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Fairfax Sisters #2
The Scandal of the Season
Calling all Bridgerton and Jane Austen fans! Fall in love with your favourite new Regency series, with this second installment from the Fairfax family…
‘Worthy of Georgette Heyer…the most wonderfully satisfying five star Regency Romp’ Julie Caplin
‘I wager you this, Miss Fairfax – you’ll choose to marry for every reason other than love by the end of the season!’
Miss Sophie Fairfax has every intention of marrying for love, refusing to go along with her brother’s plans for a marriage of convenience or title. Throwing caution to the wind at her very first ball, Sophie finds herself in the path of the most notorious rake in the ton.
Agreeing a wager with him may be wicked, but finding herself alone with the dangerously attractive Lord Rotherby might be one scandal too far…
A must-listen for fans of Evie Dunmore, Martha Waters and Virginia Heath
‘Worthy of Georgette Heyer…the most wonderfully satisfying five star Regency Romp’ Julie Caplin
‘I wager you this, Miss Fairfax – you’ll choose to marry for every reason other than love by the end of the season!’
Miss Sophie Fairfax has every intention of marrying for love, refusing to go along with her brother’s plans for a marriage of convenience or title. Throwing caution to the wind at her very first ball, Sophie finds herself in the path of the most notorious rake in the ton.
Agreeing a wager with him may be wicked, but finding herself alone with the dangerously attractive Lord Rotherby might be one scandal too far…
A must-listen for fans of Evie Dunmore, Martha Waters and Virginia Heath
320 pages, Paperback
Published June 5, 2025
92 people are currently reading
238 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Kenney
5 books55 followersI’m a firm believer in magic, and that ancient doorways to other worlds can still be found if we look hard enough. I’m also a hopeless scribbleaholic and, when left to my own devices, likes nothing better than to dream up new fantasy worlds in the back of a dog-eared notebook. Doctors say they're unlikely to find a cure any time soon.
In between scribbling, I love reading, running, attempting to play bluegrass and beach treasure-hunting with my small people (dreamers-in-training).
Somehow, I have an LLB (hons) degree, an APD in Public Relations and I’m an Accredited Practitioner with the CIPR. But I’m definitely happiest curled up against a rainy window, with my nose in a book!
I’m represented by Northbank Talent Management, and love chatting all things book-related at https://www.facebook.com/BookofFireMK Twitter: @mkenneypr and Instagram: @mich_kenneyauthor
Book of Fire is the first in a YAFantasy Trilogy published by HarperCollins HQ. City of Dust, Book 2, was published October 2018 (digital) and December 2018 (paperback), and Storm of Ash, the final instalment was published in December 2019 (Digital) and February 2020 (Paperback)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
April 25, 2025
A solid 4⭐️read for me! I am so grateful to Michelle Kenney and One More Chapter HC for sending me a copy of this ARC. Sophie Fairfax took a back seat in her sister Phoebe’s book The Mismatch of the Season, but she is center stage and stirring up all kinds of trouble in The Scandal of the Season. Once the action takes off after some initial recap/scene setting, it is nonstop for the last 60-70% until the end with Sophie’s love/hate/love to hate relationship with Rotherby. This has a fun and unique premise and a spin on the “avoiding accidental ruination” trope. I found Sophie to be an interesting heroine and appreciated her wanting control of her own narrative. Rotherby was the perfect foil for her and the she-takes-care-of-him trope?? Perfection. I’ll absolutely be looking out for more Fairfax stories!
April 17, 2025
While The Scandal of the Season had potential, it didn’t land for me. The tone felt overly silly and exaggerated, and many of the plot points stretched believability to the limit. The romance progressed far too quickly to feel earned, jumping from strangers to passionate interest with little development.
