A Scandal To Remember
By Linda Needham

   Princess Caroline of Boratania, living in exile in London, gets a shock when a strange man pops up while she is walking in the garden. The occasion is a grand ball held in her honor, and the man is no ordinary stalker, but Foreign Office agent Andrew Chase, the Earl of Wexford. A plot to assassinate her has been discovered, and it is Andrew’s job to serve as her bodyguard. Andrew is tired of doing this sort of job for spoiled royals, but not only is the lady beautiful, she is also willful and has her own agenda. It is not surprising when the Earl falls in love with her, but he has a secret to reveal that will probably wreck everything. Then Caro discovers that she has a secret as well…

   This is a very romantic romance, which sounds like an obvious thing to say, but I could just imagine this being made into one of those wonderful old black and white films. It is also the second in a trilogy about FO agent Andrew Chase and his missions, and reading the first book would be the best plan before reading this one. Each novel is a standalone, but there is a sense of a lot having happened before that has me looking for book one. The protagonists are a likable pair, with Caro yearning to restore the stolen treasures to her tiny Ruritanian kingdom, and the dashing Drew makes for a sexy and vivacious hero. There is humor in here, too—one of the most important (in my view anyway) ingredients of a successful lighthearted romance. An entertaining plot (I didn’t guess all the surprises), Drew’s lively sidekicks Ross and Jared, and some basic period feel added to the fun. Makes a change, too, from reading about the Regency!