One Touch of Scandal

Starred review from August 2, 2010
Carlyle's supernatural Victorian trilogy opener introduces a governess in desperate straits. Grace Gauthier is about to get engaged to her employer when someone murders him. Dodging suspicious police, Grace goes to a London gentlemen's club in search of a man who knew her father. Instead of finding the family friend, she encounters Lord Ruthveyn, a part-Indian war hero who agrees to help her prove her innocence by using his connections to thwart the efforts of the most determined investigators. The vibrant attraction between the two is complicated by Ruthveyn's psychic visions and his inability to "read" Grace's future. Grace's tenacity, wit, and compassion make her a very believable, multidimensional character and the perfect match for Ruthveyn's brooding and dark secrets. The romance sizzles, its unpredictability propelling this complex story far beyond its contemporaries.

Starred review from September 15, 2010
The one man who can help Grace Gauthier escape charges of murdering her employer Ethan Holding is an old friendRance Welham. Unfortunately for Grace, Rance is nowhere to be found. This leaves Grace at the mercy of Adrian Forsythe, Lord Ruthveyn, who agrees to help Grace as a favor for Rance, a fellow member of the Society of St. James. As Royden Napier, Assistant Commissioner to the London Metropolitan Police, does his best to frame a case against her, Grace finds herself depending more and more on the elegantly enigmatic and sinfully seductive Ruthveyn. But by placing her life in Ruthveyns hands, Grace cant help but wonder if she is in more danger from Ruthveyn than the police. With its exceptionally rich characterization, an engaging plot that gracefully pairs danger and desire, and an intriguing touch of the paranormal, Carlyles latest stylishly written, lusciously sensual Regency historical romance is supremely satisfying.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)