A Lady’s Guide to Scandal is the story of Eliza, a recent widow who is shocked to discover she's inherited more than her stingy husband ever gave her in life. With a morality clause hampering her (if she is judged to be acting unladylike, it can all be taken away), Eliza escapes to Bath with her cousin Margaret. There, she meets the flirtatious Lord Melville and reunites with her love of ten years previous, Lord Somerset. As life in Bath heats up, Eliza will be forced to choose who truly has her heart. 

A Lady’s Guide to Scandal was a delightful historical romance. I loved seeing Eliza learn to stand up for herself and choose what she wanted to do in life. I particularly enjoyed seeing her grow as an artist and be brave enough to paint a portrait of Lord Melville. The politics of society and pressure to do “ladylike” things are expertly portrayed and felt realistic. In the middle of the book, I felt a lack of pacing and struggled to maintain momentum. The exciting conclusion of the book more than made up for this and I still really enjoyed the book. I loved who Eliza ended up with and how much character growth she showed. I also appreciated the queer/sapphic rep from two characters close to Eliza.  

A Lady’s Guide to Scandal would be the perfect book for readers who enjoy Persuasion with a twist, well-written historical romance, and lovable characters. 

Thank you to Sophie Irwin, Penguin Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.