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Series #1
Scandal's Daughter
Promising his dying godfather that he will find a husband for his childhood friend Gemma, the daughter of a notorious seductress, in three months or marry her himself, Sebastian Laidley, the sixth Earl of Carleton, introduces her to several suitors, only to realize that he wants her for himself. Original.
295 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 4, 2007
133 people want to read
About the author
Christine Wells
21 books32 followersPseudonym of Christina Brooke
I wrote my first book at the age of ten. It was a picture book about aliens, which were the only creatures I could draw.
Many years later, after completing school, a Bachelor of Laws and a few years in a legal firm, the writing bug bit again. Not a picture book this time, but a crime thriller set in a legal firm not unlike the one where I worked. With characters not unlike the people I encountered every day. Wisdom being the better part of valor, and multiple defamation suits a very real concern, I didn't pursue that work further than the first few chapters. Regrettably, the fictional murder of ... (well, I'd better not say) remains unsolved to this day.
I then turned my thoughts to stories that were less likely to result in a garnishee over my wages for many years to come. My first love, Regency historicals.
More time passed in fevered scribbling before my long-suffering husband suggested I might consider giving up work and writing full-time. Angels broke out in a chorus, manna dropped from Heaven and I remembered why I had married this absolute gem of a man in the first place. Still, it took many months before I gathered the courage to take the plunge. I free-fell into the vast void of structureless days, where tailored suits and stockings were no longer required dress and the only rule of thumb was to be out of my pyjamas by 10am.
Seven years and two children later, I still live by that rule.
I wrote my first book at the age of ten. It was a picture book about aliens, which were the only creatures I could draw.
Many years later, after completing school, a Bachelor of Laws and a few years in a legal firm, the writing bug bit again. Not a picture book this time, but a crime thriller set in a legal firm not unlike the one where I worked. With characters not unlike the people I encountered every day. Wisdom being the better part of valor, and multiple defamation suits a very real concern, I didn't pursue that work further than the first few chapters. Regrettably, the fictional murder of ... (well, I'd better not say) remains unsolved to this day.
I then turned my thoughts to stories that were less likely to result in a garnishee over my wages for many years to come. My first love, Regency historicals.
More time passed in fevered scribbling before my long-suffering husband suggested I might consider giving up work and writing full-time. Angels broke out in a chorus, manna dropped from Heaven and I remembered why I had married this absolute gem of a man in the first place. Still, it took many months before I gathered the courage to take the plunge. I free-fell into the vast void of structureless days, where tailored suits and stockings were no longer required dress and the only rule of thumb was to be out of my pyjamas by 10am.
Seven years and two children later, I still live by that rule.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 26, 2022
This book was kind of a boring mess. The heroine doesn't want to get married because she doesn't want to leave her grandfather's estate that she runs. Grandfather is the hero's godfather and since the grand/godfather thinks he's dying, asks hero to marry heroine. Hero is all rake-y/dad issue-y and not wanting to marry but agrees to get heroine to his estate to try and hook her up with dudes and if he fails at the end of the month(? I can't remember time frame) he has to marry her.
There's some drama with the heroine's mom being gossiped about as a loose woman and the heroine has tried to live "good" to keep the stain from also falling on her. My eyes glazed over in the middle because it was a lot of back and forth with heroine and hero being attracted, liking each other but "I can't!". There was a very short messy secondary romance between the hero's sister and hero's bf, that actually seemed to have some fun and passion but too much to the side and wrapped up silly quick.
I came to towards the end because suddenly the who was thought to be the heroine's mother's lover was turned out to be Yeah. I told you it was boring messy.
Anyway, heroine and hero decide that "I can!" and HEA. I only wrote up this little recap because I wanted to post this quote:
“Did you tell her, my dear?”
He could have asked the obvious question, but he knew what she meant. “No. I did not tell her I love her. She does not want my love. She is better off without it.” They stood together in the freshening breeze, as storm clouds rolled over the sun.
