Sophie Irwin does it again!

I was a huge fan of Irwin's debut book last summer, A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting. For any lover of regency romance heavy on the banter but with a feminist eye for the problems with the marriage "market" of the time, this was the perfect fun period romance. So when I saw "A Lady's Guide to Scandal" on NetGalley I had to read it ahead of it' release. I am happy to say it is even better!

Marketed as a Regency second-chance romance with Persuasion vibes, I'd say that is true, to a point. But instead of remaining single as Anne Elliot does after jilting her childhood sweetheart on the advice of her family , our main character Eliza has been pushed by her duty to her family to marry a man 30 years her senior instead of the man she loved. Now, newly widowed after 10 years of marriage and a precarious inheritance, for the first time in her life Eliza has the ability to pursue her own ideas. But it is not long before duty, propriety and family expectations come at her again from all directions.

I so enjoyed Eliza's relationship with her cousin Margaret as they adventure together in Bath. They are the best of bestie's! The social banter is sharp and hilarious, and contain some of Irwin's deepest critiques of the social priorities of the time in the most fabulous of digs!. And the romance is spectacular! Steamy, not spicy, but oh so satisfying as Eliza has to chose between the man she has always loved and another who may or may not have the best of intentions towards her.

This novel was thoroughly enjoyable. If you are in the mood for a funny period romance about a woman finding herself, her independence, her place in the world, and the man that wants those things for her, I highly recommend "A Lady's Guide to Scandal " !

A Lady's Guide to Scandal was just as fun as A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting. Eliza was a character that one couldn't help but cheer for, and I absolutely loved the subversion of Somerset. We as the reader are obviously initially rooting for him, but it becomes clear very early on that Melville is someone who intensely understands Eliza like no one else does. She wants as much freedom as she can gather for herself after 10 years of being forced into a position she didn't even want. Her journey to finding herself is clever, fun, and inspiring. Not to mention Margaret and Caroline's story, which is just as admirable, not to mention romantic.

Actual rating: 3.5/5

This book is like a YA Bridgerton - a fun, romantic take on the Regency era. I enjoyed the first book in the series ( A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting), but enjoyed this book more.

In my opinion, the romance in this was more palpable than that in A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting. I liked the main character’s journey and thought there was excellent representation (especially considering this takes place in Regency England).

There is a semi-love triangle (I say semi because I wish one of the relationships would have been more established besides it being “they once were in love”).

I felt the middle of the book lagged a little and I sometimes got confused by the background characters.

Overall, I thought this was a cute, easy to digest historical fiction book.

Delightful, witty, clever and full of all the wonderful things we love about regency, but with a twist! I love Sophie Irwin's writing. Her turn of phrase is so lovely to read, with a little tongue-in-cheek whimsy that makes her stories so, so fun. I loved the "will they-won't they?" between Eliza and her suitors, as well as the pushing of society boundaries while also trying not to cross any actual lines.

If you're a fan of witty regencies that aren't quite like anything else you've read before, this is a good one!

Thank you to Netgalley for my complimentary e-arc of this book. All opinions here are my own.

I was enjoying this unique story, I didn't like the heroine at first, too mousy, too shy, then she grows up, even though she had been married to an older man at seventeen, an Earl, ten years after his death, she begins a transformation. She is now a wealthy widow and can make her own decisions, it is a good story, well written, right up my alley, until the last few chapters, I am still in shock, and dismay, I detest when liberal politics work their way into books, their needs to be a warning on the publisher's blurb, I am thrilled that it is an Arc because I would be beside myself if I had paid for it. If you are of a liberal view, you will love the book, if you are a conservative, you won't, and my dreams of books keeping politics out, and somewhere we could all meet with smiles about a great book I just read are not to be found here.
carolintallahassee

I enjoyed Sohpie Irwin's writing and wit a lot in this second installment of the Lady's Guide. The characters were very well rounded and had enough depth that made me want to root for them. Although I would have wanted them to be together a little while longer than striclty only towards the end.

Full of abundant humor and playful banter, A Lady's Guide to Scandal, is a delighful read. As with her first novel, A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting, author Sophie Irwin puts a feminist spin on Regency romance without losing the flavor of the period. Widowed after an arranged marriage, Eliza is ready for her long year of mourning to end. In an inspired moment of self-preservation, she and her cousin and companion, Margaret, decide to leave the late earl's estate and move to Bath. There they encounter a cast of slightly scandalous, but intriguing new acquaintances. Complications arise when Eliza's first love, the Earl of Somerset, renews his attentions. Eliza must reconcile her longing for her lost love amid new and appealing possibilities: the Earl of Melville, for one. An accomplished flirt, he seems...interested? Meanwhile, intrigue is also in store for Margaret, while new artistic opportunities arise for Eliza.

Highly recommended. I loved this book, and hope that Sophie Irwin is already at work on her third.

