Sophie Irwin's A Lady's Guide to Scandal is a delightful historical romance that kept me entertained from beginning to end. The story follows Eliza, a young woman who is determined to break free from the constraints of society's expectations. She is timid, but she is also intelligent and resourceful. Widowed young, she is determined to create a new life for herself, regardless of what the new Lord Somerset thinks.

I enjoyed Eliza's character development throughout the book. She starts out as a meek and obedient young woman, but she gradually comes into her own and learns to stand up for herself. She is a strong and independent heroine who is not afraid to follow her heart.

Overall, A Lady's Guide to Scandal is a fun book that I recommend. It is a great beach read for lovers of historical romance. I can't wait to read more from Sophie Irwin in the future.

It's official: Sophie Irwin has become an auto-read for me. After loving A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting, I was so excited to get my hands on an early copy of A Lady's Guide to Scandal. (Even though I didn't read it early, newborn and all...)

This book proved to be just as delightful as Irwin's first, with an inventive premise in the regency romance arena: A young widow, in control of her fortune for the very first time, free to do and flirt with whoever she pleases....as long as she doesn't cause a scandal. This is Bridgerton meets Jane Austen in the best way -- beautifully written, intriguing, and smart. If you like historical romance, then I highly recommend it.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the first book in the series but this one missed the mark for me. The first half of the book dragged on forever and I found that I really didn’t care if Lady Somerset got her HEA or not. Sadly, I’m giving it 2 stars.

Clean Regency romance with some weightier themes.

Eliza, a young and recently widowed Countess, gets a second chance at love, life, and happiness. A love triangle, which I often find too stressful to enjoy, develops but the angst isn't excessive. Good, fun banter among some of the characters, and I enjoyed seeing Eliza's learn how to set boundaries and begin to consider more than others' expectations and duty as she made decisions. I would have liked to have seen more growth and dimension in the men vying for her affections.

Overall, good read but didn't enjoy some of the twists in the latter part of the story as much. Well written and historical details seemed accurate for the time period.

<i>Thanks to #NetGalley and #PenguinBooks for the ARC e-book.

Publication date: 11 July 2023</i>

Thank you for the early reading NetGalley. I enjoyed the book and the characters. I wished it was longer, perhaps this version was shorter and I’ll need to read the actual book to feel more content.

The book reminded me of a Jane Austen novel. Eliza is recently widowed from a man she didn’t love. She goes to Bath with her cousin Margaret and meets Lord Melville and his sister Carolyn and her previous engagement Oliver, the nephew of her deceased husband.

There’s a love triangle and Eliza is growing more confident being on her own and with Lord Melville’s support she becomes more comfortable painting again.

I was hooked from the beginning!! A well deserved 5 star read!! Such an amazing story filled with great character development, romance, a love triangle, plot twists you don’t see coming, and side characters that make you love them as much as the main characters. The moment Melville was introduced in the story, I fell in love with him and his humor. I loved Margaret so much!! She was just want the story needed. As for Eliza, I felt her character was very relatable even with the different time period. I enjoyed reading her story unfold and claiming her life the way everyone should. If you love Bridgerton and historical fiction, you’ll love this book!!

A Lady's Guide to Scandal tells the story of Eliza, who is forced to marry a man she doesn't love. She has done her duty for her family while leaving her true love behind. A widow, Eliza finds herself the beneficiary of her late husband's estate but with a catch. She can't appear in the gossip rags or do anything morally inept.

Free from her constraints, she sets our to live a life with her new found wealth. But her former love makes and appearance, and so does a man who is a known rake and scandalous author. This love triangle develops particularly slowly, that I became uninterested in the story.

This book was a bit of a drag, and I skipped a portion in the middle which had zero impact on understanding the ending.

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Books for the complimentary copy.

First off, the first in this series, A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting was fantastic. I loved the characters, and how the heroine works within the patriarchy, but also speaks out against it.

That said, I did not enjoy this book.

Now, most of that has to do with me not catching on to this being a Love Triangle trope.

I do NOT love a Love Triangle trope.

That’s on me.

I don’t love a woman that doesn’t know her own mind.

I don’t love that there is a loser.

I also don’t love a Reverse Harem, or Why Choose? but that’s beside the point.

The book was well-written, and the characters fun, but I couldn’t get past the waffle-y heroine.

Babe, if you don’t know which to choose, maybe choose none of them.

Having love Fortune Hunting, however, I will definitely be checking out this author’s next work.

6/10

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this ARC.

Was promised Persuasion but it fell flat for me. The main character was hard to root for, and the love triangle didn’t keep me riveted. Irwin’s first in the series was far more gripping.

Thank you for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you've seen this compared to Bridgerton, you won't be disappointed!

It's an excellent regency romance, with great characters and interesting plot.

But the best part of this book is its cheeky humor. I adored how light the story is, when it could have felt heavy. Mischief and mayhem, coupled with witty banter!

(There's also a fun queer side story, besides the main love triangle story!)