It’s clearly aiming to charm Bridgerton fans, but for me, it leaned too heavily on familiar tropes without offering enough originality. Readers who enjoy whimsical, over-the-top Regency drama may still find enjoyment here, but it wasn’t quite my cup of tea.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It’s clearly aiming to charm Bridgerton fans, but for me, it leaned too heavily on familiar tropes without offering enough originality. Readers who enjoy whimsical, over-the-top Regency drama may still find enjoyment here, but it wasn’t quite my cup of tea.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 1, 2025
Huge thank you to Michelle Kenney and One More Chapter for sending me an ARC to review! 🩷
I loved the early 2000s regency movie vibes of the first book in this series, so of course I was excited when I saw another Fairfax sister was getting a book! Once again, the vibes were immaculate. Sophie Fairfax is stubborn but levelheaded, until she meets and makes a wager with Dominic. Then she manages to derail all of her plans with one rash midnight excursion.
This had a little more focus on the romance instead of the family in this book, which I enjoyed. This is still a clean romance, despite the opening scene taking place in a brothel 😅. I loved the dynamic between Dominic and Sophie while they travel especially, and the ending was literal perfection. This book has a very unique take on the classic “oh no I’m compromised” historical romance trope that I loved. I wish we had gotten a bit more buildup to the conflict, because the big event happens 50% in and lasts till almost the end of the book. I would’ve preferred more focus on the tension and yearning, rather than such a drawn out conflict.
Michelle Kenney is definitely turning into my go to author for a sweet little regency romp. 4/5 stars ⭐️
I loved the early 2000s regency movie vibes of the first book in this series, so of course I was excited when I saw another Fairfax sister was getting a book! Once again, the vibes were immaculate. Sophie Fairfax is stubborn but levelheaded, until she meets and makes a wager with Dominic. Then she manages to derail all of her plans with one rash midnight excursion.
This had a little more focus on the romance instead of the family in this book, which I enjoyed. This is still a clean romance, despite the opening scene taking place in a brothel 😅. I loved the dynamic between Dominic and Sophie while they travel especially, and the ending was literal perfection. This book has a very unique take on the classic “oh no I’m compromised” historical romance trope that I loved. I wish we had gotten a bit more buildup to the conflict, because the big event happens 50% in and lasts till almost the end of the book. I would’ve preferred more focus on the tension and yearning, rather than such a drawn out conflict.
Michelle Kenney is definitely turning into my go to author for a sweet little regency romp. 4/5 stars ⭐️
April 15, 2025
El principio me ha gustado y el último capitulo ha estado bien, pero hay por en medio una serie de capítulos que se me han hecho raros.
No está mal del todo, creo que tenía mucho potencial, pero ha sido, en mi opinión, demasiado corto. Me ha faltado un desarrollo del romance. No me puedes decir que en un capítulo se están peleando y que en unos cuantos después (en los que no se han visto) estén enamorados por arte de magia. ¿Por qué? ¿Qué le han visto al otro? si han pasado un total de tres wscenas juntos....
Pero en fin, lo mismo de siempre. Que le hace falta un buen slow burn
No está mal del todo, creo que tenía mucho potencial, pero ha sido, en mi opinión, demasiado corto. Me ha faltado un desarrollo del romance. No me puedes decir que en un capítulo se están peleando y que en unos cuantos después (en los que no se han visto) estén enamorados por arte de magia. ¿Por qué? ¿Qué le han visto al otro? si han pasado un total de tres wscenas juntos....
Pero en fin, lo mismo de siempre. Que le hace falta un buen slow burn
April 18, 2025
The Scandal of the Season is a regency rom-com, written by Michelle Kenney. It is book 2 in the Fairfax Sisters series, and since there are quite a few characters that are introduced in book 1, I recommend reading this series in order. This book is written using a primarily traditional regency writing style, however it felt more modern that book 1 and had less formal language.
Plot Summary: Sophie wants to find a love match. But, through a series of unfortunate circumstances, she may be faced into a less than ideal marriage of convenience with the infamous rake Dominic. She works tirelessly to avoid matrimony to someone she doesn't truly love, and in doing so, begins developing feelings for Dominic that don't reconcile with her goals. Will she find a love match where she least expects it?
