BOOK REVIEW: What Happens in the Ballroom by Sabrina Jeffries

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🗓️Pub Date: 28 March 2023

|𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲| Historical Romance (Regency)

|𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀|
As a widower, Eliza has decided to focus on running her business alongside her sisters. And has decided that given her family history, remarrying is not for her. Her resolve is questioned when the known rake and best friend of her late husband, Earl Nathaniel Foxstead requests her expertise in order to assist his ward find a suitable match this season.This is the second book in the series, Designing Debutants.

“But despite his reputation as a rakehell of the first water, he’d never used his flirtatious skills on her. Until yesterday evening.”


|𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀|
This one hooked me from the beginning, and found it to be a perfect historical romance. With well developed, flawed characters, paired with some intrigue. It makes for a fast paced and compelling story. Although one secret was fairly obvious from the beginning, how the truth unfolded made for an interesting read.

Great chemistry and tension between Eliza and Nat and it felt like the reasons for keeping them apart were legitimate and not just superficial. The book benefits from a strong relationship amongst the sisters

This is the second book in a series and I followed along fine without having read the first edition. Although, I will definitely be going back and devouring ‘A Duke of Diana’.

I think I’m also a sucker for historical romances. I just find the etiquette and social structure interesting and just want to read more about Duke, Earl’s and Viscounts.

“When you are asked to dance and you accept, which hand do you hold forth for the gentleman to take?” “My left.”

Verity’s story is expected in 2024 and that feels like an awfully long wait.

Favourite Quote:
“How old do you think I am?” “Good God, I wouldn’t be foolish enough to guess”.

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮

✅ second chance romance
✅ regency romance
✅ secret dating
✅ open door romance

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

A run of the mill regency romance... with a bit of heat (contains some spoilers)

Eliza Pierce is one of 3 sisters, and are unusually (for their status and the period) running their own party planning service - Elegant Occasions. When Nathaniel Stanton, the best friend of her late husband, turns up asking the sisters to help his ward, sparks fly between the two. A highly charged affair between the two begins almost immediately, but Eliza and her sisters are curious about why Nathaniel has taken on the responsibility of the daughter of his former general in the army. Little do they all know the drama that is about bear down on their lives...

The book doesn't make the readers wait for an HEA but draws out the mystery of Jocelin and her past and why Stanton is so keen to help her. The mystery isn't much of a mystery though, and by halfway through the book, it's pretty much obvious who Jocelin is (barring a slight twist at the end). All in all a fun romp of a read but wish the HEA was more teased out and the mystery was a little less obvious.

What Happens in the Ballroom appears to be the 2nd book in a series by Sabrina Jeffries, this is my first book by this author

(Disclaimer: I received an ARC of the book from Kengsington Books & NetGalley. All opinions in this review are my own)

I’m so honored that I was able to read this delightful novel by my favorite romance author a little early! Thanks netgalley! Sabrina Jeffries is a master of the craft and everything she writes is touched by her wit and how much she values progressiveness and women. I liked A Duke for Diana, but I LOVED What Happens in the Ballroom. Eliza knows exactly what she wants and takes full control over her body and her life. Nathaniel is respectful and honorable, even when he’s keeping secrets, and he’s soooo into her. I just adore these two. Another winner from the incomparable SJ!

I love the passion and chemistry found in Jeffries’ books. Her characters have an undeniable physical attraction but also connect on a deeper level as well. While I found it confusing how Nathaniel’s feelings for Eliza seemed to appear out of the blue, I enjoyed how much they respected each other. However, Nathaniel’s untrusting attitude was disappointing. He (originally) had so much faith in Eliza’s scoundrel of a husband but lacked trust in the ones who truly cared for him.

Jocelin’s identity was both a mystery and kind of obvious. I liked how we were never 100% sure what to make of her. I was shocked by her behavior in the end though, and I wish Nathaniel hadn’t put her needs above Eliza’s for so long. Despite this, I adored the conclusion of Nathaniel and Eliza’s romance. Nathaniel did a great grovel, and Eliza really made him work for her affection.

Overall, this was a very emotional and dramatic romance. I highly recommend it.

