That Scandalous Summer (Rules for the Reckless, #1) by Meredith Duran

Jan 29, 2013 Mandi Schreiner rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, 2013-favorite

The more I read Meredith Duran books, the more I become fascinated and enthralled with her voice. This books starts with a really well done (and important) prologue. Lord Michael de Grey’s brother is a duke, a duke who has turned into a sickly recluse after his wife was discovered not only sleeping with many other men, but also giving away political secrets. The duke is not only devastated his wife is dead, but her betrayal is drowning him, terrified the scandal will someday hit the papers. Year...more The more I read Meredith Duran books, the more I become fascinated and enthralled with her voice. This books starts with a really well done (and important) prologue. Lord Michael de Grey’s brother is a duke, a duke who has turned into a sickly recluse after his wife was discovered not only sleeping with many other men, but also giving away political secrets. The duke is not only devastated his wife is dead, but her betrayal is drowning him, terrified the scandal will someday hit the papers. Years ago after Michael’s mother fell ill and nothing could be done to help her, Michael decided to turn to medicine and became a doctor. His brother funded the hospital that Michael now proudly runs. The duke knows he will never marry again, so he turns to Michael and demands he marry well, and produce an heir, if he does not, he will take all funding from the hospital away. Outraged and shocked and just completely sick of his brother’s behavior, Michael does the one thing his brother doesn’t expect him to do – he leaves the hospital, leaves town and goes into hiding in the country.

It is here he walks outside his house one morning to see a lovely lady passed out drunk in his rose bushes. Elizabeth Chudderly is a widow who is just the talk of the town. Gorgeous and outrageous, she throws the best parties and knows everyone. But behind the scenes things are bleak for Elizabeth. Her late husband left her many debts, and her most recent love has left her once he found out she was broke. Many people depend upon Elizabeth’s money, and she has finally concluded she must marry wealthy to secure everyone’s future that depends on her. But when she wakes up with a hangover in what she thinks is a country doctor’s office, her life will take a turn.

This book is so adorable and witty and just so well written. Elizabeth thinks Michael is some random country doctor and Michael lets her think that, as he doesn’t want his brother to catch on to where he is. She has no idea he is a rake and from the high class. But her reaction to him at first, stuns her

Mr. Grey settled the kit on the floor and then knelt before her – and began to roll up his shirt cuffs. Her mouth nearly fell open. What a barbaric thing to do! He was a savage. A savage whose bare forearms…made her mouth go dry.

His wrists were broad, lightly haired. His forearms looked to be carved from pure muscle. The veins on them stood out distinctly as he unwound a length of gauze.

Adorable barbaric.

Elizabeth is well versed in flirting, but her reaction to Michael surprises her so much. I also adore that while she is the epitome of fashion and thinks Michael is a barbarian for showing his forearms, she has absolutely no embarrassment that she was passed out drunk in his bushes.

“The headache will diminish,” said Mr. Grey – startling her, until she realized that she was rubbing her temple. “Be sure to take fluids until it does,” he added. “Broth and tea, preferably.”

The dear, sweet bumpkin! He issued his instructions as though he imagined this was the first time she had drunk to excess.

From here these two spend a lot of time together and develop a friendship with some very intense and wicked sexual tension all the while having such witty dialogue.

His eyes met hers over the rim of his cup, then flicked away as though hers burned.

Warmth prickled through her cheeks, The wild thought came to her to say to him: Yes, I feel it, too. Marvelous, isn’t it?

It all comes to a climax when they fall in love but Elizabeth has such a strong sense of duty to the people she cares for, and Michael has no money now that his brother cut him off. For Michael, he loves Elizabeth, but his brother basically raised him and he is not certain he can walk away from him and a hospital that helps so many.

There is much more to this story that I haven’t even mentioned. Elizabeth’s secretary has a great and intriguing role in this one and I hope we get more from her in the future. This is just a very lovely romance book about two people who meet, become attracted to each other, and help each other overcome personal obstacles to eventually find true love.