Impressions: I found the opening brothel scene with its explicit reference to be both shocking and scandalous, considering there was nary a kiss in book 1, or anything more than kissing in the rest of this book. I felt like that started the book on the wrong foot.
The first half of the book was primarily dialogue, and I found myself wanting more narration to go with it. The second half shifted by adding in tons of French phrases and words in every paragraph. Since I took French for several years, I knew the meaning of the words myself, but I could see this alienating and confusing some readers. I also felt like the regency slang was overused.
Overall, the book felt silly/over-the-top with odd pacing, as if the plot was just in first-draft mode and not polished. I didn't personally connect to any of the characters. Therefore, this book was a miss for me.
Content: Light scant language, A brief brothel scene with one explicit reference, some innuendoes, kisses only.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the complementary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. My review is my own opinion and is in no way influenced by the author or publisher.
Plot Summary: Sophie wants to find a love match. But, through a series of unfortunate circumstances, she may be faced into a less than ideal marriage of convenience with the infamous rake Dominic. She works tirelessly to avoid matrimony to someone she doesn't truly love, and in doing so, begins developing feelings for Dominic that don't reconcile with her goals. Will she find a love match where she least expects it?
Impressions: I found the opening brothel scene with its explicit reference to be both shocking and scandalous, considering there was nary a kiss in book 1, or anything more than kissing in the rest of this book. I felt like that started the book on the wrong foot.
The first half of the book was primarily dialogue, and I found myself wanting more narration to go with it. The second half shifted by adding in tons of French phrases and words in every paragraph. Since I took French for several years, I knew the meaning of the words myself, but I could see this alienating and confusing some readers. I also felt like the regency slang was overused.
Overall, the book felt silly/over-the-top with odd pacing, as if the plot was just in first-draft mode and not polished. I didn't personally connect to any of the characters. Therefore, this book was a miss for me.
Content: Light scant language, A brief brothel scene with one explicit reference, some innuendoes, kisses only.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the complementary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. My review is my own opinion and is in no way influenced by the author or publisher.
April 21, 2025
This was a delightfully lighthearted regency romp from Michelle Kenney, and the second novel in her regency series. It stands very independently on its own two feet (much like its heroine, Sophie Fairfax), so if you haven’t read the first in this series it won’t be a problem.
If you have read Mismatch, your favourite regency family is back, and this time it’s Sophie’s turn for an outing. Rotherby proves a worthy opponent and shenanigans ensue.
This story is a lot of fun, and a perfect springtime read. Five stars from me, with thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC
The Scandal of the Season publishes on 23 May.
If you have read Mismatch, your favourite regency family is back, and this time it’s Sophie’s turn for an outing. Rotherby proves a worthy opponent and shenanigans ensue.
This story is a lot of fun, and a perfect springtime read. Five stars from me, with thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC
The Scandal of the Season publishes on 23 May.
April 5, 2025
After LOVING the first book in this series, I wanted more and I was not disappointed!!
Phoebe is a brilliantly feisty heroine, determined to stand up for what she believes in. Her only flaws? Not being able to turn down a wager. And when it comes from one of the most notorious rakes of the ton, chaos ensues!
Each character is so well written, each plot twist leaves you gasping and the end is perfection. I could go on forever but I'll spoil it for everyone else!
Phoebe is a brilliantly feisty heroine, determined to stand up for what she believes in. Her only flaws? Not being able to turn down a wager. And when it comes from one of the most notorious rakes of the ton, chaos ensues!
Each character is so well written, each plot twist leaves you gasping and the end is perfection. I could go on forever but I'll spoil it for everyone else!
May 5, 2025
One More Chapter continues to be my favorite digital publisher. Their books are higher quality because they have big publishing behind them (HarperCollins).