*I received an ARC of this novel. This is my complete and honest review.*

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy! Enjoyed this classic regency romance story.

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ / 5

Spice Scale:
🌶️ - Now Kiss: Super tame, no allusions to sexy times
🌶️🌶️ - Fade to Black: Stuff happens, but offscreen
🌶️🌶️🌶️ - On-screen sexy times, limited description
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - On-screen sexy times, explicit description
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - 🚨🫣🤭🫠🍆💦🤤🤤🤤🚨

Trigger Topics: Domineering parents, cheating spouses, references to death during war (mild on-page descriptions)

I really loved the first one in this series and couldn’t wait until this one, so of course I devoured it quickly! The author is wonderful and her stories are sweet and entertaining! I loved that Eliza and Nathaniel(Earl of Foxstead) have a past. Foxstead was friends with Eliza’s late husband. They were soldiers together. Foxstead doesn’t want love. He was a former rake. Foxstead has a ward(Jocelin) along with her young son. He wants to find her a husband as he promised Jocelin’s father. So he hires Eliza and her sisters(they have a buisness) to help Jocelin! Eliza is so sweet, strong, a widow, curvy, and loves to sing. She runs a business with her 2 sisters. I really loved watching these to try and fight the lust and feelings before they finally gave in! They really were perfect for one another! I loved the twist that was added in it! I think it gave the store more heart! Such a great story! I’m looking forward to Verity’s story next!

I was lucky enough to be given a free copy in exchange for an honest review. I have read many Regency romances and they range from 'can't put it down ' to ' life's too short to waste on this'. This book is definitely in the can't put down category. There is actually a story with sub plots, secrets and mysteries with characters we care about. The ending is a given in this genre but the road that leads there is full of twists and turns and surprises. Thankfully there are no endless descriptions of ballgowns, gentlemen's different sets of clothing and silly conversations between giggly girls and their maids. I am looking forward to being able to read the next book in the series.

4.5-5 Stars! Loved it! You really can’t go wrong with Sabrina Jeffries! This is the second book in the series ‘Designing Debutantes’ and can be read as a standalone but I’d recommend reading the first book also. The main characters in this book are Nathanial and Eliza. Eliza’s the widow of Nathanial’s friend. I love that the sisters in this series run their own business, ‘Elegant Occasions’ and they’re independent women before it was cool or allowed. Nathanial took some time to actually like. The book wasn’t slow to start, that’s for sure. Had some twists I didn’t see coming and I loved every shocking moment!
Can’t wait to read Verity’s book with the Phantom man next!
*I received this at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*

Rating: 4,5 ⭐️
Spice: 2,5 🌶

Elegant occasions is back!
This time the spotlight is all on Eliza and Foxstead.
Lord Foxstead has brought back a ward from the war and now he is trying to find a husband for her. Since Eliza is the widow of his late best friend and she runs Elegant Occasions with her sisters he thinks they are the perfect candidate to get his ward a perfect debut in the ton and setting her up with a good husband.
But there’s a reason Foxstead wants his ward married off quickly, and it would destroy him and Eliza if the truth would ever come out.

The second book in the Designing debutantes series by Sabrina Jeffries was a delight to read!
If you want main characters that know what and who they want, but secrets are interfering with it, this is the one for you.
The chemistry between Eliza and Foxstead is Off. The. Charts! Sparks fly, and they fly big time.

Eliza is an amazing character, Nathaniel is an amazing character. Can’t praise them and their banter enough. The steam though.. pfew. It was hot!
I’m a sucker for a good carriage steam scene and this delivered!

Foxstead handling Eliza’s dad was amazing, the talk down Eliza herself gave her dad after was even better.
The bond between the sisters gets even more solidified in this installment and I can’t praise it enough.

The way all the secrets were revealed were the only thing that was a bit of a let down for me. There was so much potential for lots and lots of angst and corruption, especially with the threats by major Quinn and the sisters’ dad.
I do admit to find it refreshing! 2 adults sitting down and talking about the secrets and the conflict that lies between them, so that they might have a shot at happiness. The secrets that were between Eliza and Foxstead were genuine, valid concerns and the conversations between were a delight to read.

