Review of Regency romance How to Survive a Scandal by Samara Parish, a promising first novel

 

The trend in Regency romance novels is for the heroines to be outsiders to the ton, the clique of titled, usually very rich families who spend their time going to balls and trying to marry off their debutante daughters to equally rich, titled men. Some of those outsider heroines are untitled women with actual jobs (or at least are apparently untitled); others have the requisite pedigree but are socially awkward or are more interested in creating dictionaries or editing feminist magazines than getting married.

How to Survive a Scandal by Samara Parish refreshingly goes in an entirely different direction.  Its heroine Amelia is at the top of the ton's heap, a diamond of the first cut (as they say).  At the beginning of the book, she is one of the mean girls that wallflowers in other books hide from.  She can overpower anyone with a raised eyebrow.  She can destroy an aspiring debutante with a cutting remark.  When she tries a new dress style, everyone copies her.  Most importantly, she has every expectation of marrying a duke she does not know well, and she is absolutely fine with that.

When, due to circumstances that are never really explained, she is rescued from freezing to death by  apparently untitled factory owner Benedict Asterly and found in an accidentally compromising position with him, she is forced to marry him, move to his country house, and adapt to his non-titled ways.  

I was rooting for Amelia to absolutely lean in.  It really seemed that she was going to take the talents she had developed her entire life -- the ability to run a huge household, to bend people to her will, and, in short, to be an absolute boss -- and apply them to her new life.  And she does, kind of.  She updates Ben's house, opening closed rooms and hiring and training better servants.  She brings her organizational abilities to Ben's factory and vastly improves it.  

But the book never quite lets Amelia be as amazing as she could be. The second half of the book focuses on Ben, the much less interesting character, and his whining about, oops, he's titled and super rich after all.  

The book also has very murky politics.  The French Revolution and the reign of terror serve as a backdrop to the action.  The English nobility is sorta kinda evil because there's one old titled guy who sexually harasses maids and is going to take away farmland from tenants.  Ben is -- sorta kinda -- presented as the better alternative, with his factories that will provide jobs to people.  Yet there are random scenes that show his employees almost dying because the factory's working conditions are so dangerous.  And what is the profit that Ben will make compared to how much he will pay his workers?  

How to Survive a Scandal also has less complicated plot points that are never resolved.  What's really going on with the sexual harasser lord next door?  Is he behind the sabotage on Ben's factory or is his role just coincidence?  Why is Amelia's former fiancee such a jerk to her?  (It's obvious that the sequel will be about him and his love interest, but does that excuse him from never having a frank conversation with Amelia?)

This book is Samara Parish's first novel.  She has definite promise.  Just like I hope for Amelia, I hope that Parish leans into her strengths.