Recommended: sure
for *scandalous* Regency behaviour, for a rare one not set mainly in London, for some cute as heck scenes that made me smile a bunch

Thoughts:
The toughest thing for me in this book was that I wasn't sold on one of the love interest leads from the first time we met them. I didn't really buy it which made it harder to enjoy the "love triangle" aspect when one just felt like a turd. Why would there ever be conflict about who to choose when one is a turd? Anyway, that did end up resolving itself so it was fine, but originally I was a bit side-eyeing Eliza and wondering about her mental state.

There was also an unexpected realization for me around the middle of the book. It was essentially the point where what I had assumed was the obvious and inevitable conclusion to the story was not actually where it would end up. It's hard to write this without spoilers xD but essentially my own opinions on all the characters ended up revealing what the natural ending would be (because it *is* a book after all). This was fun for me and I enjoyed being caught off guard with a pleasant surprise!

That's about it for surprises though. The reveal towards the end was a little tangled and there were bits that I didn't expect, but overall, I mean, I think the general way the book will end is clear. xD The journey to get there was enjoyable though. There was some delicious tension, and lots of amusing scenes with touches of absurdity. Friendships and other relationships do matter and take up space in the story though, too, so it's not all just romantic pining taking the stage. It helped to give Eliza more depth to learn where she stood with other issues.

Eliza's personality takes a BIG change toward the end of the book and the final few chapters are honestly a wild ride. The whole unraveling of everything is NUTS and I really had to pay attention. xD That feeling where you just want to shout at people in a horror movie making dumb choices? It was a bit like that feeling haha!

Overall, I enjoyed this one and will def be reading more of Sophie Irwin's books as they have so far been totally my flavor. 😊

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for a free advanced copy. This is my honest review.
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Lady Eliza Somerset spent ten years married to the Earl of Somerset, a man twenty years older than her, and decidedly not the husband she would have chosen for herself. When he dies, she is astounded to learn that he has left her significant property and that she is now a rich woman, although there is a morality clause that allows the new Earl of Somerset, her deceased husband's nephew and her own former beau, to revoke her endowment. As Eliza and her cousin, Margaret, head to Bath, Eliza has no intention of being anything other than the mild-mannered woman she's always been. But riches, new acquaintances, and the realization that she can be whatever kind of woman she wants, may raise a few eyebrows.

I adored this novel. Irwin brilliantly evokes the period and does a lovely job of developing Eliza's personality as she slowly discovers her own independence. There's also a healthy dose of (chaste) romance, which will make this a perfect read for fans of gentle romances. What I didn't even mention in my summary is that there's also a great plotline of Eliza pursuing her interests as a painter, and Irwin's research shines without being too show-offy. Will particularly delight Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer fans, but can be recommended to any historical romance reader. ( )

Eliza, young widow of an Earl with some month's left to her strict morning finds she has inherited a fortune contingent on not making her former husband's family look bad. The determination with which Eliza goes about enjoying herself within the limits of polite society and the lengths at which she is eventually required to go to defend her right to enjoy herself as she determines raise this agreeable bit of fluff a bit above books with more outrageously behaved main characters. ( )

This included a love triangle between two dudes and tbh I would have preferred she choose neither.
The sapphic romance on the other hand was lovely. ( )

I looooooooved A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting last year and was so excited to read Sophie's second book. However I should have known I was not destined to because it not only has a second chance romance, but a love triangle!

Yeah.

Let me talk about what I loved - I loved that Melville was half-Indian and that the book did not shy away from what that entailed then. I enjoyed Eliza coming into her own although I feel she went from 0 to 100 in the last chapters. I really enjoyed the supporting cast, they were all aces. From Caroline to Margaret to Lady Hurdle to Pardle! All the named and unnamed characters were fun, even the annoying ones. Sophie Irwin's writing really sparkles and I adored most of the dialogue.

Where the book falters for me is in 2 of the main characters. I do not like love triangles and this book has not cured me of that. I did like who she eventually ended up with, but I felt it could have been done in a better way? Not like the other Male angle was any better, but I felt he did not deserve what he got.

Huge Thanks to Penguin Group and NetGalley for the ARC! ( )