“How do you know?” she said.
“Pardon?”
“How do you know she is better off? Your love might make all the difference.”
This is why I very, very rarely DNF, there can be little hidden gems. Like, YES. "Your love might make all the difference." You might be using your fear to protect yourself but it could in turn hurt the person you love. I thought this was a gorgeous little passage.
There's some drama with the heroine's mom being gossiped about as a loose woman and the heroine has tried to live "good" to keep the stain from also falling on her. My eyes glazed over in the middle because it was a lot of back and forth with heroine and hero being attracted, liking each other but "I can't!". There was a very short messy secondary romance between the hero's sister and hero's bf, that actually seemed to have some fun and passion but too much to the side and wrapped up silly quick.
I came to towards the end because suddenly the who was thought to be the heroine's mother's lover was turned out to be Yeah. I told you it was boring messy.
Anyway, heroine and hero decide that "I can!" and HEA. I only wrote up this little recap because I wanted to post this quote:
“Did you tell her, my dear?”
He could have asked the obvious question, but he knew what she meant. “No. I did not tell her I love her. She does not want my love. She is better off without it.” They stood together in the freshening breeze, as storm clouds rolled over the sun.
“How do you know?” she said.
“Pardon?”
“How do you know she is better off? Your love might make all the difference.”
This is why I very, very rarely DNF, there can be little hidden gems. Like, YES. "Your love might make all the difference." You might be using your fear to protect yourself but it could in turn hurt the person you love. I thought this was a gorgeous little passage.
June 3, 2025
Candlelight Historische roman nr.846
Dit verhaal had niets vernieuwends of verrassends en ik snap al helemaal niet waarom voor Gemma geheim werd gehouden dat ze een jongere broer had .
Dit verhaal had niets vernieuwends of verrassends en ik snap al helemaal niet waarom voor Gemma geheim werd gehouden dat ze een jongere broer had .
March 14, 2009
Amazing book
May 29, 2017
Gemma is a bit of a recluse on her country estate because she is the daughter of a woman with a scandalous reputation, and that reputation extends to her. She is perfectly content to manage her grandfather's estate, and hope that he is willing to pass it on to her and make it her responsibility. So far that's not happening, so she feels the need to show him how much he needs her. Grandfather of course has other plans for Gemma - he's dying and he wants her to marry. Enter Sebastian Laidley, who grew up on their estate but is a lord in his own right after the death of his brother. He swore a vow never to marry and pass on his cruel and abusive father's bloodline. So he makes a different bargain with grandfather: he'll get Gemma married in 3 months time or he'll marry her himself. And so Gemma accompanies Sebastian away from her beloved estate and to his home where she makes the place presentable for a house party and becomes much closer to Sebastian. He's seriously contemplating marrying Gemma, but he knows she won't go along with it since marrying him would permanently take her away from the estate she surely loves more than she loves him.
A fairly good read with angst-o-plenty, a very likeable hero (heroine not so much) and plenty of little sub-plots to keep the tension and angst going. I liked Sebastian and his patience with Gemma. There's a stubborn woman who is just so attached to a house that she'll forgo human relationships. Okay, so it wasn't really her actions so much as her attitude...Gemma came across as a bit of a spoiled child. She didn't really grow out of it until that last little chapter, but then she ruined it by weeping and wailing about having just left the man she loves. I didn't hate her, but I wasn't a fan. I did really enjoy all those little sub-plots: Romney and Fanny's little romance, Sebastian and his mother's strained relationship, Sebastian's struggle to take on his landlord status and even Gemma's strained relationship with her entire family. Fanny and Romney even created my favorite quote:
Fanny: "Please remove your hand."
Romney: "I cannot. Unfortunately it is attached to my body."
Fanny: "From my leg."
