This is my first time reading Rodale’s work and it did not disappoint. Told in alternating views of the male and female leads, Some Like it Scandalous introduces the fierce and intelligent Daisy and the vain, pretty boy Theo.

Really, this romance reads almost like a New Adult novel in the beginning since both characters were so immature and snarky. Even so, it wasn’t overly done and made the character growth truly stand out. I wish Theo’s growth had been more gradual as it felt rather convenient and forced to move the plot along.

My highlight: What I love most about this book, and really the whole idea of the series, is the inspiration Rodale takes from women that have been skipped over in the history books and yet made such an impact in their communities.

By the end, I was ready to boast some lipstick and march, signs held high, alongside these ladies. I suppose I will have to settle for recommending this book to all my fellow historical romance fans. This book is standalone but for maximum series enjoyment, I recommend picking up the first book Duchess by Design. I’m can hardly wait for the next installment of this Gilded Age romance!

Full review will be posted on Dream Come Review closer to publication date.

Do you like to read historical romance?
Do you like cheesy books?
Do you like strong feminine character and good story plot?
.... If yes...
Read this book. It has all you would enjoy.

I have read Maya Rodale’s writing girls series and have forgotten how much I enjoyed her independent and capable heroines. “Some Lije it Scandalous was an enjoyable read. While it is historical, the era is and place are different from the usual regency and I totally enjoyed the setting, history, side stories in this book. 5 stars.

Some Like It Scandalous by Maya Rodale

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Theodore Prescott the Third, heir to a steel company magnate, has ambition for little else besides attending parties with his friends and wooing women. Daisy Swan has plenty of ambition and plans to remain unwed, forever. When their parents announce they’re to be engaged, Daisy and Theo team up to fake an engagement.

I liked Daisy more than Theo but only because I feel like she was given more personality than he was. I really enjoyed the prologue and their history together. The fact that Theo learned from that history was fantastic. I felt like Daisy learned from it, too.

Probably one of my favorite things about this title was that there was no insta-lust which seems to be everywhere these days. Theo and Daisy don’t even particularly like each other through a big chunk of the book.

I did find the prologue and first 70% of the book more entertaining than the last 30%. I found myself skimming at that point. Once they decided they did indeed like each other (which I realize had to happen sooner or later), I found the events to be less interesting.

Maya Rodale is one of my go to authors so I will of course be reading the next title in this series.

*I received an eARC from Edelweiss, NetGalley, and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Book Title: Some Like it Scandalous (The Gilded Age Girls Club #2)
Author: Maya Rodale
Pub Date: June 18, 2019

Where to buy: Amazon Barnes and Noble (hyperlinked)

***ARC was provided to me by Net Galley and the Publisher for a fair and honest review***

Overall rating: 4/5 Enemies, turned business partners turned lovers. A Regency Romance set in New York

Heroine (Daisy Swan): 4/5 Daisy is a soon to be a 25 year old lady of New York with dreams of starting a cosmetic line without the hindrance of a husband. All her life she was bullied for her looks and wants women to be able to put their best face forward.

Hero (Theodore Prescott the Third): 4/5 Theo wants his father to be proud of him. He is known as a rogue and a very handsome one at that. He has always been jealous of those who seem to know their purpose like Daisy.

Plot: 3.5/5 Theo and Daisy are forced to become engaged by their parents. Theo’s father believes it will give him focus and make him act less like a rogue. Daisy’s mother doesn’t want Daisy to suffer the social consequences of a scandal about to break involving her father. The problem is that Theo is a playboy and a childhood bully of Daisy’s and Theo sees her as above everyone else. Theo has always been the prettiest person in the room in Daisy’s eyes, and she had been dubbed the ugly duckling as a kid and never felt she could grow out of the moniker. Together they find their purpose in the pursuit of cosmetics. Will they find something more as well?

Personal Review: When Daisy and Theo stop bickering incessantly the story and humor really comes into its stride. The story is in the vain of My Fake Fiancé or The Proposal, where the couple is forced into the situation and decide to fake being fiancés for their own purposes but slowly see the good in each other. Daisy and Theo are very much a slow burn couple but I think the hate part of the story lasts just a chapter or two too long.

I loved the quippy dialogue between Daisy and Theo as well as between Daisy and her friends. I also like the change in scenery that New York offers to the Regency Romance genre.

Daisy Swan is determined to finish her education and make something of herself. She has no interest in matrimony, much less to her arch nemesis Theodore Prescott the Third. Dubbing her Ugly Duck Daisy as children started her lifelong dislike of everything Theo, with his handsome looks and loaded social calendar, so what on earth could her mother be thinking to make Daisy marry him?

There’s more to Theodore Prescott the Third bedsides his best dressed self and booked social calendar. Too bad he hasn’t figured out what that something is...yet. He knows he doesn’t want to work for his father, nor does he want to marry Daisy Swan, regardless of what his father thinks. But what’s a guy to do when said father cuts off access to his pin money, clubs, and life as he knows it?

