Threat of Scandal by Ayr Bray

Threat of Scandal Reviews

• 
  Deborah

  This story focuses on Georgiana a few years after the marriage of Darcy and Elizabeth. A rumor is flying through the ton about Georgiana and the Duke of Rothford. As one rumor is squashed another, more vicious rumor is passed around. Who is behind the rumors? What will happen to Georgiana's reputation? A very enjoyable story that s hard to put down. One element of the book I very much appreciated is that the author, at the end of the book, let you know there would be sexual content. There was ample warning and you could make the choice to read the epilogue or not. This made it a book I could readily share with my teenage nieces or mom. I hope the author makes this an option again.
• 
  Barb

  I put this in my I won't finish shelf. I have always enjoyed Ayr Bray's books, but I read half of this one and did not enjoy it. There were two major reasons.
  
  1. Georgiana is falling in love with a Duke and is told to forget him because he is too high above her socially. Really? My understanding was she was the granddaughter of an Earl. The Darcys are described as being in the very top circle of the ton. This just didn't make sense to me that she was hurting her and the Darcy name by overreaching for a Duke. Am I wrong?
  2. I really did not like either Elizabeth or Darcy in their reaction to her budding relationship with the Duke. I found them very unsympathetic and even cruel telling her he would never consider her as a wife and to recognize he was only being nice to her to avoid the scandal. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! And, they were so worried about their and Georgiana's social standing. This just did not seem like the couple I knew from P&P who risked society's wrath with their own marriage.
  
  This was just too out of character for me. The story was interesting, but when Georgiana's angst came from the Darcys, I had to call it a day.
• 
  Katherine

  I loved this book! The novel starts about 4 years after P&P and focuses on Georgiana. We get a sneak glimpse of the happy relationship Darcy and Elizabeth have which is bonus! Georgians name is nearly ruined by false gossip of the London elite and her name is tied in with a Duke - a man whose title makes him out of reach for Georgiana. The Duke offers to help clear up the gossip when Darcy contacts him despite a lack of introduction. Georgiana is grateful for the Dukes support in clearing her name at Almacks and showing all of London that they have nothing to hide at the opera. Georgiana starts viewing the Duke as her knight in armour upon a white horse. Her attraction grows despite Elizabeth's caution that her heart not get engaged to a man so far above them in rank and title. But when Georgiana's name is ruined we find out the true culprit and the depth of feelings involved from both parties. Ends happily! A clean regency era romance. My only caution is that the author includes a preview of the sequel to this novel at the end of his novel which is not.
• 
  Mariska

  A delightful Short
  
  I normally avoid short stories, but this one caught my attention and I was glad that it did. It's rare to see a completely Georgiana centric story that has Elizabeth as nothing more than a side character. I enjoyed the change of pace.
• 
  Carol Perrin

  Threat of Scandal: A Pride and Prejudice Seashell me
  
  Family sticks together and with new friends, it's even better. Georgiana's reputation is at stake. The Duke hit her with a door as she walked by. He takes her hand to check her arm and shoulder, and the TON ( or just someone in the TON ) starts a viscous rumor about Georgiana and the Duke. If one rumor wasn't bad enough, three are started before the week is over. Darcy contacts the Duke through letter, which is another no no in the 1800s because he has not been introduced to the Duke. When the Duke returns to London, he meets with them and when the letter comes from Almack’s revoking their membership, the Duke comes up with a plan to end the talk around town. His aunt, Lady Sefton, is one of the patrons of Almack’s so it is arranged that the Darcys are presented by His Grace the Duke of Rothford. Rumors die down eventually. The next time His Grace the Duke of Rothford takes the Darcys to the theatre, Georgiana is once again accosted by Lady Sophie Beck. Mean and hateful, she again causes Georgiana distress. The next rumor that started is that Georgiana is the Duke's mistress has them leaving London for Longbourn to pick up their children Bennet and Jane. After spending the night, the Darcys are planning to head home to Pemberley. Later that night, the Duke shows up at Longbourn to speak to Darcy and Georgiana. He proposes and is excepted by Georgiana and the Darcys. Meantime, the Duke has found out from whence the rumors came from. Lady Sophia Beck, Lieutenant Beck, and good old Captain George Wickham. Beck and Wickham also try to bribe the Darcys for £20.000 after the Marquess of Mardsen gave the Duke his family's smaller home, Manor Rothford, back because of his shame for what his children did to Georgiana. Both Beck and Wickham would be tried for desertion and blackmail punishable by hanging. Within days the announcement appeared in all the papers in London: Miss Georgiana Darcy of Pemberley would marry His Grace the seventh Duke of Rothford. All those people, even some they thought were friends, were left with shame in their hearts for the slight to the Darcys. There were still people of the titled group that thought the Darcys, especially Georgiana, aimed high above their station in life to peruse the Duke. Never would they speak this with the Duke of Rothford around. Georgiana's reputation was restored, and she firmly believed that the Duke was her knight on a white horse that rescued her. The last chapter was really not needed.
• 
  Jennifer Ryan Thompson

  I rated it 3 stars do to the way the author portrayed Mary. I think she could have used a different character for the portrayal of Mary. I took away one star for that. The other star is for how Elizabeth acted in this book. When she told Georgiana that she should give her hopes up for marrying a duke. For one thing, her sister did marry above her and she didn't discourage her. Also, Georgiana is pretty high in society with a lot of money. I mean 30,000 a year! Come one now! I also didn't like how in the prologue it was sex. We didn't even have a hint of any of that throughout the whole book that it didn't make sense for it to be in there at all. I could see if the author suggested any of that sort throughout the book, but she did not. And I do like a risqué book!!
  But I will say it was a good book otherwise. I love reading what happens after Pride and Prejudice even if Jane Austen did not write it.
• 
  Teresita

  A surprising story of how everything can change overnight, and how love can be found in the most unlikely circumstances.
  
  Entertaining and romantic!