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Scandalous Sisters #1
Mercy Fletcher Meets Her Match
When Thomas, Baron Armitage, finds himself on the verge of the Season and suddenly impoverished by his unscrupulous man of business, he has no choice but to make a devil’s bargain with his nearest neighbor. In exchange for the funds he requires to reclaim what is rightfully his, he must take his neighbor’s intolerable spinster daughter to London for the Season and find the impossible woman a husband.
Miss Mercy Fletcher has got her own reasons to be in London, and they do not involve husband-hunting. She has been fast friends with Thomas’ sisters for years, but Thomas has never had the least patience for her and her myriad eccentricities, and Mercy has never had much patience of her own for Thomas’ stern severity. In such close quarters, it seems an impossibility that they will make it through the Season without killing one another.
Familiarity is meant to breed contempt, but instead it breeds a new understanding between old enemies. As the Season progresses, friendship turns unexpectedly toward passion. But can their blossoming romance survive Mercy’s secrets?
Miss Mercy Fletcher has got her own reasons to be in London, and they do not involve husband-hunting. She has been fast friends with Thomas’ sisters for years, but Thomas has never had the least patience for her and her myriad eccentricities, and Mercy has never had much patience of her own for Thomas’ stern severity. In such close quarters, it seems an impossibility that they will make it through the Season without killing one another.
Familiarity is meant to breed contempt, but instead it breeds a new understanding between old enemies. As the Season progresses, friendship turns unexpectedly toward passion. But can their blossoming romance survive Mercy’s secrets?
247 pages, Paperback
First published March 24, 2025
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393 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
April 7, 2025
“Mercy Fletcher meets her Match” is the story of Mercy and Thomas.
He’d marry her because she had knocked him straight off his feet and head over heels into love. He’d marry her because he adored every little habit, every idiosyncrasy, every imperfect, untamable inch of her. Mercy was always going to be Mercy—and that was how he loved her best.
A beautiful book with a heartwarming romance and honestly the best one to get me back to my favorite genre.
The heroine has adhd. She is chaotic, she is absent minded, she is smart. She however is her father’s only child and the bane of her neighbor’s existence.
The hero is an uptight, currently broke baron who is responsible for his mother and two sisters, and never fails to be annoyed by the “inefficient” daughter to his neighbor.
When she slams her hot air balloon onto him as he is lying drunk into the field, he takes it upon himself to complain to her father. He is offered a solution- his debts will be paid if his mother makes sure the heroine has another season out in the society.
At twenty seven, heroine has no plans to be married, but she has her reasons in agreeing to go to London.
Hence we see the couple lock horns in her London townhouse. The hero slowly starts understanding the heroine, while the heroine helps him recover his funds. Slow romance blooms, loads of amazing sex and the second half is both endearing and heartwarming with a wonderful epilogue.
Loved it
SWE/ unsafe
5/5
He’d marry her because she had knocked him straight off his feet and head over heels into love. He’d marry her because he adored every little habit, every idiosyncrasy, every imperfect, untamable inch of her. Mercy was always going to be Mercy—and that was how he loved her best.
A beautiful book with a heartwarming romance and honestly the best one to get me back to my favorite genre.
The heroine has adhd. She is chaotic, she is absent minded, she is smart. She however is her father’s only child and the bane of her neighbor’s existence.
The hero is an uptight, currently broke baron who is responsible for his mother and two sisters, and never fails to be annoyed by the “inefficient” daughter to his neighbor.
When she slams her hot air balloon onto him as he is lying drunk into the field, he takes it upon himself to complain to her father. He is offered a solution- his debts will be paid if his mother makes sure the heroine has another season out in the society.
At twenty seven, heroine has no plans to be married, but she has her reasons in agreeing to go to London.
Hence we see the couple lock horns in her London townhouse. The hero slowly starts understanding the heroine, while the heroine helps him recover his funds. Slow romance blooms, loads of amazing sex and the second half is both endearing and heartwarming with a wonderful epilogue.
Loved it
SWE/ unsafe
5/5
October 12, 2025
3.5/5. Amusing start. Dutiful, somewhat starchy baron reluctantly accepts the challenging task of taking his neighbour's troublesome, spinster daughter to London for the season along with his own mother and sisters. I can't recall a heroine with ADHD before. The condition gives Mercy character and spirit. She did test my patience towards the end. At 28, she should have learnt to temper her impulses a bit. Unlike me, once Thomas became aware of her affliction, he showed her infinite patience and support as his feelings for her grew. The last 1/3 did drag on but the author writes well, making it not too arduous to finish.
