I loved returning to Irwin's Regency world! Eliza was just the spitfire heroine that I needed and I swooned at her second-chance romance.

Charming, witty, thought-provoking

Eliza is a wonderful book heroine, strong but not always assured, trusting but easily disappointed. She's surprised to find that she inherited a windfall from her late husband, however there's a stipulation that it can be taken away from her if the successor to the title at any time deems her behavior to be inappropriate. And this successor is the man she once thought she'd marry, before her parents essentially sold her to his titled uncle.

With this quiet threat hanging over her and wanting to distance herself from her late husband's estate and relatives, she ventures to a new city and runs into a new suitor, one who is dashing and charming and everything she thinks she's looking for.

So Eliza is in a bit of a pickle. She can't carry on with the new interest without risking the censure of the old, a man who'd like to solve the problem all around by marrying Eliza himself - though his motives are complex and might be questionable. This bit of a love triangle is worked out with a lot of secrets and family interference for a very HEA with my favorite of the suitors.

There are plenty of twists to keep you on your toes, and the romances don't always go the way you think they're going to. The writing really brings the characters to life and I especially loved Eliza's cousin, Margaret. She was a true breath of fresh air, a real contrast to Eliza's grasping parents.

All in all, it's a delightful story from a talented author. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Lady Eliza Somerset has recently been widowed, and when her husband’s will is read, she is astonished to discover that she is now a woman of means. But there is a catch: a modesty clause states that if her behavior is ever judged to be unseemly, her fortune is forfeited.
Eliza has always done as her parents and her husband suggested. But now she has decided to start living as she wishes. So although she wears the appropriate mourning clothes, she begins living on her own terms, painting portraits, and attending some social events. Will the morality clause be enough for the family to reign in Eliza's dreams, or will her independence be so delightful that she's willing to risk her fortune?

Eliza is recently widowed, and shocked to find herself wealthy besides. However, her new wealth is dependent on her behaving herself, something that proves difficult as she embraces her new found freedom - and maybe gets a second chance at love.

Sophie Irwin writes truly brilliant regency romances that pull you in and have you fall endlessly in love with her characters. I was gripped and thoroughly enjoying myself the whole way through!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was really enjoyable! I was pleasantly surprised by this book, it wasn't what I was expecting at all if I'm being completely honest and that doesn't happen a lot for me. Eliza grew on me, I have to admit I didn't like her a whole lot at first but I started loving her slowly, which is one of my favorite types of characters. The humor I personally think was top tier and that is hard to find in books, most of the time when I read humorous moments in books its either too cheesy or forced, but I loved it in this one. I didn't know that this was a second book in a series, but even if it is, it works as a standalone and I'm so glad because I will definitely be needing the first one now. Definitely an author I will automatically buy from in the future.

4.5/5 stars!

The widowed Eliza Somerset unexpectedly finds herself the heir to a small fortune in her late husband's will. But there is a catch, she needs to avoid scandal to keep it. Then the new heir to the Somerset title expresses interest once again in Eliza. Shades of Persuasion anyone? To buy herself time and space, she and her cousin take off for Bath. But her troubles pursue her there. Add in Lord Melville, the allure of painting, and hits of scandal keep cropping up. Eliza needs to finally decide what she really wants - safety or life on her terms. An interesting plot spoiled by pedestrian characters equals a decent rather than an outstanding book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC.

Oh goodness, I loved this book! Eliza, newly widowed and newly wealthy finds herself as she navigates and old love and a new friend. Her now deceased husband bequeathed a fortune to her, but with a morality clause attached, and the man who decides whether or not she violated is is none other than the man she fell in love with - and abandoned in favor of his uncle - ten years ago. But when Eliza takes herself and her cousin Margaret to Bath to escape her cold marital home, she begins to discover who she really is and what she really wants.

I thought I knew where this story was going and I was so wonderfully, happily wrong! Eliza starts off as a character you sort of dislike because of how cowed and mouse-like she is, but she changes - oh so wonderfully! as the story progresses. Somerset, the man she once loved, and Melville, the new friend she meets in Bath, both help her to discover what she truly wants and needs in her life. The secondary characters are excellent, as always, and the conflict feels authentic while still allowing for a HEA that might not have been possible in the real 1819. I love how Irwin's stories harken to Austen without being derivative. The humor is excellent, the romance is satisfying, and the endings feel earned. I also love that while this is the second in a series, the stories aren't connected - Irwin could have easily picked up the stories of secondary characters from her first book, but instead she told another story of another woman faced with difficult realities. I loved it! Sophie Irwin is one of my new favorite writers and I cannot wait to see what she does next.

