. In honor of this book make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a copy of the first installment of this series too!
Have you ever lain awake at night mulling over awkward or painful memories of a relationship that didn’t work out, wondering how things might have gone if only you’d done things differently/known what you know now/not been so immature?
I’m not sure you’d be human if you didn’t have at least a few moments of “what if,” even if you’re now happily married. I think that impulse of “what if” is part of what’s behind the enduring popularity of stories about reunited lovers. These stories encompass everything from the classic movie Casablanca to the mountains of romance novels about a character returning home to a small town and a forgotten high school flame, and part of what we love about them is that they’re about people who, like us, didn't get things quite right the first time.
One thing a lot of these kinds of stories have in common is that when the characters first met, they were young and still discovering who they were and what they wanted. That’s the case for Eliza Tarryton, the heroine of HOW TO HANDLE A SCANDAL. At the start of the story, she’s a beautiful and popular seventeen-year-old who’s determined to get as much attention as she can from men to fill a painful void in her heart. Though good-hearted, she’s also heedless and a little selfish—in short, she has some growing up to do. The hero of the story, Tommy Halifax, is a bit older, but he’s still not quite wise enough to see that his gorgeous, charming friend isn’t ready for anything so serious as marriage. They’re not exactly lovers, but they’re not just friends either, and they’re somewhere on the cusp of a romantic relationship. But things go wrong, and Tommy leaves—and he doesn’t come back for six years.
Another thing reunited-lover stories have in common is mistakes. We all make them, and we make even more of them when we are at our most vulnerable—like when we’re in love. Misreading what the other person wants, failing to speak up when we should, refusing to admit how we feel out of fear of rejection—there are so many ways lovers may drive each other away, laying a foundation of hurt that needs to be overcome before they can reunite. Forgiveness is often an important part of the healing.
In the best reunited lovers stories, a good deal of time passes between the early relationship and the reunion. We’re not talking about a few puny months, but a couple of years at least to let the lovers grow and change—and think they’ve forgotten the other person. So when they finally reunite, sparks fly not just because of the lovers’ deep-down attraction and whatever happened between them in the past that needs forgiving, but also because of the way the lovers have changed. Tommy and Eliza discover this when, despite their messy history and six years of separation, they have to marry to avoid a scandal. Neither of them is happy about their forced wedding, but there’s nothing like being stuck at a remote manor by the sea to make people have the conversations they need to have.
For me, stories of reunited lovers bring sparks, fun—and hope for whatever might not be quite right in our own relationships. And doesn't everyone appreciate a second chance?
THEY THOUGHT THE DEBUTANTE WAS SCANDALOUS
Miss Elizabeth Tarryton was the toast of the London Season the year she was seventeen and spurned young Tommy Halifax. A careless flirt who didn't know what she wanted, she was startled into laughter by his public proposal of marriage. Furious and heartbroken, Tommy promptly left home for a life of adventure in India.
Miss Elizabeth Tarryton was the toast of the London Season the year she was seventeen and spurned young Tommy Halifax. A careless flirt who didn't know what she wanted, she was startled into laughter by his public proposal of marriage. Furious and heartbroken, Tommy promptly left home for a life of adventure in India.
IF THEY ONLY KNEW ABOUT THE WIDOW
Seven years later, Elizabeth has much to make up for, but the methods she chooses for doing good are as shocking as her earlier wanton behavior--should the ton ever find out. Tommy returns to England a hero, with no intention of allowing himself to be hurt by a woman ever again, but he's fascinated nonetheless by Elizabeth, now widowed and more alluring than ever.
Seven years later, Elizabeth has much to make up for, but the methods she chooses for doing good are as shocking as her earlier wanton behavior--should the ton ever find out. Tommy returns to England a hero, with no intention of allowing himself to be hurt by a woman ever again, but he's fascinated nonetheless by Elizabeth, now widowed and more alluring than ever.
AUTHOR INFO:
Emily Greenwood worked for a number of years as a writer, crafting newsletters and fundraising brochures, but she far prefers writing playful love stories set in Regency England, and she thinks romance novels are the chocolate of literature. A Golden Heart finalist, she lives in Maryland with her husband and two daughters.
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