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Breath of Scandal

by Sandra Brown (Goodreads Author)

3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 · rating details · 2,506 ratings · 159 reviews

On a rainy Southern night, Jade Sperry endured a young woman's worst nightmare at the hands of three local hell-raisers. Robbed of her youthful ideals and at the center of scandal and tragedy, Jade ran as far and as fast as she could. But she never forgot the sleepy "company town" where every man, woman, and child was dependent on one wealthy family. And she never forgot t...more

Paperback, 464 pages

Published July 1st 1991 by Grand Central Publishing (first published 1991)

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Best Romantic Suspense

86th out of 848 books — 1,042 voters

Favorite Sandra Brown Novels

8th out of 29 books — 88 voters

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Apr 26, 2013 Mitzi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook, heat-2-steaming, writer-sandra-brown, genre-romance-contemporary, genre-romance-suspense-mystery, narrator-dick-hill

On sale for $2.49. Audible on sale too for $2.99. Thought I'd give this author a try. The romance develops slowly, but the story is very intense and the audio by Dick Hill is very good. I love his male voices, the female lead was a bit to breathy & soft...but all in all an excellent audio book.

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Sep 13, 2012 Britt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, romantic-suspense, sandra-brown

I have not been this emotionally moved by a story in a long time. Jade automatically appeals to me as a character because whilst painted as a popular and beautiful girl she is not the stereotype, in that she is in a deeply loving relationship with Gary, a poor farmer and is intelligent and driven. Seeing her journey as a character and her ability to move past her dark past and triumph against great adversity definitely moved me as a reader. Similarily Burke is equally traumatised by a tragic pas...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Julie Barrett rated it 5 of 5 stars

Breath of Scandal by Sandra Brown
Jade Sperry has relocated from SC to NY. Because they were better than her, had more money, they had the power, they raped her and she's gonna get revenge on them.
She had gotten out of the factory poor dirt town, Palmetto. Hate the subject: her getting raped and others have the power to stop her prosecuting them, but Love that she's able to move on with her life and go back to get
what is due her. The night she's left work early to go tell Gary she was accepted a...more

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Apr 03, 2012 signorina Vei rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oh God, Sandra Brown!
dari awal pembaca tahu Sandra Brown sangat mahir melakukan konflik emosi.

Jade Sperry memiliki masa lalu kelam yang sangat sulit dilupakan. Ia diperkosa 3 orang pemuda, Difitnah, dipermalukan, dikhianati sahabatnya, tidak dipercaya oleh ibunya sendiri dan menemukan pacarnya gantung diri di lumbung. Setelah semua itu Jade pindah dari Palmetto, dan merancang pembalasan dendamnya sendiri.

Dillon Burke, seorang insinyur yang telah berpaling dari kehidupannya. Satu kesempatan kerja...more

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Sep 27, 2011 Jintana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-audio-collection

นางเอกเรื่องนี้ถูกข่มขืนโดยเพื่อนร่วมโรงเรียน 3 คนตอนเป็นวัยรุ่น แต่เนื่องจากทั้ง 3 เป็นลูกของคนที่มีอำนาจทางกฏหมายและเศรษฐกิจของเมืองทำให้ไม่สามารถเอาผิดทางกฏหมายได้ เพราะแม้กระทั่งเพื่อนที่รักกันมาตั้งแต่เด็กยังทรยศหักหลังให้การค้านนางเอก ทำให้เรื่องกลายเป็นความสมยอมไป

ต่อมานางเอกตั้งท้องและจะไปทำแท้งเพราะนางเอกรักอยู่กับเด็กผู้ชายอีกคนหนึ่งซึ่งไม่รู้เรื่องที่นางเอกถูกข่มขืน แต่นางเอกก็ไม่ได้ทำและตั้งใจจะมาบอกความจริงให้แฟนรู้ แต่มาพบว่าแฟนตัวเองผูกคอตายไปแล้ว

