Lady Olivia Bevelstroke, the youngest of her half-sisters, has never cared much for the glittering social whirl of London. When her siblings decide to embark on a plan for independence without the strictures of marriage, they assumed she was just as excited about the prospect as they were—only she wasn’t. Olivia prefers the quiet solitude of her books, rather than the company of others, but she misses her father’s estate, Marlington Hall, most of all. There, she felt safe and loved and she is determined to return, whether it’s in the midst of a snowstorm, or if the new heir wants her there or not.
Miles Stone, the Duke of Gravesend, is a scarred recluse who wants nothing more than to leave his former life behind, as well as all the unpleasant memories that go along with it. The problem is the lady who has been on his mind ever since he pulled her from the freezing waters of the Thames and saved her life. When fate thrusts him into her path one winter’s night, he is determined to ignore the stirrings of desire within him—until he realizes she has no idea who he is. Not only is it a blow to his pride, but he finds himself reluctant to tell her the truth. When he introduces himself as the new estate manager to the new Duke of Marlington, they embark on an unlikely friendship. But will the lies that separate them destroy it all?
Tabetha Waite is a hybrid romance author, published with Soul Mate Publishing, and upcoming works with Dragonblade and Wolf Publishing, although she enjoys the control and flexibility that being an Indie provides. She currently has more than 40 books to her credit. Tabetha grew up in a small town in Missouri with big dreams of being an author after her fourth grade teacher said she liked reading her stories. She began her journey by putting pen to paper writing anything from fantasy to mystery, but it wasn’t until she started high school that her grandmother introduced her to the classic, Gothic novels. As her love of romance grew to encompass Harlequins, it wasn’t until she read “Midnight Bride” by Kathleen Drymon did she develop a fascination for historical England. After discovering Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters, she was hooked! It wasn’t until 30 years and 63 rejections later that her debut novel, “Why the Earl is After the Girl,” the first book in her Ways of Love series was picked up for publication to critical acclaim in 2016 by Etopia Press. She's won several awards for her books. When she’s not writing, Tabetha is reading as true bookworms do, checking out any flea market, antique mall, or doll show she comes across. You can find her on most any social media site and she encourages any fans of her work to join her mailing list to learn more about upcoming novels or events.
Lady Olivia Bevelstroke, the youngest of four half-sisters, prefers the quiet solitude of her books, rather than the company of others & she misses her father’s estate, Marlington Hall, most of all where she felt safe and loved and she is determined to return, whether it’s in the midst of a snowstorm, or if the new heir wants her there or not. Miles Stone, the Duke of Gravesend, is a scarred recluse who wants nothing more than to leave his former life behind, as well as all the unpleasant memories that go along with it. The problem is the lady who has been on his mind ever since he pulled her from the freezing waters of the Thames and saved her life. When fate thrusts him into her path one winter’s night, he is determined to ignore the stirrings of desire within him until he realizes she has no idea who he is.. When he introduces himself as the new steward to the new Duke of Marlington, they embark on an unlikely friendship. The start of a new series although there was a novella, which introduced us to the lovely Bevelstoke sisters, four half sisters daughters of the late Duke of Marlington. I loved that although the Duke married four times he loved each of his wives & also loved his daughters. Miles & Olivia are a joy, Miles always seems to be there when Olivia needs rescuing. They are attracted to each other, they become friends & fall in love but Miles hasn’t been honest about who he is & Olivia is terrified of dying in childbirth like her mother, they seem on track for a HEA when their plans are thwarted. A very well written engrossing read with strong characters. The four half siblings are a delight, each one very different from the others. I loved both Miles & Olivia & became totally invested in their story. I look forward to the rest of the series My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
It's not just one little scandals... there are a lot of little scandals and conundrums. At some point, the story gets a bit too muddied and convoluted, with a lot of back and forth between the MCs about trust.
