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Scandal at the Savoy #3
Bad Luck Bride
In this dazzling Victorian romance from a New York Times bestselling author, one unlucky lady believes her fate is finally changing until the rake that broke her heart returns to town.
Third time’s a charm? For Lady Kay Matheson, it had better be. Her first engagement was a failed elopement; the second ruined by gossip about the first. Resigned to be a disgraced spinster, no one is more surprised than Kay when an American millionaire offers for her hand. Just when she’s convinced she will finally make it down the aisle, the scoundrel who broke her heart arrives with his own fiancée.
Devlin Sharpe has finally become a success. He has wealth, connections, and a lovely bride-to-be—and he won’t let an old flame derail all his hard work. But it turns out time has not dampened his grudge toward Kay—or the desire sparking between them. And one searing kiss threatens to ruin their wedding plans and their futures, and make Kay the bad-luck bride all over again.
Third time’s a charm? For Lady Kay Matheson, it had better be. Her first engagement was a failed elopement; the second ruined by gossip about the first. Resigned to be a disgraced spinster, no one is more surprised than Kay when an American millionaire offers for her hand. Just when she’s convinced she will finally make it down the aisle, the scoundrel who broke her heart arrives with his own fiancée.
Devlin Sharpe has finally become a success. He has wealth, connections, and a lovely bride-to-be—and he won’t let an old flame derail all his hard work. But it turns out time has not dampened his grudge toward Kay—or the desire sparking between them. And one searing kiss threatens to ruin their wedding plans and their futures, and make Kay the bad-luck bride all over again.
368 pages, Paperback
First published July 29, 2025
30 people are currently reading
343 people want to read
About the author
Laura Lee Guhrke
39 books1,813 followersFrom the publication of her very first historical romance, Laura Lee Guhrke has received numerous honors and critical acclaim for her novels and her writing style. She has been honored with the most prestigious award of romance fiction, the Romance Writers of America Rita Award, and she has received additional awards from Romantic Times and All About Romance. Romantic Times has proclaimed her, “One of the most natural voices in historical romance to be found today”. Her books routinely hit the USA Today Bestseller List, and Guilty Pleasures has been honored with the Romantic Times Award for Best European Historical Romance of 2004. Among her publishing credits are twelve historical romances, including her latest, And Then He Kissed Her, now available from Avon Books.
Laura is currently hard at work on her thirteenth historical romance for Avon Books. She has also written articles for various publications, including the Romance Writers Report, The British Weekly , and the Irish-American Press.
Laura is currently hard at work on her thirteenth historical romance for Avon Books. She has also written articles for various publications, including the Romance Writers Report, The British Weekly , and the Irish-American Press.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
May 16, 2025
Rating: 4.5 stars
Okay, so Lady Kay Matheson cannot catch a break when it comes to weddings. First engagement? Epic elopement fail. Second? Ruined by gossip (because of the first mess). She's basically the Victorian version of cursed when it comes to marriage. But just when she's about to hang it up and join the disgraced-spinster club, a rich American swoops in with a ring—and it looks like she might actually make it down the aisle.
Enter Devlin Sharpe. Cue dramatic music. He’s the rakish heartbreaker who started all her bad luck, and now he’s back in town... with a fiancée. Awkward.
Devlin’s trying really hard to pretend he’s over Kay, and Kay’s doing her best to stay classy, but oops—one kiss and suddenly they’re both in hot water again. You just know it’s not gonna end with the weddings they were originally planning.
If you read the previous book, you’ve probably been waiting for these two to finally hash it out. The buildup was spicy, and even though the “will-they-won’t-they” was maybe a little stronger than the payoff, it still totally delivered the swoons, drama, and banter.
A solid historical romance with all the good stuff.
🎶“Lose You to Love Me” – Selena Gomez
🎶“Come Away With Me” – Norah Jones
Okay, so Lady Kay Matheson cannot catch a break when it comes to weddings. First engagement? Epic elopement fail. Second? Ruined by gossip (because of the first mess). She's basically the Victorian version of cursed when it comes to marriage. But just when she's about to hang it up and join the disgraced-spinster club, a rich American swoops in with a ring—and it looks like she might actually make it down the aisle.
Enter Devlin Sharpe. Cue dramatic music. He’s the rakish heartbreaker who started all her bad luck, and now he’s back in town... with a fiancée. Awkward.
Devlin’s trying really hard to pretend he’s over Kay, and Kay’s doing her best to stay classy, but oops—one kiss and suddenly they’re both in hot water again. You just know it’s not gonna end with the weddings they were originally planning.
If you read the previous book, you’ve probably been waiting for these two to finally hash it out. The buildup was spicy, and even though the “will-they-won’t-they” was maybe a little stronger than the payoff, it still totally delivered the swoons, drama, and banter.
A solid historical romance with all the good stuff.
🎶“Lose You to Love Me” – Selena Gomez
🎶“Come Away With Me” – Norah Jones
November 19, 2025
✨ Second chance romance
🔥 Ex–fiancés to lovers
😤 Enemies-to-lovers vibes (versión histórica)
💔 Heartbreak reunion
💃 Spinster heroine
💸 Rico vs arruinada
Qué delicia de romance histórico. Laura Lee Guhrke nunca falla cuando se trata de dar drama, tensión y protagonistas que todavía se aman aunque finjan que no 😌🔥
Kay Matheson ha sido llamada de todo… menos afortunada. Después de dos compromisos fallidos, ya se ve a sí misma como la eterna solterona de la sociedad victoriana. Peeero cuando, por fin, aparece un pretendiente que le ofrece estabilidad y una salida honorable, el universo decide reírse de ella… trayendo de regreso al hombre que le rompió el corazón.
Devlin Sharp llega hecho un hombre nuevo: rico, exitoso y supuestamente feliz con otra mujer. Pero basta una mirada y luego un beso que no debió pasar para demostrar que ni el orgullo ni los compromisos actuales han apagado lo que sienten.
La tensión entre ellos es riquísima: resentimiento, química acumulada, culpas antiguas, e irresistibles momentos donde ambos intentan convencer al mundo (y a sí mismos) de que ya lo superaron… cuando claramente NO 😭🔥
Es un romance que mezcla humor, nostalgia y ese dolorcito rico del segundo chance, con el encanto clásico del romance histórico. Kay y Devlin pelean, se hieren, se celan… pero también se encuentran de nuevo, más maduros y con mucho que perder si siguen negando lo evidente.
Si amas los romances de época donde el pasado vuelve a morderte (y besarte) en el momento menos oportuno, este libro te va a encantar. 💘✨
🔥 Ex–fiancés to lovers
😤 Enemies-to-lovers vibes (versión histórica)
💔 Heartbreak reunion
💃 Spinster heroine
💸 Rico vs arruinada
Qué delicia de romance histórico. Laura Lee Guhrke nunca falla cuando se trata de dar drama, tensión y protagonistas que todavía se aman aunque finjan que no 😌🔥
Kay Matheson ha sido llamada de todo… menos afortunada. Después de dos compromisos fallidos, ya se ve a sí misma como la eterna solterona de la sociedad victoriana. Peeero cuando, por fin, aparece un pretendiente que le ofrece estabilidad y una salida honorable, el universo decide reírse de ella… trayendo de regreso al hombre que le rompió el corazón.
Devlin Sharp llega hecho un hombre nuevo: rico, exitoso y supuestamente feliz con otra mujer. Pero basta una mirada y luego un beso que no debió pasar para demostrar que ni el orgullo ni los compromisos actuales han apagado lo que sienten.
La tensión entre ellos es riquísima: resentimiento, química acumulada, culpas antiguas, e irresistibles momentos donde ambos intentan convencer al mundo (y a sí mismos) de que ya lo superaron… cuando claramente NO 😭🔥
Es un romance que mezcla humor, nostalgia y ese dolorcito rico del segundo chance, con el encanto clásico del romance histórico. Kay y Devlin pelean, se hieren, se celan… pero también se encuentran de nuevo, más maduros y con mucho que perder si siguen negando lo evidente.
Si amas los romances de época donde el pasado vuelve a morderte (y besarte) en el momento menos oportuno, este libro te va a encantar. 💘✨
September 14, 2025
This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.
Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻♂️
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨.25
First Impressions
Bad Luck Bride is the most recent release of the "Scandal at the Savoy" series by this author. I am not sure if its the last book in the series though (its a possibility that there could be one more book in this series) Bad Luck Bride has some loose connections to the previous book "Lady Scandal" so if you were charmed by that book then I can guarantee that this one will be a winner for you. Now this book wasn't perfect, but it had great tension, some fun banter that filtered throughout the story and an interesting ending and everything seems to work in the end.
