The Suffragette Scandal (The Brothers Sinister Book 4)

Huzzah! Courtney Milan!This heart-tugging story of two people living in a world into which they do not fit is a an appropriate ending to Milan’s brilliant Brothers Sinister series. Consider this: despite being called the Brothers Sinister, the titles refer to women, and these books are truly about the heroines and the role of women in Victorian society. And in 1877, suffragettes represented the ultimate threat to the status quo.Frederica “Free” Marshall is the daughter of Hugo and Serena Marshall of The Governess Affair. Her brother Oliver, hero of The Heiress Effect, was educated at Cambridge and is now a member of Parliament. In his story, we saw Free as a precocious youngster who wanted to attend Cambridge and didn’t see why she shouldn’t have just as good an education as her brother. Oh yes, and the right to vote. Fortunately, Girton College came along, and Free got her B.A.Using a legacy from her namesake great aunt Freddy, Free establishes a newspaper – the Women’s Free Press – By Women, For Women, About Women. Free has made a name for herself as a crusading investigative reporter, exposing abuses against women in factories and hospitals and advocating for their right to vote. She has no illusions of achieving total victory, but she is unwaveringly committed to at least trying. At the suggestion that she could have had a easier life married to a lord, she retorts: "I’ve built something here. It’s a business that is not just for women, but for all women. We print essays from women who work fourteen hours a day in the mines, from prostitutes, from millworkers demanding a woman’s union. Do you think I’d give this up to plan dinner parties?"Free and her newspaper are, not surprisingly, quite unpopular with certain parts of society, and now some unknown person or persons are on a campaign to destroy the paper. One day, Edward Clark appears in her office offering to help Free fight her nemesis. After coolly announcing that he is a blackmailer, a forger, and a liar, Edward admits that he has his own reasons for desiring revenge against the man responsible for Free’s troubles. He won't divulge who that man is, but Free realizes that she has little choice but to, if not trust him, at least see if he can deliver.It happens that Free’s adversary is James Delacey, Edward’s younger brother and perpetrator of a cruel betrayal of Edward. For almost seven years, Edward has been assumed to be dead, and James is now on the verge of claiming Edward’s rightful title as Viscount Claridge. Edward does not want the title or any of the responsibilities that go with it, and he had never intended to return to England. James’s vendetta, however, threatens one of Edward’s oldest friends, a young man who writes a column for Free, so Edward proposes to be her ally while keeping virtually all of the details of his life a secret from her.The story takes the reader through several months of Free and Edward working together, and sometimes apart, to achieve their goals, never completely trusting one another. Along the way, Edward undergoes a remarkable, and unexpected, journey toward the discovery that he is not quite so much of a scoundrel as he had supposed. Gradually, he tells Free more about his life -- how he was exiled by his father, betrayed by his brother and eventually caught in the horrible siege of Strasbourg during the Franco-Prussian War, how he was held captive and tortured, and how he came to perfect the art of forgery. But he never reveals his true identity to Free, even after he marries her, and he knows that this is one deception she will never forgive.There is so much to know about Edward that I would have to double the length of this review were I to discuss it all. Suffice it to say, then, that Edward is a reluctant, tortured hero unlike any other I have ever read, and I’m half in love with him myself.Not surprisingly, the other Brothers Sinister and their mates appear as secondary characters, along with Free’s parents. Every book in this series has featured unforgettable characters, and it’s fun to encounter them again.This review has barely skimmed the surface of Milan’s complex, satisfying story, but I want to say a word about the Brothers Sinister series in general. By polite society's standards, there is something "wrong" with each heroine -- Serena, the ruined governess determined to get justice; Minnie, the chess prodigy and political activist; Lydia, condemned by medical "science" for her sins at the age of fifteen; Jane, a naturally loud, talkative, argumentative woman who chose to make herself more even more undesirable to protect her afflicted little sister; Violet, who hides her scientific acumen knowing that society will not accept her discoveries; and now Free, brash, assertive, and committed, no matter that society disapproves of such unladylike behavior.In none of these books does the hero come along, sweep the heroine off her feet and rescue her. Instead, these women persevere until they succeed in finding a comfortable mate and place in the world without surrendering their essential being. And the mates that they find are exceptional as well – men willing to accept the women they love for who and what they are. Milan’s talent is so remarkable that she is able to present these stories without every straying into preachiness. In fact, each book is filled with warmth, sensuality and lots of clever humor.Obviously, I adore romance novels, but Milan's books are really so much more than that. They are not merely historical romance novels. They are history. They are romance. They are excellent novels deserving of wide readership. As I’ve said before, she's playing chess, while everyone else is playing checkers.

