A Game of Gossip — Sandra Sookoo

Withstanding scandal and scrutiny often requires creative outlets for releasing pent-up emotions. Carew—Harry—Chadwick, Earl of Westmoreland, enjoys a sterling reputation, likes things ordered and proper, but a broken engagement in his past marred that perfect record. Though he works tirelessly in the Lords for reform, which doesn't win him many friends, the need to control every aspect of his life grows overwhelming, especially with a gossip columnist dogging his steps. It's starting to grate, which prompts an answer and a passionate rebuttal. After the bespectacled, Honorable Louisa Hellerton's character was shredded following the abrupt end to her engagement with the perfect earl, society thought her sullied and below their notice. She turns to taking out her ire on various people within the ton in the gossip rags while under a nom de plume and her favorite victim is Westmoreland. Deep down she knows he has a few secrets that would make his perfect image crumble, and she desires that destruction… as well as him. Harry retaliates with juicy tidbits of his own, which kicks off an ugly war of words. Sparks and accusations fly, but as they balance on the razor's edge between hate and love, dominance and control, they're never far from scandal. With the back-and-forth blurbs in the papers keeping them at odds but building desire, and an important vote in the Lords looming, and steamy, clandestine meetings between them that bring them ever closer to forbidden love, rumors begin to swirl. Unless the fiery pair admits to what they truly want from life, neither will be able to claim a romance for the ages, or find peace.