Amazing story of scarred and broken Miles Stone, the Duke of Gravesend and Lady on the run, Olivia Bevelstroke. Olivia has run back to her old home, Marlington Hall, to avoid the social life of London. A chance meeting after a carriage incident has Miles and Olivia meeting at an Inn. Loved this "only one bed", "beauty and the beast" and "secrets revealed" story. Can't recommend enough.
This novel is written by an author with no knowledge of customs, law, or behaviour in Regency times. Neither did she research or apply logic. There are so many inconsistencies in the first nine chapters that I stopped reading to save my time for better books.
- Olivia's mother was the duke's last wife and died giving birth to her. That means the duke had been a widower with four daughters and NO heir for 18 years. He would have pored over Debrets to find the next male in line for succession in order to ease him into taking over the estate eventually.
- Four unmarried daughters of a duke most certainly had a chaperonne especially while living in London and attending the season.
- Why would Olivia hire a coach? There should be a travelling coach in the stables, for transportation in London they would use smaller carriages.
- Why didn't she take her maid along? She is the daughter of a wealthy duke I am certain she didn't have to share with her sisters.
- Nine servants come to the meeting Miles requests, hardly enough for a castle where "Mr. Stone" had trouble to find back to his room. There would be at least 50, 9 would be the number of footmen alone.
- Miles knew that as a gentleman he had to marry Olivia once he shared a room with her. But the thought never crossed his mind. The same goes for Olivia, him being a commoner would not save her from ruin.
Incorrect historical romances make me really mad. This was my second book by Tabeatha Waite, no more by this author.
It was fine. I had issues with the last third, where it turned into a convoluted and contrived mess. I wasn't buying Olivia's reasons for refusing the Duke, I guess our reasoning skills can go out the window when we're in love and looking to sabotage that. Also hated the sudden "oh I was a lock picker back in the day" that was thrust out of no where. In conclusion it was fine.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
What a charming story! I loved that this tale incorporated details that were truly unique to my reading history. Never would I have dreamed of a double Duke, the thought that a man could actually hold two titles is both astounding and overwhelming. The mental health stigmas that are covered in this story are so relatable. Most can understand the overwhelming despair of loss and the helpless feelings of responsibility, real or perceived. The characters are so well written, you can truly picture and anticipate each factor of their individual personalities. I loved Olivia’s awakening, her sense of coming out of her shell and finding her true self with Miles’ help. But more so, it was the fact that that awakening was eve more so caused within herself. Aside from their emotional connection, their physical chemistry practically leapt off the page. Deliciously spicy and romantic.
Another amazing heartwarming story from Tabetha. Olivia wants to be independent and she ran away from her sisters to avoid having to marry the man who rescued her once, but what she doesn't know is that the person who is with her in a carriage all the way to the country is that same man but with the help of a snow storm and a one room inn many secrets are revealed between them and love builds between them.
I highly recommend this story to anyone who needs a pick me up and just overall a great story.
I received this as a gift from the Author in exchange for an honest review and these are purely my thoughts and no one else's views.
I've been reading Tabetha Waite books for awhile and this is my 27th book by her. Each new book I read jut keeps getting better and better. She is becoming such a strong writer.
I loved this story. I loved this couple, Olivia and Miles. I was up so late reading this because I couldn't stop reading it.
Lady Olivia Bevelstroke, the youngest of her half-sisters, has never cared much for the glittering social whirl of London. When her siblings decide to embark on a plan for independence without the strictures of marriage, they assumed she was just as excited about the prospect as they were—only she wasn’t. Olivia prefers the quiet solitude of her books, rather than the company of others, but she misses her father’s estate, Marlington Hall, most of all. There, she felt safe and loved and she is determined to return, whether it’s in the midst of a snowstorm, or if the new heir wants her there or not.
Miles Stone, the Duke of Gravesend, is a scarred recluse who wants nothing more than to leave his former life behind, as well as all the unpleasant memories that go along with it. The problem is the lady who has been on his mind ever since he pulled her from the freezing waters of the Thames and saved her life. When fate thrusts him into her path one winter’s night, he is determined to ignore the stirrings of desire within him—until he realizes she has no idea who he is. Not only is it a blow to his pride, but he finds himself reluctant to tell her the truth. When he introduces himself as the new footman to the new Duke of Marlington, they embark on an unlikely friendship. But will the lies that separate them destroy it all?
𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
I’m sad to say I did not car much for the heroine, always running away, never able to confront or face people, she has a tendency to hide instead of standing her ground, why she must be cornered to try to reason with her, she never really fights for what she wants, she lets people do the job then is upset when it does not suit her. That she prefers the countryside to the city, it is her preference and understandable when she has known nothing else but she never should have run away alone with just a note to her sisters. I can only imagine how frantic they must have been. Then she refuses to hear out Miles, sure he lied by omission at first and continued the charade but he was never cruel to her nor dismissive of her feelings, then at the first challenge she turns against him, and decides he is not worthy of her trust, he, a war hero, she leaves him to extract himself from a conundrum set in motion by her father. She decides it is easier yo believe the worst of others than take the risk to be deceived/hurt or rewarded. For me, Olivia really did not deserve Miles, his devotion to her is difficult to understand as she has been the one to always show her back to him, even using some other past deeds to taint him and paint him as the villain when it is easy to see the whole picture and his innocence. A trap is set and she jumps in eagerly, leaving Miles to sort out the truth alone.
Miles is much flawed, and makes mistake after mistake, but he tries to right the wrong he has done, he learns from his errors and accepts his faults and acknowledges how wrong he has been. Plus he is a man bewitched, from the moment he has set his eyes on Olivia, he is lost, she does not recognize him for her savior, and from the moment they meet again, he is the one to chase after her, else she hides, avoids him or leaves.
I liked her sisters, they have their own flaws and peculiarities, but do not shy away at the first difficulty. 3.5 stars
𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 onscreen foreplays and lovemaking scenes.
I have been granted an advance copy by the author, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
I was very interested in Olivia's story after reading the novella in this series (of her sister Araminta) but it wasn't as good as I'd hoped and of course, by the time I got to it, I totally forgot Araminta's story. I really liked Miles' character - he was reclusive and brooding but not overly done which was great (usually the scarred hero is just way too scared etc but Miles had the right amount of fear/sadness and growth through the book).
Olivia was a different story. She was ok in the beginning but I just found it so hard to accept that this shy wallflower would run away and hire a coach in the middle of winter to go to her old home with some weird scheme to live in her old house and convince the new heir to let her stay. What?? I could kind of let that go but about halfway through the book she just acts like a petulant child. She's 18 and somewhat sheltered, but she's not 8.
What also kept me from giving this 4 stars was Miles hiding his identity for so long and the book kind of dragged a bit for me in the middle until about 3/4 in there's a surprise obstacle to Miles' and Olivia's relationship (besides his keeping his identity secret). I actually liked this addition because it made the book a little more interesting for the second half but Olivia's reaction and actions were awful. I typically prefer stories when the hero pursues the heroine but this was just too much of him trying to convince her. She even chides herself (when she finally gets her brain back) that "she should have trusted him." Yes, yes she should have.
So it's not a great book but it's a decent read. I might give this author another try but not sure I care enough about the remaining two sisters to read their stories but I might someday.
This is a truly wonderful book to read and follows on from Araminta and Grey's story 'A jolly little Scandal' nicely. I'm glad that they did not elope to Gretna Green, but decided on a far more intimate and family gathering instead.
It was wonderful to catch up with all the Bevelstroke siblings and to see where Olivia disappeared to the night of the Gravesend ball. Unbeknownst to everyone Miles Stone, Duke of Gravesend and heir to the Marlington dukedom was also absent from his own ball.
During a fierce snowstorm Olivia's carriage gets stuck in the snow only to be rescued by none other than Miles Stone who is unwilling to announce who he truly is to an already worried, suspicious and anxious Olivia who hopes to make a good impression on her father’s heir. To ensure her continued residence at Marlington Hall.
Miles has other plans, plans that don't involve Olivia to the extent that he binds all Marlington's staff to not utter a word about his true title and status. However you know what happens to all best laid plans and their underlying attraction to each other puts paid to all of Miles plans and the unexpected arrival of his mother and her sisters has ramifications for Miles as Olivia discovers who Miles truly is.
Will Miles manage to win Olivia and convince her of his love or will her distrust tear them apart.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
WHAT A WAY TO START A NEW SERIES!!! An Innocent Little Scandal by Tabetha Waite is the first in her new series Sensual Scandals and boy oh boy was this book terrific!!! What I really liked about this book was the slow burn between Olivia and Miles and a not so perfect war hero who have issues of his own let a lone being two Dukes. I found this book easy to read, had the real feel of the regency era, original, very well written and wonderful characters. Tabetha has a true talent for writing and storytelling. Bravo Tabetha Waite Bravo!!! This story has a Lady that loves her country home better than London, A Duke who comes to the rescue more than once, a carriage accident, not wanting to her to know who he really is so that he won’t frighten her, a very serious war injury, living in a dark place, wanting to go home even though it is not their home anymore, loyal servants, scandal, leaving her sisters in London on Christmas Eve, coming out of their shyness, finding out the truth, being forced to becoming betrothed due to scandal, and unwanted visitor that causes trouble & lies, a bit of blackmail, not believing his truths and failing in love. This story has it all and I am highly recommending you read this book!!!
***This book was gifted to me and I am voluntarily reviewing.
When strong attraction overrides the truth....for a wee bit anyway.
Olivia is the youngest of four sisters and although they're in London enjoying the life of parties and balls, Liv wants nothing more than the quiet life of the country and she wants to return home to her father's estate where she spent much of her childhood. He may be gone now and she has yet to meet his heir but she has the will to make him understand she belongs there. So she secretly leaves London while her sisters are attending a ball knowing they would try to stop her. All is fine until her carriage cannot dredge through the current snowstorm.
In comes Miles to the rescue. He not only gets them out of their predicament but Olivia is shocked that he know who she is. He insists on escorting her to her country estate since that is his destination as well. He'll figure out a good time to tell her the truth about his business affairs once they're there.
As always, a delicious story with twists and turns you'd not expect. This author can spin a tale that will bring a mix of emotions to the surface. I was gifted with an ARC and wanted to post my review.
steamy romance; sensual interludes and consummation prior to marriage, basically all but engaged; His Grace Miles Stone, Duke of Gravesend, along with Lord Greyson Hartfield, Earl of Somers, rescued Lady Olivia Bevelstroke, the youngest sister to Isadora, Araminta, and Calliope from freezing to death in the Thames after falling through the ice. Olivia misses her father and impulsively decides to return to Marlington Estate where she grew up, hoping to persuade the new heir to let her stay. Miles is the new heir and rescues her yet again when her carriage suffers an accident. Basically, he is honor bound to offer for her. The story is the development of their relationship. She is a late teen at 18 years of age that needs to mature. Since her mother died in childbirth, she is apprehensive of marriage. Miles represents himself as an estate manager. He has to get past that with Olivia. Eventually, the whole family and Her Grace Alexandra Stone, (Dowager) Duchess of Gravesend, visits the estate, and events bring about two weddings in London.
What a fabulous beginning to a new series! The book had all the elements I enjoy; it was well-written, maintained a good pace, captivating story, lovable characters & most of all, it left me smiling & happy I read the book.
Miles Stone, new heir to the Duke of Gravesend title, is a scarred war hero with memories of war & trauma from his childhood that still haunt him. He has left London to travel to Marlington Hall, the estate he has become heir to and he needed to get away from his mother and the society parties.
Olivia Bevelstroke is running away from London and her three sisters. Their father died and they came to London to find a business for themselves or even possibly husbands, but Olivia misses her country home that she loves, and she overheard her sisters talking about marrying her to a duke. So, she leaves a note and heads to their country home, Marlington Hall.
Miles finds Olivia along the road after having an accident - he doesn't tell her who he is since she is running away but tells her he is the new estate manager for the new heir, the Duke of Marlington. I loved this slow burn romance that had many obstacles, but it was so hot, romantic and you rooted for this couple to find their way to a HEA. Just let me say that the story grabs your interest immediately and keeps you quickly turning pages until The End. I voluntarily read & reviewed an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book; all thoughts & opinions are my own.
Lady Olivia, the youngest Bevelstroke sister, wants to go back home to Marlington Hall, the estate where she grew up, so she runs away. Miles Stone, Duke of Gravesend, and now Duke of Marlington, finds it hard to be in social situations, so he escapes his mother’s Christmas festivities to travel to the country, actually to Marlington Hall. When he rescued a young woman from drowning, he did not expect to find her on the side of the road in need of rescue again, but here she is on the side of the road in freezing weather. Miles and Olivia are brought together by a carriage accident and a snowstorm. It seems fate has brought them together, but hidden identities, secrets (past and present), misunderstanding, and distrust may stop any hope of happily-ever-after in its tracks. This is an engaging story with a wonderful hero and heroine, an interesting set of circumstances, a splendid cast of secondary characters, and finally a happy ending. A great start for a new series.
I received and am voluntarily reviewing an ARC of this book.
The Bevelstroke ladies are women ahead of their time. I can relate to Olivia being sentimental about a place that holds happy memories of her father, as well as not being a fan of city life. One would think that would make her Miles’ perfect match since he prefers country life too, but what would an historical romance be without some challenges before they get their happily ever after?
In my opinion, forced proximity and and hidden identity romances can either be really, really bad or really, really good. An Innocent Little Scandal definitely falls into the latter category. Tabetha writes so vividly that I can picture the scenes perfectly in my mind’s eye. Fair warning: do not read this during breaks at work unless you work at home. It has some of the hottest scenes I’ve read. I’m surprised my Kindle didn’t start smoking as I was reading! I’m looking forward to Calliope and Isadora’s stories.
I received an advance reader copy (ARC). The opinions expressed above are my own.
An Innocent Little Scandal Sensual Scandals series, Book 2 Tabetha Waite, author
A lie... forgotten incident...and a hidden disclosure...
Now you've got an absolute delicious storyline!
This is Lady Olivia Bevelstroke and Miles Stone, the Duke of Gravesend's story.
Lady Olivia, the youngest of the Bevelstroke sisters just didn't believe as her three older sisters did. She wanted to know love and what it was like to have a family and she wanted out of London. The only place she could see herself was at her late father's estate. The new Duke would just have to accept her residence there, as it was the only home she'd ever known and she loved the peaceful tranquility it brought. So off she went.
Then her coach got stuck in the mud. And, out of the blue, her knight in shining arbor suddenly appeared. After helping her driver get the coach out of the mud, he accompanied her, in her coach no doubt to an inn. The gentleman is none other than the Duke of Gravesend, but he introduces himself as Mr. Miles Stone. As you see, Olivia has no memory of him.
Once at the estate, Miles demanded silence from the staff regarding his true identity. And the story continues to unfold from there with a heartwarming story of love between the two.
I enjoyed this story and loved the way Ms Waite weaved the tale. I was gifted an advanced reader copy of an ebook for exchange of my honest review. I happily do so. I recommend this novel.
Very nice story about Lady Olivia Bevelstroke and Miles Stone, the Duke of Gravesend. Olivia is very shy and an introvert. She does not like living in London, going to balls, etc. She just wants to go back to the place where she grew up and loves. And she decides to do that on a snowy Christmas eve. When her carriage goes off the road and Miles Stone, the Duke of Gravesend, stops to help bring the carriage back onto the road, Olivia is stuck with the Duke as they both share the carriage ride to Marlington Hall. Unfortunately, with the heavy snow falling, they are stuck at a local Inn for a couple nights. So, does a scandal emerge or will they be able to avoid it?
It was nice to see Olivia come out of her shy shell into the beautiful, wonderful woman she is. And Olivia was just what Miles needed to heal from his wounds from the war. Sunshine always beats Grumpy.
I enjoyed this story about Olivia and Miles. It is about trying to hold on to precious memories and finding a way forward. Olivia meets Miles as she is trying to leave her home to go to her family seat, before the new heir takes over. When they meet, Miles realises she is running away and pretends to be the new estate manager, rather than the heir. They try to keep their feelings for each other hidden but they realise they are too strong. However, when it is revealed that Miles is the Duke, Olivia is upset and wants to leave. An unexpected arrival and a threat to their happiness occurs. Will they eventually find a way to happiness? Read on.
Lady Olivia, the youngest of all her half-siblings, does not care for living in London after losing their father's country estate once he dies to an unknown heir. So, impetuously, she decides to return to it in a snowstorm on Christmas Eve. Following a carriage accident, she is rescued by the same 'socially awkward' duke who rescued her from a near drowning but does not recognize him. Somehow, he becomes infatuated by her despite her immaturity but disguises his true identity as the heir. The story is well-written, a bit short on plot, but replaced by steaminess for those who enjoy this Regency based genre.
Didn’t finish. It was okay and the writing was done pretty well. I just don’t like insta love. I mean, just in the first 29 pages, miles has referred to his cock FOUR TIMES when he is thinking of or talking to Olivia. It’s just a bit much and kinda overkill. To me, insta love comes across as too easy. And like the love interests will fall in love with just anyone. The first time they kiss was disappointing too. Like, it wasn’t done out of love or a built up desire or anything it was more strange to me than anything. I kinda get it, but it was too soon, too rushed. That’s how I felt about most of the story. It felt too rushed. The foreplay is just as essential as the climax, why rush to it?
When the youngest of four step sisters decides she wants to go back home to the country, she gets more than what she bargained for! First the estate is now owned by the new Duke and she is not sure if she is welcome or not!
He just wants to forget and be left alone, far from his old life. What he never thought was to help save a lady from drowning, and now he cannot forget her!
Fate brings these two together and what a wonderful journey it is... As usual Tabetha weaves a story that will steal your heart and only leave you wanting more!
OK, I enjoyed most of the story. There are a few minor edits that need work. I liked him right off but most of the time I just wanted to slap her. Stubbornness is one thing, outright stupidity is another. Talk about spoiled. I understand wanting to hide from society but to barge into someone else's home and expect to just bunker down. The spooky ending was a unexpected bonus but felt kind of thrown in.
On returning home, the duke is Unprepared to hear what is obviously an unpleasant exchange. Strangely the young woman in the drawing room with his mother and intended, is unknown to him. More concerning is the content of her claim. Life was already going to change for the duke, he was soon to be married, but unless someone believes him, his future could become something unimaginable! A fascinating story that will keep you turning the pages as fast as you can!
Although this was a fun story I did not love it in the beginning. The last half of the book really picked up for me and by then I was fully invested in how it would work out. However, I struggled with the main characters initially, but as I said by the middle of the book I was enjoying the story. I really enjoyed the love the main characters had for their family and it created even more warmth for the 2 main characters. All in all a good story, with a slow beginning.
Wonderful story, great story line wonderful characters. You will love Olivea and Mile,s story. He,s the New Duke and heir of her father's estate, the only home she has ever known. Together they travel back there, only she doesn't know he,s the Duke. But this is where their love story begins. Thank you ❤️
This is a perfect popcorn book which means it exists solely to entertain and is delicious. It’s rather like watching fluffy white clouds drift across a blue sky. I read this in one morning to relax, clear my head and spend a few hours just enjoying myself after a busy week. Mission accomplished.
The story was going along fairly fine until three quarters of the way it suddenly went wonky. Too much chaos and reactions unlike the characters up to that point. Then inconsistent storylines regarding the inheritance.
When life is difficult to deal with running away seems an option. But getting caught a snow storm created a whole new problem. How can all the turmoil be resolved before it is to late?