This book is such an emotional roller coaster. Throw out everything you know about romance novels because this is now the new standard. There's romance, there's a hunky hero, there's a complex heroine whom readers can identify with. Most importantly, there's a story that will stay with you long after you turn the last page. If you love historical romance, then you must read The Suffragette Scandal.Edward and Frederica "Free" Marshall both shoulder their own burdens as they fight for the people they love. Free's a fearless editor of a women's periodical and flanked by two other formidable women: Alice and Amanda. Her paper is critical to women's emancipation, and she won't let anything stop her from delivering it, even when powerful foes threaten her and her friends' lives. Her courage pulses throughout the novel; yet, she's not a Mary Sue or a symbol. She's a flesh and blood woman with wants, desires, and fears. She feels human and distinct, which I appreciate.At first glance, Edward seems like he'll be the prototypical brooding alpha male from scores of other romance novels. Not so! He has true depth, and his traumas are actually believably traumatic and are not what readers expect. When he says he's dangerous and has done bad things, he means it, which is why it's all the more rewarding when Free finally breaks through to him.The supporting cast also helps bring this story to life. Amanda's growth as a person and as she comes to realize her love for her special someone. She's just as complex as Free without being as much of a firebrand. Even the villain has layers, and is one of those people it's really satisfying to detest while at the same time learning from his mistakes.More than any other romance I've read, this book makes you feel all sorts of feelings. You despair, you're in suspense, you cheer, and you aww. It's romantic without cliches and without trying too hard. This is a must-read for any romance reader.

<i> “Don’t hide it on my account,” he growled. “You have the most damnably beautiful punctuation that I have ever seen. You make a man feel greedy.” </i> Wistful. This book made me feel wistful, enchanted and a little bit sad, ladies and gents. It's extremely beautiful, and I think most authors would sell their souls to be able to manipulate words the way Miss Milan does.However, last two books of Milan I find that I don't feel for her characters the way I used to feel. They are so brilliant on their own they really don't need each other to grow. They are already fully formed and don't require correction or redemption.Free is an intrepid journalist and an owner of a newspaper "by women for women". She is a strong woman, a suffragette and she fights for what she believes with all her heart.Edward is a scoundrel by his own definition, but we, readers, don't really see him the way he does. He is a brave, just man, an entrepreneur, a skillful manipulator and a professional forger due to his past, however he is NOT a scoundrel.When Free and Edwards' paths collide he does everything in his power to help her because he admires her as a woman and as a person. They have amazing banter between them, and it's Edward who almost constantly yields to Free's iron will and expertise. I found that slightly tiring, - that absence of conflict between the main characters, and I also wasn't convinced by the attraction between them. Call me jaded, I know!Overall, it's a wonderful read, and I really liked it. It just wasn't as powerful as Courtney's other books like, for example, The Heiress Effect.