This novel is a fun Regency romance that follows strong-willed Sophie who swears to marry only for love. But when she finds herself in a series of compromising situations, she may have to reevaluate her choices or leave her world behind.
Readers aren’t left wondering if they haven’t read the first book in the series. Recommended for fans of the genre.
I received an electronic copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This novel is a fun Regency romance that follows strong-willed Sophie who swears to marry only for love. But when she finds herself in a series of compromising situations, she may have to reevaluate her choices or leave her world behind.
Readers aren’t left wondering if they haven’t read the first book in the series. Recommended for fans of the genre.
I received an electronic copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 22, 2025
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy
The Scandal of the Season by Michelle Kenney is a third person-POV Regency romance. Lord Rotherby is a rake and a confirmed bachelor who has no interest in marrying. Sophie Fairfax is determined to marry for love despite everyone around her claiming it’s highly unlikely and she’ll end up picking a partner based on status or as a means to an end. When Lord Rotherby and Sophie make a bet about Sophie’s future match, it starts a collision course that neither are expecting.
Aurelia from the last novel shows up and has something of a different role. In the previous book, Aurelia is comfortable in the knowledge that she is engaged to a viscount and a lot of her rivalry with Phoebe has to do with Phoebe’s not like other girls attitude. In this story, Aurelia is determined to find a new partner and she sets her sights on Lord Rotherby to the point that she has convinced herself that he is interested in her and full plans on trapping him by meeting him late at night to go to Paris, a plan that Sophie derails to save Aurelia from ruin. What makes this frustrating is that Sophie does view Aurelia as a friend or a potential friend while Aurelia doesn’t really view Sophie as much more than a potential rival.
Like Phoebe’s book, almost everything is from Sophie’s POV except the prologue and epilogue, which are from Lord Rotherby’s POV. As such, we don’t get a ton of insight into Lord Rotherby’s feelings for Sophie outside of what he is willing to tell her. When Sophie enacts her plan to protect Aurelia, we learn that Lord Rotherby and a married woman have been having an affair as he doesn’t get involved with debutantes nor does he desire to ‘ruin’ young women in society. Despite Sophie’s negative feelings towards him being a rake, she does end up respecting his personal code towards who he seeks out.
I would recommend this to fans of the previous book and readers of Regency romance who prefer romances mostly from one character’s POV
The Scandal of the Season by Michelle Kenney is a third person-POV Regency romance. Lord Rotherby is a rake and a confirmed bachelor who has no interest in marrying. Sophie Fairfax is determined to marry for love despite everyone around her claiming it’s highly unlikely and she’ll end up picking a partner based on status or as a means to an end. When Lord Rotherby and Sophie make a bet about Sophie’s future match, it starts a collision course that neither are expecting.
Aurelia from the last novel shows up and has something of a different role. In the previous book, Aurelia is comfortable in the knowledge that she is engaged to a viscount and a lot of her rivalry with Phoebe has to do with Phoebe’s not like other girls attitude. In this story, Aurelia is determined to find a new partner and she sets her sights on Lord Rotherby to the point that she has convinced herself that he is interested in her and full plans on trapping him by meeting him late at night to go to Paris, a plan that Sophie derails to save Aurelia from ruin. What makes this frustrating is that Sophie does view Aurelia as a friend or a potential friend while Aurelia doesn’t really view Sophie as much more than a potential rival.
Like Phoebe’s book, almost everything is from Sophie’s POV except the prologue and epilogue, which are from Lord Rotherby’s POV. As such, we don’t get a ton of insight into Lord Rotherby’s feelings for Sophie outside of what he is willing to tell her. When Sophie enacts her plan to protect Aurelia, we learn that Lord Rotherby and a married woman have been having an affair as he doesn’t get involved with debutantes nor does he desire to ‘ruin’ young women in society. Despite Sophie’s negative feelings towards him being a rake, she does end up respecting his personal code towards who he seeks out.
