The Society of Sirens continues with artist Cornelia’s story. As the Sirens realize they are out of money, they are interrupted by Cornelia’s old friend, Rafe Goodwood, who is now a duke and is returning to allow Cornelia to take her rightful place as his duchess. Through flashbacks throughout the book, it is revealed the pair eloped 20 years prior in order to help Cornelia escape her uncle. Reunited in the present the pair decide to present Cornelia to society as the duchess and host her scandalous art show at the same masquerade ball. The pair are still deeply attracted to each other but neither is really fond of the idea of marriage.

I loved The Rakess and really enjoyed this one, though it was not a perfect book. I enjoyed both Cornelia and Rafe. I liked how each had such distinct voices that made their POVs fun to read. I really enjoy Scarlett’s dry humor that comes through wonderfully in the writing. I was delighted to find that the first intimate scene on page was a MMF encounter between Cornelia, Rafe, and Rafe’s lover Rory. I can’t think of another Avon historical with polyamory on page. I enjoyed seeing all the Sirens again, especially Seraphina and her partner Adam.

I had big issues with the age gap between Cornelia and Rafe. In the present she is 38 and he is 54, which doesn’t bother me one bit, the ick factor for me is that when they married she was an 18 year old overly sexualized Black woman and he was a 34 year old white man. This was a weird power dynamic that was never really addressed in the book, in fact the plot line about her race seemed to simply be dropped before the book was half over. It felt like the author was not comfortable writing a character of color and had written herself into a corner by introducing Cornelia as Black in the first book. I wouldn’t have had issues with the age gap had they married 10 years in the past rather than 20.

Overall I did really enjoy the book and I am excited to see where the rest of this series goes. It seems like with how this book ended that the next story will be about Thaïs. Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is, frankly, not my favorite Scarlett Peckham book but I did still enjoy it. I enjoyed the premise of a long-ago marriage of convenience that became relevant again, all while both people have been harboring real feelings. I appreciated the depiction of sexuality, which I will say without spoiling anything was unusual for a tradpub romance! The couple had great chemistry and you could feel their history, which unfortunately made the conflict fall flat for me. I am also a big fan of historical romances featuring artists. Whether there was justice done to the racial element in this romance I will leave for more qualified reviewers to discuss.

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Society of Sirens series. Cornelia is the niece of a duke but has built her reputation as a scandalous painter. She and her friends are trying to raise funds to build an institute for women and she needs a place to exhibit her latest collection of paintings. One seemingly random day, her uncle’s heir, Rafe, and now the duke comes to visit to inform her of her inheritance, which hinges on her being married. The surprise is that she’s already married to Rafe himself, and he suggests they go public with the marriage so she can claim her inheritance. What follows is a non-chronological story of how these two ended up married twenty years ago and then estranged in all the time since then. I mostly kept reading because I wanted to find out what happened, but the story itself wasn’t terribly interesting to me. Rafe is a smooshy sort of fellow who falls in love too freely and scares off all his partners with his enthusiasm and Cornelia is adamant about her independence and does not want the complication (or obligation) of love. He’s an overzealous puppy for most of the book and she’s the reluctant and selfish one, protecting her own isolation. And then there’s the political stuff happening in the background that wasn’t super interesting to me. On the plus side, Rafe is unapologetically bisexual here and one of his male lovers joins in for an encounter with Cornelia. So you know, if you like that stuff, here it is in a traditionally published historical romance.

While I loved the first book in this series, and was eagerly anticipating this one, unfortunately I just didn't enjoy it. Part of my issue was the pace. I had a hard time getting into the book, and actually put it down for a while before finally finishing it. My other issue was the characters. I just had trouble routing for them. There were things I liked about Cornelia, but other parts that were hard to understand/relate to. Rate was sweet, but could have been more upfront with Cornelia about some things. I also am just not the biggest fan of big age gaps between characters, which was present here. I appreciate the author for pushing boundaries on what is shown in historical romance, and the cast of characters was great, but The Portrait of a Duchess just didn't do it for me. To end on a positive note, I did find the aspect of the story with Rafe's former lover fun. And the book didn't ruin the series for me. I do plan on trying out book three whenever it comes out.

