Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

Anyone who knows me at all knows that I adore Persuasion, and anyone who knows me at all is also confused by this. Anne Elliot is the least vivacious of Austen's heroines (especially compared to the 21st century's darling, Elizabeth Bennett) and the novel is evidently pre-feminist in a way that we can pretend Pride and Prejudice is not. While both of these qualities should undermine my enjoyment of Persuasion (and they do, to an extent), the novel is a masterclass in tension and longing and regret, and its capacity for emotive language is unparalleled in Austen's other works.

A Lady's Guide to Scandal begins with all the hallmarks of a Persuasion retelling - different enough to stand on its own yet similar enough to capture my interest as a die-hard fan of the original - but quickly sets itself apart. This is less a tale of tension, longing, and regret, and more a (welcome) 21st century take on the Persuasion premise, where a woman who has allowed her life to be commandeered by others has a reversal in fortune and seizes (in degrees) the opportunity to become a more interesting, self-sponsored version of herself.

While not wholly original (not that the book claims to be), and therefore not wholly surprising, this is a solid addition to the body of period romances. My gripes are more of the personal preference variety; e.g. I would have preferred a little less waffling between the two love interests and a little more groveling from one particular love interest, towards the end. The book also didn't hit its stride until the twenty-sixth chapter (a little late in the game for someone who might be planning to purchase it) and missed a number of earlier opportunities for emotional beats (an area Persuasion delivers in spades).

I received this ARC from NetGalley. I was a big fan of “A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting,” so I was so excited to read the next installment in this series. I read this without reading the synopsis first and I was so glad I did! This book had some twists and turns I didn’t see coming and kept me smiling all along the way! Regency England will never get old as the setting for romance, and ALGTS did not disappoint! Can’t wait for the next one!