I really enjoyed Ellie and Sorin's story! I loved the fact that they were best friends before becoming anything else. I think that makes their bond so much stronger. You don't often see that in historical romances. Definitely a must red for any historical romance lover!

If you’re a fan of friends to lovers trope, this one’s for you.

I really liked it and following Sorin as he tries so hard to put distance between himself and his feelings for Eleanor, was heartbreaking. As for Eleanor, loosing Sorin’s friendship and only communicating with him through letters, was hard and I thought these two would never be on the same page.

This is a well written, steady paced story with well rounded characters. However, there’s a scene that I wasn’t so found of, and that one scene made me alter my otherwise perfect score and total enjoyment of this story.

Melanie for b2b

Eleanor/ Ellie ordered her maid to see if Lord Wincanton oor he was an Earl now- had arrived Caroline was Ellie’s friend. He had been gone five years. Ellie had known Sorin almost all her life every since she had come to live with her cousin Charles and his wife Rowena. Ellie is a wealthy heiress. Sorin had been their neighbor and Ellie’s childhood friend even if Sorin was older. SWhen Ellie was sixteen and had thrown herself into Sorin’s arms and he pushed her away and told her she was a lady now and she needed to act like one. Then Sorin had left and he had left because he had started to have inappropriate feelings for Ellie. Ellie is now in her third season and by the end of the season her guardians want to have Ellie married off but Ellie doesn’t want to marry. She has an unwanted suitor. - Sir Yarborough wants to marry Ellie for her money. Caroline said Sorin couldn’t have been much of a friend It seemed to her that his importance might have diminished after so long. It was Ellie’s birthday. The Earl- Sorin and Ellie had stayed in contact while Sorin was gone.Ellie had his letters in a locked box. Ellie had only shared that with Charles and Rowena as Caroline could be insensitive at times. Ellie hated to be paraded around but this was about celebration of another year and the return of a friend.
I didn’t really care this book. It dragged for me . Also the back and forth between Sorin and Ellie just got annoying after awhile. This just wasn’t for me. I am sure others will enjoy this book.

I couldn't get behind the romance as I found the age and emotional gap between Sorin and Eleanor too weird.

I always love a good friends-to-lovers story, especially when the lovers in question became friends during their youth. The thought of these two getting together warmed my heart, and I couldn’t wait to see how it would play out. I was intrigued at first. Sorin had battled his attraction to Eleanor for years. He’s 11 years older (if I remember correctly), and her cousin is his dearest friend. Sorin practically helped raise her. He feels conflicted by these things. He doesn’t want to come across as some pervert.

Ellie has always adored Sorin, but even when she didn’t quite realize it, she didn’t think of him as a brother. She worked hard to become the proper lady he’d always tried to train her to be – for her sake in society- and she’s hurt when he doesn’t seem to appreciate the new womanly version of herself. If only she knew.

The story was unfolding nice, but then it seemed slow. Everything is drawn out, and I became a little antsy. Just so you know, the first kiss is literally like 80% into the book. There’s always an issue. Always something in the way. I expected that at first, and then it became bothersome. I don’t consider myself totally impatient, but the discovery was too long coming.

The writing is good, however. I liked the characters and the scenes are easy to imagine.

NOt my type of regency romance. The passion did not feel real.

The love they had for each other was unmistakable. The approach to allowing that love to blossom was a bit trickier. Sorin and Eleanor had spent much time together years before. Once he left things changed. The form of connection was letters back and forth. This allowed for a deeper connection between them. With neither seeming to understand the depth of feeling the other had. This was a romance that was built over time, distance, remembrance, and reconnection. The time apart only allowed for the love to become stronger and deeper. I watched as Eleanor worked to make the man she knew she loved to see how she had grown while he was away. There were roadblocks. There were challenging characters along the way. But in the end it was a romance that was beautiful and sweet.

Scandal of the Season is a standalone friends-to-lovers historical romance in which the twelve-year age gap between the principals means that the hero has been something of an older brother and mentor figure to the heroine for most of their lives. The premise attracted me – one of my favourite books of all time is Jane Austen’s Emma – but it unfortunately falls largely flat here, as pacing, characterisation and plot issues drag the story down. There is also a particularly problematic scene which I’ll discuss later in the review plus – I spent most of the book wondering what the scandal was and when I was going to find out about it!