That's just the sort of punny humor I enjoy. Their relationship was wrapped up, if rather suddenly and without much detail there at the end, but I enjoyed the lead up to it. In fact, most of the sub-plots (and the major one) were rushed through there at the end. Gemma just shows up and says she loves Sebastian and that's it. It all happens in a matter of a paragraph and it's over. I knew that was going to happen when Gemma is still weeping at her home estate on the second to last page and Sebastian is still back at his.
There was so not enough conclusion - to any of these plots. Gemma for example just suddenly forgives her family - she has a lot of reason to be pissed with her mother but even more so with her grandfather and the people who let him get his way (like Bellamy for example). It doesn't feel like she really deals with it, just that she's surprised she's not as angry as she expected. I mean, here are all these people who stood in the way of her dream and she's ready to forgive in a few days. And this dream being the reason she left the man she loved, who is still languishing at his estate with a broken heart. Gemma also forgives her mother rather quickly. She complains at the beginning that her mother was always gone, never with her for the important moments and that they barely knew each other. and in doing so, missing time with a supposely beloved daughter . I feel like that REALLY needed to be tied up. By the end of the story Gemma is reassured of her mother's love (even if I wasn't...I think she loved Bellamy more than she loved Gemma...at least that's what her actions said) but the offenses are never really addressed. And given how much stress it caused Gemma in the beginning - it needed to be addressed.
A fairly good read with angst-o-plenty, a very likeable hero (heroine not so much) and plenty of little sub-plots to keep the tension and angst going. I liked Sebastian and his patience with Gemma. There's a stubborn woman who is just so attached to a house that she'll forgo human relationships. Okay, so it wasn't really her actions so much as her attitude...Gemma came across as a bit of a spoiled child. She didn't really grow out of it until that last little chapter, but then she ruined it by weeping and wailing about having just left the man she loves. I didn't hate her, but I wasn't a fan. I did really enjoy all those little sub-plots: Romney and Fanny's little romance, Sebastian and his mother's strained relationship, Sebastian's struggle to take on his landlord status and even Gemma's strained relationship with her entire family. Fanny and Romney even created my favorite quote:
Fanny: "Please remove your hand."
Romney: "I cannot. Unfortunately it is attached to my body."
Fanny: "From my leg."
That's just the sort of punny humor I enjoy. Their relationship was wrapped up, if rather suddenly and without much detail there at the end, but I enjoyed the lead up to it. In fact, most of the sub-plots (and the major one) were rushed through there at the end. Gemma just shows up and says she loves Sebastian and that's it. It all happens in a matter of a paragraph and it's over. I knew that was going to happen when Gemma is still weeping at her home estate on the second to last page and Sebastian is still back at his.
There was so not enough conclusion - to any of these plots. Gemma for example just suddenly forgives her family - she has a lot of reason to be pissed with her mother but even more so with her grandfather and the people who let him get his way (like Bellamy for example). It doesn't feel like she really deals with it, just that she's surprised she's not as angry as she expected. I mean, here are all these people who stood in the way of her dream and she's ready to forgive in a few days. And this dream being the reason she left the man she loved, who is still languishing at his estate with a broken heart. Gemma also forgives her mother rather quickly. She complains at the beginning that her mother was always gone, never with her for the important moments and that they barely knew each other. and in doing so, missing time with a supposely beloved daughter . I feel like that REALLY needed to be tied up. By the end of the story Gemma is reassured of her mother's love (even if I wasn't...I think she loved Bellamy more than she loved Gemma...at least that's what her actions said) but the offenses are never really addressed. And given how much stress it caused Gemma in the beginning - it needed to be addressed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2018
First time with this author and I loved it. Will definitely read more of Wells
June 6, 2008
The aspirations of many an unpublished romance writer includes winning the coveted "Golden Heart" award sponsored by Romance Writers of America. In 2006, "Scandal's Daughter" won the Best Short Historical Romance category, and after reading this charming Regency-set novel, I believe the accolade was well-deserved.
Author Christine Wells paints the English setting beautifully and introduces us to Gemma and Sebastian, two likeable characters whose lifelong friendship forms a bond that gradually evolves through tenuous bouts of passion into a deep love capable of healing the wounds of the past.
