The Spinster’s Guide to Scandalous Behavior audiobook

I took a chance on a new-to-me author when my library had nothing new from my faves on offer, and it paid off. I loved the bequest of a cottage to Lucy by her dearly departed aunt and where it led the spinster-to-be, but I also loved the parallels between the two women's lives, as drawn through Lucy's reading of Lady E's diaries. And, of course, I always enjoy stories about spinsters and wallflowers finding love in unexpected places. Cute story. Would definitely read more from this author.

Jennifer McQuiston is one of the talented authors that I was lucky to find. After reading her first book she becomes one of my auto buy authors.The Spinster's Guide to Scandalous Behavior is the second book in the Seduction Diaries, it can be read as a stand-alone novel but I recommend to read the first book in the series.Lucy Westmore is free-spirited heroine who used to dress as a boy and climb up the tree but after her sister scandalous marriage four year ago, she decides to go through the season.Fortunately before the season starts she receives a mysterious package and inherit a cottage in Cornwall from her aunt.When she finds out that her father sold her cottage to the insufferable marquess, Thomas Brandston, she comes up with a plan...............Thomas has a big plan for the cottage if the beautiful and stubborn owner let him...Jennifer McQuiston creates another fun, engaging romance with strong characters. The plot is great, the banter between hero and heroine us fantastic. The ending was fantastic I had a feeling there will be a big surprise toward the end of story but I never could have guessed the surprise.Thank you Jennifer for writing another fantastic, emotional and entertaining romance.

An environmentalist hero? Yes, please. Oh, and he's a nice guy to boot? Sign me up.I'll admit to being a little frustrated with Lucy's stubbornness throughout the story, but the character development was really well done. Toward the end of the story, I found myself really cheering for her instead of being annoyed by her kind of clueless, privileged behavior. And there were a few surprising twists with Thomas that made me love him even more.I loved it!

Good story about a headstrong young woman and a man with a haunted past. Lucy is twenty-one years old and about to start her long delayed Season. The problem is, she doesn't want it. She has no desire to parade herself in front of a bunch of men who only want her for her dowry. She would prefer to follow in the footsteps of her Aunt Edith, who is a spinster. Then she gets word that her aunt has died and left her a cottage in Lizard Bay, Cornwall. Lucy takes this as sign that she's on the right track. She also receives a package with her aunt's diaries, a chronicle of her life on her own.Thomas is living in Lizard Bay and was friends with Miss E, as everyone called her. When Lucy's father comes for the funeral, Thomas makes an offer for the cottage, which her father accepts on Lucy's behalf. The property holds secrets and Thomas is determined to protect them. He is stunned to receive a letter a few days later, from a furious Lucy, who has canceled the sale. He heads to London to convince what he's sure is a silly young girl to part with the property. That meeting isn't at all what he expected.I had some trouble liking Lucy. She was sheltered, therefore completely inexperienced with the real world. She was a bit selfish, taking action without thinking how it would affect others. I understood her need for independence, rather than following the norms of the day. I even understood her desire to see the house for herself. But she was far too impulsive and proceeded without really thinking things through. Her meeting with Thomas was very confrontational, with her being rather judgmental and unwilling to listen to him, though she is also rather drawn to him. When she encounters him on the train, her stubborn attitude continues, even though he is obviously trying to help her.I liked Thomas a lot. He had his errors in judgment at the start, by not telling her the truth about the cottage and why he wants it. But he is at heart, a good man. Three years earlier he had moved to Lizard Bay, trying to escape the memory of what he saw as his failure to help his sister. Friendship with Miss E and becoming part of the community helped, but he still carries a lot of guilt. He is intrigued by Lucy, who is nothing like he expected.I enjoyed the development of their relationship, though I frequently wanted to smack Lucy. They arrive in Lizard Bay and Thomas offers to show her the property, but she is sure that she can't trust him. After two days of trying to get someone else to do it, she finally gives in. By the time they arrive it is dark and raining and the house is only partly habitable. Lucy still insists that she can't trust him, and sends him on his way, only to find herself alone in the house with no clue how to go on. I loved the bit of self-realization as she admits her own shortcomings to herself. An encounter with a rat brings Thomas (who hadn't gone far) running. His protectiveness toward her has him staying close, and attraction continues to flare between them. Her stubbornness gets her into a dangerous situation the next morning. A combined rescue from Thomas and her father also brings out one of the secrets of the property. Lucy's mistrust is stirred again, and she is left wondering which is the real Thomas - the one who keeps secrets or the one who helped her?A little real soul-searching has her finally realizing that she at least owes Thomas the courtesy of listening to what he has to say. I loved this part, as Thomas opens his heart and shows her the real treasure hidden on the property. He also opens up about his past and his feelings for Lucy. But there are still obstacles, mostly his, that come between them and a future. I liked Lucy's realization that Thomas must make certain decisions on his own and how she leaves him to it. I also liked seeing her stand up to her father about her property, and their conversation after was pretty sweet.A trip back to London for her delayed entry into the season puts Lucy back where she started. She still has no desire to participate, but will do so for her mother and cousin. A surprise arrival brings Thomas to her door, after a lecture from Lizard Bay's vicar (who had an interesting revelation of his own). The day brings additional surprises, as well as the happy ending that both Lucy and Thomas yearned for.I loved the epilogue, back in Lizard Bay. Lucy has found a way to help the town that they love. There is another surprise waiting for them, one that I rather expected, but satisfying anyway.

