This book was good! I love when it's a comfort read, but not necessarily super predictable. I read it fairly quickly and would recommend to anyone!

zThis story captured the Regency era beautifully and the chemistry between Valencia and Rhain sizzles. However the story ends abruptly, leaving the reader wanting more. Overall it is a thoughtful and spicy historical romance.
Many thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I'm not sure how I'm feeling about this Sophie Jordan series where all of the heroines are widows. That's never been a trope I enjoy and there's really only so many ways to do it. In this one, Valencia is a new widow and she's determined to live her life fully now that she's out of mourning. Her husband's heir has moved in with his wild sisters and she decides that the way she's going to grab life by the horns, so to speak, is by having an affair with said hot brawny man.
I definitely liked this book better than the last one but again: I'm just not sure if I'm looking forward to the next book if they all pretty much have the same premise "older divorced woman". Which is a shame because Sophie Jordan can write such fun, clever stories when she sets out to!

In The Duchess (The Scandalous Ladies of London #2) by Sophie Jordan, Valencia, the Dowager Duchess of Dedham, is learning to live life as her own woman a year after her husband—a wretched cad—has died. Now that she’s free to live how she desires and attend parties she chooses, life should be perfect and sweet. Until the new duke unexpectedly arrives with his wild, unwed sisters and mother in tow and moves into her home like it’s his, which it unfortunately now is, interrupting her newly uncomplicated existence and ruining her chance to live her life finally.

Jordan’s lively and emotional writing, narrative style, and vibrant, detailed descriptions drew me into the novel. She develops her conflicted, complex, relatable, likable, and fallible characters that you can’t help but love and root for to have all the happiness in the world through sweet, funny, emotional, and suspenseful interactions. The colorful, natural-sounding dialogue and Jordan’s language use fit the novel’s historical setting, characters, and theme.

A brawny, arrogant, rude, humorless Welshman with a sexy accent that weakens Valencia’s knees, Rhain is nothing like the Ton’s noblemen. Unfortunately, he believes that Valencia is spoiled and vain, which is so far from who she is. Isolde is beautiful, funny, and likable in her brutal honesty, but she barely has enough to live on. She’ll need the new duke’s support to stay in London and finally live the life of freedom she’s longed for as a widow with all the pleasures it can afford her.

Since his sisters wish to marry but need more preparation for introduction to society, interaction with the Ton, or survival of its scrutiny, Valencia and Rhain make a deal. Valencia will prepare his sisters for the season, usher them into Good Society, and help them become betrothed. Rhain will provide Valencia with the financial security and independence she needs to survive life in London and yearns for.

After spending time together sharing her home, where she has become a guest, Valencia realizes she doesn’t want to be safe. Rhain may be the most extraordinary adventure of her life. She wants Rhain, even though he may be dangerous to her heart and body. Can she resist him—even though she has vowed never to risk marriage again?

Jordan explores the depth of Valencia’s strength, courage, and resilience despite the limitations of her choices, finances, and power to control her own life and be safe in her own home with a stark honesty that stays with you. Lonely, isolated, and traumatized by her previous marriage, Valencia filled with heartache and longing. But she’s set on avoiding marriage and love, preferring her freedom. She’s unprepared for a man like Rhain and the feelings and desire he inspires in her. The novel includes flashbacks to Valencia’s marriage that help reveal her character and what brought her to where she is now. Rhain doesn’t care for the English and their ways. He’s surprised by Valencia, who’s unlike anyone he’s ever met. Valencia wrecks him, interferes with his control, and makes him think and want things he shouldn’t.

Their intense attraction is present between them from their first meeting, though Valencia and Rhain fight it. It’s why Rhain is, regretfully, such a jerk to her initially. As they spend time together sharing Valencia’s home, which has become his, they learn more about each other and grow closer. Though Jordan nicely develops the attraction and connection between Valencia and Rhain with steamy, emotional, sexy, and intimate kisses and interactions, I would have liked to see more development of Valencia and Rhain’s relationship.

Steamy, emotional, sweet, angsty, and funny with a bit of suspense, The Duchess is a fast-paced, regency historical romance that fans of enemies to lovers, forced proximity might enjoy.

Avon provided an advanced review copy via Netgalley for review.

Content Warnings:



Content warning: domestic abuse, emotional abuse, sexual assault, and discussion of past miscarriages and infertility

Valencia has enjoyed her year of freedom as the widowed Duchess of Dedham, until the new heir is found. Unexpectedly taking over the house which is now no longer hers, are the new Duke, his mother and six unmarried sisters. Now she is the Dowager Duchess of Dedham. Valencia must leave London and retreat to York to the Dowager house, but she's not giving up yet. Her proposal is to launch his sister's in Society to find suitable husbands. Unexpected is the heat and connection between the new Duke and Valencia. But staying in London is no longer an option when her secret is no longer a secret.
Jordan hasn't lost her touch in this series. I've read the first two books and I'm anticipating the next one.
Explicit sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Picture this: Your horrid husband dies. You wait the required year of mourning. You are just about to take back your life and finally live for you, when all of a sudden a new duke arrives and moves in to your (his now) home with his mother and six (six!) sisters. For the first time in her life, Valencia felt that her freedom had finally arrived. She endured more than any one person should have to and now she was ready to finally live. However, Rhain (the new Duke) arrives and declares she is being kicked out of her home and sent to the country.

