This one ended up being a mixed bag for me. The writing was very readable and I found myself reaching to pick it up easily. I liked both of our main characters individually as characters. I liked Valencia's friend group as well from what we saw of them. The premise was a solid one for my taste. And I liked picking up a historical romance where the female main character isn't under 25.

However there were some things that didn't quite work for me. The first was there were far too few interactions between Valencia and Rhain during the build up of their relationship. When they did interact I really liked their dynamic! But it hit a point where I checked how far into my ebook I was and was shocked it was like 65% because there just had not been nearly enough interaction between them to build a relationship that far into a standalone romance book.

I also thought the last about 10% was so out of nowhere. It could have worked with more set up or more time to actually explore the plot that got thrown in but as it was it felt very tacked on at the last minute and a little bit of whiplash that had me asking if I'd opened the wrong ebook to continue reading!

I would still be interested in giving more Sophie Jordan books a chance as I liked her writing and there were pieces of this I liked, but this one was just fine for me in the end.

This is the second book in the scandalous ladies of London series. This is Valencia‘s story. I was really excited to see how she would now live her life as a widow, when she used to be a Dutchess. She’s been enjoying her life without her not so fond dearly departed husband. Then the newest Duke who is a Welshman arrives in London with his six unruly sisters. The Duke Rhain and Valencia make a deal that she will help his sisters find husbands and he will give her financial support.

I love seeing how Valencia and the new Duke interacted with one another. Even though she says she finds him uncouth she was finding herself attracted to someone who is so different than her departed husband. He also is realizing that there is more to Valencia than a widow, just wanting to have fun. add the sisters and it is a delightful fun romance

In this captivating sequel, we follow the newly liberated Dowager Duchess of Dedham, Valencia, who is relishing her freedom after the death of her loathsome husband. Her happy widowhood takes an unexpected turn when Rhain, the new and unconventional Duke of Dedham, comes into her life with his six sisters. Together, they form an arrangement where she introduces his sisters to society in exchange for financial security. Throughout the book, we witness the layers of attraction and resistance between Valencia and Rhain, set in the lavish yet ruthless world of Regency-era London. The story expertly blends romance, societal drama, and personal transformation, making Valencia's journey from an abused spouse to a woman cautiously exploring the possibility of love again, both compelling and heartwarming.

✨ Review ✨ The Duchess by Sophie Jordan

The second book in the Scandalous Ladies of London series, this one follows Valencia, the Dowager Duchess of Dedham after the death of her husband. Quickly, a new family moves in with a hot new duke and a bunch of his sisters, freshly arrived from Wales. Valencia makes a deal to help prepare the sisters for high society, which keeps her around in her house for a little bit longer.

**very minor, rough plot spoilers below**

The Duke and Dowager Duchess have instant attraction but a bit of an enemies to lovers story, and I really enjoyed the book over all. I wish there had been a bit more connection/pining/interaction between them earlier in the book, but the payoff was really great.

**end of spoilers**

Overall, like the first book, this had lots of side story, though it was focused mostly on Valencia's POV and not the whole group of friends. This made for a more coherent, focused story I think!

Thanks to Avon and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5)
Genre: historic f/m romance
Setting: London
Pub Date: 26 Mar 2024

After years of loyalty then mourning, Valencia wanted a fling however her attraction grows for a rude gentleman who’s ready seen her wet in “The Duchess” by Sophie Jordan, book two of The Scandalous Ladies of London!

I love Valencia’s good-for-you-girl moments! She deserves to go wherever she wants even the scandalous parts of London. She also deserves to fulfill her needs with someone who mutually wants her!

The new Duke of Dedham is both an alpha and a cinnamon roll. His respect for the woman in his life extends to all of the fairer gender is utterly swoony. I enjoyed reading his changing mind from going back to his business far away to being with the one who he begs not to leave him.

I highly recommend this book to those who want a happily ever after for their fellow woman/person who’s had horrible relationships while having to stay put. If you enjoy reads with loyal friends who can keep life changing secrets and men who want what’s right for women, then this fast read is the novel for you!

Thank you to Net Galley, Avon, and Harper Voyager US for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This is one of those books that you just can't put down ,but you don't want it to end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and can't wait for more from Jordan. She writes stories that keep you coming back for more. Amazing author for sure!

