A Scandalous Portrait (Rose Room Rogues, Book One)

Callie Hutton

Dec 2020 · Callie Hutton LLC

About this ebook

The Earl of Huntington (Hunt) is a silent partner in a successful gambling hell run by his two brothers. A well-respected member of the ton, he moves about in Society as an unknown agent for the Crown on its most sensitive matters.

Lady Diana is a long-time friend of Hunt's with the ability to embroil herself in difficult matters that require his assistance. Once again she needs his help, but this situation could be a major scandal if discovered.

Against his better judgment, Hunt agrees to her scheme, but this time the circumstances cause him to see the woman he’d always considered just a friend in a different way. The strong attraction he feels must be squelched since she would never do as his Countess. Scandal follows her every move.

Ratings and reviews

The Earl of Huntington (Hunt) is a silent partner in a successful gambling establishment run by his two brothers. A well-respected member of the ton, he moves about in Society as an unknown agent for the Crown on its most sensitive matters. So his life is not mundane and peaceful all the time. Lady Diana is Hunt’s long-time friend who is quite different than most of the other ladies, and her independent spirit often threatens to get her in trouble. Hunt firmly believes that her wild spirit is not what he needs in a wife. Yet the more he looks at the quiet and demure women, the more the wild Diana catches his eye. He can count on her, and she can count on him. Are they both coming to the realization that life would be boring without the other? And that they are truly a perfect couple? I enjoyed this story. Reputation was so very important at that time. But Diana was encouraged to be herself, and that was more important than being a cookie-cutter copy of the other society ladies. Grab your copy and see where this realization takes them.

A Scandalous Portrait is a phenomenal historical romance by Callie Hutton. Ms. Hutton once again provides readers with a book they won't want to put down. This well-written book is loaded with a cast of characters that are fun, lovable and sometimes trouble. Diana has always managed to get herself in a fix and Hunt was always ready to step in and rescue her. Hunt is mid-search for a wife when he gets sidetracked with Diana's newest problem. Diana and Hunt's story is packed with drama, humor, spice, action and suspense. I enjoyed every page of this book and look forward to my next read by Callie Hutton. A Scandalous Portrait is book 1 of the Rose Room Rogues Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from Bookfunnel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved this delightful introduction to the Rose Room Rogues series. The characters are delightful and you’ll feel as if you’ve become good friends before the book is finished. As always with this author, the writing is excellent, the plot is tight and well-executed, and the epilogue is the perfect ending for the book. The Rose Room is the most exclusive gambling hell in London – maybe even all of England – and it is owned by three brothers. Sebastian Rose (Hunt), the Earl of Huntington, isn’t exactly a silent partner, but he isn’t involved in the day-to-day running of the hell since that would reflect upon his title. Driscoll Rose is a mathematical genius who keeps the books and does the hiring for the club. Dante Rose is a by-blow who was fully acknowledged by his father and was raised alongside Hunt and Driscoll. Dante was always laid-back, cool, calm, and collected. He handled those delicate situations that were about to turn sour. Oh – and lest I forget – all three were also agents for the Crown. Hunt has decided it is time for him to take a wife and set up his nursery, so he’s attending ton events in order to ‘inspect’ the current crop of debutantes on the marriage mart. His requirements are simple – right – she must be refined, biddable, and scandal-free. Her not being a chore to bed would also be desirable. He cannot bring scandal to his title or his lineage. However, all of the debutantes with whom he’s danced or spoken bore him to tears – he has not seen one with whom he thought he could spend the rest of his life. Lady Diana Pemberton is the daughter of the Marquess of Rockingham. To Hunt, she’s also known as Lady Trouble because from their childhood forward, he’s always been rescuing her from one scrape or another. She has only just returned to London after being banished to Italy for a year because of a scandal in which she was involved. The scandal wasn’t her fault – but, being a female, she is the one who took the brunt of the censure. She’s an independent woman who has her own fortune and her own home separate from her father who lives days away in northern England. Lady Diana is everything that Hunt doesn’t want in a wife. While attending a ball, Hunt is dismayed to see Lady Diana heading directly for him. Uh Oh! Lady Trouble needs rescuing again – he just knows it. Yes, that is it exactly – and when she tells him her tale, he can’t help but agree to assist her. Then, helping her leads to a case the Crown assigns him and they are thrown together more and more. She even saves him – but that causes consequences he’s happy with, but she isn’t sure she is. I loved seeing Hunt come to realize that what he thought he wanted and what he really needed were two different things. Then, I loved watching him convince Diana that is what she wanted as well. Their growth together was a lovely thing to see and they really did suit each other perfectly. I definitely recommend this lovely read and hope you will love it as much as I did. I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

About the author

USA Today bestselling author, Callie Hutton, is the author of more than forty-five historical romance books and historical cozy mysteries. She writes humorous and spicy Regency and Victorian with “historic elements and sensory details” (The Romance Reviews). With close to a million novels sold and translated into several languages, she continues to entrance readers with her heartfelt stories.