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22nd out of 70 books
—
30 voters
One Touch of Scandal (Fraternitas Aureae Crucis #1)
by
Liz Carlyle
Against the glamorous backdrop of Victorian high society, Liz Carlyle paints a dramatic tale of dangerous desire, the first in her sizzling new trilogy.
All Grace Gauthier ever wanted was the security of a good marriage, family, and home. Instead, despised by her aristocratic father's family because of her mother's foreign birth, she's taken a "safe" position as a governess...more
All Grace Gauthier ever wanted was the security of a good marriage, family, and home. Instead, despised by her aristocratic father's family because of her mother's foreign birth, she's taken a "safe" position as a governess...more
Paperback, 384 pages
Published
September 28th 2010
by Avon
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*Note: Read and reviewed for The Season for Romance.
Grace Gauthier has been falsely accused of murdering her employer in cold blood who, incidentally, she was engaged to. Forced to leave her home and the family she has grown to love, she sets out to clear her name. To do so, she seeks the help of longtime friend Lord Rance Welham, but when she visits the address she’s been given for him, she learns that he’s out of town and is not expected for several weeks. Instead, she inadvertently acquires t...more
Grace Gauthier has been falsely accused of murdering her employer in cold blood who, incidentally, she was engaged to. Forced to leave her home and the family she has grown to love, she sets out to clear her name. To do so, she seeks the help of longtime friend Lord Rance Welham, but when she visits the address she’s been given for him, she learns that he’s out of town and is not expected for several weeks. Instead, she inadvertently acquires t...more
One Touch of Scandal ของลิซ คาร์ไลล์
หนังสือเล่มนี้เป็นเล่มแรกในชุด Fraternitas Aurea Crucis ซึ่งเป็นสมาคมลับอันเก่าแก่ของคนกลุ่มที่มีความสามารถพิเศษบางอย่างเหนือธรรมชาติ
เกรซ กันติเยร์ไม่รู้เรื่องอะไรเกี่ยวกับสมาคมลับแห่งนี้ทั้งสิ้น นอกจากความจริงที่ว่า เธอต้องการความช่วยเหลือ นั่นเพราะเจ้านาย และผู้ที่เกือบจะเป็นคู่หมั้นของเธอ ถูกฆาตกรรมในบ้านของตัวเอง และเธอคือผู้ต้องสงสัยอันดับหนึ่ง เกรซเดินทางไปยังสมาคมเซ็นต์เจมส์เพื่อขอความช่วยเหลือจากอดีตทหารคนนึงซึ่งติดค้างหนี้บุญคุณกับบิดาผู้ล่วงลับไปของเ...more
หนังสือเล่มนี้เป็นเล่มแรกในชุด Fraternitas Aurea Crucis ซึ่งเป็นสมาคมลับอันเก่าแก่ของคนกลุ่มที่มีความสามารถพิเศษบางอย่างเหนือธรรมชาติ
เกรซ กันติเยร์ไม่รู้เรื่องอะไรเกี่ยวกับสมาคมลับแห่งนี้ทั้งสิ้น นอกจากความจริงที่ว่า เธอต้องการความช่วยเหลือ นั่นเพราะเจ้านาย และผู้ที่เกือบจะเป็นคู่หมั้นของเธอ ถูกฆาตกรรมในบ้านของตัวเอง และเธอคือผู้ต้องสงสัยอันดับหนึ่ง เกรซเดินทางไปยังสมาคมเซ็นต์เจมส์เพื่อขอความช่วยเหลือจากอดีตทหารคนนึงซึ่งติดค้างหนี้บุญคุณกับบิดาผู้ล่วงลับไปของเ...more
I was quite intrigued by Adrian, Lord Ruthveyn, the hero of Liz Carlyle's "One Touch of Scandal". He is very much a tortured hero, weighted down with the curse of the gift of "Sight". He cannot touch most people or look into their eyes without seeing a flash of the future and the fate which awaits to claim its victim. When he meets the lovely Grace Gauthier, she is reeling from the murder of her fiance, for whom she had worked as a governess. Grace is one of the few people whom Adrian cannot rea...more
I feel like I should cut this book some slack, because I started it wanting a nice ordinary historical and was really not in the mood for the mystery/paranormal plot I got. On the other hand, I'm not sure I could ever be in the right mood again for the tired paranormal cliches here. Secret mystical society -- yawn. The one woman whose secrets he can't read -- double yawn. Things improved some when the romance warmed up, though I never did get a feeling for why these two fell for each other. Conv...more
Review:
A TOUCH OF SCANDAL is the first installment in New York Times Bestselling author, Liz Carlyle’s new Regency historical romance trilogy.
