The Duchess is the second installment of the Scandalous Ladies of London series. This was my first read of the series, and I was happy that I was able to jump in without having read the first one, however I do plan on going back and reading it.

Valencia is a Dowager Duchess who finds herself at the mercy and kindness of the new heir. Rhain unexpectedly finds himself the heir to a dukedom he doesn’t necessarily want with plans to return to Wales as soon as possible. After initially disliking each other, they strike a bargain which includes Valencia sponsoring his SIX sisters for debut.

Throughout the book, there are dual POVs, as well as “flashbacks” to the year prior providing some mystery to the story.

Overall, I enjoyed the book but some aspects needed something more. This book was a slow burn, which I enjoyed, but I felt the last 10-15% of the book was very rushed. I wished they had fleshed out the characters more so the ending would’ve felt more final. I felt like it was a big leap. The first spicy scene was a little awkward; I would have liked that to play out differently.

I’d say overall, this read is 3.5 stars with light to medium spice towards the end. I would still recommend it and look forward to the next book in the series.

Valencia is thrilled she is out of mourning for her cruel husband. Just when she is about to have fun as a widow, the long lost heir and his sisters show up. Afraid she will be sent from London to rusticate in the country at the Dowager house, she makes a deal with Rhain that she will show his six sisters how to behave in the ton. When sparks fly between them, Valencia and Rhain must decide if it is worth their reputations to start something. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Avon for my honest review.

The latest book in the Scandalous Ladies of London series is here and it picks up where the intrigue from book one left off! While you could potentially read this as a standalone I would highly recommend reading The Countess before this one as it will help with the backstory.

The Duchess is perfect for romance readers who like intrigue and a little suspense thrown in with their romance. This book focuses on Valenia's terrible relationship with her first husband nearly as much as her relationship with the new Duke. While there is romance, Valencia's life and her struggles are the focus of the story.

This book is a quicker read (just over 200 pages) and you notice the brevity in getting to know the side characters. I would have loved to get to know the new duke's family better. However, if you want a fast read that is fun with a lower amount of spice this is the perfect series for you. I am hooked and will be continuing the series when what I am guessing will be called the Marchioness comes out.

Spice rating - two peppers. There is one open-door sex scene and a few kisses.

Valencia is free. Free from her husband, morning and hiding away from society.

If you remember her from the first book, then you already have a look into how her husband was and how he was found dead.

But now, it's truly Valencia's turn to shine. What better way to step back out into society than on her birthday of all days.

Well.... maybe she can shine a little later. First she has to get over the yacht fiasco and then being tossed out of her home. So maybe her birthday wasnt how she expected it to go, but I'm sure she'll be back on top in no time.

It doesnt take long before her friend hear the news and arrive at the house. The way they reacted to the new Dukes sisters and their manners or lack there of. But Val is invited to stay for dinner and so she does and looks her very best at it.

Just when Val thought this was her last night, the Duke offers her a proposal. One she cant really refuse and he is already willing to do and give more than her late husband has. Plus she would get to stay in her home. So Val agrees.

As the story progresses, it gives you everything you've come to expect from a Sophie novel and then some. You will enjoy these characters and getting Val her story and finally a happy ending that she so deserves.

Im so excited I've gotten to read this copy early on as I couldnt wait for more since the last book.

This is a series worth reading as are any and all of Sophies work.

Valencia, the Dowager Duchess of Dedham's year of mourning is over and she wants to get on with her life. Her late husband's heir shows up and throws a wrench into her plans. This book packs a punch in the feels. Join Val as she tries to assist the new Duke's sisters into society. Enjoyed watching Val and the new Duke fight their attraction. This was the romance I needed at the right time. Loved the snippet of Val's not-so-evil stepmother and can't wait for her story.

The Duchess is my first book I’ve read by Sophie Jordan! The story line of the book was good, it was a short read. I think it would have been great to know more about Rhain and Valencia’s backstory as they had different upbringings. It was only shortly mentioned. This would have been great to know as a reader and how and why Rhain was the new heir.

Their relationship(Valencia and Rhain) developed quite quickly. Personally, it would have been nice if their relationship took a bit longer to form so they had more romantic moments together to get to know one another.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy to review!

I really love the whole premise/idea for this book. It was one of my most anticipated reads/releases in 2024. I really love Rhain's sisters, they brought me so much laughter. My heart just goes out to Valencia for what she had to endure with her deceased husband.

Sadly, this book just fell short. The story is progressed really really slow and the ending felt really rushed to quickly tied everything up with Valencia and Rhain suddenly confessing their love for each other. I just wished we got more moments of our heroine and hero together alone. Although this book didn't work for me, I am excited to see what comes next in this series. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving an ARC.