Rating: B+(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 14, 2013 D rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: regency fans in desperate need of a fix who haven't the patience to wait for something better

Shelves: erotica, regency, romance

high 2s

the author abandons her plot contrivances when they become inconvenient and writes the story she wants to write, not the story she had been writing the first 150 pages.

a noble younger brother trying to avoid the notice of his brother, the heir, goes into hiding of sorts in the english countryside where he gets a job as the town doctor. he meets and is enchanted by the lady of the manor, a decadent widow who looks down on him yet can't deny her attraction. then, suddenly, the younger brot...more

4 likes · like · see review

Feb 11, 2013 CoffeeTimeRomance andMore rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

Lord Michael deGrey refuses to do what people expect of him. Of late, he is refusing to follow his elder brother’s directive that he marry and provide an heir to their family’s dukedom. Just because Alastair is done with women and has no intention to marry again after his disloyal first wife’s death is no reason for Michael to leg shackle to an heiress. Michael’s only interests lie in being a doctor, treating the poor, and seducing no strings attached widows.

Being a widow was liberating and fun,...more

like · see review

Feb 07, 2013 StScho rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: butterflies, buy-x2, comming-soon-sequel, series, medium-heat, way-back-when

Elizabeth has been on a downward spiral of partying and drinking that has come to a head. Between her late husband’s bad investments and with a little help from careless spending, she is broke. Almost. With an entire that relies upon her, she needs to get her act together and marry for funds. Soon.

Lord Michael de Grey has been given an ultimatum by his brother the Duke. Either settle down with a proper woman and beget heirs or lose his personal funds and the funding for the charitable hospital h...more

like · see review

Feb 19, 2013 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, romance-goodies, keepers

We first meet Elizabeth/Lizzie/Liza Chudderly in Bound by Your Touch, where she does not show to advantage. She is often drunk, weeping hysterically or both. Not quite a figure of fun, the other characters mention that the late Mr Chudderly 'had a lot to answer for'.

This new book is Liza's story and it does not start off well for her--she is found in the hero's garden, among his roses, passed out from drink. Our hero, Michael, is a doctor, now in Cornwall for a number of reasons.
Liza and Michael...more We first meet Elizabeth/Lizzie/Liza Chudderly in Bound by Your Touch, where she does not show to advantage. She is often drunk, weeping hysterically or both. Not quite a figure of fun, the other characters mention that the late Mr Chudderly 'had a lot to answer for'.

This new book is Liza's story and it does not start off well for her--she is found in the hero's garden, among his roses, passed out from drink. Our hero, Michael, is a doctor, now in Cornwall for a number of reasons.
Liza and Michael set up a flirtation. He recognizes her; he has London friends in common with her. She thinks he is a simple country doctor and he does not correct her notion. It all comes to a head, of course, when she finds out who he really is--she is very hurt, he realizes he's screwed up. A goodly bit of the rest of the story is the resolution of their romance.

I had some problems with this one. Michael was not a very sympathetic character for me. I didn't really approve of his reasons for hiding himself in Cornwall and I didn't like that he didn't use his real name with Liza.
With Liza, I wanted more about Mr Chudderly--we get a few sentences about her marriage (and Mr Chudderly seems a right prick), but we don't know exactly how long she was married (I guess about 10 years, but I'm not sure). Just how seriously was she abused and for how long? However, her grief over her mother's death is handled beautifully--some of the most affecting scenes in the book.
Alistair the duke, Michael's older brother, was also a problem for me. He's a man so paralyzed by grief, guilt, whatever, that he's sunk into agoraphobia. His actions against Michael in the beginning of the book seem those of a deranged man. And the scene at the end just didn't feel right to me.
However, the prose was lovely, the characterizations rich and interesting and a less that great book by Ms Duran is still light years better that a lot of what's out.

This is listed as the start of a series--I would love the next book to be about Olivia Mather, lady typist and Liza's secretary, one of the very interesting minor characters of this book.

Final note: poor Ms Duran cannot catch a break with her covers and back blurbs. "Regency" indeed! The story is set in the 1880s, for goodness sake. The blurb writer never opened the book! And that gown on the cover model--oh dear, the less said the better.(less)

1 like · like · see review

May 10, 2013 Spanglemaker9 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: period-romance

I love Meredith Duran's writing more with every book. It takes a lot to get the reader to engage with a character like Elizabeth. Stunningly beautiful, a party girl at the highest levels of society, recently engaged in a scandalous affair with an undesirable man... not much there to sympathize with. Michael, on the other hand, is nobility, but insists on working as a doctor because it makes him feel worthwhile doing it. Outside of physical attraction (of which they have plenty) there doesn't see...more

like · see review

Feb 04, 2013 Sofia Lazaridou rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: january-2013-releases

The not so scadalous summer would be a better title for this book. The most scadalous thing didn't even happened to Elisabeth. It was rather dull and its quality was medium if not less. I did not enjoy reading it. Elisabeth and Michael had a tame romance and not even a heartache you can feel it too.I would not suggest to anyone to read it even if they liked Historical Romance books.

