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Sign up todayAugust Lane
A former country music heartthrob takes another run at stardom by reuniting with the uncredited writer of his only hit, the enigmatic daughter of a Black country music pioneer—who happens to be the woman he’s loved since they wrote the song together in high school.
Every Thursday night, 36-year-old former country music heartthrob Luke Randall has to sing “Another Love Song.” God, he hates that song. But improvising acoustic covers of his decades old hit at an interstate motel lounge is the only regular money he still has. After another lackluster performance at the rock bottom of his career, Luke receives the opportunity of his dreams, opening for his childhood idol—90’s era Black country music star, JoJo Lane, who’s being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He needs the money, and impressing JoJo could mean a nationwide tour and a second chance at stardom. But the concert is in Arcadia, Arkansas, the small southern delta hometown he swore he’d never see again. Going back means facing a painful past of abuse and neglect. It also means facing JoJo’s daughter, August Lane—the woman who wrote the hit song lyrics he’s always claimed as his own.
August hates that stupid song. And she hates Luke Randall even more. When he shows up twenty years too late and tries to apologize for lying about “Another Love Song,” August isn’t interested in receiving credit for a song she despises. Instead, she offers him penance: he can co-write and perform a new song at the concert, something that will launch her out of her mother's shadow and into a songwriting career beyond Arcadia's limits. Desperate to keep his secret, Luke agrees to put on the rogue performance during JoJo’s show, despite the risk of losing his shot at a tour and a new record deal.
When Luke’s guitar reunites with August’s torchlit alto, neither can deny that the spark that drew them together as teenagers is still there. As the concert nears, August will have to choose between an overdue public reckoning with the boy who betrayed her, or trusting the man he’s become to write another love song.
Regina Black is a former civil litigator, current law school administrator, and life long romance reader who has always been passionate about the depiction of Black women in popular culture. She currently resides in Little Rock, Arkansas with her husband and daughter.
Reviews
Praise for The Art of Scandal"As poignant as it is passionate, this marks Black as a writer to watch."—Publishers Weekly "The combination of complex characters, gorgeous prose, and a compulsively readable plot made The Art of Scandal one of my top romances of all time. It was an ache in my throat, a crackling tension in the air, a haunting melody in my head long after I'd finished reading. I absolutely inhaled every word and am ready for everything and anything Regina Black writes in the future."—Alicia Thompson, national bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers “A seductive, sweltering debut. Regina Black crafts such decadent tension between her characters and their opposing worlds, each word chosen for maximum impact. Achingly raw and beautifully messy—this book is a work of art."—Rachel Lynn Solomon, New York Times bestselling author of The Ex Talk "The Art of Scandal is devastatingly beautiful and captivatingly romantic. Every so often, a book strikes the perfect chord of touching, poignant, sexy, and thrilling and this is that book. Black's storytelling draws you in and holds you close and her diverse cast of characters shine with three-dimensional emotion and sizzling chemistry. This one is not to be missed."—Denise Williams, author of How to Fail at Flirting “Smart, sexy, and absolutely sizzling with steamy scenes, this book makes the list as one of my all-time favorite romances. Art, scandal, and finding love where one leasts expects it—what’s not to adore?"—Ashley Herring Blake, author of Delilah Green Doesn't Care “Richly characterized and beautifully depicted, Black brings the political drama and electric chemistry of Shonda Rhimes’ Scandal to this novel of two starkly different individuals learning to find themselves in each other.”—Shirlene Obuobi, author of On Rotation "The Art of Scandal is a one-of-a-kind story! Sexy and smart with messy yet relatable characters, this is the book you need in your life! Regina Black is a force!"—Catherine Adel West, Author of The Two Lives of Sara “Right out the gate, Regina Black charges in to bring drama and sensuality. Black's dazzling use of language creates a compelling novel of heartbreak, passion, and rediscovery. Justice for Rachel Abbott is as delicious as it is scandalous. Readers are going to cheer for her the whole way!”—Charish Reid, author of The Write Escape and Hearts on Hold “As a hopeless romantic, Regina Black’s The Art of Scandal hit every beat for me. This wildly steamy, utterly heartwarming novel is all about finding transcendent love and passion where you least expect it—and the ways in which art can transform our lives. Rachel and Nathan are incredibly drawn, flawed-but-lovable characters, and their love story will stay with me for ages. Such dreamy escapism!”—Tia Williams, New York Times bestselling author of Seven Days in June "Alternatively funny and poignant, thrilling and salacious."—Kennedy Ryan, author of Before I Let Go Expand reviews