The Spinster's Guide to Scandalous Behavior
Seduction Diaries #2
By: Jennifer McQuiston
Releasing November
24, 2015
Avon
Avon
Blurb
When her eccentric aunt suddenly dies and
bequeaths her the key to a falling-down cottage in Cornwall, Lucy Westmore is
surprised. After all, she scarcely knows her aunt, and her memories of
Heathmore are murky, at best. But even more surprising is the part of Lucy’s
inheritance that doesn’t come with a key: an old leather
journal that provides the details of her mysterious aunt’s life and-for better
or worse-gives Lucy all the instructions she needs to live the life of a
scandalous spinster.
Lord Thomas Branston has spent the last five
years in Cornwall, hiding from his painful past. Nothing has been tempting
enough to lure him back to London…until now. He alone knows the real value of
the property, and he’s determined to buy Heathmore before Miss Westmore ruins
everything and sells it off to the highest bidder.
Emboldened by the guidance in her aunt’s
diary, Lucy refuses to sell the property, not even when Lord Branston’s offers
escalate, or when the house turns out to be truly uninhabitable. Lucy has no
intention of giving up her one chance for independence. And Thomas has no
intention of abandoning his suit.
But is it the property or the spitfire of a
spinster that’s got his heart all tied up? And what is he willing to offer for
both?
My Thoughts:
Today I present to you The Spinster's Guide to Scandalous Behavior. Will you learn tips on being a spinster? Possibly. However, the story takes on a journey of a young woman who is trying to find herself in the world she's been born into, and it's not easy for her. So, lets meet Lucy Westmore. Now Lucy is a spirited young lady with hoyden tendency and colorful language. Most young ladies wouldn't use a phrase like,
"Oh, stuff it you bloody cocksure bugger."to a gentleman. Quite unladylike, but that's Lucy. The poor girl is so misunderstood by her family. However, the thing about Lucy is she's not doing this to get back at her family or to be mean. No, she's has a big personality which is full of life. Truth be told, she's a lot of fun. I laughed at her antics, and her spirit. When she goes toe-to-toe with Lord Branston it's fabulously good.
Then we meet Thomas, who wants Lucy's property for the rich value resources. In a way he's trying all he can to get the property, and he figured it would be easy enough to get once he chats with Lucy. The way Lucy's father paints her to be, and what Thomas sees are to completely different people.
The Spinster's Guide to Scandalous Behavior is a completely fun story with two people that seem to drive one another bonkers. Then tend to snip at one another, but in a fun way. The banter between the two characters are outrageous and seem to escalate. Both of them come into believe the worst in one another, but slowly dissolves over time. It's not like they magically fall in love with one another, but it's slow realization. They both need each to keep them on their toes. Lucy learns a great deal about herself during this time, and with the help of her dear eccentric Aunt Edith (by the way left her diary to Lucy). I love Lucy's character, because she knows she's an odd one in the family. She truly tries to be the daughter they want her to be, but it's just not happening. It was amazing to watch her grow into the young woman she wanted to be and learn so much about herself. I loved the diary entries of Miss E, but at the same time it made me a little sad. Thomas is a great guy for sticking by Lucy and her stubbornness. She's pretty stubborn. Overall, Jennifer paints a wonderful story with characters you will grow to love (at least I did). So, if you want to checkout the antics Lucy cooks up and ways for Thomas to save her from herself, you might consider giving The Spinster's Guide to Scandalous Behavior a go.
Copy provided by Avon via Edelweiss.
“Lord
Branston,” Lydia mused from the sofa. Her tears were gone, though her eyes
still bore traces of redness. “Isn’t that—”
“Yes.” Lucy
knocked her head once, twice, against the door frame, but the violence did
little to clear her thoughts. If anything, it muddled them further. She dug at
the unholy itch that had sprung up beneath the collar of her shirt, almost as
though her skin were telling her to run far and fast. She turned around to face
her sister. “It’s the man who tried to buy Heathmore.”
Lydia’s
forehead wrinkled. “Lucy, what else have you done besides cut your hair?”
“I may have sent him a letter demanding he
vacate the premises,” Lucy admitted. She blew wisps of hair out of her eyes.
“And accused him of trespass.”
And threatened to summon the authorities.
What was the
bounder doing here? Why would he have
come all the way from Cornwall, especially given the tone of her letter?
Not to thank
her for her good manners, or to compliment her on her penmanship.
Oh, God, she
needed a solid plan. And apparently an entire army of hairpins.
Unfortunately,
neither were in ready reach.
“Are you really
going to meet Lord Branston dressed like that?”
Lydia asked, sounding horrified by the notion.
Lucy looked
down at her clothing. Though she wore trousers when digging in the dirt, it had
been years since she’d truly dressed as a boy, and then she most often
pretended to be a groom to climb trees in Hyde Park. The subterfuge no longer
came easily. She would have preferred to be dressed in her own clothes for this
meeting, especially given how Geoffrey’s waistcoat bunched in the wrong places
and strained in others.
And good God, how this shirt made her itch.
But as awkward
as she felt, she refused to give Lord Branston the pleasure of dressing
properly for his company. The man was trying to force her hand in a direction
she refused to go, and she would see this to an end, once and for all.
Hopefully,
before her father found out.
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