You did it! We figured this one out! It is a truth universally acknowledged (by me for certain) that the Bitchery pretty much knows everything, and really, it's true. Scroll down to see the solution for this HaBO - and many thanks!
This HaBO request comes from Ciri, who is searching for a regency romance:
This is driving me crazy. There’s a book, and it’s a regency, and there’s a trio of sisters, I think. It’s always three sisters, isn’t it? Well, the unmarried sisters go to visit their married sister, who they think was ignoring them or something but actually she’s in a controlling relationship where the dude’s an abusive jerkface, but abusive jerkface husband ends up dying, possibly murdered.
Instead of reporting this, they cover it up so the sisters can have their coming out and find themselves husbands. I think. But then the dead guy’s twin(?) brother shows up and things get complicated. Or something? What I know is that there’s more than one book in the series, and the books tell the same plot from the perspective of each couple. And at least one book has one of the heroines traipsing about barefoot because freedom from horrible husband.
I think there’s a funny scene at the end where everyone lies in wait for the murderer and I mean everyone, hiding in all sorts of strange places. I could be mixing up books, though.
This is giving me some heavy Clue vibes for some reason. Do you know this one?
I would read this lunacy in a heartbeat.
Scandalous, by Karen Robards? https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/728452.Scandalous
Ooh, I think this is the Madison Sisters trilogy by Lyndsay Sands!
First book: The Countess
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8437192-the-countess
THE FAIRY TALE COURTSHIP DID NOT TURN INTO A HAPPILY-EVER-AFTER …
Not until her husband dropped dead, that is. He had been horrible enough to Christiana during their short marriage, and she was not going to allow the traditional period of mourning to ruin her sisters’ debuts as well. So she decides to put him on ice and go on as if nothing’s happened …
Until the real earl appears. Richard Fairgrave had every intention of confronting his villainous twin who had robbed him of his name and title … only to discover that he had died. Quietly assuming his identity, Richard must now deal with a maddening desire for his ravishing inherited wife — certainly a gold digger and possibly a murderess. And Christiana must deal with an unwanted new husband … and they both must figure out what to do before the ice melts.
Ooh! This sounds like my catnip! Regency setting? Sisters? Murder and mayhem? YES PLEASE
@kd that sounds like a match but even if it’s not – I am all over those Madison sisters. Wow!
KD, yes! I knew I’d read that book, and could even remember the covers and the set up of the books (at least book 1 and 2 took place at the same time). But I couldn’t pull out the author or the titles — it would’ve driven me batty!
D’oh! I just saw the set up was in the description — I read the first half and missed that Ciri said it was the same timeline from different perspectives. It’s definitely the Madison Sisters books.
Lyndsay Sands- yes one I know whoohooo
Wow, the Sands book sounds great. And only 2.99 on Kindle.
CLICK.
Well, this sounds rather silly and delightful. Off to the library site to see if this is available for checkout!
I admit, I am intrigued by this storyline too. And I’ve never read a Lynsay Sands, so the first book, The Countess, just landed on my Kindle courtesy of the county library:-)
I really like Lynsay Sands books… they all have a light touch to them that makes for enjoyable reading. This sounds like amazing crazy sauce, so I’ll have to read about this frozen earl-sicle.
Thank you, KD! That is EXACTLY the book! Time to track it down again 🙂
I’m sorry. All I can think of is The Dixie Chicks singing –
“So Earl had to die!! Na na na na naaa naaa naaa!”
This plot sounds so very familiar to me but I would’ve sworn I hadn’t read anything by Lyndsay Sands. Methinks it’s time to rectify that…and what better to start with that this HaBO? Off to the BCPL website I go.
I knew this one! It’s burned into my brain on account of a love scene (this isn’t a spoiler – just an example of the crazy that ia this book!) between the hero and the heroine that takes place IN THE SAME BED AS THE DEAD GUY.
It’s most definitely a Lynsay Sands book. Part of the Madison Sisters trilogy. The first one is the one you’re looking for called “The Countess”. The other two in the series (in succession) are “The Heiress” and “The Husband Hunt”. I loved all three characters and each book INDIVIDUALLY, but I would not recommend reading them consecutively immediately after you finish one book because most of the story surrounding the sisters depends on the plot of the first book -so it’ll be like reading the first book three times with added stories. If you space them out a bit, you’ll find they are delightfully fabulous reads. You won’t stop laughing.