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sarinaslibrary's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I fully enjoyed Sophie's first book in the Lady's Guide series 'A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting', so when I heard she was writing another I was excited.
'A Lady's Guide to Scandal' follows new widowed Eliza, who has been bequeathed a fortune, decides to use it to get a bit of freedom that she never had, but she can only keep her fortune as long as she steers clear of scandals and any other inappropriate behaviours.
I enjoyed my time with this book, the characters we well developed and fun to see interact. There are a few twists that I didn't see coming that made this story more interesting. Eliza is a fun character to see from being meek and submissive to being strong and standing up for herself, I loved the journey she had in getting back more into her painting and wanting to do it more when her family disproved of it when she was younger.
The love interests where interesting, the first we are introduced to is Somerset, and the two were a bit like lovers when they were young. However Eliza is married off to his uncle against her will, and when he dies Somerset is back as an option for her.
The other is Melville who I really enjoyed reading, Eliza meets him when she stays in Bath and the two flirt with each other for most of the part, but you could see there was something more.
The banter the love interests have with each other is amusing to read, with even the other characters commenting on it. There is a twist that was a bit shocking that I didn't see coming, and it sets the two apart with Eliza really thinking of who she wanted to be with.
This is a light-hearted and fun regency romance that I would recommend to people who like Bridgeton (without the spice), but it's perfect for readers who want to escape to that era and have a nice and relaxing read.
'A Lady's Guide to Scandal' follows new widowed Eliza, who has been bequeathed a fortune, decides to use it to get a bit of freedom that she never had, but she can only keep her fortune as long as she steers clear of scandals and any other inappropriate behaviours.
I enjoyed my time with this book, the characters we well developed and fun to see interact. There are a few twists that I didn't see coming that made this story more interesting. Eliza is a fun character to see from being meek and submissive to being strong and standing up for herself, I loved the journey she had in getting back more into her painting and wanting to do it more when her family disproved of it when she was younger.
The love interests where interesting, the first we are introduced to is Somerset, and the two were a bit like lovers when they were young. However Eliza is married off to his uncle against her will, and when he dies Somerset is back as an option for her.
The other is Melville who I really enjoyed reading, Eliza meets him when she stays in Bath and the two flirt with each other for most of the part, but you could see there was something more.
The banter the love interests have with each other is amusing to read, with even the other characters commenting on it. There is a twist that was a bit shocking that I didn't see coming, and it sets the two apart with Eliza really thinking of who she wanted to be with.
This is a light-hearted and fun regency romance that I would recommend to people who like Bridgeton (without the spice), but it's perfect for readers who want to escape to that era and have a nice and relaxing read.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism
onthesamepage's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes:love V/triangle, second chance romance, clean romance
Steam level: none
It takes a skilled author to write a book centering a trope I dislike 99% of the time, and make me love it. I really liked A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting, but this one was on another level, and it makes me so excited to see what Irwin's next book is like. This can be read as a standalone without reading the first book in the series, since it follows new characters.
I think the characters and the relationships are a huge part of why this worked so well for me. It's very easy to root for Eliza, our heroine, whose much older husband died and left her a small fortune, hers to spend as long as she behaves with propriety, as judged by the new Earl of Somerset—the man she once loved and hoped to marry. This new, financial freedom allows her to cast off her family's restraints and expectations, and flee to Bath with her cousin Margaret. But she still finds herself struggling between what she wants, and what people expect of her, and of women in general. Luckily, she is aided in this by Margaret, who often encourages her to throw caution to the wind and follow her heart. I loved the strong friendship between them, and the way they supported each other throughout the story.
Tropes:
Steam level: none
It takes a skilled author to write a book centering a trope I dislike 99% of the time, and make me love it. I really liked A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting, but this one was on another level, and it makes me so excited to see what Irwin's next book is like. This can be read as a standalone without reading the first book in the series, since it follows new characters.
I think the characters and the relationships are a huge part of why this worked so well for me. It's very easy to root for Eliza, our heroine, whose much older husband died and left her a small fortune, hers to spend as long as she behaves with propriety, as judged by the new Earl of Somerset—the man she once loved and hoped to marry. This new, financial freedom allows her to cast off her family's restraints and expectations, and flee to Bath with her cousin Margaret. But she still finds herself struggling between what she wants, and what people expect of her, and of women in general. Luckily, she is aided in this by Margaret, who often encourages her to throw caution to the wind and follow her heart. I loved the strong friendship between them, and the way they supported each other throughout the story.
That night, they stayed up into the early hours of the morning, spilling all their thoughts into the darkness between them, small and large and myriad—confidences so grand that not another soul could be trusted with them, trivialities so small that not another soul would be interested in them. And if no conclusions were reached, no solutions divined, then at least by the time they closed their eyes, unable to fight sleep any longer, it was safe in the knowledge that whatever tomorrow brought, they would face it together.
The first love interest we meet is Somerset, and this relationship delivers all the angst. If you're a fan of Jane Austen's Persuasion, you can definitely see the similarities in the setup. Eliza feels tortured over the decision she made to marry Somerset's uncle for the benefit of her family, and she is sure that Somerset still hates her for it. It becomes clear very quickly that he's not over her decision, but also not over her, and now that she is a widow, there is an opportunity for them to rekindle their romance.
Whereas in A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting, Kitty was the one delivering the snark and humor, this book gives us Melville, who was a delight. The initial meeting between Melville and Eliza quickly turns sour when Eliza overhears him delivering a few cutting insults (very reminiscent of Elizabeth and Darcy, so of course I approve), but he quickly redeems himself, and they strike up a friendship (and more) while Eliza paints Melville's portrait.
Melville appeared to regard the floor in some astonishment. “Do be careful where you step, Caro,” he said. “There are a great many names upon the floor.”
It's very easy to root for both love interests, and they have different things going for and against them. The conflicts that arise within the story honestly took me by surprise, but I ate it all up. I found myself favoring one over the other quicker than I expected to, but in this case I wouldn't have hated the outcome either way. I was very happy with the way the book ended, which is all I'll say. If you want to find out who she ends up with, read the book. ;)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
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