Lady Eleanor Cramley, cousin to Charles, Duke of Ashford, grew up in her cousin’s family after the death of her parents when she was a child. Charles’ closest friend, Sorin Latham, Lord Wincanton (Sorin? Seriously? What sort of name is that for a 19th century English nobleman?) was often around when she was growing up and did his best to curb the worst of her hoydenish tendencies and teach her the importance of proper behaviour. When she’s sixteen, he becomes suddenly, uncomfortably aware that she is now a young woman and, realising his feelings for her go deeper than friendship, is rather cool and aloof towards her, which upsets her and makes her wonder what she’s done wrong. Sorin is horrified at the idea of lusting after his friend’s cousin, so he decides to keep as far away from her as possible and leaves England to travel abroad. Returning after an absence of five years, he is somewhat dismayed to discover that his attraction to Eleanor hasn’t abated – if anything it’s stronger – but he is determined not to act upon it (even though there is absolutely nothing preventing him from doing so) because he thinks he’ll crush her spirit if he marries her and because he thinks considering her in an amorous light is a betrayal of Charles’ trust.

Eleanor was upset by Sorin’s coldness but they have repaired their friendship and been regular correspondents during his five year absence. When he returns, she is overjoyed to see him and hopes things will return to the way they were, but when her flighty friend, Caroline, sets her cap at Sorin, Eleanor finds herself unaccountably jealous, and, in spite of her avowal to remain unmarried, slowly comes to realise that perhaps there could be something else between them, something more than friendship.

That’s the story in a nutshell, but almost the entire first half is taken up with Sorin being determined not to let Eleanor know how he feels and Eleanor thinking about how very poorly she must compare to his former fiancée (who died in a riding accident a decade earlier), who was sweet and demure and perfect. It starts very slowly and more or less stays that way; my interest wasn’t really engaged until around the 40% mark when the villain of the piece and his mother – who are cartoonish in the extreme, but oddly entertaining – made their appearances. She’s a vulgar social climber, he’s a handsome fortune-hunter who is full of himself and unpleasant and both of them are so over the top that they injected a bit of life into an otherwise dull story.

For all his insistence that he should keep away from Eleanor because he’s too old, too staid and too cynical for her, when Sorin’s mother realises how he feels and encourages him to court Eleanor, all his misgivings go out the window and he does a complete turn-about. He could simply ask Eleanor’s cousin Charles for her hand and take things from there, but he doesn’t want her to accept him out of a sense of obligation; he wants to give her time to come to see him as a potential husband rather than a brother. And while he’s trying to think of ways to make that happen – and worrying she will never think of him differently – Eleanor realises she’s fallen for him, isn’t the type of woman to make him happy and is miserable at the prospect of having to watch him marry someone else.

Pretty much the entire book is taken up with Sorin thinking he might have missed his chance with Eleanor and Eleanor despairing that she never had a chance with Sorin… For two people who are supposed to know each other inside out, they’re remarkably unintuitive.

The titular scandal doesn’t come into play until close to the end (around 80% on my Kindle), and it’s of the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it variety. It’s well thought-out, but there isn’t enough of it to sustain a 300-page book and it’s too little, too late. It also leads to the problematic scene I mentioned earlier. I’ll try to avoid spoilers, but in the book’s only love scene, things become heated between the couple while Eleanor is under the influence of a drug (that wasn’t given to her by Sorin, I hasten to add). They don’t have sex, but there’s kissing (for the first time) and he does bring her to climax. She doesn’t stop him, and he beats himself up about it afterwards but still… at best, it’s unsexy and unromantic, and at worst dubious consent – and either way, I didn’t like it and it has knocked my final grade down even further.

Scandal of the Season is the first book by Liana LeFay I’ve read and I’m afraid it hasn’t inspired me to seek out any more of her work. The storyline is unoriginal and the characters are bland and inconsistent. Eleanor’s friend Caroline is a man-trapping-gold-digger one minute and remorseful and mindful of her reputation the next. Eleanor is determined never to marry, then – whoops! No she isn’t because she’s realised Sorin is hot and that she wants to marry him. Sorin must keep away from Eleanor because she needs someone younger and more exciting –but then his mum says he should marry her and suddenly all his qualms about courting her disappear.