First Line
She shouldn't. She really, really shouldn't.
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Devlin Sharpe
The Heroine: Kay Matheson
Summary
Lady Kay Matheson is on her second engagement. Her first engagement happened through a failed elopement that ended up in a scandal. Now she is a spinster, but she is determined to make this match work for not just herself, but also her family. Their financial situation is on a thread and she will need this marriage to make it so they don't end up in the poor house. With her season not even fully out yet, it is up to her to make this work. But then the worst happens, the man she once loved has come back into her life and could ruin all of her best laid plans. But Devlin was hurt just as much Kay was, and he is determined to show that their love is worth fighting for...
What I Loved
There was quite a bit that I ended up loving within this story though. I really was engaged by the story, in seeing how these two battled their wits against each other. There are many secrets and deceptions involved that caused their original elopement to not work out. It added a solid conflict to the story and really built the tension between them. Now they are both engaged, so them getting together would definitely have to be more slow built. I admired the hero the most in this story. While I liked the heroine, I just couldn't get to the point where I loved her character. But the hero was the center of the show for me even though the 3rd POV we see is more in the heroine's perspective than the hero's. I just struggled at times with her character. She wasn't a horrible heroine or anything, but she was so stubborn and acted like she was the only one suffering.
What I Struggled With
The heroine I really didn't like in the second half of the story. I liked her in the beginning, but then she suddenly wants to have a career when she can have the man she loves??? Like it was so odd. lol It just didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story to be honest. And I am sorry but it just came out of the blue and there were no hints of this in the story at all previously. She was willing to marry a man she didn't love but when she can marry the man she loves...she turns him down for a career??? It was just so flighty and I lost much of my respect for this character and author for adding in that twist that shouldn't have been in there. It didn't need to be there. It was like the author didn't know how to extend the conflict between them so lets just add that in there because....LOL (shrugs shoulders)
Narration
It was very good. This author tends to have very good narrators for her books. I do have to have it pretty slow which is the only downside but at least I can stay into the book unlike many other historicals in audio these days.
Overall View
Bad Luck Bride was a highly entertaining story that delivers on the swoons and laughs. It has the Guhrke magical despite its imperfections! A solid win of a read.
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Historical Romance
Time Era: Victorian Era
Character Types: Self Made Hero, Spinster Heroine
Themes: Laughs/Giggles, Wit/Clever Banter, Slow Burn, Angsty
Tropes: Marriage of Convenience, Second Chance, Jilted Bride, Unrequited Love
Book Perspective
3rd POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Both
If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Sophie Jordan
Mary Balogh
Victoria Alexander
Song This Book Inspires
Lose You To Love Me by Selena Gomez
Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes-but read these books closer together
Steam/Spice Explanations
Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.
Narrators:
Marisa Calin
July 27, 2025
Bad Luck Bride by Laura Lee Guhrke
Scandal at the Savoy series #3. Historical romance. Second chance troupe. Can be read as a stand-alone.
Lady Kay Matheson is engaged to a wealthy older businessman. It’s taken her years of rigidly following society rules and the utmost proper behavior to be accepted again in society. She’s hoping this third engagement and ultimate marriage will help her younger sister have her coming out season and the marriage settlement will pay all the bills that have been mounting. When her first love, Devlin Sharpe, shows up at the Savoy with his current bride-to-be and Kay realizes they are why she’s lost the ballroom for her wedding, she’s prepared to negotiate. Devlin is still mad that she walked away from their relationship all those years ago but he can’t help admiring her still. He remembers her love of gardenias. He doesn’t like the way her current fiancee controls everything. As they meet again and again at society events, he realizes he still has feeling for Kay.
🎧 I alternated between an ebook and audiobook version of this book. The narrator is Marisa Calin and the performance is wonderful with distinct voices for Kay and Devlin. Delia, the heroine from the second book in the series, is a secondary character here and has a marvelously projected voice making her instantly visual and alive. Josephine as well with her youth and exuberance. The story is filled with emotions that can be felt and heard and the audiobook kept my attention.
I listened to this at 1.5 and slightly higher to more closely match my reading as I followed the ebook at the same time when possible.
8 days to get from London to Egypt. I can’t imagine. Travel has absolutely changed. This historical series includes a bit of the working class at the owner and higher educated levels. Plus electricity and telephones!
Beautifully flowing story as bits of the past are exposed and feelings are allowed to resurface. A second chance that has a heartbreaking past and a hopeful future. Heartening.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Hachette Audio.
Scandal at the Savoy series #3. Historical romance. Second chance troupe. Can be read as a stand-alone.
Lady Kay Matheson is engaged to a wealthy older businessman. It’s taken her years of rigidly following society rules and the utmost proper behavior to be accepted again in society. She’s hoping this third engagement and ultimate marriage will help her younger sister have her coming out season and the marriage settlement will pay all the bills that have been mounting. When her first love, Devlin Sharpe, shows up at the Savoy with his current bride-to-be and Kay realizes they are why she’s lost the ballroom for her wedding, she’s prepared to negotiate. Devlin is still mad that she walked away from their relationship all those years ago but he can’t help admiring her still. He remembers her love of gardenias. He doesn’t like the way her current fiancee controls everything. As they meet again and again at society events, he realizes he still has feeling for Kay.
🎧 I alternated between an ebook and audiobook version of this book. The narrator is Marisa Calin and the performance is wonderful with distinct voices for Kay and Devlin. Delia, the heroine from the second book in the series, is a secondary character here and has a marvelously projected voice making her instantly visual and alive. Josephine as well with her youth and exuberance. The story is filled with emotions that can be felt and heard and the audiobook kept my attention.
I listened to this at 1.5 and slightly higher to more closely match my reading as I followed the ebook at the same time when possible.
8 days to get from London to Egypt. I can’t imagine. Travel has absolutely changed. This historical series includes a bit of the working class at the owner and higher educated levels. Plus electricity and telephones!
Beautifully flowing story as bits of the past are exposed and feelings are allowed to resurface. A second chance that has a heartbreaking past and a hopeful future. Heartening.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Hachette Audio.
April 25, 2025
It’s always the fiance, never the bride for Lady Kay Matheson. With two failed engagements in her back pocket and her reputation in tatters, her engagement to a wealthy American businessman could be her last hope to keep her family afloat. When the man she failed to elope with, Devlin Sharpe, returns after many years away having found wealth, success, and an engagement of his own, their past comes roaring back to life—threatening to uphold the trend of her never making it down the aisle.
The Scandal at the Savoy series continues with a third installment focused on the unlucky in love, Kay Matheson. This tension filled Victorian era historical oriented around a second chance romance could not have been more aligned to my tastes if it tried. Bad Luck Bride establishes a strong central romance with a supporting cast from previous books (Delia my love) making appearances and lending their opinions. Knowing the crumbs to Kay’s backstory interspersed in former installments, like Lady Scandal, I knew this second chance arc was going to rely heavily on the pining and the forced confrontations. The attention Guhrke pays to Kay and Devlin’s failed romance only deepens the bitterness in their reunion and that delicious delicious angst. Bad Luck Bride’s focus on the responsibility placed upon women to uplift their families fortunes and stations was a strong tether for Kay’s perspective and why her previous relationship with Devlin ended the way it did. It’s not just about reconciliation for these two, but stepping out of their upbringings to embark on a new journey side by side. Bad Luck Bride is a true historical romance treat, a strong addition to a series all about unlikely heroines finding love and fighting for the futures they yearn for.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy.
Bookstagram | Blog
The Scandal at the Savoy series continues with a third installment focused on the unlucky in love, Kay Matheson. This tension filled Victorian era historical oriented around a second chance romance could not have been more aligned to my tastes if it tried. Bad Luck Bride establishes a strong central romance with a supporting cast from previous books (Delia my love) making appearances and lending their opinions. Knowing the crumbs to Kay’s backstory interspersed in former installments, like Lady Scandal, I knew this second chance arc was going to rely heavily on the pining and the forced confrontations. The attention Guhrke pays to Kay and Devlin’s failed romance only deepens the bitterness in their reunion and that delicious delicious angst. Bad Luck Bride’s focus on the responsibility placed upon women to uplift their families fortunes and stations was a strong tether for Kay’s perspective and why her previous relationship with Devlin ended the way it did. It’s not just about reconciliation for these two, but stepping out of their upbringings to embark on a new journey side by side. Bad Luck Bride is a true historical romance treat, a strong addition to a series all about unlikely heroines finding love and fighting for the futures they yearn for.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy.
