I loved the idea of this one but unfortunately I just can’t get over the infidelity.

I know the marriage is unhappy, but everyone feels like they’re just making bad choices here.

Even our male main character has a past that I don’t love and isn’t helping get over the infidelity.

Interesting concept, just not for me.

Thank you for the advanced copy!

I am a long-time Sophie Jordan fan. I was excited for her new series which focuses on "older" heroines, many of which are married. Intrigued by the concept of this book, I was excited to learn how she managed to make this work. Tru has been married for nearly two decades but only in name. She and her husband live separate lives which works well for Tru since she finds him to be a despicable person. He bursts back into their home, though, when he realizes their daughter has now come out as he sees this as an opportunity to land a wealthy husband for her to support his lavish lifestyle. The only problem is the man he chooses for her has a greater attraction with Tru than her daughter.

I enjoyed so many aspects of this. The challenge of romance with another person while in an unhappy marriage was one I hadn't read much of. I didn't know how Jordan was going to work that conundrum out. I liked Tru and felt her to be real for her time. I mostly enjoyed Jasper and how he adored Tru. That being said, I did have a couple of minor items that didn't work for me. I always have a hard time with insta-love and never really saw this as much love anyway. It was more insta=lust and I never bought into the idea of these two as an HEA couple. I also struggled at times with the ick factor of Jasper supposedly courting Tru's daughter while lusting after her. While it is clear that he is never interested in Delia, there were several sections regarding him that just didn't sit right with me. Tru and Jasper definitely had chemistry but the novel was just a bit quick and tidy for me.

If you like a fast-paced romance with scandalous story lines, you truly cannot go wrong with Sophie Jordan. The book entertained me and has me wanting more from the series. Overall, I would recommend this one if you want an entertaining read for a cozy afternoon.

Once I realized this was a reverse age gap historical romance with a dilf. I had to pick it up. I mean she's 37 and he's 33 but her husband wanted him for their 18 year old daughter so big age gap for that time.
The husband was awful and philandering but she kisses one guy and she's a wh0re.. riiigghhht? Property is all we are, to use.
Though Jasper the suitor is actually a gentleman and he's a very good talker.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.25

Amazing book ! I could barely put it down. So well written ! She always writes strong and progressive heroines. This is another winner for me and I always recommend her books.

I thoroughly enjoyed this new take on a historical romance. It was incredibly refreshing to read about full grown adult women who have lived and experienced more of life. I loved that there were so many complex relationships. I can tell that this series will be a delight and I can't wait to read more of them.

I usually love Sophie Jordan’s romances! They are very fun and swoon worthy! However, I just could not get into this one. I did not care for the hero. He seemed like a sleaze. Still, Sophie Jordan fans might want to give this one a try!

Sophie Jordan pens yet another riveting story… Tru and Jasper were two characters you wanted to root for. A great read and one highly recommended!

This was a fun little historical romance read, that felt more on the modern side. This novel was nothing special, but I am not mad that I read it. I think if you are new to historical romance and are looking for a more modern introduction to the genre, this will be a great place to start. Overall it just didn't do anything spectacular, it was just a fun weekend historical romp.

Sophie Jordan kicks off a new series with The Countess – first in The Scandalous Ladies Of London. This series basically is about controversial women jockeying for position in the ton. This story stars Tru, or Gertrude. She is 38 and married to a real asshole. He cheats on her all the time. They have one kid together — a girl — who is ready to make her debut this year. As she joins society and looks for a husband, the daughter comes across Jasper Thorne, who isn’t titled but rich. As it turns out, Tru is more to Jasper’s taste. But, he starts courting her daughter. Still the chemistry is there. But, if word of the affair gets out, it could ruin everything for Tru.

So, I won’t lie, it is a little difficult to read a character who is basically my age being perceived as super old. Like, what? But that’s fine. Just a commentary on society and the value we place on the youth of women. Anyways, that’s also something Tru struggles with — she feels like she is so old. Also, her husband treats her like an old maid. I liked that Jasper treated her really well and was so kind to her. I will say the way they solved the issue of her husband wasn’t one I cared for, the way the book was going, I was expecting a certain outcome with that but then it changed course and I was like damn, shoulda leaned in to the other way it was going instead. The Countess audiobook is narrated by Justine Eyre and is 9 hours and 39 minutes long. Eyre is superb. Overall, this was a fun novel to end my streak of historical romance audiobooks with.

I liked this a lot and loved the lead characters and the surrounding cast, and look forward to the other in the series

This was a great beginning to a new historical romance series that I would recommend to those who think it sounds good!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

This was a DNF for me... I LOVE SPOPHIE JORDAN and love her books...but this one I could not get into. THe story and plot felt very scattered and like there was TOO much going on... I plan and can't wait to read the next book in the series... but this one did not do it for me.

A lovely opening book to a new series from Sophie Jordan - I loved the main hero and heroine, but also adored all of the side characters and look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series as they come out.

Kudos to Sophie Jordan for taking a bit of a leap with this romance, which starts with the unlikely premise of the mother of a debutante falling in lust, then love, with her daughter's suitor.

