This series continues to grab my attention and not let go!

I love how this series so far has followed female main characters, that have had horrible terrible marriages, and finally are getting their chance at a true HEA.

Definitely a slower burn on the romance end, and the ending felt a tad rushed, but overall I’m invested in this series!

Fast paced, and an air of suspense, this book is unputdownable. I am eager to see where the author takes us in the next book of the series.

I've really enjoyed Sophie Jordan's book and thought this is a fantastic premise, but this one didn't work well for me, and I think it was due to the pacing. We spend a lot of time in the set up, and by the time the new Duke and the old Duchess come to their agreement, the book was already halfway over. We don't get to know any of his sisters (or their names). Then we skim through time and they secretly love each other, but I didn't really feel the connection between them. There just didn't seem to be a lot of time for them to really get to know each other.

This is an entertaining, well-written, steamy, historical romance novel. It has a likable female protagonist, an engaging and caring male protagonist, sizzling chemistry, supportive friends, a secret, intrigue, and an unexpected and satisfying ending. I especially like that the characters are both in their thirties. This is an excellent addition to Ms. Jordan's "The Scandalous Ladies of London" series, and it can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone, but it is even better when it is read in order. I am looking forward to reading the next entry in this series with great anticipation. Many thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager, Ms. Sophie Jordan, and NetGalley, who kindly provided me with an ARC of this wonderful novel. This is my honest opinion.

Unexceptional as a romance and as erotica.

I read an advance reader copy of The Duchess from Netgalley.

Like The Countess, the pacing was just all over the place in this one. It felt like it was trying to be multiple books at the same time without much attention paid to any one plot line. There's so much that's set up that once it is time for pay off, nothing really seems to happen. I really liked the initial premise of this: Valencia has to usher the new Duke, Rhain's, sisters through the London marriage mart and find them all husbands in exchange for the funds to live her life freely. But then so little of the plot is actually dedicated to that goal, which I could have been fine with had the time been used instead for developing Rhain and Valencia but there wasn't much there either.

I liked the set up for what seems to be the next book in the series, following Hazel, but I hope that the pacing issues can be improved in that.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an eARC of this book via NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager, Avon. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 3/5 Stars
Publishing: March 26, 2024
Series: The Scandalous Ladies of London #2
Pages: 304

I have not had the opportunity to read Sophie Jordan in quite awhile and thought this would be a great opportunity to re-introduced myself to this author and her novels. Not sure what took me so long, but I can tell you that “The Duchess” was a quick and somewhat enjoyable read that has so much going on inside the pages that makes you want to finish the story. There are twists, secrets, and enemies.

Valencia, Dowager Duchess of Dedham has not had the chance to embark on her new freedom from mourning as she finds herself being kicked out of the only home has known by the new Duke of Dedham, Rhain, his mother and six of his unmarried sisters. Although Rhain loves being a businessman more than a Duke, he knows that he must set aside time to tend to the needs of the estate and as well as finding suitable husbands for his six unwed sisters. It is not until Valencia is visited by a few of her friends, that the Rhain understands his mistake and notices that his sisters are in desperate need of comportment training if they are to enter into society and find suitable husbands. This is when he enlists the help of Valencia and in exchange she gets a home in town and financial means of living.

Both main characters are likeable individuals with the exception of Rhain in all his hypocritical thinking and when Valencia stops pitying herself and blaming her father and husband in the story and. Although men held a lot of power during that time, women had voices and she could have spoken out about her husband’s treatment although it may not have fell on death ears. I was happy that in all she endured that she had a host of sub-characters that supported her; i.e, other young wives, and widows from wealthy families. At times, I did not care for her attitude towards her stepmother, who was the younger of the two and the way she viewed Rhain and his siblings.

As this was a short read, I was not a fan of the flashbacks and dual POVs in the book. Historical romances for me should come with enough sexual tension and spicey, especially when you have a hero that is viewed as a hunk of a Welshman. This was a slow, slow burn to get to some spicey that never manifested on the pages…a few kisses and one intimate scene…bummer. However, there were laughable moments with Rhain’s sisters that were delightful. Overall, the story felt a bit rushed and could have been written a bit longer to develop the plot…developing the main characters relationship to getting to the falling in love and a bit more dialogue.

The Duchess is the second book in Sophie Jordan's Scandalous Ladies of London series. This book is better read as a series as the books overlap and continue within each other. Jordan touts this series as having a "Real Housewives" like storyline with intrigue, scandal, and older heroines so keep this in mind when picking it up.

