To be honest, in the beginning, I was not so very sure about this book. By the end I could not get enough of it and the characters. The book starts out a little slow and there are quite a few characters to keep up with. The book is interesting and I understood exactly how Gertrude was feeling. The book was long and not always fast paced, but when the epilogue arrived, I wanted a few more pages. I look forward to reading more books in this series and discovering the fate of the other Scandalous Ladies.
I received this book from NetGalley and HarperCollins for an honest review.

Wow Wow Wow!!! I am so excited about this new series from Sophie Jordan! If you are a fan of Bridgerton and Desperate Housewives you will absolutely adore this book and surely the books to come! A fresh new historical romance that focuses on more mature characters of the Ton. It was impossible to put down. Sophie gave us the story through multiple POV’s so not only did it make for an interesting love story between the two main characters, we got a glimpse of the perspective of the secondary characters as well a look into the lives of the other “Scandalous Ladies” which sets us up for their stories.

This book is not like any historical romance I’ve ever read before. We get our happily ever after but I really was not sure how this story was going to play out…fans of HistRom are going to have a great time reading this one!

Lady Gertrude Chatham is married to a complete POS. Her husband the Earl of Chatham disrespects her at every corner, flaunting his mistresses, gambling her dowery away and then going back to her parents for more, and when he’s not completely ignoring her existence he’s berating her. They have lived separately for years which is just fine for Tru thank you very much. The charming man she married is a rotter and life is better without having to be graced with his presence. She is happily unhappy until she meets him…the sultry mysterious man on a darkened balcony at a séance. He scandalously propositions her and gets her heart racing. She cannot possibly entertain taking a lover! She is a proper Lady, not to mention she doesn’t want to be anything like her husband, but oh he makes her feel so desirable and it feels so nice…but she has bigger problems right now. Her greedy husband has arranged to marry off their daughter to a rich man none of them know and she is determined that Delia does not end up trapped in a miserable marriage as she is and she will do anything to protect her daughter.

Jasper Thorne. Owns a chain of coaching inns and hotels, deep pockets, needs a aristocratic bride to be a mother to his young daughter. He thinks he’s found her when The Earl of Chatham offers up his darling daughter Lady Cordelia fresh to the Marriage Mart on a silver platter, there is only one problem, he propositioned her mother the night before and can’t stop thinking about her. When he realizes who his Mysterious Lady is he is thrilled to see her again but can’t believe she is the mother of the girl he is supposed to be courting! He knows he can never marry Delia when he’s hot for her mother, and she isn’t interested in him because he’s much older and she wants to enjoy a season or two before choosing a husband, one’s she is well suited to, so they decide to fake a courtship to keep her father from pushing her towards another old rich guy, but they don’t let Tru in on this plan, she thinks he is a rake who is pursuing her AND her daughter at the same time and that is unacceptable. His feelings for her intensify as he pursues her which leads to a battle of wills top notch inner conflict and scorching kisses. 🔥🔥🔥

Jasper wants forever with Tru but she’s married to another…it’s impossible!

What happens when her husband finds out….

Highly recommend!! Historical Romance readers are in for a treat! This book kept me guessing at every corner, delivers laugh out loud moments, colorful characters and of course romance!

Really enjoyed this more "modern" take on a Historical Romance. Jordan showed a side of the "ton" that you know had to be happening (loveless marriages, infidelities, etc), but that usually is something that happens to "other" characters. I loved Tru's group of lady friends and how supportive they were of each other. I also really felt pulled towards Tru's sister and Valencia. I look forward to the next installment.