Review by Booklist Review
Soon after marrying the earl of Chatham, Lady Gertrude "Tru" Chatham discovered her new husband was more interested in her dowry than Tru herself. So, almost 20 years later, when Tru learns her husband is arranging for their daughter, Cordelia, to marry Jasper Thorne to benefit his own pockets rather than to secure Cordelia's future romantic happiness, Tru decides to take action. After gathering all the societal intel she can find on him, Tru arranges a meeting with Jasper to convince him to set his matrimonial sights elsewhere. However, all this information doesn't prepare Tru for the fact that upon meeting Jasper, she discovers the man who wishes to marry her daughter also happens to be the same stranger who propositioned Tru the night before. For the launch of her latest Regency-set series, Jordan (The Rake Gets Ravished, 2022) smartly deploys her skill for creating sensually charged romance and red-hot passion while at the same time giving a cheeky nod to two popular television series that feature housewives, both real and desperate, with her entertainingly sudsy cast of female characters.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Bestseller Jordan (the Duke Hunt series) will have readers rooting for adultery with this risqué and alluring series launch. Lady Gertrude "Tru" Chatham plans to help her daughter, Delia, navigate London's Marriage Mart successfully, until her estranged, greedy husband declares that he has already picked Delia's match and demands she marry for money rather than love. Jasper Thorne is the wealthy chosen suitor, himself in need of a titled bride to help raise his 10-year-old daughter. Jasper's on board with the scheme until he meets Tru and falls not for his intended, but for her mother. Only four years Tru's junior, Jasper is drawn to her fire and voluptuous curves. Tru is equally fascinated by the handsome and flirtatious newcomer, but she doesn't want to hurt Delia or stoop to the levels of her unfaithful husband. Not one to back down, Jasper goes after what he wants but is careful with Tru's reputation, concocting a plan with Delia that will save them both from bad circumstances. Jordan conjures such chemistry between Tru and Jasper--and makes Lord Chatham so odious--that readers will leave any qualms at the door. The tantalizing struggle between love and honor at the heart of this delectable romance keeps the pages flying. Agent: Maura Kye-Casella, Don Congdon Assoc. (Mar.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Jordan (The Scoundrel Falls Hard) kicks off her new historical romance series, "The Scandalous Ladies of London," in spectacularly soapy fashion with the tale of a forbidden romance between the married Lady Gertrude and Jasper Thorne, the wealthy hotelier who Tru's husband has chosen to wed their daughter. Showcasing the ugly underbelly of the ton, Tru is in a loveless marriage with a man so horrible, he's almost unbelievable--and her friends don't fare much better. Tru is a sympathetic character who has a believable and heartening journey of self-discovery while also finding her happily-ever-after--and convincing herself she deserves it. The story also clearly sets up future books, with Tru's friends left ready to embark on journeys of their own. Jordan gives readers a clever and high-drama twist on the traditional Regency romance but keeps the heart of what makes the genre so popular and beloved. VERDICT Historical romance fans who like their romance with a dash of soap opera antics will eat this book up and anxiously await more scandals in future volumes.--Jenny Kobiela-Mondor
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Delia's mom has got it going on. Lady Gertrude, the Countess of Chatham--known in the ton as the Cold Countess--is pleased. Her daughter, Cordelia, has debuted and has already merited a mention in a gossip rag sure to attract attention. The Countess, or Tru to her friends, knows how to play high society's games, and she'd rather use her skills to help her daughter land in a happy marriage than focus on her own loneliness. Unfortunately, that same mention has reminded her absent lout of a husband that he has a daughter he might use to generate an infusion of funds, and though the season has barely begun, the Earl of Chatham immediately arranges for Delia to marry Jasper Thorne, who "has very deep pockets" but lacks a title and a wife. Tru prepares to push Jasper from their lives, but on meeting him, she finds that from behind he is "virile and strong," and from the front, he's the same man who propositioned her just the evening before. It turns out that Jasper wants to marry because he has a 10-year-old daughter in need of a mother, but despite the potential consequences, he is compelled to keep pursuing Tru. He even arranges with Delia--who has no wish to marry him--to pretend there's a continued suit between them so he can visit the Chathams' country house simply for the chance to seduce Tru; after an entire adulthood in a loveless marriage, this means Tru finally has the chance to experience real affection and passion. But despite their magnetic attraction, she remains the Countess, and he remains in need of an actual wife--making their happily-ever-after dependent on fate alone. This is the first entry in a new series for Jordan, and it's a strong start built on a slow burn and a forbidden love. Though the ending feels a bit contrived, the rest of the story is fresh and engaging, and Jordan writes a more mature heroine thoughtfully. The rest of the scandalous ladies of the series are seemingly introduced throughout the book, which slows it down at times but is rewarding in the end--and fans of this installment will look forward to reading their stories next. A countess falls for her daughter's beau in a surprising and charming Regency romance. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
