Breath of Scandal - Sandra Brown

Summary: On a rainy southern night, Jade Sperry endured a young woman's worst nightmare at the hands of three local hell-raisers. Robbed of her youthful ideals and at the center of scandal and tragedy, Jane ran as far and as fast as she could. But she never forgot the sleepy "company town" where every man, woman, and child was dependant on one wealthy family. And she never forgot their spoiled son, who with his two friends changed her life forever. Someday, somehow, she'd return...exacting a just revenge, freeing herself from her enemies' grasp and, perhaps, fulfilling a lost promise of love. (Summary from back of book - Image from amazon.ca)

My Review: I know... another Sandra Brown novel. I am a insatiable fan. This was a second time read for me, and I enjoyed it every bit as much as the first time.

Jade Sperry is a young girl growing up in a small southern town. She is pretty, and has the eye of some of the wealthiest boys in town. However, Jade only has eyes for Gary Parker, a poor farmers son and she and Gary begin planning a future together, much to the displeasure of her mother. But, Jade is a strong confident girl who know what she wants and won't be swayed by her Mom's ideals. Just when everything seems to fall into place for the young couple, a brutal attack by three of the town's local hotshots throws Jade's life into turmoil.

What they cannot know, is that their choice to violate Jade that night will haunt them forever. Jade faces the scorn of a mother, who takes the "you were asking for it" approach, and an entire town that is under the thumb of her attacker's father. She leaves town determined to make something of her life and spends the next ten years plotting her revenge, her justice against the three men that walked away laughing, leaving her for dead a decade before.

I loved this book, as I do most of Brown's novels. I liked the unexpected moments that you realize something that you missed is unfolding, some part of the main characters plan for vengeance that you could never have predicted. As always, the romantic sideline was very steamy without being over the top. A dark man in a hard hat and wranglers......that's not over the top is it?

My Rating: 4 Stars

Sum it up: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.