Bold, brazen, and beautiful, the Reckless Brides refuse to play by society's rules of courtship. But - come hell or high water - they always get their man...A Lady In Disguise - For generations, the Kentshave served proudly with the British Royal Navy. So when her younger brother refuses to report for duty, Sally Kent slips into a uniform and takes his place - at least until he comes to his senses. Boldly climbing aboard the Audacious, Sally is as able-bodied as any sailor there. But one man is making her feel tantalizingly aware of the full-bodied woman beneath her navy blues...A Man Overboard - Dedicated to his ship, sworn to his duty - and distractingly gorgeous - Lieutenant David Colyear sees through Sally's charade, and he's furious. But he must admit she's the best midshipman on board - and a woman who tempts him like no other. With his own secrets to hide and his career at stake, Col agrees to keep her on. But can the passion they hide survive the perils of a battle at sea? Soon, their love and devotion will be put to the test...
I normally dislike books where the premise is that one of the main characters is hiding a big, potentially mind-blowing secret. Let's say it's a good thing I read the blurb after I checked out the book and it came highly recommended. Because I'm glad I picked it up---even if it wasn't my favorite premise.
Because after Almost a Scandal, I'm ready to dive into the rest of the series.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I truly love strong historical romance heroines ahead of their time. And Sally is exactly that. Strong, capable, and intelligent. Sold. Col was fun too. Of course. Any time an author can give me characters I identify and cheer for is a good time.
Almost a Scandal is heavy on the sailing lingo, so if you're not familiar and not knowing bothers you, take note. I sail through it (ahem, pun intended) and don't let it bother me, so it wasn't an issue. But there are other aspects of this book to love: the Kent family, the secondary characters, high stakes war.