Bookstagram | Blog
August 8, 2025
Gurhke is one of my favorite HR authors. With that in mind, it was no surprise this was an enjoyable read. It will not, however, stake a claim as one of my favorites of the author. It is the third in the series, and I have not read the first two. It didn’t feel like a third in series, and it was easily read on its own. While I am pretty sure of the characters featured in one of the previous stories, I am clueless on the other couple, and the one I suspect is featured already seems to have a story occurring in a similar timeline. I will be curious to visit the previous stories to see how Kay and Devlin feature in the preceding books. With that pointless ramble on the series expressed, let me get into my thoughts on the Bad Luck Bride.
Most of this book takes place in a hotel, the Savoy. Both MCs are staying there, and they have a history, almost eloping 14 years prior. The year is 1898. I enjoyed the setting and time period. I also enjoy a second chance story and found it convincing that their separation made sense, considering their youth and situation. Kay is unable to do anything without her past being dredged up. Any move that puts some spotlight on her has the gossip rags discussing her scandalous near elopement in the past. Devlin had been out of the country for most of their time apart, and they meet again while preparing for their weddings to other people (marriages of convenience).
This book is a comedy of errors. What makes it interesting are the situations and plot. That is good because MCs do not carry this book on their own. The external drama is needed because the internal drama is weak. I liked the zaniness of the story, which I thought made it fun.
Overall, I would recommend this book to HR readers. The time and place of the story are interesting, and the plot is fun. I look forward to trying others in this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book. Views are my own.
Most of this book takes place in a hotel, the Savoy. Both MCs are staying there, and they have a history, almost eloping 14 years prior. The year is 1898. I enjoyed the setting and time period. I also enjoy a second chance story and found it convincing that their separation made sense, considering their youth and situation. Kay is unable to do anything without her past being dredged up. Any move that puts some spotlight on her has the gossip rags discussing her scandalous near elopement in the past. Devlin had been out of the country for most of their time apart, and they meet again while preparing for their weddings to other people (marriages of convenience).
This book is a comedy of errors. What makes it interesting are the situations and plot. That is good because MCs do not carry this book on their own. The external drama is needed because the internal drama is weak. I liked the zaniness of the story, which I thought made it fun.
Overall, I would recommend this book to HR readers. The time and place of the story are interesting, and the plot is fun. I look forward to trying others in this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book. Views are my own.
July 30, 2025
I have absolutely loved this Victorian era series is centred around working and living at the bustling Savoy hotel.
In this third installment, we meet to star-crossed lovers, Lady Kay Matheson, and Devlin Sharp as they both are planning their weddings at the Savoy. This seems pretty run of the mill, until we find out that they had eloped together in their youth… and in result of that failure, they hate each other!
That shouldn’t be a problem since they will both be busy with their own weddings… Except everything seems to be pushing these two together!
Oh boy! There is so much angst and unresolved feelings between these two! I got a real Jane Austen, Persuasion vibe from the broken elopement, to their reconnection, and I loved every moment of it!
This one might be a little harder for some romance readers, since the characters are with other people for a good portion of the book, but that being said anyone, jumping into this can see that those relationships aren’t going to last and Lady Kay and Devlin are meant to be!
All this fun and drama of their reconnection is going on in the midst of the popular Savoy hotel - this is such a fun and vibrant location and organically brings back so many character series favourites! I enjoyed the hotel and the Victorian sentiment adding a modern historical touch with the changing social dynamics going on during this period in London.
Overall, I found myself not able to put this book down- this is an excellent second chance romance that I highly recommend!
In this third installment, we meet to star-crossed lovers, Lady Kay Matheson, and Devlin Sharp as they both are planning their weddings at the Savoy. This seems pretty run of the mill, until we find out that they had eloped together in their youth… and in result of that failure, they hate each other!
That shouldn’t be a problem since they will both be busy with their own weddings… Except everything seems to be pushing these two together!
Oh boy! There is so much angst and unresolved feelings between these two! I got a real Jane Austen, Persuasion vibe from the broken elopement, to their reconnection, and I loved every moment of it!
This one might be a little harder for some romance readers, since the characters are with other people for a good portion of the book, but that being said anyone, jumping into this can see that those relationships aren’t going to last and Lady Kay and Devlin are meant to be!
All this fun and drama of their reconnection is going on in the midst of the popular Savoy hotel - this is such a fun and vibrant location and organically brings back so many character series favourites! I enjoyed the hotel and the Victorian sentiment adding a modern historical touch with the changing social dynamics going on during this period in London.
Overall, I found myself not able to put this book down- this is an excellent second chance romance that I highly recommend!
August 5, 2025
I don't think I've ever read a bad book by Laura Lee Guhrke! Everything she writes is awesome, and "Bad Luck Bride" was no different. The whole "Scandal at the Savoy" series has been such a blast to read! Finally getting to Kay and Devlin after hearing about them and their romance in the other books was the perfect ending.
I loved them together, and their relationship was exactly what I wanted. The way they got back together was emotional and totally worth it.
The side characters were great and so fun. Delia's in this one, and she's just the best! I loved her friendship with Kay. She's always such a fun character.
Overall, it was a captivating second-chance romance, and I absolutely recommend it!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I loved them together, and their relationship was exactly what I wanted. The way they got back together was emotional and totally worth it.
The side characters were great and so fun. Delia's in this one, and she's just the best! I loved her friendship with Kay. She's always such a fun character.
Overall, it was a captivating second-chance romance, and I absolutely recommend it!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
June 12, 2025
From the very first reunion between Lady Kay Matheson and Devlin Sharpe, the tension was palpable and the banter absolutely delightful. The way these two spar and spark had me smiling more times than I could count.
The plot simmers with unresolved emotions, past heartbreak, and a series of encounters that slowly turns up the heat, culminating in a payoff that was well worth the wait. I loved that the drama was never overwhelming, but always there beneath the surface, ready to rise and tug at my heart. I truly felt the weight of Kay and Devlin’s failed elopement and the misunderstandings that followed. This author did a fantastic job of letting that pain, and yearning, linger just enough to keep my emotions engaged.
Kay was a wonderfully complex heroine. Her devotion to her family added so much depth to her character. Every decision she made felt grounded in love, sacrifice, and strength. While Devlin frustrated me at times, I couldn’t help but root for him, too, especially as truths began to unravel and the past was finally confronted.
Forced proximity is one of my favorite romantic tropes and while it was gently used here, it was with great effect as the author nailed the tension and longing that came with it. The 1898 setting of this story felt well rendered, especially in how it highlighted the restrictive expectations placed on women of the time as well as the limitations on husbands and fathers whose wealth was expended.
This was a gorgeously written, emotionally charged second chance romance with all the slow burn intensity I could want. Perfect for readers who enjoy aching separation, smart and witty banter, and a love story that simmers until it finally, gloriously boils over.
*I didn’t read the previous books in the series and found this to stand on its own.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
Steam
The plot simmers with unresolved emotions, past heartbreak, and a series of encounters that slowly turns up the heat, culminating in a payoff that was well worth the wait. I loved that the drama was never overwhelming, but always there beneath the surface, ready to rise and tug at my heart. I truly felt the weight of Kay and Devlin’s failed elopement and the misunderstandings that followed. This author did a fantastic job of letting that pain, and yearning, linger just enough to keep my emotions engaged.
Kay was a wonderfully complex heroine. Her devotion to her family added so much depth to her character. Every decision she made felt grounded in love, sacrifice, and strength. While Devlin frustrated me at times, I couldn’t help but root for him, too, especially as truths began to unravel and the past was finally confronted.
Forced proximity is one of my favorite romantic tropes and while it was gently used here, it was with great effect as the author nailed the tension and longing that came with it. The 1898 setting of this story felt well rendered, especially in how it highlighted the restrictive expectations placed on women of the time as well as the limitations on husbands and fathers whose wealth was expended.
This was a gorgeously written, emotionally charged second chance romance with all the slow burn intensity I could want. Perfect for readers who enjoy aching separation, smart and witty banter, and a love story that simmers until it finally, gloriously boils over.
*I didn’t read the previous books in the series and found this to stand on its own.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
Steam
July 24, 2025
London, 1898.
Lady Kay Matheson must be bad luck. After all, at 32 she's on her third fiance. This time it will stick, she's sure of it. Wilson Rycroft is the answer to her family's prayer: he's an American millionaire who doesn't care about past English scandals. Kay is fond of him, and while he doesn't give her butterflies, he brings a financial stability her family needs and she brings him the aristocratic connections. But her first fiance, who left 14 years ago after a failed elopement, is back in London. He's engaged to a gorgeous young debutante, but he can't get Kay out of his head.