Diving into a regency romance is a different kind of fantasy world for me. I’m so happy I got to revisit with 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘓𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯.

After a year of mourning, Valencia who’s know the Dowager Duchess of Dedlam can finally and truly shed her old life. She survived being married to an openly abusive man. Now it’s her turn to live. However, a distant relative has come along to claim the title which means displacing Valencia to the countryside. Rhain, the new Duke has his hands full adjusting to aristocratic life and keeping his sisters in check. He turns to Valencia for help introduce them into ‘polite’ society, and you know the rest…

I liked seeing Valencia moving forward, refusing to let her past trauma limit her. She still had lots to overcome, but she’s so resilient. I also liked that Jordan gave Rhain a progressive spin while still working within the mindset of the time. I was a little confused about them falling in love. I mean I knew it was a given, but it just felt too fast. Doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy those spicy moments, though! 🌶️ 🔥

This is another enjoyable and absorbing read from Jordan, and I’m looking forward to more in this series!

Highlights:
* Second chance at love
* Strong willed duchess
* Hot, non-misogynistic duke
* Sex positive
* HEA

Be aware of: former abusive marriage (recollection)

Thanks to @netgalley & @avonbooks for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Rhain and Valencia! The chaos from his sisters and mother along with the problems Valencia had to deal with while bringing Rhain's sisters up to snuff was enjoyable to read. I can't wait for Hazel's story hopefully next! Thank you for the advanced copy!

I love Sophie Jordan's books and always feel like her pacing is impeccable, with each book driving forward til the end. However, this pacing felt a little more stilted to me and I didn't quite feel an actual romance between the main pairing as strongly as I normally do. The set-up was super fun; the heroine is the dowager duchess of Dedham and the hero is the new duke of Dedham. Definitely worth the read!

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was steamy, fun and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

Loved reading the marvelous & sensational romance story. When the new Duke of Dedham, Rhain, arrives with his mother and sisters, Valencia, the Dowager Duchess, has to leave her home, but Rhain makes a deal with Valencia to get his sisters ready for London society in return for a place in London. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and a must read riveting love story. Can't wait to read the next book by the phenomenal author, Sophie Jordan!

This is my first journey into this author's writing and I must say I was captivated. Rhain, wasn't really meant to be a Duke so when it lands in his lap, he is as unprepared as his siblings. Valencia, the current Duchess, never expected her horrific husband to die. Making a deal to help each other only opens doors that were unexpected but subconsciously desired. A well crafted story of two souls who find peace and joy through adverse pasts.

From Duchess to Dowager Duchess in a split second!

Valencia, the Duchess Dedham, was relieved when her husband fell down the stairs and died. No loss as the man she’d married was very different after his accident, often brutally so. She’d waited eleven months as the grieving widow and was looking forward to being out and about in society. Unconcerned at that moment that the family solicitors had finally found an heir—in remote Wales.
Valencia ignored this fact, determined to put of her bereavement clothes and enjoy life, beginning with an attendance at Vauxhall. Floating down the river on her father’s yacht ended in disaster when she went overboard. Rescued by a stranger on a passing barge full of revellers, all male, was both a relief and discomforting, especially with regard to her rescuer, and her dampened dress. Never mind, she’d never see them again.
Imagine Valencia’s shock when the very next day the new Duke’s mother and a gaggle of six sisters descended upon her, informed her of her new status as Dowager Duchess, and took over her household without a by your leave. Bedlam descended, all without the Duke.
The Duke, arriving later, annoyed with his family, took one look at Valencia and realized she was the lady he’d rescued from the Thames, and lusted after. In a fit of pique, he asked her to leave. He threw her out of her home. Valencia has nowhere to go but the dowager house in the remote wilds of Yorkshire, far from everything and everyone she knows. Valencia is stunned.
Valencia understands that the Duke’s sisters will have a hard time being accepted by the ton. Their dreams would come to nothing. No Duke from Wales would be able to stop their disappointment. The heartlessness of the ton was well known. Rhain realizes his sisters will be eaten up by the ton. They will be ignored and laughed at. He has to do something. He asks Valencia to bring them up to scratch. In return he will buy a house in London for her and increase her stipend.
Then there was the Rhain’s cousin, the affable Dewey (also from the barge!) Valencia was suspicious of him. Something was off. She was even more wary when she discovered him in a room with her maid. This was the man Rhain intended to oversee his properties while he went back to Wales.
I really enjoyed the first three quarters of the book, then it all went awry in the last quarter. Too many surprises revealed. The characters just felt all over the place and disconnected. What was a pleasing buildup fell away. The inclusion of her father stepmother at the end might be setting up for the next book, but it was a slightly offsetting note.
I liked Valencia. I liked Rhain, the new duke and his siblings. I appreciated Valencia’s terror at the hands of her husband. I understand her fear of the house party and her encounter with the dastardly Lord Burton.
Much to recommend in this intriguing “enemies to lovers” plot, and parts to puzzle over.
I must say I was rather drawn to the cover.

