This book had me HOOKED from the very first chapter all the way through to “The End.” I literally could not put this book down and read it all in less than one day – it was one of those “sneak read on your kindle app on your phone at dinner” books.

Rachel has given up her passions, her life, her art, to be Mrs. Abbott, the first lady of DC in support of her husband and rising political star, Matt. How does Matt repay her? By sending her a pic that was intended for his mistress on his 40th birthday. She meets Nathan as she’s running away from her “picture perfect” life, and the chemistry and passion is palpable. This book has drama, scandal, wealthy family posturing, and a sizzling forbidden age gap romance. I really loved watching Rachel reclaim her voice and worth throughout the story, as well as how Nathan’s genuine heartfelt support while she battled the social-political generational institutions working against her.

Thank you Netgalley & Grand Central Publishing for the advanced review copy, and for #Joyfulchaosbookclub for hosting the buddy read! I can’t wait to read more from Regina!

The Art of Scandal is a book about strength and love. While there are elements of politics, the book mainly centers around the female lead, Rachel, and her emotions and reactions concerning her husband's actions. She's not the type of character to be walked over and played with, but the type to do what she has to make things work for her and eventually find exactly who she's supposed to be. There is an age gap between the female and male leads, but it's not that serious, and they have a lot of chemistry. Regina Black does a great job at building her characters and giving them the depth to change and become better for one another. Although not my favorite, it's still a solid read.

For thirteen years, Rachel Abbott has been the picture-perfect wife to Matt. On the night of his fortieth birthday, she discovers that he is having an affair. Rachel decides to take advantage of her upper hand - she wants a million dollars and their house in exchange for pretending to be Matt's happy wife for his political campaign. It isn't until she meets twenty-six-year-old Nathan Vasquez that she questions the deal that she made with Matt. Nathan awakens something in Rachel that has been dormant for over thirteen years. Their romance is their saving grace even though it could destroy both of their families.

If you know me, you know that age gap romances are my jam, especially if it's a story about an older woman and a younger man. There is something so deliciously salacious about it and this book blew me away!

Rachel was a captivating character. She lived a muted version of herself for many years and her unraveling was fascinating. I could feel the visceral pull that Nathan felt towards Rachel from the moment they met. Their love formed when they were going through some painful experiences and it was inevitable that they would crash and burn. I didn't know what to expect on their journey and I loved every second of it.

This was an AMAZING debut novel! Regina Black's smart and insightful writing in this book took me on a beautifully emotionally complex journey. I love it when a romance story is more than just a romance story. Black weaved themes of race, class, gender inequities, and maternal sacrifices into this intriguing story about a woman falling apart and finding herself again. One of the most impressive parts of this novel was the depth of the characters. They were fully formed and I found myself wanting to learn more about each of them.

I can't wait to see what Regina Black writes next...and I am hoping it's about Nathan's brother Joe and his ex Mia!

You MUST READ this sizzling age gap romance! It will be one of my top reads of the summer!

Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥
⚠️: infidelity (not between the main characters), brain tumor, panic attacks, stroke, death of a parent, mention of homelessness & cancer

5/5 - This book was outstanding. Regina Black is a wonderful writer - her ability to set a mood, capture a feeling and create a world of real, interesting, flawed and captivating characters through thoughtful prose and smart dialogue was incredible. I was completely absorbed in this story and the questions and feelings it brought up for me.

Per usual I didn’t read the overview, I simply dove in after several recommendations and I’m so glad I did. The age gap, forbidden love and art world themes will hit if you (like me) loved The Idea of You. And there are some major Scandal (another fave of mine) vibes, too. While Rachel’s husband is a politician, and that impacts her life in a major way, the book wasn’t about that per se. To me, it was about identity, self discovery and trusting yourself. About sacrifices, taking risks, familial and societal expectations, holding on to the past, self forgiveness and of course, hope and love. In the epilogue, Black writes “This is a book about all the different shapes of love. It’s about how passion creates us, hurts us, and heals us, but also shows us who we really are.” I can’t say it better than that.

The chemistry and heat between Rachel and Nathan is next level. But I also loved how they truly find themselves in and through each other. This story is full of passion and solid drama but it’s also thought provoking and insightful. I couldn’t put it down and suggest you snap it up when it’s released on August 1st! I can’t wait to read more from Regina Black!

Thank you to @netgalley, Grand Central and Regina Black for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Plot was interesting. Cover art was amazing so I had high hopes. Unfortunately, the storyline and characters didn’t keep me engaged.

