Stevie‘s review of A Scandalous Adventure (Victorian Adventures, Book 3) by Lillian Marek
Historical Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 02 Aug 16
I’ve been avidly following this series about Victorian lady adventurers and their suitors, so when the author’s note to this third instalment acknowledged Anthony Hope and The Prisoner of Zenda, my curiosity was piqued as to whether there would be a Ruritanian element to the story. Fortunately for my interests, political intrigue and mistaken identities abound from the very first pages.
Lady Susannah Tremaine, at first glance, doesn’t seem as adventurous as her two elder sisters, although her travelling companions, the septuagenarian Aunt Augusta and Susannah’s young sister-in-law Olivia de Vaux, more than make up for that in their willingness to get into scrapes. The spa at Baden, however, seems a quiet enough place for Susannah to relax and not worry that either of the other women will be enticed away by disreputable artists or lead her into cafes where brawls are liable to break out. Unfortunately for Susannah’s peace of mind, all that is changed dramatically by a chance encounter in the gardens, in which Olivia is mistaken for a runaway princess.
Count Maximillian von Staufer and General Otto Bergen – a long-ago suitor of Aunt Augusta – have been tasked with transporting the missing princess back to their tiny home country, where her marriage to the ruler, Prince Conrad, is hoped to bring peace to the region, restore harmony between their respective states and prevent invasion by armies from one of their larger neighbours. It seems the princess has other ideas, so to stave off disaster the men propose that Olivia impersonate her, while others from their group search out the princess and transport her to the wedding in good time.
Olivia and Augusta are enchanted by the idea, although Susannah, naturally, has a host of reservations. Thinking that the diversion will only be for a very few days, she reluctantly agrees to the trip, and the party sets off with Olivia pretending to be the princess, accompanied by Susannah and Augusta posing as her ladies in waiting.
On arrival at the state’s capital, they – as is the way in such stories – find out that the situation is more complex than they were led to believe. Prince Conrad is a weak ruler, easily influenced by his warring advisors, some of whom seek to take full control, while others – like General Otto – want only to push him into making his own decisions. Fortunately, Olivia is stronger minded than any of them, and sets about encouraging Conrad to think for himself. Meanwhile a romance develops between Susannah and Max, and another is rekindled between Augusta and Otto.
The sudden turnaround in Prince Conrad’s character doesn’t go down well with those plotting against him, of course, and plans are set in motion to kidnap the (fake) princess and depose the prince in the ensuing confusion. This is where Susannah comes into her own; not content to let Max do any rescuing that might be required, she insists on accompanying him first to his home and then to the remote woods where various enemies are thought to be hiding.
This was a fun story, very much in the traditional Ruritanian romance vein, and it even managed to bring back some of the characters from previous books. My only criticism is that I’d have liked to see more of each romance – three couples make for a lot of switching between the developing relationships. I’d also appreciate seeing more of Susannah’s parents in a subsequent book, since they are still very much adventurers in their own right.
Grade: B
Summary:
They’re hiding a scandalous secret
When his monarch’s flighty fiancée disappears, Count Maximillian von Staufer is dispatched to find her. His search leads Max to discover not the princess, but a look-alike who could be her double. Desperate to avoid an international crisis, he conceives a plan that will buy some time-and allow him to get to know a beautiful Englishwoman.And time is running out
Lady Susannah Tremaine and her young friend Olivia are staying at the Grand Hotel in Baden, where so far the most exciting part of the visit has been the pastries. But when a devastatingly handsome royal Germanic officer asks Olivia to impersonate a missing princess, Susannah finds herself drawn into a dangerous world of international intrigue as she tries to protect her friend-and her heart.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
