I enjoyed the set-up for this novel, but then it seemed rushed to get to the end. It is established that the new duke’s six younger sisters are not ready for introduction to high society. So the dowager duchess is going to help them. We barely see what she does to help them - just a few hints - and suddenly, they’re all just fine and there are no problems. We don’t see the transformation.

And there is all the sexual tension between the two main characters and then that gets resolved, so to speak. Then, suddenly there is a new threat against the dowager duchess, but that gets resolved easily and quickly. It’s as if the author just got tired of writing and rushed to finish. And the plot and character development lost out.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Olden time widows in romance books are the best. Why? 1. Because they aren’t virgins and are thus DTF. 2. Because they were usually married to someone who was craptastic in life and in bed. 3. Did I mention they are DTF?

Valencia is a widowed duchess. Her husband suffered some sort of traumatic brain injury that left him a moody, violent, abusive twatnozzle. Thankfully he dies in an “accident” as abusive twatnozzles are prone to do. Valencia carries on with her life, but since she has no heir to the dukedom, some rando distant cousin gets the job. He and his 6 unruly sisters show up from Wales and take over her house. Wouldn’t ya know tho, the new duke is a gruff smokeshow. He lets Val stay in the house to help prepare his sisters for life in the ton and to keep the sexy widow around bc I’m sure he also is aware of the DTF widow rule of historical romance books. Val and Dukie fall prey to insta-love and seem to spend much of the book staring intensely into each other’s eyes. They are main characters who mainly use their eyeballs and genitals to communicate.

This is book 2 of the The Scandalous Ladies of London series by Sophie Jordan. So far I’m really enjoying the series. If you haven’t read book 1, The Countess you def should bc it was a sexy romp. I love the friendships and the scandals and of course all the eye fucking that this series provides.

Thanks @harpercollins @netgalley @sosophiejordan for this ARC. The Duchess drops 3/26.

Smut- 2.35 stars
Romance- 4.18 stars
Story- 4.44 stars
Horny widows using their reproductive organs to speak to the hot Welsh duke sleeping in the room next door- 13.87 stars

A very fast read that leans in on the fun of scandal in a historical romance. We were enthralled by the first in this series, The Countess, which introduced us to the friend group of unhappily married women who must make up the eponymous Scandalous Ladies of London. This book was fun, but didn't quite charm us in the same way as the first book. This one felt simultaneously less bonkers and more angsty, choices that made it just a little less fun (for us!).

Valencia was widowed at the end of the last book. The heir to her husband's dukedom has arrived in town and, after a meet disaster where she almost drowns in the Thames right in front of him, he's kicking her out and sending her to the dower house. The book then fell into conventional HistRom territory, when the Duchess convinces him to keep her around so she can tutor his sisters in etiquette. We got a little excited when Valencia decides to visit a sex club on the very same night as the new duke ... but we really shouldn't have been. We've read Sophie Jordan before and we know she can bring the heat, so we were definitely disappointed that she didn't here. The end of this book, like the end of The Countess, made some bizarre choices that didn't seem to fit with the first part of the book.

We're still invested in the series, but this felt a little sophomore slumpey. Here's hoping the next book will reverse the trend!

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC.
Content Warning: Domestic Violence (heroine is a widow, her deceased husband was abusive)

I have enjoyed Sophie Jordan's work in the past, but this entry fell flat for me overall. This did not feel like a historical romance, more like a historical women's fiction with a light romantic subplot. I cannot recommend this as a romance because I truly didn't feel the connection between the hero and heroine. The "I love you" didn't feel earned and while I felt chemistry between the two of them, there wasn't a deep connection there that I can buy. This was extremely fast paced and then at the 90% mark we had a plot twist that just was bonkers. I can appreciate that, but there just weren't enough breadcrumbs to justify it all.

What I did appreciate: This friend group! Valencia and her friends are incredible and I hope to go back and read Tru's book and continue in this series because they are all unique and older heroines which is fresh when most historical romance heroines are debutantes. The deep exploration of Valencia's character and her arc of self-discovery in widowhood. Sophie Jordan writes great characters, this entry just lacked the time to have those romantic connections between characters come to light.

