The MMC did not do it for me at all. He was under his father’s thumb, committed to being a rake with limited success and just generally annoying. Turned me off the book.

This is the first book of a new series, Tales of Honeysuckle Street, and also my first experience reading something by this author and it won't be my last. I'm always on the lookout for new Regency authors, and I've definitely found a keeper!
Iris and Hamish grew up together but then were separated for many years. Hamish is now back in town, claiming he is back to search for a wife. But what Hamish really wants is to be the one to humiliate his father, who cares only about duty and propriety. But the little wild child he used to run around town with has grown into a beautiful woman, and he can't seem to get her out of his mind. With her father now ill, Iris is trying to keep everything together and keep the business running. She puts everyone's needs ahead of her own. She can't afford to be the carefree girl she once was. But when Hamish comes back to town, she finds herself thinking, what harm could it be to have a little fun and adventure?
I enjoyed getting to know the characters, especially Iris. She is hard working and has a good head on her shoulders, and knows what she wants. The author did a nice job of bringing the story and characters to life, and I was engrossed in the story from start to finish. A delightful start to what looks to be a captivating series!
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

I would like to thank netgalley and Spencer & Co for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyable.

What a great kick off to a new series. Very enjoyable and entertaining read. Thank you netgalley and publisher for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

I could not put this book down! I fell in love with Iris and Hamish especially because he's an artistocrat and she is forbidden plus the slowburn scandalized me. I originally picked this book up to find out what Hamish's true intentions were in coming back to London and why Iris was allowed to run around so freely. I will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series and I hope Iris/Hamish make a reappearance.

The first book in the Tales from Honeysuckle Street series, by a new Author to me. Hamish, Lord Dalton and Iris Abberton where friends growing up. This is a fun story to read as these two who where wild children try to fit in with the Ton now that they are adults. I enjoyed reading their story and seeing them get a happy ending. I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book 1 in a new series. I did like this but at times the characters got to be annoying. I am looking forward to more in the series though.

Well-written and fast-paced, this second chance romance has drama and some suspense due to the actions of Lord Hamish Dalton, who has gone through some incredible pain due to the death of his mother and brother, and then his father's disapproval of him as his heir. When he finally gets his chance to take revenge on his father for the years of anger and abuse he received, he pulls his childhood friend and neighbor into his scheme. Unfortunately, in exacting justice on his father, Hamish doesn't take into account the terrible damage he can do to Iris. As always, Iris is stronger than he thinks, but Hamish has his work cut out for him to set right the mistakes he has made. The novel is a standalone and fortunately comes to an amusing and happy conclusion. This is the first book I have read by this author and overall, I did enjoy it. I received a copy of this novel as a gift through NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

"A Beginner's Guide to Scandal" is my first read from Alivia Fleur. I didn't love this book, but it was decent enough for me to be willing to give the author another shot should I stumble across another one of her books.

Hamish and Iris are childhood besties that became more one night in the wake of tragedy when they were both 18. Iris has been in love with Hamish for several years at that point but she has not and does not tell him of her feelings. He leaves the next day and essentially ghosts Iris for the next 12 years, not responding to any of her communications. She gives up on him but takes the (arguably better) opportunity to travel the world with her father and his lover. Back on English soil, Iris is helping her father to expand their business when he develops dementia, leaving all on Iris' shoulders.

Hamish, meanwhile, returns to Honeysuckle Lane with strict orders to marry an aristocratic woman. His father is still alive so he is not yet the Earl, but his father insists he do his duty. Hamish. however, wants to become a rake instead. Amidst his efforts, Hamish and Iris spend time together again and her feelings for him return in full force. Hamish takes a little - okay, a lot longer - to figure out his emotions, though they do get a HEA.

My biggest reason for not liking this book is that Hamish is an a** for most of it. He allows himself to be browbeaten by his father, talks to Iris of his previous lovers, and generally is unimpressive. The scene proceeding the 3rd act split is brutal in his treatment of her. I kept thinking Iris, with all of her intelligence and strength, could do better.