I would recommend this to fans of the previous book and readers of Regency romance who prefer romances mostly from one character’s POV
May 18, 2025
Thank you so much to NetGalley, One More Chapter and Michelle Kenney for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This is a refreshingly modern take on the traditional regency novel. It seems to have elements of Austen’s beloved Pride and Prejudice (I’m thinking of Lydia Bennett), whilst projecting the vision of strong willed female characters that have their own agency. I particularly enjoyed how Sophie was driven by her own values throughout. She wanted her own life, but didn’t feel the need to compromise by having either a ‘career’ or romance.
In drawing her own path of happiness, Sophie encounters a rather difficult and scary journey. Whilst I really enjoyed the story as a whole, the plot was a little long drawn for me personally. There were some beautiful moments, and then other scenarios that I thought were maybe a bit far fetched. However, the conclusion was very satisfying. I liked the inclusion of regency vocabulary.
I haven’t read the first book in the series, but this did not affect the reading experience. The characters from this first book appear quite prominently, but there wasn’t anything that I felt I’d missed in the previous story to need to understand this one. I’d say this is an interconnected standalone.
I love that Kenney has penned her own regency series for the modern audience. It has some great settings and characters and would be enjoyable for any romance fan (particularly those who love Bridgerton).
This is a refreshingly modern take on the traditional regency novel. It seems to have elements of Austen’s beloved Pride and Prejudice (I’m thinking of Lydia Bennett), whilst projecting the vision of strong willed female characters that have their own agency. I particularly enjoyed how Sophie was driven by her own values throughout. She wanted her own life, but didn’t feel the need to compromise by having either a ‘career’ or romance.
In drawing her own path of happiness, Sophie encounters a rather difficult and scary journey. Whilst I really enjoyed the story as a whole, the plot was a little long drawn for me personally. There were some beautiful moments, and then other scenarios that I thought were maybe a bit far fetched. However, the conclusion was very satisfying. I liked the inclusion of regency vocabulary.
I haven’t read the first book in the series, but this did not affect the reading experience. The characters from this first book appear quite prominently, but there wasn’t anything that I felt I’d missed in the previous story to need to understand this one. I’d say this is an interconnected standalone.
I love that Kenney has penned her own regency series for the modern audience. It has some great settings and characters and would be enjoyable for any romance fan (particularly those who love Bridgerton).
July 30, 2025
It took me several days to finish it, and I'm still trying to understand what this book was all about...
The narrative was completely silly and over-the-top. If all the escapes and predicaments FMM got herself into were supposed to be comical, for me, they didn't have any effect.
The main characters didn't even have any dialogue to create any real character development.
The narrative was completely silly and over-the-top. If all the escapes and predicaments FMM got herself into were supposed to be comical, for me, they didn't have any effect.
The main characters didn't even have any dialogue to create any real character development.
July 19, 2025
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ‘𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐭,’ 𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝, 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠. '𝐍𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫, 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞. 𝐘𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝, 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐈 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭-𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬!’ 𝐇𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭. '𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫, 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐱, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝, 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞.’ 𝐇𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐧. '𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝.'⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
Thank you NetGalley, publisher and author for allowing me to read this book!
I enjoyed it but I didn’t at the same time… all I can say is that I slightly enjoyed the author’s first book, “mismatch of the season”, more. And I feel like with regency novels, you’d really have to zone in on the language - i felt like I couldn’t understand some of the regency narrative. I was really looking forward to this novel.
But there were tropes that I did like though and it did pick up halfway through the book. The words exchanged were cute and Lord Rotherby and Sophie Fairfax’s dynamic reminded me of Anthony and Kate’s enemies to lovers mixed with Simon and Daphne’s marriage of convenience from Bridgerton.
•Enemies to lovers
•Wager
•Marriage of convenience
•Scandal
Overall, if you want another Bridgerton-esque regency then this novel is for you! Be prepared for in fact this really was 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏…
2.5/5 ⭐️
ੈ✩‧₊˚𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒚, 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒋𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒃𝒚 𝑯𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒏 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎. 𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒆𝒕, 𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒆'𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒅. 𝑻𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒍𝒚?
