This book was awesome!!! I could not put it down! Madeline Martin is an amazing author. Her books never disappoint! Can not wait for the next one!

A strong heroine, a war hero, a hedgehog, a bit of intrigue, a whole lot of sexual tension makes How to Start a Scandal a fun, sexy read.

Lady Violet Lavell’s father confronts her with two unappetizing options. Either marry before the season ends, or retire to the country to serve as governess to her sister’s four ‘unruly, spoiled’ children. Meanwhile Seth Sinclair, her neighbor next door, has returned from the Napoleonic Wars as the new Earl of Dalton after the death of his older brother. He would have preferred to remain a soldier, but cannot avoid his unexpected responsibilities, one of which is to marry and produce heirs. Might they not solve each other’s problem? Especially since they were friends, even as children?

There are, unfortunately, obstacles. He suffers from panic attacks after the Battle of Waterloo, while she is plump and has a dark secret. Both feel unworthy of each other.

The novel demonstrates the damage caused by low self-esteem and unforgiving social attitudes: as a soldier, Seth is ashamed of his PTSD and his struggles to conceal its symptoms; though attractive, Violet feels ashamed of her body and hearty appetite. Unkind mothers don’t help, nor the reluctance of everyone to be honest about their feelings. Interesting material here, but the elements are less well integrated than they might have been.
HNR Issue 94 (November 2020)
https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/how-to-start-a-scandal-the-london-school-for-ladies/

Readers of this book,entitled "How to Start a Scandal," will meet Violet, a beauty who remains "on the shelf" after her debut, and Seth, a soldier returned from Waterloo to claim his place as an Earl. Violet and Seth are longtime friends and neighbors, and their love for each other has simmered below the surface for years. A series of misunderstandings keep them apart, until circumstances finally force their attraction out into the open.

Several subplots add to the intrigue of this novel. Seth's younger sister Caroline dotes on a gentleman whose shyness keeps him at arm's length. Violet harbors a secret career as a gossip column writer! Seth's family jewelry is missing, and he hires a private detective to track down the prized possessions. Violet's annoying niece visits, along with her patient kitty, and the child seems wise beyond her years in affairs of the heart.

The characters are likeable and well-drawn, and the novel includes enough intrigue to keep readers turning the pages. My main complaint is that the story went on too long, and the final chapters and epilogue seemed like an afterthought. Changing the order of the chapters would have made the book more intuitive.

Caution to readers: This novel contains highly detailed, steamy scenes of sexual intimacy. For me, this was unfortunate, as the scenes spoiled an otherwise delightful novel.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

I didn't have much expectation with this one so I was pleasantly surprised because I did actually like this one.

I liked the characters. This story is well written with great chemistry and I just didn't want to stop reading this book.

I give this 4 out of 5.

I reviewed this title for All About Romance. I absolutely adored it!! Seth was such a fantastic and realistic hero and Violet was fabulous in her own right!

I really enjoyed this story! It's technically the second book in a series, but I felt no lack in not having read book 1. The heroine of book 1 is the cousin of this book's heroine, so she and her now husband are mentioned, only briefly.

Seth Sinclair, is the second son in his family, but with his older brother's death a year before, he's now the Earl of Dalton. It's quite a switch from his life as a soldier on the frontlines of war, and he's still struggling with all he's been through. He's only been home for a very short time, and he's already discovered some ways his family has suffered in his absence. He vows to make everything right for them, and hopes he can manage all the things he must do as Earl, regardless of his own wants.

Lady Violet Lavell has become a wallflower in the last 6 years since her debut. She has secrets she has no intention of sharing, and therefore marriage is not possible for her. But, when her father gives her an ultimatum of marriage, or retiring to the country to be the governess to her least favorite sister's 4 wild children, she's at a loss for what to do. Also, her lifelong neighbor/friend/crush/heartbreaker is back from the war, and she can't believe how he's changed. Though he broke her young heart in the past, she still feels so much when he's around. But, she knows that she's not the "right" type of woman to attract a man like him, especially now that he's the Earl.

Violet and Seth had lovely chemistry and camaraderie from the beginning, and I enjoyed all of their interactions. Though they each had reason to believe that the other was too good for them, they both clearly wanted each other from the start. I loved watching them just LONG for each other. So delicious. Seth suffered from PTSD, including flashbacks and nightmares. Violet struggled under the weight of her own secrets, as well as her mother's lifelong unkind treatment of her, due to her "plump" size. They each though the other was out of their league, and I loved watching them fall together.