In "The Duchess" by Sophie Jordan, set in Regency-era London, Valencia, the Dowager Duchess of Dedham, revels in newfound freedom after her cad of a husband's demise. However, her independence is jeopardized when the new Duke, Rhain, arrives with his wild, unwed sisters. A reluctant alliance is forged: Valencia will guide the sisters into society, securing her financial stability, while Rhain seeks help navigating his newfound aristocracy. As they clash and coalesce, sparks fly between the haughty Duke and the determined Dowager. Jordan's immersive storytelling captures the allure of 1822 London, blending scandal and romance seamlessly. The characters' evolving dynamics and Valencia's resistance to risking her heart add depth to this engaging historical romance. "The Duchess" delivers a captivating narrative that transcends the bounds of societal expectations, making it a worthy addition to The Scandalous Ladies of London series.

London - 1822

It has been a year since the Duke of Dedham died, and his widow, Valencia, has relished the freedom she has had. The freedom not only from a husband she stopped loving years ago, but also from his vile behavior towards her, especially after his debilitating accident that eventually ended his life. But, after the estate searched all over for his heir, that man has suddenly arrived at Valencia's home, along with his mother and six of his sisters - the unwed ones! Valencia can tell that the new duke isn't happy with his new position in life, leaving behind his hard won business in Wales, and he doesn't seem to be happy that Valencia is still in the house.

The six sisters seem, to Valencia, to be a bit wild and unsophisticated. They clearly do not know what to expect of society in London. Valencia begins to pack, ready to leave for the only home she will have as the Dowager Duchess of Dedham - a cottage in Yorkshire. As she observes the new duke, as well as his out-of-control siblings, Valencia wishes him, and the girls, much luck in understanding the ton and what is expected of a duke and his family. Apparently the duke is coming to terms with the same realization.

Rhain, the new duke, knows that he is over his head when it comes to his new station in life. And, despite his uncertainty about the dowager duchess, he also realizes that she could be of great help in preparing his sisters for the Season. He approaches Valencia, and offers to allow her to stay in the house, and he will increase her measly stipend left by her husband if she will take on the chore of getting his sisters up to snuff for London society. Rhain is relieved when Valencia agrees, and he also is quite taken with her beauty, despite her obvious coldness towards him.

Corraling a group of rather uncultivated young ladies, Valencia gets her priorities in order, bringing in dressmakers, hairdressers, music teachers, and others to teach the girls how to behave, and look, in Society. It isn't easy at first, but soon Rhain is noticing a difference, as well as how much he wants to keep Valencia nearby. And the handsome new duke has definitely affected how Valencia feels.

Book 2 of The Scandalous Ladies of London, THE DUCHESS can be read alone. Valencia has not had a happy marriage, and she's not particularly interested in trusting another man. But Rhain seems to understand women, and makes a few decisions that surprise Valencia. For Rhain, all he wants to do is return to Wales, but can he do that as a duke, and keep up with what is expected of him? And will his feelings for Valencia grow? Will Valencia's change?

A sweet read with delightful secondary characters, THE DUCHESS is a great way to sail into Spring.

This isn't quite as bonkers or as fun as the first book in the series but I did read it from cover to cover in a morning, so there's something to be said there! It's really consumable and draws you in, particularly in the first 60% or so. I really liked Valencia's character and her strength. I also really liked Rhain.

I do ultimately think I needed this book to be longer - I needed more scenes between Valencia and Rhain to really understand their relationship. It just progressed a little too quickly from interest in each other to declaring their love. I also think the third act conflict comes essentially out of nowhere and we really didn't need it. Or if we needed it, we needed hints of it earlier in the story.

Ultimately still a pretty fun book but I liked the first one much more.

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really wanted to love this book as I loved the premise. It started off so strong - character development, story progression ... then, I don't know what happened, it just kind of ... ended? There were a few loose ends in the story but not the type that can be answered in a sequel. I usually love Sophie Jordan's books and they circulate well in our romance paperbacks but I am going to have a hard time recommending this one because it just ended so abruptly and it felt like the last quarter of the story was missing. I am assuming there will be more in the series with the ancillary characters so I hope for a better read next time.

