A Brush with Scandal offers a compelling historical romance set in the gritty streets of London, with a strong heroine in Violet Latimer and a brooding detective in John Barrow. Violet’s struggle to escape her past and make a name for herself as a painter is relatable, and the tension between her and John adds an engaging layer to the story. However, while the romance and suspense are enjoyable, the plot can feel a bit predictable at times, with certain elements of the characters’ relationship following familiar tropes. The attraction between Violet and John is palpable, but the pacing slows in places, making it harder to stay fully invested in the mystery. The twists involving Archie Neville and Violet’s past bring some intrigue, but the book doesn’t quite reach its full potential in terms of tension or emotional depth. Overall, it’s an entertaining read for fans of historical romance, but it could have benefited from a little more originality and pacing.

The follow up to The Lady Thief of Belgravia. This book follow Violet who is now an artist in Paris but after being tracked down by Archie who still wants to marry her she returns to London to try to get rid of him permanently.

This book was a fun romantic romp through Victorian London.

This is the sequel to The Lady Thief of Belgravia. I recommend reading both books, but this can be read as a standalone. It's a story of hope, strength, and survival with lovable characters and a great storyline. I enjoy the writing style and look forward to reading more books by Allison Grey.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a digital arc for review.

Violet Latimer thinks she has left her old life behind when she establishes herself in Paris as an up and coming painter. But to her dismay she finds it's not so easy to escape her old flame, Archie Neville, who comes looking for her determined to make her see through her promises of marriage. She finds herself back in the seedy world of the Seven Dials to try to finish things for good with the help of fellow rookery inhabitant undercover detective, John Barrow. I enjoyed the story but felt it could have been tightened up and I felt there were some loose ends.

Another fantastic book by Allison Grey. This book is the sequel to The Lady Thief of Belgravia and is set a couple of years later.

In the first book, we met Violet and John, and I was so very happy when I found out there would be a book for these two characters.
I enjoyed this one just as much, although this book was quite darker than the first and had me a little anxious. It was also a bit long but was overall a great read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Another gripping book from Allison Grey. This book follows on from The Lady Thief of Belgravia and is set about 2 or 3 years later. We first came to know both Violet Latimer and John Barrow in the first book as Dellas friend and Cole's valet, and this was their story.

This was every bit as good as the first book although this book was quite darker and grittier than the first and kept me tensed up thinking, when is this going to go wrong. It can be read as a stand alone although having read both, it certainly enhances the characters having known them from the start.

The picture painted of the era, the conditions and society at the time is heartbreaking and yet accurate. Allison Grey has superbly researched Victorian times for these books and I could feel it and taste it through her excellent writing. The reason I spent most of the book on edge was a testament to how vicious she wrote her characters. I was so scared that Violet and John would be found out during one of their liaisons that I had to skip to the end of the chapter to check how it ended before I went back to enjoy it.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and will be looking out for more from Allison Grey in the future. 4.5 Stars
Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for allowing me the chance to read this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

In this spicy new historical romance novel, readers travel to the late Victorian period where artist Violet Latimer is attempting to escape her childhood in the wrong area of London and become a famous painter. However, the notorious criminal Archie Neville is out to marry her against her wishes and catch the person who helped get him sent to jail. Seeking out help from anyone who can give it, Violet ends up teaming up with detective John Barrow, also from the Seven Dials, handsome, and more than willing to help Violet to permanently put Archie Neville in prison. As their alliance turns into something more, Violet’s plans for the future -- and her escape from her Seven Dials past -- all start to change in spite of John’s secrets. With brilliant characters, high stakes, and a racy attraction between Violet and John, readers will love this mix of romance, historical fiction, and detective novel. Violet is a brilliant protagonist, and her dynamic with John (and even with Archie) really sell the plot and the romance element of this excellent historical romance. For the readers who love a fantastic historical romance novel with a bit of danger, this is the book for them.

In The Lady Thief of Belgravia we met Violet and John and I was excited to hear we had a book devoted to these two. It was a bit long, in my opinion, but was overall a great time! I loved the added adventurousness to their love story and definitely felt like my time was well spent.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a very easy sweet read. I love watching Violet gain confidence that she is indeed loved and love able.

I enjoyed the romance between Violet and John. Edward was the most interesting character this story had and I would love to read more on him.

The writing is well done and the ending was sweet.