Daisy and Theo were total opposites, that I honestly didn’t expect them to have such chemistry! Granted, it was a very slooooow burn, but their mutual wonder of discovering deeper feelings for one another made the anticipation so worthwhile!

Another thing I loved about the story was how much women’s history was weaved into the plot! Dining alone, women’s marches, workplace conditions, society’s perceptions that make or break reputations, and of course, cosmetics! Personally, I rarely wear make-up because my skin is so sensitive, but darned if I didn’t commiserate with Daisy’s reasons and her desire to create and concoct her products. I know I’ll also be adding the biographies mentioned in the author’s note to read for sure:)

I find Maya Rodale’s voice very refreshing! The Gilded Age has so much material to offer and I love Rodale’s spin on things. Her characters are strong and unique in their own ways and push the limits of society’s expectations. But it’s the end result I love-that there’s always a choice. One that isn’t based on personal restrictive circumstances or society’s rules, but because an opportunity of their own making allows them to make an unfettered decision about their future.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wasn't sure about reading this story. I thought i preferred Victorian tales...but I lived Daisy and Theo! We always think rich people have it easy, but we found out that even they have challenges. I'm not going to spoil this story by telling it to you. Read it. You will feel sad, surprise, pride...and cheer for a HEA for this couple!

At the beginning, you know what's going to happen. An intelligent wallflower and a very attractive rake. But I don't read these books for the suspense. I read them for the escapism and the journey, and this had both in spades. It was sweet, it was fun and I fell in love with both characters. I'm now going to find more books by this author.

Thanks to net galley for an advance copy and for introducing me to a new author.

I love a good fake fiancée book.

Rodale’s Gilded Age series continues with a story even more quick-witted, sweet, and delightful than its first installment. As funny and romantic as this book is, it is equally as feminist.—especially regarding the wearing of makeup being for the wearer, not the men around them, as well as in the progression of Daisy and Theo’s relationship. It’s nice to see a hero who has messed up: admit it, regret it, recognize that he can’t fix it, and commit to doing better going forward. I can’t wait to see where this series goes next!

I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to HarperCollins Avon and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this e-arc.

I enjoy Maya Rodale’s novels but never got a chance to read her Gilded Age Girls Club series until now. And though this is the second book in the series, it read fabulously as a standalone.

Daisy Swan is a high society young lady in New York City who garnered the nickname Ugly Duck Daisy in her adolescent years. The person who gave her that name is none other than Theodore Prescott the Third. Daisy grows up without much change to her looks but she’s got a mind for chemistry and plans to run a business some day selling face cream. Theo grows up to run circles around New York City creating scandals wherever he goes.

Her mother wants her to marry, and his father wants him to marry. So of course they get thrown into a farce of an engagement. They don’t like each other and now are forced to marry. It’s a common trope in a historical romance novel, which I usually enjoy, but there is a really interesting element in this story, the focus on women’s history in the Gilded Age.

This story is set in a time when women aren’t allowed to dine in a restaurant without a man accompanying them. Women are expected to marry but Daisy wants her life to be different. She creates a face cream for women but not even her high society friends would be caught dead buying something so vulgar. Cream for their faces? Oh the horror! Oh we’ve come a long way in cosmetics, haven’t we? Daisy’s friends that are featured in this book are strong women and that was my favorite part of this book. It reminded me how much I take for granted the things I’m allowed to do in this day and age. Who knew lipstick was such a dangerous statement back then!

Now this is still a romance novel and it’s a delicious part of the story. They are enemies due to some adolescent bullying, but Theo realizes how foolish he was when he gets to know adult Daisy. She’s a bright, no-nonsense woman who he really is intrigued by. Theo has a reputation for a being handsome playboy, and that’s all he things he’s good for. But he helps Daisy with her business plans and it becomes a partnership, with sparks. He encourages Daisy to push the boundaries and he’s a great business partner. The sex is steamy and the love is sweet. They make a great team.

This was a really quick, enjoyable read. It’s a story that is a fun balance of romance and women’s history. I look forward to reading the other books in this series and meeting more strong women from the Gilded Age.

A women's independence is frowned upon during this time period. However, it is the beginning for women to demand more rights. Daisy Swan attend college and enjoys chemistry, uncommon for women at the time. Theodore Prescott the Third enjoys the life of that has been given to him because of his father's successful business, and wants to make him proud, even though he has no interest in the steel industry. Theo has a talent for fashion, something uncommon to men in those times. Both are thrown together, Daisy needing to marry quickly due to family's potential scandal and Theo for causing scandals and being cut off by his father. Due to their childhood, neither liked each other, and definitely do not want to marry each other. Instead, they design a plan to pretend an engagement and then break it off. When Theo learns of Daisy's "cosmetics", he helps her by bringing creativity to the product, which becomes a success. As they spend more time together, their feelings begin to change, and they see each other for who they are, not what society portrays them to be. However, the scandal that is unleashed will test them.