Only weeks ago, he'd silently extended his sympathies to the nameless, faceless damned fool who would eventually marry her, and now - now he knew that fool was going to be him.
Only weeks ago, he'd silently extended his sympathies to the nameless, faceless damned fool who would eventually marry her, and now - now he knew that fool was going to be him.
April 7, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up due to the ADHD representation.
April 1, 2025
Listen, people, this was perfect. I loved it so much. Mercy was a delight and Thomas was so wonderful. I loved his character growth and change and the grovel that is embedded in that. Their story was so sweet with the right amount of angst. This had my new favourite trope of enemies to friends and then to lovers and it was executed so well. So excited that we’ll be getting Charity’s book! Loved this one so much.
January 18, 2026
4.25⭐️ NYT had this on a list of their best romances of 2025, which intrigued me. The list included seemingly nothing mainstream and most of the books included had something that broke the mold of traditional romance. I’ll be honest that I find the NYT book reviewers to be incredibly snobbish about romance... so having a list that only included uncommon books had me rolling my eyes a bit. But! I decided to read this one because it was cheap and short and I was in the mood for some “Ton” hijinks. Well wouldn’t you know that I did actually really like it. I wouldn’t say it was the best romance published in 2025 but I do think it is definitely worthy of a recommendation.
The interesting aspect of this book is that the heroine has ADHD (undiagnosed, because it was the 1800s) but I felt that she was well portrayed by the author. She wasn’t a stereotypical manic pixie dream girl, & she wasn’t a caricature… she struggled with her disability in a real way. She was also empowered by it in certain areas, and I thought it was a nice representation.
I wish I would’ve seen a bit more of the relationship building between the MMC and FMC. They seemed to be enemies for a significant part of the book and then moved very quickly to lovers without much relationship building inbetween. Also the MMC was incredibly blunt and did alot of declaring that he intended to marry the FMC without even asking her, which okay.. was kind of hot 🥵, but also I felt like she deserved a little more agency in that regard.
The interesting aspect of this book is that the heroine has ADHD (undiagnosed, because it was the 1800s) but I felt that she was well portrayed by the author. She wasn’t a stereotypical manic pixie dream girl, & she wasn’t a caricature… she struggled with her disability in a real way. She was also empowered by it in certain areas, and I thought it was a nice representation.
I wish I would’ve seen a bit more of the relationship building between the MMC and FMC. They seemed to be enemies for a significant part of the book and then moved very quickly to lovers without much relationship building inbetween. Also the MMC was incredibly blunt and did alot of declaring that he intended to marry the FMC without even asking her, which okay.. was kind of hot 🥵, but also I felt like she deserved a little more agency in that regard.
September 18, 2025
It's very charming.
"Open the damned door! I told you I would not be seduced and discarded!"
Maybe just a tiny bit more time for Mr. Earnshaw to make Thomas jealous several times more.
Adorable.
"Open the damned door! I told you I would not be seduced and discarded!"
Maybe just a tiny bit more time for Mr. Earnshaw to make Thomas jealous several times more.
Adorable.
April 6, 2025
For those who haven’t yet found an Aydra’s book to love – this is your chance! Worked for me!
Oh dear, I know there are readers just like me here somewhere, who go through catalogues of highly-recommended-authors no matter what / just to be sure / scratch that OCD itch to complete everything once started. Two or three of us, probably :)
So here I am reading through Aydra Richards’ books that seem similar to late Mary Balough’s to me in terms of repetitiveness, somewhat cursory steam, and even a touch of didacticism. And not being able to quite fall in love with any of them, just because I prefer my authors a bit more easy and don’t-take-themselves-too-seriously maybe? With that being said, I genuinely LOVE Aydra’s Authors Notes in the end of each book! They are witty and educating (that’s the place for all the enlightenment, in Authors Notes, yes!) and show how much work she does to put her stories together!
So back to the book in hand. It is perfect!
What I liked most:
- ADHD FMC. I am more than comfortable with contemporary tropes in HR, especially if all the staging is believable, and Aydra is excellent at being as historically accurate as plot wise possible. I am here for it! Because yes I’m that naive and I want people from the past to have the chance to be considerate and gentle. Even if it is only in books.
