Tina Gabrielle follows up her debut success of Lady of Scandal with an equal, if not better, sophomore romance A Perfect Scandal.

Lady Isabel Cameron would like nothing better then to go to Paris to be with her aunt and work on her painting. Unfortunately, her father wants nothing more for her then to marry Lord Walling, a man thirty years her senior, and be a biddable wife. Isabel would rather face scandal then give up her dream. That is when she encounters her former childhood crush, a man who has a past full of scandal.

Marcus Hawksley is the younger son of the Earl of Ardmore who has all but disowned from his family because of a scandal in his past. It also doesn’t help that he went against the ton and their rules by working at the London Stock Exchange.

Marcus runs into Isabel at a party where she scandalously demands a dance hoping that dancing with a notorious womanizer will ruin her enough for Lord Walling to withdraw his attention. But when that doesn’t work Isabel pulls out all the stops and plans a full seduction. Unfortunately, while Isabel is trying to seduce him, Marcus is accused of stealing a painting and his only alibi is Isabel. Of course, Isabel gives it to him not realizing that this will bind the two together.

Isabel, who was trying to avoid marriage, finds herself getting married anyway. However, she offers Marcus a deal, a marriage of convenience for six months, then they go their separate ways so Isabel can study watercolors in Paris. Of course, they have to try not to fall in love with each other.

I love a good marriage of convenience story, especially when you know that there will be no convenience in the end. The chemistry between Marcus and Isabel is sizzling from the start and you know sparks are going to fly. Though it is fun trying to see who was going to give in to temptation first. Isabel has so much passion there was no way she can abide by her and Marcus’ rules, as he keeps saying, he is just a “flesh-and-blood man”.

There is also a little bit of mystery thrown in. Part of the arrangement between Marcus and Isabel is that they will find who is behind framing Marcus for the theft of the prized painting. There are twists and turns throughout the story that will keep readers guessing as to the culprit. But the main thing is that the mystery did not overpower the romance.

You can tell that Ms Gabrielle has done her research about the London Stock Exchange. In her debut novel it has a prominent role, while in A Perfect Scandal it is the setting for many important encounters, and of course is part of who Marcus is. Ms Gabrielle does a wonderful job of weaving her research into the story without making it seem that you are getting all these facts just thrown at you.

A Perfect Scandal is fast paced and full of scandal. While the marriage of convenience plot is familiar Tina Gabrielle put her own creative spin on it. I enjoyed reading it and I look forward to Tina Gabrielle’s next book. There were some secondary characters I would love to see get their own story.

A Perfect Scandal is going on my keepers’ shelf.

Reviewed by: Jamie