I wanted to love The Scandal of the Season. Truly. A Regency romantic comedy with a rebellious FMC and a rake in need of redemption? That’s basically a must for me, a huge fan of Bridgerton and other historical romance television shows. But unfortunately, this one felt like a glittery mess of good intentions and awkward execution.

We’re following Sophie Fairfax this time, the younger sister of book one’s FMC. She’s smart, fiery, and determined not to be married off like some bartering chip. Naturally, she ends up in a scandalous situation with Dominic, Lord Rotherby, who is the infamous rake everyone warns her about. Cue tension, banter, and longing glances. Sounds great in theory, but in reality? It didn’t land.

The tone shift from book one is wild. We go from a sweet, proper story to opening with a brothel scene. Yup. A Regency rom com kicking off in a brothel, but without the payoff or heat to justify it. The rest of the book swings back into pretty tame territory, so it just ends up feeling out of place, like the book doesn’t quite know what it wants to be.

Also… the French. So. Much. French. I get that it’s supposed to be cute or add flair, but at some point, I felt like I needed Duolingo to keep up. Add to that a heaping dose of Regency slang, with some of it charming, some of it so obscure it made me feel like I was reading a historical fever dream, and it all became a bit much.

The biggest issue, though, was the lack of chemistry. Sophie and Dominic go from strangers to somehow being into each other without any real buildup. Their dynamic had potential (hello, enemies to lovers!), but it moved way to quickly before I was even invested. I didn’t feel the slow burn or tension, and it was more like a spark that fizzled out before it even lit the fuse.

Honestly, it felt like a first draft that needed a bit more polish and a lot more editing. The plot meandered, the dialogue overwhelmed the narrative, and the emotional beats missed their mark. I wanted witty, romantic chaos; I got disjointed pacing and a romance I didn’t buy into.

If it hadn’t been an ARC, I probably would’ve DNFd. But hey, I appreciate the chance to read it early. Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, NetGalley, and Michelle Kenney for the eARC of this book.