It’s a sad fact that the villainous Yarborough and his unrefined mama are the most memorable characters in the book – they’re two dimensional and nasty (he just needs a cape and a moustache to twirl!) but they at least made an impression. Sorin and Eleanor have zero chemistry, and I very quickly tired of their constant navel gazing and the whole “I am not worthy” thing they had going on. The book is fairly well written and parts of it are quite readable, although the author is another one who has no idea of the correct usage of English titles (Yarborough is constantly and incorrectly addressed as “Sir Yarborough” instead of “Sir Douglas” – it’s ALWAYS “Sir Firstname” and NEVER “Sir Lastname”).

Ultimately, Scandal of the Season is scandalously dull and I can’t recommend it.

Grade: C-

Lady Eleanor has become a woman while her dear friend Lord Sorin was away. She took his words to heart five years prior and is determined to be a proper lady and cause no one to be ashamed. When he returns, Sorin has feelings for Ellie that he cannot explain or do away with. Will a marriage proposal scare her away? What will her guardians and his best friends say?

I love this book so hard!! I couldn't put it down and didn't want it to end! I love Ellie so much! She truly cracked me up at times with her thoughts on marriage and Sorin. I loved that she was independent and didn't want to rely on a man. I liked Sorin for the way he treated he women in general. He was quite a bit older but it didn't seem that way at times. I was rooting for him the whole time!

You know when I first started reading this book by Ms. Liana LeFey I really didn’t think I would like it and I wondered what the characters do that is so scandalous. Yes at first the story did seem slow and almost seemed to drag a little but maybe it was because of the characters attitudes towards each other. As soon as I thought that though the story picked up not only keeping me interested, intrigued and in actuality I never wanted the story to end. I not only enjoyed myself laughing at some parts wanting to hit or shake the characters a few times or be utterly charmed by them. I was amazed that this is the first time I have ever read any books by Ms. LeFey or that I never knew what a wonderful writer she is. Ms. LeFey just pulled me into the story and when the book finished I was sad that it was over that I can’t wait to reread this book all over again. I know that I won’t make that mistake again and will definitely be reading more of her stories very soon.
Lord Wincanton Sorin Latham dearest family friend and neighbor to Lady Eleanor “Ellie” Cramley have finally returned home after being away for five years. Eleanor is so glad to see Sorin and he feels happy to see Eleanor all grown up changing into a posed beautiful lady. Sorin also hides a secret an attraction to Ellie that he has tried to hide and run away from. Ellie has always loved Sorin but thinks he only sees her as the young girl and friend than as a wife and someone he could love. Will Sorin and Ellie be able to tell each other the truth about how they feel about each other before another suitor attempts to claim Ellie for his own?
I totally just loved Ellie her spirit her cleverness and despite being a lady she still knew how to knock convention and still have fun. I know that we would be the best of friends if she actually existed. Ellie was never scared to stand up for her friends or speak her mind of course when it came to telling Sorin how she actually felt she held back but in a sense I don’t really blame her. Sorin on the other hand just really annoyed me. Even though I liked him I seriously wanted to shake him and reason with him telling him look everyone knows that you love Ellie she isn’t stupid she’ll figure it out in the end. Still he did have his likable moments too. He was a good friend to Charles, Rowena, Lord Marston, Caroline and Ellie even though he would not tell Ellie how he really felt. In the end I was eventually cheering him on and hoping everything would work out for the best for him. I do hope Ms. LeFey writes Sir Reginald Farnes and Miss Anne Wheaton’s story soon because I definitely will read it. I can highly recommend this book for a wonderful historical filled with enough sexual verbal banter with a few very steamy moments but no erotica which all historical lovers that don’t want this in their romance books will be well pleased with this book by Ms. LeFey.

A wonderful friends to lovers story!!! I enjoyed reading, learning, and loving Eleanor and Sorin!!! Eleanor was such a relatable character/woman- struggling to be herself yet navigate societal standards. Sorin a gentlemen of high standards. Both realize they love each other but do not think it is reciprocal- a season in London to convince each other, throw in balls, matchmaking, and other suitors- all the makings of a great read!!!

Posted on goodreads, amazon, bn (lady c)

This had all the charm and "sighs of contentment" moments that I expect in an outstanding historical romance novel. Ellie has no intentions of settling for an unacceptable and undesirable suitor, when she could possible have the man she has always longed for, a man who has also hurt her deeply. Sorin once fled England to resist the temptation that is the lovely Ellie. But, now, he's back. And, Ellie is on a mission to make him see what he once left behind.