I think The Idea of You is a fair comparison- I really enjoyed this one. Not too steamy, but great chemistry and tension. I really enjoyed this one!

4.5 stars rounded up

This sultry, slow burn romance also leans into vulnerability, grief, and survival. I adored Nathan and Rachel and their complex path to each other. Regina Black did not shy away from the drama and scandals, and their love story is backlit by DC politics and intense powerplays of the rich and famous.

Read this if you're in need of:
- biracial couple- Black woman & Latinx man
- age gap
- disability rep- he has dyslexia, she has panic attacks
- political scandals & drama
- seductive slow burn
- art history & art

I flew through this one and can't wait to see what this debut author delivers next. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.

Imagine you are throwing your husband a 40th birthday party and you randomly get a nude from said husband that you know was not meant for you. When I tell you that immediately blew my mind. Rachel comes up with a deal to keep being the trophy wife as long as she gets the house and a million in the bank. What her husband doesn’t expect is for Rachel to meet Nathan sexy, lost, young artist.

I will say that this was a good debut. After reading the synopsis and seeing the cover one can only assume that this will be a book with scandal of course and possibly a great amount of spice with some juicy secrets revealed. While that’s exactly what I had in mind that was not exactly what was delivered. While this was a romance with scandal, it was really less about the scandal and more about the characters rekindling old passions and finding the courage to pursue passions. However it was not what I assumed it was going to be I still enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I enjoyed the characters journey together and also their self journey.

Thank you Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for this e-ARC.

This one had an interesting plot but I didn’t really connect to any of the characters. I felt like the author was introducing them to me and telling me who they were instead of letting me get to know them through the story.

Rachel Abbott is the black wife of a rising white politician in Virginia. When she realizes he is cheating on her she ends up meeting Nathan Vasquez who, like Rachel, is an artist. Nathan is much younger and the son of a billionaire businessman from whom he is semi-estranged. The Art of Scandal is the story of their relationship and the fallout from their affair as well as Rachel’s husband’s misdeeds. This was a solid read about a woman going after what she wants regardless of the consequences. I would never guess that this is a debut. I thank NetGalley and Grand Central publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Rachel learns that her political husband has been having an affair and she’s ready to make some major changes in her life. As part of those changes, she meets Nathan and a friendship is formed. However, the timing of their friendship is ill-fated and she has to choose between doing what is best for her heart or choosing the lesser scandalous road and not causing an uproar with their families.

This was beautifully written and I loved the character growth that we saw with both Rachel and Nathan as their friendship and love grew for each other. However, I struggled to connect with the plot and storyline. I’ve never tried to watch any of the more scandal related TV shows because it’s never been something that I was hugely interested in. So maybe this is a good reminder that I tend to go for the more light-hearted reads that I can also emotionally connect with.

While I didn’t love this book, I will be keeping my eye on Regina Black - she has an incredible way with words and I would definitely be interested in trying another of her books.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing & Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

You know a book is going to be good when you immediately text two of your bookish friends to discuss the opening lines. This is the whirlwind that is The Art of Scandal; a perfect title for everything it encompasses—two artists, neither producing and the scandal that is publicized between them. The thing about a scandal is that there’s always another side to it and Rachel’s voice has long been muted as the First Lady to Mayor Matt Abbott and his high profile family. Ultimately this is what TAOS is about; finding your voice, being honest with yourself and learning to accept love.
What would you do, if you received a d!{k pic from your husband that was meant for someone else? This sets off the dissolution of Rachel and Matt’s marriage and allows new relationships to squeeze through. Rachel never plans to meet someone like Nathan so when conversation rolls easily between them, a friendship partially based on loneliness begins. You can imagine what happens next, but I loved the inclusion of art as a way of finding your voice and being therapeutic. Nathan creates fan art, but has never pushed himself to work beyond that, and Rachel gave up her photography when Matt’s needs became greater than her own.
The other thing that shapes this book is culture. Rachel is the black trophy wife for Matt who was an unwed single teen parent prior to meeting him. Nathan is the son of a Hispanic multimillionaire coffee exporter who downplays his family’s wealth by owning a laundromat that he lives above. Gender, race, wealth, and culture are woven into this book and into the reasons Nathan and Rachel might be considered scandalous. I enjoyed every minute of it and rooted for them even when all odds were stacked against them. This book made me want to get back to my own artwork and reading it stirred up some of that forgotten passion for drawing. I hope it can bring up those feelings for other readers as well. Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central for this advanced copy.
4.5 ⭐️
Content Warnings: cheating spouse, parental death, homelessness, alcohol and drug use

This book is everything!!! If you grew up watching primetime soapy shows, this book is going to seriously scratch that itch. I loved the family dynamics and drama, and I really loved the relationship between our two leads. If I had been watching their story play out on TV, I would have been waiting for the other shoe to drop, but the best thing about romance is I knew they were going to be okay and that allowed me to fully invest in their relationship. This was delightful from start to finish!

