A light, easy to read historical romance with a twist.

This is my first Sophie Irwin novel, but I know that I’m going to have to read the first one in this series. I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, and I don’t normally enjoy regency romances.

The plot was easy to connect to, and I would describe Miss Eliza Balfour as the kind of hard-to-like heroine. She’s just been widowed, and finds herself free to be who she wants to be, which is something that is done very well in this novel. Eliza is the kind of person to spend large amounts of money on things that she wants to try, and doesn’t need a reason as to why, which definitely makes her the kind of person to be easily persuaded. I loved her relationship with her cousin; they are two very similar and yet entirely different people, which worked well in their dynamic.

All the other characters in the story worked well, and didn’t feel like an overly large cast. Even the romance plotline didn’t feel overdone. Eliza’s relationship with both Oliver and Max felt natural and worked with the time given to each character. That being said, I did kind of figure out what was going to happen for the plot twist.

I really liked how short it was, as everything happened in an orderly way, which makes it perfect for traveling. I think that this will be a popular book this summer, and for good reason.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, and the author for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this ebook and this is my freely given opinion.

This is a clean historical love triangle romance, and second in the Lady's Guide series by Sophie Irwin, but is a stand alone story. I enjoyed this second story more so than the first one.

In this one, we start the story at the reading of the will of the late Earl of Somerset, with the various members of his family gathered, including his widow, Eliza who is part way through her mourning period. They are awaiting the arrival of the new Earl, Oliver Courtenay, who had just returned from his service in the British Navy, to take up the title. Eliza had not seen Oliver for a decade, and when she saw him last, it was a tragic love story, as Eliza was just promised into marriage by her parents to his uncle. As a shy 17 year old debutante, Eliza was unable to defy her parents, despite the fact that she and Oliver had fallen in love. Now, widowed, after 10 years of marriage, she faces Oliver, her former love, with trepidation, as he assumes the title and control of the Earldom.

But unexpectedly, the late Earl, who never gave Eliza any signs of affection, left her several estates and a hefty annual income, so long as she abides by the morality clause in the will, at the discretion of the current Earl. Shy, anxious, cowed Eliza, now seeing a sense of freedom and wishing to experience some independence, takes her companion, a beloved cousin and friend, Margaret, and escapes her overbearing and controlling family to Bath.

There, she meets the Melvilles, Max and his sister Caroline, two notorious writers famed for their work, but also their background, being of mixed race. They are also dogged by scandal, and are also in Bath looking to escape the current gossip about them, while trying to find new patrons for their art. Eliza and Margaret cannot help but be drawn to the Melvilles, despite Eliza trying to stay circumspect because of the morality clause and her mourning period.

But she enjoys her freedom, and uses it to explore her own passions, including for art. She is reluctant to give up her new found independence, but is caught up in the past as well. Oliver offers her a second chance at the love they shared as youths which excites Eliza. However, she finds Max stimulating, and he encourages her, especially her art.

I really enjoyed the dialogue between Max, the Earl of Melville and Eliza; it was very vibrant and amusing. The story does set up the two men as quite opposite, and there is some tension, not just in the love triangle, but also the mystery of the Melvilles and the gossip about them, but a bit of a conspiracy against the Eliza and her inheritance. Nothing truly nefarious, such as someone trying to murder her, but one that causes Eliza heartbreak and loss of faith. I quite enjoyed the secondary characters and their relationships too, such as Caroline, Max's sister, and Eliza's cousin, Margaret. I enjoyed the growth of confidence and independence of Eliza, and to some degree, Margaret as well, as it was obvious that they were used to being brow beaten, or overlooked, used, and under appreciated by their families. Definitely underestimated.

Quite enjoyable second story in the series.

4.25 stars out of 5

2.5/5 stars

This wasn't a bad book, it just wasn't really for me. I had high expectations because I really enjoyed A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting and this wasn't nearly as good to me.

A truly can't put down story. I greatly enjoyed this tale of misadventures. Sophie Irwin beautifully captures the rivalries and misconceptions between the characters. The love triangle is not often used to such adept skill in HR, but this was done wonderfully. I truly did not know who I was rooting for half the time. I was thrilled with the evolution of all the characters and loved their respective conclusions. A fabulous story all in all

This was my first Sophie Irwin book. And it was a lovely time.

I love historical romances because they're never truly a bad time and this really cemented that fact. The humor, the cast of characters and the ongoing plot was just a great time for me.

I think I wish it was longer, which is something I'm saying a lot recently. I wanted more time to get to know everyone and more time to spend with the cast and their relationships.

Oh this was lovely. Very romantic, funny, and heartwarming; Sophie Irwin is one of my favourite historical romance writers.

Miss Eliza Balfour married a much older Earl of Somerset by command of her mother, even though her heart was yearning for another.