นางเอกได้ทุนจากการสอบคัดเลือกนักเรี...more นางเอกเรื่องนี้ถูกข่มขืนโดยเพื่อนร่วมโรงเรียน 3 คนตอนเป็นวัยรุ่น แต่เนื่องจากทั้ง 3 เป็นลูกของคนที่มีอำนาจทางกฏหมายและเศรษฐกิจของเมืองทำให้ไม่สามารถเอาผิดทางกฏหมายได้ เพราะแม้กระทั่งเพื่อนที่รักกันมาตั้งแต่เด็กยังทรยศหักหลังให้การค้านนางเอก ทำให้เรื่องกลายเป็นความสมยอมไป

ต่อมานางเอกตั้งท้องและจะไปทำแท้งเพราะนางเอกรักอยู่กับเด็กผู้ชายอีกคนหนึ่งซึ่งไม่รู้เรื่องที่นางเอกถูกข่มขืน แต่นางเอกก็ไม่ได้ทำและตั้งใจจะมาบอกความจริงให้แฟนรู้ แต่มาพบว่าแฟนตัวเองผูกคอตายไปแล้ว

นางเอกได้ทุนจากการสอบคัดเลือกนักเรียน เลยย้ายมาอยู่อีกเมืองพร้อมกับลูกในท้อง ได้รับความอุปถัมภ์จากอาจารย์ที่นั่นให้พักอาศัยอยู่ด้วยเพราะแม่ตัวเองทิ้งไปกับผู้ชายคนใหม่ นางเอกเรียนหนังสือโดยฝากลูกไว้กับภรรยาของอาจารย์ซึ่งก็รักนางเอกและลูกชายของเธอเพราะครอบครัวนี้ก็ไม่มีลูก ตลอดเวลานางเอกไม่เคยลืมว่าใครทำอะไรไว้กับเธอและรอจังเหวะที่จะกลับไปเอาคืน

เรื่องสนุกน่าติดตามแต่ก็น่าหดหู่ใจที่การเอาเปรียบผู้หญิงยังคงมีอยู่แม้ในสังคมที่ว่าตัวเองเจริญแล้ว(less)

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Apr 20, 2013 destinugrainy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: baca-pinjam, fiction, novel, mystery-thriller, romance, translated

Jade Sperry dan Gary Parker adalah sepasang kekasih sekaligus dua siswa berprestasi di Palmetto. Keduanya sedang menantikan beasiswa yang akan membawa merekakeluar dari tempat itu. Di sisi lain, gairah asmara di antara keduanya semakin hebat, tetapi sebagai seorang Kristen yang taat, baik Gary maupun Jade saling menghormati kesucian mereka. Berbeda dengan Neal Patchett, anak orang terkaya di Palmetto, yang selalu mengumar nafsunya pada banyak perempuan. Neal sendiri tertarik untuk “menaklukkan”...more Jade Sperry dan Gary Parker adalah sepasang kekasih sekaligus dua siswa berprestasi di Palmetto. Keduanya sedang menantikan beasiswa yang akan membawa merekakeluar dari tempat itu. Di sisi lain, gairah asmara di antara keduanya semakin hebat, tetapi sebagai seorang Kristen yang taat, baik Gary maupun Jade saling menghormati kesucian mereka. Berbeda dengan Neal Patchett, anak orang terkaya di Palmetto, yang selalu mengumar nafsunya pada banyak perempuan. Neal sendiri tertarik untuk “menaklukkan” Jade yang selalu jual mahal padanya. Di suatu malam, Neal mendapatkan kesempatan itu. Bersama dua orang rekannya, Hutch Jolly dan Lamar Griffith, mereka memperkosa Jade. Jade berusaha mendapatkan keadilan dengan melaporkan perkosaan yang dialaminya pada yang berwajib. Sayangnya Sheriff Jolly berada di bawah pengaruh Ivan Patchett (ayah Neal), dan tentunya dia ingin melindungi anak laki-lakinya. Bahkan sahabat Jade sendiri, Donna Dee, mengkhianati persahabatan mereka dengan menyangkali kejadian itu.

Bukan hanya tidak mendapatkan keadilan, kematian Gary karena bunuh diri akibat mengetahui kondisi kekasihnya, membuat Jade memutuskan untuk meninggalkan Palmetto. Untungnya dia bisa memanfaatkan beasiswanya. Dengan bantuan Mitch (dosen di universitas tempat Jade kuliah) dan Cathy istrinya, Jade bisa melanjutkan hidupnya. Bersama anaknya, Graham, Jade mewujudkan ambisinya memperoleh hidup yang layak agar dia bisa kembali menuntut keadilan.