The waning years of the Victorian Era continue to be a favorite time period of mine to read, and Laura Lee Guhrke is one of the best at it. The aristocracy is bleeding money, and the influx of American wealth and the working millionaires make it a fascinating socio-political landscape. The social landscape is still tied to the English aristocracy and the blue blooded traditions fighting against the modern wealth of the hoteliers and their investors.
Kay is in an interesting position for a lot of the book. She's a lady, and therefore nothing is expected other than that she make a good marriage to help her family. But several of her female friends, even those with titles, work for a living. But she can't, because she's unmarried and her family's position is tenuous with her younger sister making her debut. She chafes against the rules, but her failed elopement made her rethink what she owed her family, and now she's old enough that she doesn't know how to change.
For more than half the book, the primary couple, Kay and Devlin, are engaged to other people. This works because both have admitted that they are fond of their affianceds, but neither are in a love match. It's clear that for each of them, it's always been the other, even with the hurt of 14 years between them. Because it's a second chance romance, though, we have a strong sense of buy-in from Kay and Devlin's whirlwind love story from 14 years prior, but now viewed through their more mature lens. There's a realistic push and pull as they navigate old feelings and new.
Of course, every romance has an HEA; that's the social contract we make with a romance author every time we pick up their books. The joy is in seeing *how* the author gives the couple their HEA. The trick for an author is making the HEA realistic to the characters, presenting us with believable growth, and convincing us that the couple will indeed live happily ever after. Bad Luck Bride nails the conflict, the conflict resolution, and the happily ever after in a way that works for Kay and Devlin, and for a reader in 2025.
I enjoyed Bad Luck Bride a lot overall, but did find the pacing a little uneven. LLG is laying the groundwork for her characters' romance for a full 50% of the book, and it isn't until close to the end that we even get a sense that Kay and Devlin could work out. The resolution sticks the landing for me, though, which is a sign of the strength of Gurhke's writing.
Thank you to Forever for an eARC. Bad Luck Bride is out 7/29/25.
Lady Kay Matheson must be bad luck. After all, at 32 she's on her third fiance. This time it will stick, she's sure of it. Wilson Rycroft is the answer to her family's prayer: he's an American millionaire who doesn't care about past English scandals. Kay is fond of him, and while he doesn't give her butterflies, he brings a financial stability her family needs and she brings him the aristocratic connections. But her first fiance, who left 14 years ago after a failed elopement, is back in London. He's engaged to a gorgeous young debutante, but he can't get Kay out of his head.
The waning years of the Victorian Era continue to be a favorite time period of mine to read, and Laura Lee Guhrke is one of the best at it. The aristocracy is bleeding money, and the influx of American wealth and the working millionaires make it a fascinating socio-political landscape. The social landscape is still tied to the English aristocracy and the blue blooded traditions fighting against the modern wealth of the hoteliers and their investors.
Kay is in an interesting position for a lot of the book. She's a lady, and therefore nothing is expected other than that she make a good marriage to help her family. But several of her female friends, even those with titles, work for a living. But she can't, because she's unmarried and her family's position is tenuous with her younger sister making her debut. She chafes against the rules, but her failed elopement made her rethink what she owed her family, and now she's old enough that she doesn't know how to change.
For more than half the book, the primary couple, Kay and Devlin, are engaged to other people. This works because both have admitted that they are fond of their affianceds, but neither are in a love match. It's clear that for each of them, it's always been the other, even with the hurt of 14 years between them. Because it's a second chance romance, though, we have a strong sense of buy-in from Kay and Devlin's whirlwind love story from 14 years prior, but now viewed through their more mature lens. There's a realistic push and pull as they navigate old feelings and new.
Of course, every romance has an HEA; that's the social contract we make with a romance author every time we pick up their books. The joy is in seeing *how* the author gives the couple their HEA. The trick for an author is making the HEA realistic to the characters, presenting us with believable growth, and convincing us that the couple will indeed live happily ever after. Bad Luck Bride nails the conflict, the conflict resolution, and the happily ever after in a way that works for Kay and Devlin, and for a reader in 2025.
I enjoyed Bad Luck Bride a lot overall, but did find the pacing a little uneven. LLG is laying the groundwork for her characters' romance for a full 50% of the book, and it isn't until close to the end that we even get a sense that Kay and Devlin could work out. The resolution sticks the landing for me, though, which is a sign of the strength of Gurhke's writing.
Thank you to Forever for an eARC. Bad Luck Bride is out 7/29/25.
November 24, 2025
Kay and Devlin had very different perspectives on what had happened years ago between them. Their animosity was a very flimsy barrier barely hiding the attraction that still ran strong between them. All that pain and anguish they both suffered were just unbearably heart breaking. Things fell apart quite spectacularly, but I have to admit, the best parts were the pointed arguing between Kay and Devlin. It conveyed so much passion and feeling. I loved how Devlin kept trying to take care of Kay, and not have his heart broken (again) in the process. The last part of the book was fun and charming, with a very satisfactory ending. I can highly recommend this if you like a steamy second chance historical romance.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
July 28, 2025
This historical romance was everything I needed it to be! I've been waiting for Kay and Devlin's story since the last book when it was revealed that they were involved in a scandal in their youth and 10+ years later both wanted the same room for their wedding festivities. Spurned lovers turned rivals over wedding things is iconic and will always keep me engaged.
The MCs' miscommunications made sense to me and were cleared up in a timely manner. I really liked their chemistry and the other plots going on, but their romance was the focus, which I liked. I’m not sure if this is just going to be a trilogy, but I’d read more about Jo and/or Cassandra!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
The MCs' miscommunications made sense to me and were cleared up in a timely manner. I really liked their chemistry and the other plots going on, but their romance was the focus, which I liked. I’m not sure if this is just going to be a trilogy, but I’d read more about Jo and/or Cassandra!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
April 20, 2025
This book follows Lady Kay Matheson and Devlin Sharpe — who we were briefly introduced to in Lady Scandal (book #2). Fourteen years ago, Kay and Devlin ran away to elope, but were foiled before they could. Now, they are engaged to other people, and ofc they were low-key pining for each other the entire time. Low-key ofc. ofc.
I really enjoyed Kay and loved her dynamic with her younger sister. Atmosphere A+. I do wish we saw Kay and Devlin have more growth as a couple in the main timeline. Overall, really enjoyed this read and thought it was the best out of all of the series...
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC :)
I really enjoyed Kay and loved her dynamic with her younger sister. Atmosphere A+. I do wish we saw Kay and Devlin have more growth as a couple in the main timeline. Overall, really enjoyed this read and thought it was the best out of all of the series...
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC :)
July 24, 2025
Bad Luck Bride by Laura Lee Guhrke is the third book in the Scandal at the Savoy series and one of my most anticipated historical romances of the year. Therefore, I went into this book with a little trepidation that often accompanies my highly anticipated reads. Will it live up to my expectations? Or will it be so terrible that I abandon the genre forever? There is usually not an in-between.
Bad Luck Bride was everything I hoped it would be (except there is no more scandal so it doesn't really fit within the series) and I immediately loved Kay and Devlin together. This is a second chance romance after a failed elopement 14 years prior. Kay and Devlin are thrown together again due to mutual friendships among the characters from the first two books. Both are engaged to different people and both want a specific ballroom at the Savoy for their impending nuptials (occurring on the same day; how ironic!) This mix-up at the hotel starts a new brand of communication for these two and they find themselves purposely seeking each other out at various events both are involved in.
Bad Luck Bride is a quiet romance. There's not a lot of plot hijinks. There is no villain. There's no dastardly rake clutching any of the female characters and there's no ripping bodices left and right. This is a story about two people who have grown up and found each other again. The banter was witty, these two acted like the adults they are, there was a weekend house party (I love a good weekend house party), and a satisfying conclusion. The curve ball at the end was a little silly, but it didn't ruin the story for me.
I'll continue to read future books from Laura Lee Guhrke. I know what to expect from her writing and I've never been disappointed.
Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the arc for review purposes.
Bad Luck Bride was everything I hoped it would be (except there is no more scandal so it doesn't really fit within the series) and I immediately loved Kay and Devlin together. This is a second chance romance after a failed elopement 14 years prior. Kay and Devlin are thrown together again due to mutual friendships among the characters from the first two books. Both are engaged to different people and both want a specific ballroom at the Savoy for their impending nuptials (occurring on the same day; how ironic!) This mix-up at the hotel starts a new brand of communication for these two and they find themselves purposely seeking each other out at various events both are involved in.