I did enjoy the secondary characters in this book, and will likely read additional entries should they come my way. I also liked the almost casual inclusion of same sex oriented characters, with the main characters easily accepting what the larger society of this time would not.

3 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary ARC of this title. The opinions herein are my own.

3.5 stars
Iris and Haimish have been best friends their entire lives, but when his mother and brother are killed in a carriage accident they wind up sharing one passionate night together but he leaves the next day and never looks back. Iris starts going on adventures with her father and seeing the world until his memory starts to fade and as she takes over the business for him and she becomes very isolated.
After 12 years in the country learning from his very angry father, Haimish has been sent to town to observe parliament and to find a wife that fits his fathers list of expectations and when he meets Iris again things kind of pick up where they left off friendship wise but with a dash of resentment and sprinkle of attraction that neither seem to be able to deny.
The characters in here are excellent but for such a short book the plot felt a bit slow to me, still enjoyable but slow.

When Hamish Dalton leaves Honeysuckle Street, after the death of his mother and brother, Iris Abberton is left to wonder whether he will ever return. Nearly fourteen years later, he returns as the heir to the Earl of Caplin, under the expectation of his father, to find himself a wife. Yet it becomes apparent that Hamish has other plans. Yet, on reuniting with Iris, he finds that his plans may take a detour.
I was quite intrigued after reading the first chapter of the book and found myself entertained until the end by this story. I did question Hamish’s intention to become a rogue as it did not quite pan out as I had thought. I did enjoy Iris who is a strong-minded woman, who has contemplated her life and position in society, and decided to do what is best for her adopted father and herself. An enjoyable read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I requested this book at random from the catalog because I'm a sucker for historical romances. I don't always care for second chance romances because I prefer every section of the relationship to occur on-page. The first chapter slammed into me like a cannonball when it mentioned the couple's first romantic encounter in the past. I didn't expect our characters to start sucking face too quickly, but at least the author didn't dillydally? Immediately after that liaison, it's nearly a decade later and the protagonists are meeting each other as adults. It was a major time jump and it gave me whiplash from the abruptness.

I read this book very quickly and unfortunately didn't retain much information. It was a basic historical romance and nothing stood out for me. It had nice spiciness and the characters were totally into each other, but that was it. I wish I could recall more elements or give a better critique, but I'm drawing a blank here. I liked the heroine's ginger hair, but that's my best recollection of their physical features. I most likely won't read future publications from this author, but I'm always honored to read advanced copies. It seems like this truly was a beginner's guide to scandal because I'm not interested in future lessons.

This is the story of Hamish and Iris. Hamish and Iris grew up together but when Hamish’ mother and brother died, he left town to be groomed by his terror father for his future role as heir the the earldom. After several years Hamish returned, with the instruction for rind a suitable wife. Hamish harbors a lot of anger towards his father and decided to become a rake. He is a friendly man but too friendly to be all rakish and not care about people. Iris also grew up and secretly took over her father’s business who suffers from dementia. She wants to run the business but working at a company wasn’t accepted in that time period. The story is nice, friendly, but it lacked pace and not much happened. It just didn’t keep me interested, I found it difficult to keep my attention on the story.
I received and reviewed an advanced copy of this book and I am grateful for this opportunity. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

He is on a mission of revenge and she is working hard to keep/make her father’s legacy. When they met again their love and passion for each other rekindled but his quest caused her world to explode. He learned almost too late what was important and found a way to redeem himself. The heroine is smart, loyal, caring and constant. The hero is the same and brings fun and light to her life.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

As children, Iris and Hamish ran wild through the streets of London. Now, hoping to take over her ailing father's company, Iris has to appear the picture of propriety. Hamish claims he's come to London in search of a wife—but will his real plans embroil Iris in scandal?

