A Lady's Guide to Scandal is clever and witty and made me laugh out loud through the charm that leaps off the page. Both Margaret and Melville had such perfect one liners and perpetually put a smile on my face.
Both of Sophie's books have come to me at the right time and place in my reading mood. I equally adored them. Scandal is just as full of a fun cast of characters with Bath and Lonfon as the perfect backdrop.
Eliza has recently been widowed and left with a considerable fortune. At the urging of her cousin and confidante, Margaret, Eliza ignores convention and expectations, departing for Bath and a life of leisure.
I loved the development of the love triangle and all of the love stories. With multiple HEA's, my romance loving heart was more than satisfied. Between the romances and the humor, I have no complaints.
Thank you to Penguin Books and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

A Lady's Guide to Scandal did not go the way I was expecting it to go. I am all for a straightforward romance, so I think it speaks to Sophie Irwin's skill as an author that she was ultimately able to sell me on the ending. A Lady's Guide to Scandal was much more romantic than her debut, but it still contained plenty of wit and commentary on the British upper class. Eliza Balfour begins the book as a submissive widow, and I enjoyed watching her come into her own throughout the course of the novel. Irwin also created a love triangle with two appealing options, which is rarer than you may think. Fans of Mimi Matthews and/or Irwin's debut novel will enjoy this one as well.

Thank you Penguin books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for my review.

Have you ever met that person that you think you will be good friends with but you just don’t connect? That was this book for me. I wanted to enjoy it. I wanted to be invested in the characters. But I wasn’t. I found some of it awkward and hard to read. But I’m willing to take the brunt of this and say it’s not you, it’s me…this book and I were just not meant to be.

After thoroughly enjoying A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4745186644) last year, I was so excited to see Irwin's latest release on NetGalley. I haven't read a lot of historical romance lately, so I was excited to dive in to this one. I described the first book as a series of fun capers that didn't necessarily add anything new to the genre but was the escape I needed. The same was mostly true for this one, too! In A Lady's Guide to Scandal, a young widow is left titled and wealthy when her much-older husband dies -- but must adhere to a strict morality clause in order to retain her fortune. The plot didn't appeal to me as much as the first, but I did enjoy the heroine's love for portrait painting and the way she finds her own voice and will. There were hints of Austen's Persuasion in the romance, but with a fun (to me) twist involving a love triangle. I liked that I wasn't quite sure who the heroine would choose! Having visited and loved Bath, the setting was one of my favorite elements. But the story itself moved a little too slowly, especially in the beginning. It felt like it took me a long time to get invested, and then I remained a bit detached once the pieces started falling into place in the second half. I don't regret reading it and So Liked It, but it just fell a bit flat for me overall.

The pacing is slow for my taste, but I appreciated the plotting overall. Eliza is a well-written main character, and I loved seeing her live her best life after spending ten years in a loveless marriage (plus it gave Sophie Irwin an excuse to include more of Margaret, who is a sarcastic delight). I usually roll my eyes at love triangles, but I actually enjoyed this one because it resolves in a creative way. The chemistry between Eliza and her eventual husband is also solid and full of witty banter.

I haven't read Irwin's previous book, but I think I'll pick it up!

Thanks #NetGalley for the advanced copy of #ALadysGuidetoScandal by Sophie Jordan in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this closed door romance. Watching Eliza come out of her shell and learn to stand on her own was very satisfying. I'm always iffy when it comes to love triangles but this one was handled pretty well. For at least part of the book, I wasn't sure which person I wanted her to (or even which one she would ) end up with so as it was all revealed, I was pleasantly surprised and satisfied with how it all played out. I also love it when an author squeezes in another love story in the background especially when neither couple suffers from sharing space in the book.

A Lady's Guide to Scandal is book 2 in Sophie Irwin's A Lady's Guide series but it is definitely readable as a standalone if you didn't happen to pick that book up.