ੈ✩‧₊˚ '𝑰 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑'𝒔 𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏,' 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒚. '𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒆, 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆. 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒅𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉, 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍. 𝑾𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆, 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒚, 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒃𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒂𝒍.
ੈ✩‧₊˚ '𝑰 𝒔𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚, 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒂 𝑹𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆. 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒕 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰'𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆. 𝑬𝒙𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒂𝒄𝒕'
ੈ✩‧₊˚ '𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒆, 𝑴𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝑭𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒇𝒂𝒙 ... 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒖𝒃𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒅𝒐, 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒅, 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒂 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 - 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒍𝒚.'
Thank you NetGalley, publisher and author for allowing me to read this book!
I enjoyed it but I didn’t at the same time… all I can say is that I slightly enjoyed the author’s first book, “mismatch of the season”, more. And I feel like with regency novels, you’d really have to zone in on the language - i felt like I couldn’t understand some of the regency narrative. I was really looking forward to this novel.
But there were tropes that I did like though and it did pick up halfway through the book. The words exchanged were cute and Lord Rotherby and Sophie Fairfax’s dynamic reminded me of Anthony and Kate’s enemies to lovers mixed with Simon and Daphne’s marriage of convenience from Bridgerton.
•Enemies to lovers
•Wager
•Marriage of convenience
•Scandal
Overall, if you want another Bridgerton-esque regency then this novel is for you! Be prepared for in fact this really was 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏…
2.5/5 ⭐️
ੈ✩‧₊˚𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒚, 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒋𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒃𝒚 𝑯𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒏 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎. 𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒆𝒕, 𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒆'𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒅. 𝑻𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒍𝒚?
ੈ✩‧₊˚ '𝑰 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑'𝒔 𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏,' 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒚. '𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒆, 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆. 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒅𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉, 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍. 𝑾𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆, 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒚, 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒃𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒂𝒍.
ੈ✩‧₊˚ '𝑰 𝒔𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚, 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒂 𝑹𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆. 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒕 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰'𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆. 𝑬𝒙𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒂𝒄𝒕'
ੈ✩‧₊˚ '𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒆, 𝑴𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝑭𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒇𝒂𝒙 ... 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒖𝒃𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒅𝒐, 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒅, 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒂 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 - 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒍𝒚.'
August 11, 2025
Miss Sophie Fairfax is determined to marry for love—not for convenience or status, despite her brother’s wishes. At her first ball, she boldly steps into high society and soon crosses paths with the infamous Lord Rotherby, known for his rakish reputation.
When a daring wager draws them closer, Sophie finds herself flirting with both temptation and trouble. But being caught alone with the dangerously charming lord could turn her bold debut into a full-blown scandal…
Phew, most of this book is so intense! After a short intro, at least 70% of the book is non-stop action, and Sophie definitely gets no peace—it's just drama after drama. I liked how the book immediately gave off a Bridgerton vibe, very much the Regency period experience.
I gave this book three stars because it felt a bit overcrowded—so many events happening in such a short time, everyone chasing after each other... oh my, too much. I didn’t get the sense that there was much visible character growth; Sophie is very dramatic and constantly going back and forth with "I want this/I don’t want this," always second-guessing, and in the end, it was all pretty predictable.
It also annoyed me a little how often characters from the first book were mentioned without enough explanation of what had happened with them—I felt like a big part of the story was missing.
If you enjoy Regency romance, you’ll probably like all the scandal here. I definitely recommend reading the book—but now I have to go back and catch up on the first one in the series!
When a daring wager draws them closer, Sophie finds herself flirting with both temptation and trouble. But being caught alone with the dangerously charming lord could turn her bold debut into a full-blown scandal…
Phew, most of this book is so intense! After a short intro, at least 70% of the book is non-stop action, and Sophie definitely gets no peace—it's just drama after drama. I liked how the book immediately gave off a Bridgerton vibe, very much the Regency period experience.