Iris and Hamish are a perfect match. They're both tired of following social rules. Seeing each other again helps reawaken a side of themselves they've had to suppress. They're both in denial about their feelings, but the attraction between them is too strong to resist.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Tales from Honeysuckle Street series. Childhood friends and neighbors Iris and Hamish are separated when Hamish suddenly becomes the heir to an earldom, losing his mother and older brother in a carriage accident. When Hamish returns to town twelve years later, he’s been instructed by his father to find a suitable wife, but he plans to thwart his father’s plans and create a scandal instead. Meanwhile, Iris has been assisting with her father’s merchant company, traveling the world, and learning the business for the past decade. However, her father’s mental state has been declining for many years and Iris has been keeping it secret. As Hamish and Iris reunite, they have to deal with her heartbreak after he left, their differences in social station, and her need to stay proper so that the board of directors will approve of her joining the leadership of her father’s company. It’s a huge mess competing interests and Hamish is mostly an idiot throughout the book. I did enjoy reading about all of the quirky neighbors on the street and am looking forward to reading more from this series.

I loved Iris and her story is the more interesting of the two main characters. She is woman that knows what she wants and works hard to achieve her goals and maintain her friendships and family relations. Hamish seems very childish in certain ways his goals at the beginning of the book and his inability to be clear about his true wants and desires seem reflected in the coldness his father showed him. I like a little more groveling from men, but ill accept it. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC for my honest opinion.

Additional notes: i wish iris had told us that Lewis proposed. Not sure if I missed that some how. Also, his grand act of the castle. I wish it had been better connected to why this was such a grand gesture.

* Received a copy for review.*

Usually love a childhood friends to lovers but this one just didn’t don’t work for me.

I have never read this author before, and the story started out so rough for me: a 30-ish single woman who ran her father's business because he has dementia and an entitled lord who had to bow down to his autocratic father's whims. How could this be a good story? The heroine wanted to run a business and the hero wanted to be a rake. And never mind the intimate connection they made when they were 18 years old and the hero left, never looking back. "This was going to be too much", my brain said. "Give it up now". But I am so glad that I kept reading this awesome story. And I have a new author that I am going to follow.
This review may contain spoilers.
The heroine is 29 years old and is hiding behind her father. They had built his company of imports up to the point where there was a board of directors, but she has been running the company by sending in letters of instruction and signing her father's name. The business representative has become increasingly aggressive in requesting to speak to her father and refuses to leave the message to a woman. The heroine is at a crossroads. How does she protect her father's reputation as an astute businessman when he has gone so far as to forget who his servants are? He is in no condition to discuss business or make any decisions. The heroine has been doing this for a few years. Then, her childhood friend, a lord from next door returns. But he acts as if he doesn't know her,even though they had been best friends until the age of 18 and they haven't seen each other for 12 years.
The heroine has always loved his neighbor's daughter. His mother and father doted on his older brother all his life and he always felt left out. One day, when he was 18, he and his family were in a carriage accident. His brother was thrown from the carriage and died. His mother suffered injuries and she died before she could get help. The father, the earl, was hurt and damaged his leg. The hero suffered some superficial injuries, but his life as he knew it hand ended. That night, the heroine snuck over to his house like she normally did and tried to comfort him. It was a first for both of them. The next day, the hero took his father to their country estate to heal and to plan the funerals.
My first thoughts were, how were these two supposed to get together? The heroine was working class, but wealthy. The hero was an aristocrat. But the story worked. And it was a story that made so much sense.
I liked the main characters, and I felt that the supporting characters made sense. The settings were descriptive and I felt like I was there in the story.
But I am going to ding the author. Every author I have read for the past 7 months always uses this. "Per se". It always shows up and is used wrong 99% of the time. It is used wrong here. There are so many other better sounding options. So I give this book 4 stars. But I do recommend reading.

I really enjoyed this book, the first in the Honeysuckle Lane series.

Hamish and Iris are very cute, from the get-go and despite Hamish's 12 year absence and his rather feeble attempts at scandal and rake-ry you are swept along with how much they love each other. Despite, again, Hamish not having worked that out.

Worth a read.