4.5 stars maybe. Not a sequel, but 2nd in what I hope is a long series by Sophie Irwin. This one is about Eliza, a very young (17), and timid girl forced by her family to wed an older, titled gentleman instead of the man she loves, who happens to be the lord's nephew. The marriage is not happy, and she is widowed at 27. The nephew inherits the title - can they rekindle the teenage romance they enjoyed so very briefly ten years ago? Widowhood (and a fortune) has given Eliza *choices* - she can now do what she wants, rather than her family and society.

Fun to see this mousy little girl find her backbone and her voice. Brava!

To be published in July 2023. Look for A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting (Irwin's first title) while you wait for this one.

This is as delightful as Irwin's previous book. Great characters, light humor, and fun banter. Her worrying reminds me a lot of Georgette Heyer. I will definitely be reading her upcoming books!

The wit and banter in this book are unmatched! It’s is very similar to the classic regency you expect but the author is a refreshingly modern voice that updates the banter to make it even more enjoyable to a modern audience. I obsessed over the debut and was hoping to love this one as well . The dialogue did not disappoint but the same could not be said for the plot development. It did feel slow and repetitive at times. The love triangle is very dominant as expected by the cover although not so satisfactory resolved.

I normally love a light-hearted historical romance with a love triangle but this fell short. It was very reminiscent of Jane Austen's Persuasion and I think that was the vibe the author was going for.

Unfortunately it just fell short. The heroine didn't feel fully realized and the "one that got away" who re-entered her life was just boring (and I know that's the point, but...) I really didn't get hooked by this book and struggled to connect with the story or characters which is a bummer because I think there was a lot of potential here, especially comedy in the scenes at the waters of Bath.

Such a great follow up to book one in this series, i fully enjoyed the engaging story and plot lines. I really fell in love with both characters!

I took a chance on this book, not having read any previous book in this series, and not always loving historical romance books, and I can say I'm glad I did! This was a really funny, cute, story.
I don't really love love-triangles, but I appreciated the way it is written in this story. I also didn't initially love Melville but warmed up to him by the end of the book, and I liked Somerset but didn't really feel that spark with him that Eliza and Melville had.
I mainly loved the side characters. Margaret and Caroline and Perkins are amazing and hilarious and I was invested in their stories as well!
The humor in this book was unmatched, and it alone deserves a whole star. I didn't get the historical romance bug from this story, no matter how much I enjoyed it, only because I always have a problem with the historical problems of racism and sexism that can't be avoided in these books. Nothing wrong with liking them, especially when they openly discredit those notions, just not my cup o tea (so to speak).
Overall, very cute, hysterical read, it kinda was hard to get into because I felt it was kinda throwing me all over the place until like the last 20%, but I really enjoyed it.
Thanks for the ARC!!!

If you love Bridgeton or any of the classics like Pride and Prejudice or Little Women amongst others then you’d thoroughly enjoy A Lady’s Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin. Set in 1819, Eliza is a 27-year old widow to the Earl of Somerset as a obedient and conservative wife and of course there was no love between the two. Originally, she was to marry his nephew who she found herself in love with. Her late husband has given her a fortune in his will and she decides to break out of the shell that she was placed in.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Books for this advanced copy.

What did I like? Everything which in a way is surprising because I started this book a week ago and couldn’t get past the first page. I think I really am a mood reader these days. I love this classic tale with a bit of a twist. I love all the characters especially Lady Caroline and how comedic the story was. It was a fluffy read filled with a growing love triangle in the mix. I was absolutely hooked and adored it endlessly. It seems it’s not hard to get a five star out of me.

Chapter one of this book had me worried. I worried for our main character and the 10 years she spent miserable and married to some guy 25 years older than her, but we soon she Eliza on her way to happiness as she embraces the silver lining of her husband's death - she's rich.

I'll be honest, I've never read any of Sophie Irwin's other work and didn't know there was a previous book in this series, but as soon as I finished I went and put a hold on the first book.