Nasib membawa Jade bertemu dengan Dillon Burke, insinyur andal dan jujur yang telah kehilanga anak dan istrinya. Dillon menjadi mandor yang menanganai proyek milik Jade yang berlokasi di Palmetto. Dillon pula yang bisa menyembuhkan luka masa lalu yang dialami oleh Jade, memperbaiki hatinya dari fisiknya yang takut akan sentuhan pria. Apalagi Dillon bisa merebut hati Graham. Sayangnya kepulangan Jade ke Palmetto tetap mendapatkan tantangan, khususnya dari orang-orang yang dulu mengkhianatinya.

Entah mengapa saya merasa tidak ada yang istimewa dari novel criminal suspense romance karya Sandra Brown kali ini. Alur ceritanya bisa ditebak, nyaris tidak ada misteri yang biasanya menyertai novel suspense Sandra Brown. Too much detail membuat kisah ini memakan tempat berlembar-lembar hingga jumlah halaman menjadi banyak. Sisi positifnya adalah tokoh Jade yang digambarkan sebagai perempuan tangguh, dan sangat menyanyangi anaknya meskipun dia sendiri tidak tahu siapa ayah dari anaknya.

Tiga bintang untuk Jade Sperry.(less)

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Oct 12, 2010 Geno rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 29, 2011 Elle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow. Wow. Wow. I actually got this book by mistake. I had ordered a book by the same title by another author, which was a historical, which is my usual preference. I don't usually like contemporaries, but when I read the back cover, I was intrigued enough to read on. I loved it. (view spoiler)...more

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Sep 08, 2010 Darcy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, audio-book

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This was a great book, but one that centers around a brutal rape. When the story opens you really like Jade, she is someone who you wish you were as a teen, very smart, really pretty, and has a steady boyfriend that would do anything for her. Those traits, which are good ones, were also the same ones that were her downfall as the town bully and rich kid was jealous of the poor farmer that was Jade's boyfriend and wanted her for himself, not necessarily forever but enough to have sex with her and...more This was a great book, but one that centers around a brutal rape. When the story opens you really like Jade, she is someone who you wish you were as a teen, very smart, really pretty, and has a steady boyfriend that would do anything for her. Those traits, which are good ones, were also the same ones that were her downfall as the town bully and rich kid was jealous of the poor farmer that was Jade's boyfriend and wanted her for himself, not necessarily forever but enough to have sex with her and Jade sure wouldn't give him the time of day.

You can just tell where the story is going as it goes on, you can tell as the tension between the boys gets higher and higher, and then when the scene where it starts to happen you want to scream at Jade to not get in the car because you just know what will happen and you want to spare her this horrible thing.

At a couple different times the rape is described and it is horrible. The first time is when it first happens and in the aftermath. Jade being a strong person wants to punish these men and when she goes about it she is assaulted again when they turn the tables around on her, something she should have expected as the sheriff was in the back pocket of the bully and rich kids father, whose reach is long. It makes what happens to her all the worse.

This terrible event marks Jade, leaving her with a plan that she will never turn from, one where at some point in her life she will get all these men who hurt her and did her wrong. You would think that this would leave her a bitter, unlikeable woman, but it just makes you like her all the better. Jade makes a life for herself, each decision along the way inching her towards her goal, and brings Dylan into her life.

We meet Dylan early in the story and you wonder why, he seems to have a pretty good life and is married at that. But as Jade knows bad things happen to good people. The events of Dylan's life marked him just as Jade's. Right from the start you can see the chemistry from these 2 people is intense. Watching them navigate their feelings along with the past that happened to them is the best part of the story. It really allows them to relate to each other better. When Jade finally has to tell Dylan about the rape, you get many more details than the first time and it is just as bad, you can see Dylan's frustration in what happened to her and know he can't "fix" it.