Eliza is our fmc and we find out that she was forced to marry a man not of her choosing and twenty years her senior. While not out of the ordinary for ladies of her station, it wasn't truly what she wanted as she had already fallen in love. When the story begins, we find our her husband is dead and Eliza has become a very wealthy lady but there is one caveat. Her inheritance comes with a morality clause and those who were expecting to get the inheritance originally are those that are determined to see how they can make her lose it. And just to add some complication, the new Earl of Somerset is the man she was formerly in love with.

After living under the strict guidelines of society and her husband, Eliza is determined to make her own decisions (within reason) and do what SHE wants to do so she decides to head to Bath with her cousin and it's there that things get interesting.

I admit, I didn't love the love triangle that occurs with Eliza, Somerset, and Melville. I wasn't truly expecting it either based on Eliza's past but in the end, I think it helped to tell the story more so I get it. I'm not going to say much here but I enjoyed the end so I won't hold it against the book or the author.

I definitely look forward to more books from Irwin. I loved her first book in this series and hope to see more along similar lines. Her stories are well-written, have solid characters, and a story that keeps me turning the pages. Pick this one up if you can.

Having read Irwin’s first book, and having it be one of my favorite reads of 2022, I was thrilled to read an ARC of her sophomore book.

I’m sad to report that this book was a miss for me. The first half started out so strong and then a little past 50% it went downhill very fast.

Cute story - just enough tragedy, comedy and romance.
And it follows the romance rules....
All ends well......

I think I loved this novel even more than I enjoyed Irwin's first novel. I love anything to do with Bath, so of course the setting made me incandescently happy, but I think I loved the plot itself, too. Eliza's maturity and self-growth were refreshing and inspirational. I loved the plot twist towards the end AND the way that it was resolved - no mean feat! It was refreshingly feminist without sacrificing historical accuracy or romance and a happy ending. A highly diverse and enjoyable read.

I love Sophie Irwin’s debut and wanted to love this book, but some of the “ALC to Fortune Hunting’s” magic was missing.

While I love that this book was inclusive, daring, and attempts to be surprising, some of these variables feel muddled and forced. I truly struggled to root for these characters. The strength of Book 1 is such that I will continue to root for Sophie Irwin even as Book 2 missed the mark for me.

Sophie Irwin has such a delightful writing voice and style! I genuinely enjoyed her second story and can't wait to see what she does in the future!

When a widow with no love for her recently departed husband comes into a surprisingly large sum of money...she decides to throw caution to the wind and invest in herself for once in her very unmemorable life. Now caught up in the excitement of town, and tangled up between her old flame and a new fancy...will she be able to navigate her new life without causing a complete scandal?

This was just so much fun. I listened to this one on audio and found the narration added extra depth and frivolity to each of the characters. I fell in love with one love interest right away and luckily he was end game. My favorite parts were the ones with him in it! I loved how Sophie took a widows historical plight and turned up the antics with it. There was some pretty witty banter that had me laughing to myself and I found myself invested Elizas story!

This book has a wonderful wing woman, pursuing ones passions, a love triangle (haters gon hate but it was a good one), race discrimination, lgbtq handled true to the time, and so much fun banter (had to put it twice). There was a little bit of lag in a few areas for me but overall a very enjoyable experience!

I wonder what guide Sophie will put out next!

4 1/2*STARS*
A little quirky and unexpected love story of a young widow deciding she's had enough of someone controlling her life. First it was her mother, then her husband, the earl who was twenty-five years her senior. Free after ten years of marriage, Lady Eliza is ready to spread her wings, but once again her husband's will and her period of mourning put restrictions on how she conducts her life. Enter the new earl, the man she loved and had to gave up to marry his uncle. Oh, dear! He's in control of her inheritance! Taking small steps, Eliza and her cousin move to Bath. She decides to pursue her passion, to paint...in oils no less. Her subject is a man with a notorious reputation. That's just the start of the new Eliza! What happens when you fall in love with two men? A clean romance with witty humor, embarrassing moments and opportunities that only have to be taken.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

A Lady's Guide to Scandal was such a fun read!