I absolutely loved this book! Regina Black's writing style is so immersive, I felt like I was in the look while I was reading it. The love story between Rachel and Nathan is just so good. The love scenes were top tier. It was all around just a fabulous read. I loved the pacing of the book as well. I loved the character development that the FMC Rachel has in the book. I just absolutely loved this book.

4.5/5 stars

This book is so dang steamy. I can feel the adult pent up sexual tension between Nathan and Rachel, it’s wild. Matt is trash - I’m guessing towards the end of the story we will see who he had an affair with which as of now there’s no real contenders.

How Nathan and Rachel end up being forced to work together after such sizzle and steam radiate off of them when they are together is magical. I’m a huge enemies to lovers fan but close proximity is my second favorite and though they weren’t locked in a house together while a raging hurricane was going on, they were forced to work together for days leading up a big event and their chemistry and wanting for each other was so taboo it made my heart race!

When you find out the mistress it was shocking but not in a WTF way. The ending was good but if you’ve ever been through a divorce you know it’s not nearly how this one went down (for the most part.)

I can’t believe this is a debut. Regina’s writing it sexy, gorgeous, and riveting. Rachel and Nathan are an explosive combination that I couldn’t get enough of.

This was a steamy that i did not want to put away. It had political drama, cheating husband and romance. The characters were written great, the lead was strong and i loved her.

One of my favorite Books of 2023! This is an addictive, steamy and unputdownable book. Regina Black is also local to me and I'm thrilled. I can't wait for more from this author! An auto buy for me.

First Thank you Net galley for this e-arc,

What happens when you catch your husband of 13 years cheating? And he tells you, you can’t leave yet because he needs to win the next mayor re-election, so you agree that you will do if you get the house, a divorce and a certain amount of money……

The art of scandal is definitely true to its name and it was scandalous!!!! The blackmail, the cheating husband who had the audacity and the hot artist who owned a laundromat that made our main character feel alive again. All the secrets, political drama and family feuds I kept expecting for Olivia Pope to come in because if this was an episode on scandal she would had a field day with Rachel!!! I can’t believe this is the authors first book. It was so well written and from the first line the book sucks you in and when you come back to reality you realized you aren’t in Oasis Springs with Rachel

Tropes
Political drama
Family feuds
Age gap romance
Cheating

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The Art of Scandal is a debut that has been on my radar for a while since I saw the cover…how rare is it that we see single-title contemporary romances with actual people on them, especially a) with BIPOC rep, and b) in a clinch pose. While I’ll defend well-done illustrated covers, and the right for those to exist in general, it’s just so refreshing to see this. So, I was onboard without even knowing what it was about, and once I finished the book? I was even more blown away.
I loved Rachel. She’s such a strong lead, and I loved reading about a character who doesn’t let her philandering husband walk all over her. While I personally would have walked out sooner and damn the consequences, I respect that she wasn’t in that place yet in the beginning of the story, and I loved following her as she rediscovered herself. I respect that she’s never weak; even when she’s in a toxic marriage, she does advocate for herself, and she eventually does the work to find herself and who she wants to be on her own terms.
And given the historically puritanical views on what counts as cheating in romance, I find it incredibly transgressive for her to still be legally married and acting the part of loyal, supportive politician’s wife, while simultaneously being swept up in an affair with a younger man.
As for Nathan, I like that this wasn’t a case of there being a massive power imbalance, and he has his own messy history with the elite, coming from a wealthy and powerful family who he’s on the outs with, being a bit of a disappointment to them. Like Rachel, however, he has his own untapped potential, and he also makes peace with his past, while going through self-growth and being inspired in his artistic pursuits.
Their romance hits all the right notes: it’s very sexy, yet also extremely emotionally vulnerable. The high stakes with Rachel and Nathan’s clandestine affair going on while she’s also pretending to be a happy politician’s wife predictably come to a head, but not quite in the way I expected, and I’m glad that the husband also got his just deserts in the process (even if it didn’t come without a dose of hypocrisy on his part).
This was everything I wanted and more, and I’m so excited to read more from Regina Black in the future. If you’re looking for a romance with political intrigue and scandal and/or with BIPOC characters by a Black author, I’d recommend checking this one out!