Once the past is out Jade's larger plan is coming to fruition and seeing her play her part is so much fun, especially when she does this with dignity and class. You want her to win and to punish all the people that hurt her in the past.

This is one of Sandra Brown's better books, one you should check out!(less)

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Apr 20, 2012 Carol MacInnis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

Jade Sperry is a senior and the most popular girl in school who has high hopes for a scholarship to college. Jade is the prettiest girl in school, who has for the past three years been dating Gary Parker, who is also hoping for a scholarship. Together Jade and Gary hope one day to be married and change the world to make it a better place. Jade soon learns that both her and Gary got their scholarships and she wants to tell him face to face. So Jade gets her best friend to drive her to see him whe...more

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Aug 17, 2011 Jonetta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Jonetta by: Sandy

This is not an easy story and it's disturbing on several fronts. Jade Sperry could have let this act of violence against her shut her down for the rest of her life. Even though vengeance kindled the fire within her to a large degree, it still didn't kill the essence of who she was and had been. The same can be said for Dillon Burke as well, in spite of his retreat from life for several years. The tragedies he endured could have undone him as well. To reveal more about the circumstances of these...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Sue rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

Breath Of Scandal by Sandra Brown

This book was amazing. I couldn't put it down.

One spring night in the small town of Palmetto, South Carolina, a young girl's dream would be shattered forever. Raped and beaten by the three town hell-raisers, Jade Sperry's life would be irrevocably changed. Had she been weak, she would have stayed in the mud that her attacker left her at. But more compelling than her will to survive was the need to see her attackers punished for their crimes. But when her plea for...more

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Sep 12, 2008 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read this book a million years ago and decided to read it again. It is a favorite of mine. I have read very few books more than once. I forgot a good portion of the plot and really enjoyed the story. Sandra Brown was my first romance writer. I don't read many. She does a great job of weaving a great story with romance. I am glad I read it again. Maybe in another 5-10 years I will pick it up again.

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Mar 01, 2013 Jennifer Tabler rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, adult-fiction, adult-romance, loved-it, romance, rape

This is one of my favorite books by Sandra Brown. It was a very long book, but it kept me VERY entertained! It made me happy, sad, jealous (dillan yummy)lol. The writting was so discriptive it made me feel her pain. There are many sex scenes and one towards the end was so sweet, i almost cried ok i did cry (break out of shell one). Revenge is sooo sweet, when you read this you will see. The last scene (sex scene) i dont know how i feel about that one, im still questioning it. To each there own e...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Donna rated it 2 of 5 stars

Sandra Brown is a somewhat new author to me, as I've only read one other of her books (French Silk) which was a pretty good mystery. So I guess shame on me for picking this one without doing my homework, and expecting more of the same.

Breath of Scandal is more of a drama. There are some elements of romance to it, but that's not really the focus. What is boils down to is a revenge story. The main character, Jade, is gang raped as a teenager in the 70's, and what follows is a blow by blow account...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Michael Sturgis rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My first from this author. I was prepared for an intriguing tale of mystery, suspense, revenge and maybe a little action. This novel delivered on all counts. Most pleasing. What I was NOT prepared for was the porn. Again, I hadn't recognized the author so I had no clue as to what type of writing to expect. Wow. And then wow again. And then again. And when you think the story is coming to an end, wow agaIn. The main female character is most clever, smart, human and experiences growth (pun intende...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Krishawna Stewart rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: oops-i-m-pregnant

My rating is 3.5 stars. It has been a few years since I read this book but it was so emotionally impacting it is not a book you are likely to ever forget. I want to give it more stars but for the life of me I can't remember how it ends. So I will eventually read it a second time just to get a better feel and rate it more accurately. The first part of the book is burned into my mind. I could feel everything the main girl felt so vividly it was almost painful. Especially after her so called best f...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Terry rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-author, first-reads

Sandra Brown is one of my all-time favorite authors. If her name is on a book, I know I'm going to like it.

This was a difficult listen... due to the subject matter. It's brutal, disturbing and dark at times, however, it does leave you with a brighter ending. A heroine to root for all the way. You cry with her, get angry with her and want revenge for her as bad as she wants it herself.