Updated review now that Harper Collins Union has received a contract.

Scarlett Peckham is so excellent at writing couples. The set up of Cornelia and Rafe’s first time falling in love and then falling apart is filled with angst and aching romance. The rekindling of their love and work they put in to both be happy and fulfilled, separately and together, is so fantastic. I especially love how Peckham is dedicated to her heroines being these radical, strong headed and willful women who also deserve to have these sweeping romances. They really can have it all and I love that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of this author's writing style/voice, and have enjoyed several of her books so far, but I really struggled with this one. It has bullet points I enjoy: age gap, marriage of convenience, s3x-positivity in historical setting, and I was looking forward to the way this author tends to make those kinds of tropes her own.

I do think she did that again here, but it just took me so long to read - I could not engage with the story or the characters' romance at all. I honestly didn't feel any chemistry, heat or emotion between the two leads, and the steamy scenes were good on their own (one MMF one in particular), but not great, and so few and far between I forgot it was supposed to be a steamy historical romance. I was more interested in Lord Eden, a tertiary character, than either of the leads or secondary characters, and he barely made an appearance.

I was kind of taken aback by how long this book was with almost nothing specific happening in it. There were a few different plot threads that were all relatively minor for how much happened with them, and yet somehow they were stretched into a shockingly long and for lack of a better descriptor, almost boring story.

Despite all of these negatives, I have to reiterate I DO enjoy this author's voice and I AM into the core group of heroines for the series and their fight for equality, so I do plan to read the next book when it comes out.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

With The Rakess having been one of my favorite books of 2020, I had high expectations for the follow-up book in the series. And while The Portrait of a Duchess lacks some of the gravitas that made its predecessor hit so hard with me, it is nonetheless pretty solid and a reminder of why Scarlett Peckham has become one of my go-to authors for historical romance.

I really like both leads, and while Rakess was the stronger book narratively, I definitely find the characters here to be more close to what I like. While I’m sure there will be mixed opinions (especially from Black readers) as to whether Peckham did Cornelia justice, or whether it was her place at all to write a book with a Black or biracial lead, I can only speak from my experience as a non-Black POC in saying that I’m glad to see more historical authors trying to create a more racially diverse world, and attempting to do the work. And the choice to not have her narrative defined by trauma, both as a contrast to Sera’s and to avoid falling into stereotypes and co-opting a story that wasn’t hers to tell, makes sense to me, for the most part. I love that Cornelia knows her own mind from a young age, and craves independence and autonomy in a world that is incredibly oppressive to women.

Rafe is a great hero. For all my hatred for dukes and other aristos, I love a reluctant peer, and the fact that he’s one of the “burn it all down” types makes it even better. I also love his expression of his bisexuality, including the experience in the past of being in love with a man and a woman at the same time.

And on that note, I also love that their first sexual encounter in the present was polyamorous. While the book isn’t fully fledged MMF, I like that it’s explicit about Rafe’s sexual desires, and the ending keeps things open, even though they are committed to each other.

The age gap is another thing where readers’ mileage may vary. While it’s less of an issue in the present, she’s around eighteen in the past, while he’s in his thirties, which is definitely a bit “yikes” today, even if it wasn’t so much so in the time the story is set. I do feel that Peckham’s choice to give Cornelia a consistent sense of self throughout helps, so she’s not a naive girl being led by an older man, but a woman fully in charge of her own destiny. And it also leads to great representation of older people falling back in love in the present timeline (twenty years after the flashbacks), where Cornelia is now in her thirties and Rafe in his fifties.

Ultimately, this is a solid follow-up in what is shaping up to be an excellent series, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys inclusive, progressive historical romance.

I was sooo excited for this book! I mean, look at that cover! But it was a total letdown.