Thank you to Penguin Books and NetGalley for the chance to read A Lady's Guide to Scandal early!

A Lady's Guide to scandal is a Regency-era romance, with a blend of modern sensibility with Austen-esque settings and characters. Eliza, Countess of Somerset, has just been widowed by her much older husband. The new Somerset is returning to claim his title, and Eliza expects to be sent back to her domineering parents with an annual income of 500 pounds a year. Instead, her husband of 10 years has left her a fortune in the form of lands and estates, provided she brings no scandal to the family name. For the first time in her life, she has the means to live outside of the control of
her family, if she's willing to put aside all her mother’s guidance.

I enjoyed A Lady's Guide to scandal, but not as much as Irwin's previous book, A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting. Eliza's story arc is driven by her growing confidence and independence but it took awhile for that to start, letting
the outset of the book drag. Nice as a low-stakes and humorous vacation read.

I read the first book in the <i>Lady's Guide To..." series and loved it. I thought the characters were well-developed and fun, so I was very excited to get an ARC of the second book. Although there's no crossover with the books, I really enjoyed <i>A Lady's Guide to Scandal</i>. It has the same vibe as the first book and the characters and plot are just as entertaining. I'm really excited to read more by Sophie Irwin and hope we'll get a third book soon.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC of the book

I found this book very similar to Persuasion, even down to the style of writing and conflicts, however with more twists and modernizations. It was an enjoyable read but isn’t one I will necessarily seek out for a reread.

A Lady's Guide to Scandal is my second novel from Sophie Irwin and it certainly won't be my last.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this novel. At first I thought that this was going to be a new take on Persuasion given the themes of second chance love, however it quickly became its own story and one that I truly enjoyed.

I really enjoyed the characters especially the female main character. I thought it was great to see her growth throughout the novel from the timid, wishing to please young woman to her own independent woman. I also like the fact that Irwin gave her money. Perhaps I have not read too much regency romances, but I think its interesting seeing the stories from someone who is not needing to marry for riches.

The love triangle was amazing for me and it was written as a love triangle should be. It kept me guessing the entire time as to who was going to be the end game for our heroine. I wasn't entirely sure until about 70% into book. The third act was very well done and not predictable at all which I appreciated it.

Overall I give this book a 4 1/2 stars. I enjoyed Irwin's first book a bit more, but this was one was delightful all the way through. I eagerly await any further books from this author.

After a miserable 10-year marriage, Eliza, Lady Somerset, is finally free-and rich, if she can keep the Somerset name scandal-free. That seems easy enough for the timid and soft=spoken Eliza, but when latent desires arise, she travels to Bath to take up a paintbrush and take in some of what society has to offer...including the attentions of the wicked Lord Melville. The plot thickens with the return of Eliza's first love, who has never forgotten her. LOVE a great regency romance!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for this e-arc.*

This is the second installment in Sophie Irwin's Lady's Guide series, and I found I enjoyed it just as much as the first. It has very strong Persuasion (returned naval officer, a stint in Bath, second chance romance) meets Bridgerton vibes. And yet, it very quickly becomes its own thing.

After her husband dies, Eliza goes to Bath with her cousin to live as an independent woman and finally make her own choices. She has inherited significant property and is now a very wealthy woman; however, the inheritance has a morality clause. She cannot bring any shame to her late husband's name or everything will be taken back. Eliza toes the line between who she was and who she wants to be, discovering she has hopes and dreams that she's put to the side. As much as this is a romance, it is also a woman in her late 20s discovering who she is...while engaging in many entertaining shenanigans.

As expected from Sophie, the entire book is full of hilarious banter and clever dialogue. Her side characters are fully thought out and fun to read about. If this book suffers at all, it's in a slow start. (Minus the first chapter. I read that first chapter and was screaming Persuasion!) But the book finds its pacing as Eliza makes more realizations.

The most polarizing aspect of this book, I feel, is its use of a love triangle. I have no personal aversion to them, if done well. Their relationships are usually symbolic of a choice the MC has to make. Sophie did this particularly well, and I found myself torn as she grew. (Omitting what the symbolic choices were here to avoid any spoilers.)

Overall, this is a quick, enjoyable read that will leave you entertained. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy. All thoughts are my own.