I loved the side storylines here, especially with Seth's sister and his good friend. I hope to see more of them in the future! Also, Violet's niece and her bonnet-clad cat were hilarious, and I enjoyed watching Felicity come out of her shell with a little TLC, which she obviously wasn't getting from her own mother. There were a few shocking plot twists and turns that I didn't see coming, and those added to my enjoyment of this book as well.

I adored this delightful tale of two genuinely good people, who were meant to be together, against all odds. I highly recommend it, and I hope we see more books in this series!!

Violet has been told that she must find a husband or she will be sent to the country to help watch over her sister's children. Having been put down by her sisters and mother because of her figure, she doesn't hold out much hope of finding someone to wed. But then Seth, the man that broke her heart, comes back into her life...

Seth wasn't supposed to become the earl. But now that he has taken up the position after his brother's death, he must find a wife. When he reacquaints himself with Violet, he thinks that he may have found the woman to make his wife. But she doesn't seem to think his attention is sincere.

Can Seth convince Violet to take another chance at love?

I loved Violet and Seth's story!! Both had their issues to work through and they were able to help one another to do so. I just loved watching these two fall in love!

Good story about two people who believe they are not worthy of being loved. It was a hard-fought battle for each of them to learn to see the good in themselves.

Violet is a young woman who has a couple of huge secrets that would do her reputation no good if revealed. Her plans for the future do not include a husband because she would have to tell him those secrets. However, after six unsuccessful Seasons, her father gives her an ultimatum: find a husband before the end of this Season, or be sent to her older sister and become a governess to Sophie's unruly children.

Seth became the earl after the death of his older brother. It meant giving up his commission in the army, which he put off as long as possible. He finally returned home after Waterloo to face the same disapproving attitude from his mother that he had suffered through as a child. Seth is determined to do his best to take care of his responsibilities, including looking for a wife.

Seth and Violet lived next door to each other in London. They were friends as children, with both developing crushes on each other when they were older. Seth promised the first dance of her debut ball to her, but then never showed up, breaking her heart. He left for the war the next day without even saying goodbye.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Seth and Violet. Seth came back from the war a changed man. The thoughtless rebelliousness of his youth was burned away by his experiences during the war. He admits to the mistakes of his past and is determined to make up for them. His first meeting with Violet reveals one of those mistakes. His sincere regret for those actions goes a long way toward mending fences with her. He did not expect his old feelings for her to come rushing back. But Seth is haunted by the events of the war and his feelings of having let his men down. He feels he is broken beyond repair because of the nightmares and flashbacks he experiences.

Violet is wary of her feelings for Seth. She does not fit the current trend of thin women, a fact pointed out to her often by her mother. Violet doesn't believe him when he calls her beautiful. It takes advice from an unexpected source for her to overcome her mother's influence and see herself as others see her. She also gets a shock when, in a moment of self-examination, Violet realizes that some of the things she did with the best of intentions were not as helpful as she thought they were.

I liked seeing Seth and Violet spend time together. Neither one expected the sparks that flared between them. At first, he was simply trying to make amends, but he couldn't ignore the way she made him feel. I loved how he saw her as a beautiful woman and tried to make her see it too. It didn't take long for Violet to see that Seth had outgrown his rebellious youth and become an honorable man. I loved how their growing feelings helped them trust each other enough to share their painful pasts. I ached for Seth when he experienced flashbacks and loved how Violet was able to break through them. I also hurt for Violet, who made a mistake in her first Season that still haunts her. Seth didn't react so well to that secret, though he did quickly see his error and fix it. I laughed a little at the accelerating of their relationship, as the sparks between them flared at an awkward time. However, it took an unexpected and dangerous occurrence for them to admit their love to each other. I liked the epilogue, too.

There was a bit of mystery running through the book. Before Seth's return, the family solicitor absconded with his mother's jewels. One of Seth's priorities is to find the thief and reclaim the jewels. There is more to the story than he knows. Unexpected revelations regarding Seth's brother put a new spin on the theft and precipitate some changes in perceptions. The resolution of the theft provided a few moments of unexpected danger.

The secondary characters added some terrific moments of humor. First and foremost were Violet's niece Felicity and her cat Hedgehog. The cat was hilarious in its bonnets. Felicity tore at the heartstrings once the reasons behind her misbehavior were revealed. She was sweet and funny and frequently very observant. I liked Seth's sister Caroline. She obviously loves her brother and wants to help him with whatever is bothering him. She also has a mind of her own and surprises him with a somewhat shocking request. Seth's friend Lord Rawley was not what I expected, and I both ached and laughed over his problems with a certain lady.

