A Lady's Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin

Pages: 400 

Publisher: Harper Collins 

Released: 31st of August 2023 

When shy Miss Eliza Balfour married the austere Earl of Somerset, twenty years her senior, it was the match of the season--no matter that he was not the husband Eliza would have chosen.

But ten years later, Eliza is widowed. And at eight and twenty years, she is suddenly left titled, rich, and, for the first time in her life, utterly in control of her own future. Instead of living out her mourning quietly, Eliza heads to Bath with her cousin Margaret. After years of living according to everyone else’s rules, Eliza has resolved, at last, to do as she wants.

But when the ripples of the dowager Lady Somerset’s behavior reach the new Lord Somerset—whom Eliza knew, once, as a younger woman—Eliza is forced to confront the fact that freedom does not come without consequences, though it also brings unexpected opportunities . . .

What I Have to Say 

I love these books so much. The characters are just so sassy and real. Margaret was a treasure and I loved Melville's wit so much. Also this book stands alone from A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting and while I was sad none of the characters in that book appeared, it does mean that readers can pick up Scandal without having read Fortune Hunting! 

There was something so refreshing about seeing a widow as a character in this book. While I don't read much Regency so I don't know what's the norm, most of the regency books I've read are young girls looking for a husband, so it was refreshing to see a widow with her own money and no need to rely on a man looking her way to save her family. Though of course we knew that romance was coming, it was nice to see someone living in this time who didn't necessarily need it. 

I also really felt for Eliza. This was her second chance at love after having married for her family. It was her chance to actually have a love match and be with someone who didn't disparage her all the time. I was really invested in her journey. 

If you haven't picked up one of these books yet, you definitely should. Even if you don't read regency or romance, these are just so refreshing to read! 

5 stars 

My thanks goes to Netgalley and Harper Collins for providing me with this copy for review.