Bad Luck Bride is a quiet romance. There's not a lot of plot hijinks. There is no villain. There's no dastardly rake clutching any of the female characters and there's no ripping bodices left and right. This is a story about two people who have grown up and found each other again. The banter was witty, these two acted like the adults they are, there was a weekend house party (I love a good weekend house party), and a satisfying conclusion. The curve ball at the end was a little silly, but it didn't ruin the story for me.
I'll continue to read future books from Laura Lee Guhrke. I know what to expect from her writing and I've never been disappointed.
Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the arc for review purposes.
July 29, 2025
Third time lucky?
Lady Kay Matheson had never forgotten the man she’d eloped with to Gretna Green fourteen years ago, Devlin Sharpe.
Stopped by friends before they’d crossed into Scotland, Kay had returned home after Devlin swore he’d come for her.
He never did. No answers to her letters. Nothing!
It took years for Kay to crawl back into some sort of place in society, because yes, as much as she denied the elopement, the gossips were far from satisfied.
Then came Kay’s next wedding that failed because her bridegroom-to-be listened to the old scandals and called the wedding off. Once more plunging Kay into society’s awareness.
Now Kay is engaged to American millionaire, Wilson Rycroft. Finally she can care for her mother and support her sister Jo in her first season.
Except Devlin Sharpe has turned up, engaged to Lady Pamela Stirling. Really! Not only that Kay and Devlin’s paths keep crossing, and not for the better.
There is the slight problem of Rycroft wanting Kay to act in accordance with his wishes. Still, a small price to pay for being able to click one’s fingers in the face of the disapproving ton.
An enjoyable second chance Victorian romance that bristles with mishaps, missteps and hard won romance.
A Forever ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Lady Kay Matheson had never forgotten the man she’d eloped with to Gretna Green fourteen years ago, Devlin Sharpe.
Stopped by friends before they’d crossed into Scotland, Kay had returned home after Devlin swore he’d come for her.
He never did. No answers to her letters. Nothing!
It took years for Kay to crawl back into some sort of place in society, because yes, as much as she denied the elopement, the gossips were far from satisfied.
Then came Kay’s next wedding that failed because her bridegroom-to-be listened to the old scandals and called the wedding off. Once more plunging Kay into society’s awareness.
Now Kay is engaged to American millionaire, Wilson Rycroft. Finally she can care for her mother and support her sister Jo in her first season.
Except Devlin Sharpe has turned up, engaged to Lady Pamela Stirling. Really! Not only that Kay and Devlin’s paths keep crossing, and not for the better.
There is the slight problem of Rycroft wanting Kay to act in accordance with his wishes. Still, a small price to pay for being able to click one’s fingers in the face of the disapproving ton.
An enjoyable second chance Victorian romance that bristles with mishaps, missteps and hard won romance.
A Forever ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
April 12, 2025
I can’t describe to you how fast I smashed BAD LUCK BRIDE when I got my ARC email.
BAD LUCK BRIDE is the third in the Scandal at the Savoy series by Laura Lee Guhrke, and it features Kay and Devlin, who are both getting married to other people…but have a past that can’t be denied. They hate each other—or do they? Fourteen years ago, they fell in love and eloped….only to be stopped and separated. She never wrote, he took money to leave her…. except none of that is quite true the way they think.
On a fast track to second chance romance thanks to forced proximity, Kay and Devlin must work through their pasts to get a chance at a future together.
I really enjoyed the angst and drama in this book. I thought the ways they were both wrong and didn’t understand what had happened to them really worked. I also liked that Devlin made the point to Kay that she had allowed herself to be bullied by a controlling father 14 years ago, and she was in real danger of marrying a man who behaved similarly. I felt a lot of real anger toward her fiancé (he does not behave like a MONSTER but he does exhibit controlling behaviors that could be triggering if you have ever been in a relationship like that).
Kay and Devlin didn’t just fall in love again, they had to grow as people to be worthy of each other after all this time and I really enjoyed this book. I read the first 70% in two hours and finished the rest later in the evening. The whole series has been really really great. Five stars.
Heat level: 2
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC.
BAD LUCK BRIDE is the third in the Scandal at the Savoy series by Laura Lee Guhrke, and it features Kay and Devlin, who are both getting married to other people…but have a past that can’t be denied. They hate each other—or do they? Fourteen years ago, they fell in love and eloped….only to be stopped and separated. She never wrote, he took money to leave her…. except none of that is quite true the way they think.
On a fast track to second chance romance thanks to forced proximity, Kay and Devlin must work through their pasts to get a chance at a future together.
I really enjoyed the angst and drama in this book. I thought the ways they were both wrong and didn’t understand what had happened to them really worked. I also liked that Devlin made the point to Kay that she had allowed herself to be bullied by a controlling father 14 years ago, and she was in real danger of marrying a man who behaved similarly. I felt a lot of real anger toward her fiancé (he does not behave like a MONSTER but he does exhibit controlling behaviors that could be triggering if you have ever been in a relationship like that).
Kay and Devlin didn’t just fall in love again, they had to grow as people to be worthy of each other after all this time and I really enjoyed this book. I read the first 70% in two hours and finished the rest later in the evening. The whole series has been really really great. Five stars.
Heat level: 2
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC.
July 13, 2025
Laura Lee Guhrke is a pillar of the historical romance genre. I've never read a dud by her. Scandal at the Savoy has been an absolute delight so far—especially the second book of this series, Lady Scandal—and I was so excited to get my hands on Bad Luck Bride. Thanks to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC.
The setup for Bad Luck Bride actually begins in Lady Scandal. Lady Kay Matheson has had two failed engagements, one of which occurred when she was only 18. That first engagement was to Devlin Sharpe, the fifth son of a baron, and it wasn’t just an engagement—they attempted to elope. News of the elopement got out, and Kay has been a social pariah ever since. It’s taken 14 years for her to claw her reputation out of the gutter and find a respectable man to marry—someone who can not only restore her good name but also provide for her family after her father left them destitute. Kay is now engaged to an American millionaire and plans to host her wedding breakfast at the Savoy Hotel. However, the only ballroom large enough for the event was double-booked, and the reservation was given to the other couple. That couple, as fate would have it, turns out to be Devlin and his new fiancée. Not only did Devlin break Kay’s heart and ruin her reputation all those years ago, but now he’s taken her wedding venue, too. To make matters worse, Devlin is an investor in a project with her fiancé, forcing Kay to deal with him for the first time in years, despite wanting to slap him every time she sees his face.
I loved this book. Loved it. It's really hard to pull off a convincing enemies-to-lovers for me outside of a fantasy novel because I rarely feel the stakes are high enough. But Laura Lee Guhrke did a phenomenal job of showing us just how terrible the consequences of the failed elopement were for Kay. We understand exactly what is at stake for her and her family if she doesn't marry her millionaire fiancé, both from a financial view as well as a social one. And because they were so young when everything went down, both she and Devlin don't have the whole story, so they're both livid with each other.
My favorite part of this book was how Devlin grew as a character. When we start the novel, he is convinced he and Kay had comparable experiences after their elopement. He doesn't factor in her gender and the way society punishes women for the same behavior that is completely acceptable for men. He doesn't realize that 32-year-old Kay literally has no options if she wants to pay off the debts her family has accrued and provide them with safety and security in the future outside of marriage. His worldview is entirely shaped by his privilege and ability to change his own fortune.
Bad Luck Bride was every bit as good as I was hoping it would be. I'm giving it 5 stars, and I highly recommend this whole series.
The setup for Bad Luck Bride actually begins in Lady Scandal. Lady Kay Matheson has had two failed engagements, one of which occurred when she was only 18. That first engagement was to Devlin Sharpe, the fifth son of a baron, and it wasn’t just an engagement—they attempted to elope. News of the elopement got out, and Kay has been a social pariah ever since. It’s taken 14 years for her to claw her reputation out of the gutter and find a respectable man to marry—someone who can not only restore her good name but also provide for her family after her father left them destitute. Kay is now engaged to an American millionaire and plans to host her wedding breakfast at the Savoy Hotel. However, the only ballroom large enough for the event was double-booked, and the reservation was given to the other couple. That couple, as fate would have it, turns out to be Devlin and his new fiancée. Not only did Devlin break Kay’s heart and ruin her reputation all those years ago, but now he’s taken her wedding venue, too. To make matters worse, Devlin is an investor in a project with her fiancé, forcing Kay to deal with him for the first time in years, despite wanting to slap him every time she sees his face.