An Avon and Harper Voyager ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

✔️ Rich/Poor
✔️ Insta-Lust
✔️ And They're Roommates

I love that this historical was about a widow who is ready for a fresh start after an awful marriage. You can't help but root for Valencia, and want things to go her way

The tension with the new Duke who moves into her house with his mother and sisters? Exquisite. He's not grumpy but his curtness and stoicism make him seem so. She's not a sunshine, but she doesn't stop trying despite all her setbacks. The pairing of these two is perfection with the mutual pining and yet both unsure what the other thinks of them.

Highly recommend this if you're into historical romance!

Steam 🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕💕💕

I really enjoyed reading the latest in Sophie Jordan's The Scandalous Ladies of London Series, The Duchess. I always enjoy her writing along with the fact that most of her heroines are a little older. I enjoy that take in a historical regency instead of a younger debutante just starting her seasons. It gives you a different look at how life was and how women would continue on with their lives after major events took place. Valencia and Rhain did have a slow burn romance where they both had to work through some major issues to be able to come together as a couple, especially for Valencia and dealing with past trauma from her first marriage. I loved the comic relief that Rhain's sisters provided in the story.. I felt the ending was a little rushed but the story had enough of a hook and suspense that it kept me engaged, and I can't wait for the next one!

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced readers copy!

I have always been a huge fan of Sophie Jordan and these new series of hers keeps us on our toes for sure. This is the 2nd book in the series of The Scandalous Ladies of London. These are strong ladies who are more than the glitter and glam of London and the ton. These ladies are fighting to stay at the top and to protect themselves. This book won’t disappoint. Valencia is the Dowager Duchess of Dedham, whose awful husband died a year ago. Now the unexpected new Duke has moved in, along with his mom and sisters. She thinks she is once again in for the worse but after making an agreement with the new Duke she is able to stay and help his sister's debut. In exchange she will be financially stable and allowed to stay in London with her friends. Now Rhain, who never expected this fancy life for him and his family, has to take on the role of Duke and all its responsibilities. The more they are together the more they are drawn to each other and the things they had planned for their lives aren’t really what they want in the end.
You are going to love the strong characters and detailed storytelling that Jordan is known for. You won’t want to put this book down. If you haven’t read the first book it is still okay to start here, you’ll want to read it though as soon as you're done. Be aware of some mature matters that Jordan handles very well. Trust me, the wit, the passion and adventure is exactly what you need in this story. Enjoy.

This was an exciting and wonderful read by one of my favorite authors. Ms.Jordan writes a spectacular tale of romance with a hot hunky hero and a beautiful Duchess. The characters were fully developed with thoughts and feelings of their own. I love this series but can be read as a stand alone.
Valencia, the Dowager Duchess of Dedham, has become a widow. Her abusive husband is finally dead and now she can live the life of a free woman. She will not be beholden to no man. Valencia is now living in the ducal townhouse because the new Duke of Dedham as arrived along with his six unmarried sisters. Rhain is a brawny good looking Welshman who really didn't want to become the next Duke. But with so many sisters in tow, he has to give them a chance to get husbands.
He has met the Dowager Duchess and can't quite get over the fact that she is beautiful. His senses are reeling and his libedo is on high alert. Why couldn't the woman be old and ugly? Oh, dear. What does he do now?
Since Valencia is low on money, Rhain needs to get his sisters' through a season. and he will pay for her to launch them. Even they are needing lots of instruction on how to dress, act and talk with members of the ton.
There is a slow burn to the romance between Rhain and Valencia. Flashbacks of the story take up a lot from the romance. But there is a happy ever after after the villain is defeated.
I appreciated Net Galley for this ARC title in which I gave an honest review.