The Duchess opens one year after the events of book one. Valencia is just coming out of mourning for her late husband when she awakens to a bustling household of people. The new Duke and his family have arrived. They immediately clash and he banishes her to the Dower house in the countryside. But before she can leave, Valencia and Rhain strike a deal. If she helps get his six unmarried sisters ready for the marriage mart he will give her a townhouse in London and the means to live comfortably in whatever way she wishes. With the prospect of freedom and security, she accepts. Ultimately, Valencia and Rhain have trouble keeping away from each other.

Okay. Here we go. So I really loved this book for about the first ninety percent. The last ten percent took off a full star for me. The plotline flashes back and forth between a house party that took place one year ago and present day. This is where the series deviates from other romance novels. The level of interest in side characters can be a little confusing if you aren't expecting it The Duke is given six (unmarried) sisters as side characters and yet I'm not even sure all of them have names even though they are all on page. Where this really goes off the rails is a totally bonkers plot that takes place the last 5-10% of the book. It took away from the already underdeveloped romance. This book really could have done with another seventy five pages to develop the relationship more. I'm guessing the next book will be set up with Hazel being the heroine. That plot already seems like it will be the full banana.

I'm a fan of Jordan's and will be picking up the next in the series. I just hope there is a little more focus on the relationships of the main characters. This would have been a four star read if it wasn't for the ending.

Tropes: widow, newly minted Duke, pleasure den, abusive past relationship, intrigue and blackmail, taxidermy dog, part of a series, terrible parents

Thank you to NetGalley, Sophie Jordan, and Avon Harper Voyager for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own. #netgalley #scandalousladiesoflondon #theduchess #avonharpervoyager

I definitely liked this second book in the Scandalous Ladies series more than the first. Still the same great premise, “older” women of the ton, getting a second chance at real romance and love, but The Duchess has a stronger focus on just the two leads, which I appreciated.

There is a lot of entertaining chaos. Mishaps and then an influx of secondary characters to send leading lady, Valencia, into a whirlwind of dread and then possibility. But her poise and strength of character were amazing. Her sense of self, amid fears, trauma, and change was addicting to read.

And of course there is the animosity and then growing closeness with Rhain. Push and pull, barbs, and then attraction and passion. It’s everything that I love in a historical romance.

It’s a quick and easy read, one I thoroughly enjoyed and binged in a single day, and I can’t wait for the next one.

The second installment in The Scandalous Ladies of London series, The Duchess brings us Valencia’s story. Fresh off a year of mourning for her cruel husband, Valencia is doused by cold water 1) by literally falling into the Thames and 2) by the arrival of Rhain, her husband’s heir and the new Duke of Dedham – along with his mother and six uncouth sisters.

The first book in the series spent a lot of time worldbuilding about the group of friends and their backstories. This book also spends a lot of plot development time away from the romance itself. You even get inside the heads of characters outside of Valencia and Rhain. A lot was focused on Valencia and her coming to terms with pain from her past and deciding how to move forward. Which is good and important, but I would have liked more time with romantic partners on page.

Valencia agrees to shepherd the six sisters through their first season. We are told this is happening rather than shown. As much build up as there was at the beginning of how stubborn and unbending the sisters are, I have a hard time believing they went along with the lessons without some resistance. I think it could have rendered a funny scene or two.

I overall enjoyed the book and look forward to the friends in Val’s circle getting their own books in the series. It’s an irritated-to-love trope with a twinge of forbidden relationship thrown in to make things interesting. I liked the story. No one, and I mean no one, does longing and chemistry like Sophie Jordan. There’s a scene where the duke realizes he just wants to be in Valencia’s presence and talk to her that had me swooning!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC.

This second in the Scandalous Ladies of London series doesn't quite deliver on the promise of the first novel, but is enjoyable nonetheless. Valencia was married to a brute of a husband, and has been enjoying her status as a widowed dowager. But when her husband's heir is finally found, it throws her carefully curated life into disorder and her heart into torment. Nothing about his title, from characters to plot, is quite fully realized, but it's still a fun read and I look forward to the continuation of the series. 3.5 Stars.

Sophie Jordan delivers another firecracker of a historical romance with “The Duchess” - a perfect blend of high-drama, razor-sharp wit, untamed desire, and the Real Housewives of the Ton behaving oh-so-scandalously.
 
In Book 1 “The Countess” of The Scandalous Ladies of London series we know being in high society isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. When last we left Valencia in that book, she had become the Dowager Duchess of Dedham after the demise of her wretched husband.
 