Ms. Brown is a very versatile author who never fails to deliver whether writing romance, suspense or a combinat...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Natha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: translation, drama

Tebal. Tapi aku suka. :))
Oh, oke, serius. Seperti apa yang dibilang oleh sinopsisnya, buku ini mengisahkan seorang gadis yang punya begitu banyak mimpi dan cita-cita namun dipaksa untuk mengubur semuanya bersama dengan kematian 'masa depan'nya. Dan itu semua hanya karena keangkuhan dan kesombongan rekan-rekan sekolahnya. Astaga. Mengesalkan. *straightface*
Tapi Tuhan itu adil, seiring dengan dewasanya si tokoh utama dan ia belajar untuk membalaskan dendamnya kepada penghancur masa depannya, justr...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Danae added it

Shelves: hall-of-fame

Altough its only the second book of Sandra Brown that i've read i have to say that her writing is very characteristic, even without knowing the author of the two books, "Breath of Scandal" and "Hello, Darkness", one could easily link them to each other.
Not only do both stories evolve quickly (which is exactly what's keeping the adrenaline-level so euphorically high), but the Characters are similar in what they represent, such as "The supportive good guy", "The independent heroine" or "The contro...more Altough its only the second book of Sandra Brown that i've read i have to say that her writing is very characteristic, even without knowing the author of the two books, "Breath of Scandal" and "Hello, Darkness", one could easily link them to each other.
Not only do both stories evolve quickly (which is exactly what's keeping the adrenaline-level so euphorically high), but the Characters are similar in what they represent, such as "The supportive good guy", "The independent heroine" or "The controlling egomaniac with authority complexes". Even that, however, does not make the plot less dramatical nor interesting, because they are desinged to fit in precisely that pattern.

Now, about the plot:
(view spoiler)[From the first scenes, it was obvious that something awful would happen to Jade later in the story, since she was so optimistic about her future but still had "unfinished bussiness" going on with Neal. Reading the first pages was like a countdown, every one brought the reader closer to the unavoidable tragedy. When it was just moments away from happening, i was mentally screaming to Jade something that would sound like: "Get.out.of.the.FUCKIN.car!".
Then, the main scene wasn't fully described until the end of the book, (contrary to what one would expect) but some facts that are mentioned over and over during the plot where the most harsh for me, like when Hutch got mad at Jade because she scratched him and as a result of his anger hurt her really bad, without realising what he was doing til it was too late, or when Neal encouraged Lamar to prove to all of them (maybe mostly to himself) that he was a man and that he wasn't gonna back off like a „little faggot“.

Still, the worst part (to me at least) wasn't the rape. It was the fact that afterwards, Jade was treated like a common slut, who provoked the rape herself with her behavior around the boys (altough it was clear that she was constantly screaming "No"), at first, people wouldn't even believe that it happened, just because the Patchetts had such a great influence on the community, not to mention Jade's best friend, who couldn't overcome her constant jealousy over the fact that Jade was more lucky than her 'till the day that she was raped.
About the other two incidents with her unwanted pregnancy and her boyfriend's suicide, well... it really was the icing on the cake, but at least Gary could have had some control over his fate, after all, all he had to do is just listen to Jade, when she finally tried to explain to him what was going on between her and Neal.

Anyway, both Jade's and Dillon's adulthoods started with such horrifing tragedies that i often wondered how they managed to keep on living while making the best that they could out of it. Maybe because they both had something to fight for, the one for justice and the other one for making up for lost opportunities.

However, they were three things that i didn't really like about the book:
The first was that Jade kept hiding her secret from EVERY SINGLE ONE to protect herself and her son, which was understandable, but even around the people who cared about her she continued holding her life a secret, refusing the help they could have offered her. Not to mention her nervousness around Dillon, who at last had to force her to tell him about her.
Secondly, even before Jade returned to Palmetto to avenge herself and Gary's death, one insident followed another so that the three boys, their families and everyone else included in the crime against her were so fate strucked in the end, that it was really unrealistic. I mean, come on, personally i had liked to have seen what Jade herself could have done to each one of them, while doing it the legal way, just like she did with the Patchett Family.
Now, about the third thing that bothered me, it was the last scene of the book that was pretty out of place, the one where Jade had won over Neal, Ivan, and her personal demons and drove out to the spot where she was raped 15 years ago, only to ask Dillon to have sex with her in the sunshine... not that she should had allowed herself to live in fear and to never go to that place again, but i dont know, it just seems a little bit weird to read.