- Steamy steam! While all the scenes are firmly in the second half of the book, they are inspirational and spicy and hot! They have sense and passion at the same time. They don’t place MCs out of their characters. On the whole it’s like author really cares about how her heroes fare with each other intimately, and this is conveyed to the reader as well. Love!
- I greatly admire subtle feelings and small sensations casually placed somewhere in the flow of the story, like, in moments of distress the hero’s “hands curled upon the edge of the desk, his blunt nails carving divots into the precious, lovingly varnished mahogany.” or “she lifted her arms so that he might draw her chemise off over her head. And then he sat for a moment in mute silence, hands still clutching the rumpled fabric of her chemise, as if her nakedness had stunned the words straight out of him.”
Feels so real and close, wow!
- No relationship-clay and/or comedy-relief children! Gosh, finally! Feels so fresh without all the how-to-tame-a-teenager staff.
Where I still feel a bit of unease:
- Despite all the (pleasantly!) slow passing, with Aydra’s signature internal monologues, the hero's arc takes such an incredibly sharp turn (like 180 degree opposite) that it feels a bit unrealistic. He becomes that it made me wonder – am I reading a fiction story? :)
- Before that I read only one HR with FMC on spectrum, classic Devil in Spring. And I like “Mercy Fletcher Meets Her Match” more, because Thomas feels not so much in-charge figure to Mercy. Mercy has all the agency and and that’s quite good! But like Pandora in "Devil in Spring", Mercy has fortune-generating talent – . I know that’s great for her, but slightly – only slightly – it feels like FMC on spectrum could not exist without any great talent to prove her useful? It’s surely just my own insecurities speaking but still feels like some successful purpose required in HR nowadays, like it was a demand being extremely beautiful for FMC in 80’s.
But these are all just small remarks, all in all I am in awe with the book and the characters and can recommend it even to those who have not liked Aydra from the first page. That's good to try!
Oh dear, I know there are readers just like me here somewhere, who go through catalogues of highly-recommended-authors no matter what / just to be sure / scratch that OCD itch to complete everything once started. Two or three of us, probably :)
So here I am reading through Aydra Richards’ books that seem similar to late Mary Balough’s to me in terms of repetitiveness, somewhat cursory steam, and even a touch of didacticism. And not being able to quite fall in love with any of them, just because I prefer my authors a bit more easy and don’t-take-themselves-too-seriously maybe? With that being said, I genuinely LOVE Aydra’s Authors Notes in the end of each book! They are witty and educating (that’s the place for all the enlightenment, in Authors Notes, yes!) and show how much work she does to put her stories together!
So back to the book in hand. It is perfect!
What I liked most:
- ADHD FMC. I am more than comfortable with contemporary tropes in HR, especially if all the staging is believable, and Aydra is excellent at being as historically accurate as plot wise possible. I am here for it! Because yes I’m that naive and I want people from the past to have the chance to be considerate and gentle. Even if it is only in books.
- Steamy steam! While all the scenes are firmly in the second half of the book, they are inspirational and spicy and hot! They have sense and passion at the same time. They don’t place MCs out of their characters. On the whole it’s like author really cares about how her heroes fare with each other intimately, and this is conveyed to the reader as well. Love!
- I greatly admire subtle feelings and small sensations casually placed somewhere in the flow of the story, like, in moments of distress the hero’s “hands curled upon the edge of the desk, his blunt nails carving divots into the precious, lovingly varnished mahogany.” or “she lifted her arms so that he might draw her chemise off over her head. And then he sat for a moment in mute silence, hands still clutching the rumpled fabric of her chemise, as if her nakedness had stunned the words straight out of him.”
Feels so real and close, wow!
- No relationship-clay and/or comedy-relief children! Gosh, finally! Feels so fresh without all the how-to-tame-a-teenager staff.