Soon-to-be spinster, Violet Lavell, faces a choice: either marry by the end of the season or become an unpaid governess for her sister's wild brood. Violet is loathe to choose either option and decides on a third choice: expanding her career as a gossip columnist. Now she just needs to find something extra juicy to report on.

Seth Dalton has returned from the Napoleonic Wars a broken man - his body and mind seared with scars from the battles he's faced. Worse, he's got to deal with the mess left in the wake of his brother's death. His family and society expect him to pretend that everything is in the past, that he's his old rakish self, and he's decidedly not. When he sees his next door neighbor, and former crush, Violet, his feelings for her are rekindled. But how can he court her when he can barely stand to be seen in society.

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First off as always, content warnings for those who need them: cw: parental abuse, cw: fatophobia, cw: body negativity, cw: period appropriate sexism, cw: graphic depictions of war, cw: body trauma, cw: panic attacks, cw: ptsd flashbacks, cw: parental neglect, cw: emotional abuse, cw: prior dubious consent, cw: frank discussion of depression/mental illness.

Note: All of these are handled well within the text but they do need to be warned for those who have triggers, I will be discussing some of these more in depth in my review.

I've never read anything by Madeline Martin before, and I will definitely be rectifying that in the future. This book was an absolute delight! I admit I had some doubts, after all it's hard to portray the effects of war and parental abuse well in contemporary fiction much less in historical when the terminology didn't exist. I was happy to be proven wrong by this book, though. The author explained how things worked right off the bat, and the descriptions of the flashbacks, panic attacks, and hyper vigilance were on point. As someone with PTSD, it was nice to see the illness handled competently and delicately while at the same time making it clear that the person suffering from it was not someone to be pitied but someone to be understood and accommodated.

And the effects of war were not the only hard topics hit in this book. As a Plus-sized woman in the very size conscious Regency era, Violet has been berated and forced to starve herself to meet society's, and in particular her mother's, expectations. She is not slender. She is not lithe. She's curvy with a bosom that men can't help but have conversations with -- which I very much could identify with. Is it any surprise that she's a wallflower who finds solace in reporting the gossip of her peers?

Frankly I ended up loving the characters, they both have complete character arcs which are supported by the romance but not wholly dependent on the romance. Violet needs to find her confidence while Seth needs to figure out what he can handle. Both of them deserve a second chance -- both for themselves and for their romance. They'd had mutual crushes on each other but circumstances worked against them six years ago... now they've changed and grown and have the opportunity to reconnect again. I adored Felicity and her cat Hedgehog. I mean what story isn't improved by a cat in a bonnet?

Honestly, this book is lovely. It was a joy to read. And it's a story I will be rereading again.

Five Stars.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley

Lady Violet Lavell doesn’t want to marry and she has a plan, all she needs a little more time. But when her father informs her that she has mere weeks to become engaged or her father will send her to the country to live with her sister Sophie and act as governess to Sophie’s five monsters – um – children, she knows that she can no longer dally – she needs to put her plan in motion now! As the secret author of the “Lady Observer” gossip column, she knows that she needs a huge story – preferably a scandal – to increase her readership and therefore her income that will give her the means to live independently and still keep her secrets. She decides that she will write a series about Lottie, the infamous courtesan who gives lessons to ladies of the ton on attracting a husband – like she did for Violet’s cousin Eleanor. Excited about her great idea, she decides to celebrate with a bit of cake. She gets her cake but is interrupted by Seth Sinclair, the new Earl of Dalton. A man who once meant the world to Violet and one who hurt her beyond measure.

Seth Sinclair never expected to inherit the earldom, as a second son, Seth was commissioned into the army and has spent years away from England fighting in the war. But duty calls and he returns home mere days after the horrific battle of Waterloo. Reacclimating to civilian life is not easy and the horrors of war have followed him back. He would rather just bury himself in estate matters, but he knows he should find a bride and when he learns that his mother was conned, he knows he has no choice – he will have to return to society. At his first ball, he sees Violet, his childhood friend and the girl he always wanted, but never had the chance to court. He cannot believe the curvy beauty never married and he tries to talk to her, but it is clear that she feels he offended her in some way – he plans to ask her about it when a crashing tray sends him spiraling back to the battlefield, by the time he collects himself, she is gone. Seth thinks that Violet might very well be the perfect bride for him and decides then and there to get to know her again. But first, he needs to find out what happened to his mother’s jewels.