If you like contemporary romance in historical costume, this might be for you. (I don't.) Even then there are major problems and I don't know where to start.

Many reviews have talked about the age gap so I'll just touch on the confusing timeline: was Cornelia 16, 17, or 18 when they married?
Between her teenage years and grown up Cornelia there is no growth. They are the same person. Rafe too.
Cornelia and Rafe, and almost everyone around them, were archetypes. Wooden. The dialogue was stilted and unbelievable (the scene with the solicitor was near unreadable and not funny).
Ultimately my biggest issue was with Cornelia's principals: since 16 or whatever she proclaims she wants freedom but it's an abstract idea, or rather an ideal she holds for.. I don't know why? It sounds like her parents had a loving marriage and yet she sees it as a cage? Can we explore that?
Actually, can. we explore Rafe's sexuality just a tad? Or leave it out. Look, I love that he's bi and everyone is cool with it BUT at one point Rafe's sexuality is conflated with the difficulty of being a black woman in 1700s England??
On that note, Cornelia's skin color is mentioned like 2 times in the book. Multiple times in admiration probably but rarely in acknowledgement and when it was acknowledged it was not explored. There was so little plot and so many frivolous house party moments that could have been replaced with something more meaningful.
The subplot of this book, Jack's trial, felt like it was leading to a crescendo and it was just a fart.

I appreciate a man in power using his power to change things and people coming together to work for something, however the radical ideals espoused in this book felt like talk and were. not. explored.

The writing was great. The friendships were excellent. The politics were not. I think feminist romance is super important. However, I prefer feminist romance with a softer touch. I don't love a character who is difficult on principle and find that Peckham's characters tend to be that way. The story itself was engaging and the dual time line always hooks me. But there were too many other distractions for me (including the name of the hero)

3.75/5. Releases 3/7/2023.

For when you're vibing with: a romance between people late-thirties and older, marriage of convenience to marriage for real, unconventional heroines, true love without monogamy, and a well-done bisexual hero.
Cornelia Ludgate is a famously scandalous painter, having cultivated a reputation as a society siren throughout her life. In order to gain a much-needed inheritance, however, she must be married--and living with her spouse. The issue? Cornelia is decidedly against marriage. Also, she actually is married--and has been for the past twenty years. Rafe Goodwood, the new (unexpected) Duke of Rosemere, is the man who agreed to help her through a marriage of convenience when she was young; and he's here to help her again, despite their lack of communication in the decades since. He's ready to attest to their marriage--and give Cornelia the divorce she wants after she gets her inheritance. If only he didn't have those pesky lingering feelings...

This one is... a lot. I still am not 100% sure about my feelings on it. Scarlett Peckham certainly swung for the fences, and in some ways I think she got it, and in some ways... I'm less certain. This definitely scratches certain itches for me, but I also have questions about why certain choices were made.

Let's get into it.

Quick Takes:

--I really, really love the way Rafe is bi and that is just not a huge fucking deal. Obviously, there's an acknowledgment of homophobia and his need to keep his affairs with men on the DL, but Cornelia could not give less of a fuck. She's totally supportive, and this is not a matter of Rafe saying "I like guys" and that being it. We see his lover on the page, we like him (hey, Rory!) we see them have sex, it is great.

--Speaking of, this book is pretty bold on the monogamy (or lack thereof) front for a traditionally published historical romance, and I like that. Rafe mentions being in love with two people at the same time when he was younger, and their issues with that being why it didn't work out. Cornelia does not have these issues. At the same time, I wouldn't call this book a menage or poly romance at all (unlike, say, Jess Michaels's Their Marchioness) because... Yeah, Rafe and Cornelia have sex with other people, together and apart. Yeah, Rafe and Cornelia have no issue with it. Non-monogamy is a part of their relationship that the story deals with, but it's not necessarily a part of their romance. Their love story, in this book, is about them. But Rory is, again, fun!