I loved Eliza's story. She was constrained by society but learning to be her best self and speak her mind, and I was hoping for that twist, but honestly wasn't sure it was going to come. I was suprised, but I'm so glad with how the story turned out. I can't wait to read more of Irwin's work. It was delightful and grounded. She walks a very fine line between what is allowed at that time and what would be impossible for modern day readers to accept.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my review. I picked up and put down this book several times before I became invested in the story. If the author could change anything the intro needs more of an impact. This is Eliza's story of a 17-year-old girl married to a man 20 years older than her with a family whose only interest in her is what she can do for them. Many of the confinements that woman of the time faced are written about here such as the lack of finances, duty to family over one's own desires. Eliza is widowed and decides to lead her own life.
A bit of a love triangle and a strong secondary storyline (multiple plot twists). I enjoyed the woman Eliza grows into. I liked the writing a great deal but did not connect with characters as much as I did with Irwin's first book.

First and foremost: Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read this ARC.
This book was undeniably cute. I enjoyed the writing style the most! My one and only negative comment is really my own fault: it has a love triangle. I loved love triangles when I was a teenager, but it gets to be a bit old and haggard the older you get. Ok, I lied one more thing I hate is the insults dressed as witty banter. At some point you are just being rude. Overall it was fun, but I would warn those that don't like Love Triangles to stay away.

I found this one to be a bit different from the usual Regency romance. It was well written, but there was some question about with whom the MFC would end up. And the telling of how she got there was entertaining. The only thing I really didn't like was the "woke" circumstances of the close female friend. It's unnecessary to the plot or character development, and I may be the only one who found it annoying. Nevertheless, good book. Deducting one star for what I didn't like. Thanks to #NetGalley for the book, and I leave this review without any inducement. #ALady'sGuidetoScandal

Book 8: Thanks to @netgalley and @penguinbooks for the chance to read this #advancedreadercopy. I love #janeausten but I have not been able to get into the #bridgerton series or other #modernretailing of Regency and Georgian era tales. So this book was not my #cupoftea but it was an enjoyable read. Bridgerton fans should plan on picking up this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ novel when it’s published in #summer2023. 📚📚📚 #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreview #netgalleyreviewer #bookstagram #my2023readingchallenge #netgalleyarc #aladysguidetoscandal

This was my first read by Sophie Irwin and it was a light and funny read!

Based on the title of this book I expected there to be more of a romantic aspect, but given the story is set during the Regency Period, the romance flows very sweetly and doesn't venture too much into the steamy side.

The protagonist, Eliza journeys into her newly found life as a widow, but starting to fall for the new Earl of Somerset, who also happens to be her first love. Tensions flare soon after Eliza heads to Bath with her cousin Margaret, and encounters Lord Melville. Both men engage in a romantic triangle with Eliza.
Each main character in this book has an extremely bold personality which makes each of them likable, especially when it comes to rooting for a spouse for Eliza.

Overall the book was extremely funny and i felt myself smiling throughout the book. Along with the humor, there is also has numerous twists and turns which kept me on my toes for the entirety of the novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me preview this book!

I’m not usually a fan of love triangles, but this one had me on the edge of my seat.
Through the course of the novel, I rooted for both Somerset and Melville – sometimes at the same time! – but for Eliza most of all.
More than a standard romance, this was a story about a woman learning to stand her ground and speak her mind – and go after what she wanted.
I really enjoyed this book, and will definitely be reading the other book in this series now!