✨ Book Review ✨

A big thank you to @penguinbooks @netgalley for this #gifted copy of #ALadysGuideToScandal !!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 A Lady’s Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin

A widow must decide what kind of life she wants to lead.

What to expect:

💋 Romance
💘 Love Triangle
🌱 Growth
🎭 Drama

Quick thoughts:

✨ Slow start.
✨ Twists and turns.
✨ Lots of witty banter.
✨ Unexpected ending.

Overall thoughts:

At the age of seventeen Eliza falls in love with Oliver; however, it isn’t meant to be as her parents force her into an unwelcome marriage to Oliver’s uncle instead. Ten years later, Eliza’s husband is dead and Oliver has returned to claim his inheritance. In the will Eliza is left a living as well as multiple properties increasing her wealth as long as she remains scandal free. Having agency for the first time over her life she decides to push some boundaries.

This story started off pretty slow for me. I almost lost interest in it but am glad I hung in there. I loved getting to see Eliza really take control of her life in a way that most women were not able to at the time. She gradually pushes boundaries and grows as an individual.

There is plenty of romantic tension to be had here as well. A love triangle slowly forms. I’m not a huge fan of love triangles but this one worked for me for some reason. The outcome was unexpected in the best way possible. There is no spice in this one just fyi. If you enjoyed A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting give this one a read as well!

Included as a top pick in weekly July New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

Book Description:
Recently widowed after a ten year marriage, Eliza finds herself anxiously awaiting her fate. The heir to the Somerset title and estate is none other than her late husband's nephew and her first true love. Eliza is ready to fall in line and take the next appropriate steps according to society's standards of the time. On a whim, she decides to take a detour and embarks on a journey. In the process of enjoying her newfound freedom, Eliza makes some surprising discoveries about herself and the world around her.

My thoughts:
This was another case where I bought the book even after reading the ARC. Sophie Irwin's books are reminiscent of the world of Jane Austen. I absolutely adore the witty banter of A Lady's Guide to Scandal. I found myself literally laughing out loud in the waiting room of the doctor's office while reading the exchanges between Lord Somerset and Melville. I loved reading about the Regency era and watching Eliza come into her own. I can't wait to see what Irwin writes next!

Read if you like:
• Strong female MC
• Regency romance
• Closed door romance
• Witty banter

Another delightful installment in the Lady’s Guide series! Eliza’s journey and growth were so heartfelt, and I wanted to give her a high five. The romance was tender and very much a slow burn, but I found it worked very well as this was more a story of our heroine rediscovering her passions, finding her voice, and loving herself.

As much as I loved Eliza, I adored Margaret for her steadfast support, friendship and sharp wit - her comedic sensibilities and timing were impeccable. Margaret was the perfect balance and companion to Eliza, providing emotional support, while also encouraging Eliza to be bold in shaking off the shackles of the “dutiful and silent” persona she had been forced into for decades, in order to take chances and indulge in new passions and pursuits.

As for the romance, I am not always a fan of love triangles, but this love triangle gave me all the feels. I thought Irwin balanced the love interests while always centering Eliza - focusing the love interests more through the lens of where Eliza wanted to go next in life and who would best support her dreams and endeavors. As someone who loves a second chance trope, I enjoyed witnessing the familiarity and deep longing of first loves reunited, but thought it was beautifully contrasted with the excitement and electricity of a new romantic interest.

While not as lighthearted as A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting, I still found this second installment abundantly charming and loved that it featured a woman reclaiming her voice when society wanted her to remain obedient, demure and on the fringes.

I enjoyed this book even more than the author's first. It opens with a second chance romance that feels like a major nod to Persuasion, especially with the characters heading off to Bath, to the point that I worried that it was going to feel a little derivative. However, the book heads off into new directions, and turns into a love triangle situation, and merely shows reference to the queen of the regency romance, while breaking new ground. I found this book to have a lot more emotional depth than the first novel. The female main character manages to play the balance of appealing to modern sensibilities, while still being firmly rooted in her time period. I especially enjoyed her journey of growth. I loved the female friendship she shared with her cousin Margaret. This book also has some LGBTQ+ representation, and a secondary romance that unfolds in the margins. This is a G-rated, kissing only romance, and though I don't mind the steam, I did not feel like anything was missing. I look forward to reading more by the author!

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for an E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

🎨 Book Review 🎨
𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤: A Lady’s Guide to Scandal
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Sophie Irwin
🎨
𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc!

This book follows Eliza Somersat, a young widow, who has inherited a fortune from her late husband. In order to get away from the pressures from her family, Eliza escapes to Bath along with her cousin. In Bath, Eliza decides to let loose and live her life but she realizes that her behavior comes with consequences and it might cost her freedom.