I loved this book. Loved it. It's really hard to pull off a convincing enemies-to-lovers for me outside of a fantasy novel because I rarely feel the stakes are high enough. But Laura Lee Guhrke did a phenomenal job of showing us just how terrible the consequences of the failed elopement were for Kay. We understand exactly what is at stake for her and her family if she doesn't marry her millionaire fiancé, both from a financial view as well as a social one. And because they were so young when everything went down, both she and Devlin don't have the whole story, so they're both livid with each other.
My favorite part of this book was how Devlin grew as a character. When we start the novel, he is convinced he and Kay had comparable experiences after their elopement. He doesn't factor in her gender and the way society punishes women for the same behavior that is completely acceptable for men. He doesn't realize that 32-year-old Kay literally has no options if she wants to pay off the debts her family has accrued and provide them with safety and security in the future outside of marriage. His worldview is entirely shaped by his privilege and ability to change his own fortune.
Bad Luck Bride was every bit as good as I was hoping it would be. I'm giving it 5 stars, and I highly recommend this whole series.
July 30, 2025
Thank you to Forever for the complimentary digital ARC. I'm excited to say this is my first Laura Lee Guhrke but it definitely won't be my last!
The story is a lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers plot with a sprinkle of star-crossed. It really reminded me of a 90s Judith Ivory book which is the highest of compliments. The characters are flawed, complex, and in messy romantic relationships with other people which makes the HEA hard won. They're also in their 30s and have lived through some hardships which keeps them relatable.
Bad Luck Bride is set in 1898 and it was interesting to see electricity and plumbing incorporated into the story as well as society women with careers. I love a good regency romance but getting a peek into other eras is always a treat.
If you're looking for a modern historical romance that is reminiscent of your old school genre favorites then I highly recommend this book!
The story is a lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers plot with a sprinkle of star-crossed. It really reminded me of a 90s Judith Ivory book which is the highest of compliments. The characters are flawed, complex, and in messy romantic relationships with other people which makes the HEA hard won. They're also in their 30s and have lived through some hardships which keeps them relatable.
Bad Luck Bride is set in 1898 and it was interesting to see electricity and plumbing incorporated into the story as well as society women with careers. I love a good regency romance but getting a peek into other eras is always a treat.
If you're looking for a modern historical romance that is reminiscent of your old school genre favorites then I highly recommend this book!
August 12, 2025
4.75 ⭐️
This is exactly why I’m TALKING ABOUT!!! Real true yearning (with spice for the people who are weirdly saying that yearning is now code for no spice scenes.. shut up?)
First of all as a second chance hater this was done extremely extremely well and will now live in my small but high recommended list of SC romances.
The character development is chefs kiss, the slowburn was CHEFS KISS and the romance was chefs kiss!! This is true romance at its best
But listen it wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t nitpicking and the only reason I couldn’t give it the full 5 stars is because i wanted and NEEDED an epilogue.. what do you mean you aren’t going to give us the wedding?? How did I get edged for a wedding scene numerous times in this book?
Anyways this is still a fantastic book and my favourite of the series. LLG can do no wrong and I know I’m in for a good time when I pick up a book by her and this was no different
This is exactly why I’m TALKING ABOUT!!! Real true yearning (with spice for the people who are weirdly saying that yearning is now code for no spice scenes.. shut up?)
First of all as a second chance hater this was done extremely extremely well and will now live in my small but high recommended list of SC romances.
The character development is chefs kiss, the slowburn was CHEFS KISS and the romance was chefs kiss!! This is true romance at its best
But listen it wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t nitpicking and the only reason I couldn’t give it the full 5 stars is because i wanted and NEEDED an epilogue.. what do you mean you aren’t going to give us the wedding?? How did I get edged for a wedding scene numerous times in this book?
Anyways this is still a fantastic book and my favourite of the series. LLG can do no wrong and I know I’m in for a good time when I pick up a book by her and this was no different
April 25, 2025
Another fun read by Laura Lee Guhrke! This time the story focuses on Lady Kay Matheson who has yet to make it down the aisle. A scandal from her past has tainted her reputation and she is hoping to start fresh when the young man from her past returns to the scene and causes quite a stir.
I really enjoy this set of characters and their escapades. It reminds me of Bridgerton but a little less rigid and more tongue in cheek. I thought this premise was a bit more fun than the second book in the series and overall enjoyed the storyline. I appreciate that previous characters from the series continue to make an appearance as well! Thank you to Forever Publishing for the ARC!
I really enjoy this set of characters and their escapades. It reminds me of Bridgerton but a little less rigid and more tongue in cheek. I thought this premise was a bit more fun than the second book in the series and overall enjoyed the storyline. I appreciate that previous characters from the series continue to make an appearance as well! Thank you to Forever Publishing for the ARC!
June 7, 2025
3.75 stars
So there wasn't anything wrong with this book, exactly. I just wasn't really feeling the chemistry between the hero and heroine until the last few chapters. The ending was satisfying, but I would have liked more romance than just the physical.
So there wasn't anything wrong with this book, exactly. I just wasn't really feeling the chemistry between the hero and heroine until the last few chapters. The ending was satisfying, but I would have liked more romance than just the physical.
May 14, 2025
I did enjoy this book and loved that we got to see previous characters from the other books in the series. It is not necessary to read the previous books before! I barely remembered them (they were really great, but I read ALOT, so do not remember them) and I didn’t feel like I needed to know the previous books because Laura Lee Guhrke did a fabulous job of weaving in their backstories. Overall it was a solid historical romance.
Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Lee Guhrke, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for a chance to read this book before it was published!
Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Lee Guhrke, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for a chance to read this book before it was published!
July 22, 2025
Fourteen years ago, Lady Kay Matheson and Devlin Sharpe fell madly in love and planned to elope and move to Africa, but before they could marry, Kay’s cousins caught up with them and convinced her that it was a bad idea. She returned home and Devlin went to Africa. Years later Kay is going to marry her cousin Giles, when rumors of her attempted elopement came out and Giles called off the wedding and Kay was “ruined” in the eyes of society. It is over a decade later that Kay has finally returned to society’s good graces and has become engaged to Wilson Rycroft, an American millionaire, which is perfect since her father left her penniless. She thinks her troubles are over, but then she learns that the banquet hall in the Savoy Hotel that she booked for her wedding has been given to someone else. That someone happens to be the very man who ruined her life – Devlin Sharpe! But when he helps her find a new venue for her wedding, she wonders if she was wrong about him. And then the truth of their failed romance comes out, is it too late for a second chance?
Devlin Sharpe fell in love with Lady Kay at first sight and wanted nothing more than to marry her and move to Africa to make his fortune. But fate was not on his side and the night before they reached Gretna Green to marry, Kay’s cousins stopped them and convinced Kay that they shouldn’t elope but be honorable and have a proper courtship and took her home. Devlin tries to see her but learns she has been sent to Wales, and when he goes there, he is told she won’t see him. He goes back to her father and believes that if he makes his fortune in Africa, her father will let them marry. He writes to her, but she never replies and then he hears the news that she is to marry her father’s heir and is heartbroken, believing she gave up on him. He works hard and makes a fortune and then almost a decade later meets Lady Pamela, they plan to marry, it is not a love match, but he feels like it is time to move on. After years away, Devlin returns to London and almost immediately runs into Kay. Feelings that he thought long since dead, flare back to life and he tries to convince himself that he hates her, but when the truth comes out, he realizes he still loves her and sadly, it might be too late for them.
This was well-written, second-chance romance with a seemingly impossible chance for HEA. Kay and Devlin were once in love, but a well-meaning intervention by her cousins ended up tearing them apart for fourteen years. During that time, they each believed they had been betrayed by the other and moved on with their lives, when they meet again, they are both set to marry other people when they learn the truth of what happened all those years ago. This is an emotional second chance romance that is filled with past lies, renewed feelings, promises to other people, family, sacrifices, great banter, healing and finally a HEA that didn’t seem possible. I will be honest, I had a bit of a hard time with the fact they were both engaged to others, and while that did resolve itself very neatly, it still gave me a cheating vibe. I also had a hard time warming up to Kay, she was bitter and angry at Devlin for much too long in my opinion, she acted like he was to blame for all her problems, which clearly was not the case. Overall, it was a nice story and one I would recommend, but it wasn’t my favorite in the series, and I really believe it could have benefited from an epilogue. This is the third book in the series, but it could easily be read as a standalone title with no problem.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *
Devlin Sharpe fell in love with Lady Kay at first sight and wanted nothing more than to marry her and move to Africa to make his fortune. But fate was not on his side and the night before they reached Gretna Green to marry, Kay’s cousins stopped them and convinced Kay that they shouldn’t elope but be honorable and have a proper courtship and took her home. Devlin tries to see her but learns she has been sent to Wales, and when he goes there, he is told she won’t see him. He goes back to her father and believes that if he makes his fortune in Africa, her father will let them marry. He writes to her, but she never replies and then he hears the news that she is to marry her father’s heir and is heartbroken, believing she gave up on him. He works hard and makes a fortune and then almost a decade later meets Lady Pamela, they plan to marry, it is not a love match, but he feels like it is time to move on. After years away, Devlin returns to London and almost immediately runs into Kay. Feelings that he thought long since dead, flare back to life and he tries to convince himself that he hates her, but when the truth comes out, he realizes he still loves her and sadly, it might be too late for them.
