A scarred hero who is not part of the aristocracy? Yes, please! Modern speech and sayings that pull me out of the story every few pages? No, thank you! I wanted to love this but I couldn’t get past phrases like “mess with me” being used. (I looked it up: it became popular in AMERICAN slang in 1903, this is set in 1888-1889).

Spring is almost upon us, and with the warmer weather I found myself missing Bridgerton’s wedding market season, and exactly as I realised it I found this novel while browsing Netgalley’s new releases.
Despite not usually being a romance book lover, I do enjoy the constrained society of Victorian England, and with the highest hopes I requested the book.

The novel is a quick, mindless read, perfectly suited as a palate cleanser between heavier books. It kept me quite engaged, as well, I wrote so many personal notes while reading!

Unfortunately, what I usually like about regency/victorian romance is how the constant repression and harsh courtesy rules work together in creating a palpable tension the protagonists must struggle through, and seeing the people in this novel fully trod on the lines of propriety (in a way that is very inconsistent throughout the book, I’d like to add) as if they barely mattered, created a confused and hardly believable background the characters had to move through.
On top of that I found the pacing a bit spotty, and some sentence structures need revisiting.

I would say that A Lady’s Guide to Scoundrels and Gentlemen is more in line with the books of contemporary writers Julia Quinn and Jennieke Cohen with their Austen-inspired novels, and its laidback tone and anachronistic practices reminded me a lot of Netflix’s Persuasion, where the suspension of disbelief has to be fully engaged. It doesn’t take itself seriously, stretching camp to its utmost potential, and while I am not a fan of that I can recognise it has its niche following, which is who I would recommend this book to.

Access to the ARC acquired thanks to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The book follows Lady Vivian Winthrop who becomes the sole heir to her grandmother’s fortune and it becomes a spectacle as she’s given the nickname Britain’s richest spinster.

Her brother is a mess making debts and ruining his marriage, so naturally he’s peeved when this happens. On a night he’s making enemies at a pub, Vivian and her dad go to pick him up and she meets Edmond “Dantes” McNab. Soon they strike a deal, she’ll cover her brother’s debts, for McNab to help her find a husband because oh wait, her grandmother put a stipulation on the inheritance that she must wed within a year. So to avoid a scoundrel she strikes a deal with someone who sees all the scoundrels in town at the pub and can easily pick them out.

As they spend time together feelings arise, and it has a bit of the will they won’t they, though come on they totally will!

No real third act breakup so I loved that, and it reminded me of A League of Extraordinary Women series by Evie Dunmore and Taming of the Dukes series by Amalie Howard. Two I really loved and this one joins them.

Can’t wait to read about the other two McNab brothers!

Fall in love with Dantes as he is a superstitious alpha male with a difficult past .
Vivian is a spinster inheriting a fortune and asks him to help her distinguish which gentlemen are good enough for her.
Dantes owns a pub with his brothers and knows how hard this task will be for her especially when he is falling for her himself.
Lots of action and good character development.
Enjoyable romance read.

A charming romance with a perfect blend of humor and drama! The plot unfolds at a steady pace, keeping me engaged throughout. I'm curious to see what happens with the other two brothers—though it's likely we already have an idea of who their love interests might be. Can't wait for more!

This book was alright—some parts stood out more than others, but overall, it had a solid plot. I enjoyed the unique predicament the main character found herself in—a spinster with actual property, how scandalous! That said, I did find it a bit far-fetched that Anne was able to procure a separation, especially given the time period. Still, it was an enjoyable read, and I wouldn’t be opposed to continuing the series if the author chose to explore Victor and Ollie’s stories.