Where I still feel a bit of unease:
- Despite all the (pleasantly!) slow passing, with Aydra’s signature internal monologues, the hero's arc takes such an incredibly sharp turn (like 180 degree opposite) that it feels a bit unrealistic. He becomes that it made me wonder – am I reading a fiction story? :)
- Before that I read only one HR with FMC on spectrum, classic Devil in Spring. And I like “Mercy Fletcher Meets Her Match” more, because Thomas feels not so much in-charge figure to Mercy. Mercy has all the agency and and that’s quite good! But like Pandora in "Devil in Spring", Mercy has fortune-generating talent – . I know that’s great for her, but slightly – only slightly – it feels like FMC on spectrum could not exist without any great talent to prove her useful? It’s surely just my own insecurities speaking but still feels like some successful purpose required in HR nowadays, like it was a demand being extremely beautiful for FMC in 80’s.
But these are all just small remarks, all in all I am in awe with the book and the characters and can recommend it even to those who have not liked Aydra from the first page. That's good to try!
June 19, 2025
Aydra Richards is one of the newer writers of historical romance, and she does an amazing job of it.
Here, we have Mercy and Thomas' story. These two are not strangers, as Mercy has been friends with his sisters for years, much to Thomas' consternation. He is the ultimate perfectionist - smart, very organized, too serious, and disciplined. Mercy is everything he is not - messy, fun-loving, diving into madcap ideas without thinking of consequences, and hopelessly forgetful (someone that, today, we would probably diagnose with ADD). These two have always been like oil and water, arguing vigorously. Thomas has frequently lectured Mercy on her failings - as he perceives them.
When circumstances throw Thomas, his family, and Mercy together in her father's London townhouse for the social season, things begin to change. Our H and h begin to really get to know each other. He is able to see and appreciate her kindness toward everyone, as well as her self-consciousness about being forgetful. She is able to see that his late father, a cold, forbidding man, is the source of some of Thomas' traits.
I absolutely loved this story for the way it lets our H and h get to know each other, accept each other's differences, and fall in love. I also loved Mercy's strength and her insistence on being exactly who she is. Thomas seriously redeemed himself by realizing what is important and becoming the kind of man he is really meant to be.
The road to true love took a little extra traveling for these two. They were both keeping secrets, after all, but I was cheering for them by the end.
I highly recommend this author to any fellow bookworm who enjoys historical romance. Aydra's books do have some spice in case that is a factor in your reading choices. I always feel the spicy scenes are beautifully done, though.
Here, we have Mercy and Thomas' story. These two are not strangers, as Mercy has been friends with his sisters for years, much to Thomas' consternation. He is the ultimate perfectionist - smart, very organized, too serious, and disciplined. Mercy is everything he is not - messy, fun-loving, diving into madcap ideas without thinking of consequences, and hopelessly forgetful (someone that, today, we would probably diagnose with ADD). These two have always been like oil and water, arguing vigorously. Thomas has frequently lectured Mercy on her failings - as he perceives them.
When circumstances throw Thomas, his family, and Mercy together in her father's London townhouse for the social season, things begin to change. Our H and h begin to really get to know each other. He is able to see and appreciate her kindness toward everyone, as well as her self-consciousness about being forgetful. She is able to see that his late father, a cold, forbidding man, is the source of some of Thomas' traits.
I absolutely loved this story for the way it lets our H and h get to know each other, accept each other's differences, and fall in love. I also loved Mercy's strength and her insistence on being exactly who she is. Thomas seriously redeemed himself by realizing what is important and becoming the kind of man he is really meant to be.
The road to true love took a little extra traveling for these two. They were both keeping secrets, after all, but I was cheering for them by the end.
I highly recommend this author to any fellow bookworm who enjoys historical romance. Aydra's books do have some spice in case that is a factor in your reading choices. I always feel the spicy scenes are beautifully done, though.
August 13, 2025
Cute - Thomas the starchy baron has been menaced by his free-spirited neighbor Mercy since childhood. After getting fleeced by his solicitor, Thomas makes a deal with Mercy's wealthy mill owner father that he will help Mercy find a husband in exchange for the funding of a London season for his mother and 2 sisters while he tries to track down his missing funds. In London, Thomas discovers that Mercy's oddities aren't simply willful (ADHD coded) and that her particular brand of chaos is what he needs in his life. Very charming except for the withholding of Mercy's "secret" which felt ham-fisted. Nice exploration of the narrow snobbery of the Ton and aristocratic vs merchant social scene.