A Brush With Scandal by Allison Grey is a delightful historical romance filled with charm, intrigue, and a dash of drama. The story effortlessly weaves together forbidden love and societal expectations, creating a compelling and emotionally engaging narrative.

The characters are well-drawn, with a captivating chemistry between the leads that makes their journey even more enjoyable. Grey’s writing brings the historical setting to life with rich details and witty dialogue. While some plot points were a bit predictable, the overall experience was satisfying and entertaining. A perfect read for fans of love, scandal, and a touch of history!

Being a Londoner, I am pretty precious about depictions of the city. This is a historical romance set in the mid-Victorian period, when St Giles and the area around Seven Dials were still a hotbed of slums, crime, and pickpockets. I think it captures that sense of London well (with hints of the massive class divide a few miles away). My difficulty with A Brush With Scandal is around its genre trappings, a difficult tension between the romance's adventure aspects and our characters' internal motivations.

We open with our heroine Violet painting in Paris. It is however revealed that she is originally from London and grew up in a Seven Dials orphanage and only got out with her friend (see a previous book) and by turning in her cruel murderous gang-leading fiance. Except he is now out of prison and looking for her. She gets some protection from a mutual friend John Barrow, a detective in the Metropolitan Police, but as she falls in love with him, she also gets drawn back into the orbit of her ex. It is a function of this kind of romance that the heroine be drawn into greater peril despite the reader constantly being told how dangerous the antagonist is. Violet moves from Paris to the city her enemy part runs, and then to maintain the cover of her protector willing to become his prisoner. None of this rang true, before the endless vacillating between the two romantic leads that they were not good enough for each other despite them both having identical class backgrounds. By the time she walked out of the safest place in the city to catch some air just as the most dangerous operation to catch her ex was about to occur, I was ready to throw the book against the wall. I think it's the genre rather than necessarily the writing (and Violet does, to some degree, save herself at the end), but I found it very frustrating.

I really enjoyed this follow up to the Lady Thief of Belgravia. This book takes place later & concerns the lives of some of the characters we met in the first book - Violet & Mr Barrow. I enjoyed learning more about them & felt they were a lot more fleshed out than they were originally. The plot was very solid & the dialogue believable. Like before, the sex scenes made it feel a bit Mills & Boon-ish and for me, didn’t add a lot. The book would have held my interest without.

Another 3.5 stars from me.

A Victorian romance, with a steamy side. The couples life is at danger and they risk a lot to reach their HEA.

A Brush With Scandal by Allison Grey is actually connected to the other book written by Grey (The Lady Thief of Belgravia) but you don't have to have read that one to be able to pick this one up. I only mention it because as I started reading, the names of some of the characters and pieces of their storylines sounded familiar and because it wasn't as obvious (e.g. the covers are VERY different and it isn't noted as a series), I figured I would save you the confusion if you had the same reaction. All that said, I enjoyed the prior book by Grey so if you haven't read it, I recommend you do and those characters do make an appearance in this book as well.

That said, this story focuses on Violet Latimer. Violet has finally gotten away from Seven Dials but her past (in the form of Archie Neville - a criminal who has just been released from prison and is determined to marry her and find out who put him there) has caught up to her in Paris and she has to make a run for it so she goes to her friend Della (whose husband the Earl, happens to have some connections that can help her) to come up with a plan.

Enter John Barrow. Currently working as an undercover detective, used to work for the Earl and he is doing everything he can to clean up the rookeries and get rid of the gangs. When Violet comes to him for help, they come to an agreement. John will help her escape if she will help him collect the information he needs to get rid of Archie for good.

What neither Violet or John counted on was that they would be drawn to one another and as their situation becomes more precarious, Violet isn't sure who she can trust and they both have pasts and secrets. The question is whether they are ready to move forward...oh and if they can survive everything that is going on Archie and the gangs too.

This was another great story by Grey. I love how she mixes the historical romance with a bit of the suspense and brings together a solid story. If you're looking for a new book to pick up, I recommend grabbing this one when you can.

This was a fascinating story that took me through a whole gamut of emtions.. Great cast of characters that came alive as the story progressed. Very emotional at times and totally absorbing.

As with book 1, you get a romance and mystery that's exciting and fast paced. John and Violet both have one person they need to get rid of Archie, the villian. Archie is trying to force Violet into a marriage. John is trying to bring down Archie and his gang. Violet and John join forces and along the way fall in love. It's a race against Archie, can Violet and John bring down this nasty dude for their hea??

Nicely written, with lots of villiany, romance and character development, I really enjoyed this book and hope to read more of this author.

