Regina Black tells us the story of a woman named Rachel, and how she rediscovers her life after finding out her husband of 13 years has been cheating on her. After been so long in the shadow of her husband and running on his schedule to fabricate a perfect life for his politician ambitions she decides to start living the way she always wanted: getting what she desires. She meets Nathan, an owner of a laundromat/son of the most powerful family in town. Their romance is hot, full of desire and scandal.

I loved the book but sometimes I found myself wondering around, and I think it was because, even though it caught my attention, it was slower and tried to include too much information out of characters that maybe didn't deserved it. I wish I would got more from Matt (the husband) and Rachel relationship and Nathan and Beto's (Nathan's dad) relationship, we got a glimpse at the end but I think I wanted more.

Overall a good book to read, I felt I could see the art that Nathan created for the Gala, Rachel's thesis pictures and that makes this book a 3.5 stars in my books!

Thank you Netgalley and Regina Black for the ARC in exchange of my honest opinion.

This was a really impressive debut. The storyline was indulgent and addictive. It feels like it should be turned into a Shonda Rhimes limited series.

Regina Black's THE ART OF SCANDAL is, dare I say, a scandalous, sexy book filled with political intrigue and the complexity of what it means to be a Black woman in a White world. I was not expecting the nuance and emotions that this book brought forth when it comes to being a Black woman and the roles that we are expected to play. The intersectionality this book struck really resounded with me. As a biracial woman, I found myself tenderly connected to this book because I could understand Rachel's plights that were beyond the surface level of being with a terrible partner.

Rachel's and Nathan's relationship was tender, warm, and full of passion. I really enjoyed seeing them get to know one another and how their lives intertwined and spurred us to the conclusion.

Definitely a book I will recommend and look forward to seeing more from Regina!

DNF @ 54%. I really wanted to be into this book. But it just felt so laggy and I think I just expected more. I felt like I just keep waiting for that hook, but it never came. And after reading more than 50%, I really needed in order to keep going.

Thank you to Grand Central and NetGalley for the advanced reader copies provided to the Joyful Chaos Book Club and to LibroFM and Hachette Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

This is a brand new debut from Regina Black. Her writing was lush and engaging. She immediately made me feel connected to the main characters, especially Rachel Abbott.

The book begins with Rachel learning that her husband is cheating on her. But because he is the mayor and has ambitions for higher office, she agrees to stay with him until the election ends. But as that time passes, Rachel meets and immediately feels chemistry with Nathan, a young, local artist.

I enjoyed the age gap and that Rachel wasn't a young main character. This book had tons of steam and lots of intrigue. And there were fascinating discussions on social class, race, art, and more. I would have enjoyed a bit more on the political parts, but that was not a primary storyline.

Ultimately, the romance felt somewhat flat to me. It was far too instalove for my taste. It seemed much more rooted in physical chemistry than emotional intimacy. And I was disappointed in some of the choices that both main characters made near the end of the story.

I'll look forward to Regina Black's next book because her writing is so great. But this plot wasn't my favorite.

Rounded up to 4 stars

I very much enjoyed this debut romance from Regina Black! Other reviews said it was giving Scandal and Real Housewives vibes, and they were right but I'd say more housewives than Scandal.

The book opens when Rachel Abbot receives a dick pick from her husband...that wasn't intended for her. Even though she's pissed, she agrees to keep playing the part of political trophy wife for the remainder of her husband's mayoral campaign. When Rachel is asked to lead the planning committee for another stuffy fundraiser, she meets Nathan Vazquez - dark and broody artist and more than a decade younger than her. They embark on their own affair until everything blows up and everyone is forced to reckon with the consequences of their actions.

Rachel is an awesome character. She's strong and determined to find herself again after burying her needs and desires for too long in service of her husband's career. The chemistry between her and Nathan was really scorching which I liked. My biggest complaint about this book is that I wanted to see them together on page more! Because of the forbidden nature of their romance, these two aren't together on page a lot which made it harder for me to buy in to their relationship being more than lust fueled by revenge.

Content flags: cancer diagnosis for one character's parent; cheating; divorce

I voluntarily reviewed an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

SCANDALOUS!

"When your husband of thirteen years sends a close-up of his erect penis, you should not, under any circumstances, ask him why he sent it."

Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this Arc in exchange for my honest review.

I should state that what first drew me to this book was its cover. While I love the artwork, it was the opening line above that drew me into the scandalous affair(s) that occur in <b>The Art of Scandal</b>.

