Wallflower Most Wanted: A Studies in Scandal Novel

Most romance novels are pure bodice-rippers, with not much in the way of plot. This one combines a mystery that could turn deadly and a growing romance between two unlikely people. Sophia Hastings is an artist; she is not concerned about marriage or finding the right man. What she wants is the perfect place to do her art and to do it in peace and not be bogged down by domestic duties. The Reverend Lord Benedick Lisle is the handsome vicar, the one who all the eligible ladies swoon over, but he is restless and wants something more in life than just to settle. These two will join forces to uncover a dangerous plot in their small English town and along the way come to love one another.

This is a fairly average romance novel. The characterization is stronger for Sophia than it is for Benedick. He seems a bit one-dimensional at times and a foil for Sophia’s wit. There are a few problems with editing, and at the beginning quite a bit of it jumps around between the point of view of Benedick and Sophia, a few times quite jarringly.