--I really did like the emotional intimacy (or rather, Rafe wanting it and Cornelia not knowing how to give it to him) being a huge crux of the story. I am an absolute sucker for that kind of dynamic, and it's very well done here. Ultimately, while there is a plot going on, this is very much a "we are dealing with the damage we have done to each other and confronting whether or not we can be together" romance novel. It's a feel your feelings book. Yes, there are stakes, but the vast majority of them are emotional, and I think that was done well here. Also, the sex was super hot.

--So here's where I run into some issues. I like an age gap romance, I'm not opposed to it, and the age gap here is... on the brink. Cornelia is 38 when the book begins in the "present day", and Rafe is 54. They've been married for 20 years. So, that means Cornelia was 18 and he was 34 when they married. Cornelia being under 21 at the time of their marriage is important for the plot, and you really can't get around that. Additionally, the marriage was indeed a marriage of convenience... But of course, a lot of the conflict also has to surround them being attracted to each other when they married initially. I'm still sorting out how I feel about 34-year-old Rafe being super, super into 18-year-old Cornelia. I can't be a hypocrite here--I love What I Did for A Duke, and the age gap was greater (20 against a 39/40-year-old).

What I guess I run into is that in the present timeline, Rafe is a full 54, and he still feels quite emotionally young. And it's not that people in their 50s can't be messy, I guess I just kept on being like... Wow dude, you are dealing with the same *feelings problems* you dealt with 20 years ago, and you had already been dealing with those exact same issues for about... let's say 15 years before then. So in 35 years of knowing that you have these emotional feelings issues about how you deal with your relationships, you haven't... changed your approach at all? I mean, it's not implausible, it's just hard for me to believe. Him being an emotional wreck of a hero did not take away from his appeal (he's clearly into being a bit of a messy submissive who wants a dominant partner to calm and comfort him on some level, and that's cool and real and I was into it). But I think for me, it's just the lack... stasis? That confused me?

What it felt like to me is that Scarlett Peckham wanted to write about a hero in his 50s (possibly with a heroine of a similar age). However, she could not write Cornelia as a woman in her 50s with this 20-year time jump, because the marriage of convenience hinged on Cornelia being under 21 when the marriage occurred. To me, the logical choice, in order to avoid some issues with the age gap and the stasis of Rafe's inability to function in relationships (as opposed to Cornelia, who simply doesn't *want* relationships) would've been to have Cornelia at 18 and Rafe at... Closer to her age. Old enough to take on her relatives, sure, but close enough in age to make his complete messiness a bit more believable, and to perhaps take away from some of the distraction of the 18/34 age gape. I mean, 18/25, maybe? Would that have affected the plot negatively? Would it have affected the plot positively? I don't know. To me, Rafe just seemed to be really stuck, and I wasn't sure if I completely bought it.

--Because this is a feel your feelings book, the big climax ultimately depends on someone or someones being dumb about their feelings. While I am not at all averse to this (I don't hate miscommunication automatically like some readers do) I do feel like.... The way it came about in this book stretched my belief a bit. I let it go. But I was kind of like "Okay, really, did we not... realize... this was an issue..."

This makes it sound like I have a lot of complaints--and honestly, I really enjoyed a lot of this book. But the questions I had did kind of stick out to me, and I think that it could've used a bit more reworking to attack some of them. If not changing Rafe's age, then perhaps going more in-depth about his background, his relationship problems, and so on. If not completely changing the climax, perhaps again, going a bit further with that emotional conflict internally.

The Sex Stuff:

I mean, it's a Scarlett Peckham book, so there's a kinky edge going on for sure. I hesitate to call Rafe a sub and Cornelia a domme because, based on Peckham's previous work, if she wanted me to take that away from it she'd make it explicit. But Cornelia is definitely the more dominant partner in the bedroom, and Rafe nonetheless keeps the fuck up. I would call the sex in this book hotter than what was in The Rakess, and you get a lot of emotionality infused into them too--a lot of girl in charge, and a lot of openness to additional partners.