Content warnings: mentions of adultery, racism
Spice rating: 0, nothing more than kissing, and that all occurs in the last quarter of the book

Eliza, who married an old crusty man at her family's behest, is now widowed, and ready to try and live. First, she'll just have to figure out what that means to her.

I LOVED this book, the banter and conversation was absolutely charming, and watching Eliza grow into herself was inspiring. I loved the conflict between the love interest(s---there are multiple, because she's really living!) and the way Eliza got to fall in love, again. I wish I could be real life friends with Eliza. This was a perfect second book to the A Lady's Guide series, I enjoyed it even more than the first one!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sophie Irwin for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for A Lady’s Guide to Scandal coming out July 11, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

When the shy Miss Eliza Balfour married the austere Earl of Somerset, twenty years her senior, it was the match of the season--no matter that they weren’t marrying for love.

Now, ten years later, Eliza is suddenly left widowed. She has a title, wealth and, for the first time in her life, she is completely in control of her own future.  She’s always lived by society’s rules, but now, Eliza has resolved to do as she pleases. And what she wants is to head to Bath with her cousin Margaret, pursue painting, learn to drive, and flirt with Bath’s most alluring new resident, the infamous author Lord Melville.

But when news of Eliza’s behavior reach her late husband’s nephew—who broke Eliza’s heart, years ago--Eliza will learn that freedom does not come without consequences. The only way to ensure she can keep her fortune is to stay out of any scandals—but where’s the fun in that?

I wasn’t a fan of the first book, but I wanted to give this author and this book a chance. I love historical fiction and they seem like fun books. I loved the first half of the book. I loved that Melville was a writer with a flirtatious, charming personality. There was fun banter and wit between him and Eliza. I thought Eliza was a solid character and I enjoyed her discovery of trying new things and finding herself. The second half of the book got a little convoluted for me. I wasn’t a fan of the love triangle. Oliver wasn’t a strong character for me. I didn’t understand his motives for his actions. The resolution felt a little rushed at the end. But overall, I enjoyed Melville and Eliza’s characters.

This book was very entertaining. I liked the characters, social activities and the time period. Looking forward to reading more books by Sophie Irwin.

I did enjoy this -- eventually. The process of Eliza unburdening herself from years of being a meek, browbeaten daughter took awhile (rightfully so) and was a bit painful at times for me. In fact, I put it down for a time. But wanted to see how it all turned out - and I'm glad I went back to it.
As a dutiful daughter, Eliza allows herself to be forced into a marriage she did not want. While not physically abusive, her older husband was certainly not ideal, especially since she did not produce an heir. When he dies somewhat unexpectedly, Eliza assumes she will be given a small allowance but instead her husband has made her the heir to a vast fortune with one tiny stipulation -- she must behave herself. At first, this does not seem problematic. But - to muddy the waters even more - her true love was the nephew to her deceased husband. He was quite angry when she "chose" to marry his uncle ten years earlier and Eliza's future hangs on his opinion. Of course, she's still in love with him. But - she also has other interests. She and her sister Margaret head to Bath for The Cure and Eliza meets a host of interesting - and not so interesting - people. She takes up her art, lovingly taught to her by her grandfather - and works hard to not allow herself to be controlled by her family and other meddling relatives of her late husband and interfering busybodies. Of course, there is another man who takes an interest in her - Melville - so we have a nice triangle.
It is an interesting look at the power that other people held over the lives of women (and men) in the early 1800s in Regency England. And watching Eliza gradually come into her own was rewarding. Plus there are a few surprises and twists. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC!

A Lady's Guide To Scandal', was a stand alone book in this series and was beyond what I originally expected. I will always be a fan of the FMC spreading her wings and learning who she really is and wants from life. I am quickly becoming a Sophie Irwin fan, and am looking forward to her next book.

This book is so sweet! The main character struggles to stand up for herself after being forced to marry the uncle of the man she loves for his title. But now that she is widowed, she finally begins to do what she wants for the first time in her life and may get a second chance with the man she loves. The story was a little slow at the beginning, but once it picked up, the romance and the love triangle were so fun to read! I liked A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting more than this one, but it was a sweet and fun read!

Thank you to Penguin Books and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Such fun awaits in this tale of finding oneself amid freedom from a terrible husband. Eliza, now a wealthy widow, finds her boldness to break tradition and live for herself and even may find love along the way. This is a delightful read that will have readers rooting for Eliza along the way.