I loved the juxtaposition of Ellie trying, desperately, to get Sorin to lose his heart to her, while he fights, just as determinedly, to keep her from stealing it. Both characters are feisty and stubborn and play well off of each other.

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley & Entangled Publishing, LLC in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

Lord Sorin Latham met Lady Eleanor Cramley when she was a child. Orphaned at a young age, the daughter of the late Duke of Ashford was to live with the new Duke who happened to be Sorin’s best friend. Brought together by the common understanding of personal tragedy, the unseemly pair are kindred spirits and become friends despite their age difference, but when he discovers his feelings for the young girl might be anything but appropriate, he chooses to leave the country for indefinite time.
Now all grown up, Ellie reunites with her longtime friend after an absence of 5 years, during which she’s grown up into a lovely woman and she’s ready to show him she’s become the proper lady he expected her to.
With a fiery best friend on tow, an unwelcome suitor and mixed feelings about her best friend, Lady Eleanor embarks on her third Season. While she doesn’t want to marry and has repeatedly made this known, her guardians, Lord and Lady Ashford, are determined to see her married and well off by the end this Season.
This was my first ready by this author and, being a huge fan of historical romance, I have to say I was highly impressed. This book is impeccably written, with the beauty, angst and romanticism expected from a good regency story. Ms. LeFey hits every mark giving the story the right feel without being over the top.
I loved that Eleanor had a lot from Jane Austen’s Emma and Sorin was so the proper gentleman it hurt me to see his dilemma unfold. I thoroughly enjoyed their relationship, the friendship and how each one was so ready to sacrifice themselves for the other’s happiness. The secondary characters also came to par, from the friends to the villains, and I just loved Rowena’s temperance and good judgement which made her into the perfect guiding hand for the stubborn Ellie.
In all, I felt this was a great story, a beautiful historical romance showing again that passion portrayal don’t need to be extremely detailed or crass.


4.5 stars

Sorin Latham refuses to follow his heart. He has cared about Eleanor since she was a child. He's a close friend of her cousin. He doesn't believe that it's proper for him to court her. Will his love prevail over his sense of duty? Sorin is so honorable and caring that I was charmed, but when it stood in the way of true love I wanted to shake him. What a stubborn man. Eleanor wants to be treated as an equal. She's not a prize to be won. She's a strong woman who knows her mind. I admired her spunk. When these two are together, I could feel their attraction. I wanted them together, but they were so self-sacrificing that I despaired they would admit that they loved each other. Scandal of the Season is a charming romantic tale that has great dialogue and lots of drama. I fell for Sorin and for Ellie. Their romance pulled at my heartstrings. Liana LeFey wrote a novel that's enjoyable from start to finish. I always enjoy reading about the Regency period and the London season. This book lived up to my expectations.
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. My comments are my honest opinion.

Eleanor's lived with her aunt & uncle since her parents died. She found friendship with Sorin, a neighbor Landover by by by guy Landover by by by guy Landover by by by guy rubber mini mini mini mini mini mini mini mini mini mini pink Minh yet friend to her uncle. Sorin developed a romantic attraction to Eleanor which he didn't feel appropriate; so he left town for many years. When he returned , his feelings for Eleanor were even stronger. They both had to marry; could she possibly come to share his feelings?
Winsome clean, historical romance! Enjoyed Eleanor, her uncle Charles and even Sorin. Eleanor's friend, Caroline and her Aunt Rowena characters weren't as complete or believable. Would have liked to see more interaction between Caroline and the Commander. Good read.
Voluntarily read an ARC through, Netgalley and publisher, for an honest review.

I really don't think this book is going to get the credit it deserves based on other reviews I've read. However, I absolutely loved this book and the Jane Austen feel I got from it. I read so many books that are shallow and have no depth, that rely on raunchy sex for a "good" story. After I while it gets repetitive and boring, you can see it coming from the first few pages of the book. That was not the case with Scandal of the Season. I was immediately drawn in during the prologue. The characters are so well developed and they remain consistent throughout the story. Even the secondary characters are complex and entertaining. This story has true substance without being muddied by unnecessary and unrealistic sex and romance. Ellie and Sorin had wonderful chemistry and a relationship built upon years of friendship and mutual admiration. They truly knew and genuinely cared about each other which established a solid foundation for their relationship to grow upon. The tension between them was perfect and unbearable at times but in a good way. You truly come to ache for them and the positions they're in, wanting so bad for everything to just fall into place. This is not only a romantic story but it was funny as well. I could easily see it being made into a movie. Another gem from Liana LeFey!