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 06, 2013 Layssa Hart rated it 2 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this book, but while I liked the hero, I found it virtually impossible to take to the heroine. Her preoccupation with herself, her appearance, her age, the transience of her looks, her reputation; and the practiced - and dare I say it - manipulative skills that would have done credit to a courtesan, all combined to make me care less and less for her as the story wound on.

There was far too much introspection. Far too much. Most of it irrelevant in the long run, and doing little t...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 31, 2013 Zoe rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm starting to think that if this book were a person, he or she would be incredibly smart and fun and a really cool person. I love the stuff that the relationship between the two main characters is made of - warmth, honesty, courage, a willingness to trust, kindness, shared moments of connection, moments of disconnection and willfulness, flaws and strengths...

This book is awesome, read it! Michael de Grey and Elizabeth Chudderley are awesome. You will love every part of them. Their faults and...more

like · see review

Jun 10, 2013 DemetraP rated it 1 of 5 stars

This historical romance was too dark. Abusive father, adulterous mother, huge fights over money and marriage with the older brother, and that's just the hero's problems.

Heroine finds out she is almost broke, her lover leaves her for another woman, she is coping with the death of her mother, and dealing with unpaid bills.

The basis for the romance seemed to be that she didn't know he was a duke's brother and thought he was just a plain country doctor. Then she finds out and wants to get back at hi...more

like · see review

Jan 31, 2013 Danae rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: victorian-romance, reviewed

Meredith Duran creates very engaging characters in Elizabeth and Michael, both strong persons in their own right. Glimpses into medical practice of the times was interesting though strangely the hero's medical practice is easily put on the back-burner as he blithely attends the house party. The relationship between the brothers is intriguing and while the resolution of their tangled relationship is dealt with quite summarily towards the end of the book one hopes it'll be taken and developed in f...more

like · see review

Mar 17, 2013 Vivisection rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 19th-century, historical-romance, smutty-reads

I really, really, really liked the relationship between Michael and Elizabeth. I thought their rapport and bavarde was scintillating and emotionally charged. I liked the back story. I liked the relationship.

What I didn't like was the fact that this started out as a regency that tried to switch to smutty historical. It should have been manners and marriage or smut and marriage but the indecision made the story line falter in my opinion.

*I* would have preferred that Duran turn her amazing ability...more

like · see review

Mar 14, 2013 Miki rated it 2 of 5 stars

All I want is a worthy successor Laura Kinsale, since it seems that she has stopped writing, and I kept hoping Duran will be it, but no. Am I asking too much? I really tried to get drawn into this book but it just didn't happen. There was an awful lot of narrative, mostly in italics, which drove me crazy. Liza had some real hangups about her looks and her age...at one point she thinks of Michael as a mere puppy - in italics of course - but he's only two years younger than she is! For me, there w...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 04, 2013 Abby rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

Duran is hit or miss for me. I tend to fall either on the side of "meh" or Rabid Squeeing FanGirl.

That Scandalous Summer was a resounding "meh".

Mean Girl Elizabeth Chudderly needs to marry for money. After having her heart broken by idiot Mr. Nelson "Nello" she retreats to her country estate in Cornwall to lick her wounds. Doctor Michael de Grey, brother to Duke of Marwick (or something like that) is being forced to marry a man of his brother's choosing in order to keep funding for his charity h...more

like · see review

Feb 08, 2013 Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: for_review, historical

Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: C+

Liza is a widow whose money is running out. She’s the benefactor to many people and must marry soon, for money not love, so the people around her won’t suffer for it. She’s someone who’s always surrounded by people, having parties and being in the center of it all, but for all that, she’s still so lonely. Her first marriage wasn’t a love match and she’s resigned to knowing that her next marriage won’t be one either. But she’s willing to do...more Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: C+

Liza is a widow whose money is running out. She’s the benefactor to many people and must marry soon, for money not love, so the people around her won’t suffer for it. She’s someone who’s always surrounded by people, having parties and being in the center of it all, but for all that, she’s still so lonely. Her first marriage wasn’t a love match and she’s resigned to knowing that her next marriage won’t be one either. But she’s willing to do what she much to pay the bills and help the people depending on her.