Sophie Irwin weaves a story full of intrigue, romance and courage in A Lady's Guide to Scandal. Eliza Balfour, recently widowed and finding herself receiving more inheritance than she knows what to do with is faced with a dilemma - cause no scandal, raise no eyebrows or lose her newly gifted fortune. At first this seems an easy task for Eliza, who presents as mousy and eager to please Victorian widow. But that is where Irwin surprises us all.

At first I took this to be a retelling of Austen but I was pleasantly surprised to see the novel take it's own course. Eliza and her cousin Margaret are a tour de force of historical feminism and Margaret's story is, frankly, good enough to stand as its own novel. I'll admit that the book was initially a slow read for me -- there is something of an oversaturation of historical romances and many of them seem to tell the same story over and over.

But I'm glad I pushed through the first fifty pages or so because once the initial exposition was out of the way Irwin began focusing on building her characters in earnest and Eliza's journey as well as her convoluted love life became truly overwhelming. I fell in and out of love with both the boyish Somerset and flirtatious Melville over and over throughout the story.

The story has many twists and turns and I found myself constantly forced to change my predictions what would become of our dear Eliza.

This book was a true delight.

I thought this book was so much fun. It was a different sort of Regency romance- I loved that it was a true heroine’s journey to find herself, rather than only to find a man. Eliza is charming and kind and smart, despite everything she went through.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and was excited to read this one. I liked seeing Eliza’s character change and grow and learn to speak up for herself. I also enjoyed her relationship with cousin Margaret. Such a great friendship (cousin-ship?) There were lots of funny lines from a host of characters and surprises along the way.

There were a few things I didn’t care for. I’m not a big fan of love triangles, but I was hopeful this one would be handled well. However, to me, it moved into the cheating trope, and that tainted the story. I also don’t know why Eliza had to go from having no voice to throwing all caution to the wind. I would have liked her to be wiser with her newfound freedom. There is also a same sex side couple to be aware of.

Thank you Netgalley for the review copy.

This story has so many aspects that I love; feminism, societal 'norms' and most important LOVE! It also feels very Austen with the setting and the time period. Character development was great and really allowed for the story line to develop and even some plot twists that kept you guessing how the story was going to ultimately end.

I absolutely love historical fiction, so I wanted to love this. Unfortunately, I only liked it and that was occasional. The author tried peppering in too much knowledge of the time period, which ruined the whole plot for me. Even though this was already short, it could easily have been made a novella and functioned even better since half the book was the author trying to prove she knew the time period and the country in said time period.
Thanks Netgalley for the advance reader copy.

Eliza was the typical young miss in our favorite Regency era. Accomplished, demure, wanting to please her parents and family. But Eliza fell in love. And then, Eliza bowed to her parents wishes and married someone else. Not just anyone else. The uncle of the young man she preferred. Their hearts were broken. He flung himself off to the far corners of the earth with the navy and she was left to be the wife. But now, 10 years later, Eliza's husband is dead. So - what happens?

1. Eliza inherits more than she thought. More than anyone thought. But her family (both the one she was born into and the one she married into) still have demands on her as a person and on her financially.
2. Her young man has returned. Could this be a second chance for them both?
3. She and her cousin move to Bath to experience some "breathing room". But they meet people there, including the Melville's who refuse to bow to the strictures of society.

All told, it's the perfect storm. What will be left after the storm comes through?!

Folks. There's a love triangle going on here for a hot minute. I normally detest love triangles. But this one - it actually works. And it's not for the whole book so calm yourself. The thing I loved about this book was Eliza. Eliza comes into her own. She learns who she is and who she isn't and what actually makes her happy.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with this one. The characters were developed well and were complex which I appreciated. However, they were at times hard to route for because they often made poor decisions, and I didn't fully buy into the romance. There was a strong feminist focus on female independence and not giving into familial/societal expectations during this regency time period.

I much preferred the first book by Irwin (A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting), but I will still be keeping my eye out for other books she writes.

Oh this was a winner for me.

I really enjoyed "A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting", and so I had high expectations for this follow up (though not sequel) and it exceeded them tenfold. I think I even enjoyed this one more! I really loved the main protagonist Eliza. We really see her character develop throughout this book and I liked how this growth was independent from the romance. Sophie Irwin did a great job of showing us this growth instead of long inner monologues explaining it to us, the reader.

And the romance had me giggling. I love historical romance because this genre is the master at the ~tension~. This book definitely didn't have any spice, but that didn't bother me at all. The chemistry between the love interest(s) felt real and earned. I'm not always a fan of love triangle tropes but this one just worked for me (though I absolutely had a preference and would have rioted if she didn't choose him).

Also light spoilers: LGBT rep in historical romance, let's go!! That added bonus really pushed this book into one of my fave reads of this year. If I can get a Sophie Irwin full sapphic romance book in my lifetime, I'd be eternally grateful.

Sophie Irwin is officially an automatic read author, anything she releases I will dutifully be reading.