1817

Lord Sorin Latham, is now the Earl of Wincanton of Holly Hall. He has returned home after an absence of 5 years.

Lady Eleanor (Ellie) Cramley is celebrating her 21st birthday. Since the deaths of her parents, she has lived with her cousin, Charles Ashford and his wife, Rowena. They have been very good to her. Ellie is a wealthy heiress and her cousins just want her to make a good and happy marriage.

Ellie is looking forward to seeing Sorin again. They have been friends for a long time. When Ellie was just 15, Sorin had returned from a long absence and Ellie was so happy to see her friend again, that she reached out to hug him. To her dismay, he set her aside telling her that it is unseemly of her to hug a man like that. Deeply hurt, she is determined to act cool to him when she sees him at her birthday party. When Sorin sees Ellie again, he is delighted at the beautiful young woman she has become.

Sorin, his mother, Ellie and her family and her friend, Caroline, all travel to London for the Season. Unfortunately, an irritating man, Sir Yarborough and his equally irritating mother manage to get a ride with them to London making the trip miserable for all. Yarborough has decided that he will marry Ellie as he needs her money.

While there is a big attraction between Sorin and Ellie, neither of them seems to be able to express their feelings to the other. In the meantime, Yarborough’s persistence becomes a real problem. Whom will Sorin and Ellie marry?

Reading this story was like watching a tennis match. Sorin loves Ellie and starts to reach out only to pull himself back. The same goes for Ellie. I found this not only frustrating, but also very irritating after awhile. The cat and mouse game found in some novels is fine for a short period of time. But when the entire book is filled with this, I lose interest very quickly. However, I think the author writes well and I would like to try more of her books. I’m hoping this one is just a one-off.

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

Sorin Latham, the Earl of Wincanton has come home after years away. He has been very successful in repairing the family fortune, but that was not the main reason he left.
Lady Eleanor Cramley is overjoyed that her cousin's best friend has returned. He holds a special place in her heart, and has for years.
Her family is determined to see her married this year but the very high standard she has set is unlikely to be met.
There is an unscrupulous fortune hunter that refuses to take no for an answer.
A sweet regency romance full of misunderstandings and strong friendship.
A gentle, entertaining story.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Beautifully written historical romance that was full of intrigue, treachery, and drama. Well developed, in-depth and complicated main characters. They feel like real people with virtues and weaknesses, who have developed a close and deep affection for one another and are hiding their true feelings every step of the way. This story had me totally absorbed in it all.
Fantastic internal dialogue, good drama and tension, as well as some great descriptive. I thought the first half of the book was great, but by 60 percent I felt that these main characters relationship wasn't progressing and the storyline started to flounder without a stronger obvious connection and attraction of the two main characters. I love, the build to the fall and although the internal dialogue did establish how these two felt about each other, it simply left me wanting more interaction for a romance that could have been simply swoon worthy. Loved the ending and the epilogue and wish there would have been more of their heat and chemistry in more of this romance for Sorin and Eleanor. This is my first story by Liana Lefey and I am eagerly looking to read more stories by this author.

Received an ARC through NetGalley and the publisher and voluntarily wrote an honest review.

Setting: London 1817

This a good friends to lovers story. It’s quite realistic in the timing and flow. I liked Lord Sorin. He’s (most of the time) honorable, loyal, and trustworthy. He really had Lady Eleanor’s best interest at heart. He did leave for five years to try and get her out of his system.

Lady Eleanor has gone from being impulsive and immature to a proper lady. A proper lady that’s independently wealthy. Her wealth attracts the attention of an unsavory character from her past that will do anything to get his hands on it.

Overall this was a good story. It’s a sweet, mostly clean romance with an uncomplicated plot. There were a few slow parts and in the beginning Caroline was kind of aggravating. I really liked Lady Wincanton, Lord Sorin’s mother.