Michael is estranged from his older brother, a man who was cheated on by his wife and is in a bad place. He refuses to marry again and is forcing Michael’s hand saying he must marry someone suitable and have an heir or he’ll stop funding and shut down the hospital that Michael started. Michael leaves London, doesn’t acknowledge his brother or his title and stays away from his brother’s reach for now. He’s a doctor and is practicing his medicine in a small town when he meets Liza. This was one aspect to Michael that I loved and was a bit disappointed that we just get a glimpse of him as a doctor. He helps one of Liza’s friends during a difficult child birth and it was during this moment early on that I got hooked in. Michael as a doctor was largely absent through the rest of the book and it’s something that I missed.

Michael and Liza hit it off, but Michael knows that Liza wants to marry money and he currently has none and Liza believes the rumors about Michael’s past and him being a notorious rake with the widow set. But they definitely have sparks and even after sleeping together, they both know their affair can’t last. They decide to go the friend route, which is great, until feelings, love and jealousy, get in the way.

There seemed to be quite a bit going on not directly related to Michael and Liza’s romance. First, there’s the tense scene with Michael performing a c-section with Liza’s assistance. Then its Liza’s turn, as she hosts a gathering to find a husband and Michael, as her new friend, helps with the matchmaking. It starts out that way, but ends up being an excuse for Michael to just stay in close proximity to her which just builds their attraction, even with them both denying, especially Liza, that they would ever work as a couple. I enjoyed seeing these two characters together, but there was so much going on around them that took up page time, it felt like their romance suffered a bit for it. They have some steamy sex scenes, but I missed and wanted more woo’ing between them.

There are some interesting supporting characters introduced and by far my favorite was the scene stealer Olivia Mather. A quiet, glasses wearing young woman, she has a mysterious past and currently works as Liza’s assistant. She is hilarious. She may seem meek at first glance and you would expect her to blend into the woodwork, not speak up and for the most part she does, until she bluntly tells Liza things like she has a bad habit of eavesdropping or reading correspondence not addressed to her. It was little moments and confessions like that from Mather that had me laughing and very curious to learn more about this woman.

This was overall a good story, but I did find that it didn’t keep my full attention. It was very easy for me to put the book down, which isn’t normally a good thing. I wish there would have been a bit more romance for the lead characters, I still enjoyed getting to know them, but just wanted something more. That Scandalous Summer might not have been a total hit, but I like the series set up and will absolutely be picking up Mather’s book, which I hope is coming soon.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 25, 2013 Stella Riley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Michael has strength of character, integrity and focus - all of which make him very likeable. It was a relief to find that there is more to Elizabeth than what we saw of her in Bound by your Touch ... and it was lovely meeting Sanburne again, now happily married to Lydia. I really enjoyed the book, though I felt the ending was rather rushed. My main complaint, however, is that Ms Duran appears to think a milliner makes gowns. This mistake cropped up several times so was therefore not just an unf...more

like · see review

May 20, 2013 May Mostly Romance rated it 3 of 5 stars

หนังสือเล่มนี้มีบทเปิดเรื่องได้น่าสนใจที่สุดเรื่องนึง เรื่องแนะนำตัวละครสองพี่น้อง พี่ชายที่เป็นดยุคผู้กำลังอยู่ในภาวะผิดหวังอย่างรุนแรง มากเสียจนทำลายตัวตนของเขา มากขนาดที่เขาจะขู่น้องชายผู้ที่สนิทกับเขาอย่างมากให้แต่งงานกับคนที่เขาเห็นชอบ มิฉะนั้นจะทำการปิดโรงพยาบาลซึ่งเป็นความฝันของน้องชายลง

ไมเคิลจึงไม่มีทางเลือกนอกจากหนีไปให้พ้น เขาคาดการณ์ว่า การที่เขาหายหน้าไปสักระยะนึงจะทำให้พี่ชายอารมณ์เย็นลง และสถาณการณ์คงจะกลับมาเป็นปกติในไม่ช้า ระหว่างนั้นเขาจึงย้ายไปอยู่ในบ้านพักชนบท ใช้ชีวิตเป็นหมอบ...more หนังสือเล่มนี้มีบทเปิดเรื่องได้น่าสนใจที่สุดเรื่องนึง เรื่องแนะนำตัวละครสองพี่น้อง พี่ชายที่เป็นดยุคผู้กำลังอยู่ในภาวะผิดหวังอย่างรุนแรง มากเสียจนทำลายตัวตนของเขา มากขนาดที่เขาจะขู่น้องชายผู้ที่สนิทกับเขาอย่างมากให้แต่งงานกับคนที่เขาเห็นชอบ มิฉะนั้นจะทำการปิดโรงพยาบาลซึ่งเป็นความฝันของน้องชายลง