I do not like to give up on a book, the heroine had me on edge for most of the book, but I so wanted to see how it will turn out for her.Is it the author’s talent to create such an upsetting character m, but it worked.I was angry at her for being too stubborn to listen nor give some thoughts before taking matter in hands.The parallel with her aunt’s diary were so flagrant, I was kicking over the traces of her idiocy and impossibility to see past her nose.I hoped she would see beyond the appearances, and give Thomas a chance.But she kept rejecting him, refusing his help.Yes, he has flaws and some secrets but his reasons were not dictated by greed, more to find an alternai solution.After when I think of the story, it was set during a short span of time, so Lucy were not able to understand everything is a so short period, why she acted so dumbly at some point, thinking like the spoiled lady she is and not realizing her project to live alone has some defects.Hopefully the last quarter of the book redeemed the heroine as she made her mission to right some wrongs around her and save her hero.

The Spinster's Guide To Scandalous Behavior could be seen as a feminist manifesto... Regency style.Lady Lucy Westmore is a woman determined to live life as she sees fit.Unimpressed by the "sell one's self to the highest bidder" meat market. Otherwise known as The Season.Young Lucy has chosen, much to the chagrin of her parents, to dedicate herself wholeheartedly to a life of cause laden spinsterhood.The seeming green light in Lucy's plan for singlehood, comes in the form of the gift of a cottage; on the heels of the death of her aunt.Knowing ownership of said property is her ticket to the life of her dreams. Lucy is enraged when she learns that her aunt's fortuitous bequest has been sold; without her consent, by her father.The farthest thing from Lord Thomas Branston's mind when he makes an offer for ramshackle Heathmore Cottage, is the feisty blonde dynamo who is it's true owner. Or the untameable tsunami of emotional upheaval that said dynamo is about to bring into his world, his mind, and his heart.The Spinster's Guide To Scandalous Behavior while a romance, goes about the act of romancing in a decidedly atypical fashion. With both its leading man and leading lady wanting nothing to do with the trappings of love and or matrimony, and the diary of Lucy's confirmed spinster aunt, Miss E, providing anecdotal advice and musings to her 'single lady in training' via her diary.This is a story that finds its feet through the author's masterful usage of situational drama, setting, a vibrant supporting cast, and engagingly witty exchanges between Lucy and her Lord.The cottage and the neighboring town of Lizard Bay, play such a major hand in providing the two stalwart singletons with reasons to come together that they (meaning the places) soon become characters of a sort in their own right.The happily...that readers experience here is less one born of passion in the carnal sense, and more of a connection on a soul deep level. Both Lucy and Thomas soon come to find that they each are the missing piece to the other; when they first come to the realization that they are working toward the shared goal of saving both the cottage and the town that they both hold so dear.This is a wonderful, light, and refreshing read that is unafraid to tackle the very weighty subjects of: woman's rights, personal liberty, and alcoholism.This is the second installment of a series which may be read both individually and/or as part of its respective collection.I received the above referenced work in conjunction with Tasty Book Tours,Edelweiss, and Avon publishing. The review given and all opinions expressed herein are mine, and have in no way been influenced by outside parties.