As one of the self-described Rogues of Millionaire Row, Theodore Prescott the Third is known for outrageous scandals and indulgences. But after an incident involving a stolen racehorse, a powerful politician, and an infamous actress, steel tycoon Theodore Prescott the Second has decided it's time for his son to settle down so he gives young Theo an ultimatum: marry serious and sensible society lady Daisy Swan or be cut off.

Miss Daisy Swan has no interest in a loveless marriage and certainly not one involving the mortal enemy whose childhood teasing bestowed upon her the long-lasting nickname of Ugly Duck Daisy. But when her mother reveals their family's precarious position and likely eminent scandal, Daisy finds herself rapidly being backed into a corner. She needs time to finish her chemistry degree and begin selling the complexion cream she hopes will earn her independence. In order to get the time and freedom she needs, Daisy suggests she and Theo pretend to go along with their parents' scheming and break the engagement later, hopefully after her product becomes successful.

Theo has only ever wanted his father's attention and approval but he has no interest in steel and no true purpose for his eye for beauty and talent with words. Now, cut off from his clubs and abandoned by his friends, Theo decides to occupy himself helping Daisy marker her new cosmetic, thinking maybe he'll finally prove himself to his father. As the two spend more time together and begin to look past appearances, it seems they may not really hate each other. In fact they may actually be enjoying one another's company. But they're supposed to be enemies and never getting married. Right?

Theo comes off as an arrogant, air-headed pretty boy but really he's just been behaving more and more outrageously in an attempt to get his father's attention and there's a surprising amount of depth to his true character. Daisy has been mercilessly teased for not being as pretty as her other three sisters and now has contented herself with science. Her confidence comes from her brainpower, which makes her intimidating to Theo, who has no true purpose of his own and feels rather inadequate.

I loved that things weren't spectacular for this couple when they first tried a kiss. It was really refreshing and realistic that their physical chemistry was a slow burn that built more as they got to know each other and spent time together. Theo & Daisy both hone and develop their sense of self-worth together. Theo finally has someone who's interested in him for him, not his looks or status, and Daisy at last has someone who sees her beauty. Theo turned out to be so sweet and romantic and just wanting to be taken seriously, and like Daisy, seen for who he is. I loved that there were insights into the point of view of both main characters and we get some bad girl bosses. I couldn't put this one down. Loved it!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was pretty disappointed in this novel. I do not like the ugly duckling and the handsome man troupe. Daisy gets bullied growing up and gets stuck with the guy who starts it all. While Daisy is smart, Theo is superficial and looks to her to work things out. Just not my cup of tea.

Childhood enemies, adult opposites and a plan that needs both of them to come together. Daisy is looking towards the future in business and women’s rights. Theodore doesn’t even know he’s looking for a purpose.

The writing is ok, it was an easy read and the characters were endearing. I liked the addition of real women in the book, it makes me want to do further research.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced read.

Second book in her Gilded Age Girls Club series, easily read as a stand alone. Daisy and Theodore have known each other their whole lives, and there has never been a romantic attraction. Theodore is responsible for Daisy's much hated life long nickname in their social circle. But when their parents decide they're the perfect match and arrange a marriage, Daisy and Theodore are forced to team up to try and take control of their own lives.

There's nothing like a good fake relationship story. Theo is in trouble for his latest scandal and Daisy is far more interested in developing cosmetics than falling in love, so their parents decide to force them to get married. The two agree to a fake engagement, in order to pursue their separate interests, but of course they have to spend time together to keep up the ruse, and discover that maybe--just maybe--they might actually like each other.

A fun, frothy novel set in the Gilded Age of New York. As with the previous book in this series, Rodale has clearly done her research on women's issues of the period, and the use of beauty cosmetics was very controversial. So the reader will also get a fascinating history lesson with the swoony romance.

This was my first time reading Maya Rodale and what fun! Daisy Swann is close to becoming a spinster and that is the way she likes it. She has big plans for her future but her mother has something else in mind. Daisy finds herself engaged to her nemesis, Theodore Prescott the Third. The two decide to go along with the engagement, albeit fake in their eyes. Smart and witty banter make this love story a refreshing and enjoyable read. I am putting Maya's earlier books on my To-Read List.

This was a wonderful book. It was well writtend and I loved all the characters in the story. Plus ittakes place is a more modern era than I usually read and it happens in NY Manhatten (victorian historicals).

Daisy is very anti marriage she has her friends and hr father is wealthy and she has a hate on for her nemesis Theo.

Theo is a happy go lucky guy. He is a playboy with lots of friends, women, clubs and money. His father owns a steel plant and wants his son to become settled and responsible instead of flighty.

Daisy's mom and Theo's dad get together and decide the two shoudld be wed and thats how the two decide to fake be engaged. Daisy is sorta an ugly duckling but has an amazing cream that works wonders on her skin. She is also in college studying science and wants to start her own skin cream line. Leo is a sweet talker and the two band together and create their own store for women to buy her cream.

That is when the fun starts. I loved watching them both become partners and realise how wonderful the other is. This was a fun and interesting story and I loved every second of it. Very original as I have never read a historical like it before.