Book Description 

A desperate debutante meets a ragtag smuggler in this sexy Regency romp by USA Today bestselling author Alexandra Vasti.

Eccentric heiress Lady Ruby Ballimore has had enough of the Marriage Mart. After offending yet another Very Important Marquess—and imperiling her father’s diplomatic career—Ruby flees London for the holiday house of a glamorous (and better yet, absent) princess. Armed with a forged invitation and accompanied by her like-minded friends, Ruby arrives at the Cornwall estate expecting a summer of blissful freedom.

Instead, she discovers a derelict mansion and the most suspiciously charming man she’s ever met.

Former privateer and current con artist Captain Malcolm Archer has dragged his ramshackle crew into a new life. Posing as staff at a princess’s abandoned estate provides the perfect cover for Archer’s smuggling scheme (not to mention free rent). Everything’s going according to plan—until an unorthodox London heiress crashes the party.

But when Archer and his crew attempt to frighten off their uninvited guests, Ruby’s unfazed by insect invasions and sham sea monsters. Harder to ignore? The scorching heat between the rakish pirate and the debutante who can see right through him. As sparks fly, deceptions run wild—because in this Great Cornish Fake Off, the only thing riskier than telling the truth is falling in love.

My Review 

I know a blurb is not supposed to be a full plot summary, but this blurb does itself a disservice by not mentioning the diplomatic intrigue that takes up almost as much of the plot as two groups of scammers trying to scam each other. 

To clarify: Lady Ruby and her friends are posing as ladies in waiting to score a respite from stifling London society. Meanwhile, Archer and his former crew are posing as household servants as a cover for their smuggling ring. I don’t want to dismiss the antics of both groups trying to avoid secrets being revealed, but the REAL fun begins when the homeowner arrives. 

So, I don’t want to go into too much detail, but Ruby and Archer have crossed paths before they meet again at the manor house. A decade ago, the revelation of “oh, that was YOU?” would have been dragged out into a maudlin third act breakup in just about any romance novel. Again, not going into details, but that is not how things play out in this book, and I could go on for pages about how refreshing it is that problems really can be solved with a conversation. 

And that is exactly why Vasti is one of my favorite romance authors. 

It certainly helps that her characters are generally good people with kind hearts and a strong sense of loyalty. Yes, Archer is a smuggler, but he is taking care of his former crew who all treat each other as found family. 

I would absolutely recommend Scandal of the Summer. This is a fun romance with a nice blend of humor and intrigue. I am already looking forward to Vasti’s next book.  

I received a digital ARC of this book from St. Martin’s/NetGalley.