A lady's guide to scandal A novel

A widow gets caught in a love triangle in Irwin's light and enchanting sophomore historical romance (after A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting). Before the start of the book, Lady Eliza's parents forced her to jilt her first love, Oliver Courtney, and marry his uncle, the Earl of Somerset. After her husband dies, Eliza is finally free--but his will stipulates that she will lose her inheritance if she ever brings scandal to the family name, something that will be arbitrated by the new earl, Oliver. Eliza hopes that they will finally be together again but worries that Oliver will use his power to seek revenge. To get away from watchful eyes and experience new things, she and her cousin travel to Bath, where she meets Lord Melville, a famous author with an infamous reputation. Despite this, Eliza is drawn to Melville's adventurous, nonjudgmental nature, and soon finds herself torn between the familiar and the new. Though Eliza's love interests are polar opposites, it's easy to understand what she sees in each of them, and Irwin does a fantastic job making even the characters' flaws appealing. It's a fun, unexpected ride from city ballrooms through country gardens, with a diverse cast, witty repartee, and plenty of laughter to go along with the love. (July)

Compelled to marry to fulfill her family's expectations, Eliza Balfour has endured years of tightly regulated living, all the while yearning for the man she really loves, her husband's heir. She is now a rich widow, and the newly minted Earl of Somerset is free to court her, if that is what he chooses. So begins what could have been an ordinary late Regency romance, but Irwin's second "Lady's Guide" novel (following A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting) adds some simmering tension to the path to happily ever after--turns out that Eliza gets to decide what happily means, and her desires clash with almost everyone else's plans. Except, that is, the charming poet Lord Melville. Through a plot that unfolds like the brisk shaking of a tablecloth after a particularly crumbly tea, with characters who plot, plan, and develop, and with some deft touches of asperity and banter, Irwin joins ranks with writers such as Evie Dunmore. VERDICT Once the story gets going, it is easy to cheer for Eliza as she takes control of her life.--Neal Wyatt