April 16, 2025
This book was delightful. Mercy had undiagnosed ADHD, misplaced stuff most of the time, rich beyond belief and had a scandalous secret. Thomas was a typical impoverished starchy hero and a painful past with his father. A bit of enemies to lovers at the beginning. I loved the scene where the couple talked out about what they felt and very few romance books had this. It’s not just bam bam instalust. We could see how they gradually fell in love. And once Thomas realized he was in love, he was unshakable and all in.
July 11, 2025
Rounded up from 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the quiet moments between the MMC and FMC (billiards!), and the representation of ADHD and stammering. The docked star and a half is because the slow burn wasn’t slow enough for me personally, and it felt like the switch flipped a bit quickly between annoyance and love. Also, I was convinced for most of it that there was going to be an arc in which Thomas had to deal with his alcoholism, because the man was necking neat spirits in nearly every scene. But Aydra Richards remains a surefire author for me and this looks like the start of a fun new series!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2025
You don't reward people for crimes like embezzlement. It doesn't matter that it turned out ok in the end - - the fact remains that the guy stole and wasted an entire fortune to pay his gambling debts. He bankrupted a widow and her children to support his habit. What's going to happen the next time he ends up in debt? He's very likely to squander his money again, probably by gambling, and then he'll steal from another client. They let him go without any consequences, and he has no reason not to do it again. Ugh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2026
Wealthy silk merchant, Mr. Fletcher has a problem of a daughter and Thomas, Baron Armitage, has been embezzled by his man-of-business. Mr. Fletcher will finance Thomas taking his Mother and sisters to London for the Season, if Thomas will include Mercy. So begins a funny romance of enemies-to-lovers. Set in 1830 this story takes a look at a woman dealing with what we now know as ADHD. I liked the things they created to help her deal with the condition. Nicely done.
July 29, 2025
Many anachronistic and completely unbelievable situations are sprinkled through this poor attempt at portraying life in the 1800's. There is absolutely no excuse for including excessive swearing by members of the upper class, especially in mixed company. Gaps in plot continuity and unrealistic behavior left me rolling my eyes and shaking my head. My advice is to pick a better author.
March 26, 2025
Tooth achingly sweet, perfect remedy for when you're feeling down. Do I miss the famous Aydra Richards brand of angst? Of course I do, but am equally pleased that she's branching out. God, it was AMAZING. Just so great.
March 28, 2025
Low angst is my least favorite & this book is basically NO angst.
Every plot point that felt like it was building up to something really great, just fizzled out. Such a shame because the first 30% is excellent, but after Thomas befriends Mercy, the book is really dull after that.
Every plot point that felt like it was building up to something really great, just fizzled out. Such a shame because the first 30% is excellent, but after Thomas befriends Mercy, the book is really dull after that.
April 2, 2025
I didn't want to finish this book, it really hit all the points a great novel does,meaning every emotion. I loved the story, I loved the characters and I can't wait for the next book in the series. Thanks Aydra
July 19, 2025
Just doing my duty by letting people know this author is racist and anti-Palestinian. Screenshots came out where she mocks Palestinians. Calls them stupid for grieving. It made me feel sick reading it.
July 26, 2025
Love how ADHD was represented in Mercy and how Thomas did all he could to help her navigate her challenges better. I also liked how so many people in this book snubbed to aristocratic rules…it felt like a more modern read.
October 16, 2025
not my taste which disappointed me. it felt like every time something got revealed it was to reason why x happened, why y reacted this way, why z became so... the 'reveal' was underwhelming imo and i skimmed the last few pages.
March 26, 2025
DNF. I'm always looking forward to this author's books, however I couldn't get thru this one...tried a couple times. Not her best.
March 26, 2025
Incredibly sweet, and stand up applause for a heroine who thinks 'wow this ball is boring and shit' and then straight up leaves to go home and chill on the sofa. My kind of girl!
July 1, 2025
Awesome to see ADHD representation in the heroine.
July 15, 2025
fine writing but zero plot, intrigue, characterization or romance.
August 6, 2025
Sweet little ebook recommended by the New York Times. If you’re a Julia Quinn fan, this one is right up your alley. Lots of Bridgerton echoes, and of course a happy ending.
November 14, 2025
I was 2 hours late to a party because I simply could not put this book down. THIS ONE IS TRULY FOR MY ADHD GIRLIES
December 14, 2025
2.5 stars. I like the ADHD aspect of the book, but it was very repetitive of parts and Altho the spice was great, I didn’t get the feels from the book. The chemistry was just not really there imo.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews