Review: Scandal Wears Satin

Reviewed by Jen
 

Nothing matters to Sophy Noirot as much as her sisters and the dress shop they have built from the ground-up.  Their creations are on the cutting edge of fashion and they were just starting to get a foothold in society, when sister Marcelleine made a formidable enemy in the ton.  But they're holding on, thanks in no small part to the patronage of Lady Clara.

Unfortunately, a scandal lands Clara bethrothed to a fortune-seeking scoundrel and Sophy takes it upon herself to extract her from the situation.  Then Clara runs away, forcing her brother (the Earl of Longmore) to team up with Sophy to find her and bring her home.  It's that mission which throws them together and sows the seeds of their romance.

I loved Sophy. She manages to be both innocent and jaded at the same time, and in a way that's totally believable.  She's lived a hard life but it has made her stronger.  She can read people and adapt to meet the needs of her environment.  She's a great chameleon, which serves her well in her schemes to rescue Clara from her misfortunes.  Yet, everything she knows about love and sex are intellectual.  Until Longmore awakens something inside her that she can't ignore.

As for our hero: he was ok.  There was almost too fine a point put on the fact that he's not too bright and is a bit of a slacker.  He's also arrogant at times and there were moments I didn't feel like he showed Sophy enough respect.  The way Loretta Chase describes him physically was quite delicious, but beyond that (and his affection for his sister) I'm not sure what Sophy sees in him.

I really enjoyed their first love scene together, though Sophy's decision felt a little sudden.  In fact, the sex and sexual tension were quite well done as a whole.  But honestly, I thought all the dress descriptions grew tedious.  And I felt like the sisters burned through an awful lot of money to save a business that's in financial dire straights. 

This is book two in the Dressmaker series and while this could work as a standalone, it would make more sense to people who have read Silk is for Seduction. I liked this installment, but not as much as the other Loretta Chase books I have read.

Rating: B- 

*ARC Provided by Avon

Click to purchase: Amazon

Scandal Wears Satin

by Loretta Chase

Release Date: June 26, 2012

Publisher: Avon