More Than a Scandalby Sari Robinsreviewed by Valarie PelisseroJuly 2005, 373 pages, Publisher: Avon, ISBN: 0060575352 Back Cover Blurb: Lovely Catherine Miller has always been timid – until the treachery of unscrupulous cousins threatens her childhood home. But her discovery of the journal of the notorious "Thief of Robinson Square" has given the resourceful lady a plan. To exact a righteous vengeance, she will don the mantle of this "Robin Hood" who, years ago, preyed on pompous Society. She doesn't realize, however, that the one man in London sworn to stop her is the man she has loved in secret since she was twelve!
An important mission to unmask a traitor has brought Major Marcus Dunn back to Catherine Miller, only to find that the shy, awkward girl he remembers is now an enticing young woman with a spirit as strong as his. But the tempting enchantress guards a secret, and Marcus fears his desire for her could expose his own – and send them both careening recklessly toward a passionate love far more perilous than mere scandal.
Major Marcus Dunn is an exemplary soldier, never failing to do what was asked of him in the line of duty, until he is asked to return to Andersen Hall and sit on the board of trustees. You see, Andersen Hall is the orphanage where his father is headmaster and where Marcus grew up. Andersen Hall was also the scene of an angry argument between father and son seven years earlier and Marcus has sworn to never return. When Major Marcus Dunn refuses a direct order he finds himself in military prison facing a court-martial. Wellington, knowing Marcus's stubbornness, makes Marcus a deal he cannot refuse and Marcus reluctantly agrees to the assignment in order to save one of his friends and fellow officers who is also facing a court-martial. Marcus has some unique skills that have made him a success as a spy and his new mission is to infiltrate the board of trustees of the orphanage and discover which one of the trustees is selling secrets to the French and bring the traitor to justice.
Catherine Miller showed up at the orphanage ten years ago sporting a broken leg, and with her four year old brother Jared in tow. Having narrowly escaped cruel relations intent on taking everything the children owned, including their lives, Cat and Jared have been hiding out at the orphanage ever since. At twenty-two, Cat should have left Andersen Hall to make her own way in the world, but Headmaster Dunn, knowing that she couldn't leave her brother, made Cat his secretary so that she could continue to live at the Hall. Cat has been in love with Marcus since she was a girl, and even though he always had the ability to render her speechless with his nearness, Marcus never really noticed Cat, which always hurt her. When Marcus returns unexpectedly and takes his place with the trustees, Cat decides to make his life hell. Marcus may not have noticed Cat as a child, but he is definitely noticing her now.
In More Than a Scandal Sari Robins has written a multi-layered story that she slowly reveals to the reader throughout the entire story, instead of rushing everything at the end of the book. The story never felt rushed to me, instead I was able to get invested in the both of the characters' past and present which made for a more interesting story for me. Cat has one goal in life – to see her brother Jared reclaim his inheritance as Baron Coleridge, but with their villainous relations searching for them and without funds or connections, Cat knows that she has no hope, yet she does what she must to protect her brother. Cat's past is revealed little by little throughout the course of the story, and even though Cat is so unrelenting in her attitude towards Marcus when he finally returns, the reader is really given the opportunity to understand how protective she is of the ones she loves and even the lengths she will go to to protect them, which really made me like the character of Cat. When her brother Jared is swindled and faces prison, Cat faces her demons and dons the mantle of the ”Thief of Robinson Square” in order to steal from her relations what is needed to help Jared. The ”Thief of Robinson Square” stole from the rich and gave to the poor at Andersen Hall, and even though the Thief hung up his hat seven years ago, he left behind a "how-to" manual detailing his exploits, never expecting anyone to find it or to use it. It is this book that helps Cat come out of her protective shell and embark on her own daring escapade.
Marcus's father has always been the headmaster at Andersen Hall, and to a young Marcus's mind, Uriah Dunn always put the needs of his orphans above the needs of his own family. Marcus's reasons for becoming the thief may seem a bit juvenile at first considering his age when he started on that path, but in light of the revelations that the reader learns about Marcus and his father, they fit within the story and make sense. What at first seems like a very antagonistic relationship between father and son, is shown through Marcus's back story to be one of miscommunication and misunderstanding, and it is only after the death of Uriah Dunn that Marcus realizes how much is father did for him and how deeply he cared for Marcus.
As the Thief and as a spy Marcus learned to develop his skills and his cool detachment in the heat of battle is legendary, but Cat has the ability to make him lose that calm demeanor. How is he ever going to find the strength to leave her when his mission is over? Marcus is probably one of the deepest heroes I have read about in a long time. Even though he is a Major and has been in the army for seven years, in many ways he is still a little boy seeking approval from the only parent he has, and when that parent dies Marcus finally realizes that he always had that approval and that it is time to forgive himself, something he has never been able to do. Marcus is one of my favorite heroes and I thought that he and Cat were perfectly matched in strength and character. I loved the fact that while Marcus made love to Cat, he never took her virginity because he knew that he would have to eventually leave her, not many heroes are written with that strength of character.
To sum it up, More Than a Scandal is a wonderfully layered story full of emotion, depth and humor and it should be on everyone's must read list!
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