Book Review-A Tale Of Two Lovers

A Tale Of Two Lovers
Writing Girls (2)
Maya Rodale
Avon
Mass Market Paperback
Published May 2011
370 Pages
Regency Historical Romance
ISBN: 978-0-06-192299-2
Author's Website

Synopsis 
He is notorious.

Lord Simon Roxbury is a godsend to gossip columnists everywhere. This notorious rake has recently been caught in an extremely compromising position by none other than The London Weekly's Lady of Distinction. Rumor also has it that Lord R received an ultimatum: be wed or be penniless.

She is scandalous.

As A Lady of Distinction, Lady Julianna Somerset typically reports on other people's scandals, but soon she finds herself embroiled in a very public battle with an irate Lord Roxbury--one that leaves her reputation in tatters and her position at The Weekly on the line.

Together they're... respectable?

With no other choice available, these two enemies unite in a marriage of convenience to rescue both their reputations and secure his fortune. With their rivals intent on revealing the charade, Lady Julianna and Lord Simon inevitably surrender to temptation. It may just be a love match after all . .

My Review
Summary 
Julianna is one of the four writing girls, and she is well known as the "Lady of Distinction" and she writes on all the latest scandals, to keep up with their rival. Julianna has worked hard to build up her section and have many resources at her disposal. One night at the Opera, she spies Lord Roxbury in what would be the most popular scandal if she were to report it. So Julianna, not going to let this opportunity pass her by, announces what she has seen, and is has top rank among all the scandals, only she has no idea that this scandal would in the end change her life forever. Simon has no intention of settling down, he is more than content with his women and drinking, he has no issues with the way his life is going, until his father brings to him a ultimatum of the worst sort; get married or have no money at all and be poor? So Simon assuming that any woman would have him, thinks of this as no big deal. Well right after his father gives him this choice, the scandal of the year, that tops all scandals is about him, and no woman or man gives him the time of day apart from his closest friends. Now he is a world of trouble, because he has one week to find a wife. Well when he learns the identity of the woman that reported this scandal, he is out for retribution. Before Julianna knows it, she herself is embroiled into a scandal of her own, and she has no choice but to marry Simon or face the consequences, but what she doesn't expect is her distrust in this unlikeable man turn into a affair of the heart.

My Thoughts 
After falling in love with the first in the series "A Groom of One's Own" I was so excited to read Julianna's story. This series is about four women that write together for a newspaper and each book is their story. Now I have recently fallen in love with this author, and so I was really looking forward to reading more of her work. Now it was not my favorite, I think I enjoyed the first one a lot more, but Tale of Two Lovers was a very enjoyable read and there were many things I liked about it.

We begin with Julianna out on the town, looking for a new delicious scandal, to bring her ahead of her rival "Man About Town". Julianna then finds a shocking scandal, and can hardly wait to report it. So when we see this scandal (even I  was surprised and a bit shocked but we find out the truth eventually but expect the unexpected in this story.) When she reports it, she expects her life to keep going great and getting better, only her life starts a spiral downward. Now Julianna at first seems a bit shallow being a reporter on scandal and all. We start to see more depth to her as you continue forward in the story. Then we turn to Simon, who is one of the top rakes, loves women, has had countless mistresses and affairs (more than anyone should ever have), and when his father hands him this ultimatum he is more than shocked and angry. However when the scandal reaches his ears, and everyone looks at him like he is a bug to stamp on, he knows that his life has been changed forever. So he vows on revenge, now I was kinda on his side at this point. And boy did I love the come back he did against Julianna, and it definitely had my laughing to the point I couldn't breathe. So if you want a good laugh, just read this story, it will crack you up to tears. There is a strong hate/love relationship we see develop here. They both despise each other in the beginning and the middle, but towards the end is where it really gets good.

Now I think I fell in love with Roxbury from the beginning, he is your average alpha male type rake, but he is very amiable and passionate and I love how he doesn't hide from his mistakes and doesn't blame it on others. He takes it all in stride, and I couldn't help but admire him for that. I found him to be way more noble than Julianna. Now Julianna, I really wanted to like her and I tried hard to, but there were so many things I didn't like about her, until the end. She seemed so, too proud and greedy at times. I understand her background and bad experience with men, but it just got on my nerves to the point I wanted to shake some sense into her. Don't get me wrong I didn't hate her, I just didn't like her. She seemed to me to have this superior attitude at times, and even though the second half of the book she slowly mellows down a bit, so I grew to like her a bit better, but overall she just didn't reach to me all that well.

Overall it was a good and solid read, and there were things I liked and things I didn't like too much. I felt like there was enough plot and tension and sensuality to be a strong book. I also liked how we see the secondary characters and their involvement in the story, and there were a few scenes that definitely won my heart over. There was charm and wit and a sense of playfulness to the story line that only added to the wickedly enticing story. There was some extreme measures put in play here, that I just soaked up toward the end. Even though there were a few things I didn't like, I felt like this was such a enthralling read, that just draws you in like a magnet, and I couldn't help but find a story that sent shivers down my spine and enough sizzling tension to curl your whole body.

First Line 
The backstage of the Dury Lane playhouse was no place for ladies, but Julianna, Lady Somerset, had suffered enough of what proper women did and did not do. 

Favorite Quotes 
"You are stubborn, maddening, illogical and infuriating," Roxbury grumbled. 
"I am a Lady," Julianna retorted, as she stepped behind a voluminous potted fern. 
"Exactly.That's what I said," he said, following her. She gasped. He grinned. 

My Grade 
4 Blossoms

Heat Rating 
Warm

Other Books In Series 
A Groom Of One's Own
The Tatooed Duke
Three Schemes and a Scandal
Seducing Mr. Knightly