Grace Gauthier has just been accused of cold-bloodedly killing her employer--who indecently happens to be her ALMOST-fiancé. Leaving her destitute homeless and scared for her future. In search of a family friend, Sergeant Rance Welham, Lord Lazonby to help her out of this awful predicament Grace lands on the doorsteps of the Society; face to face with the...more
Liz Carlyle has been auto buy for me for years now, so this was a huge disappointment. I couldn't believe when I wasn't hooked by page 25 and when I was having to force myself to give it the first 50 then the first 100 pages. I love, love, love her earlier works, particularly One Little Sin, which remains one of my favorite books. I think the big problem with book is actually an unusual one--there's not enough telling. I spent too much of the early part of the book wondering why Adrian was so br...more
I hadn't gotten very far into this book before I realized why I had loved Ms. Carlyle's earlier books. In fact in one of my trips to Chapters, I picked up a book I didn't already have.
The books starts with murder; the murder of Grace Gauthier's employer and secret fiance. It doesn't take her long to realize that she needs help as she seems to be top on the suspect list. She looks for an old friend and army officer that served under her Army father. But it seems her friend is out of town and inst...more
The books starts with murder; the murder of Grace Gauthier's employer and secret fiance. It doesn't take her long to realize that she needs help as she seems to be top on the suspect list. She looks for an old friend and army officer that served under her Army father. But it seems her friend is out of town and inst...more
First off, I would like to say this is the very first of Liz Carlyle books that I have read.
One Touch of Scandal stole me in; it was almost like being tossed right into the story.
~ Grace Gauthier is to be married to her employer, when resives a note under her door asking for to come to his study. Something horrible has happened to her fiancée. Grace finds him dead!
There is so much then that happens next, She finds her-self on top of the subs tic list and finds her -self at a hold friend of th...more
One Touch of Scandal stole me in; it was almost like being tossed right into the story.
~ Grace Gauthier is to be married to her employer, when resives a note under her door asking for to come to his study. Something horrible has happened to her fiancée. Grace finds him dead!
There is so much then that happens next, She finds her-self on top of the subs tic list and finds her -self at a hold friend of th...more
This book was okay. Parts I liked, parts I didn't care for, I went back and forth a bit. It was a darker story with serious stuff going on, which I enjoy, but it had a metaphysical/paranormal slant that sometimes worked for me and other times didn't. I'm sure the author did a ton of research for this book (and series), but the history of the plot got so complicated for me--I felt like there should have been a family tree or some kind of chart or timeline at the beginning to lay out the important...more
Grace Gauthier must rely on Lord Ruthveyn to protect her after she is suspected of killing her employer. Tormented by his gift of paranormal abilities, Ruthveyn has is own reasons for helping Grace.
I see this didn't get such good ratings but I really enjoyed the characters and the story. There is a strong paranormal theme to the book which could be off putting to some readers. I was prepared for this element and I felt it added a depth to the story. I enjoy Carlyle's books when she includes a my...more
I see this didn't get such good ratings but I really enjoyed the characters and the story. There is a strong paranormal theme to the book which could be off putting to some readers. I was prepared for this element and I felt it added a depth to the story. I enjoy Carlyle's books when she includes a my...more
I picked this up from the library on a whim, because I saw the word "governess" and that is my THING, the plotline that I love and will always grab. Well, it had very little governess-ing in it, very little forbidden employer romance. This was much more about an easily solved murder mystery and some paranormal stuff.
None of this makes it a bad book, but it is definitely not one I would have put on my to-read list had I researched it at all, and my low rating is perhaps unfair. If I liked parano...more
None of this makes it a bad book, but it is definitely not one I would have put on my to-read list had I researched it at all, and my low rating is perhaps unfair. If I liked parano...more
When I pick up a book by Liz Carlyle I know I'm going to love it. This book was no exception. It was filled with the expected romance along with a murder mystery and a surprising mix of the Scottish sight and Indian mysticism, but of course takes place in London. The author writes her characters so well you think they could actually be real people you might meet yourself. She also has a way with writing familial and fraternal relationships that are full and realistic. I look forward to reading t...more
Well, I feel better. I couldn't find the cover image of the copy I just read, and then, looking closer, realized my copy is an uncorrected proof (mooched)... I had been quite annoyed by some of the mistakes - typos, but especially the pathetic French in the first pages, but hopefully that was corrected in the real edition! Of course, it's clear that with a language as exotic and little known as French few readers would spot the errors, but still...
So, once that aside I really do like Carlyle's p...more
So, once that aside I really do like Carlyle's p...more
This books was a little overstuffed. What with secret societies, a murder mystery, a touch of paranormal (psychic) powers and even some tantric sex there's a lot going on. But I still enjoyed it. I liked both leads and and while there was set up for the series I didn't feel like it took away from the main storyline. I just finished another disappointing historical romance so I was happy to read one where the hero was troubled and tried to distance himself from the heroine without being a complet...more
One Touch of Scandal is the first book in a new trilogy by Liz Carlyle. The trilogy revolves around a secret society, Fraternitas Aurea Crucis. Lucifer, Lord Ruthveyn is one such member. He is surprised to find Grace Guathier on the front stoop of the clubhouse in search of help. Grace has been accused of murdering her fiancé. Her father now deceased had told her if she was ever in trouble to find Sergeant Welham. Instead of finding her childhood friend, Grace finds herself ensnared by the dark...more
2.5, really, alas.
Liz Carlyle is one of my favorite historical romance authors, so I looked forward to her latest with eagerness. But I found this one to be a big disappointment.