Again, this book is going for a lot, and while I'm not sure it hit everything perfectly, I do appreciate Scarlett Peckham going for it. I'm very curious to see how it is received by other reviewers, because it's definitely pretty unique in the traditionally published historical romance space.

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I wish I liked this one more than I did, sadly.

I really like Scarlett Peckham as an author for her more forward thinking protagonists and exploring people that are usually on the fringes of historical romance. That being said, Cornelia felt too radical even for me in a way that I didn't understand what she wanted in practical terms until the very last chapter. For most of the novel, she's proclaiming to only want "freedom" and had that been explored about how she had lacked freedom in some of the flashbacks, that would have worked better, but instead, it just seems like a far away concept instead of a real conflict that prevents her and Rafe from being together.

Instead, I was a lot more interested in the set up for the next book in the series. That seems like a lot of fun and I gravitated more towards the next main character than I did towards either Rafe or Cornelia.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Peckham is a good writer, but the characters weren't well developed and the plot was almost non-existent. The backstory was boring, and almost everyone was one-dimensional. The sex scenes were hot but not enough, alas, to redeem the book.

Many thanks to Avon & NetGalley for the ARC.

This is unlike any Georgian romance novel I’ve read before, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It’s refreshing to read about radicals, liberals, people of color, queer people, and sex positive people in an era we typically see portrayed as wholly populated by a stuffy aristocracy living by unbending rules. I liked the writing, Peckham has well-turned phrases and excellent pacing. She seems to do an excellent job with POC and queer rep, though that is my perception as a cishet white woman. The romance between Rafe and Cornelia was sweet, with Rafe being a total cinnamon roll! I adored the way Cornelia knew her mind and went through the world unflinchingly.

I have only two criticisms, the first being that there were times when the this read more like a political pamphlet than a novel. I appreciate the educational aspect, but there were a few (not many) spots where it took me out of the story. The second is really just a me problem - welcome as it was to read about underrepresented folks in this time period, there is a part of me that reads historical romance for the fantasy, the angst, the sweeping pain of watching people try to express passion in conflict with overbearing social norms. And that part of me missed it a bit. Overall, an excellent read and I highly recommend for readers of feminist lit, historical romance, and those looking for POC and queer rep romance!

*I received a free ARC from NetGalley, but all thoughts and opinions are my own*

Cornelia and her group of friends are trying to raise money by putting on a scandalous art display when Rafe, her estranged husband of 20 years, returns with an added title to his name…Duke. They decide to continue with a marriage of convenience so that Cornelia can gain her inheritance and then they will go their separate ways, but of course, matters of the heart are never that simple.

Things I liked: not a young romance - these characters are in their late 30s and 50s and have the life and sexual experience to back that up, Cornelia’s group of friends are outrageous and wonderful, Rafe is bisexual and incredibly supportive, and the lady’s fight for equality.

Things I didn’t like: the flashbacks and the 20 year jump. I felt like the flashbacks were excessive and it didn’t really give any growth for the characters. I also think that Rafe and Cornelia could have had a genuine conversation and things would’ve been resolved sooner.

If you are looking for a historical romance that definitely pushes the boundaries of what is “normally” seen, this book is for you.

Tropes: marriage of convenience, second chance, he falls first and HARD, dual POV and time jump POV, age gap

I just didn't connect with this book as well as I have other books by Scarlett Peckham. I love the Sirens and there are some interesting characters. I appreciated Rafe's tendency to leap into love, because that is a rarity in male main characters. The plot dragged for me and I had a really hard time focusing. I didn't see much growth for either character after 20 years and that was a bit disappointing. I can't really conceive of an 18 year old and 38 year old being basically identical. So much happens in those years that molds a person's character even more.

I think people who are tired of historical romance featuring the wallflower virgin and the tortured rake will really appreciate the variety of characters though. This is definitely not a cookie cutter HR and I liked that aspect. So while this wasn't a hit for me, that doesn't mean that others won't enjoy it.

After not having a new release from Peckham in over two years I was so excited to read The Portrait of a Duchess. Unfortunately I found this to be a bit disappointing.

