A Little Roman Scandal is the love story of Livia and Claudius. Claudius is a praetor, rich and single. His father throws him a birthday party as a ruse for finding him a wife. The former military man finds the whole thing a bore and sometimes shameful as people throw money and the temptations of their daughters at him like food for lions. Livia is one of those daughters, but when he meets her, Claudius quickly realizes marriage is the bane of her existence and money means nothing to her…only to her father. They meet without names or title, and instant spark developing. But the simplicity of it soon unravels who they are and the fact that Livia is living a life of hell at the hands of a father who has not only engaged her seven times in six months (only to break it off when a better offer comes along) but he beats her viciously whenever she defies him in the slightest.

Jennifer Mueller sets a very thick and rich environment, definitely making you feel the aspects and richness of Roman living. There is nothing wrong with her descriptions, though perhaps there is a bit too much of them when compared to the actual relationship of Claudius and Livia. I loved the environment, even the plot as they trick Livia’s father into thinking things are other than what they are, but as a reader I wanted more of Livia and Claudius. I wanted more of their passion. There is very little of it. Even their first intimacy, their first kiss, is glossed over.

This is a wholesome story. There is no sex or intimacy to it and there is nothing wrong with that. But even a wholesome love story should spend more time on the characters than it does on the furnishings and environment. Ms. Mueller could have done with a little less of the latter and a bit more of the former. She was working in an environment I rarely have seen in historical setting and I was eager for it…and she served it well when setting it, but she can clearly do better when it comes to the fire and passion of love needed for good romance.

Reviewed by: Catrina