The novel opens with our heroine, Grace Gauthier, at the scene of her fiance's murder. Living in England has made Grace feel an outsider -- both because she is half French, and because she grew up in Algeria, where her French father was a Commandant in the French Foreign Legion. Marrying Ethan Holding not for love, but f...more
Liz Carlyle is one of my favorite historical romance authors, so I looked forward to her latest with eagerness. But I found this one to be a big disappointment.
The novel opens with our heroine, Grace Gauthier, at the scene of her fiance's murder. Living in England has made Grace feel an outsider -- both because she is half French, and because she grew up in Algeria, where her French father was a Commandant in the French Foreign Legion. Marrying Ethan Holding not for love, but f...more
I thought that this was a refreshing change of pace for LC. I liked the paranormal element to the story and will tell you right up front that I am looking forward to the next one in the series.
The backbone of the story is this. Grace stands to be accused of murder of her fiancee. She has come to find an old family friend and instead makes the acquaintance of Adrian Ruthveyn. She immediately senses that he is not a man to be trifled with, but seems fated not to be able to resist.
Once Adrian cat...more
The backbone of the story is this. Grace stands to be accused of murder of her fiancee. She has come to find an old family friend and instead makes the acquaintance of Adrian Ruthveyn. She immediately senses that he is not a man to be trifled with, but seems fated not to be able to resist.
Once Adrian cat...more
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I read the second book in this series first and it didn't impress. This one is a much better advertisement for the franchise. Not as much exposition about the Fraterinas or if so, it's not as dry.
The love story between Grace and Rauthavin starts in the midst of a murder and continues to simmer and then boil over in passion that is erotic and compelling. Dark forces surround them as do extra sensory abilities within themselves and their compatriots.
Sexy, seductive and satisfying.
The love story between Grace and Rauthavin starts in the midst of a murder and continues to simmer and then boil over in passion that is erotic and compelling. Dark forces surround them as do extra sensory abilities within themselves and their compatriots.
Sexy, seductive and satisfying.
I really, really wanted to love this book. I love Carlyle's romances more than nearly any other author writing historicals at this point, and I love paranormal storylines beyond measure. And I did like this book, and the world she's creating for future books! But for some reason, the two main characters never quite clicked for me. They didn't feel quite as deeply drawn as some of her other heroes and heroines. And a lot of this book felt like set-up for future books in the series. I'm definitely...more
I am always leery of romances that either dabble in the occult/mysticism and "foreign/exotic" (eg: Indian, Chinese, etc) religions or practices. However, Carlyle wove these elements in tastefully and not too "otherizing" (if that makes any sort of sense). The mystery was well done (even if I guessed some of it) and had a satisfying conclusion. A quick and enjoyable read.
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I liked a lot of things about this book: the heroine was lively and self-assured, the hero flawed, the ancient mysticism thread added diversity to the storyline, and i didn't see the ending coming from a mile away. Altogether it was a lovely read! I am on a romance kick right too, already halfway through another one.
Provisionally rated 'okay' though I suspect that might improve on a reread... Grace didn't appeal to me as much as Evie, Jonet, or Catherine, maybe because I expected her to be more feisty when she was raised in the Foreign Legion; further acquaintance required.
Not sure I was wooooooowed by this book. But it had some elements that I haven't read about such as the tantric portions and the second sight. It was interesting enough. Not sure I would RUN for the next one but if it was out I might continue the series. There were some questions I would like to see answered that she obviously gave you teasers on :).
I have always enjoyed Liz Carlyle's books, but I was a little disappointed in this one. It just did not hook me from the beginning. I did find the added paranormal and mystery elements somewhat interesting, but the book just did not gel for me.
I liked the story and enjoyed the hero and heroine, but something caused me to struggle through the book. Maybe it was all the details or the otherworldly feel to the situation, I'm unsure.
Horrid cover. What were they thinking? But Liz Carlyle delivers a great story as always. It is a different, seeing a paranormal element in her historical romance, but I enjoyed it.
Grace Gauthier is accused of murdering her employer. She is alone, despised by her mother's family. Lord Ruthveyn is determined to find the killer and save Grace.
I tried reading this book when it first came out and put it aside until now. I really enjoy the story and can't wait to read more in this series.
Review courtesy of Romance Junkies: http://romancejunkiesreviews.com/artm...
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Dear Readers,
The awful truth about novelists is that we are mostly dull, introverted homebodies who only write in order to live our fantasies vicariously. I came to writing rather late in life, and I’m still amazed I can get paid for doing something I love, and that I get to stay home while I do it.
My favorite comedian Steve Martin once said, "I believe entertainment can aspire to be art, and ca...more
More about Liz Carlyle...
The awful truth about novelists is that we are mostly dull, introverted homebodies who only write in order to live our fantasies vicariously. I came to writing rather late in life, and I’m still amazed I can get paid for doing something I love, and that I get to stay home while I do it.
My favorite comedian Steve Martin once said, "I believe entertainment can aspire to be art, and ca...more
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Nov 16, 2010 09:25pm