This book has a lot of different things going on. Francesca and Edward are unhappy in their marriage. The story takes you through their struggles to find a happy ending!

Francesca earned the title by asking for a divorce, refusing to accept her husband's
flagrant affairs, his installing his mistress at tge family home. Her husband is
flabbergasted at her "attitude" deeming it unreasonable and unfair. The same whiney
attitude is followed by his family and even worse her own, who have all cut her out
of their lives.

Francesca has had a single short lived affair, documented by her husband and dangerously
close to another more passionate one with her husband's bestfriend.

The story highlights the hypocrisy and double standards of society, which was willing
to overlook Francesca's escapades provided she kept them discreet and avoided the D
WORD. She was not willing to do that so face the music she did.

Very unusual ending to the story which caught me by surprise, a pleasant one.

Very good reading over the holidays.

Rating: 2.75/5

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This took me a while to finish. I don’t even think this book is slow-paced in general. Anyways, the premise of this book is that a married couple of ten years who have been separated for a while are seeking a divorce. Well, the wife, Francesca, is the one who desires it the most for her freedom. The story revolves around Francesca and her estranged husband, Edward as well as their mutual friend, James. Truth be told, their journey dragged. I understand that in reality, divorce back in Victorian England usually takes ages to acquire and only people who have the money, connections, and a great case can do so. But it doesn’t mean that it also had to be boring. It took me a while to understand who is our hero and heroine. The numerous point of view confused me sometimes too. I will admit that the plot had potential. If only it was executed well and with more enticing (main) characters. This book had so much potential, I’m disappointed.

I found this to be a really refreshing premise for a historical romance! Francesca is seeking a divorce, and falls in love with her husband's best friend, who is sent to persuade her to remain married.. I found Francesca and James to be interesting characters, albeit not terribly likeable…? The legal drama at the center of the story sometimes stretched credulity but kept the story really interesting and different. I’d love to read something else from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

2/5 stars.

I loved the premise of this book. The first couple of chapters were exciting and engaging and the humor of the main character was fun. Unfortunately, from then on the storyline dragged along and I couldn't find myself invested in any of the characters. I think the author has a unique ability to bring humor into regency romance but needs work at pacing in storylines.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Once I started this book, I literally could not put it down. One sitting. Loved it.

While I love both historical fiction and romance, I tend to avoid modern regency and Victorian romances. I'm not a fan of the virginal-ingenue-meets-corrupting-rake trope that abounds in that genre. This book is not that.

When we first meet the heroine, Francesca, she is a young debutante, but, even then, she can't quite conform to the expectations of her class and era. At the start, she is engaged to be married to Edward Thorne, a somewhat out-of-touch romantic who has put her on a entirely unattainable pedestal, setting them both up for matrimonial disappointment.

The action of the book takes place some ten years later, eight years after the doomed couple has become estranged. In that time, Francesca has been isolated and Edward has become a complete reprobate. When Francesca demands a divorce, Edward tries to pay her off, pressuring her to settle for a well-compensated life in her own establishment.

He sends his longtime friend, James Standish to negotiate with her, setting off a spark between James and Francesca, tempting them both toward a relationship that they know can never happen. If Francesca is caught in an affair, she will lose her divorce suit, and James is caught between his desire for Francesca and the social expectations of his benefactress Aunt and his social class.

The banter between James and Francesca is electric, full of affectionate teasing and crackling wit.

The legal drama surrounding the divorce suit, compounded with Edward's blatant philandering had me stressed to the point of slamming down my Kindle more than once.

All in all, I adored it. So glad I took a chance on this book.

I really enjoyed 'The Worst Woman in London' by Julia Bennet. This is the first book by Julia Bennet I have read and I loved her style. I will absolutely read another book by her in the future.

