Reviews for Scandalous (Banning Sisters Trilogy Series #1)

The average rating for Scandalous (Banning Sisters Trilogy Series #1) based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-04-21 00:00:00 Geraldine Robinson For my first book ever by Karen Robards, I think I started off with a good one! It's defintely different from any other regency romance in style and the premise, but once it got to the part where Gabriella makes her personal bargain with the devil, to pretend Marcus, her absent brother, is not really dead, and decides to take things as far as she can, I was hooked, and instantly adored Gabriella! It's exactly what I would have done! This story is a great example of making best lemonade out of lemons, and devil be damned. Everyone thinks of Gabriella in a slight way, she's a woman, she's disadvantaged because of her lack of fortune, disabled because of her leg, pitied because of the awful way her father treated her, but she doesn't really view herself as less than. She's got guts and spunk, but not too much that makes her obnoxious. The premise of the story, Marcus is murdered, and his friend, later to be revealed as Nick, takes over as Marcus to try and 'smoke' the killer out, only to realize that Marcus' sisters come to London at the same time, pretending the same rouse so that Gabriella can help get her sister Katherine married off hopefully before anyone finds out the real Marcus is dead, and they are homeless. Meanwhile, Nick-pretending-to-be-Marcus and Gabriella are falling in love, only everyone thinks they are brother and sister!! Scandalous to be sure! I really like Nick throughout, although it was hard for me to love him, until the very end. It's a difficult character-type to pull off, and I think it was done fairly well. To have a hero assume the identity of a dead man and parade around London, while trying to show a romance between the hero and heroine, without giving away too many details as to why he's parading around as the dead man until the end to make it a cliffhanger and mini mystery, I don't think much could be improved upon in this case. It's to be commended for taking such a tangle-ridden hero and making him seem a sane person without confusing the readers or making him look like a fool. Things I didn't like: - Jim, the stable groom, or whatever he was. The only other person who knew about the secret besides Gabriella, Nick and his valet. Yes, he seemed a fatherly sort to her, but he still was her servant, not her equal. He was too opininated, and kept beating a dead horse, we got it, he didn't like Nick. And the fact that Gabby had to ask him several times to do things, when if he truly was her servant, should not have happened. If they were closer, that relationship wasn't really show to hold up the way he talked to her. - The sisters. I can't really say I'm excited to read about Claire or Beth at all, particularly Beth. Yes, Claire is this outstanding beauty but she's as timid as they come, and for a girl of 19, to be at odds so often with Beth, seems very immature. And Beth seems especially inconsiderate to me. There's a scene where Gabby walks in and sees Beth laying casually across Marcus/Nick's bed, and tells her, even if he is her brother, her posture and decorum should be more refined, and Beth basically ignores her, blows her off. Later on in that same scene, she practically calls Gabby lame (as in disabled) and Claire points out how hurtful that is to Gabby, her response is to basically say, well, it's true. I will read/listen to the books, but I may not love the sisters. Hopefully they will get better. Things I loved: - Gabriella! She's a girl after my own heart! - The gruff Aunt Augusta, I hope she's in the rest of the series! It would be neat to see her find a companion too! - The unusual premise (at least unusual to me) I love different plot lines, which is hard to do in Regency. - That Nick got Gabriella to dance!!! Who doesn't love to be danced and romanced by a sexy man, even if he is supposed to be your brother? I would definitely read this again (I actually listened to the audio), and the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because of the sisters, and it was a little on the light side, would have loved a little more depth, but still highly enjoyable and highly recommended.

Review # 2 was written on 2011-08-28 00:00:00 Michael Turnbull Gabriella Banning has been faced with the most unappealing dilemma. She just received word that her half-brother Marcus, the Earl of Wickham has been killed. The Earldom will pass to their cousin Thomas who will surely push Gabby and her two sisters out onto the streets and of course, Gabby's sister Claire will not have her debut season. Taking a huge risk, Gabby rushes her sisters off to London pretending her half-brother is still alive and well. She figures all she has to do is achieve an advantageous marriage for her sister and when the truth about the Earl is finally revealed, it will no longer matter if her sister is spoken for. What she doesn't expect is for her half-brother to welcome her when they arrive in London. Even though she only saw her half-brother once many years ago, Gabby is suspicious immediately and knows this man pretending to be her half-brother certainly cannot be him! But this impostor has his own agenda. He plans to play the role of the Earl while he determines which person really killed his friend Marcus and why. Gabby and "Marcus" confront each other about their individual schemes and agree to remain silent about their treachery. Now that they know the truth about one another, they can't seem to keep their hands off each other. Worried about the uproar they would cause if the truth is revealed, the real scandal is how close these two 'siblings' have become... Okay...I try to be fairly mature and dignified about my reviews, but I have to get it out... "SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" Ok, my squee of delight is over...but I had to do it. Simply because I LOVED this novel! What a true and utter delight Scandalous is! It is the perfect historical romance with a tender and touching story about two individuals that are so perfect for one another yet can't seem to realize it. Gabby was splendid! She was innocent and scared at the beginning of this novel, but her love for her sister forces her to face issues and make decisions that display true courage. The deceit this charade requires is a difficult pill to swallow for a naive young lady like Gabby, but when worst comes to worst, she sticks out her chin and overcomes the worst dilemmas. It was adorable and amusing to read. Still, her insecurities were always prominent in her mind and the inner struggles she faced believing she was unlovable were delicate moments that any woman can relate to. She was a martyr for her sisters, but not in a flamboyant or outrageous way. Her actions were often unnoticed and no matter what the consequences, she always kept the smile on her face. She was everything a heroine ought to be. And of course there is "Marcus." He came onto the pages as a cad, a ruthless libertine, but Gabby is an easy distraction. There were parts is this novel that made me constantly change my opinion about him. Some parts were charming, other parts revealed slight rakish behavior, but I feel that is what made the ending all that more amazing. He is certainly conflicted by the feelings he has for Gabby, but also wants to find Marcus' killer. His journey is not an easy one. While the book was nearly perfect on all accounts, I would have loved to hear the story from his perspective just a little bit more. Maybe Robards didn't do that because his identity was kept a secret for most of the book, but there were plenty of times I wished to know what he was thinking! I have read a few novel by Robards, but never one that I have enjoyed as much as this. The description in the first few chapters was overwhelming and it really worried me, but the novel easily picked up after the first forty pages or so. There was hardly a time that I wanted to put the novel down, it was just that fascinating! What appealed to me the most were the characters. While Robards can hook you into whatever world she creates, it was her characters in this case that wouldn't let go. You will care about them, appreciate their struggles and remember then long after the book has concluded. I don't believe I've ever wanted a couple to have a happily ever after more than I did with these two characters. It was beautifully written, it was compelling, it was nearly perfect. A definite keeper for this reader! Overall Rating: 5/5 Heat Level: 4/5 Lisa @ Once Upon A Chapter