Love and Other Scandals

Narrator Veida Dehmlow's elegant performance is well matched to this historical romance. When spinster Joan Bennet catches the eye of notorious rake Tristan Burke, the result is a passionate courtship. Joan's unconventional Aunt Evangeline arrives just in time to encourage Joan's tentative attempts to win Tristan's declaration of love. Dehmlow's proper-sounding voice evokes the strict codes of nineteenth-century British high society while her warm tones reflect the growing intimacy between Joan and Tristan. In addition, Dehmlow's steady, deliberate pacing enhances the slow buildup of the story as well as Joan's delicious romantic fantasies. Exquisite moments and a perfect communion of Linden's lovers await listeners. C.A. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

Starred review from June 24, 2013
Joan Bennet is a respectable young lady worried that she’ll never find a husband. She’s also addicted to a not-so-respectable publication called 50 Ways To Sin. When her brother’s cheerfully disreputable friend Tristan Burke becomes his houseguest, Tristan and Joan strike up a flirtation that neither of them expects to go anywhere. Of course, that’s before her parents have to leave town and her scandalous Aunt Evangeline comes to “chaperone.” Linden somehow makes the Regency romance feel new again with this warm, likeable novel. With less chaperoning, Joan and Tristan become closer, letting attraction take its course. The obstacles to their love are simple but real: curvy Joan doesn’t know how to love her body or dress to flatter it, and Tristan’s unhappy family life gives him good reasons to fear marriage. Yet the simplicity of Linden’s plot is its strength, making the romance feel real and natural and allowing her great skill at characterization to take the weight of the story. Joan and Tristan genuinely enjoy each other, and their chemistry is sparkling. A quiet gem.