4 Stars I knew from the moment I read the dedication of The Duchess by Sophie Jordan, that this one was going to make me tear up and I wasn't wrong.

Set in Regency era London, the Dowager Duchess of Denham, Valencia, is finally through her mourning period following her husband's demise the previous year. Valencia has dreamed of the freedom to make her own choices and finally enjoy life again after a traumatic marriage and abusive husband. She seems to be on the cusp of this newfound freedom when all of a sudden, the new Duke of Denham has been found and arrives at her Mayfair home--which is now his home. Valencia is to be cast out to the dowager house in the country to make way for the new Duke, Rhain, and his mother and six unwed sisters. Rhain sees how wholly unprepared his sisters are for the marriage market and strikes up a deal with Valencia; in exchange for preparing his sisters to enter the ton and make good matches, she can remain at the house and afterwards, Rhain will buy her a house in London and increase her stipend. As he sees Valencia help his sisters and gets to know her better, Rhain realized he misjudged the dowager Duchess and cannot help but want her to stay permanently.

While this story is of course fiction, it keeps in mind the reality of so many women of the Regency era and how they had very little freedom until they were widowed, though even then they were still at the mercy of the men around them. I was surprised by how fast-paced this novel was and I read the entire thing in one sitting! My only complaint is that I wish it were a tad longer. I would've enjoyed seeing more of Valencia and Rhain falling in love before declaring their feeling for one another and I also wish we had gotten more scenes with Rhain's sisters, who were hilarious. Here's to hoping that their stories are next!

I am a huge fan of Sophie Jordan and her books. That being said this book did not appeal to me. For a romance book, there was really no romance involved.
This book about the Duchess of Debham, Valencia, was mostly the telling of the story of her first marriage and how bad it was. It was an abusive marriage and it affected her I many ways, including the loss of her baby.
The story was also about the new Duke who shows up after her husband dies, bringing along his 6 sisters. Rhaine offers to let her stay in the house if she helps to bring his 6 sisters out..
So between the back story of her first marriage and the side story of her helping the Duke's 6 sisters prepare for their debut, there wasn't much story left for romance.
3⭐⭐⭐
I want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

4.5 stars

WELSH IS THE NEW SCOTTISH

This was great! After feeling a little lukewarm with the first book in the series, I loved The Duchess. This series definitely has more of a group feeling than Sophie Jordan's other books, with narrators who are not the main characters poking in once in a while, but I loved Valencia and Rhain. Valencia is a newly widowed Duchess after an unhappy and abusive marriage. Rhain is the new Duke with a rowdy group of sisters who need introduction into polite society. Watching their relationship grow—and boil over—was a lot of fun. Rhain is a gruff Welshman which juxtaposes perfectly with high society Valencia. I'll definitely keep reading!

I loved the trope and storyline of this book and normally a huge fan of Sophie Jordan but felt like this one missed the mark just a little. I loved Valencia and felt she was pretty well developed and wanted almost from the start to cheer her on to her HEA. Rhaine was probably much more interesting but felt that he wasn’t developed to full potential. There was quite a bit from his viewpoint towards the beginning of the book but limited as it moved through the story. I enjoyed the read but it seemed to fizzle right at the climatic end and then it did just that. It ended. It seemed rushed so I felt like maybe even 50 m0re -ages would have made this book sigh worthy.

I love the strength that Valencia has developed after years of abuse from her late husband. His sudden death gave her a new lease on life and she couldn’t wait to explore the new found freedom. Love from the most unexpected person is on the horizon. The story is beautifully written and the storyline is one that I loved to read. It’s very entertaining and who wouldn’t fall in love with Rhain. A great story and read.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley and are voluntarily leaving a review.