Lady Gertrude (aka Tru, aka the Cold Countess) is launching her daughter, Delia, on society and is excited for her to find the loving match that eluded her. Tru and her boorish, drunken, verbally abusive, and philandering husband have lived apart for years--much to Tru's delight, because he's basically the worst. Suddenly, though, he's interested in Delia because he thinks to marry her off to a rich man and reap rewards for himself. (Note: I'm guessing the only way the third-rail plot of "having sex with a man not your husband" would fly for most readers is if he's execrable. Boy, is he.)

Enter Jasper Thorne, the gorgeous rich guy that Tru had a near-flirtation with before she knew his identity. Now, as he continues to flirt with and pursue her, she's horrified by the idea that he is courting and perhaps intent on marrying Delia. Little does she know that Jasper wants only her and is only fake courting Delia to spend more time with her. As their paths continue to cross, Tru finds it harder to resist her attraction to Jasper and the passion--even love--he is starting to awaken in her. But can they find happiness together, given her firm married status?

Jordan takes a risk here, exploring some of the historical romance genre's less-explored territory (cheating spouse, older woman taking a younger lover, the cringe of her making out with and wanting to sleep with the man she believes may marry her daughter). I would have liked to see her really commit to the premise here, because if you can count on Sophie Jordan for anything, it's to gleefully lean into risky plots. She ends up where she needs to end up, but I wonder how exciting it would have been for her to find a way to do so without the obvious plot loophole. (A loophole she explored twice here.)

That said, I enjoyed the story quite a bit. Jasper and Tru have great chemistry even without tons of sexy times--the slow burn was appropriate for the characters here-- and I really enjoyed Tru's circle of friends (a few of whom will obviously be making an appearance in other books). I'm looking forward to the next books in the series.

The Scandalous Ladies of London is the first book of a new series. Usually the first book of a series is setting up what is to come for the series and this one definitely brought it. I like this book. I liked the chemistry. The story was a little predictable, but I was ok with that. I love the historical setting and it gave major Bridgerton vibes which I needed. This was a unique and fun Regency Romance. Sure, there were several side-eye moments in the plot, but the drama was glorious. Looking forward to reading the rest of this series!

Lady Gertrude “Tru” to family and close friends is a lady of London society. She cares deeply for her children, she just doesn’t care for her husband (who is a well known adulterer!) it was a price to pay in those days, divorce was frowned upon and most ladies were ostracised! So Tru turned a blind eye and concentrated on her children and her “Ton” reputation. A ball or soirée wasn’t complete without her attending…… Jasper is a widower and in need of a “mother” to his children! A lady of the society would see his daughter being accepted and then wooed by the right kind of gentleman, so he sets his sights on the lovely young lady Delia…. Tru and Jasper meet at a seance and the again in the garden, there is a small spark of interest, but she’s a married woman and older (not much) than him! But to accept Jasper’s offer would be scandalous! Her reputation would be ruined! And it would break her daughters heart! No! She must resist, but Jasper is determined to have his forever with Tru! This is the first book of a new series and new author for me. I’m excited to read the next book. It’s really well written and thought out. The characters are great, Gertrude is my favourite character. She’s in a loveless marriage, she turns a blind eye to her husbands numerous affairs, but makes a stand when her husband intends to “sell” his daughter to the highest bidder! She shows her compassion for her friends, and her love for her children. And Jasper at first didn’t rate very high in my estimation (trying to seduced a married woman!) but he’s heart wants what it wants, and his determination to win Tru, finally won me over. If your not a big fan of adulterer’s, then you might be a little disappointed with the main female character, although in her defence she does resist for most of the book. It’s not high on spice, but it’s full of drama, a few twists, and a little angst. But it is a great story, with really likeable characters. 🦋

Tru, Lady Chatham’s preparing her daughter, Cordelia to enter the Marriage Mart for the season. She’s the ‘it girl’ of the season which makes Tru happy, though concerned for her to find a happy match. Tru thought she’d found it, but her husband is a selfish, emotionally abusive philanderer who only married for her family’s wealth. They lead separate lives. He does him, and she presides over the ton as the ‘Cold Countess’. Her husband declares that Cordelia will wed Jasper Thorne, an entrepreneur with no aristocratic background, but deep pockets. Things don’t go as planned because Jasper and Tru have an unbelievable connection, one that Jasper, a rake himself can’t ignore. Propriety be damned, he’s going after the mother of his supposed bride.

I enjoyed the multiple POVs which felt unusual to me for a regency. The chemistry between Tru and Jasper? I’m a sucker for their-eyes-met-across-the-room setup. The situation is so awkward between Tru, Jasper and Cordelia, and it’s also kind of exciting because it 𝘪𝘴 awkward. I didn’t realize how much I wanted to read something like this! Jasper gives Tru all the things she’s missed, and falls deeper than for any woman before.

It’s funny how regencies show the hypocrisy with which women are treated so I appreciate how these books give the women their HEA. As for Jasper, he’s swoon-worthy at first sight, and I loved the flirtatious banter. He was cheeky but forthcoming, and he only had eyes for her. Watching him fall in love was the best.

