Lady Maggie's Secret Scandal

Written by Grace Burrowes

Narrated by James Langton

Lady Maggie Windham has secrets, and she's been perfectly capable of keeping them . . . until now. When she's threatened with exposure, she turns to investigator Benjamin Hazlit to keep catastrophe at bay. But Maggie herself intrigues Benjamin more than the riddle she's set him to solve. As he uncovers more and more of her past, Maggie struggles to keep him at a distance, until they both begin to discover the truth in their hearts.

Contains mature themes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Nov 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781515980469

Reviews for Lady Maggie's Secret Scandal

[Jane Engelhardt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This may have been the best in the series because the problem was more real and more of a serious problem. it was engaging and interesting and exciting. I really enjoyed this one. Liked H and H, liked side characters. A definite read. Langton is always good.

[blodeuedd_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Burrowes books are always so easy to read, they just flows, even when you get annoyed at the characters ;) But then again it would not be that easy to get me to marry you either if I just met you.

Maggie is the bastard daughter, still she is adopted and loved. Oh and she is 30, oh yes 30, I loved that. She is firmly in the shelf and she does not care cos she wants her independence. And with a mother who was a courtesan *coughs whore* I do get why she wants her freedom. I like an author that takes a chance with an older heroine.

Benjamin is someone we have seen around in previous books, he finds missing things, he digs up dirt on people. Not your usual kind of hero and of course I like him, because he is nice. So very nice and kind. He wants to protect Maggie and as in previous books he is the one who tries to make her see that they would be good together. I always love a hero who fights for that which he believes in.

Sure, one thing was silly but I got it, it was there to bring the drama forwards. Maggie is kind and loving and scared. That is why the big scandal is a secret. But with a talk she could have saved herself from much grief. Even I knew that something we found out could not be. And I did not really see what the scandal was about either. She is a walking scandal herself. Still was the whole deal does it brings the drama and the fear that everything will go downhill from now. That is exactly what kept me reading. I wanted to know if everything would work out and if they would live happily ever after (which they always do but a good authors makes me fear it none the less. )

Conclusion:
I can't say what made it so, but this was my favorite Grace Burrowes book to date. Light, exciting and with a happy ending that will make you smile.

[jorgeousjotts · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked this one a bit more than the one right before this, but the characters, the heroine especially, were still a bit muddle-headed, which isn't my favorite. Meh.

[seanbata · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love everything by Grace Burrowes, and Lady Maggie's Secret Scandal is no exception! I can't wait for her next book.

[bookaholiccat · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

2 ½ Stars

This book was a 3 ½ Stars until the last scene, when it lost 1 star for something Maggie did/said. I can't say more without giving spoilers away.

[ladypembroke · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While I spent most of the novel wanting to smack some sense into Maggie's head for not letting people help her, I also adored watching Benjamin fall head over heels. From our previous dealings with him, I was pleasantly surprised to read such a charming portrayal.

[ktleyed · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lady Maggie has a secret that is controlling her life, although no one knows about it until her reticule is stolen with incriminating letters and she gets the family "investigator" to try and find it for her. Of course, she's vastly attracted to him and vice versa but she is convinced nothing can come of it because of her "secret." Oh what little faith she has in him! I love this author, but I found there were down times in this book, Maggie is hard to like. She's tough and extremely independent. Loved Ben, though. Some tears in eyes moments at the end with His and Her Grace. Looking forward to the next in the series.

[scoutmomskf · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good book. Lady Maggie is the Duke's oldest daughter. She is also illegitimate, though he did adopt her. She has been an important part of their family all along. Maggie is very independent and is determined that she won't marry. She has her own household and is a bit of a financial genius. When her reticule (purse) goes missing with some very personal items in it she hires Ben Hazlit to find it. Ben has worked for her family before and Maggie has always intrigued him. In order to find her missing property they will have to spend time together and he suggests a fake courtship to prevent rumors. But the more time they spend together the more Ben wants to make it real and Maggie is afraid to.Maggie's independence is something she has worked hard for. Even though she loves her family and knows that she is loved by them, she still feels disconnected. She has distanced herself from them in order to protect them from her scandalous background. She is very conscious of being the daughter of a courtesan and lives a life that she keeps clear of any hint of impropriety. When her bag with some very personal letters goes missing she hires Ben to find it. But her stubbornness prevents her from telling him everything he needs to know to find it. She consents to his fake courtship, but is frustrated by the way that he acts as if it is real. She doesn't plan to ever marry as she doesn't want her background to reflect badly on a spouse. She is drawn to Ben in a way that she has never felt before. She would like nothing better than to make it real also but feels it is impossible. I loved her closeness to her family. She was determined to protect them and therefore didn't tell them what had been going on. I felt that she didn't give them the credit they deserved, as they would have solved her problem without her having to go through everything she went through. Her feelings for Ben were growing stronger every day but she still had problems trusting him enough to tell him everything. When she could separate herself from her problems, I loved seeing the wonderful relationship that was growing between them. Finally allowing herself to trust Ben completely not only solved her problem but knocked down the last of the barriers between herself and her family. She also allowed herself to fulfill her own dreams.Ben has been working as an investigator to various members of society for a long time. He prides himself on his ability to do what needs to be done with discretion and honor. When Maggie comes to him for help he nearly turns her down because of her refusal to give him all the necessary information. But he is fascinated by her and also senses that the secrets she keeps are tearing her up. He uses the fake courtship as a way to meet with her without arousing suspicions but soon finds that he is more interested in Maggie herself than in finding her property. I really liked his ability to see beneath the prickles to the woman beneath. He saw in her the same kind of loneliness that he suffered from and found that he wanted to make their "courtship" real. His frustration at her secretiveness was real and he found himself doing things he didn't usually do while trying to help her. He was also very protective of her which started him realizing that she meant more to him that just a job. I loved his support of her and how he accepted how much her independence meant to her. The resolution of her problem was handled perfectly by Ben and her family. I really enjoyed seeing more of the Duke's family. From being such a pain in the first books it becomes more obvious that the Duke loves his family very much. I really enjoyed seeing more of his relationship with his wife and how devoted they are to each other. I loved the way that they worked together for the benefit of their family. I also enjoyed seeing the relationship the brothers had with Maggie, their obvious love for her and how they wanted her to be happy.

[mikaela_l_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After the disappointment I felt over Lady Sophia's Christmas Gift, I hesitated but I decided to purchase it. In fact, I did more than purchase it. I decided to use one of Allromance ebooks 10th for free discounts, and pre-ordered it. And l am glad it did.

This book reminded me why Grace Burrowes is on my auto buy list. It has everything I want in a good novel. Both Benjamin and Maggie are fascinating characters. None of them are intrested in waltzing around in ball rooms.

One thing that I like is that the fact that Maggie is on the shelf. She have fought for her independence, and won it. It was fascinating to see how the wall of isolation she had built around her to keep her secrets hidden came crumbling down when Benjamin started to poke his nose into her life.

Benjamin is the perfect compliment for Maggie. He is curious, strong and trustworth. It was touching to watch how he gradually coaxed out Maggie her secrets.

But what I liked the most were how tightly intervoven Benjamin's search for Maggie's purse and their romance was. Often, the mystery plot feels tacked on but not in this case. No, in this novel Benjamin's search is what propels the novel forward.

I also liked that the romance developed gradaully through the book, and that even when they have revealed the secrets to each other their path isn't easy.

The end was touching on so many levels, and changed a lot of the family dynamics within the Windham family.

So what I didn't like.

I had a lot of trouble with believing that Benjamin could keep the fact that he was titled a secret from a big part of the Ton. Yes, he might be from Cumbria but still. I thought there were some sort of calendar that listed all eligible Lords? Or maybe I am mixing things up.

[jyl22075 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book quite a bit. It was my first Grace Burrowes book, and I will definitely be reading more of hers. I really like the Windham family and look forward to reading about the other siblings. I think this would have been a five-star read for me if Maggie had trusted Benjamin with her secret a bit sooner.

One thing to note is that I think this is probably a series best read in order. In many cases with historical series, it doesn't really matter what order they are read in, but there are so many characters in this book at the beginning that having some knowledge of who everyone is would be a big bonus.

[readsalot81 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The fact that the heroine didn't clue the hero until the story was about 80% in really kind of ruined it for me. I did like the characters and the way the author writes.. but the story felt dragged out and with what ended up happening.. VERY predictable. Which is a shame, because I adore the writing style.

[readinggeek451 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Eldest Windham daughter Magdalen has successfully avoided marriage and set up housekeeping by herself. Conscious of her illegitimacy, she guards her privacy carefully. But when her reticule goes missing, she hires Benjamin Hazlit, who has secrets of his own, to find it.This series keeps getting better.

[vampiregirl76 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lady Maggie has secrets and normally has no trouble keeping them - that is until her reticule goes missing. With there being a lot at stake, she enlists the help of the very tempting Bejamin Hazlit to find her missing item.I love Lady Maggie's story. Benjamin Hazlit and Maggie Windham make a surprising pair, but all together a wonderful couple. Their relationship has a rocky start, with a lot of snipping at each other, but their coming together was sensuous and lovely. Lady Maggie's Secret Scandal is a delightful read. Full of mystery and romance. Ms. Burrowes spins enchanting stories, that get better with each book. I love the suspense that spans the story just as much as I do the love story. The Windham's series is both intriguing and easily addicting.