Anyway, despite some imperfections it was a interesting and capturing novel, and im looking forward to read more from the same writer. (hide spoiler)](less)

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Apr 15, 2013 Belle Aurora rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was the very first romance/suspense book I had ever read. And I loved it.
It made me want to continue reading romance and so I have almost all of Sandra's books now.
Some are better than others but I enjoy them all and this one started it all for me.
Now I write romance and am so grateful for ever finding this book.
This was an awesome story of first love, betrayal, hurt and, most importantly, vengeance. I love Jade. She is a strong woman and even at the tender age of fourteen I admired her and...more

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Jul 14, 2010 Alexis-Morgan Roark rated it 4 of 5 stars

I hard read that was worth the effort. The lessons taught in this book should be required reading for everyone-if only we didn't have to get through a brutal gang rape to get there!!!

I cheered for Dillon and Jade. I knew they were going to end up together, but my God what a difficult path they took getting there. You feel when reading this book: anger, depression, loneliness, grief, rage-there's LOTS of rage, hope, and love.

This was my first Sandra Brown. I plan to read more.

I should say that I...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Jacki rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-and-crime, romance, library-books

The book flip-flops between two characters, Jade Sperry and Dylan Burke. Although you get mostly Jade's story in the beginning and there's no mention of Burke in the book blurb, so I was like "Who is this guy?" when his story began. Jade is raped by 3 high school classmates, all of which are sons of prominent men in the small town society. Basically, the incident is swept under the rug and Jade is then shunned from high school because she was with a really nice guy, Gary. As time goes on, howeve...more

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Nov 11, 2011 Yona rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

This book was not what i expected i to be at all. There was so much pain, it shows the worst in people, but also how if you do something bad the fate take care for the consequences.
It shows how even in the worst times you must continue to fight.

The book was good, but not very easy for reading - it was sad and disturbing and unfair in so much places. It shows how cruel people can be. What the money in some and the jealous in others can do to.

But i think that people can also can learn a lot from t...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Carrie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-has-copy, audio, contemporary, manipulative-friends-family, own, ptsd, read-2013, small-town, suspense

Breath of Scandal was a tough book to get through. No one had it easy in this book, even the villains. Along with Brown's Slow Heat in Heaven I'd consider this almost Southern Gothic, except the story changes atmosphere during the parts of Jade's and Dillon's stories that take place elsewhere. Mixed in with the over-the-top meanness of some of the characters are very realistic portrayals of healing, especially for Jade. Her path was tough.

A few parts of the story felt forced, however. (view spoi ...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Khan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ich habe dieses Buch in einer Auslosung auf Goodreads gewonnen. Darüber bin ich froh und deswegen würde ich gerne auch eine Rezension als Gegenleistung schreiben vor allem, da es sich um eine signierte Ausgabe handelt. Zu beachten ist, dass ich eine deutsche Ausgabe aus dem Jahre 1991 bekommen habe und die Übersetzung ist dementsprechend etwas Schlechter als gewohnt. Zudem kommt noch dazu, dass das Cover ein Dekolleté zeigt, was ein bisschen blöd ist wenn man in der Öffentlichkeit liest.

Es schei...more Ich habe dieses Buch in einer Auslosung auf Goodreads gewonnen. Darüber bin ich froh und deswegen würde ich gerne auch eine Rezension als Gegenleistung schreiben vor allem, da es sich um eine signierte Ausgabe handelt. Zu beachten ist, dass ich eine deutsche Ausgabe aus dem Jahre 1991 bekommen habe und die Übersetzung ist dementsprechend etwas Schlechter als gewohnt. Zudem kommt noch dazu, dass das Cover ein Dekolleté zeigt, was ein bisschen blöd ist wenn man in der Öffentlichkeit liest.