ไมเคิลจึงไม่มีทางเลือกนอกจากหนีไปให้พ้น เขาคาดการณ์ว่า การที่เขาหายหน้าไปสักระยะนึงจะทำให้พี่ชายอารมณ์เย็นลง และสถาณการณ์คงจะกลับมาเป็นปกติในไม่ช้า ระหว่างนั้นเขาจึงย้ายไปอยู่ในบ้านพักชนบท ใช้ชีวิตเป็นหมอบ้านนอก และทำเสมือนลอร์ดไมเคิล ผู้เป็นน้องชายของดยุคผู้ทรงอำนาจไม่ได้มีตัวตน

ซึ่งที่นั่นเองเขาได้พบกับอลิซาเบ็ธ สาวสังคมแสนสวยที่กำลังมีปัญหาใหญ่ เธอเพิ่งค้นพบว่า ทรัพย์สินมหาศาลที่สามีทิ้งเอาไว้ให้ได้หมดลงไปแล้ว และตอนนี้เธอจำเป็นต้องคิดถึงอนาคตว่าจะทำยังไงต่อไป

การพบกันอย่างบังเอิญนำไปสู่ความสัมพันธ์ ที่แม้จะเริ่มต้นอย่างที่ทั้งสองไม่ได้พูดความจริงต่อกัน แต่ก็เป็นความสัมพันธ์ที่จริงจังอย่างยิ่ง

เราชอบเรื่องนี้ในทุกอย่างค่ะ ยกเว้นนางเอก

และนี่คือ ปัญหาใหญ่

ไม่ใช่ว่า เรามีปัญหากับการอ่านนางเอกที่ผ่านโลก (และผู้ชาย) มามากนะคะ แต่มีอะไรบางอย่างในตัวอลิซาเบ็ธที่เรารู้สึกไม่ชอบเธออย่างยิ่ง และเราก็ชอบไมเคิลมากมาย ทำให้เรารู้สึกตลอดเวลาว่า เขาควรได้นางเอกที่คู่ควรกับเขามากกว่านี้ เราพยายามคิดนะคะว่า คุณสมบัติอะไรในตัวนางเอกที่ทำให้เราไม่ชอบเธอ ซึ่งก็อธิบายยากอยู่ แต่เป็นความที่เธอดูเหมือนว่าจะไม่ได้เรียนรู้จากความผิดพลาดของตัวเองเลย

ในเรื่องมีการบอกอย่างชัดเจนว่า นางเอกเป็นคนดี ห่วงใยคนที่อยู่ภายใต้การดูแลของเธอทุกคน นั่นทำให้เธอต้องคิดแผนการหาเงินมาเติมในคลังทรัพย์สิน เพราะแม้เธอจะไม่ได้หมดตัว แต่ก็ต้องหาเงินให้มากพอจะเลี้ยงดูบริวาร ทางออกที่เธอคิดถึงก็คือ การแต่งงานกับผู้ชายที่มีเงิน จริง ๆ มันก็เป็นทางออกที่มีเหตุผล แต่กลับทำให้เราหวนนึกไปถึงสาเหตุที่นำเธอมาสู่จุดนี้ (ที่เงินหมด) เพราะเธอไม่เคยใส่ใจในทรัพย์สินที่อดีตสามีทิ้งไว้ให้ เธอปล่อยให้อยู่ในความดูแลของทนายความ แล้วก็ช็อคเมื่อพบว่า มันหมดไปแล้ว ทางออกของเธอก็ง่าย ๆ คือการแต่งงานเพื่อเงิน มันดูไม่ได้ใช้สมองหรืออะไรเลย จริงอยู่ในท้ายที่สุดเธอไม่ได้ทำเช่นนั้น แต่การอ่านไปมากกว่าครึ่งเรื่อง กับความคิดของนางเอกที่ว่า เธอไม่มีทางออกอื่นอีกในชีวิตนอกจากแต่งงานเพื่อเงิน มันก็ทำให้เราไม่ชอบผู้หญิงเขานี้มากโข

