I won this book through the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway on 12/28/2010 and received it on 01/11/2011!
Occasionally, I love a good romance novel. Especially a period one ... you know ... ones that are set back in the mid to late 1800's or the early 1900's. Prelude to a Scandal was pretty good. It wasn't the best book I've ever read, but it was good and I will probably read it again. The story line is unlike any other historical romance I've ever read.
**Little Bitty Spoiler Alert**
The sex addiction problems that the main male character has, I never thought to put it into the era it was written for. Having said that, it felt a little forced. I got a little irritated with how pathetic the male character sounded. I guess I'm a normal woman who wants to read that romance novel with the strong male hero who is flawed but not a loser. I hate begging, so maybe that is my problem with the guy in this story. The female character was well written but something bugged me about her too, I just can't put my finger on it.
Prelude to a Scandal had some twists and turns that surprised me and it was pretty well thought out. To be honest, I couldn't put it down because I wanted to know what happened next, so maybe the character flaws didn't bother me as much when I was reading it as it does now that I've had time to look back on the book.
If you like romance novels, give this one a try - it definitely deserves a shot. You might not feel the same way about the characters as I do.