“The Duchess” is solely Valencia’s story, and we pick up as she is tipped off a yacht into the Thames and is saved by the grace of some handsome brutes on a barge. (And, of course, one not-so-brutish Welshman.)
 
Such begins Valencia’s journey into love, independence, and unexpected bargains with the arrival of Rhain, the newly minted Duke of Dedham.
 
Rhain is no typical haughty noblemen of the ton. As he moves into Valencia's life with his unwed sisters, gruff exterior, and no-nonsense attitude he upends everything she understands about the world into which she was born and disastrously wed.
 
In typical Sophie Jordan style, the chemistry between these two begins with banter and a battle of wills long before they reach the bedroom. Once they do, it’s time to steam up the windows of that Mayfair manse.
 
Rhain's fish-out-of-water family brings humor and charm, while Valencia’s women friends and frenemies add layers of chaos and community.
 
As the story progresses, Valencia grapples with the choice between freedom, financial stability, emotional nurturing, and the allure of a dangerously seductive Rhain. Her journey of self-discovery and the rekindling of passion is especially poignant after seeing how far she needed to go to heal from the pain of her past.
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Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Collins Voyager for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. This title will be released on March 26th, 2024.

4.5⭐️

This gives a historical fiction with a FMC that has a progressive mindset. 👌👌

This is everything that I could want.
Strong FMC with a good group of friend (that I want to learn more about)

And the MMC isn’t a domineering butt.

Also the scene in The Palace 😮‍💨😮‍💨 I want more of that.

Vibes: recovery and healing, forced proximity, and female friendship

Heat Index: 4/10

Duchess Valencia is undoubtedly happier now that her abusive husband is dead. But her merry widowhood is interrupted by Rhain, her husband's beefy Welsh successor, whose gruffness hides his immediate attraction to her. Valencia can't continue with her familiar lifestyle without Rhain's support--and he won't offer that support unless she ushers his sisters into society. The more time she spends with Rhain and his family, the more Valencia is tempted by the man. However, after the pain of her first marriage, she dreads letting any man law claim to her again...

There are levels on which this book works for me: it's well-written, it's fast-paced, and it offers a look at the kinds of figures we normally don't see in historical romance. Like Tru before her, Valencia is in her thirties, jaded and experiences. She's not a blushing virgin being romanced by your standard issue rake.

Where I struggle, however, is with this as a romance. A lot of the plot deals more with Valencia's pain and recovery from it (TW: for domestic violence--it's in the past, but it's heavy, and there is also a brief sexual assault in a flashback). Her romance with Rhain feels somewhat more like a subplot, whereas the main plot is her journey--and it's a tough journey. In this sense, it feels more like it's slanting towards women's fiction than historical romance. I'm more used to Sophie Jordan as a very straightforward, frothy, high-heat historical romance author, and while the Scandalous Ladies of London books have been pushed as a heroine-forward series, the summaries then read like historical romance summaries. And I don't know if I'd categorize this as that.

Quick Takes:

--There is something important and empowering about Valencia recovering from what was truly a hideous marriage. I do need to be clear, too--she does find her happiness with Rhain. However, she does spend a lot of this book sad, and I don't know if that's necessarily what I expect from a romance novel. It's not dark; it's highly emotional, but it's not what I would call anywhere near "dark romance". But it's also not anything like the kind of light, frothy, fun historical romance I'm used to reading from Sophie Jordan.

In a lot of ways, I tend to wonder if this could've been fixed by extending the length of the book? I'm used to Sophie writing a short, tight book. She's good at that. However, with subject matter as intense as this, more pages could've potentially been helpful. Not only to balance the intense emotionality of Valencia's recovery a little more; but to devote more time to Valencia and Rhain's romance.

--That being said, I continue to enjoy the uniqueness of the heroines in this series. They aren't your standard historical leads, and their friendships are really real. You feel the sense that the story is totally invested in them, in a way that it perhaps isn't invested in the love story. Which isn't bad! It's a different kind of love story. It just isn't quite what you may expect from a historical romance.

--Rhain is Welsh, and he is sexy, and I did feel echoes of a certain Welsh historical romance hero who's become quite popular... But it isn't quite on that level. I think he could've gotten there! We just didn't have the time between him and Valencia. He's a cute, comforting, kinda gruff dude who clearly loves his sisters and has no idea what to do with them. Which is charming.

The Sex:

This is fairly low heat. I'd say there is one explicit sex scene--well-done, it's Sophie Jordan--and then a smattering of other mentions. I could've used some more.

