A slow-burn, deeply emotional historical romance
Reviews
""One of the best historical romances I have ever read." ~Biscuits and Bodices
"Rich with historical detail, dazzling scene setting, and evocative characters, this novel entranced me from the first page and didn't let me go until the very last word."
`~Amazon Review
"Lydia and Simon's love is so palpable, it almost hurts."
~ Tiny Mighty Katie
Awards
First Place in Romance, Pacific Northwest Writers' Contest, 2018
Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Finalist, 2017 and 2018
The Catherine, Toronto RWA, First Place in Historical Romance, 2018
The Art of the Scandal
The Art is fake. The Love is real. The Risk is ruin.
May, 1850, London, England
"Beware, darling. Disaster rolls in on a whisper."
Jilted by her fiancé, abandoned by her father, and scorned by her friends, Lady Lydia Pierpont and her pregnant, 15 year-old sister will be homeless by midnight unless she can charm the deed of her family’s home out of the mysterious South African who won the estate in a poker game.
Grieving over the death of his Jewish father and English mother, Simon Cohen has no time for gallantry. He’s out to reclaim his mother’s name from the aristocracy who humiliated her. With an art collection worth millions and the National Gallery begging for a donation, revenge is within reach.
But when Lydia points out that Simon’s treasure trove includes at least one forgery, they strike a deal. She’ll ferret out the fakes and if the debut of his collection goes smoothly, she’ll win back her home. If she fails, she will take the blame and go to jail.
Together, Lydia and Simon will feign an engagement, delve into the world of art forgery, and navigate the narrow-minded prejudices of London society to discover that love is forged, never faked.