นอกจากคาแร็คเตอร์ของนางเอกแล้ว เราชอบเล่มนี้มาก ๆ ค่ะ บทสนทนาระหว่างพระนางก็น่าอ่าน (แต่เราไม่สนุกไปกับมัน เพราะเราไม่ชอบนางเอก) ตอนท้ายเรื่องก็จบได้ดี ซึ่งจริง ๆ ก็เป็นการแสดงนะคะว่า นางเอกมีอะไรมากกว่าที่เราคิดว่า เธอเป็น แต่กว่าจะไปถึงจุดนั้น มันก็สายเกินกว่าจะทำให้เราเปลี่ยนความคิดที่มีต่อเธอไปแล้วล่ะ

คะแนนที่ 63

(less)

like · see review

May 04, 2013 Nadine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: victorian, historical-romance

I found this to really be a perfect historical romance. I loved the characters, the plot, the dialogue, the contrivances, the writing in general. The romance was positively delicious. Of course, all romances are formulaic and filled with contrivances ... Duran is just a fabulous writer, and none of these contrivances feel terribly contrived.

Michael - a fabulous doctor and second son of a duke - is thrown out of his house by his older brother the Duke of Marwick (don't even worry about why - it'...more I found this to really be a perfect historical romance. I loved the characters, the plot, the dialogue, the contrivances, the writing in general. The romance was positively delicious. Of course, all romances are formulaic and filled with contrivances ... Duran is just a fabulous writer, and none of these contrivances feel terribly contrived.

Michael - a fabulous doctor and second son of a duke - is thrown out of his house by his older brother the Duke of Marwick (don't even worry about why - it's ridiculous), and to spite his brother Michael, he hies off to Cornwall and starts practicing under and assumed name. His real name is Lord Micheal de Grey. His assumed name is ... wait for it ... Michael Grey. yeah. But it's okay, I bought it, because it's true that people will see what they expect to see, and no one expects the new local village doctor to be nobility on the run. Michael happens to hie off to exactly the village that Liza kind of ... owns? runs? what's the word for it? She's the local nobility and owns all the land in the village and farms. She's also a widow, and she's about to run out of money. And she's insanely beautiful, witty, and lots of fun.

Liza's problem is she needs to marry a rich guy. Micheal's directive from his brother the Duke is to marry a respectable virgin girly girl and have babies, or he won't get his allowance back. Liza does not fit that description.

Liza meets Micheal by passing out in his rose garden one night after a night of drinking. They are instantly attracted to each other, but for their own reasons both feel this attraction is inappropriate. One of the things I really liked about this book is that both characters were honest about their feelings - there was no pretending to not be attracted. I also liked that the widow was a sexually experienced as the man, so there was no "teaching" going on (though there WAS tongue-sucking - I DO hate that - but it's really the only thing I didn't like about this book).

Every romance has a big deception and big reveal, and in this case it's Micheal's nobility. But it didn't feel like contrived deception - he was hiding from his brother, he deceived everyone, and at first he didn't think it really mattered to tell her. Their relationship escalated quickly, and with one thing and another he didn't have time to tell her before she discovers it. Yeah, she's pissed, but she gets over it in a reasonable way (since it wasn't really a HUGE deception, and certainly not a betrayal).(less)

like · see review

Mar 05, 2013 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

That Scandalous Summer does what Meredith Duran does best: highlights how much it sucked to be a woman, or poor, or both, in Regency England without getting too graphic (very few romance fans want to read the gritty details of the chamber pot). And suck it does. Elizabeth Chudderley is a widow, and everyone assumes she is the "merry" kind because she is beautiful, drinks quite a bit, and had an ill-advised affair with some jerkoff. At 32, she suddenly finds herself on the edge of too old to hang...more

like · see review

Mar 14, 2013 Sandy Williams rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

Meredith Duran is an auto-buy author for me. She writes gorgeous prose and her stories always have deep layers to them. Plus, I'm so, so envious of her ability to write descriptions!

I enjoyed this book. I loved Michael, and the opening scene between him and his brother was intense. I felt how betrayed Michael felt by his brothers actions.