I really enjoyed the premise, but wished it was about 1/3 longer. It just felt shorter and more rushed than I would have liked. It felt more similar to a novella rather than novel.

Sophie Jordan’s typical style is here, with several narrators throughout but following a main story. I’ll look forward to Sophie’s next book in the series but I’ll hope the next one is a bit longer or more in depth.

Book Name: The Duchess
Book 2 The Scandalous Ladies of London
Author: Sophie Jordan

ARC
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager, Avon, and NetGalley for an ARC of Sophie Lark’s The Duchess

Stars: 4
Spice: 3

Anthology Character Series
Fast Paced
Quick SHORT read
Dual POV
Regency Romance
Bridgerton Vibes

- Thoughts
- Second Chance at Love
- Grumpy MMC
- FMC tragic Backstory
- Close Female Friendships
- Love at First Sight

This scratched the Bridgerton-esque itch and was quick enough to be enjoyed in a single night which made it a fabulous pallet cleanser between the heavy fantasy series I was reading. Overall I feel like this was the right book at the right time scenario as instant love isn't my thing. Also, it was so fast that there was a lack of character development both in the romance and between side characters like Isolde that I wanted to see. However, this book isnt trying to be the next Bridgerton character dive it is a fast-paced regency romp and for what it is I love it.

This book was very interesting. It was a shorter read that was relatively low spice. The characters were okay- the reasons for their friendships or romance felt half hearted or vaguely explained. I love the premise of the book, but the expression of their journey felt more flat.

The Duchess by Sophie Jordan enchants readers with a delightful Regency-era romance set in the glittering world of London's ton. Valencia, the Dowager Duchess of Dedham, revels in newfound freedom after her unpleasant husband's demise until Rhain, the unanticipated Duke of Dedham, disrupts her world. Jordan skillfully weaves a quick yet engaging narrative, introducing vibrant characters, familial dynamics, and societal norms of the time. The novel's standout features include the portrayal of heroines in their thirties, defying traditional expectations, and a sensitive exploration of sexual violence.
Despite tackling serious themes, The Duchess maintains a sense of optimism, offering readers a charming escape into a world of scandal, romance, and resilient triumph. Whether a seasoned fan or a newcomer to historical romance, Sophie Jordan's latest installment promises an enjoyable journey into Regency London's captivating intrigues.

Valencia, the Dowager Duchess of Dedham, daughter of the Marquee of Sutton, was raised to be a dutiful wife, loving mother, and happy. Her mother taught her much, lived life, but died when she was a teen. A fever took her mother and since then her father, who usually ignored her, had married three times more, last was to his mistress, Hazel. Her late husband Duke is Dedham had an accident and since then blamed all his pain and suffering on Valencia which he made very blunt.


Rhain Lloyd, has twelve sisters, being the only male sibling taught him that women were strong, independent, loving, and lived to squabble. He treated them with respect but knew that his sister could be a handful. Six had married in their home town of Bryn Bychan. Isolde, the youngest, Del, Elin, Bronwen, Glynnis, Nesta are the six in London now with him and his mother.


Mrs. Tru Bernard-Hill, the Dowager Countess of Chatham, and Lady Shawley, Maeve, Delia, and Rosalind, friends of Valencia who have stood by her through good and bad and she for them. Rosalind the one who wants to remain single is the adventurous one,


Lord Burton, Lord Ashbourne, friends of her deceased husband are bruts, mean, and lechers, just like he was.

What is a widow to due when the heir finally show with his family in tow, stand tall, proud, and glare right back! Antagonize him at every opportunity, and stay away least you succumb to his brawn. Bicker right back at him too.

What is a,new duke to do when his house is overcome with the women in his family thrilled to be in London. However, he didn't need to see HER, the one the entices him, plagued his dreams. Well, determined space, forth right talk, witty quips, that's what.

Join in the chaos as Valencia takes charge of the six and drives Rhain to take his responsibilities seriously. Join in the fun, laughter, an lesson as the learn to shine and grow. Very delightful way to overcome spouse abuse and see there is a silver lining on the other side and that not all of them are bad.

I overall throughly enjoyed this book and it is definitely a series I have enjoyed so far. The plot and storyline jumped right in and I didn't feel like you needed to read the first book to understand the background for this book.
At points it did jump perspectives between characters a little too quickly and it was a little confusing. This book didn't have a 3rd act breakup which is something I really enjoy in books.

The Duchess had such a good premise, but there were a few things I didn’t enjoy. The pacing was so odd. The first 75% of the book was a sllllloooooowwwww burn, like the slowest of slow burns, and the plot took some time to unfold, but I was enjoying it. Then things picked up unnaturally fast. Like, everything happened in just a few pages and it felt very rushed.

There was also a slightly alarming lack of consent in one of the romance scenes that was off-putting for me. It just felt…not good.

