To Sin With A Scoundrel by Cara Elliott review & Giveaway

A reclusive widow known for her scientific scholarship, Lady Ciara Sheffield is shadowed by rumors that she poisoned her husband . . . A rakehell rogue notorious for his devil-may-care antics, Lucas Bingham--the Earl of Hadley--is not accused of murdering anything--save for the rules of Polite Society. The only thing they have in common is
seeing their names featured in the lurid gossip columns of London's
newspapers. Until an ancient manuscript draws them together.

Ciara needs a titled fiancé to quell the slanderous speculations which may send her to the gallows. Lucas needs brilliant scholar to help his elderly uncle decipher the secrets of the mysterious manuscript. So when her friends urge her to accept the earl's proposal of a temporary alliance, Ciara decides that she has no choice but to make a deal with
the Devil. And so begins a seductive dance of sinful pleasures and hidden desires as the two of them waltz through the mansions of Mayfair. Lies, intrigue, treachery, sex. They find themselves facing slanderous whispers, unscrupulous relatives-not to speak of their own simmering passions, which quickly ignite into dangerous flames. It's a potent mix and the result may be explosive-and perhaps deadly-if they don't watch their step.

My Thoughts
At first looking at the book I wasn’t sure I would be that interested in it, then I opened the book and found I could not put it down. I read it through in one sitting, how can you put a book down when the first sentence in the book is ‘murder”? I simply had to find out what this books was about. Amazing characters, thoroughly put together plots, a truly brilliant read. If you like a bit of mystery mixed in with your historical romances “To Sin With A Scoundrel” is the book for you.


Five Fun Facts about To Sin With A Scoundrel
5 fun facts

Research is always a fun part of writing a Regency-set historical romance. In To Sin With a Scoundrel, my heroine is the object of nasty gossip because she dares to be smart so I had a fascinating time visiting London and exploring the lives of real-life scandalous women. Here are a few of the interesting things that I learned:
1. Over 20,000 satirical prints were published in London between 1770 and 1830, and the famous artists were even more ruthless than our modern paparazzi at showing the celebrities of the day at their worst!
2. Lord Byron’s daughter, Augusta Ada Byron King, the Countess of Lovelace, was a mathematical genius—in fact, the U.S. Defense department has named one of its computer programs “ADA” in her honor.
3. You can find amazing original miniatures of Regency beauties and buck of the ton at antique markets on Portobello Road . . . but they don’t come cheap!
4. You can tell what regiment a Guardsman belongs to by the arrangement of the buttons on his red tunic.
5. If I could choose a dream house in London, I would love to live in Apsley House, the Duke of Wellington’s private residence, and throw a tea party using all the incredible silver and china that was given to him by a grateful Europe for winning the Battle of Waterloo.

Bonus Material
http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/_assets/busresources/ToSinWithAScoundrel.pdf

BOOK DETAILS

Category:FICTION, ROMANCE
Format:MASS MARKET
Edition:Forever Special Release
Publish Date:3/1/2010
Price:$6.99/$8.99
ISBN:9780446541299
Pages:384




Author Bio

I started creating books at the age of five, or so my mother tells me. And she has the proof — a neatly penciled story, the pages lavishly illustrated with full color crayon drawings of horses and bound with staples — to back up her claim. I have since moved on from Westerns to writing about Regency England, a time and place that has captured my imagination ever since I opened the covers of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
I have a BA and an MFA in Graphic Design from Yale University and now work as the creative director of a lifestyle sporting magazine, a job which lets me combine my love of the printed word with my love of art. I’m very fortunate in that my work allows me to travel to interesting destinations around the world — however, my favorite spot is London, where the funky antique markets and used book stores offer a wealth of inspiration for my stories.

Author’s website
Author’s blog

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