Es scheint in erster Linie ein faszinierendes Buch zu sein, wenn man sich die ersten hundert Seiten durchliest. Grund hierfür ist die Ansage auf der Rückseite des Buchs, dass die Protagonistin Jade Sperry vergewaltigt wird. Die ersten Seiten haben diese Spannung, da man als Leser bereits weiß, dass das junge und ambitionierte Mädchen vergewaltigt wird, sodass man auch eine Tendenz hat öfters das Buch wegzulegen für einige Zeit.

Dies ist erst mal ein gutes Anzeichen. Schlussendlich jedoch ist die Handlung etwas bekanntes, dass man aus einem dem einen Dirty Harry Film kennt oder aus I spit on your grave wiederfindet. Wir sind also angewiesen, dass die Atmosphäre und die Charaktere ein unvergessliches Leseabenteuer erzeugen. Dies ist jedoch gerade der Punkt wo es hakt.

Wenn jeder Charakter unter die Lupe genommen wird, merkt man, dass wir zwar dynamische Charaktere haben allerdings sind diese sogenannte Flat Characters. (Eine deutsche Bezeichnung ist mir hierbei nicht bekannt.)

Die beiden Hauptcharaktere Jade und Dillon sind dynamisch, da Sie sich weiterentwickeln wie es ein Handlungsbogen tut. Beide konfrontieren Ihre Ängste und lernen diese zu überwinden mit der Zeit. Jedoch scheinen sie einfachen Stereotypen anzugehören. Jade ist intelligent, stark, reich und hübsch trotz ihres Alters. Sie wirkt einfach zu makellos. Dillon ist auch nicht besser, seine Eigenschaften beschränken sich auf männlich, penibel und Schnurrbart.

Ich weiß, Schnurrbart ist kein Adjektiv, aber jeder der das Buch liest, wird das Gefühl bekommen als ob Dillons Schnurrbart ein eigener Charakter in sich ist. Zudem fand ich die Betonung auf diesen während der Liebesszenen ungemein belustigend. Auch musste ich an Dracula denken, der eigentlich im Buch auch einen Schnurrbart hat.

Die Antagonisten in Form der Vergewaltiger Lamar, Neal und Hutch wirken genauso flach. Es wird wortwörtlich nichts Gutes von Ihnen erwähnt. Der einzige Grund für Ihre Tat wirkt entweder kleinlich oder abgrundtief Böse. Es ist völlig normal den Bösewichten als abscheuliches Monster darzustellen, aber es hat keinen Appeal, wenn Neal Patchett als reicher Schnösel bezeichnet wird, der einen Adonis gleichen Körper hat, den er genetisch geerbt hat ohne etwas dafür getan zu haben und die Tendenz hat sich einfach zu nehmen was ihm gefällt. Ich möchte nicht sagen, dass Lamar und Hutch in dasselbe Schema passen, jedoch wirkt ihr Beitrag am Ende des Buches eher wie eine Art Deus Ex Machina.

Was definitiv fehlt, ist ein Hauch Zweideutigkeit. Wären die drei Bösewichte etwas ausgewogener, wie man das in diesen Alan Moore Comics kennt, dann wäre das ein Schritt in die richtige Richtung für Sandra Brown. Charakterisierung ist wirklich das Schwächste in diesem Roman, was wie schon erwähnt bei einer solchen Geschichte nicht der Fall sein sollte. Die plötzlichen Gefühlswendungen von Donna Dee und Jades Sohn Graham sind unbegreiflich. Kann Graham wirklich innerhalb von ein bis drei Stunden überzeugt worden sein, dass seine Mutter eine Hure ist und sein ganzes Vertrauen in ihr verliert, dass die beiden in vierziehen Jahren aufgebaut haben? Würde Donna Dee sich wirklich einen Vergewaltiger hingeben, der ihre seit Jahren beste Freundin mit seinen Kumpels missbraucht hat? Dies erscheint mir äußerst unrealistisch vor allem nachdem Sandra Brown gezeigt hat, dass Hutchs Vater genau bewusst ist was er getan hat und dies seinem Sohn klar gemacht hat. Sandra weiß also etwas über richtige Charakterisierung.

