A Season of Ruin

The Sutherland Scandals continue, but the setting shifts from the bucolic countryside to the predictable ballrooms of Regency-era London, sadly leaving behind most of the first book’s vivacity and delight. Lily Somerset’s sister has married an earl (in A Wicked Way to Win an Earl), which affords Lily the opportunity to enter the London season. Seeking a well-ordered life, she sets her cap for a modish, if dull, gentleman, but gets unexpectedly tangled in scandal when her brother-in-law mistakes her for someone else in a dark room and a gossip catches them together. Robyn Sutherland genuinely regrets embroiling Lily in his mischief, but manages to make further trouble with an ill-timed waltz. He wants Lily, and he wants to save her reputation, but he can only do that by marrying her, and he doesn’t believe that he deserves someone so good. Bradley keeps most of the action (what there is of it) confined in ballrooms and the Sutherland townhome, which makes the story feel a bit small. This pleasant coupling will be enjoyed by readers who appreciate Regency manners, but Lily and Robyn’s romance offers no surprises, as there’s never any doubt that the rogue will be tamed. Agent: Marlene Stringer, Stringer Literary Agency. (Aug.)