Gemma is plucky without being obnoxious, and Sebastian is a complex character driven by a dark childhood filled with abuse and culminating in the loss of his beloved brother. The author's skill at portraying the deep emotional ties between the hero and heroine brings an emotional context to the story that makes it a very satisfying romance.
Ms. Wells employs a skillful balance, using humor to occasionally lighten the mood and deftly working in the Regency-era details that form the flagstone of this type of novel without making them an intrusion. She creates an interesting world populated with endearing characters and provides the requisite happy ending. As a reader of romance, I couldn't have asked for more.
Author Christine Wells paints the English setting beautifully and introduces us to Gemma and Sebastian, two likeable characters whose lifelong friendship forms a bond that gradually evolves through tenuous bouts of passion into a deep love capable of healing the wounds of the past.
Gemma is plucky without being obnoxious, and Sebastian is a complex character driven by a dark childhood filled with abuse and culminating in the loss of his beloved brother. The author's skill at portraying the deep emotional ties between the hero and heroine brings an emotional context to the story that makes it a very satisfying romance.
Ms. Wells employs a skillful balance, using humor to occasionally lighten the mood and deftly working in the Regency-era details that form the flagstone of this type of novel without making them an intrusion. She creates an interesting world populated with endearing characters and provides the requisite happy ending. As a reader of romance, I couldn't have asked for more.
January 14, 2011
This story was okay, great idea but I have read similar, it just didn’t pull together as good as other stories.
Gemma Maitland had grown up looking after her grandfather’s property Ware and had hoped to inherit it one day. As he is dying he asks his godson and childhood friend to Gemma ,Sebastian Laidley to marry her - he is reluctant so strikes a bargain with his godfather that in 3 months if he has not found her a husband he will marry her. Sebastian lures Gemma to his home with the story that he needs her help in arranging his sister’s wedding. Sebastian has not lived at his home for a long time and Gemma finds out why while she is there. It does have a happy ending but just didn’t get there as well as it could have.
Gemma Maitland had grown up looking after her grandfather’s property Ware and had hoped to inherit it one day. As he is dying he asks his godson and childhood friend to Gemma ,Sebastian Laidley to marry her - he is reluctant so strikes a bargain with his godfather that in 3 months if he has not found her a husband he will marry her. Sebastian lures Gemma to his home with the story that he needs her help in arranging his sister’s wedding. Sebastian has not lived at his home for a long time and Gemma finds out why while she is there. It does have a happy ending but just didn’t get there as well as it could have.
August 29, 2009
This book was pretty funny and had me giggling quite often. I love strong, confident female characters.
But I have to say that Sebastian was my favorite character of this book because he's such a devious little shit (sorry, but I still can't think of a better way to describe him. It's what my grandmother would have called him!). Wells had you constantly wondering just what antics he would pull next.
Of course, with the free nature of Gemma, you were always wondering what sort of trouble she might find herself in!
There were some very unexpected twists in this book too that made it enjoyable to read!
But I have to say that Sebastian was my favorite character of this book because he's such a devious little shit (sorry, but I still can't think of a better way to describe him. It's what my grandmother would have called him!). Wells had you constantly wondering just what antics he would pull next.
Of course, with the free nature of Gemma, you were always wondering what sort of trouble she might find herself in!
There were some very unexpected twists in this book too that made it enjoyable to read!
August 6, 2009
loved everything about this book, from the wonderful characters, to the humor, the dark past and the story. Just beautiful.
March 30, 2009
i really liked this story. it was homey and romantic. it was a good book if your looking for a light read.
September 15, 2015
Love the tension between the sister and the best friend. Would love to know their story in detail. The female lead tugged at my feminist heartstrings. Her mum was so chill.
October 8, 2015
Great romance novel. Looking forward to reading more of the author's books.
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July 13, 20163.85
September 22, 2016
new author- good!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews