A Mad Passion by Scarlett Scott

Impossible Odds…Past hurts and betrayal. Now Cleo is married to a blackguard who would never divorce her because he needs her money too much. And Alex is on the verge of a betrothal that will further his political career. But they have been pushed together at this house party and have come to realize they still love one another. The risk of scandal is great, but they can’t seem to resist each other or that they have A Mad Passion.

Seven years ago, the Marquis of Thornton broke Cleo’s heart. He’s the last man she wants to see at the country house party she’s attending with her sisters. However, fate has a different plan when she finds Thornton standing before her, as devastatingly handsome as ever.
Thornton’s resolve is tempted by Cleo’s reappearance in his life. He’ll stop at nothing to have her back in his arms. Now a respected politician, he jeopardizes his career and reputation with each secret moment he spends with her.
A steamy interlude in a darkened chamber, the crackling tension of a shared Shakespeare scene before the rest of the house guests, and one too many secret kisses prove to Cleo and Thornton that despite their scarred hearts, their feelings for one another may never have changed. But neither is free to pursue the other. Cleo remains hopelessly trapped in a loveless marriage, and Thornton is on the cusp of making an advantageous match. Together they must battle against ruin and swirling scandal to discover if their mad passion is worth the price.
Blush: This is a sensual romance (may have explicit love scenes, but not erotic level).

Cleopatra Harrington is the daughter of an earl, and while part of a large family, still had a large dowry (her own money?). Her romance with Alex, Marquis of Thornton, during her coming out season seemed ideal. But due to her money, Lord Scarbrough set them up and she believes he was keeping an actress on the side while courting her. When she broke off with him, he left for America and Scarbrough took his place. When she found herself pregnant and unable to get a hold of Alex, she had little choice but to marry Scarbrough. They were barely together for a few months and even then he was cold and uncaring to her. He has caused her nothing but shame and pain: gambling, drinking, and openly keeping mistresses (low class ones on the “wrong side of the Park” no less). Even becoming Countess of Scarbrough did nothing to ease her embarrassment. They have lived apart for years, but Cleo does not follow the peer habit of married women living ‘apart’ taking lovers. She is happier left alone. Or so she thought until the house party where she encounters Alex again after seven years and finds she is not immune to him.

Alexander de Vere, Marquis of Thornton, remembers Cleo from when she was little and lived on the neighboring estate. When he encountered her at a ball after taking his title (i.e. after his father’s death), he was amazed at the lady she had become. Their affair was fast and hot. But Alex was still somewhat young, never making her an offer and easily tricked by Scarbrough into escorting Scarbrough’s mistress for an evening where Cleo sees him. Thus Scarbrough arranged for her to think Alex was at fault; and her ending things and choosing Scarbrough is a betrayal as far as Alex knows. (He never even knew about the baby.) He puts since all his time and energy into politics and has a very promising career ahead of him. His mother, the dowager Marchioness, has picked out a very suitable bride that will further his career and has managed to get him to agree. Everyone knows there is an understanding between the families, Alex just hasn’t offered for her yet. He is at the house party to escort his mother and younger sister before he is expected to go offer for his ‘soon-to-be-betrothed.’ What no one, especially the dowager, planned on was him seeing Cleo again and realizing he was still in love with her.

Over the course of the house party, Alex and Cleo ‘find each other again,’ even if they fight several times as well. The past is brought up and the truth comes out, even about the lost baby. By the end of these two weeks, they are more in love than ever. But Scarbrough married Cleo for her money, which he is happy to spend on drink and women. There is no way he would be willing to divorce her and loose his free ride. Alex’s career will not stand up to the scandal of a married mistress or a divorced wife. But Alex doesn’t care and is willing to give up politics and focus on his estates to be with her. He finally is able to convince Cleo to come away with him and return to his home.

But the dowager is not willing to risk Alex’s future. She arranges for several people as well as his ‘soon-to-be-betrothed’ to be at the house when they arrive. And everyone one on the dowager’s side works on Cleo, pointing out the scandal and just what Alex will be loosing to be with her. When the Prime Minister falls ill and he is called to London, Cleo realizes his heart is still in politics.

Alex returns home to find Cleo gone. He thought they had worked everything out and doesn’t understand why she left. Old hurts and insecurities come up. But can these two ever really be together? Everyone is working against them (except Cleo’s sisters). Can they even learn to truly trust each other after everything that has happened over the years? Will they be happy after sacrificing so much for each other?

A Mad Passion is a good historical, Victorian not Regency. We learn what is possible and not to be able to divorce. Divorce was set up in favor for men, only possible in extreme cases for women. Often the women are left at a disadvantage in these cases, regardless of who was at fault or ‘won’ the case. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the social stigma attached to divorce made it much worse after the fact. A Mad Passion even references an actual case of the times. I already knew most of this, but didn’t really understand as much about the political-social intermix of these times. I know the House of Lords was based on Titles/peerage, but didn’t know how much other politics were effected by gossip and such (A Mad Passion goes into a little detail about this, but I did learn something new and we infer a lot more).

I do have a few things to say about some of the characters in A Mad Passion. First off, Cleo is a much better person than I will ever be. So maybe killing her husband would be extreme, but spreading the rumor that he has a VD or some sort would be ok, right? Wait, if he can’t get it anywhere else, he would come back to her bed, and that would be the last thing any of us would want from this waste of a man. So I guess she should have come up with a way to keep him from her money, but the times don’t make that possible. Moreover, Cleo is way too nice. She takes cruel barbs from Alex’s mother over and over again (and bad gossip and his sister being mean). I would have lost my cool so many times with the dowager! And Cleo is the making of Alex. He is such a stuff shirt before they get back together. When you are known even in political circles as the tolerant one, always keeping a cool head, you are lacking something in your life. Cleo doesn’t just bring out A Mad Passion in him, she relaxes him and brings out the love of life (as well as her) in him. I love that he doesn’t hesitate in being willing to risk scandal or give up politics, which he loves, for her. But the real stand out character in all of this is the dowager Marchioness. That woman is a piece of work. She never has a positive thing to say, nor does she hold back on all the ugly, negative remarks she comes up with. She even managed to make me mad, and she is just a character in a story (but smacking her would have felt so nice)! There are also several supporting roles that are good, like Cleo’s sisters and even her friend Julian, that add extra depth to A Mad Passion.

A Mad Passion is slightly different then the other ‘second chance at love’ I have read lately. Alex and Cleo admit their love for each other earlier than most of these stories, but have to work much harder to win through in the end. After the first betrayal it is easy to doubt when things get hard or something happens. And these two have so many issues to fight past, which one wonders if they will make it. A Mad Passion always has something going on as well, so you are always entertained.