There were a lot of parts I enjoyed about this book. The sisters were a lot of fun. They brought such life to the house and the contrast with Valencia's previous life was heartwarming. I loved seeing Rhain interact with them and care for them. I liked that Rhain truly seemed like such a good person. Unfortunately, this just wasn't the slow burn I prefer and there were several aspects to the book that just didn't sit well with me. It enjoyed the conversations about women's choices and freedoms and Valencia's unapologetic nature for going for what she wants.

I think that if you are a regency romance lover this could be a great book for you....especially if you're not needing a slow burn like me. It's fun, scandalous, and lighthearted for the most part. I would recommend to those wanting a book with good feminist vibes.

The Duchess follows Valencia, the Dowager Duchess of Dedham, as she reenters society after "mourning" her husband for a year. Valencia is actually quite pleased that she now has the freedom to do as she pleases given her title and status. Unfortunately, the heir to the title of Duke has just been found working at a mine in Wales, and so he, his mother, and his six sisters have come to move into their home, forcing Valencia out. Valencia and Rhain strike a deal: she can stay in London as long as she helps usher his eligible sisters into high society. Sparks fly, but Rhain was never planning on staying in London and Valencia has some secrets of her own. The characters were interesting and they all had distinct personalities. It brings in characters from Jordan's other book in the series, although it isn't necessary to have read that before reading this one. This was a really enjoyable regency romance and it will be perfect for fans of Bridgerton or period romances in general.

April 1822 - London

Valencia, the Dowager Duchess of Dedham, 32, lost her husband a year ago. Now that her mourning period is over, she can start to live again. Valencia and Dedham had a good life together early in their marriage. But when he had an accident, it left him in extreme pain and cruel to Valencia and others around him. So, for Valencia, it was a relief when he finally died.

When the Duke died, his successor had not been found until now, a year later. Hailing from Wales, Rhain, 35, the new Duke of Dedham, has made his entrance into Valencia’s home and is very surprised that she has not taken up residence in the remote Dower House. Rhain brings with him his mother and his six sisters that are unwed. The other six sisters are married and back in Wales. The girls are ill-mannered, loud, and uncouth. Rhain needs someone to prepare his six sisters for their debut to society. He realizes that Valencia would be the perfect person to do this as she is a Duchess and has had many years in society herself. So, she agrees to stay and help with his sisters and in return, he will see that she is well-rewarded for her time.

Before long, Rhain and Valencia find themselves attracted to one another but do their best to stay away. With much back and forth in dialogue, they may be attracted to one another but there is something that keeps them apart.

Oh, dear. This just did not make it for me. I felt like Valencia was one who felt sorry for herself and often seemed to find herself in situations where men looked down on her and talked down to her. Too much Woe is Me. I’m hoping this book is just a One-Off as I have enjoyed other books by this author.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This one ended up being a mixed bag for me. The writing was very readable and I found myself reaching to pick it up easily. I liked both of our main characters individually as characters. I liked Valencia's friend group as well from what we saw of them. The premise was a solid one for my taste. And I liked picking up a historical romance where the female main character isn't under 25.

However there were some things that didn't quite work for me. The first was there were far too few interactions between Valencia and Rhain during the build up of their relationship. When they did interact I really liked their dynamic! But it hit a point where I checked how far into my ebook I was and was shocked it was like 65% because there just had not been nearly enough interaction between them to build a relationship that far into a standalone romance book.

I also thought the last about 10% was so out of nowhere. It could have worked with more set up or more time to actually explore the plot that got thrown in but as it was it felt very tacked on at the last minute and a little bit of whiplash that had me asking if I'd opened the wrong ebook to continue reading!

I would still be interested in giving more Sophie Jordan books a chance as I liked her writing and there were pieces of this I liked, but this one was just fine for me in the end.

This is the second book in the scandalous ladies of London series. This is Valencia‘s story. I was really excited to see how she would now live her life as a widow, when she used to be a Dutchess. She’s been enjoying her life without her not so fond dearly departed husband. Then the newest Duke who is a Welshman arrives in London with his six unruly sisters. The Duke Rhain and Valencia make a deal that she will help his sisters find husbands and he will give her financial support.

