Four Weeks of Scandal by Megan Frampton Series: A Hazards of Dukes #5
Published by HarperCollins Publishers on June 28, 2022
Genres: Fiction / Historical / General, Fiction / Romance / Historical / Regency, Fiction / Women
Pages: 368
Format: ARC
Buy on Amazon
If you love the sparkle of Tessa Dare and the wit of Sarah MacLean, then you won't want to miss this newest historical romance by Megan Frampton, who returns with a delicious story about a will in dispute, a four-week bargain, and a pretend engagement with romantic consequences.
It only takes one moment to cause a scandal...and four weeks to live it down!
Week one: Lovely, lively Octavia Holton arrives in the village, determined to claim her inheritance--the home she grew up in with her late father. Surely he meant for his daughter to have the property, and owning it means she could fix it up, sell it, and use the money to pay off her debts. But when she arrives, she discovers the house is also claimed--by one Gabriel Fallon.
Week two: Gabriel claims his father won the property in a bet, but he can't bring himself to toss Octavia out on her very delightful derrière, so he makes her a four-week bargain: Together they'll pretend to be engaged, all the while seeking out any will, letter, or document that proves who gets the ownership.
Weeks three and four: But that means togetherness...a lot of togetherness, and long days--and evenings--in each other's company. The pair seems destined to "duke it out," staking their claims...but it's all too soon that they realize their rivalry might lead to something much more intimate. And suddenly four weeks seems like a long time. And yet not enough.
I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I have not read the other books in this series, and it worked well as a standalone.
The story features a businesswoman and an academic coming together over the belief that each has inherited a house. It quickly heads into fake engagement territory (which is a particular favorite of mine) and also involves cleaning up the dilapidated house (which is also a favorite of mine).
This read fairly fast, and was easy to pick up and put down over a week or so, with likeable and very three dimensional characters. Octavia in particular is impulsive, brash, and assertive and although has a character arc is unapologetically herself which I liked, particularly when it came to asserting her desires. This is a very sex positive book in that regard. Conversely, Gabriel is a bit of a cinnamon roll. You think he is tough and crusty, but in reality he is this delicious, soft gooey man who is handsome, intelligent, caring, and the first to fall in love (that may, again, be a particular jam for me).
The intimate scenes are there, but fairly light and vanilla, and the supporting characters bring a warmth and humanness to much of the book. There is little angst, and mostly just a lot of back and forth in a crumbling country house between the MCs who are first locked in a battle, but soon give in to Feelings.
There was no violence and some adult themes. Generally, better for readers who like intimacy on page.
I debated putting a CW or not on this post, because I do think its important to mention that while Octavia and her sister run a gaming house in London, both MCs parents were unscrupulous gamblers that were so deep in their addictions they did some unconscionable things. Its not dwelled upon overmuch, but it still might be difficult for people who have faced abandonment or parental rejection as the result of addiction. It could be healing, too, as Frampton really focuses on found family with a deft touch that feels well deserved for both characters.
There were bits that sagged and dragged, not exactly a barn burner, but overall it was an entertaining read. I am keeping my tongue in my mouth a bit about the title because its a stretch, but I also am keeping my eyes still in my head expecting someone, somewhere to shout about historical accuracy based on these two characters living together for months in a house unchaperoned by anyone else than household staff. Even if they were fake engaged.
I am not exactly sure the year this was set, but it gave off early Victorian vibes.
I would recommend this for readers looking for a fake engagement with low angst and some extreme home make over elements. And a delicious cinnamon roll of a hero. Although some of those notes were stronger than others, it added up to a fun, light read.
