To avoid being caught in a compromising situation, Piers whisks Charlotte behind a curtain, where she spends the next few minutes attempting to subdue a fit of the giggles by burying her head against his manly chest as the mysterious couple gets it on just a few feet away on top of the desk. Unfortunately, however, Charlotte’s attempt to warn Piers they should stay well away from each other is interrupted when an amorous couple stumbles into the room. He’s also gorgeous, but even if he weren’t completely beyond her touch, Charlotte isn’t interested in finding a husband right now, as she is planning to go on a tour of the continent with Delia as soon as the pair of them can secure their parents’ permission. He’s rather surprised by her statement, but it doesn’t faze him one bit and he quickly shows himself to be possessed of a dry wit and sardonic sense of humour. The ladies are at a house-party at the Nottinghamshire home of Charlotte’s best friend, Delia Parkhurst, and when Charlotte discovers that the wealthy and eminently eligible Marquess of Granville is also in attendance, she takes it upon herself to assure him that she has no desire to marry him. Some characters from the other books make brief appearances (notably Charlotte’s sisters and Piers’ brother), but they are incorporated in such a way that the newbie won’t feel adrift.Ĭharlotte Highwood is twenty years old, pretty, vivacious, intelligent – and being driven slowly mad by her mother’s constant attempts to throw her into the paths of eligible men. Dare’s work or to either series could start listening here quite easily.

Fortunately, however, the book works perfectly well as a standalone, so anyone new to Ms.

Do You Want to Start a Scandal is both the fifth book in Tessa Dare’s Spindle Cove series and the fourth in her Castles Ever After series as the protagonists are Miss Charlotte Highwood (sister of Minerva from A Week to Be Wicked) and Piers Brandon, Marquess of Brandon – the marquess who didn’t get the girl in Say Yes to the Marquess.

Tessa dare diana highwood