Ich habe zwar nun das Negative äußerst betont, aber es soll keinen Abhalten sich die Geschichte durchzulesen. Es geht relativ schnell und hat ein paar humoröse Szenen, wie z. B. die ständige Fixierung auf Dillons Bart oder Jades Aussage „Sie dürfen steif werden“. Das letztere wurde aufgeklärt, denn es war anfangs etwas zweideutig selbst im Zusammenhang. Es wirkte eher wie ein Befehl an Dillon. Die erotischen Szenen sind detailliert, geschmackvoll und ansprechend.

Schlussendlich ist es kein Schlechtes Buch, aber kein Gutes. Es ist lesbar, aber hat keine Wiederlesewert. Ich kann auch keine endgültige Bewertung über die Autorin geben, da es sich um ein Werk von vor zwanzig Jahren handelt. Es wurde mir auch mal gesagt, dass Sandra Brown zwei Arten von Romanen schreibt; Mystery und Romanzen. Ich kann mir gut vorstellen, dass ersteres äußerst gut sein kann, da die hundert ersten Seiten von Ein Hauch von Skandal dies in der Tat belegen. Romanzen sind wiederum etwas Charakter fokussiertes und dies war hier eine echte Schwäche.

Ich habe noch Gefangene der Liebe Die Tür zur Liebe und Standoff zu lesen von Sandra Brown. Beim ersten Titel bin etwas zweifelhaft, da dieses Buch zwei Jahre vor Skandal geschrieben wurde. Von Standoff erwarte ich viel mehr, das Sie zehn Jahre Zeit hatte Ihre Fähigkeiten zu schärfen und es sich um ein anderes Genre handelt.
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Aug 15, 2010 Chanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I've never read any of Sandra Brown's so I didn't know what to expect but was hooked early on. Suspenseful twists in the plot kept coming without making the whole thing trite as many books in this genre tend to do. I was impressed by the quality of the writing and the broad vocabulary. The title 'Breath of Scandal' didn't give me the impression that this would be a particularly aggressive exercise for my intellect but it was a much better quality read tha...more

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Apr 27, 2008 Gramedia Pustaka Utama rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sandra-brown

Saya sudah membaca buku ini 3 kali, dan rasanya tidak bosan untuk mengulang baca kembali.
Keteguhan dan ketangguhan Jade sangat saya kagumi, dgn back ground yg sangat tidak mendukung, dia akhirnya bisa menata hidup dan masa depannya yang berantakan.

Jade diperkosa oleh 3 teman sekolahnya, kemudian kekasihnya Gary berpikiran dia berkhianat dan memutuskan untuk bunuh diri, ibunya yg tidak percaya bahwa dia diperkosa. Pergi meninggalkan kota kelahirannya dlm kondisi hamil dan hancur berantakan.

Ada ba...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Anita Fleming rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-supense, brown-sandra-rs

Wow! This book is an emotional roller coaster from beginning to end. Every girls’ nightmare comes true for Jade. She somehow endures the rape, the injustice in a small town, being blamed for the death of her boyfriend and goes on to rise to the top in her chosen field and get revenge on the men who raped her. The cosmos helps, which I think is just awesome. When Dillon is introduced and we follow his tragic story, we know that somehow Jade and Dillon are meant to heal each others wounds.

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Jul 31, 2012 Gwynne Andal rated it 4 of 5 stars

You see, this is perfect. The most violent act was done to her, she was humiliated, even ridiculed and they drove her love to suicide. And yet, she was not bitter. The premise of the story is that she was driven to avenge what happened to her and she did it with such grace and determination and no hint of malice. To some readers, her action plan might be mild or not, but let us remind ourselves that our heroine is a genuine person who do not wish ill fate to others. She just wants justice.

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About Sandra Brown

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Sandra Brown is the author of sixty-one New York Times bestsellers, including LETHAL (2011), TOUGH CUSTOMER (2010), SMASH CUT (2009), SMOKE SCREEN (2008), PLAY DIRTY (2007), RICOCHET (2006), CHILL FACTOR (2005), WHITE HOT (2004), HELLO, DARKNESS (2003), THE CRUSH (2002), a...more

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“Don't ever be afraid to live. Because though dying is easy when compared to living” — 2 people liked it

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