This was well-written, second-chance romance with a seemingly impossible chance for HEA. Kay and Devlin were once in love, but a well-meaning intervention by her cousins ended up tearing them apart for fourteen years. During that time, they each believed they had been betrayed by the other and moved on with their lives, when they meet again, they are both set to marry other people when they learn the truth of what happened all those years ago. This is an emotional second chance romance that is filled with past lies, renewed feelings, promises to other people, family, sacrifices, great banter, healing and finally a HEA that didn’t seem possible. I will be honest, I had a bit of a hard time with the fact they were both engaged to others, and while that did resolve itself very neatly, it still gave me a cheating vibe. I also had a hard time warming up to Kay, she was bitter and angry at Devlin for much too long in my opinion, she acted like he was to blame for all her problems, which clearly was not the case. Overall, it was a nice story and one I would recommend, but it wasn’t my favorite in the series, and I really believe it could have benefited from an epilogue. This is the third book in the series, but it could easily be read as a standalone title with no problem.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *
July 25, 2025
I enjoyed this one, until I didn't because nothing was happening to further the romance. I ended up putting it down at 81% to write this review because while I may go back and skim to finish, I've got other books that I want to read first.
This is a second chance romance, which I typically love, except that the entire conflict that spans the 14 years between then and now is miscommunication.
This is the first book I've read by this author, and I see from other reviews that the other books in this series are more compelling, so maybe this one was just a bit of a swing and a miss in terms of plot development.
Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication. I was not compensated in any way, and all opinions are my own.
This is a second chance romance, which I typically love, except that the entire conflict that spans the 14 years between then and now is miscommunication.
This is the first book I've read by this author, and I see from other reviews that the other books in this series are more compelling, so maybe this one was just a bit of a swing and a miss in terms of plot development.
Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication. I was not compensated in any way, and all opinions are my own.
July 23, 2025
Tropes: second chance romance; MFC with a past
Steam level: 2-3
Part of a series, but ok on its own.
2.75 stars for the first 70% or so, 3.25 for the rest, for a 3 star average. I just didn't enjoy this as much as the previous two books in the series. I like this author a lot, but by the halfway mark in this one I wanted to skim. The final chapters picked up the pace and steam with Kay gaining some agency, but until then, I think my enjoyment was affected by my ambivalence toward the "second chance" trope.
Predictability is the biggest downer for me when it comes to 2nd chance. POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD.................MC's are almost always kept apart by scheming parents and they're shocked when they discover their letters to each other were stolen/hidden, etc., even though it's obvious the parents were never in favor of the relationship. The MFC is usually left emotionally/financially/ socially worse off than she would have been if she'd married the MMC, while the MMC is strangely clueless about the affects of ruination and poverty. The first 60% of this book follows this script too closely. Here, you have the added issue that Devlin and Kay haven't had any contact for 14 years (!). That's a lot of water under the bridge.
Additional thoughts:
--Also not a fan of MFC as martyr. Kay is relatable as long as she doesn't get self-righteous. Then she's tiresome.
--Devlin and Kay are engaged to other people, and I really didn't like how the fallout transpired. Kay's betrothed ended up humanized more than Devlin's, which I felt was a weird imbalance.
--For a lot of the book I wasn't feeling it between Devlin and Kay, maybe because so much of the storyline took place in the hotel and they spent so much of the first half trading joyless barbs. I wanted them to get out and interact with the world sooner, to show what it was that had lead to their elopement originally besides lust, and what would keep them together as adults.
--Minor nitpicks: Kay's mom was on my last nerve the whole book. WHY would her going with them to Egypt even be a consideration? Does Kay come to terms with the body image issue? The British colonization topic was glossed over. And that tabloid writer seemed absolutely obsessed with Kay. Surely there were other ladies she could fixate on? Does she have some past with Kay the reader doesn't know about? Did she stalk Kay and her family to find out about the elopement in the first place?
Overall: the predictability and pacing didn't really work for me, more humor and fun between the MC's would have made their romance seem more real IMO, but your taste may vary.
I read an advance reader copy of this book and this is my honest, voluntary review. Thanks to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for this opportunity.
Steam level: 2-3
Part of a series, but ok on its own.
2.75 stars for the first 70% or so, 3.25 for the rest, for a 3 star average. I just didn't enjoy this as much as the previous two books in the series. I like this author a lot, but by the halfway mark in this one I wanted to skim. The final chapters picked up the pace and steam with Kay gaining some agency, but until then, I think my enjoyment was affected by my ambivalence toward the "second chance" trope.
Predictability is the biggest downer for me when it comes to 2nd chance. POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD.................MC's are almost always kept apart by scheming parents and they're shocked when they discover their letters to each other were stolen/hidden, etc., even though it's obvious the parents were never in favor of the relationship. The MFC is usually left emotionally/financially/ socially worse off than she would have been if she'd married the MMC, while the MMC is strangely clueless about the affects of ruination and poverty. The first 60% of this book follows this script too closely. Here, you have the added issue that Devlin and Kay haven't had any contact for 14 years (!). That's a lot of water under the bridge.
Additional thoughts:
--Also not a fan of MFC as martyr. Kay is relatable as long as she doesn't get self-righteous. Then she's tiresome.
--Devlin and Kay are engaged to other people, and I really didn't like how the fallout transpired. Kay's betrothed ended up humanized more than Devlin's, which I felt was a weird imbalance.
--For a lot of the book I wasn't feeling it between Devlin and Kay, maybe because so much of the storyline took place in the hotel and they spent so much of the first half trading joyless barbs. I wanted them to get out and interact with the world sooner, to show what it was that had lead to their elopement originally besides lust, and what would keep them together as adults.
--Minor nitpicks: Kay's mom was on my last nerve the whole book. WHY would her going with them to Egypt even be a consideration? Does Kay come to terms with the body image issue? The British colonization topic was glossed over. And that tabloid writer seemed absolutely obsessed with Kay. Surely there were other ladies she could fixate on? Does she have some past with Kay the reader doesn't know about? Did she stalk Kay and her family to find out about the elopement in the first place?
Overall: the predictability and pacing didn't really work for me, more humor and fun between the MC's would have made their romance seem more real IMO, but your taste may vary.
I read an advance reader copy of this book and this is my honest, voluntary review. Thanks to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for this opportunity.
July 30, 2025
Reviewed at Happily Ever After Romance
Bad Luck Bride is the third title in the Scandal at the Savoy series, and finally, brings us Kay and Devlin’s story, the one that I’ve been waiting for. About fourteen years ago, Kay and Devlin attempted to elope, their love so certain that they could weather any storm. Unfortunately, they could not as they were stopped before vows could be spoken, and didn’t see each other again for more than a decade.
Now, Kay is engaged to an American millionaire. It’s certainly not a love match, but they get along and really, considering the facts of her earlier botched elopement, and the financial needs of her family, especially for her younger sister’s upcoming Season… well, this was her last shot at getting off that spinster shelf, helping her family, and maybe, finding a bit of happiness if not true love.
Life might have moved along without a hitch… if Devlin hadn’t returned, and brought his own fiancée to town, who just happens to want (and snatch out from under her) the very same ballroom for their weddings. Now, they both have to face unresolved emotions and issues between them. Each still holds a grudge and wounded feelings over their forced separation years ago, and believes the stories they were told when there was no contact between them for so many years. Being forced into each other’s orbits will bring memories, and awaken feelings that never truly died… and facing a future that, unless something drastically changes, will see them torn apart yet again.