Lucy was a really fun character, and you can see how much she has matured since the first book. That being said, she was super impulsive, rarely looked at situations from others points of view, and generally acted like a spoiled brat. When she did grow as a character, it happened so suddenly that it wasn’t really believable. Branston, however, was a lovely character, a bit broody at times and with some secrets. But he was also fun, sweet, and admitted he was wrong. I loved the town of Lizard Bay and all the people who lived there.

I rather liked this story. Not perfect, and Lucy and Thomas had moments of silly stupidity, but I still enjoyed it. Although I liked reading Aunt E’s diary, she did some silly, stupid things too.

3.5 stars. A heroine who acts often before she thinks, a mystery aunt and a hero who has his heart in the right place. A plot that sprung a few surprises. Pleasant reading.

This is my first read from Jennifer McQuiston, although I have had What Happens in Scotland shelved for a long time. We are off to a good start with The Spinster's Guide to Scandalous Behavior, so I will definitely try to move the other books up my TBR list. This is the 2nd installment of the Seduction Diaries series, and I obviously have not read the first, which featured the current heroine's sister. There were some mentions of the sister, but not to the extent that I felt lost without reading the first book.Lucy Westmore is a 21 y/o eccentric aspiring spinster who has inherited a remote dilapidated cottage in Cornwall from an eccentric spinster aunt. Unfortunately, Lucy's father decided he could act in Lucy's stead and sell it to Lord Thomas Branston. Lucy renigs on the sale, latching onto the property as freedom from her family's expectations and the season they are forcing upon her. I empathized with Lucy's plight - it must have been very hard to follow societal dictates back then to be a mild and meek female whose sole purpose was to make a beneficial marriage, often to an unappealing stranger. I liked her impertinent impulsive behavior at first, as I would have probably been the same way in her situation. However he stubborn obstinance grated on me in the 2nd half of the book... I wish she could have gotten with a program a little sooner.Thomas Branston is a broken and broody marquess hiding out from his demons on the Cornish coast. In the tiny town of Lizard Bay, Lucky's eccentric aunt (Miss E) had taken Thomas under her wing. So when Miss E dies, he wants to make sure her property is not sold off to the highest bidder. This has Thomas pairing off with the not-so-biddable Lucy Westmore. I loved that Thomas was a bit of a botany nerd and chose to live simply among the town folk instead of exhibiting his status and wealth in London (which he could have done despite the scandal). I really liked Thomas' character, and felt he truly had limitless patience to continue dealing with Lucy's mistrust and headstrong ways.I really loved the snippets of Miss E's diary woven throughout the story. Her memoirs were humorous and somewhat sad at the same time. I wish Lucy would have finished the volumes sooner and learned the ultimate lesson her aunt was trying to impart, because it was very important. I look forward to reading the rest of this series.I received an advanced copy of this book from Avon via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars / 3 flames.

THE SPINSTER’S GUIDE TO SCANDALOUS BEHAVIOR is an elegant, witty, and very entertaining romance about a reformed rake and a hoyden that will delight everyone! Lucy Westmore is a very unconventional Miss. She cares not one whit about the Season and finding a husband; she’d rather potter around in her greenhouse, wearing – gasp trousers! – unlike her half-sister Lydia, who would like nothing more than to be in Lucy’s shoes, in a manner of speaking. Lucy intends to remain a spinster; she is too independent to give in to anyone. One day, she receives a package containing a necklace, a letter and diaries from her Aunt E., whom she barely knew. Lucy inherited her Aunt’s cottage in Cornwall; she sees this as the confirmation of her chosen path, until she realises that she will have to fight over it with Lord Thomas Branston. Lucy sets off, in secret, to Cornwall, and lo and behold, whom should she meet but Thomas himself! Ms. McQuiston has written such enchanting and beautifully drawn characters; both Lucy and Thomas are quite irresistible. He is a troubled but good man, if a tad misguided, and anyone can relate to Lucy’s quest for independence. Lucy and Thomas share the most delightful banter while they first try to see each other’s point of view, and doing so, realise that they are very much attracted to each other, in spite of the circumstances. I absolutely loved reading Aunt E.’s diaries; in fact, the late Auntie is a fascinating presence throughout the book and the parallels between her life and Lucy’s makes for captivating reading, especially from a historical perspective. The secondary characters are fabulous, especially the irrepressible butler Wilson. The romance between Lucy and Thomas progressed organically, and I loved every minute of it. Even though there are a few very small plot twists that were a tad far-fetched towards the very end, they did not mar the logical path of the story nor the overall exquisiteness and charm of the book. THE SPINSTER’S GUIDE TO SCANDALOUS BEHAVIOR is an utterly delightful book, and I am very much looking forward to the next instalment in this wonderful series! I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