The other POVs in this story include Tru’s friends and her sister. l can’t wait to read their stories.

I might’ve lost sleep finishing this at 1am in the morning, but every second spent with this story was worth it!

Thanks to @netgalley & @avonbooks for my ARC. This is my honest review.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 is available today!

I struggled to identify what this book was because it really did not feel like a standard historical romance. According to Netgalley, it’s been categorized as both romance, which is honestly debatable, and women’s fiction, a term I personally loathe. For the purposes of this review, I’m going to label this book as Historical Romantic Fiction.

One of the reasons I’m hesitant to label this as a classic histrom is that the book includes the pov of multiple characters, not just the two main characters but a couple of side ones as well. And the side characters are not paramount to the two main characters getting together, they don’t really further the romantic arc in any major way, but they do lay the groundwork for their own books as the series progresses. In fact, one of them will undoubtedly be the main character in the very next book in the series.

Secondly, for much of the book – by which I mean like 95% of the book, the FMC, the titular Countess, is married, rather unhappily, to her cheating husband. As it does take place in the 1800s when divorce was not that common and rather difficult to obtain, one can reasonably conclude that in order for the countess to find true happiness and personal fulfillment, her cheating husband has to meet an untimely demise.

My problems with the book are twofold. First of all, I don’t have any sense of the characters at all and after much reflection, it dawns on me that it doesn’t really feel like the author does either. They are written very superficially, as if they’re caricatures of people of that time. The FMC, Gertrude, the Countess of Chatham, has resigned herself to a loveless marriage. She and her husband don’t even reside in the same house. He is off carousing with his mistresses and gambling and drinking while she’s at home raising their two children, one of whom is a daughter making her debut. She is angry when her husband proclaims that he’s found a suitable husband for their daughter, a wealthy outsider looking for a way into the aristocracy. Things are further complicated when Tru as she’s called, finds herself drawn to this enigmatic and rich stranger, a self-made hotelier named Jasper Thorne.

I don’t really get a sense of how these two fall in love to the point that Tru is willing to leave her husband and the life she’s known to be with him. Much of the book is about Tru trying to stay away from Jasper and also convince him not to court her daughter.

Jasper for his part decides he wants Tru the second he meets her and manipulates things to make sure they are forced to spend a lot of time together. He essentially pretends to court the daughter (with her knowledge) so that he can have access to her mother (that part is not known to the daughter). It’s a very soapy situation, made worse by Tru’s husband who is desperate for Thorne to marry his daughter because he’s broke and wants the financial windfall Thorne can provide.

Once again, I have to say I didn’t actually like any of these characters. Leaving aside Tru’s husband who is obviously the villain of the story, Tru herself has no real agency and I can’t really fault her for that because that was by and large the lot of most women back then, even rich and titled ones. But what bothers me most is how Tru keeps insisting to her daughter that she is not going to let anyone force her daughter to marry someone she doesn’t love and yet, she has no real concrete plan for how she’s going to stop this from happening. Her first attempt is to try and talk her husband out of it which, most people can guess, even without reading the book, that plan is doomed to fail. He has zero regards for his wife and is less than interested in anything she has to say. Then she tries to convince Thorne himself but he’s playing a different game, where he just wants to be close to her and is pretending to court the daughter as a means of getting to the mother. And then, she goes back to her husband, because I guess their first conversation went so well…??

It’s not the premise that really bothers me – I thought there was some potential here, a soapy, melodramatic histrom. But it’s the way all of these characters are written, barely developed, lacking any real depth, and without any real motivation or agency. Tru is just resigned to her lot in life for most of the book and her only real motivation is to make sure her daughter doesn’t suffer the same plight. But she doesn’t really have any plans in place for how she’s going to prevent that from happening.

The romance, as I’ve already stated, isn’t really the focal point or if it is, it fails miserably. I truly don’t know what either of these characters see in each other much less how or why they fell in love. There’s a HEA but it doesn’t feel well-earned, there’s no real feeling of victory when the final page is turned and I had zero investment in either of these characters (or, frankly, any of the side ones either).

This book is first in the author’s series that recounts the lives of rich ladies of the ton. “Scandalous” is full of drama, affairs, and matchmaking. Lady Gertrude (Tru) has a pitiful ton marriage. Her husband has never been faithful yet Tru accepts this sad fact. He’s controlling and a poor gambler. In attempting to matchmake the daughter with a suitable husband who is rich enough to support the earl’s habit, Tru falls for this gentleman (Jasper), and he for Tru. It wasn’t scandalous for an older man to marry a much younger woman back then and affairs were the norm. As parents we want the best for our children, but thank God we don’t have to search for “acceptable” matches! The book does have gossip, jealousy, and romance with a happy ever after ending. The angst for me was that Jasper was going to try enticing Tru into an affair while courting her daughter.

I received a free copy of the book in advance and am leaving this review voluntarily.

#TheScandalousLadiesofLondon #NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-Arc copy of this novel. It is a romance that will have your heart aflutter!