I love seeing how Valencia and the new Duke interacted with one another. Even though she says she finds him uncouth she was finding herself attracted to someone who is so different than her departed husband. He also is realizing that there is more to Valencia than a widow, just wanting to have fun. add the sisters and it is a delightful fun romance

In this captivating sequel, we follow the newly liberated Dowager Duchess of Dedham, Valencia, who is relishing her freedom after the death of her loathsome husband. Her happy widowhood takes an unexpected turn when Rhain, the new and unconventional Duke of Dedham, comes into her life with his six sisters. Together, they form an arrangement where she introduces his sisters to society in exchange for financial security. Throughout the book, we witness the layers of attraction and resistance between Valencia and Rhain, set in the lavish yet ruthless world of Regency-era London. The story expertly blends romance, societal drama, and personal transformation, making Valencia's journey from an abused spouse to a woman cautiously exploring the possibility of love again, both compelling and heartwarming.

✨ Review ✨ The Duchess by Sophie Jordan

The second book in the Scandalous Ladies of London series, this one follows Valencia, the Dowager Duchess of Dedham after the death of her husband. Quickly, a new family moves in with a hot new duke and a bunch of his sisters, freshly arrived from Wales. Valencia makes a deal to help prepare the sisters for high society, which keeps her around in her house for a little bit longer.

**very minor, rough plot spoilers below**

The Duke and Dowager Duchess have instant attraction but a bit of an enemies to lovers story, and I really enjoyed the book over all. I wish there had been a bit more connection/pining/interaction between them earlier in the book, but the payoff was really great.

**end of spoilers**

Overall, like the first book, this had lots of side story, though it was focused mostly on Valencia's POV and not the whole group of friends. This made for a more coherent, focused story I think!

Thanks to Avon and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5)
Genre: historic f/m romance
Setting: London
Pub Date: 26 Mar 2024

After years of loyalty then mourning, Valencia wanted a fling however her attraction grows for a rude gentleman who’s ready seen her wet in “The Duchess” by Sophie Jordan, book two of The Scandalous Ladies of London!

I love Valencia’s good-for-you-girl moments! She deserves to go wherever she wants even the scandalous parts of London. She also deserves to fulfill her needs with someone who mutually wants her!

The new Duke of Dedham is both an alpha and a cinnamon roll. His respect for the woman in his life extends to all of the fairer gender is utterly swoony. I enjoyed reading his changing mind from going back to his business far away to being with the one who he begs not to leave him.

I highly recommend this book to those who want a happily ever after for their fellow woman/person who’s had horrible relationships while having to stay put. If you enjoy reads with loyal friends who can keep life changing secrets and men who want what’s right for women, then this fast read is the novel for you!

Thank you to Net Galley, Avon, and Harper Voyager US for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This is one of those books that you just can't put down ,but you don't want it to end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and can't wait for more from Jordan. She writes stories that keep you coming back for more. Amazing author for sure!

Diving into a regency romance is a different kind of fantasy world for me. I’m so happy I got to revisit with 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘓𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯.

After a year of mourning, Valencia who’s know the Dowager Duchess of Dedlam can finally and truly shed her old life. She survived being married to an openly abusive man. Now it’s her turn to live. However, a distant relative has come along to claim the title which means displacing Valencia to the countryside. Rhain, the new Duke has his hands full adjusting to aristocratic life and keeping his sisters in check. He turns to Valencia for help introduce them into ‘polite’ society, and you know the rest…

I liked seeing Valencia moving forward, refusing to let her past trauma limit her. She still had lots to overcome, but she’s so resilient. I also liked that Jordan gave Rhain a progressive spin while still working within the mindset of the time. I was a little confused about them falling in love. I mean I knew it was a given, but it just felt too fast. Doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy those spicy moments, though! 🌶️ 🔥

This is another enjoyable and absorbing read from Jordan, and I’m looking forward to more in this series!

Highlights:
* Second chance at love
* Strong willed duchess
* Hot, non-misogynistic duke
* Sex positive
* HEA

Be aware of: former abusive marriage (recollection)

Thanks to @netgalley & @avonbooks for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Rhain and Valencia! The chaos from his sisters and mother along with the problems Valencia had to deal with while bringing Rhain's sisters up to snuff was enjoyable to read. I can't wait for Hazel's story hopefully next! Thank you for the advanced copy!

I love Sophie Jordan's books and always feel like her pacing is impeccable, with each book driving forward til the end. However, this pacing felt a little more stilted to me and I didn't quite feel an actual romance between the main pairing as strongly as I normally do. The set-up was super fun; the heroine is the dowager duchess of Dedham and the hero is the new duke of Dedham. Definitely worth the read!

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was steamy, fun and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

Loved reading the marvelous & sensational romance story. When the new Duke of Dedham, Rhain, arrives with his mother and sisters, Valencia, the Dowager Duchess, has to leave her home, but Rhain makes a deal with Valencia to get his sisters ready for London society in return for a place in London. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and a must read riveting love story. Can't wait to read the next book by the phenomenal author, Sophie Jordan!

This is my first journey into this author's writing and I must say I was captivated. Rhain, wasn't really meant to be a Duke so when it lands in his lap, he is as unprepared as his siblings. Valencia, the current Duchess, never expected her horrific husband to die. Making a deal to help each other only opens doors that were unexpected but subconsciously desired. A well crafted story of two souls who find peace and joy through adverse pasts.