LOVED it. A perfect combination of Bridgerton meets Northanger Abbey. The character arc of all the main people in the storyline was entertaining and engaging. The writing, the pacing, the plot development--all of it was fantastic. Laugh-out-loud funny in many points, the dialogue was snappy and fun. Overall, I would highly recommend.

Once I began reading a Lady's Guide to Scandal, I couldn't stop. My initial impression was that Irwin was providing readers with an updated take on Austen's Persuasion, but I was incorrect, and what she did was better than I anticipated. To me, Irwin combined the elements of characters you love from Austen's novels but with the fun spin you get in the storylines of Julia Quinn novels. And while this book definitely does not have the regency romance steam of Bridgerton, the well-crafted chemistry stands on its own.

When Eliza was seventeen, she fell in love. But at seventeen she also married, and it was not for love. She was forced to marry by her family out of duty. Ten years later, Eliza is a widow and has discovered she is now insanely rich. Will she reignite the love that she never lost for a man from ten years ago? As Eliza discovers herself in her new life, she realizes that what she once wanted might have changed, as well as who she is.

What I really appreciated about this book is that there is one point in the novel that you are REALLY rooting for Eliza and Somerset to get together--they've loved each other for 10 years! You want it to finally happen for them. But THEN you REALLY want her to be with Melville, a man who truly sees Eliza for who she is and what she can do. My only complaint was that it took SO long for the characters you are so hoping finally come together (Once you as the reader see that really, despite both men, there is only one right answer!) to get together, you are left with so little of the book in which they are actually together! Alas, the joy of them finally making it there still comes. I can't wait to see what Sophie Irwin writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of a Lady's Guide to Scandal in exchange for my honest review.

I loved Sophie Irwin’s debut, A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting, so I was really looking forward to this one. It doesn’t disappoint in the slow burn, witty dialogue, heroine who goes through a growth journey way and I tore through A Lady’s Guide to Scandal just as quickly.

Eliza is a complicated heroine and it was nice to see her come out of her shell throughout the book. I like how the secondary characters all feel like three dimensional characters — I very much enjoyed their stories as well. The one complaint I had was the main love interest — I really thought the book was going one way with a certain trope and felt invested in one relationship and felt like it switched half way through. While I liked the ending, and think it ended in the right place, I wasn’t a huge fan of how we got there.

It’s worth mentioning that unlike most regency romances this is pretty clean, which might appeal to those who don’t like much spice.

Looking forward to the next book in this series!

Thanks to Sophie Irwin, Penguin Books and Netgalley for the

A Lady's Guide to Scandal
Despite my instant dislike for the main character's meekness, I reminded myself of two things:
1. The era in which the story takes place would demand such behavior from women.
2. Sometimes, a character needs a negative space to grow from in order to become likable to a reader.

I read on hoping that the story would unfold in an appealing way, and I was not disappointed. It's worth the read for fans of regency era romance.

*I received an advanced reader copy from Net Galley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a delightful story! Recently widowed Eliza awaits the return of her lost love, who also has inherited her late husband's estate.

They finally have their second chance at love, but are they still right for each other? She meets the acquaintance of the artful Lord Melville, but is everything as it seems?

My favorite part of this book was watching Eliza get her backbone.

The story ended up going a way I wasn't expecting and it was great! There is no sexy times which was a little disappointing (for me) I loved the first book by this author and I will definitely pick up her next. Thank you for the review copy!

This book was exactly what I needed to pull me out of a bit of a reading slump. “A Lady’s Guide to Scandal,” was a lovely read from beginning to end. Eliza, recently widowed, suddenly finds herself having to make rather a lot of choices while also having to make sure there’s not a hint of impropriety attached to her name- or else she ends up close to penniless. Adventures and hijinks ensue. I laughed, I cried, I read it all in one sitting. I found myself rooting for Eliza and was excited to find the plot unpredictable and fun. This is the first book I’ve read by Sophie Irwin, although her other book “A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting” has been on my TBR. It will be one I move to the top! This book comes out July 11th of this year and I will be ordering a copy for my shelves. I adored this and highly recommend it!

