To Tame a Scandalous Lady

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it. This is the first book that I have read from this author and I did enjoy it. The plot was a solid one. The characters were believable. I could picture the scenes of the book just like a movie. The author I felt did a great job of allowing me to "fill in the gaps" with my touches. Flora Campbell LOVES horses especially racehorses. She want to own a small racehorse farm herself. To do this, she wants to learn from the best horse trainer in all of England. Marquess of Amstead. Christian struggles to rebuild Amstead Gardens to it former glory. The Gardens suffered a devastating loss when a fire claimed the life of the former Marquess, Christian's father, and several racehorses. After burying his father, Christian also learns that his home is also heavily in debt. Christian seeks investors at the same times as he trains Asad, an Egyptian racehorse with a large personality. Flora disguises herself as a man (William) since no one would hire a woman. Her subterfuge works for the most part until, Christian sees "William" slowly evolves into a woman. The two become involved romantically as well as professionally now. All the while, "William" continues to work with the horses. There were highs and lows (can't have a romance book without them). While I felt Flora was extremely selfish and demanded things to go her way, you can't help but understand where she is coming from. It is a historical romance and woman were treated completely different than we are now. I just wished that Flora was a little less selfish near the end, she did redeem herself somewhat. I completely fell in love with Christian though. While he too was a little "old fashioned" in his ideals (remember this is a historical), he totally fell in love with Flora and was willing to do what he needed to do to extract himself from a situation he found himself in, at Flora's doing. He "manned" up. This story was written in a dual POV format. This really helped me to identify with Flora. I really needed it here. She was a character that you either love or hate. But seeing into the character's thoughts and understanding her feelings really, especially near the end, made her so believable. It really doesn't matter if I like the character as long as I enjoyed the story, which I did. There were some sexy scenes that may offend some but this is not erotica by any means. But I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under the age of 18. If you love a strong female, a drool-worthy male in a historical setting, then I would highly recommend this story.

What's a girl to do when she has a dream and can see an opportunity to achieve it? Why take advantage of it! Lady Flora was staying with her sister and after much discussion, they agree to her crazy scheme. At least it woud be if she were caught. Determined to work in the stables of The Marquess of Armstead, who had breed and raced some of the finest horseflesh around, Flora dressed as a lad and was able to slip in as an assistant trainer. Flora does have a way with horses but unfortunately her disguise does not hold up too long before the Marquess, Christian realizes he is a she and the story takes off. I think one would have been very brave during this time to even attempt this escapade, but sometimes a dream just has to be followed. Christian is still reeling from the death of his father, even though two years ago, and the rebuilding of the stable that had burned down. I truly enjoyed this story and being centered around horses. If you have ever been around these amazing animals, you know how special they are and how they truly have their own personalities and calming spirits. Be prepared to take a journey with Christian and Flora with several twist and turns that leads to a wonderful ending. Well done!

a really delightful read