First off, I have read all of Peckham's books and have loved them but something about this one felt off. I'm not sure if it was the enormous time jump (20 years!) or the lack of conflict. The story just felt stagnant, even with the flashbacks. The flashbacks didn't show any character growth between the heroine and hero, even after 20 years which plainly just seemed difficult to believe. These two people who have been apart for two decades are the same people as their younger selfs? I kind of side-eyed that one. I found fellow readers complained about the time jump and lack of development as well, so I know I'm not the only one that felt this way.

I did like the idea of older main characters and that the book was sex positive. A bi male hero and a threesome scene were definately a plus. I also loved that an interracial couple were the focus of a historical romance. Plus there was queer representation and racism discussed. These were some of the positives that the book had going for it.

Unfortunately, I think the book was either too slow paced or too long. There wasn't a lot happening and the main characters were so stubborn and had very little growth. I did enjoy seeing the other sirens again though!

For readers who like: second chance romance, age gap romance, interracial couple romance, bi male hero, marriage of convenience, and miscommunication trope.

received an ARC copy from NetGalley but all my thoughts are my own.

I really enjoyed The Rakess and was excited to get a chance to read this early but sadly I think i had more problems with it than things i loved.

Tropes: Marriage of Convenience, Second Chance, age gap, found family of friends, one bed

Cornelia is trying to put on a scandalous and possibly illegal art exhibit when her secret husband Rafe returns after 20 years and asks her to be his Duchess so she can claim an inheritance. In exchange she will show him how to run the estate he just inherited and break it down piece by piece. she is mad at him because of his political views but he has a secret he wants to share with her and a plan he needs her help with.

What worked for me? I loved the ladies in Cornelia's friend group and this booked shined best went putting them center stage. I loved that the heroine was not only not a virgin but quite open about her past and the hero was bisexual and open about poly relationships. Also the art the heroine paints sounds amazing and the exhibition ball scene was great.

What didn't work for me? Too many flashbacks that didn't really add anything to the plot. Too many games with friends for the same reason. the thing with the trial was trivial and not really needed with everything else going on with the book.

Why should you read this? If you are looking for a historical with a bold heroine, Steamy times, characters with great freedom when it comes to sexuality and sex in general and is slightly different than your average HR formula this is for you.

After reading The Rakess and absolutely loving it I knew I had to get the next book in the Society of Sirens series immediately. I happy to say The Portrait of a Duchess didn’t disappoint.

I think this book does a great job showing how love isn’t the same for everyone - and how it shouldn’t have to be. Like Sera points out “Love is not all or nothing.” The main protagonists Cornelia and Rafe struggle with figuring that out throughout the book. I definitely enjoyed how different this story is compared to other historical romances. It was also nice to the rest of the Society of Sirens and all the shenanigans they’re a part of!

I did think the book was a tad bit long. I felt the miscommunication aspect of Cornelia and Rafe’s relationship could’ve been resolved by a simple conversation, resolving the pacing of the book a bit. But honestly I loved those two and I can’t wait to see what’s next for the Society of Sirens!

Thanks Netgalley and Avon for the ARC!

OMG, the activism and social awareness and strong, independent women made my heart so happy! Add to that the hot sex and endlessly supportive husband and it also made my brain so happy! The fear Cordelia has about having her clandestine marriage revealed is such a real issue for women of the era - having her indpendence threatened by the presence of a husband would curtail her activist artwork and activities. Her duke, Rafe, ascended through almost adopted ranks, which was an interesting path for the author to choose and makes the beliefs he hold seem more realistic. I'm eager to read the rest of this series!

VERDICT Peckham (The Rakess) sensitively introduces a heroine battling prejudice and censure, while also delivering a romance full of political machinations, surprises, and steamy sex scenes. A captivating sequel guaranteed to thrill.

The full review was originally published in Library Journal, November 2022, v. 47, no. 11, p. 95. Or see the full review online at Library Journal.