Almost a Scandal by Elizabeth Essex
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Filled with Historical Details this is a Unique Look at the Royal Navy

“Whatever it was, this friendship, this affinity between them, she was not alone. He felt it, too. It only remained to see what they were going to do about it.”

FINAL DECISION: Totally immersed in the historical period and setting, ALMOST A SCANDAL is more a story about the journey of the heroine than it is truly a romance. There is a romance but the amount of time and detail paid to it pales to the heroine’s task in impersonating a man in the Royal Navy.

THE STORY: Sally Kent comes from a family of naval men. When her younger brother runs off to avoid service, Sally decides to take his place by dressing as him and joining the British Royal Navy. Sally loves being on the ship and being part of the crew except for Lieutenant David Colyear. Sally fears that David will recall the girl who tagged after her older brothers so Sally wants to avoid David and yet she is captivated by him. If David finds out her secret, she will lose her opportunity to serve and bring ruin upon herself and her family.

OPINION: I enjoyed this book because of the unique story of Sally. While I have read books about women masquerading as men before, few have done it as successfully as Sally. She is strong and clever and entirely capable. The world the characters inhabit is detailed and realistic and I know so much more about the Royal Navy and sailing after reading this book. The author’s research and dedication to the topic is admirable. There are certainly documented instances where women masqueraded as men especially during wartime so there is real life precedent for Sally being able to maintain her disguise.

I also at times really enjoyed the romance between Sally and David. I thought there was great tension and intense drama between them. My disappointment was that the ultimate resolution felt rushed and forced. As a result, I felt the romance in the book was diminished in favor of the personal journey of Sally.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book is incredibly detailed about the workings of the ship so readers who are not interested in such history might become bored.

CONNECTED BOOKS: ALMOST A SCANDAL is the first book in the Reckless Brides series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3.5 stars.