Then let’s talk about the setup for Verity’s story. I was so invested in that! That stranger that keeps spying on the sisters events. I’m very curious how that will unfold!

Thank you Kensington Books and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC. All my opinions are my own.

This was my first Sabirna Jefferies book so I wasn't sure what to expect, though considering that she's "one of the biggest names in romance, " I had pretty high expectations. But...I was disappointed.

Eliza is a widow who runs, with her sisters, a service called Elegant Occasions, which from what I could tell (because it wasn't spelled out), helped young women with their debuts. They do the catering, music, and invitations, so they're basically party planners, I think. They had to do this because their father disowned Eliza and divorced their mother, so there's a ton of scandal in the family (though the elder sister Diana married a duke). So Eliza is approached by her late husband's friend, Nathaniel (an earl), who brought his ward that he picked up while he was fighting a war on the Continent. Eliza is apprehensive, not least because the ward seems to be infatuated with Nathaniel. She also suspects that there's more to the relationship between them than what Nathaniel is telling her. Well, through al ltheir conversations, they apparently start to lust for each other, and as with all romances, they all end up happily ever after.

Lovely story, but I didn't feel the pull between Nathaniel and Eliza. There was no yearning and there just didn't seem to be much between them. I expect my regency romances to have high drama and a lot of lust between the characters, but Eliza and Nathaniel were just kind of there, interacting with each other. There was a lot of telling and not showing, and I had a hard time with the blend of modern behaviors in the regency timeframe. This book was just ok.

Thanks to netgalley for this Advnced Reader Copy. All opinions are entirely my own.

This was pretty great, I think I enjoyed it more than the predecessor in the series. The characters here were both well developed and the relationship that unfolded for them was complex in a wonderful way. Great depth here and a good choice for fans of historical romances with a more feminist lens.

I absolutely loved "A Duke for Diana" so I was looking forward to this book eager to see what fate was in store for Diana's widowed sister Eliza. Well, I was not disappointed.. This book was just as good if not better than the first. The story moves along at a very nice pace, with lots of quick witted banter between the sisters along with their menfolk. There are a lot of secrets being held by Nathan and when Eliza discovers the worst of them, well you need to read the book and find out, I will not give spoilers! Eliza learns some shocking truth is all I can say. Oh and I can also tell you that Verity's mystery man makes another appearance and narrowly escapes being caught and revealed. Hmmm, wonder who he is and will he end up being Verity's viscount in the next installment? We shall see. I will be eagerly waiting. Meanwhile I recommend both books in the series. They can be read as standalones but I feel they would work better and you would have a more enjoyable reader experience reading them in order. So grab both and enjoy!
Thank you to Net Galley and to Kensington Books and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

We always buy Sabrina Jeffries for our library. Our patrons adore her. She writes the best mix of banter, romance, and plot.

4.5 stars

A slightly more mature hero/heroine. Our heroine is a widow, the hero someone who's fancied her from afar and who was instrumental in her husband joining the military. The books part of a series about three sisters who create an event come mentoring service after the acrimonious divorce of their parents. I was surprised the mother was allowed to remarry because I thought divorce in those times was very sexist; the man was allowed to remarry to ensure the succession of heirs for his title but not the woman, perhaps she married abroad?

Both Nathanial and Eliza are fairly lusty so a few passionate scenes. Fairly easy to guess about Jocelin. Nice story.


I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

After reading the first book, A Duke for Diana, I just couldn't wait for Eliza and Nathanial's story especially after since they had such little interaction with each other in book 1. I was eager to see how their relationship was going to happen.

I really loved watching them both work through their own struggles and wounds both on their own at first, and then they were able to come together and tackle the obstacles together. Normally I don't like it when the romance hinges on a lie(s), but there was just so much underlying genuine warmth and tenderness between them that I felt confident by the end that they were strong enough to face the ugly truths when the time came.

The reason I give 4 stars and not 5 is that I did not feel like there was very much plot going on. There was a lot of telling and not showing here. I was bored of the actual storyline - if there really was one? The lies/truth were juicy enough to carry the book, but I could have used more "action." But I think we may just get that with Verity and her Phantom Fellow in the next book and I can't wait!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I don’t know why the title of this book was changed. I liked the alliterative progression this series had
A Duke for Diana
An Earl for Eliza
then I assume A Viscount for Verity?