Surprisingly, I also liked Elizabeth. This is a character that I could have easily loathed. I can picture the type of person she is: beautiful and vain and prob...more

like · see review

Feb 09, 2013 Verity rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: docs, duran-meredith, kindle, cougars

2 broke lovers find ways to beat the odds. Not as angsty as Duke of shadows, not as edgy as Written on your skin, not as dark as @ your pleasure, but the exquisite romance, the luvly, traumatized hero cranked outta splitsville, some poignant moments & knickers-melting lines were worth every penny. I wish Phin & Mina had guest-starred instead of James & Lydia, but beggars can't be cherry-pickers. The hero's reclusive bro, Duke of McDepressed, has potentials to be the next hero, w/ her...more

6 likes · like · see review

Feb 03, 2013 Malin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-books

First off, I have no idea what's up with the cover. It has very little to do with the actual contents of the book. I seem to recall the heroine being described as wearing a lemon yellow dress at one point, but the dress on the cover is both historically inaccurate and completely different from any outfit worn by anyone in this book. Sometimes the ridiculous cover tropes really get to me.

Now having got that off my chest, on to the synopsis! Lord Michael de Grey owes everything to his brother, th...more First off, I have no idea what's up with the cover. It has very little to do with the actual contents of the book. I seem to recall the heroine being described as wearing a lemon yellow dress at one point, but the dress on the cover is both historically inaccurate and completely different from any outfit worn by anyone in this book. Sometimes the ridiculous cover tropes really get to me.

Now having got that off my chest, on to the synopsis! Lord Michael de Grey owes everything to his brother, the Duke of Marwick, who pretty much raised him after their parents' bitter and very public divorce. In the last ten months since the Duchess of Marwick's death, however, the Duke has turned into a seeming agoraphobic and quite the tyrant. Due to the deceased Duchess' faithlessness and generally scandalous and un-Duchessy behaviour, the Duke is determined that he is done with marriage, and so it's up to his brother Michael to marry and father an heir who can inherit. Michael's a dedicated doctor, whose calling is providing the best medical care available in London at a Charity Hospital funded by the Duke. If he doesn't agree to his brother's high-handed scheme, the Duke will shut down the Hospital and turf out all the patients.

Distressed at how irrational and close to insanity his brother is getting, Michael refuses to give in, even when the Duke freezes all his accounts. He retreats into hiding in a small village in Cornwall. Determined to stay hidden until his brother gives up his demands, Michael plans to stay away from all women, so his brother can't force him into marriage. For three months, he's able to live in peace and quiet, until the notorious and charming society beauty Mrs. Elizabeth Chudderey passes out drunk in his rose bushes. A very merry widow indeed, if the gossip is to be believed, Elizabeth has taken to drowning her sorrows when things don't go her way. And when her suitor unceremoniously dumps her after he finds out that she's not as rich as he believed, she drinks even more than is wise, and ends up on Michael's doorstep.

Elizabeth is not as vapid and shallow as the society papers would have people believe, and spends a large amount of money taking care of her estates, and those who live and work on them. She funds schools for several young men in the village, and knows that she'll need to marry soon, and to someone wealthy, to support the running of the estate and all her dependents. A summer flirtation with a handsome, but penniless country doctor is certainly not what she needs.

Meredith Duran's last romance, At Your Pleasure, was one of the most disappointing books I read last year, and it was even more of a crushing letdown because I've pretty much loved all of her previous romances. To have a writer I've come to trust to write excellent, if often rather angsty romance novels deliver a book I could barely bring myself to finish was disheartening. So it was a huge relief when the novella that preceded this book, Your Wicked Heart, was a good one, and That Scandalous Summer has restored my faith in Duran and her writing, for now.

Michael is a bit of a rake, and certainly has a reputation as a ladies' man, especially after an unfortunate incident in his past where he was spotted leaving the house of a prominent society widow. He's also a dedicated doctor, though, and deeply scarred by first his parents' disastrous marriage, and then his brother's. At the beginning of the novel, he truly seems to believe that marriage is the fastest way to kill love, or even affection, and he has no intention of shackling himself to a woman and saving the title because his brother's decided to become a celibate recluse.

Elizabeth's parents had a passionately loving marriage, while she herself married a wealthy man for security and lived to regret it. When his investments turned out to be unwise, and she ended up a lot less wealthy after his death, she was further shown the unreliability of men by her faithless suitor. After her mother's death, she's clearly developed a bit of a drinking problem, using alcohol to numb herself in a number of situations. Yet she rarely feels the need to drink around Michael, and because she believes him to be the complete opposite of what she's looking for in a man (poor, untitled, working for a living), she's able to show him a side that she's never able to reveal to her set of wastrel society friends.

