Some books have a highly interesting premise and can deliver. A former London prostitute and petty thief rebuilding herself as an artist in late 1800s Paris, is tracked down by a former lover and crime boss. At which point she is able assisted by an undercover detective to not only remain safe but bring down the crime bosses empire from within. Said detective is then our well placed romantic interest.

Although I persisted to 60%, A Brush with Scandal was a rare DNF.

Many of the language choices in A Brush with Scandal were inconsistent, from a brogue to a high class dialect to something modern. Much of the story is told to us through internalised monologue rather than shown to us on the page.

Given much of the story takes place in the London Rookeries, little more than slums, you would expect an atmosphere akin to the grubby grey harshness of Peaky Blinders, this was not it.

I found it very difficult to be invested in the 2D nature of the characters and their troubles. There is suspending plausibility for the sake of a good story but sadly, A Brush with Scandal did not deliver for me.

With thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishhing and the author for the opportunity to read an eARC prior to publication.

It is a Victorian romance set mainly in the East End of London as Violet, with the help of John, an undercover detective, ensures a notorious gang leader is permanently removed from the notorious Seven Dials area of Victorian London. Violet thought her escape to Paris and a new life meant she was safe from her past, but when gang leader Archie tracks her down, she runs to her best friend. There is a physical attraction between Violet and John, but her life is at risk, and he has an arrest to secure, so they ignore it. When Violet risks everything to help John and secure her future, their passion dominates, putting their hearts and lives in danger. I like the evocative setting and the sense of danger the author creates. The characters are believable.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Former prostitute, Violet, has settled in Paris and is becoming an accepted painter, painting the darker side of life. She hopes that she's safe from Archie, one time crook, gang master and whom she had agreed to marry when he rescued her and a friend from the rookeries where they plied their trade. She's wrong and Archie finds her once he's released after 8 years in prison. She flees back to London, to her friend (now a Countess). Detective John Barrow is undercover working to get the evidence to put Archie and gang away for a long time. Violet and John immediately fall for each other of course. There are some good descriptions of life in the rookeries and in the higher echelons of society. Characters are ok but rather unbelievable. Still it's an historical romance cum thriller so we should expect that. The romance between John and Violet was sensitive at one level but then just visceral and unreal - one minute he's treating her gently because of her past, the next they're ripping clothes off over the dining table so to speak. I also intensely dislike the use of 'wanna' which is so horribly American, not Victorian English. There was no sense of time in that they moved between cities with ease and speed - not something likely in the 19th century. I would class the book as a quick, light read but without any real depth to the characters. Sorry. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

I loved The Lady Thief of Belgravia, so when I saw the sequel it was a no-brainer that I would read it! And A Brush with Scandal didn’t disappoint! Violet is as fierce as Della and John is almost as perfect as Cole was!

The two main characters are a delight to have on every page and I love the added aspect of suspense, which I don’t see often in regency romances! Archie really is a true villain, although I feel like his character could have been fleshed out a little better instead of having him mostly loom in the background, ready to pop out at any second.

This definitely is a page turner and flies by in a heartbeat, I couldn’t put it down because I NEEDED to figure out how it would end!

Again I find myself saying: I’m excited to see what Allison Grey comes up with next!

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review!

A good historical read. Full of intrigue and excitement. A change for me as I rarely read this type of book so, it made a nice change. An insight into society back in those elegant days. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this, but I had a really hard time getting into it. I don’t know what about it specifically that made it difficult for me to read at times. It was well written, just don’t think this book in particular was for me.

I really really wanted to love this as I loved Allison’s previous novel about Della but for some reason I didn’t love this quite as much. I genuinely found Archie terrifying and so maybe it was me feeling nervous about him discovering what was happening under his nose. I kept shouting in my mind “careful! Not while he’s in the building!”
Anyway- I loved the characters, and ultimately the story line was great. Still an enjoyable read- just not quite 5 stars for me.

3.5 *
After meeting Violet and John in The Lady Thief of Belgravia, I was looking forward to their story and it is a great story line, filled with a sensual romance two people who started their lives in Seven Dials but have managed to get themselves out but how?

Violet Latimer loves painting and wants more than anything to escape her life, a life where she does what she has to keep a roof over her head and food on the table in the rookery of Seven Dials, she wants to paint and make a name for herself, finally she gets that chance when criminal Archie Neville is put in Newgate and Violet makes her way to Paris and does what she has always dreamed of. But then Archie is released and he comes for her in Paris to make sure she keeps her promise and becomes his wife.

John Barrow also grew up in Seven Dials and after working for many years as a valet to an Earl, John is now working as an undercover detective doing his best to rid the rookery of the gangs that rule when Violet comes to him for help to escape Archie they team up together to get rid of the gang but this is a dangerous mission and anything could happen, even losing his heart to the beautiful Violet.

This was a great story line and so many fabulous characters but I felt it was a bit long winded at times my mind wandered and took me out of the story but all in all the romance was a slow burn as Violet and John found their way through so much danger to find their HEA, and if you are looking for a historical romance filled with danger then this is the one for you.

My thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

What a great and gritty read? The books spends time in the underworld of London complete with gangsters, extortion and cruelty. Undercover police man John is undercover in the gangs spending his time bare knuckle fighting trying to earn the trust of those at the top. Alongside this is Violet who eight years ago turned in the gang leader in order to start a new life. Now Archie wants her back he is out of prison and willing to do anything and kill anyone to find her again. The book goes into the detail of the calluses on the bare knuckle fighters hands, the smell of dank in the underground rooms and the blood that spurts from a broken nose. it is the detail that makes this such a good read and when I struggled to put down once I started.

Interesting to read. The syoryline was well done, but the story didn't move very quickly and the book was a very long read. Others might enjoy it a lot.

This is a fast paced and entertaining read. The characters are well developed and interesting with some unexpected plot twists thrown in for good measure. Not your typical regency romance.

This Victorian romance was very entertaining. Full of drama, danger, mystery, and so much more that kept me engaged. I enjoyed that the heroine is a talented painter, and both she and the hero are courageous, determined, and likable. I highly recommend reading!

London 1882. 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.
The second novel by the author & a well written book I liked that it featured characters from the first book as Violet & Della are besties. An enjoyable & entertaining book which I felt was more accomplished than the first. I really liked Violet & John, they were different, they’d both made something of themselves & so had known hardships, I liked the chemistry between them & they certainly fell in to lust but their journey to find love wasn’t easy as the villain doesn’t make their lives easy. There were edge of the seat moments & I loved the mix of mystery & romance. I look forward to reading more from the author
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

I selected this book on a whim from the catalog because I can never say no to a juicy historical romance. An artistic heroine and an undercover detective from the wrong side of the tracks: how could I refuse? This was the first time that I can recall where the female love interest was a former prostitute. Coming from such an impersonal background, her relationship with the hero was incredibly tender. They were so gentle towards each other. He was obviously attracted to her, but never failed to give her the patience and kindness she needed. I honestly wished they had more scenes together because I swear the villain got the most screen time.

The main antagonist of A Brush with Scandal was Violet's former lover, Archie Neville. He came from the rookeries just like her and demands she uphold her promise of marriage. He's fresh out of prison and hungry for blood. The entire book is spent running away, running around, and running into this bad guy. I wish he didn't dominate the majority of the book, but I managed to satisfy myself with scenes with John Barrow. I really liked the relationship between our main couple, even if they were constantly interrupted by villainy.

This was the first book I've read by Allison Grey and I'm tempted to read the book that preceded A Brush with Scandal. I loved the way she wrote the courtship of John and Violet, despite Archie's bothersome hijinks. Hopefully in the next book our antagonist will take a backseat to let our lovebirds build their nest in peace. It wasn't the true masterpiece I envisioned, but it was certainly A Brush with Scandal.

A delightful book combining the harsh reality of the poorest sections of London with the privilege of the rich and titled. Throw in a bit of skulduggery and detective work and you get a very readable novel. Very exciting to read.

An absolutely brilliant historical novel which will pull you in from the very first page.
It has everything in it from a beautiful love story with a heroine who just craves for love but feels she does not deserve it due to her past history where she had to sell her body to keep herself and her friend alive.
She is threatened by her ex boyfriend who is a notorious villain from the Seven Dials and will do anything to get her back and the only person who can help her is an undercover police officer who has infiltrated her ex boyfriend’s gang.
A great read especially on a cold winter night

A painter with a scandalous past, Violet seeks to escape her criminal pursuer with the help of undercover detective John. Their alliance, however, ignites a dangerous attraction, forcing Violet to choose between her ambitions and her heart.

If you’re looking for a high-heat historical romantic suspense, this book might be for you. The writing is good, but the story isn’t particularly believable. There’s no sensual tension because the hero and heroine slake their desire as soon as it hits, out in the open where anyone might see them, which could literally get them both killed. The hero and heroine are both TSTL, and the only reason they survive is pure luck.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

3⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advanced copy of A Brush With Scandal.

Violet has worked hard to escape her past and forge a new life for herself until Archie tracks her down reminding her of the promise she made him and how he plans to collect. She flees from him to her best friend for help to get rid of him. John a detective who is undercover plans to help out Archie away for his crimes. Violet is immediately attracted to John but does not feel like she deserves love. She offers herself up as bait to Archie knowing that John will be there to protect her.

This book had a good plot but it drug on a little long for me. But it was still a good read.

This book was a tough one to get through. The characters felt more like cardboard cutouts, and the overly dramatic dialogue didn’t do them any favors.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC.

#ABrushWithScandal #NetGalley
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The villain got more air time than the mcs. Archie was so bad, he was almost - Black Jack Randall quality- bad. It annoyed me that he was everywhere. I know we need some kind of conflict but it was too much, for 90% of the book. Let these lovely people, Violet and John, alone.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.