Her husband has just died leaving her as widowed Lady Somerset, her husband has willed her all of his assets much to the dismay of his relatives. In the will there is a morality clause, so as long as Eliza keeps her reputation intact, she can live her life with wealth, her title and no worries. She escapes to Bath to live out her time of mourning away from prying eyes. She has no fear of loosing her fortune, and the new Lord Somerset is the man she loved once upon a time. But Eliza is not as careful as she should be, and she may lose all the freedom she has earned herself.

I felt that the writing in this one was much stronger that the first in the series. The characters felt much more complex, the story was so much fun. The love triangle did get on my nerves a tad bit too much, but beyond that it was a strong novel. The women were so fierce and independent. One of the love interests was a lot of fun. And the author did a good job of creating tension.

A Lady’s Guide to Scandal was an entertaining read. Though it was historical fiction it felt modern which was nice as I’m someone who primarily reads contemporary romance. I enjoyed the setting in Bath and following the adventures of Eliza and Margaret. But I do think that perhaps Margaret’s story might have been a more interesting main plot than Eliza’s.

If you’re a fan of Bridgerton this book could definitely hit the spot! I liked the love triangle and found Melville and Caroline fun and a great addition to the story.

For me I found it a little bit harder to get through but I think it’s just because I’m not normally a historical romance kind of girl, if you are you’ll love this!

Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Random House and the author Sophie Irwin for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Eliza was coerced into marrying Earl of Somerset, a man 20 years her senior. But ten yrs later, she is widowed and rich and free. She vows to do what she wants to do from then on... The new Lord Somerset hears about her new behaviour and is scandalized. She met him before her marriage but now feelings develops again....

Love the first book and this book is terrific too. Eliza is great. Love her... The banter and romance in this book is top-notched too. So funny too. An enjoyable read. I was surprised by the ending. But it was very romantic and fitting in a way.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

I absolutely loved this book! Irwin has a real gift for writing flawed characters and making their growth and development believable. I fell in love with the protagonists of this tale and was thoroughly invested in the outcome of their story. Irwin has earned a place on my list of authors whose work I buy automatically, knowing that I'll love it.

First off, the first in this series, A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting was fantastic. I loved the characters, and how the heroine works within the patriarchy, but also speaks out against it.

That said, I did not enjoy this book.

Now, most of that has to do with me not catching on to this being a Love Triangle trope.

I do NOT love a Love Triangle trope.

That’s on me.

I don’t love a woman that doesn’t know her own mind.

I don’t love that there is a loser.

I also don’t love a Reverse Harem, or Why Choose? but that’s beside the point.

The book was well-written, and the characters fun, but I couldn’t get past the waffle-y heroine.

Babe, if you don’t know which to choose, maybe choose none of them.

Having love Fortune Hunting, however, I will definitely be checking out this author’s next work.

6/10

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this ARC.

I absolutely loved Sophie Irwin’s debut last year and couldn’t wait for her sophomore novel. However, I couldn’t believe this was the same author. The whole book was absolutely boring and never did feel like anything truly happened. None of the characters drew me in and therefore I couldn’t care less what ended up with them. Truthfully the only reason I stuck out the book was because I loved Irwin and was hoping she’d pull it all together at the end.

I eagerly anticipated this one, as the authors previous book “A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting” was one of the best romances I read last year.

However, I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much. It was well written, and the banter was excellent. However, the love triangle was not convincing. One of her suitors was completely appealing, while the other had zero positive attributes. I prefer a love triangle on which you can see the appeal of both suitors, and could conceivably see the MC pick either one.

Other than the love triangle this book was enjoyable.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book to read and review.

Another solid and enjoyable historical romance from Sophie Irwin - I really loved watching the heroine come into her own and develop her sense of self and confidence as the book went on. In my typical reading, it's unusual to have a love triangle in an adult romance, so that didn't 100% work for me, but only because I'm not used to seeing it a lot.

I received this book as an ARC, but all opinions are my own. Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity to read it early.

Bridgerton fans assemble! This book was witty and fun, and full of vivid characters. All set in a world that transports the reader, back to a time where society followed a much different rulebook. I read this as a stand-alone, and it read well as such.

It was really cool to watch Eliza struggle and grow through her issues with propriety and outside expectations. She really began to show her fun side.

As with many books this style, I did grapple with getting all the very different but also very similar character names straight at first. Miss/Mrs Winkworth and Lady Somerset/Somerset for example, I was all jumbled up until chapter 5 or 6. This took away from my enjoyment a bit, but is understandable.

Around the midway point I did have a moment of thinking the book was incredibly predictable - but I was totally off base! My predictions were in fact way off in terms of the problems Eliza would face, though the final love interests of the main characters were perhaps obvious. Regardless, the plot while at times not particularly eventful, was enough to keep me interested until the end!

Loved the debut book of this author so I was excited to read this. And it lived up to all expectations - no sophomore slump here. Super funny and even tho I kind of knew what was going to happen romance wise- I still enjoyed the journey getting there. And the characters were awesome!