ARC Review: How to Survive a Scandal by Samara Parish

“How to Survive a Scandal is a great addition to the Regency romance genre.”
~ Under the Covers

Amelia is a proper young lady, the height of fashion in the ton and groomed to be a duchess practically her whole life. But when she gets herself in a bit of trouble and ends up in a compromising situation with her rescuer, Amelia is forced into marriage with him and knows all her plans are ruined. Benedict is an untitled son of a footman, resentful of the aristocracy and everything it represents – which now includes his new wife. Miles away from London society and with no household to run, Amelia vows to make Benedict’s life miserable. But when Amelia realizes that her duchess training could actually help Benedict’s business, she sets out to prove to him that high society isn’t all that bad. As London society clashes with small town politics, Amelia and Benedict’s marriage will be tested. Only forgiving and forgetting the past will allow them to have a future together.

How to Survive a Scandal is a wonderful start to a new series by Parish, a series fans of Regency romances will surely love. The compromising situation scenario may not be new to the Regency romance genre, but Parish definitely made the story her own by adding an enemies to lovers element between Benedict and Amelia. Told from alternating views, we really get to see Amelia and Benedict evolve as characters throughout the story. Amelia goes through the biggest transformation in this story, starting out as an icy aristocrat and ending up in love and happy in the last place she ever imagined herself.

This novel is a clean romance, fading to black for anything more than kissing. Parish may keep the heat to a minimum, but there is still plenty of love and romance between Amelia and Benedict. While I don’t normally go for clean romances, especially when there are compromising situations afoot, I didn’t find How to Survive a Scandal lacking. The banter between Benedict and Amelia added an extra level to the story and Parish was able to create sexy scenes that didn’t involve explicit sex, making How to Survive a Scandal a great, if not tame, read for fans of both clean and erotic romances.

How to Survive a Scandal is the first novel in Parish’s new Rebels with a Cause series. Each book will focus on a different couple, so while we might be done with Amelia and Benedict’s story, Parish does tease us with the next couple throughout this story and I’m eager to see how the next romance comes together and plays out on the page.

Even though I don’t normally gravitate towards clean romances, I thoroughly enjoyed Amelia and Benedict’s story. How to Survive a Scandal is a great addition to the Regency romance genre.

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