Eliza was forced to marry a man much older than her that she didn't love so that her family would achieve better social standing, but she was really in love with someone else. She always had to follow the strict rules and be the perfect wife, but to her surprise when her husband passes away he leaves her his fortune and everyone is shocked to say the least.

Eliza decides to mourn in Bath with her cousin Margaret and they have a lot of fun along the way, meeting a fun group of characters and discovering who they truly are and what they want for themselves.

I enjoyed the book, banter, the angst, and yes there's a bit of a love triangle! The characters were fun and definitely added a lot of dimension to Eliza's story. I loved that the story was centered on Eliza, her dreams and what she wanted for herself and how she was still kind to everyone while still figuring things out for herself. At the beginning of the story she lets people control her and by the end she is a whole new Eliza who believes in herself and is confident in what she can do!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Books for my e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sophie Irwin's A Lady's Guide to Scandal is a delightful historical romance that kept me entertained from beginning to end. The story follows Eliza, a young woman who is determined to break free from the constraints of society's expectations. She is timid, but she is also intelligent and resourceful. Widowed young, she is determined to create a new life for herself, regardless of what the new Lord Somerset thinks.

I enjoyed Eliza's character development throughout the book. She starts out as a meek and obedient young woman, but she gradually comes into her own and learns to stand up for herself. She is a strong and independent heroine who is not afraid to follow her heart.

Overall, A Lady's Guide to Scandal is a fun book that I recommend. It is a great beach read for lovers of historical romance. I can't wait to read more from Sophie Irwin in the future.

It's official: Sophie Irwin has become an auto-read for me. After loving A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting, I was so excited to get my hands on an early copy of A Lady's Guide to Scandal. (Even though I didn't read it early, newborn and all...)

This book proved to be just as delightful as Irwin's first, with an inventive premise in the regency romance arena: A young widow, in control of her fortune for the very first time, free to do and flirt with whoever she pleases....as long as she doesn't cause a scandal. This is Bridgerton meets Jane Austen in the best way -- beautifully written, intriguing, and smart. If you like historical romance, then I highly recommend it.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the first book in the series but this one missed the mark for me. The first half of the book dragged on forever and I found that I really didn’t care if Lady Somerset got her HEA or not. Sadly, I’m giving it 2 stars.

Clean Regency romance with some weightier themes.

Eliza, a young and recently widowed Countess, gets a second chance at love, life, and happiness. A love triangle, which I often find too stressful to enjoy, develops but the angst isn't excessive. Good, fun banter among some of the characters, and I enjoyed seeing Eliza's learn how to set boundaries and begin to consider more than others' expectations and duty as she made decisions. I would have liked to have seen more growth and dimension in the men vying for her affections.

Overall, good read but didn't enjoy some of the twists in the latter part of the story as much. Well written and historical details seemed accurate for the time period.

<i>Thanks to #NetGalley and #PenguinBooks for the ARC e-book.

Publication date: 11 July 2023</i>

Thank you for the early reading NetGalley. I enjoyed the book and the characters. I wished it was longer, perhaps this version was shorter and I’ll need to read the actual book to feel more content.

The book reminded me of a Jane Austen novel. Eliza is recently widowed from a man she didn’t love. She goes to Bath with her cousin Margaret and meets Lord Melville and his sister Carolyn and her previous engagement Oliver, the nephew of her deceased husband.

There’s a love triangle and Eliza is growing more confident being on her own and with Lord Melville’s support she becomes more comfortable painting again.

I was hooked from the beginning!! A well deserved 5 star read!! Such an amazing story filled with great character development, romance, a love triangle, plot twists you don’t see coming, and side characters that make you love them as much as the main characters. The moment Melville was introduced in the story, I fell in love with him and his humor. I loved Margaret so much!! She was just want the story needed. As for Eliza, I felt her character was very relatable even with the different time period. I enjoyed reading her story unfold and claiming her life the way everyone should. If you love Bridgerton and historical fiction, you’ll love this book!!