For those who have read some of Duran's books before, there is an appearance of James and Lydia from Bound by Your Touch, and some mention some other characters from earlier books. There's also clearly setup for future novels in this book, I'm assuming Michael's rather unsympathetic older brother Alistair (the Duke) is going to feature in one of them. Elizabeth also has a rather mysterious acting secretary who disappears suddenly at the end of this book (who also appears briefly in the prequel novella), so I assume she's going to get a book at some point. I'm happy to say, that based on this book, I will again be pre-ordering Duran's books in the future. (less)

like · see review

Mar 21, 2013 Jennifer McQuiston rated it 4 of 5 stars

A thoroughly enjoyable romance from Meredith Duran (not that she writes anything but!).

In this book, we revisit a character originally introduced in Written on Your Skin and Bound by Your Touch. Elizabeth Chudderley is a lady you can identify with - longing for love, bound by duty to do the right thing, and overindulging in the occasional glass of wine to drown her sorrows.

Enter Dr. Michael de Grey. He has the prescription to heal this lady's heart... even if it will destroy both their carefull...more

like · see review

Feb 12, 2013 Sharon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

That Scandalous Summer, Meredith Duran (B) - Slight Spoilers - I nearly always enjoy Duran's writing and did for this most recent novel as well. I grew to enjoy the female protagonist, Elizabeth Chudderly, though it took a few chapters. She's introduced as a somewhat brittle and flippant party-girl, which isn't a "type" I typically am pulled toward, but she is revealed to have many layers and even proves heroic in the course of the novel. Michael de Gray was a bit more difficult for me to appre...more

like · see review

Feb 14, 2013 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, library-book, regency-romance

Fun, witty, noble .... but still not Duke of Shadows. I read every new Duran hoping for a glimpse of that strange level of exotic detail and heart-wrenching angst in her first one, and every time I'm a little let down. She set her bar way too high at the beginning. That said, these are still way better than most other regency romances out there. This book only gets three stars because I know what she's capable off. Three stars to a Duran would be like 30 stars to anyone else.

But don't get me wro...more

like · see review

Feb 21, 2013 Janga rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-z-reading-challenge

4.5 Stars

If you are a fan of Duran’s intense, distinctive romances, you will not want to miss this one. It is lighter than last year’s At Your Pleasure, but it is still a powerful story with ample emotional punch. If you’ve never read Duran, this first book in the Rules for the Reckless series is a good place to begin. There is even a novella prequel, “Your Wicked Heart,” available for $.99, although it is slighter in substance as well as length than Duran’s full-length works and should not be u...more

like · see review

Mar 17, 2013 Nymeria rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: cookie-book, evil-ex

What a weird order in which to release this series. I thought that Your Wicked Heart was the introductory novella since it's apparently all the rage to publish a novella before launching your full-length novels these days. But no, That Scandalous Summer clearly takes place *BEFORE* Your Wicked Heart.

Back to the book. I didn't dislike it but the story never got to me on an emotional level and fell a bit flat. It's a very forgettable book.

like · see review

Feb 01, 2013 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

First off, I am a tough grader. Second, I rarely write reviews. Meredith Duran has quickly become one of my favorite romance authors, ever since she burst on the scene with "Duke of Shadows." Most historical romance are about 80-20 romance to history, Duran is more like 60-40 and I really enjoy her writing. This wasn't my favorite of her books, but that being said, it was still a great story.

like · see review

Mar 09, 2013 Dusty Devlin rated it 2 of 5 stars

On page 54 I was not sure if I liked the story. By page 154 I still wasn't sure. I kept reading hoping it would get better but it never did. I finished the book but I will not read the second book in the series. I want to like the characters and I do but everything seems off just a little, doesn't quite fit together right. Left me wanting.

like · see review

Feb 02, 2013 Khanh rated it 2 of 5 stars

Boring, I can't even tell you what the fuddled, confused plot was after finishing the book. I couldn't connect to the hero or heroine, both personalities were dull as dirt. The secondary characters are annoying, and she introduced too many characters that seemed like they needed to have their own backstory told. Did not enjoy the book.

1 like · like · see review

title link	preview: That Scandalous Summer
avg rating	preview: That Scandalous Summer Goodreads rating: 3.67 (216 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14822924-that-scandalous-summer?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1364942113l/14822924.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14822924-that-scandalous-summer?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]That Scandalous Summer by Meredith Duran[/url]

That Scandalous Summer (Rules for the Reckless #1)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (2)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Meredith Duran

Books by Meredith Duran

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About That Scandalous S...