Imagine being at your spouse's fortieth birthday party, icing a cake that he clearly does not care about and your phone alerts you to a text. Only it's your husband, sending you a photo of his peen. Imagine the first few things that may run through your mind... the emotions garnered. From denial to anger to hurt to disappointment is how we meet Rachel Abbott, the mayor's wife in this story.

Divorce is on the table and Rachel is forced to ask herself some hard questions about herself and what it means to be love and be in love. It's a dark time for her until she meets Nathan. A guy who presumably is the black sheep of his family and who is very handsome. He's an artist who has kept his talents out of the limelight until a chance encounter has him meeting Rachel in person and the energy between them begins to build immediately. She awakens something within that thrusts him more deeply into his work and he offers her what she's already wanted to be seen, to be felt, to be heard.

The Art of Scandal is a book that is full of lies, stolen moments, broken hearts, love and loss, finding self, and so much more. It is hot and steamy and it is shattering in some parts. Overall, I loved it and highly recommend it.

The Art of Scandal is a hot summer romance! One part family drama, one part politics (a la the tv show Scandal), and even more parts steamy. I love a strong female protagonist and Rachel Abbott is just that. Her husband Matt is involved in local politics and even though he knows full well an affair is not something his campaign needs, he can't seem to resist. Rachel receives a text (ahem, sext) meant for his mistress and all hell breaks loose. While Matt's the one with the affair, its Rachel who is asked to keep quiet...husband of the year over here.

Rachel isn't about to be a doormat though and knows she's worth more. What follows is an unexpected, but oh so steamy, forbidden age gap romance sure to make you feel the characters' tension and passion.

This is a book that will stay with me for awhile. It is beautifully written and so thought provoking. Rachel Abott is the mayor's wife, living in an upscale neighborhood. On her husband's 40th birthday, she receives a text that changes her entire world when she learns that her husband, Matt, has been cheating on her. Matt is up for re-election so the two come to an agreement that they will postpone any news of separation and divorce until after his position is secured. Meanwhile, heartbroken Rachel meets Nathan....a 26 year old artist who spends his days running his laundromat instead of working on his art. Nathan has been made to believe by his parents that his art isn't worth anything.

This is such a complex story about the messiness of love and family. Nathan and Rachel have great chemistry but also great conversation about what it is to take ownership of who you are and who you want to be. Both have lost themselves in their own ways. This book is about rediscovering your true self and loving others for who they are instead of who you want them to be. The difficult relationship Nathan has with his family, especially his father, felt so very real. This is a love story at its core, but there is also hints of politics, racism, and scandal throughout. It is such a multi-layered story that keeps the pages turning. It was tough to believe that this is a debut.

5 Stars

The Art of Scandal is a beautifully written story full of political scandal, reignited passions, and rediscovering yourself. The story is told through dual perspectives of Rachel and Nathan as their relationship begins to unfold.

Black manages to breathe life into Rachel and Nathan as she masterfully develops them into well-developed characters past the stereotypes forced onto them. Rachel as the betrayed Black trophy wife and Nathan as the young, privileged artist wandering through life.

Despite these stereotypes, The Art of Scandal highlights this doesn’t define them. The story explores Rachel’s experience as a Black teen mom used as a tool to further her husband’s political career as a figurehead of progressive ideals. Nathan struggles with finding his place as he feels like the disappointment of the family and afraid of putting his art into the world.

While they come from different walks of life, they both go on similar journeys as they try to rediscover themselves despite the roles forced onto them and figure out what they truly want from their lives. As their friendship unfolds into a passionate romance, it leaves readers in suspense on what will happen next. For Rachel, Nathan represents a return to the life she had before, the woman she was before. Whereas for Nathan, Rachel inspires him to focus on his art and gives him a newfound direction for his life.

The Art of Scandal is a gorgeously written love story highlighting the importance of embracing forgiveness and self-love to find a sense of belonging.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In the beginning we find out that Rachel’s husband, who is the mayor and also a white man, is having an affair. She wants to divorce him but due to her husband being in campaign season it isn’t the optics he needs at the time. Rachel had always moved things around in her life for husband but what he is suggesting leads Rachel to storm out the house and start reflecting. Where she meets Nathan for the first time.
This was a great debut that had me in a chokehold from the beginning. Great writing and pacing are the made this a real enjoy


T hank you Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Rating:4.25/5

The Art of Scandal truly delivers on its title! It has scandal, angst, and ALL the sultry vibes! And I just loved seeing how Rachel and Nathan’s shared passion for art helped them heal and rediscover parts of themselves.