If you've always longed to visit the moors and coastal landscape of southern England, this novel paints a perfect picture of the wind-blown cliffs, of broad expanses of heather filling the vista, and of birds nesting upon the ragged rocks. Set primarily against the backdrop of a small rundown fishing village, McQuiston has created a sweeping scenery, so vivid that I felt as though I was walking along the path to Heathmore cottage myself - a two bedroom, dilapidated home that is at the center of this romance. When unconventional Lucy Westmore inherits the property from her recently deceased spinster aunt, only to discover that her father has sold it on her behalf to the Marquess of Branston, Lucy is livid. And rightly so. After all, she is of age and so, the decision to sell the property ought to be hers. But her parents don't see it that way. Her father thinks she should take the money with a thank you and a smile, while her mother is desperate for her to have the Season that she's already waited much too long for - no time for cottages.But Lucy has other plans. Rash and determined, she takes off for Cornwall on her own, only to discover that the only person willing to help her in her mad endeavor, is the very man whom she wishes to thwart. Because there is no way on earth that she is letting the marquess have her cottage. She will fight tooth and nail for it if she has to, even as she finds herself succumbing to his charms.This was a delightful read. The feud between Lucy and Branston was vastly entertaining. Uncovering the secret value of the property and the truth regarding Branston's sister also kept the pages turning fast. There was passion and humor in spades, not to mention a love as expansive as the moors themselves. A wonderful story that I would highly recommended!

Full review at Smart Bitches, Trashy BooksIt took me awhile to really get into The Spinster’s Guide to Scandalous Behavior by Jennifer McQuiston. I’m not sure if that was totally the fault of the book or the fact that my brain is exhausted from my day job and I’m slowly crawling out of a reading slump. The book is brimming with awesome feminism and a beta-hero I loved, but it felt a little like the beginning dragged.I liked a lot of things about this book, especially its hero. Thomas is a beta-hero, and a scientist at heart. He spent his education learning about flora and fauna and rocks — not exactly a course load that’s super beneficial to being a marquess. He’s also a recovering alcoholic. His sister became pregnant out of wedlock, took her own life, and his then-fiancée gave him back the ring at said sister’s wake. Honestly, that’s a pretty compelling reason to turn to the bottle. Aunt E sobered him up, and as a result, he’s got emotional ties to the cottage too.The reason this book didn’t get an A is that it felt a little imbalanced to me. There is a good portion of the book where Lucy traipses around the town of Lizard Bay, learning about her aunt and what she meant to the community. Then at the end, quite a lot happens quickly. I felt like the pacing needed to be evened out a little.I would definitely recommend this book to someone sick of the Regency ballroom scene or to a reader who has “scientist, beta hero” as her catnip, but fans of faster paced romances might want to be cautious.- Elyse

This is the first book I have read by Jennifer and I enjoyed it very much. Lucy is a self proclaimed spinster who doesn't want to have the Season her mother is insisting on. When she thinks she will have to go thru with a Season, her eccentric Aunt dies and leaves her her cottage and land. She wants to go and check it out but her father and mother won't let her go, so she sneaks out and attempts to travel on her own. Thomas is a Marquess who want nothing to do with Society since the great scandal involving his younger sister. He left London for a small town which happens to be the same place where Lucy's aunt lived. When Lucy's father goes to settle his sister's estate Thomas offers to buy it and her father agrees. When Lucy finds out she writes to the person who wants to buy her legacy and tells him she isn't going to sell yet. He decides to go to meet her and talk her into selling. Their meeting does not go well and he leaves hoping she will change her mind. Then they run into each other at the train station and since she is not chaperoned, he feels responsible for her and won't leave her alone. As they spend more time together things start to change for both of them. Lucy has only ever wanted to someone to love her and not her dowry. There is the mystery of why Thomas would want a rundown cottage and land that is not good for much. He is hiding something and she wants to know what. The emotional journey that they take together is filled with adventure, discovery and a love that will heal and flourish.Great romance by an artist who knows how to pull you into the story and keep you entertained through the whold book. Loved it,cannot wait for the next one.