Pros:
I loved the chemistry between Fran and James. It was a friends to lovers type of slow burn. The two lead characters were very likable, kind and smart. It was easy to root for a happy ending for them.
Although I typically avoid Victorian era books that deal with divorce simply because they are usually completely far fetched and unbelievable I actually enjoyed this one. Julia Bennet did a great job of setting up the divorce and didn't skirt around the implications or consequences of divorcing during this time period.
Overall there is not much I didn't like about this novel. She nailed the main characters, the plot was solid and the romance was on point.

Cons:
The only part of this book I did not like was that the author added a secondary romance between Edward (Frans husband) and a debutant and I thought Edwards character was gross and unredeemable. I did not want to read about his happy ending. I also didn't think the match was very believable to society standards. It also made Edward look like an even bigger hypocrite because the things he hated about Fran were almost the exact qualities he liked in the debutant. Hard to believe he all of a sudden supported an independent woman who gave up her "virtue" so easily. This was a plot hole for me.

Overall I enjoyed Fran and James story so much that the development of Edwards character didnt bother me enough to not rate this book highly.

Thank you so much to Net Galley and the Publishers for supplying me with an ARC of "The Worst Woman in London" by Julia Bennet in exchange for my honest review. Congrats to Julia Bennet on a great historical romance novel. I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

A really refreshing premise for a historical romance, is a woman seeking a divorce who falls in love with her husband's best friend who is sent to persuade her to remain married, but that ultimately falls flat. I found the characterizations and the character arcs of Francesca and James to be quite interesting and thought-provoking. Francesca, as an aristocratic woman seeking a divorce from an emotionally abusive husband, illustrates the challenges women faced during the 19th c and particularly how women were viewed as the literal property of their husbands; and James, as somewhat of a dandy whose fortune is bound to the whims of a wealthy aunt, illustrates a sort of rising class consciousness amongst the lower gentry and how a relation to money can dictate one's life. I found the larger push and pull between Francesca and James and their stations in life to be unlike anything I have read before in historicals, but the more intimate parts of their story felt kind of rushed and out of sync with the rest of the larger dynamic. While the criticism of the intimacy being rushed/out of sync is perhaps minor and more a result of personal taste, my biggest gripe with this story is the secondary couple which entirely wrecked the book for me. Her husband is awful and absolutely did not need to be given a happy ending, let alone with a debutante (like what the actual fuck??) on the page. It is so off-putting and left me incredibly annoyed as a reader. I have no clue why the author thought that it was a good idea to have it as part of the plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Although I’m not much of a fan of the title, the story is an interesting one: a married woman wants her freedom from a loveless marriage. Add in how she falls for her husband's best friend plus Victorian era laws and you have a regency story worth picking up.

Even though the steamy romance is a focal point of the novel, it does carry weight in showing how married women were treated in the 1800’s and the hypocrisy of the patriarchy and its views on divorce, specifically a wife wanting one.

Throughout the novel we encounter several point of views the most preferred is of course Francesca and James, our main characters. Their relationship blossoms into something romance readers crave while wishing Edward Thorne could be eviscerate him from the pages completely.

My concern with the book is its conclusion. I won’t spoil it for those interested in reading, but I wish it had been different. There’s nothing less satisfying than a villain getting his happy ending at the expense of the main character.

A story about betrayal, perseverance, and hope for a second chance at love, The Worst Woman in London gives an uplifting view of a woman desperate to gain her own piece of happiness.

Happy Reading ~ Cece

Another different historical romance with a twist. Francesca is a fantastic heroine who is trying to get out of a loveless marriage through divorce a social suicide mission. She then starts to fall for her husbands friend James and it’s on. I really enjoyed this story it was a solid read and I loved seeing a strong female character who wasn’t worried about losing her station. Her husband Edward was difficult to identify with and I would have preferred it if he had some sort of karmic ending.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

GENERAL INFO

Year Pub/Re Pub: 2/2/23

Book's cover: undertone red w/ H/h

Format: e-book

Source: Arc provided by NetGalley

Page Count: 299(print version)

Book's Price: KU/$1.99

Price I'd Value: $3.99

Setting: London 1872 and 1882

Genre: HR, Women's fiction

Tropes: arranged marriage, adultery

Standalone/Cliffhanger/Part of a Series: standalone

HEA/HFN ending: HEA

Epilogue Included: yes 1898

Character(s)POV Spoken: H/h

BOOK DESCRIPTION

M/F-M/M-M/M/F-etc: M/F

Representation: women's rights

Contains Cheating: yes, Husband Edward Thorne while married and living together. Wife Francesca Heller 6 years after being abandoned and sent away to the country w/ mother-in-law.