I loved Kay and Devlin’s second-chance romance. Woven throughout their story are glimpses of their youthful love, often seen through now more mature eyes. Everything they believed was not truly as it seemed. As their love rekindled (if it ever really was extinguished), they are facing choices and consequences. Risking everything for the chance at happiness they were once denied is an option… if they are brave enough to take their lives back under their control, and face the fallout together. If you love a well-written, emotional Victorian Historical Romance full of angst, anger, reconciliation, and acknowledgement of a love that was meant to be, then you’d enjoy Bad Luck Bride by Laura Lee Guhrke.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, and I sincerely thank the author or publishing house for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
Bad Luck Bride is the third title in the Scandal at the Savoy series, and finally, brings us Kay and Devlin’s story, the one that I’ve been waiting for. About fourteen years ago, Kay and Devlin attempted to elope, their love so certain that they could weather any storm. Unfortunately, they could not as they were stopped before vows could be spoken, and didn’t see each other again for more than a decade.
Now, Kay is engaged to an American millionaire. It’s certainly not a love match, but they get along and really, considering the facts of her earlier botched elopement, and the financial needs of her family, especially for her younger sister’s upcoming Season… well, this was her last shot at getting off that spinster shelf, helping her family, and maybe, finding a bit of happiness if not true love.
Life might have moved along without a hitch… if Devlin hadn’t returned, and brought his own fiancée to town, who just happens to want (and snatch out from under her) the very same ballroom for their weddings. Now, they both have to face unresolved emotions and issues between them. Each still holds a grudge and wounded feelings over their forced separation years ago, and believes the stories they were told when there was no contact between them for so many years. Being forced into each other’s orbits will bring memories, and awaken feelings that never truly died… and facing a future that, unless something drastically changes, will see them torn apart yet again.
I loved Kay and Devlin’s second-chance romance. Woven throughout their story are glimpses of their youthful love, often seen through now more mature eyes. Everything they believed was not truly as it seemed. As their love rekindled (if it ever really was extinguished), they are facing choices and consequences. Risking everything for the chance at happiness they were once denied is an option… if they are brave enough to take their lives back under their control, and face the fallout together. If you love a well-written, emotional Victorian Historical Romance full of angst, anger, reconciliation, and acknowledgement of a love that was meant to be, then you’d enjoy Bad Luck Bride by Laura Lee Guhrke.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, and I sincerely thank the author or publishing house for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
July 28, 2025
After really enjoying the first two books in this series, I was highly anticipating Bad Luck Bride. Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t a hit for me. It’s not bad, but it had a plot that was a little bit all over the place with not enough time spent to redevelop Kay and Devlin’s relationship. There’s a section where they have to work together that would have been great fodder for a rekindling, but we don’t actually get to spend much time there as it happens over halfway through the story. I understand we had to get the pesky fiancé and fiancée out of the way, but I felt like it took quite a while to get there and at the expense of really getting a look at their connection 14 years after the drama. That being said, I do really love seeing Delia and how much she cares for Kay. My only gripe with her is the mess of the last part of the story, which honestly made me really annoyed. Also of note, this book opens with a scene featuring some disordered eating as Kay is dieting for her wedding and it’s mentioned off and on, but we never get a resolution that she is fine with however her body looks and that she is now just eating the damn croissants. That would also have been a great point of closure. All that to say this book is well written and I’m sure many people will love it. It just, unfortunately, didn't quite work for me. I will still be trying more Laura Lee Guhrke! I have some of her older works and I look forward to reading whatever she comes out with next.
April 15, 2025
The Bad Luck Bride is a touching, second-chance Victorian romance. Although many aspects of the story are familiar, this well told tale accurately and movingly portrays the dismal choices facing women during this era and how much of their lives were ruled by men –fathers, brothers, husbands– in ways large and small.
Unexpectedly reunited 14 years after their failed elopement, Lady Kay Matheson and Devlin Sharpe are each newly engaged and planning lavish weddings during the London Season. Their financial situations have changed considerably during the past 14 years. Kay, the daughter of an earl who had a decent dowry during her first season, found out after her father’s death that the estate was heavily mortgaged and in debt. She is engaged to Wilson Rycroft, an older American millionaire with a 15-year-old daughter. Kay and her family are counting on the settlements from Kay’s marriage to provide financial security and stability for her mother and younger sister, Josephine. Josephine is making her debut into society, a step that was delayed due her father’s death.
Devlin was the impecunious fifth son when he and Kay eloped. After the elopement was interrupted, he left shortly thereafter for South Africa. Devlin has since made a fortune in hotels and other investments. He has returned to London with his fiancée, Lady Pamela, for a short visit for his wedding.
Devlin and Kay each harbor resentment and feelings of betrayal regarding the aftermath of the unsuccessful elopement. Based on inaccurate or incomplete information due to the efforts of Kay’s parents to keep the couple separated, each of them has a skewed view of the circumstances and thinks the other person abandoned them to their fate.
Kay and Devlin have a lot of misunderstandings to work through and much emotional growth to undergo before they are able to understand the full picture and contemplate a future together.
This entry in the Scandal at the Savoy series is a solid addition to the first two books, and I think it could be read as a stand alone. Although the general story is not uncommon, this is a well -paced story with an appealing couple, who learn they must fight for the future they want together.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #ReadForeverPub for the ARC.
Unexpectedly reunited 14 years after their failed elopement, Lady Kay Matheson and Devlin Sharpe are each newly engaged and planning lavish weddings during the London Season. Their financial situations have changed considerably during the past 14 years. Kay, the daughter of an earl who had a decent dowry during her first season, found out after her father’s death that the estate was heavily mortgaged and in debt. She is engaged to Wilson Rycroft, an older American millionaire with a 15-year-old daughter. Kay and her family are counting on the settlements from Kay’s marriage to provide financial security and stability for her mother and younger sister, Josephine. Josephine is making her debut into society, a step that was delayed due her father’s death.
Devlin was the impecunious fifth son when he and Kay eloped. After the elopement was interrupted, he left shortly thereafter for South Africa. Devlin has since made a fortune in hotels and other investments. He has returned to London with his fiancée, Lady Pamela, for a short visit for his wedding.
Devlin and Kay each harbor resentment and feelings of betrayal regarding the aftermath of the unsuccessful elopement. Based on inaccurate or incomplete information due to the efforts of Kay’s parents to keep the couple separated, each of them has a skewed view of the circumstances and thinks the other person abandoned them to their fate.
Kay and Devlin have a lot of misunderstandings to work through and much emotional growth to undergo before they are able to understand the full picture and contemplate a future together.
This entry in the Scandal at the Savoy series is a solid addition to the first two books, and I think it could be read as a stand alone. Although the general story is not uncommon, this is a well -paced story with an appealing couple, who learn they must fight for the future they want together.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #ReadForeverPub for the ARC.
April 20, 2025
Lady Kay Matheson needs her wedding to a wealthy American to take place. She hopes it will repair the damage a failed elopement and broken engagement has done to her reputation. Kay never imagined she would run into the very man responsible for her downfall. She is determined not to allow Delvin Sharpe to ruin her chances to secure her family’s future. Will Kay change her mind once she learns the truth behind their separation? Or will she forsake love for her family’s security?
Devlin Sharpe is the disgraced, unwanted son of a baron. He returns to England a wealthy businessman and engaged to a marquess’ daughter. Devlin never anticipated running into the woman who broke his heart or learning about her engagement. He tries to avoid Kay, but fate has other plans. They both soon learn the real reason behind their breakup and separation. Can Devlin fix all the wrongs of the past? Or will he allow Kay to slip through his fingers for the final time?
I could not help but empathize with Kay. The poor woman has endured a lot, especially being the unfortunate victim of gossip and rumors. She also bears heavy responsibility for her mother and sister’s future. What I hate the most is how Kay did not have many options available to provide for her family, thanks to gossipmongers. Women faced many restrictions back then. There was only so much they were allowed to do.
Devlin is amazing! He made something of himself through hard work. Devlin chose a trade school over the colleges for nobles. What I love the most about him is how Devlin noticed Kay when their peers overlooked her. He did not see a red-haired, chubby girl but a delightful woman. I also like how Devlin disliked how she disparaged herself or bowed to others wishes, sacrificing her own wants and desires.
SERIES: Yes, it is the third book in Laura Lee Guhrke’s Victorian romance series, SCANDAL AT THE SAVOY. This story can easily standalone. However, I suggest starting with LADY SCANDAL, book two, before this one. Much of Kay and Devlin’s reunion and interactions happen in the background. I love how Delia (from LS) plays an important role. Simon (from LS) and Max (from BOOKSHOP CINDERELLA) appear here or there. Sadly, Evie (BC) is only mentioned.
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