Courtney Milan can do better than this.At the start of the 1877 story Frederica gives Edward a card that says "Frederica Marshall B.A." Couldn't be. Girton women were only allowed to attend lectures with the permission of the lecturer and weren't allowed to take the university exams until 1881. Even then, they weren't awarded the BA degree until 1948. The very first (honorary) woman graduate of Cambridge is now better known as Queen Elizabeth II.The author refers to the track or path from the university. There is no such thing. There is no building you can point at and say "that is Cambridge University" because it comprises very many departments and very many building scattered across the city.Equally, Stephen is supposed to have a student room at the university. The university is where people work. Students have rooms in their college and the colleges are autonomous, not part of the university.Getting married under an assumed name? No, it wouldn't be a legitimate marriage as the book says.Getting married in the evening? No, in that year, marriage wasn't legal except between 8am and 12 noon. Even until recently it was only legal between 8am and 6pm.I have a toasting fork, about 100 years old. I can make toast on an open fire. But cheese on toast? I can't imagine how it could be done, the cheese would fall off...Then the story slows right down in places and I get the impression some padding was added (probably at the request of the publisher) to make it the 'right' length for a novel.Courtney Milan can, and has, done better than this. She needs to take a tourist trip to England, take a good look at the University of Cambridge and the Cambridge colleges, then go home and make some corrections and some necessary cuts to turn this into the kind of story we expect from her.

Eu sou completamente viciada em romances da época da regência. E como qualquer viciada, de tempo em tempo eu preciso de pequenas doses deste tipo de leitura, a fim de evitar minhas inevitáveis crises de abstinência. The Suffragette Scandal é o quarto livro da série Brothers Sinister, que embora não tenha me cativado tanto quanto a série Turner ainda assim, a cada livro, vem conquistando o meu coração e entorpecendo o meu vício.A narrativa conta a estória de Edward Clark que voltou à Inglaterra após mais de sete anos fora do continente. Ele foi mandado embora pelo seu falecido pai e abandonado pelo seu irmão mais novo. Após anos sem contato com a sua família aristocrática ele foi dado como morto. Mas, Edward sobreviveu. Ainda que não da forma mais honrada. O herdeiro ao título de Visconde, se tornou um falsificador e um chantagista de primeira.Frederica Marshall, a Free, é proprietária e editora-chefe do jornal Women’s Free Press, que é escrito para mulheres e sobre mulheres. Ela é uma feminista de carteirinha que muitas vezes coloca sua vida em risco para conseguir uma matéria. Ela é idealista, corajosa e almeja a igualdade entre homens e mulheres - inclusive no que se refere ao direito de voto.Os caminhos de Free e Edward se cruzam quando ele descobre que seu irmão mais novo tem a intenção de arruiná-la. Ele quer ajuda-la, ainda que por razões ocultas. Contudo, ele precisa convencer a Sta. Marshall de que ela vai necessitar da ajuda de uma falsificador, charlatão e mentiroso. Ou seja, de um grande canalha.E nunca houve um canalha mais adorável! Sua mente brilhante e calculista associada com a espiritualidade e inteligência de Free contribuíram para uma estória excitante e encantadora.O romance entre os protagonistas florescerá de forma doce entre atendados contra o jornal de Free, mentiras e confusões. The suffragrete Scandal se passa em 1877 e é rico em detalhes históricos e descrições, mas não ao ponto de ser enfadonho. A escrita de Courtney é certamente mais reminiscente àquelas de autores de romances históricos, e mantem o erotismo à um nível bem baixo, sem contudo se olvidar do romantismo e da sensualidade.Este é o quarto romance da série Brothers Sinister e apesar de poder ser lido de forma autônoma, eu recomendaria a leitura dos livros anteriores, já que temos vários vislumbres dos outros personagens desta série. Recomendadíssimo para aqueles que gostam de romances do gênero.

Das Buch habe ich gelesen, aber auch nur, weil es innerhalb meines Buchclubs ausgewählt worden ist. Sonst wäre ich wahrscheinlich nie in die Nähe gekommen. Ich wollte zwar schon eine Weile Historic-Romance lesen, aber leider war das Buch so gar nicht meins.Die Story ist meiner Meinung nach über die Hälfte es Buches nur so dahin geplätschert, ohne dass wirklich was passiert. Von der Anziehungskraft hab ich selber kaum was mitbekommen und irgendwie fand ich das nur langweilig.Es war so gar nicht meins, leider.

I loved all of Courtney Milan's books (except for the Carhart series) due to the strength of the plot lines and the characterisation. Particularly liked the male lead in this one as he was sarcastically funny. Would highly recommend any of the Brothers Sinister books to anyone who likes historical romance fiction.