This is one of the best debuts of the year and I truly cannot wait to see what Regina Black writes next!

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for my arc and finished copy.

The Art of Scandal by Regina Black is a captivating masterpiece, brimming with passion, warmth, and an intriguing blend of romance, artistic aspirations, political turmoil, and unexpected love.

Wow, I cannot believe this was the author’s debut novel. Despite the cover and title, this book was about so much more than scandal and steam (though don’t worry — it had all of it). I am so happy I got this arc because I will be recommending it!!

The Art of Scandal focuses on complicated family dynamics, messy marriages and affairs, being in the public eye, losing and finding yourself, social dynamics, and so much more. The writing was so well-done, and I was so drawn in throughout the entire story. I loved this!

I saw The Art of Scandal described as a mix of the tv shows The Good Wife and The Housewives of the Potomac with a heavy dose of How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Scandal. That's pretty accurate since The Art of Scandal has politics, messy family situations, high-society drama, and a slow-burn age-gap romance.

At its core, this book is about a woman who lost herself in her marriage. I couldn't help but feel for Rachel as she navigated the demise of her marriage while rekindling her passion for art and meeting a young artist with whom she has an intense connection.

I can't recommend this book enough! The Art of Scandal is definitely one of my top reads for this year. I was hooked from the startling open line til the satisfying conclusion. I loved this debut novel's focus on finding love in unexpected places and family.

I hope Regina Black gives us more stories set in this same world. There are so many characters that I would like to know more about, like Mia & Joe, and Sofia.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for a copy of this book.

"𝘙𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘵....𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘸 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯. 𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘺 𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘩𝘦'𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦."

Add this to your TBR immediately! I don't say that too often and mean it the way that I do right now. This debut novel is breathtaking and I just want to take the time to say thank you Regina for not giving up on this dream. The Art of Scandal is by far one of my favorite reads of the year. There is so much pain along with the romance in this story, it will take you on a journey that made it hard for me to put down. I found myself hooked from the very start and on the look out for Ms. Olivia Pope when things really started to go down. Again I want to praise this phenomenal debut, I cannot wait to see what Regina has in store. Thank you @netgalley and @grandcentralpub for this advanced copy for my honest review!

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦:
+ age gap
+ the world of art
+ family drama/trauma
+ forbidden romance
+ Scandal vibes
+ political drama

I was intrigued as soon as I saw the cover for this book. The story absolutely lives up to the amazing cover. Rachel has to deal with the fact that her husband is having an affair but she doesn’t want to leave a 13 year marriage with nothing. They agree to stay together until his election and she will get $1 million. What Rachel is not counting on with meeting the artist Nathan, and having some sort of instant connection with him. The story has so many nuances and shows you that there is not always a right or wrong, but generally an in between gray. It also shows a difference of how and affair is seen when a man does it then when a woman does. It also shows how society views a black woman differently in the situation, that Rachel finds herself in. The attraction between Rachel and Nathan is like reading fire on the pages. There’s also an emotional depth to their feelings that surprises both of them. I also like the way the book really examines how both Rachel and Nathan do you think about the repercussions of their actions on their families. This is a book that shows love can be complicated and messy yet can succeed.

The Art of Scandal by Regina Black is a layered, complex and beautifully written debut novel - I couldn't even tell because it was so well crafted. While it's about outside my usual contemporary reads, I enjoyed the reverse age gap and true soulmates trope. Black infused this story with so much joy, angst, and personal growth that I am still thinking about it a few days laters. Rachel, the FMC, gets the chance to rediscover who she is after being married for quite some time - she had completely lost her identity to support her husband and his career. I laughed, teared up, and wanted it to work out with Nathan so badly. This book kept me on my toes with a few twists and was just so darn good! I highly recommend!

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

What a sexy debut novel!

Rachel meets a man who transforms her life from being the Mayor’s wife to the women she dreamt of living. Rachel and Nathan’s sexual chemistry sizzles through the pages. From its opening chapter, this novel captivated my reading time.

Throw in some politics, a scandal and some naughty behavior and you’ve got yourself book you can’t put down.

Simply based on its cover, you know this book will be scintillating read.
Older women, younger guy romance - I’m here for it!

Thank you Grand Central Publishing for the complimentary copy.

Loved the drama in this story. It kept my interest from beginning to end. Loved the scandal and all the political aspects as well. This was well written and definitely steamy. The two leads had great chemistry and the aha moments kept me on the edge of my seat. I look forward to more by this author. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.