With the heart of a warrior and the spirit of an adventurer Will Repton has faced calamities others can only imagine. When his last one ended tragically with him the sole survivor he returned home to a hero's welcome with a heavy heart. I received an ARC of In Search of Scandal in exchange for an honest review. Susanne Lord does a beautiful job in presenting a man questioning his value. Will came home a changed man. His physical limitations and awareness of his surroundings are more pronounced. He may be home but he feels like the odd man out. He and Charlotte were magic together. She opens his eyes to the fact that in life everyday is a new experience and no matter where you end up someone always has your back. This was a serious story that was laid out with sensational skill and characters that are entrancing. ( )

This is my first Susanne Lord book and I will be back for more. I can't wait to read Seth Mayhew's story next. I think it is really interesting having the stories surrounding explorers who are searching out plants for the East India Company. The only thing that could have made it more interesting is if some of the story actually took place on an expedition. (and from the description for [b:Discovery of Desire|27015395|Discovery of Desire (London Explorers #2)|Susanne Lord|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|47064522] it seems I have that to look forward to in the next book!)
I think all the characters were wonderful. Will and Charlotte are both perfectly imperfect people who are just right for each other and they both have great families that added a great extra quality to the story line.
I'll be waiting for the next book! ( )

I am absolutely astounded that this was Susanne Lord's debut novel. It was utterly fantastic, and gets my vote for my favorite historical romance of the year.

The heroine in this first installment of the London Explorers series, Charlotte Baker, is not an explorer but she does have an adventurous spirit. She has been following the explorations and adventures of botanist Will Repton by reading his scientific papers, and she has pretty much fallen in love with him sight unseen. So when he shows up in her salon, handsome and shy, its like the man of her dreams has come to life. I cannot say enough good things about this heroine. She was so vivacious and good-natured that you could not help but love her. I had such a great connection with her character, even though I don't usually go for those bubbly naive heroines. Her romanticism of Will's adventures and their interactions were written in a way that resonated with that fanciful part of me that tends to daydream up situations in my head.

As for our hero, Will Repton, he was a broody and broken man after suffering a horrible tragedy on his last expedition through China. I was quite surprised that I liked his character so much as I don't usually go for the shy and bookish heroes... I tend to prefer the devilish dukes, rakes and riffraff. But Will was one of those perfectly imperfect heroes that you could empathize with on one hand, and call him a dunderhead on the other. He really was self-sacrificing when it came to Charlotte. I loved that he put her up on such a pedestal, even though most of the misunderstandings between the two could be attributed to Will's low self-esteem.

There were a few times when I felt like I was missing something - when discussing Wally and the Earl and Lucy's prior marriage. I had to check Goodreads a couple times to make sure I wasn't missing a prior book. But this was very minor in the overall scheme of things and it did not detract enough from the story to change my 5 star rating.

I can't put my finger on exactly why this story was so poignant for me, but it evoked lots of emotions and I found myself with a tear in my eye quite a few times. It's rare that modern historicals engender that emotional connection for me, so I was delighted when I felt it happening here. I was really pulling for Charlotte and Will throughout the story, and I was so proud that Charlotte was able to stay positive when things did not quite line up with her dream of a happy relationship. I think one of my favorite moments was When finally realized/believed that Charlotte loved him, even if he didn't think he deserved her devotion. Overall, this was just a beautiful story and I would recommend it to any historical romance fan.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am definitely adding Susanne Lord to my auto-buy list for her future works. 5 stars / 3 flames. ( )

Touching and enthralling!

A roller coaster read that pulls at the heart strings. The raw emotions, the dark secrets that Will Repton fights tug at you as you realize his life has been put on hold, arrested by the dreadful things he has scene. Witness to the slaughter of all his companions in Tibet, Will Repton cannot rid his mind of the events, nor his determination to search for a possible sole survivor. Harbinger of secrets, he reveals to no one his troubled quest. He quietly goes about making plans to return to the area to investigate possibilities wrapped up in the excuse to hunt for more exotic species.
Charlotte Baker is enamoured of Will before she meets him. She has closely followed his work over many years and is delighted to at last meet her hero. A dazzling beauty, she cares little for her appearance. Charlottes convinced that meeting Will will be a marvellous adventure. Little does she guess that though her expectations are not met in many ways, in others she has found her destiny. Charlotte is whimsical and forthright, a breathe of fresh air blowing through the social arena of the time. She is in awe of Will the adventurer and it's only as she comes to know him that she realizes that something is amiss. Sparks often fly in their encounters. Yet their encounters are honest and true. Unfortunately Will has plans that don't include Charlotte, plans to placate his devastated conscience, plans that call for no involvements, least of all a wife. And yet he cannot help but be concerned for Charlotte and troubled by her Lordly courtier.

Charlotte is a positive person and her encounters with Will trouble her as she tries to understand what motivates him. They are drawn to each other, unwitting lodestones of attraction. Can trust and love be accommodated? Is Will able to quell his demons and take up the challenge of a life with Charlotte. The tension is drawn page after page in their advancements and retreats as they struggle to find answers.

A touching and captivating read, that refused to let me go.

A NetGalley ARC ( )

A MUST READ
This book was amazing for a debut author, Susanne Lord writes like she has been writing forever. Absolutely loved the story, so thrilling to read and so sad that it is now over. The secondary character's especially Jacob were just fun to see, would definitely be looking forward to more of her books. Fantastic writing.

THANKS TO SOURCEBOOKS CASABLANCA AND NETGALLERY FOR THIS ADVANCED READER'S COPY ( )