Valencia, the Dowager Duchess of Dedham, has spent most of her adult life waiting--waiting to see if her husband was in a good mood that day, waiting for the slap that usually came if he was displeased, waiting, waiting, waiting. All that ended with the death of the duke. Valencia could finally take a breath and not have to look over her shoulder every minute of the day. All that changed, however, when the new Duke of Dedham, Rhain, and his six unmarried sisters invaded the ducal townhouse. Valencia's days of waiting are over, but now she's been banished to the dower house in Yorkshire until an offer from the duke keeps her in London.

Rhain did not want to be duke. He preferred his life in Wales, but he would not deny his sisters' chances for a good match so they all went to London. Seeing Valencia in the ducal townhouse sends him into a tailspin. There's something about her that calls to him, but he refuses to act on it. He proposes a deal--Valencia help launch his sisters into Society and he'll give her enough money to live comfortably for the rest of her life. Can these two come to a mutual understanding, or will the tension between them spill over into something more?

This was a slow-burn romance, and I usually like them, but this one took way too long. There were too many flashbacks to her time with the previous duke and not enough time devoted to her and Rhain. Most of the book is taken up with Rhain's sisters and not so much interaction between H and h. There is a twist in the story at the last 10% that seemed a little far-fetched. I thought the villain was someone else, and that would have made much more sense to me. I do enjoy Ms. Jordan's writing and will probably read the next book in the series.

I didn't read the previous books in this series but I assume it is an interconnected series of romance standalones. I didn't feel like I was missing anything, but I'm sure I missed some nods to previous books, and I'm okay with that!

Valencia and Rhain enter an agreement to help his six unwed sisters into society, while Valencia will maintain the independence she has craved for so long. However, with close proximity, the tension builds and they inevitably fall for each other!

I both read the e-book and listened to the audiobook via Libro FM's ALC program, and the narrator did a great job in bringing this story to life. I had a fun time with Valencia and Rhain's story, and I would go back to read the rest of the books.

A Regency romance between widowed Duchess Valencia and the Duke of Dedham runs a bit slow for me, but still witty and entertaining. A fun easy read.

Rhain and Valencia were 2 characters whose story I thoroughly enjoyed reading! Definitely recommend this book!

"The thrilling second book in New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan's amazing new high concept series, The Scandalous Ladies of London, which chronicles the lives of a group of affluent ladies reigning over glittering, Regency-era London, vying for position in the hierarchy of the ton. They are the young wives, widows, and daughters of London's wealthiest families. The drama is big, the money runs deep, and the shade is real. Life is different in the ton.

"I liked my husband well enough...but I like him even better dead."

It's been a year since her wretched cad of a husband died and Valencia, the Dowager Duchess of Dedham, is finally her own woman. Flitting from party to party, freedom is sweet and life should be perfect. Until the new duke surfaces.

Nothing like the haughty noblemen who populate the ton, Rhain, the newly minted Duke of Dedham, is a big brawny Welshman with an accent that makes Valencia's knees go weak as he boldly moves into her home with his six wild unwed sisters. The rude and humorless usurper thinks her vain and spoiled. But with a pittance to her name, Valencia needs his support to remain in London and enjoy all the pleasures her new position as a merry widow has to offer.

So a bargain is struck. Valencia will usher his sisters into Good Society and see them happily betrothed. In return, he'll give her the financial security and independence she craves. But the more time they spend beneath the same roof, the more she realizes it's not safety she wants but the dangerously seductive Rhain. Valencia has vowed never to risk marriage again. And yet how can she resist the tempting man when he might be the greatest adventure of her life?"

Ah, to be a merry widow when a Welshman calls.

Sophie Jordan's The Duchess was a delight. An enemies to lovers story is told in a plot that i haven't read before.

This is such a wonderful series!
Valencia, the dowager duchess of Dedham awakes one morning to find the newly minted Duke Rain and his mother, and six sisters have arrived. She does not want to go to the dower house so the duke makes an arrangement with her that she can stay if she helps launch his sisters into society and the marriage mart.
I liked the chemistry between Rain and Valencia and the sisters added a lot of humor to the story.
I look forward to the next book in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed this ARC and these are my opinions.