I gave this book three stars because it felt a bit overcrowded—so many events happening in such a short time, everyone chasing after each other... oh my, too much. I didn’t get the sense that there was much visible character growth; Sophie is very dramatic and constantly going back and forth with "I want this/I don’t want this," always second-guessing, and in the end, it was all pretty predictable.
It also annoyed me a little how often characters from the first book were mentioned without enough explanation of what had happened with them—I felt like a big part of the story was missing.
If you enjoy Regency romance, you’ll probably like all the scandal here. I definitely recommend reading the book—but now I have to go back and catch up on the first one in the series!
April 19, 2025
I wanted to love The Scandal of the Season. Truly. A Regency romantic comedy with a rebellious FMC and a rake in need of redemption? That’s basically a must for me, a huge fan of Bridgerton and other historical romance television shows. But unfortunately, this one felt like a glittery mess of good intentions and awkward execution.
We’re following Sophie Fairfax this time, the younger sister of book one’s FMC. She’s smart, fiery, and determined not to be married off like some bartering chip. Naturally, she ends up in a scandalous situation with Dominic, Lord Rotherby, who is the infamous rake everyone warns her about. Cue tension, banter, and longing glances. Sounds great in theory, but in reality? It didn’t land.
The tone shift from book one is wild. We go from a sweet, proper story to opening with a brothel scene. Yup. A Regency rom com kicking off in a brothel, but without the payoff or heat to justify it. The rest of the book swings back into pretty tame territory, so it just ends up feeling out of place, like the book doesn’t quite know what it wants to be.
Also… the French. So. Much. French. I get that it’s supposed to be cute or add flair, but at some point, I felt like I needed Duolingo to keep up. Add to that a heaping dose of Regency slang, with some of it charming, some of it so obscure it made me feel like I was reading a historical fever dream, and it all became a bit much.
The biggest issue, though, was the lack of chemistry. Sophie and Dominic go from strangers to somehow being into each other without any real buildup. Their dynamic had potential (hello, enemies to lovers!), but it moved way to quickly before I was even invested. I didn’t feel the slow burn or tension, and it was more like a spark that fizzled out before it even lit the fuse.
Honestly, it felt like a first draft that needed a bit more polish and a lot more editing. The plot meandered, the dialogue overwhelmed the narrative, and the emotional beats missed their mark. I wanted witty, romantic chaos; I got disjointed pacing and a romance I didn’t buy into.
If it hadn’t been an ARC, I probably would’ve DNFd. But hey, I appreciate the chance to read it early. Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, NetGalley, and Michelle Kenney for the eARC of this book.
We’re following Sophie Fairfax this time, the younger sister of book one’s FMC. She’s smart, fiery, and determined not to be married off like some bartering chip. Naturally, she ends up in a scandalous situation with Dominic, Lord Rotherby, who is the infamous rake everyone warns her about. Cue tension, banter, and longing glances. Sounds great in theory, but in reality? It didn’t land.
The tone shift from book one is wild. We go from a sweet, proper story to opening with a brothel scene. Yup. A Regency rom com kicking off in a brothel, but without the payoff or heat to justify it. The rest of the book swings back into pretty tame territory, so it just ends up feeling out of place, like the book doesn’t quite know what it wants to be.
Also… the French. So. Much. French. I get that it’s supposed to be cute or add flair, but at some point, I felt like I needed Duolingo to keep up. Add to that a heaping dose of Regency slang, with some of it charming, some of it so obscure it made me feel like I was reading a historical fever dream, and it all became a bit much.
The biggest issue, though, was the lack of chemistry. Sophie and Dominic go from strangers to somehow being into each other without any real buildup. Their dynamic had potential (hello, enemies to lovers!), but it moved way to quickly before I was even invested. I didn’t feel the slow burn or tension, and it was more like a spark that fizzled out before it even lit the fuse.