##netgalley #ABrushWithScandal

A Brush With Scandal
by Allison Grey
Pub Date: Oct 09 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
1882. An artist from the notorious Seven Dials will paint her way into London‘s heart…

Violet Latimer longs to escape her scandalous origins in the rookery of Seven Dials and finally make a name for herself as a painter. But her past is never far behind her, and nor is the notorious criminal, Archie Neville. Fresh out of prison, he's determined to make her his wife – and catch whoever put him away in the first place.

Calling on her high society friends for help, Violet finds herself in an unlikely alliance with the last man a girl from the rookeries should ever approach, undercover detective, John Barrow. A man from her side of the tracks – and dangerously handsome too – John offers Violet a bargain: he’ll help her escape from Archie if she’ll help him collect the information he needs to bring Archie down for good.

But neither Violet nor John have counted on the attraction that ignites between them. As their dangerous arrangement progresses, Violet feels all her plans for the future unravelling in the heat from John’s eyes. Can she dare to trust this man, despite the secrets she senses he’s keeping? Will surrendering to her heart be Violet’s salvation, or her downfall?

With an unforgettable heroine and swoon-worthy romance, A Brush with Scandal will delight fans of Lisa Kleypas, Minerva Spencer and Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. The second book by Alison Grey, set in Victorian London slums. The main characters Violet and John had been introduced in the previous book. Violet was a prostitute and thief with her friend Della. John a valet with the Earl of Bradford. In this book, both had tried to move on from their impoverished beginnings. This story brings them back together as they try to overturn the gangs and violence of the slums. . This story has many twists and turns. I frequently feared for Violet's safety, fearing the worse at every turn.
I enjoyed the story and couldn't put it foen once I got about a quarter through. Recommended to lovers of historical fiction.

“A Brush with Scandal” by Allison Grey is the second book after “The Lady Thief of Belgravia.” I’m delighted to say that this spicy Victorian tale did not disappoint—though it did serve up some unexpected twists that left my heart racing.
Set in 1882, the narrative follows our fierce heroine, Violet Latimer, who yearns to transcend her scandalous roots in the notorious Seven Dials. Violet's aspirations to become a painter are inspiring and relatable; who hasn’t dreamed of breaking free from their past and pursuing their passions? The stakes heighten with the return of Archie Neville, a menacing figure from her past, freshly released from prison and determined to make Violet his wife. The dread of Archie loomed over the plot like a dark cloud, and the tension held me captive. I genuinely felt Violet's fear and desperation as she tried to navigate the treacherous landscape of her life.
Enter John Barrow, the captivating undercover detective whose rugged handsomeness is as compelling as the mission he undertakes. Their alliance—a bargain struck under dire circumstances—breeds an undeniable chemistry that, as the pages turned, transformed from tentative trust to an unforgettable romance. John, with his secretive charm, brought a heat to the story that was both tantalising and deeply emotional. As their daring escape plan unfolded, I found myself utterly absorbed, rooting for them to find safety and love amidst the chaos.
What I truly appreciated about the narrative was its unexpected suspense. While many Regency romances skim over the darker realities of life, Grey dives right into the gritty elements of Victorian society, showcasing the depths of criminality and the fight for survival. The undercurrents of danger kept me on the edge of my seat. However, I must admit that Archie’s character felt somewhat underdeveloped, leaving me wanting to know more about his motivations and complexities—he was an intimidating presence, but I wished for a little more backstory to ground the villain.
Despite a few slower moments where my thoughts drifted, the overall pacing picked up swiftly as the story reached its climax. I found myself biting my nails, urging Violet and John to tread carefully, especially when Archie was lurking. Their connection deepened in a slow burn that was perfectly executed, making their eventual partnership feel both earned and genuinely touching.
In conclusion, “A Brush with Scandal” is a delightful concoction of romance and danger, weaving a rich tapestry of character struggles and underlying tension. Grey’s storytelling keeps the pages turning, and while I found some elements could have been tighter, the romance and the strength of the characters shone brightly. I’m left with a sense of excitement to see what Allison Grey concocts next and how she'll mesmerise us further with her beautifully crafted, passionate stories. If you’re after a historical romance that entwines sincere love with thrilling suspense, this is a book you won’t want to miss!

I really enjoyed Violet’s story. Set in the seedy underworld of London’s East End it has plenty of danger and a rather thrilling ending. Thoroughly enjoyed it.