I was very excited for this book and couldn’t of been happier to receive an ARC from NetGalley and the Publisher!

I’m reading some of the reviews I’m rather shocked that we read the same book haha. Maybe people clung too hard to the idea of it being a Persuasion retelling, and it obviously does have that air to it.

Spoilers incoming!!

Second chance romance gone arie. I wasn’t sold on Lord Somerset aka her first love. For me there was always something a bit off about him. I did however believe that Melville and Eliza’s relationship was so subtle and happened over time with our her even knowing it and I bought into it! That said it did make me anxious because I wasn’t certain what she would choose. I almost wanted her to choose herself and no man, but I guess it wouldn’t have been a true romance at that point lol.

I loved her cousin Margaret and her entire storyline, I suspected early on about her and I was so happy for her HEA!

Also Perkins the Butler is the true hero of this story!!

Ohhhh this was delightful! I enjoyed this first book, but I found this one so much richer. Maybe it’s because Persuasion is my favorite book, but the setup with love denied, but then he returns after many years in the Navy…I was hooked! BUT this takes the story in completely new and unexpected ways and I loved it. The angst is super high in this book. There’s a love triangle (I know I know, but it works), and the emotions are so complex. I love the exploration of society’s unfair expectations and limitations of women and choosing your own happiness. Ugh I just loved the Melvilles and Eliza was such a nuanced and great heroine. (Also there’s a bit more kissing than in the first book which I was excited about!).
I definitely enjoyed this and would recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy for review. All opinions are my own.

A Lady's Guide To Scandal one or two similarities to Persuasion, but that's about it. It starts off slow, but eventually gets going. Overall I enjoyed the story. I loved the first in this series, A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting and this was a welcome addition. I found myself chuckling at many parts.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced digital review copy.

I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I LOVED this. As an avid regency romance reader, it is not often that I am able to be taken unaware by a plot twist, and yet, I was so happily surprised with the turn this book took. The writing was beautiful, the story was interesting and so different than the normal few formats RR books tend to envelop. The romance developed so naturally and gradually, making the end result really feel earned and beautiful. The secondary characters brought much to the story as well and I was glad to follow their journey. What an amazing second book in the series, I cannot wait for the next one!

This was a fun, quick read and I was reminded again why I love and look forward to Irwin’s novels so much! The only problem I have with the book is my dislike for Somerset (ha!) which cannot be laid at her feet.

Eliza spent a decade married to a much older man, and the uncle of her first love. Upon his death, she finds herself a free widow. But this is something she is very unaccustomed to - she left the crippling oppression of her parents to marry Lord Somerset, only to be diminished by him as well. So this newfound freedom is unheard of and a little disconcerting. But Eliza is up to the task! Filled with excellent characters and a fun, if light, plot this is an excellent summer read!

Overall an enjoyable read, although I had a hard time connecting to the heroine at the beginning. She was a little too dutiful, timid and mousy. After coming into an unexpected inheritance, she seems to come into her own and finally develops a backbone. The love triangle definitely adds interest and intensity, as Eliza struggles to know her own heart.
At first you can relate to her yearning to be with Somerset, her first love of 10 years, but as the relationship progresses, you realize that he does not appreciate her for who she really is. Melville, on the other hand, does not seem to offer many prospects, has numerous faults, but does genuinely see her, supports her talent and appreciates her for her true self.
There was a strong feministic focus that I did not enjoy so much, and I wish there had been more time spent with Melville, as it took so long for them to finally come together! However, this was a fun light read and I did enjoy the novel as a whole.

Pub date: July 11, 2023

Thank you for this book!

I picked this book solely on the title and book cover but was surprisingly disappointed as I put this book on hold several times. It was kind of slow, but I liked Eliza and Margaret, who don't want to live there freely and do whatever they want.

Unfortunately Eliza was married to someone she didn't like, twenty years after her husband passed away. I was surprised that she could keep her title, her house and her inheritance, usually they passed on to a male heir. This allows her to do what she wanted and surprised at this period of society.

I did love the her guest, Mr Melville- their banter of "you show me yours and I'll show mines" they both had an interest in painting whether it was a hobby or career they connected. Usually, couples do not share the same viewpoints because society separates gender roles.

A Lady’s Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin
This book takes place in Regency England, where a newly widowed Eliza and her cousin Margaret wish to live their lives on their own terms.
It is difficult for Eliza to follow society’s mourning period traditions as she begins to enjoy her new wealth and freedom.
During their time in Bath and London, the ladies socialize with the infamous Duke Melville and sister Caroline. Scandal and intrigue ensue.
Will these relationships be the making or the undoing of these characters?
#netgalley

This book was such a delight!! I loved Sophie Irwin's other book, "A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting" so I was excited to read this one and I read it in a day!! She really can make a regency setting feel fresh and modern without tossing in a bunch of anachronistic references.
Eliza was a fun main character. All of the relationships felt fully fleshed out and interesting. It was a fantastic, feel good read.
Definitely recommend.

This book was an absolute joy to read! I will admit that I didn't realize this was a second in the series, but I was able to fully enjoy it as a stand alone. The growth, character, and relationships in A Lady's Guide to Scandal were so well done. It made the relationships so real and empowering. I highly recommend you add this to your TBR ASAP!

Set in the past, giving Bridgerton vibes, A Lady's Guide to Scandal follows the story of Eliza, a young woman forced into a loveless marriage by her family. A man with a fortune, a man many years her senior. Eliza finds herself widowed and heir to quite the fortune, but she must abide by the will's morality clause.