Contains Children: no, h unable to have them

Flashbacks: yes, childhood of H/h as orphans and how they were raised

Jealy/Possy/OTT H/h: yes, h Fran jealous of husband's mistress at the opera, accepted in elite circles, and is a kept woman. Also, the new debutant Sylvia Randle who is young, beautiful, innocent, and proper.

Amount of Sex in the book: a few scenes between H/h, liked their first time together

Overall Smex Rating: 4

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION

Hero: James Standish

Hero Description: 26, spoiled wealthy rake who lazes about w/ drink and women. Has no intention of marriage or love but is at the mercy of his Aunt Miriam.

Hero Likability Rating: 3

Hero loves books/writing: no

Heroine: Francesca Heller/Thorne

Heroine Description: Age 19 to 29, in an unhappy marriage, lives in her own house now. Wants divorce w/ freedom to marry again.

Heroine Likability Rating: 5

Heroine loves books/writing: art, the opera

Secondary characters:
Aunt Helena and Uncle Arthur Lytton-raised Fran and disowned her when she refused to keep up the farce marriage.
Edward Thorne-Fran's husband and James's childhood friend. Cheats on his wife. Blackmailing her to stay married or he will take her allowance and further ruin her reputation.
Aunt Miriam Price-raised James, a troublemaker and gossip. Doted on him, and now wants him to marry the "right" sort.
Sylvia Randle-new debutante. Young, beautiful, well versed and accomplished. The perfect wife.
Caroline Ashton: Fran's BFF, just wants her happy

H /h RELATIONSHIP INFO

Endearments: Jemmy for James and Fran for Francesca

OW/OM/Exes: yes, Thorne has OW-Mrs. Kirkpatrick, a courtesan. Fran's OM- Tommy Trafford-6 years after husband left her.

Cheating Before/During/Outside H/h Relationship: yes, husband cheated the entire marriage.


CONTENT WARNINGS/TRIGGERS: adultery, heavy on women's subservient roles


AUTHOR OVERVIEW: Julia Bennet 1st time author for me

PERSONAL OVERVIEW

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Do You Recommend This Book: yes

Will You Re-read This Book: yes

Would You Read More Books by this Author: yes

COMMENTS/NOTES

Favorite line: "Everyone, even the privileged elite, had a role to play and a script to follow."
-James to Fran about her wanting freedom

New Vocabulary/beautiful words:
hidebound-unwilling or unable to change because of tradition or convention. This describes everyone except Fran.
demimonde-the class of women considered to be of doubtful morality and social standing. Single, poor, kept women.

I just couldn't bring myself to care about any of these characters. There's a lot about this book that I assumed I would love, but it never succeeded in pulling me in.

3 1/2 stars.

This was an interesting story in that it's not a conventional Victorian romance. The story opens with the first chapter with James meeting his best friend's fiancée Francesca and realizing they are not suited to each other.
In the second chapter, it's ten years later and we see Francesca, how unhappy she is, and how she wants a divorce from her husband. He's unfaithful and doesn't care to hide his affairs, quite on the contrary, he flouts them.
Despite his behavior, society is against divorce and Francesca is shunned by society including her family. She is adamant in pursuing the divorce and Edward is not. James, as the best friend, is thrown in the middle when Edward asks him to present an offer to Francesca.
I liked that the story is not told in 1st person POV.

There are a lot of social issues in this story which made for an interesting read. It's incomprehensible to modern readers nowadays the way Francesca was shunned and condemned for petitioning a divorce while her husband paraded with his mistress in public and nobody condemned him.