The MCs just seemed to fall in love with absolutely no scenes or dialogue showing their relationship progressing. All of a sudden they’re processing their love? That didn’t work for me. I prefer a natural connection that builds.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review The Duchess. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

While I absolutely loved the first book in this series, The Countess, I just couldn't get into this one. It didn't have the same "feel" as the first one for me and I did not connect with Valencia and I hated Rhain. I put this one down at the 20% mark and just had not interest in picking it back up. Thank you for the opportunity to preview this title.

This was low-heat and relatively short (218 pages) as far as his historical romances go. Valencia is in her early thirties, a popular matron of the ton, and finally free to be as merry a widow as she pleases now that her husband is dead. Sophie Jordan has not shied away from writing HORRIFICALLY shitty husbands in her Scandalous Ladies of London series, and the late Dedham haunts Valencia for much of the book. What I found particularly poignant was the rightful blame Valencia placed on not only her husband for his various abuses, but also her father for not protected her when he held all the power to decide her future and her marriage. It feels very real for the time period and drives home the point just how much power men held back in the day.

And Valencia isn't perfect; she's a bit of a snob when it come's to Rhian's countrified sisters initially, and she spends most of the book antagonizing her stepmother Hazel, who is actually younger than Valencia, and was a courtesan before she married Valencia's father. There are a few chapter's in Hazel's POV, and by the end of The Duchess, her romance is set up and Valencia finally begins to realize her antagonism is unfounded.

I think where the book fell short of my expectations was with the hero Rhian, and his chemistry with Valencia. Rhian is big, Welsh, a competent businessman (a Rhys Winterborne type superficially, but he doesn't go as hard as Rhys lol), and initially hates that he's attracted to Valencia. But that hatred feels pretty tepid all things considered, and while I could see where that "hatred" morphed into grudging respect, I really could not make out where their attraction, and even their love began. It felt like there was no good reason, apart from base attraction and the low bar of Rhian willing to listen to and support Valencia while her late husband and the men around her never did.

The sex:

There were 1.5 sex scenes in this book. I say .5 because one was vaguely described in a paragraph and mostly glossed over. There is a *mounting* moment in this book, which I did appreciate, but otherwise the sex scenes were... underwhelming. I'm starting to feel like this is a pattern for this series based on the first book.

Overall:

Like I said earlier, if low-heat, short historical romances with family and marital drama are your jam, you'll enjoy this book. I for one am quite curious about the next book in this series, which features Valencia's stepmom Hazel, who is put in a predicament very similar to Jayne in Lorraine Heath's Waking Up With the Duke...

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review.

In this story, Valencia, the Dowager Duchess of Dedham's life has finally changed once the new heir of the dukedom is found and chooses to move in to the Duke's residence, with 7 family members in tow.

Valencia had a loveless, abusive marriage to the previous Duke, but didn't want to leave London or the residence that had been her home for years. So the new duke, Rhain, asks her to help his 6 sisters navigate the marriage mart and at the end of the season he will help her stay in London.

This book includes a lot of activity, characters, tropes, etc, in a small package. There is a Duke who doesn't want to be one, 6 sisters who want to experience London, an unhappy Dowager Duchess, her friends and their relationships, Valencia's father and younger stepmother, and an evil friend of her former husband who seems to be out to get her at any turn.

I really enjoyed this book. Valencia was a tortured character who was finally coming into her own. The sisters had some difficulties to overcome. We learn that Valencia's stepmother isn't the wicked person we thought. And along the way a love at first sight second chance story, with a mystery to solve. The events go by quickly and a lot happens but overall I enjoyed the characters and was happy to see Valencia finally getting the love she deserved. I assume there will be a future book about Valencia's stepmother, and I look forward to seeing her become happy if possible as well.

I received a promotional copy and am giving an honest review.

This is a great series. I am enjoying the characters and the plot development. I thought everything about this book was fabulous. I would recommend to others.

Overall, this was an interesting story. The beginning was fun and exciting as the duchess is on her way to Vauxhall. I enjoyed the complexity of the characters and how many were not always what they seemed. There was no shying away from abuse and attempted rape. It was sad, but ended well.
I did have a hard time reading. I felt the first part of the book was a bit slow after the first chapter. At around 50%, I was still waiting for the couple to really try to make efforts to be together (even in a reluctant fashion.) It wasn’t until towards the end where the couple try to find one another and then BOOM - they declare love. It seemed a bit forced or rushed and out of nowhere.
There were definitely things I liked and found interesting, but the organization just seemed off for me.
I received and arc for an honest review.

Having read The Scandalous Ladies of London I was very much looking forward to The Duchess. I really enjoyed this addition to the series and I'm excited to see what comes next.