I think this is perfect for readers who are looking for a more somewhat heavier book focused on female friendships, heroine-forward development, and a lower heat level. For me, I do wonder if it's fully a ROMANCE romance. That doesn't mean it's a bad book, it just means it's a different book than what I expected.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I had high hopes for book two in this series, but was unfortunately disappointed. The first two-thirds of the book dragged on and didn't include as much of Valencia's friend group as I'd hoped. We never get any opportunity to get to know Rhain beyond his stern appearance, and the back story of the old abusive Duke is never really given enough substance to be satisfying (apparently he was great before some mysterious accident and horrible afterwards, but no explanation of the accident is given).

The final third of the book is crammed with Valencia and Rhain suddenly hooking up (and I found their night together really uncomfortable and almost creepy) and a mystery to bring them together. None of it had any reasonable lead in and it just seemed like the author realized she was nearing her final page count and just needed to wrap things up quickly.

However, I am hoping there is a future book that tells more about Valencia's stepmother Hazel because I was really starting to like her by the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my unbiased review.

Although the plot of this book was potentially interesting, I struggled a little to get through the story. The writing included so much description and inner monologue, and relatively little actual interaction (conversation, for example) between characters. It’s too bad, because the author gave us so many potentially interesting characters. Any of Rhain’s many sisters, or any of Valencia’s friends could have livened up the writing. Instead, most of the story was shared with the reader by way of Valencia’s inner thoughts. Not very much actually happened until he very end, and the fact that it was a little surprising comes down to the fact that all we ever knew while reading was what Valencia was thinking.

Valencia, the titular dowager duchess, agrees to a bargain with Rhain, the new duke. She will teach his unpolished Welsh sisters to be ladies of the ton in exchange for a larger widow's stipend and a reason to stay in London. Valencia is also ready to enjoy being single after the death of her abusive husband.

While I thoroughly enjoyed Valencia figuring out who she is and what she wants on the other side of her marriage, I wasn't as sold on the romance. We don't get as many scenes of Rhain or of Rhain and Valencia together as I would have liked. I also felt like the suspense plot around her husband's death took a while to get going, and then the book ended pretty abruptly.

I do really like the way Sophie Jordan seems to be using this series to explore the lives of women who are no longer debutantes, who have married cruel men, and, though law and society are not on their side, are forging a path towards happiness anyway. I look forward to seeing more of the side characters we've met so far in the next book.

"Sophie Jordan continues to prove her mastery of storytelling with this highly anticipated release in 2024. The book promises to deliver a whirlwind of emotions, from love and drama to steamy romance, taking readers on an unforgettable emotional rollercoaster ride.

With anticipation running high, readers can expect a gripping narrative that will keep them glued to the pages from start to finish. The promise of a page-turner that never disappoints is certainly enticing, and the suggestion of having tissues at the ready hints at the emotional depth and resonance of the story.

With a perfect score of 10/10, this book is sure to be a standout addition to any reading list for 2024. Sophie Jordan's ability to craft compelling characters and captivating plots ensures that readers will be swept away by the story, making it difficult to put the book down. Get ready for a literary journey that will linger long after the final page is turned."

I really like the idea of this friend group. They are women who have something scandalous in their lives, whether a secret or a past that is just a little unexpected. The first book was fun, but this one didn't land for me. The chemistry between the two was a little short. Their initial love scene was very unexpected. Then the conflict at the end was just too much. It was external (which is good) but was so out of the blue that it was borderline silly.

I was excited to get the chance to read the second book in the Scandalous Ladies of London series and be able to revisit some of the characters from the previous book. It started out well with a slow burn, but towards the very end it felt rushed as if the author needed to hurry and finish the book. I would have enjoyed the story more if the main characters would have gradually showed their feelings towards one another throughout the story, but instead everything is thrown at you past the 70% mark. And the mystery at the end also felt rushed and didn't gel with the overall story. I did enjoy reading about the characters and I do look forward to reading the next in this series. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC.

This book has a lot of things going for it. It contains romance, twists, villians, hate & love, secrets, uncertainty, spice, and much more. It kept my interest. I'm not one for a spicy plot but this story has a small enough amount to hook those who love it and allow others to quickly skip over it.
It left me wondering how the next novel (if one) will compare.
There is detail to back up any events. It is easy to get into the mind of the protagonists. The story is easy to follow and comprehend.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC through NetGalley. I have not been compensated for posting my personal thoughts on this title.