Sexual content.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

The Worst Woman in London has made me sweat for the drama of ill-fated marriages, and swoon for friends turned lovers.

Brilliant still, amongst all the trappings and frippery of a Victorian romance, our intrepid couple are on their own journeys to personal freedom. For Francesca, she seeks independence by way of divorce from her straying husband. James is shaken from his 'heir' of complacency and questions the actual worth of an unearned lifestyle.

Together, they navigate manners, society, period typical gender and socioeconomic roles, and a friendship destined to be a grand love affair.

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

I’d just come off a disappointing DNF when I decided to settle in to read this historical romance. I must admit, I was very skeptical of the friends to lovers but the lady friend is the almost former wife of his guy friend as I am not partial to any cheating in romance, but Julia Bennet does an excellent job setting up the main— and secondary— relationships in this book. I found myself rooting for most of the characters, even some of the reprehensible ones. This book made me realize that I may actually love friends to lovers over other tropes I tend to read, mostly due to the fact that the feeling of ease and comfort between these main characters in their interactions makes me giggly— even BEFORE we get to the intimate part of their relationship. I had planned to take many notes throughout this read to give a thorough review, but I was so lost to actually reading the book that I forgot. Needless to say, I loved it.

P.S. Julia Bennet if you see this I would die for a book on Caroline and Ashton’s full love story. UGH I love them.

Forbidden love, cheating spouse, victorian time period, yes please! Sign me up I am all in! This was good. I totally was absorbed into the story.
I just reviewed The Worst Woman in London by Julia Bennet. #TheWorstWomaninLondon #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc.


I initially had very high expectations for this book, but it sadly didn’t live up to the hype.
The plot felt a bit flat and the development very slow.
She deserves all the happiness, But her cheating husband doesn’t.
Ultimately it was a good enough read, but not outstanding.

Three and half stars.

OVERALL:
Victorian London. A woman tired of being cast aside by her husband for other company, including women, decides to file for divorce, despite the extreme difficulty of this. This book goes beyond just talking about how the rules are completely different for men and women, but also allows, and in fact, embraces, Francesca breaking the very rules that aren’t even rules for her husband. And although Edward, her husband, is quite irritating, his growth is nice to see, even if it feels a little magical or love at first sight-ish (e.g. enter woman, and swoon, I will change all my sordid ways). But I loved James and Francesca, and enjoyed their banter and growth of their feelings.


20 SECOND “WHAT’S THIS ABOUT”:
Francesca marries Edward at a very young age. After being basically abandoned, she elects to move forward with a divorce knowing the will completely cut her off from society. Best friend of her estranged husband, James, comes at her husband’s request to attempt to talk her out of it, and surprise, surprise, they *like* each other, and the rest is history.

My favorite part:
The HEA, of course! And no babies! And no aunties to the rescue.

ARC provided by Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours.

What a frustrating and ultimately unsatisfying book. This tale of divorce in Victorian London had its moments, but it was hard to like anyone except some of the minor characters. Three stars because I was still rooting for the primary couple as they learned and grew and did work on themselves, but Francesca’s erstwhile husband absolutely did not deserve a happy ending. Sigh.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

I felt that this book had promise, but the plot fell really flat about half way through the book.

Francesca Thorn is trying to get a divorce after 10 years of marriage. In Victorian England it is very difficult to obtain a divorce, and creates a lot of scandal. Her husband, despite numerous affairs wants to prevent the divorce to save face. Still, Francesca wants legal separation despite obstacles and being ostracized by high society.

She meets James, who seems to have the freedom she craves but as it turns out is trapped as well. If he wants to get his inheritance he has to marry virginal girl who is accomplished and beyond reproach. Someone completely different from Francesca.

Initially I was enjoying this book, but about 1/2 way in the plot went flat and I honestly found it quite dull. This was a letdown as I think that the author had some unique ideas.

Overall, I feel that this book was ok, but not great.