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Lessons from a Scarlet Lady

by Emma Wildes

reviewed by Cheryl Sneed

January 2010, 336 pages, Publisher: Signet, ISBN: 0451228790

Lessons from a Scarlet Lady begins each chapter with an excerpt from Lady Rothburg's Advice, a scandalous book which offers women tips on handling men in and out of the bedroom. While I'm finding this plot device to be getting a bit old, over all I enjoyed this book. And, despite the impression left from the back cover blurb, Lessons from a Scarlet Lady also features not one, but two romances, both of which receive equal page space.

Our first romance is between a newly married couple, Brianna and Colton, the Duke and Duchess of Rolthven. Brianna fell in love at first sight and hoped that Colton's stiff and formal manner would change after they were married. It has not. He is kind and polite, and excessively boring in bed. Oh, Brianna enjoys his lovemaking, but there is a distinct lack of passion, and, other than in the bedroom, they lead almost separate lives. Brianna uses Lady Rothburg's advice and soon their sex life is much improved, though Colton feels a bit shell-shocked. However, there are plenty of other areas in the marriage which need help.

Brianna's friend, Rebecca Marston has been secretly in love with Colton's brother, Robert, ever since her debut two years ago, even though Robert is barely aware of her existence. And, even if he were, there is a long-standing enmity between Robert and Rebecca's father, who wrongly holds Robert responsible for some past family trouble. Events conspire to bring Brianna to Robert's notice and he likes what he sees.

Of the two romances, I enjoyed Brianna and Colton's more. Rebecca and Robert's was your basic, rakehell and spinster story: the admiring from afar, the rescue from a importunate suitor, the sudden absorption of the hero, the parental resistance - while it's well written, it is very familiar territory. Brianna and Colton, on the other hand, have a marriage in trouble, though Colton doesn't realize it, and seeing his slow realization that something is different with his wife, that, while he has always admired her, now he is actually beginning to like her and want to spend time with her, is an interesting and unique journey.

The two romances alternate chapters and I occasionally found it to be intrusive to have to plow through a Rebecca chapter when I was more interested in Brianna. Another problem for me was the wrap-up of the romances. They suddenly reversed roles as Brianna's dissolved into cliché territory while Rebecca's became more interesting. I suppose it balanced out, but I'd rather that they were both interesting through the whole book.

Still, Lessons from a Scarlet Lady was a good book with an interesting premise, and well worth the reading.

Reviewed by Cheryl Sneed, January 18, 2010