Published August 31st, 2023 by Harper Fiction
Historial Fiction, Romance Novel, Regency Romance
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
A lifetime of duty
Widowed at just seven-and-twenty from her marriage of convenience, Eliza, now Countess of Somerset, is bequeathed a fortune, hers to keep – provided she can steer clear of scandal.
The promise of love
The last thing she expects is to be torn between two very different men – a face from the past, whose loss she’s always mourned, and a roguish poet, who scorns convention.
A taste of freedom
But a lady’s reputation is fragile and with jealous eyes on Eliza’s fortune, it will only take one whisper of gossip for her to lose it all…
Escape with the most delightful, historical romance of the year from the Sunday Times bestselling author Sophie Irwin!
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MY REVIEW:
“Isn’t now the time to break the rules “
Eliza, Countess of Somerset, is newly widowed at just seven and twenty. To her surprise, her late husband has bequeathed her a fortune – offering her the chance to finally grasp the freedom she’s longed for. But there is one condition: she must steer clear of scandal. So, she heads off to Bath to begin her new life, only to find herself caught between two very different suitors – a past love who she’s always carried a torch for, and a roguish poet who spurns convention. But as jealous eyes have their eyes on Eliza’s fortune, it only takes a little gossip to ruin a lady’s reputation…
Scandal. Gossip. Art. Romance. Breaking the rules. This rousing regency romp had all this and more. Witty, warm, flirty, fun, uplifting and unpredictable, it was a delight from beginning to end. I adored Sophie Irwin’s debut novel, A Lady’s Guide to a Fortune, so I had no doubt I’d also love her sophomore novel. Beautifully written, richly drawn and full of yet more ebullient and colourful characters, I lost myself in the story.
Likeable and easy to root for, Eliza is a fabulous heroine. When we meet her she’s compliant and scared to break the rules and I loved watching as she became more daring, bold and spirited/plucky. Her relationship with her cousin/companion, Margaret, was fun to read and I liked how Margaret encouraged her to live life more fully. Oliver and Melville, Eliza’s suitors, were well written and often very frustrating to read. Oliver is quite pompous and particular while Melville is free-spirited and mischievous. Melville’s feelings for Eliza were obvious from the start but she was clueless and totally caught up on Oliver, which made me want to scream at her. Despite his shortcomings, I was team Melville all the way. You’ll need to read the book to find out who won Eliza’s affections in the end.
A delicious and zesty romp that will lift your spirits, this is perfect for fans of historical romance, especially fans of Bridgerton.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sophie Irwin grew up in Dorset. She spent years immersed in historical fiction, first as a student when she wrote her undergraduate thesis on Georgette Heyer, and then as an editor, before she began writing her own. Her debut novel, A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting, was a Sunday Times bestseller, and has been translated into twenty languages worldwide.
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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxxx
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