Lady scandal

The sparkling second Victorian romance in bestseller Guhrke's Scandal at the Savoy series (after Bookshop Cinderella) follows a glamorous young widow turned savvy businesswoman. After Lady Delia Stratham's third husband died, she was severely depressed. Then an acquaintance offered her a job helping to manage the Savoy, an upscale London hotel. Though some members of society were shocked, the position has given Delia's life new purpose. So she's not exactly welcoming when the hotel's board sends Simon Hayden, Lord Calderon, to improve efficiency and secretly conduct an investigation into the potential misappropriation of funds. Delia finds Calderon attractive but cold while he assumes she may be involved in the embezzlement. Inevitably, their antagonism turns into a passion that surprises them both, but Calderon fears Delia will reject him once she learns his real purpose for auditing the hotel, especially if she loses the job she loves. Guhrke makes the historical setting more than mere set dressing, basing the Savoy's business troubles on a real incident. With appealing protagonists and some convincingly steamy scenes, this will appeal to fans of Julia Quinn and Amanda Quick. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary. (June)

When Simon Hayden shows up at the lavish Savoy Hotel to investigate the possible mishandling of funds and unearth fraudulent activities, he expects to easily take charge and have everything running his way under his new rules. However, he is quickly outmatched by Delia Stratham, a stubborn and striking three-time widow who is the hotel's devoted events coordinator and is extremely loyal to the current (absent) hotel manager. Delia is aghast at Simon's changes to the hotel, and soon each is trying to outmaneuver the other while fighting their growing attraction. This is a captivating, delightful read, full of humorous moments and characters who feel real enough for readers to genuinely care about how their story will end. Guhrke's second "Scandal at the Savoy" novel (after Bookshop Cinderella) does an excellent job of portraying characters with intelligence and wit and writing stories in which the heroine defies expectations for the usual high-society ladies featured in historical romance. VERDICT A warmly refreshing read for the genre. Highly recommended for those who like historical romance, spirited characters, hard-earned success stories, and second chances.--Bridgette Whitt

Opposites attract at the ritziest hotel in Victorian London. Something is not right at the renowned Savoy Hotel. Though it's managed by the legendary hotelier César Ritz, its kitchen is run by famed French chef Auguste Escoffier, and it's the first choice of any aristocrat who wants to host a party, it's losing money at a drastic rate. Simon Hayden, newly made as Viscount Calderon, has been asked by the hotel's board to investigate what seems a likely case of fraud, but he keeps running into pushback from the staff, especially when he meets Lady Delia Stratham, the hotel's beloved event planner, thrice-widowed and thus far more independent than other society women. As she's a free spirit accustomed to spending in line with the Savoy's reputation for "wanton extravagance" and he's focused on helping the hotel turn a profit, they're at odds immediately. As both try to accept the idea that it would be better to work together, they find themselves fighting a growing attraction, but even after a passionate rooftop kiss, they still feel the need to push away from each other. Simon, only six months a peer and desperate to please the hotel board, can't trust her, and Delia, still whispered about by society, is too proud of her work to budge. With the story of the famous hotel (not to mention Ritz and Escoffier, early in their careers) as backdrop, the second volume in Guhrke's Scandal at the Savoy series will thrill historical romance readers looking for a novel viewpoint of Victorian society. Simon and Delia, both in their 30s, have excellent chemistry and enough life experience to make their convictions and back-and-forths ring true. Witty writing alongside lavish descriptions and historical detail fill out an engaging story that's hard to put down. A top-notch historical romance. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.