I usually don’t read regency novels but I think this book might have converted me. I couldn’t stop reading this book! Unlike popular opinions, I actually enjoy a good love triangle and it always makes the book more enjoyable for me. It’s like a guessing game on finding out who the MC will end up with. The book did end up steering in a different direction and it made it all the more interesting. I loved seeing the growth of the MC, Eliza, from a dutiful and obedient person to one who is more independent and free. My favorite of the book was definitely her cousin, Margaret. She always had a witty remark and I would like to see more of her story. I don’t want to get much into the love triangle because it’s a nice surprise. But I loved how it played out and the ending was very sweet. Overall, if you are looking for a light hearted book with Bridgerton vibes, then this book is for you!
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
🎨

A Lady’s Guide to Scandal is the second novel in the A Lady’s Guide series. The story follows Miss Eliza Balfour who married the Earl of Somerset out of duty to her family even though he was twenty years older than her. When he passes away, Eliza is now a wealthy widow and needs to figure out her future. Given the cover of the novel, a love triangle was very expected. While it is not my favorite trope, it was nice to at least be forewarned and know what to expect. There is a Persuasion-vibe to this novel without being a full retelling. There are multiple suitors for the newly single Eliza including the new Earl of Somerset, Oliver, along with Melville.

Since Eliza married to please her family, she is now finally experiencing some freedom. She escapes to Bath for an extended holiday with her best friend Margaret Balfour where the story mainly takes place. Since she had to give up her first love for the marriage, she now wonders about him soon after she is widowed. There is a stipulation to her inheritance where she cannot tarnish the Somerset name, so she is not completely free to do anything she wants. With her two suitors, they offer different options for her future. Love triangles are difficult for me to connect with as I rarely feel a proper balance between the suitors. This story did not find that balance for me, so I did not quite get there with the romance. I wasn’t fully rooting for one suitor over the other, but the relationship that I did love was the one between Margaret and Eliza. Their friendship was very well-written, and I loved it.

While this novel is the second one in the series, I would not consider it a sequel to the first, A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting. It seems this series will be standalones that all connect through a central theme. Since this one was enjoyable, I will go back and read the first and any potential third. The story includes romance, but it also contained a great journey of self-discovery for Eliza. The pacing is a little off due to the romance imbalance, but the internal emotional journey was nicely written. The writing itself does have an ease to it where once the reader is into the story, then it is easy to follow along. Overall, this was a fun story and I look forward to reading more from the author.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Penguin Books, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

Rating: 4.0 stars

After reading A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting which was Sophie Irwin's debut, I knew I had to read A LADY'S GUIDE TO SCANDAL. Let me just say, it did not disappoint! I think I actually had more fun with Scandal than I did with Fortune-Hunting.

It has second chance romance, female empowerment, a love triangle and found family! I found the characters relatable and particularly loved Margaret. I was pleasantly surprised to see some LGBTQ rep, but would have loved to see even more!

This book is set in the regency era so racism plays a part in this story as does societal expectations, particularly of women. There's also some manipulation in play so heads up if that's something you need to watch out for.

Overall, I had a ball reading Eliza's story! The last few chapters were quite the ride, but I really enjoyed how Irwin wrapped it all up.


If you're looking for a regency era story that has little to no spice, this just might be the book for you!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Penguin Books, for an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Books, and Ms. Irwin for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I really, really, really enjoyed Ms. Irwin's debut book (A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting). And you know, I guess I am just now realizing that both of her books feature triangles. However, while the triangle in Fortune Hunting was short-lived and lopsided (the heroine doesn't truly love her fiancee), in *this* book it swerved into a... let's call it "shady" love triangle. Eliza makes commitments. She makes promises. She exchanges kisses and love letters. Aaaaaaaaaand simultaneously falls in love with someone... else. I don't know. Personally the cheating trope is a straight-up turnoff for me and this was perilously close to it if not outright IT. I don't enjoy love triangles as a general rule; I'd prefer almost any other conflict. Drama llama, I am not.

Otherwise this was a lot of fun: the same witty writing, regency-authentic characters (I said before and I stand by it, Ms. Irwin's writing is strongly reminiscent of Georgette Heyer's [which is a major compliment IMHO]) and humorous banter as the first book. I think the plot tropes here are going to be quite divisive. Either the reader will love it or the cheating (quasi-cheating?) will put them right off. I did enjoy cousin Margaret and the descriptions of Eliza's absolute joy at (finally) buying something nice for herself after so many years of privation were beautiful.

4 stars for the rest of the book and 2 for the love triangle/cheating, so, let's go with the 3-star average. I really like Ms. Irwin's writing style so I'm looking forward to her next book and fervently hoping she picks another trope for it.

I really enjoyed this historical romance! It was clever, hilarious, and has the best ending! I was so excited by who Eliza ended up with and I definitely think she made the right choice. There were so many scenes where I genuinely laughed out loud at the theatrics and I freakin had a good time reading this!

This one also has some LGBTQ characters which I was so excited about. I love when they mix in a little gay couple into these historical romances. We love to see it!

If you're looking for a romance book with less smut and more plot, then I highly recommend this read!