Having loved "A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting", I was anticipating another great Recency Romance-esque title from author Irwin. I found "A Lady's Guide to Scandal" quite the sluggish read. We are supposed to follow Eliza Balfour's transformation from 17-year-old prime and proper reluctant bride to a 27-year-old wealthy widowed Countess who now has the freedom and wealth to do as she pleases. There is one restriction upon her keeping that wealth however which she is at first quite willing to adhere to. It takes an acquaintance with the scandalous Lord and Lady Melville to make Eliza see that living is not just spending and attending boring parties with members of the ton but taking chances and speaking up for oneself even if it may cost her her fortune, lands and title. Predictable ending to a slow moving plot.

*4 stars*

I said it with her first book and I'll say it again with this one: Sophie Irwin feels like a modern day Jane Austen. Her historical romances are so well done it feels safe to say that with confidence.

This book was so fun! I loved seeing Eliza's growth throughout the whole book--everything about her personal journey felt genuine, not too rushed, and absolutely believable. I loved watching her learn and grow and come into her own strength. I also love, love, loved the relationships in this book--the romances, the familial relationships, the friendships. Everything was so steeped in sincerity and was so genuine and real.

Sophie Irwin really explores every type of love in this book and I enjoyed every single bit of it. Familial love and the duty tied to it is a strong theme in this book and the author doesn't shy away from showing how complicated that can be. She also explores female friendships (the established friendship between Eliza and Margaret gets a giant chef's kiss with me, but I also enjoyed seeing her new friendship with Lady Caroline). And, of course, this book has romantic relationships. A marriage of duty, first love, new love, and everything in between.

The only reason I deducted a star is that this book is a little slow plot-wise, but not too bad. And I also really wished it was spicier (but that's a personal preference!). And, finally, I kind of hate anything with any kind of love triangle--again, a personal preference. Without spoiling anything, I will say that everything was handled really well in this book!

Overall, if you like the historical romance genre in any capacity, you'll like this book.

I selected this title because I enjoyed Irwin's debut. It was a perfect blend of regency romance suitable for both Austen and Bridgerton aficionados. But, to my disappointment, A Lady's Guide to Scandal left me cold. Perhaps it is the sophomore novel syndrome, or perhaps I've begun reading it with too high expectations. My main criticism is that the pacing was sluggish and I found the protagonist Eliza childish and annoying. The love triangle was another weak point. Although the romantic tension between Eliza and Somerset was exciting and swoon-worthy, the love triangle felt coerced. Unfortunately, my interest dwindled around two-thirds into it. Nevertheless, mine is merely one opinion. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this book in advance in exchange of an honest review.

If you like Jane Austen…four words designed to lure me into reading a book. Sophie Irwin’s second novel A Lady’s Guide to Scandal did not disappoint. Set in 1819 primarily in Bath, the novel features Eliza Somerset - Lady Somerset - recently widowed from an apparently loveless marriage. She finds herself unexpectedly inheriting both land and money from her late husband - with one clause - a big one - a morals clause. If the new Lord Somerset finds her behavior lacking in any way, the inheritance reverts to him. And by the way…the new Lord Somerset is the same Oliver she broke off with ten years earlier under the direction of her mother to marry her late husband.

I have read some books with the Jane Austen connection that I’ve found truly disappointing; happily, this one was delightful. I enjoyed the elevated vocabulary that evokes Austen to me. I nearly laughed out loud at the allusion to Fordyce’s Sermons to Young Women. I do love a good nod to Collins of Pride and Prejudice. While I am not a prude, this was very much rated G which - again, closely aligns with Austen. For the Austen readers who love a longing glance, and just a touch of the hand, Irwin has triumphed. And while Austen herself wasn’t a huge fan of Bath - Irwin brings the city to life in a way that does it great credit. The cast of characters from the Melvilles to the Winkworths is well developed and delightful - love them or dislike them heartily.

Also, Eliza and her cousin Margaret, are fully developed very dynamic protagonists for whom I could not help but cheer on their journey - to Bath, to independence, to love (real love, not the “arranged marriage” kind). Together they shock many of those around to find a house in Bath and to experience as much of freedom and friendship as Eliza’s mourning allows.

The modern overtones are a lovely reversal - a woman who has some means financially and an independent spirit is a nice change from Austen’s poor young lady wanting love, but needing a certain financial stability. While Eliza was still restrained largely by societal expectations, she and Margaret use their time in Bath to experience as much growth as society will allow. Margaret’s love interest - a woman - is a very modern addition.

As I switch from reading primarily YA to adult from reading for work to reading for pleasure or enlightenment, I am always seeking connections and things that speak to me. At first I thought - how can I relate to this one? What am I to learn? Shall I just be entertained - which is FINE in my new world. But then. I was able to witness 2 young ladies stretch beyond the barriers created by society and sort of reinforced by their desires to please. They explored hobbies and interests; Eliza learned to drive; they pursued relationships that would have terrified them even at the beginning of the novel. Perhaps as I approach a new stage in my own life, I need to consider their courage. I tend to do what is expected. I tend to avoid confrontation. I don’t stretch myself as I could. While I have had a fine life that has made me happy, I begin to wonder what it might feel like to pursue that which pleases me, simply because.

This was a fun book! It’s an easy read with likable characters. Great for fans of Bridgerton. It would be perfect for a vacation.