I was a big fan of The Countess and so excited to read Valencia’s story in The Duchess. Redemption stories are some of my favorites and picking up right on the tail of the last Scandalous Ladies of London story, I knew Valencia would finally get her HEA after being married to a beast of a man. I think Sophie Jordan does an excellent job of taking women’s burdens and struggles and making them relatable and sympathetic. She knows how to write women who have suffered their husband’s cruelty and have a second chance at life and love. This is my favorite part of her storytelling and I was so pleased to see Valencia reawaken from her pitiable life under the thumb of her late husband, the Duke of Dedham.
Rhain was a strong foil to her—his “who did this to you” vibes and quietly strong presence balanced Valencia’s unparalleled beauty and demure countenance. I just wish I got to see more from him and his point of view because I really liked him as a hero!
Readers will remember the surprise ending of The Countess and there’s definitely a bit of a plot twist at the end of The Duchess as well. I’m not sure that it did anything to help me feel that Rhain and Valencia should be more enamored with each other. I think this book could have had several different endings and I would’ve liked to see one where their relationship grows as a result of the two of them, not because events force them to act (again this is because I REALLY enjoyed both characters and wanted more from them). That includes the intimate scenes—they’re so good—give us more please! I have a suspicion Hazel’s story will come next, and she is possibly one of the most intriguing characters because she did not come from gentry. I would definitely recommend reading The Countess first in order to establish relationships (also, it’s really good!) and would recommend this for a quick cozy afternoon read. It will do the trick! I received an early copy from NetGalley and Avon. All opinions are my own.

Rating:🌟🌟🌟🌟
Heat: 🪭.5️⃣
Plot as told through emojis:
👩🏻🎂🛥️🍃🛟🧔🏻‍♂️🏠👯‍♀️👯‍♀️👯‍♀️🤴🏻👉📦👰🏼‍♀️👗👴🏻👩🏻😔💰🙏🏼🎱🙈🐶🎩🎶🦵🔥🎭🚪🤫🥵☀️✉️😥🔮🩼💃🧳👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨🥷🪢⛑️💘

CW: Domestic abuse, kidnapping, death of spouse mentioned multiple times, miscarriage mentioned off page

This was very unexpected in a way that the story didn’t go in a way I thought it would. I absolutely loved the Countess, but this one didn’t flow very well for me. Every 5 chapters there was also a past chapter then the last 10 % revelation mystery plot came out of nowhere. Valencia is now a dowager duchess after her abusive husband is found dead. The next heir to accept the dukedom is Rhain (who also has unusual accent that make’s Valencia melt) who moves in her house with his 6 unwed sisters. Rhain asks Valencia to help train his sisters to enter into society for the marriage mart in return she’ll have her independence and financial security. Over time with how much those two spend together, their attraction grows. I only felt friendship in this story with the couple and not really a love development between Valencia and Rhain. I wished we saw more interaction with Valencia and her friends. I just think things moved quick slow in this one.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Mystery, Curiosity, Thrilling Romance:
We first meet Valencia throwing away her widows' weeds and anxious to be set free to discover all life as to offer her.
An act of fate brings Rhain face to face with Valencia in a most unusual way. You can't say this was a happy meeting but a year later the unexpected does happen and their lives will change from this point forward.
A sparkling immediate attraction but a slow building romance story that had me glued to the explosive pages.
Their lives a turned upside down and around as their undeniable desire takes over and sets the pages on fire by the last few chapters where all hell breaks loose.
There are many situations for both H and h to deal with, a large family which is complex to say the least and of course there happens to be a mysterious foul plot that pops up towards the end that brings many shocking surprises that I did not see coming.
An enjoyable romance story with lots of desirous connections between the duke and the dowager duchess, that held my interest to a wonderful ending.
📖Review rating: Passionate💋💋💋💋 bumped my 4.5 rating up to 5 stars.⭐