What Happens in the Ballroom is a clever take on the Vegas motto but there isn’t a ballroom scene in this book.

I liked the characters of Eliza and Nathaniel and I enjoyed the dynamic between the sisters.

Nathaniel has a lot of secrets and the big reveal of the biggest secret was a bit confusing. I needed to reread this passage more than once to keep the players and their machinations straight.

That being said I still enjoyed this entry in the Designing Debutants series as Sabrina Jeffries is a favorite of mine.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Eliza and Nathaniel love story is one of previous acquaintances that feel in love. They have to learn how to trust each other and be open to love.. They have both been shaped by their experiences with love.

Nathaniel and Eliza's story, second in a series about three sisters, is a cute romp that I mostly enjoyed. I don't think I read the first novel (A Duke for Diana, unless it underwent a name change like this one--formerly An Earl for Eliza), but I was able to follow this one just fine. That said, I think reading them sequentially would probably be better; there seems to be a thread about the Phantom Fellow--likely Verity's hero, and probably a viscount if the original book titling holds true--that carries through. I also wondered if we learned more about Eliza and her first husband (and maybe Nathaniel too) in book 1 that would have enhanced my reading of this one.

But anyway, we quickly learn that eldest sister Eliza is a war widow and that her husband Sam was an ass. Nathaniel, her husband's BFF, also served, and came back to England not only with the news about Sam but with a very young woman (also a war widow) and her son. Nathaniel has asked Eliza and her sisters to help his ward with her debut. Nathaniel has secrets involving Jocelin, secrets that he fears will ruin his growing relationship with Eliza, and these secrets are what drive the story's conflict.

Of the secrets, one is far too obvious; it really can only be one thing. To that end, I think it would have been better had the author let the readers in on the secret early on. Then we could cringe along with Nathaniel and worry how on earth he'll explain his way out of this one rather than be annoyed that something so obvious is supposedly a secret from us. The other one can be figured out but works okay as a secret.

Dialogue is snappy and amusing; Eliza gives as good as she gets and is a heroine to admire. Nathaniel was harder to like, more for the secrets we know he's keeping from Eliza than his distant past as a rakehell. However, he very visibly knows he's mucking things up, and I have to admit it's rather charming. All that said, the obvious secret and what he's asking the sisters to help him with is a little bit of a mood killer.

Would I go back and read Diana's story? Probably. Will I read Verity's? Most likely.

I received an ARC of this book for free from the publisher and Netgalley. I'm writing this review voluntarily, and it reflects my honest opinion. Thanks!

“You said you’ve seen me ride. Now I want to see you ride”
This regency romance was a wild ride !!!
I’m absolutely in love !!!!
I had previously read a Duke for Diana which, honestly, felt like one of the best regency romance I’d ever read !!! I thought no one could do better than Diana and Geoffrey … but then Eliza and Nathaniel came up … and they completely changed the scenario !!!!
Eliza is an amazing main characters and I absolutely loved the way she owned her state of widow and how she took power in the effect she had on him. And Nathaniel … that man has a mouth on him !!!!
I never thought I could feel so thrilled to hear him talk, trying to figure out what he would have said next !!!
Romantic but so spicy !!!! I enjoyed every second of it !!!!
Honestly between the three sister … I cannot wait for Verity story to finally complete the trilogy of the women of this world … and their very wicked and very dirty mouthed men !!!!
“If you’re finding your seat, minx, do it quickly, because I can’t take much more”
“Well … how else am I to slake my hunger and thirst?”

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I have read almost all of Ms. Jeffries’ books, and I love the premise of this series—three sisters who own and operate an event planning business, essentially. All of the sisters have strength of character, and the relationships among them are strong. The sisters’ interactions are part of what makes this series, and this book, enjoyable.

What I particularly liked about this book was the characterization of Eliza and Nathaniel. They had clear personalities, histories, and values that drove their decision making. Were those decisions always wise? No, but they were understandable. Their attraction to each other also was grounded in their history and didn’t feel like insta-lust.