What a delight! Eliza is 27. Newly widowed, she now has a bit more freedom and a lot more money. There is just one catch - her deceased husband had a morality clause in his will so Eliza must continue to be on her best behavior. This shouldn’t be an issue as she’s never been one to cause waves or draw attention. However, as she finds joy in buying glamorous frocks, making new (potentially scandalous) friends, and taking up paining again, Eliza also begins to find herself. Will her journey to self-discovery threaten her reputation and cause her to lose it all?!

I adored A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting, Sophie Irwin’s debut, and A Lady’s Guide to Scandal has similar charms (and a brief and subtle shoutout to Kitty!). Eliza is likable and it was great to see her grow more assertive and figure out what she needs and wants without anyone else’s interference. 4.5 stars.

Thank you very much to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

I really loved this book! I loved the character development and I did not expect the story to take the turns that it did. I definitely recommend it.

I picked up this book because I wanted to disappear into a new world and forget the stress of reality. Unfortunately, I didn’t find this book as soothing as I expected it to be given that it was a regency romance. Despite technically everyone getting a HEA, I still felt unsettled by the ending and what felt like the unresolved connection between Eliza and Somerset, as well as the surprisingly conniving way Winnie broke them up. It left me annoyed at everyone except Margaret. That being said, I don’t mind the author’s style and would likely read another book in this series, though it’s certainly not cracked the top 10 in terms of regency romances for me.

I read a lot of classics, and I was reading this book at the same time as I was re-reading Emma by Jane Austen, and the lack of Lords, Mr/Mrs/Ms in many cases was really noticeable.
There were a few of editorial errors like paragraphs suddenly breaking or the same word repeated twice in a row, but I expect those will disappear in the final version.
There were a few anachronisms as well, the most noticeable for me was Eliza saying to (Lord) Melville that Somerset didn't propose to her as "my ring finger is bare" - proposing back then wasn't done with rings!

When it comes to contents of the book, it was a bit too predictable and drama-driven for me. At the half-point of the book where it seemed as though Lady Somerset was going to get her happy ending, I just knew more drama was to follow. It was a bit too heavy on the drama elements like the betrayals and the sudden romances to be enjoyable for me

This book was entertaining and very well written. I really liked the premise and also the way it was executed for the most part, but I did have some trouble connecting with the heroine, especially in the beginning. I definitely recommend this book though, it was silly and fun.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review. No other compensation was accepted, much to my relief, as I was fully prepared to offer a kidney or, perhaps, my first born. Neither Ms Irwin nor Penguin seemed particularly interested, though.

You see, I had picked up *A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting* on a whim from my library, and had been left in the blackest sort of book hangover until I was steered towards the ARC of *A Lady’s Guide to Scandal.* Like the hair of the dog, I was immediately relieved of my symptoms and have, in fact, fallen even deeper into adoration of this series as a result. Wish me luck on my recovery.

Irwin excels at crafting my favorite type of Regency - the type that draws you in by pieces, where the tension builds slowly and inexorably, and where the clench of a hand and a significant look leave you clutching at your chest like Susan Lucci. The type that had me audibly gasping when he offered his first name (it was midnight, okay? I get a little loopy when I’m sleep deprived).

And that was just the romance! There are essays I could write on the side characters. Our widow protagonist’s cousin, the spinster Margaret. She’s got charm and wit to spare, but her best feature is her unending loyalty to Eliza and her willingness to voice the hard truths Eliza needs to hear. The Melville’s! Each more charming than the other. Mr Fletcher! I’ve never laughed so hard at a character who only - as Eliza points out - ever speaks one of three lines.

The humor is superb, both dialogue and in-text. Eliza’s slow and tentative first steps towards independence, and her growing confidence and joy, are so gut-wrenchingly poignant. The Melville’s mixed ancestry is relevant and well-handled, informing their character, their choices, and their reception in society. The reader’s journey along with Eliza as her world expands is relatable, comedic, and, ultimately, so rewarding for both us and she.

