Reviews

A Lady's Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin

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goodreadswithgammy's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

First off, thank you NetGalley and Penguin Books for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Lady's Guide to Scandal gives the impression that its a Persuasion retelling but it is definitely NOT! I am a huge Jane Austen and Bridgerton fan and to say that I was excited to read this was an understatement. Sadly, I was extremely disappointed. The first third of the book was particularly slow and I found myself struggling to be invested in the characters.

It tells the story of Eliza, who is forced to marry a man she did not love (who is twice her age) out of duty to her family. After the death of her husband, Eliza is shocked to learn that she has inherited an unexpected fortune. However, there is a morality clause in place that has to be met in order for her to keep the inheritance. Traveling to Bath with her cousin, Eliza's journey begins where she finds the freedom to live the life she has always wanted.

There is a love triangle that was played out horribly! It moved into the cheating trope territory and that ruined the story for me. I found myself unable to care about a HEA for any of them.

Overall, I do not regret reading the book. However, it is not one I will be recommending to anyone.⭐️⭐️⭐️

Content note: same sex relationship between secondary characters

krobus's review against another edition

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5.0

started getting super into it about 30-40% through, and then it was such a quick and easy read/listen. prettyyyy sure i love everything about this. charming characters that grow and change throughout the novel, dynamic relationships with chemistry, a love triangle, F/F relationship with the minor characters, and it most importantly, it was well written.

melville was the best. we LOVE a witty, progressive creative --- never once did he have any doubt about eliza or her abilities, and every scene with them had me giddy and screaming internally to JUST KISS ALREADY!!

josiesprobablyreading's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

ladywhistledown's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

I'm not big on forgiveness when someone in a book fucks up 99% of the time I wish they just wouldn't end up together because I'm so bitter my only exceptions are when it's not a betrayal just a misunderstanding or when they grovel for multiple chapters this had neither he absolutel and completely betrayed her then kinda sorta apologized twice and they got together nope fuck this I wish he'd gotten run over by horses

hobbithopeful's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Funny, sweet, and even better then the first book, this regency romp delighted and impressed me with its humor and a shy main character you can't help but root for.
Eliza's twenty year older husband has finally kicked the bucket and surprisingly left her with quite a bit of income, and a freedom she has never had before. Leaving her to finally pursue her own wants, but a stipulation in the will as well as a man she nearly married put quite a damper on her new life.
Getting to see Eliza come out of her shell and grow into her own person through the course of the book made me so happy. She goes through so much character growth in finally finding out who she is, and then being her own person and not letting others order her around. The scene where she went to the paint shop and all but demanded her supplies was everything.
Irwin does rapier wit and sharp dialogue well, and Lord Melville's sassy and colorful personality make that shine. He was by far my favorite character, a foil to the rigid and stifling society. His interactions with Eliza were my favorite, and even as I worked to not get too attached to him for fear of what I thought might happen, I couldn't help it and he remained my favorite till the end.
High society is no friend to anyone different, or of a different race, and the inclusion and discussion of Melville and Caroline and how they were treated both crushed me, and it hit in that place that anyone familiar with casual racism will recognize. Speaking of Caroline, THANK YOU Irwin, for giving us QUEER characters in this book! Regency and yearning and sapphics go so well, and how it would have worked in that time period felt so accurate as well as sweet and keeping in line with the lighter storyline.
Let me extoll upon Irwin's virtues once more, I truly enjoy the level of detail and research that goes into her writing. I feel like I learn so much about the time period and the vivid descriptions of thej food, outfits, and architecture make me feel like I am right there enjoying the opera or the waters of Bath.
Because the book blurb and even the back cover doesn't name the male lead outright, I really thought that Eliza was going to end up with

Somerset. Considering that is who is first introduced and who she pines for, I was prepared for that pairing to be the end game. Which had me so sad because I was honestly loving Melville and his flamboyant self so much. (Sassy man apocalypse, it is the era and I am a stan) Irwin surprised me and it soon became clear that Melville WAS the male lead, and not merely suffering from second lead syndrome. (A fatal disease to be fair) It isn't often that the BIPOC member of a love triangle actually gets the girl, I honestly really loved this bit so much. Plus let us be frank. Somerset was an ass. AN ASS.

I almost would have liked for a bit of exploration into Eliza's experience with the Earl in terms what she would have experienced being forced to bed someone she cared little for, and who had zero respect for her. I understand why Irwin didn't, such a tragic topic isn't well suited to a light hearted story such as this one, but I do think it was a disservice not to at least address it in passing. (Though it could be argued that Eliza's entire personality for most of the book and actions could also be attributed to such a thing, so my musings may be for naught!)
I admit after reading the first book in the series, A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting, my hopes were fairly standard. I didn't really expect to be surprised or enthralled by this book. I just expected mild enjoyment at best, the kind you get from a fairly solid sandwich and chips. A nice 4 star read, solid, but nothing to rave about. Imagine my surprise when I not only liked this book but I loved it. The inclusion of queer characters, diverse characters, and just a longer story in general made this a far more enjoyable read. There was more substance, more heart, and I can easily say this felt like less of a sandwich and more of a delectable feast that I wished I could have kept eating when it ended.
Once the pair come together, we only get such a short time to enjoy their moment. I would have liked to have seen an epilogue at the very least. If the two characters had to go through so much to get together, why not let the reader enjoy it and bask in it for more than a scant chapter or two?

I highly enjoyed this, I definitely recommend this book, one of my favorite regency romps to date. I do hope Sophie Irwin writes more in this series, and in this same vein, I will definitely read them.

I was sent this to read and review, thank you to the publisher.

Content Warnings

livlamentloathe's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was a rollercoaster journey for me. I began by loving it - I read the first book a week prior and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it; this one started much the same.

It wasn't until Eliza and Somerset kissed that I had a lightbulb moment of 'Oh no. He kinda sucks and I don't think her journey is going to align with his.

I set the book (ipad) down for a few days to read something more thrilling instead while I wrapped my head back around the plot and Eliza's suitors. I'm very much NOT a love-triangle person. I can be into it if it's an obvious 'The Ex vs. The One' plot but this wasn't really that, so me liking this book at all says a lot for Irwin's writing.

Once I rallied and redirected my focus, I was able to enjoy the second half of the book a great deal. I loved Caroline and Melville very dearly. They were so fun and when you've read so many straight regency novels, characters willing to flout the rules are a breath of fresh air. I also appreciated the dalliance into the racism of the time (uncommon for a majority white genre). And the contradictory rules of the English in India versus Indians in England. Boooooo colonist England.

Anyway, all this to say: this book was a lovely breath of fresh air in the midst of a stuffy genre. I'm VERY much a regency lover (the yearning) but it can get stale easily when there are so many rules, and when the period is infamous for its sexism, racism, homophobia, and so on (sexism is bolded cause racism/homophobia is often left out entirely so while the period is QUITE racist etc., it's not always present in the literary narration).

Highly recommend to anyone looking for a book about a quiet wallflower growing her strength and stretching beyond the reach of "proper ladies." To anyone who loves a sneaky lesbian plotline. Or to those who want to see the colonized win the day. (Wink wink).

Content Warnings