Eliza is thrust back into society where she rekindles a romance with a former flame, a man to whom she was madly in love with before her marriage. This rekindled romance reaches the point of an unofficial betrothal. Here's where it gets dicey for me. She finds herself also attracted to Melville, a dashing young ladies man. I think I understand what the author was trying to do here: with Eliza finally finding her voice and looking out for her own happiness, but there was just something a bit unsettling about their romance: the duplicitous beginnings, the casual references to affairs, the devil may care attitude in which the pair conducts themselves amongst the conservative time period. The characters just weren't my cup of tea.

And while I love a book about a woman finding her voice, I found this one to be a little bit lacking.

I believe this book was meant to be a retelling of Persuasion, but it just did not cut it. I did not enjoy the love triangle, although I think the writing is good, I couldn't connect with the characters. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in advance of its release date.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked Eliza’s journey from meek and submissive to strong and determined.

I thought the premise was mostly fun, but it did draw too heavily from Jane Austen. There were so many parts that were clearly inspired by Austen’s novels, and it took away from the originality of the story. At first, I thought it was going to be a retelling of Persuasion so I was really glad when the story diverged from that path.

Love triangles aren’t my thing, but I didn’t really feel like there was much of one in this story. Yes, there were two love interests, but it wasn’t a case of choosing one or the other. Eliza chose independence and only after did she end up marrying one of the gentlemen. I also found it believable that she would think she was in love with Somerset after years of building him up in her mind as her true love. It seemed realistic to me that it would take her a while to realize he was no longer the right fit for her.

I also liked that there was LGBTQ representation, I haven’t seen that much in historical romances.

This book was so sweet and such a joy to read. I adored all the characters and loved how their stories progressed.

First off, thank you NetGalley and Penguin Books for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Lady's Guide to Scandal gives the impression that its a Persuasion retelling but it is definitely NOT! I am a huge Jane Austen and Bridgerton fan and to say that I was excited to read this was an understatement. Sadly, I was extremely disappointed. The first third of the book was particularly slow and I found myself struggling to be invested in the characters.

It tells the story of Eliza, who is forced to marry a man she did not love (who is twice her age) out of duty to her family. After the death of her husband, Eliza is shocked to learn that she has inherited an unexpected fortune. However, there is a morality clause in place that has to be met in order for her to keep the inheritance. Traveling to Bath with her cousin, Eliza's journey begins where she finds the freedom to live the life she has always wanted.

There is a love triangle that was played out horribly! It moved into the cheating trope territory and that ruined the story for me. I found myself unable to care about a HEA for any of them.

Overall, I do not regret reading the book. However, it is not one I will be recommending to anyone.⭐️⭐️⭐️

Content note: same sex relationship between secondary characters

This book started out so strong. There were two dashing male leads, a young widow who finally has the opportunity to make her own decisions, a cousin more like a sister, and so much humor. I was laughing within pages of starting. It was everything I love until it wasn’t.

Eliza is a 27 year old widow who has always done what her mother wanted. After her husband dies, her first love inherits the estate. Cue the tension and the longing. Eliza decides to go to Bath and we meet Melville on the way. Melville is witty, charming, and intelligent. He helps Eliza become more adventurous and to stand up for herself. This all leads to a love triangle. For me, this is where the story falls apart. Eliza starts making rash decisions that lead to scandal and put her social standing in jeopardy.

The love triangle feels immature, and all the people involved act in a reprehensible manner.

It becomes easy to see who Eliza should end up with,and while she does ultimately end up with that person, it’s incredibly messy.

I loved the humor in this book, and I loved Melville. He was everything I want in a leading man, but Eliza fell flat for me. Her character left me wanting more.

This is a clean read with some off screen kissing between two women.

Eliza was forced to marry at the age of 17 to a man much her senior as it was per her family's wishes. She agrees, however heartbroken, as she was in love with the man's nephew.Now, at the age of 27, her husband is dead and her loveless marriage is over. Unexpectedly, he leaves her a small fortune through land ownership. This is the fantastic story of her finding her voice.

Overall, I liked this book, but I thought it could've been better. The main tropes in this book are second chance romance and love triangle. I like love triangles if they're done correctly, however I don't think this one was. The entire first half of this book is spent building up one love story, and then it abruptly switches to another. I hate when authors do this because I find it hard to root for the love interest that's introduced second. I also didn't really like Eliza's personality. She was a little boring, and didn't have much of a spine in the beginning. I did really love the regency part, and the setting in Bath. It was a quick read and a fun, entertaining pallet cleanser.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this book for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book. I think the writing was wonderful- the style and language was on point and gave me that Jane Austen vibe I love so much. The story was good- a mild mannered young women finds herself a widow and is given estate that brings her great and unexpected fortune, with strings attached. Said strings get tangled (as they do) and scandal arises. I did find myself not falling in love with the characters as much as I hoped and so I didn't connect with the book like expected. Overall, I still enjoyed it and will read the author's other works as well.

This is a story of a repressed, shy young woman given in marriage to an older, titled man to create an easier future for her and her family. This type of arrangements were often made to protect a family's reputation and standing in society without any consideration for the bride or her wishes for a future. In Eliza's case, she was only married a fairly short time (to a domineering, self-serving man) and then she became a widow. During and after her one year of mandatory mourning, she starts to discover the possibility of choosing someone that she loves instead of marrying whoever makes the "best" match. I liked the characters and I liked the arc of the story, which shows the progression from shy, agreeable young woman to a strong, daring woman who finds her true love (and herself in the process).