They each have much to overcome and Violet has secrets that she believes prevent her from ever having a HEA, but they find strength in each other and when her meeting with Lottie opens her eyes, Violet knows that if she has any hope of escaping being Sophie’s unpaid governess, she will have to reveal her secrets, trust her heart and hope that love truly does conquer all.

I thought is story was great, it is well written with flawed yet likable and relatable characters, steamy love scenes, a bit of comic relief thanks to her niece Felicity and her cat Hedgehog, a bit of intrigue, secrets, shocking revelations, a dash of action, a lot of forgiveness and a really wonderful HEA complete with an epilogue. I really loved this story and was hooked from the first page, it is loosely connected to How to Tempt a Duke, but you can absolutely read this book as a standalone title with no problems at all.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

How to Start a Scandal intrigued me based on the short blurb, in addition to having heard Madeline Martin’s name mentioned a few times in my romance reading life.

And my interest was further piqued upon opening the book and finding out that the hero, Seth, is dealing with PTSD (or “melancholy,” as it was known then) in the aftermath of returning from war. This is depicted subtly and beautifully, showing its effects on him in triggering situations, like upon hearing the sound of drums or being in a large crowded ballroom, yet the sensation being almost indescribable. I appreciated how Martin didn’t “cure” him through him finding love, but have him, by the end, still recovering, but making progress.

I also appreciated that Violet was also a nuanced and deeply troubled character by her own past, in addition to being able to provide a soothing influence on him. She’s hidden a secret about a scandalous mistake she made in her first Season, and while I did cringe a bit at Seth jumping to conclusions instead of trying to hear her out (even if it was difficult for her to reveal all the details), I did understand where he was coming from as well, even if he did hurt her in the process.

I did wish that the big confrontation with the villain at the end had been better foreshadowed, as it felt like it came out of almost nowhere, with the exception of how it relates to the misdeeds committed by Seth’s deceased brother.

This is a very sweet and fun book, and I’ll definitely be reading more Madeline Martin books in the future. I recommend this to historical romance lovers.

I love a good story with PTSD suffering hero (this is probably due in part to the fact that my own husband lived with the disorder). Seth is everything I expected him to be - and I loved the added touches the author used to show how he was silently suffering from the unseen wounds of battle. From the way the sounds of drums and an overly hot ballroom could bring him back to the battlefield, to the way he couldn't describe the horror of what he had seen to anyone else, it was all the little details like this that brought this character to life.

When paired with Violet, it was easy to see how she calmed his soul and I thoroughly enjoyed their interactions with each other (even though at times her character annoyed me with her complaints about her body and the way she first intended to use Lottie to help herself). I just wish the other characters had been as thoroughly fleshed out and brought to life as those two. This extends to the "villain" of this piece who never seemed to be more than one-dimensional, his part in the story somehow managing to feel rushed even though he is mentioned throughout the entire story.

This was still a very engaging story that I believe will be enjoyed by those who enjoy historical romances. In fact, I am hoping to see more of Seth's sister Caroline in a future book as I am curious if she ever manages to bring her love interest up to scratch (I am also interested to see how Lottie manages to help a male instead of a female in the pursuit of love). I would read more from this author!

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

I loved this book from the very first paragraph. I couldn't put it down. This was such a great historical romance because it had all the elements I enjoy in a historical romance, plus is deals with a topic that's very relevant to today (body shaming.) I loved this book so much.

Madeline Martin never ceases to amaze me with her writing and she certainly has another winner with this story.

Body shaming has been around longer than anyone suspects and little does one know how much it can negatively affect the person's life. Violet is in such a situation and it broke my heart how little self confidence she has because she's been told over and over again she's too plump, no man will ever want her, etc....by her own mother even!!! It's no wonder she'd be more than happy to become a spinster!

When Seth (who was her childhood friend and neighbour) comes home from the war, he's a changed man and I thought it was so sweet the way he pursues her and tries to make up for all the past hurts he had caused. He's not sure if he's good enough for Violet, though, because he feels he's broken since the war and the nightmares won't let him be. What we call PTSD today.

Both of them have a lot of issues to resolve and this author writes it all so beautifully and I also love the humour throughout the story....introducing Hedgehog! lol

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily writing an honest review.