I am obsessed with Sophie Irwin! A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting started my obsession and A Lady’s Guide to Scandal cemented it. Eliza and Melville are super precious I absolutely adored them. I was surprised by how much I liked Melville and Caroline they were both super fun and likable and I loved their relationship with Eliza and Margaret. I love Eliza’s relationship with Margaret was super cute and loved how accepting they both were with each other. I also love that Eliza’s dedication to following the rules had a real reason, she very much had a very valid reason to stay in her shell but I adore that she decided to risk rebelling instead and actually carefully tried to figure out who she is. I also was rooting for her and Somerset it was very reminiscent of Persuasion by Jane Austen however as kind and gentlemanly as Somerset was and despite all of the pinning, I had myself rooting for Melville. Rather than a love triangle, I thought it had the potential to be a way to choose with both Melville and Somerset but after reading more I realized Somerset would never go for it. Honestly Eliza deserved the whole world so I am glad she finally goes for it. I also loved the side characters and the ending. Meville is my newest book boyfriend he was so much fun, and I am going to be rereading it very soon.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

How much scandal can a young widow get into? Enough. It did start a little slow, but after getting going, it was a fast and fun read. It was a tale of ladies who were ahead of their time, and it had a love triangle done perfectly. If you're a fan of women finding their voice and regency romance, I think you'll be pleased with A Lady's Guide to Scandal.

Now I need to read Irwin's A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting!

4.5 stars. Eliza's husband is dead and she's not sad. Ten years of marriage have left her with little faith in the institution, so she is shocked when her dispassionate husband leaves her a veritable fortune in his will. Everyone else is shocked too, including her former love, the heir and new Earl of Somerset. Urged to enjoy her new freedom, Eliza leaves for Bath with her cousin and causes a stir when she starts spending time with some scandalous authors. She's still in mourning, after all. But what's she's truly mourning are the days she lost playing the part of meek, dutiful daughter and wife.

I absolutely love Eliza and Melville. Margaret, Caroline, and Perkins as well. I adored the first book in this series and was not let down by this sequel! As I've come to expect from Sophie Irwin, the witty banter and retorts are laugh-out-loud perfect, and her characters are complex and easy to connect with. And of course, I loved watching Eliza's journey from quiet and obedient to outspoken and defiant. I don't typically enjoy love triangles, but I found this one to be not so "obvious" a choice as others can be from the beginning, so it worked for me.

I'll read anything Sophie Irwin writes! Thank you Sophie, Penguin Books, and NetGalley for my advance digital copy.

what i liked: the endgame pairing i didn't see coming, margaret balfour, eliza balfour's acknowledged money-fueled coming of age.

what i didn't like: two too many "twists" that felt like products of an underbaked plot, either love interest, the need for a happy ending. being a regency romance, i do understand the purpose of the ending but the arc of the story would have made a happy, single eliza (and margaret!) more fulfilling.

Austen Meets Heyer: the first half of Irwin’s Lady’s Guide to Scandal is modeled in part on Persuasion: two young lovers reacquained after 10 years apart, the returning sea captain and 28-year-old woman both at last free for a second chance at love. The initial narrative drive appears to reunite them, but the novel is only midway along when they are happily promised to be engaged. Austen is set aside. There is no Anne Elliot here. The second half takes up themes and characterizations of Heyer’s Regency romances: bold personalities, including rakes, lords and ladies of high society (ton) who maneuver amid the strict rules and taboos in Polite Society of Bath’s and London’s balls, theaters, and concerts. The postmodern difference here is the central protagonist and her determination to become a portraitist painter (the novice with talent) and to make her own way, find her own worth. Four main characters develop their own arcs across the storyline, while today’s diversity and inclusion of race and sexuality are woven into the fabric of this 21st-century retelling of Bath society ca. 1818. Which leads to a clever plot turn and a surprising Byronic libertine in possession of latent honor that saves his soul and the story.
Heyer’s classic humor and flair, her own inventive vocabulary and diction, her hilarious young women who confront and demur with beguiling smiles and sudden laughter—all are absent, as is the ongoing comedy of the marriage plot in Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting. But the visual landscape and the time setting are firmly in place in Lady’s Guide to Scandal. The tone is instead more somber in this second historical novel. by Irwin.

An enjoyable read with a few different twists than you usually see in a novel like this. Loved the women characters.