This story honors and plays homage to great regencies - like, yes, *Persuasion*, and *Cotillion* and Heyer’s other works - but it is certainly not a retelling or a rehashing of any of those stories. Instead, it is a true Regency, but one that beautifully bridges the society we all love to read about and our modern sensibilities.

Brava, Ms Irwin, and thank you for the pleasure of reading this book. I will be purchasing a hard copy, I loved it so.

P.s. The one - one! - gripe I have with this book is the cover! They did the book so dirty with this sloppy cartoon nonsense, especially compared to the lovely toile-style cover of the first one. This cover is such a mismatch for the contents, I cannot believe that Irwin had any choice in the matter. I genuinely don’t even know who it’s trying to appeal to or what it’s trying to convey! Sorry, all. It needed to be said.

I was sold on this one from the very first line.

"A Lady's Guide to Scandal" tells the story of widowed Eliza finally getting a taste of freedom and discovering her true self. Eliza has lived her life by the standards of society and her peers but after the death of her husband, 20 years her senior and selected by her parents, Eliza starts to come out of her shell and live the life she's always wanted.

There are hints of "Persuasion" in this book which lead the reader thinking it will go one way, and then some pleasantly surprising twists that delighted me when the book swerved to a much more satisfying conclusion. I was a bit frustrated with our main character Eliza at times but my irritation with her was clearly intentional on the author's part and leads to our heroine's growth. I really liked the inclusion of the secondary romance though I did wish for some more traditional swoon worthy moments for the primary love story.

Ultimately I really enjoyed Eliza's story and found myself truly enamored with the supporting cast of characters. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys retellings of Jane Austen or fans of Bridgerton read-a-likes that are more chaste.

I was a huge fan of Sophie Irwin’s first book and was so excited to receive an advanced copy of this one! This book gave me everything I love about a Jane Austen book along with everything I love about more recently written romances. There were twists and turns, loveable and realistically flawed main characters, and a quirky cast of individuals surrounding them. During the novel, 2 characters are discussing why classics rewritten so a modern audience can easily understand them is important. Eliza, our main character, says, “It is a skill to invite people in as you do.” I feel that is what Irwin has done with this novel. She had made a regency romance that feels like it could have been written by Jane Austen if she were alive today. I look forward to seeing what she continues you write in the future

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

Anyone who knows me at all knows that I adore Persuasion, and anyone who knows me at all is also confused by this. Anne Elliot is the least vivacious of Austen's heroines (especially compared to the 21st century's darling, Elizabeth Bennett) and the novel is evidently pre-feminist in a way that we can pretend Pride and Prejudice is not. While both of these qualities should undermine my enjoyment of Persuasion (and they do, to an extent), the novel is a masterclass in tension and longing and regret, and its capacity for emotive language is unparalleled in Austen's other works.

A Lady's Guide to Scandal begins with all the hallmarks of a Persuasion retelling - different enough to stand on its own yet similar enough to capture my interest as a die-hard fan of the original - but quickly sets itself apart. This is less a tale of tension, longing, and regret, and more a (welcome) 21st century take on the Persuasion premise, where a woman who has allowed her life to be commandeered by others has a reversal in fortune and seizes (in degrees) the opportunity to become a more interesting, self-sponsored version of herself.

While not wholly original (not that the book claims to be), and therefore not wholly surprising, this is a solid addition to the body of period romances. My gripes are more of the personal preference variety; e.g. I would have preferred a little less waffling between the two love interests and a little more groveling from one particular love interest, towards the end. The book also didn't hit its stride until the twenty-sixth chapter (a little late in the game for someone who might be planning to purchase it) and missed a number of earlier opportunities for emotional beats (an area Persuasion delivers in spades).

I received this ARC from NetGalley. I was a big fan of “A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting,” so I was so excited to read the next installment in this series. I read this without reading the synopsis first and I was so glad I did! This book had some twists and turns I didn’t see coming and kept me smiling all along the way! Regency England will never get old as the setting for romance, and ALGTS did not disappoint! Can’t wait for the next one!