Honestly, it felt like a first draft that needed a bit more polish and a lot more editing. The plot meandered, the dialogue overwhelmed the narrative, and the emotional beats missed their mark. I wanted witty, romantic chaos; I got disjointed pacing and a romance I didn’t buy into.
If it hadn’t been an ARC, I probably would’ve DNFd. But hey, I appreciate the chance to read it early. Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, NetGalley, and Michelle Kenney for the eARC of this book.
May 12, 2025
Thank you Netgalley, HarperCollingsl UK, One More Chapter, and author Michelle Kenney for providing an ARC in exchange for a review! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
2.5 stars - Regency setting with Bridgerton vibes!
I have to start this review by admitting that this is the first book in Michelle Kenney’s Fairfax Sisters series that I have read. Although not a huge problem, not knowing the sisters beforehand made me feel I was missing some small details or references. That being said… let’s get into the book!
“The Scandal of the Season” is a historical rom-com targeted towards Bridgerton and Jane Austen fans (mainly because the plot and characters of this book were heavily inspired by Pride and Prejudice). Miss Sophie Fairfax, the youngest of the Fairfaxes, is settled in marrying for love and love only. In her first debutante ball, she meets the infamous rake, Lord Rotherby, with whom she makes a dangerous wager.
Now, that’s a preface for sure! I was so excited to read and love this book, because what’s not to love? Sadly, it just felt flat, and I was left extremely disappointed. Let’s start with the characters: We first meet Lord Rotherby at a brothel, he’s depicted as a scandalous rake with no heart, and yet he turns into a hopeless romantic when he meets Sophie. No scandals or libertine adventures to be seen. On the other hand, Sophie was a flat character who kept making horrible decisions, even when she was supposed to be the logical sibling.
In addition, the pacing felt off at times and there were a lot of things happening at the same time in some moments (running away across France, balls, revolutionaries, connections between characters…), which made it difficult to follow the storyline and enjoy the book.
On a more positive note, I did enjoy the writing style. It felt refreshing to read a period piece with period dialogue in it, and the “Period Dictionary” at the end of the book was a nice touch.
Although this wasn’t my favourite book ever, I still had fun reading it, and if you are looking for a light-hearted Regency rom-com with all your loved clichés, you should give this book a try.
2.5 stars - Regency setting with Bridgerton vibes!
I have to start this review by admitting that this is the first book in Michelle Kenney’s Fairfax Sisters series that I have read. Although not a huge problem, not knowing the sisters beforehand made me feel I was missing some small details or references. That being said… let’s get into the book!
“The Scandal of the Season” is a historical rom-com targeted towards Bridgerton and Jane Austen fans (mainly because the plot and characters of this book were heavily inspired by Pride and Prejudice). Miss Sophie Fairfax, the youngest of the Fairfaxes, is settled in marrying for love and love only. In her first debutante ball, she meets the infamous rake, Lord Rotherby, with whom she makes a dangerous wager.
Now, that’s a preface for sure! I was so excited to read and love this book, because what’s not to love? Sadly, it just felt flat, and I was left extremely disappointed. Let’s start with the characters: We first meet Lord Rotherby at a brothel, he’s depicted as a scandalous rake with no heart, and yet he turns into a hopeless romantic when he meets Sophie. No scandals or libertine adventures to be seen. On the other hand, Sophie was a flat character who kept making horrible decisions, even when she was supposed to be the logical sibling.
In addition, the pacing felt off at times and there were a lot of things happening at the same time in some moments (running away across France, balls, revolutionaries, connections between characters…), which made it difficult to follow the storyline and enjoy the book.
On a more positive note, I did enjoy the writing style. It felt refreshing to read a period piece with period dialogue in it, and the “Period Dictionary” at the end of the book was a nice touch.
Although this wasn’t my favourite book ever, I still had fun reading it, and if you are looking for a light-hearted Regency rom-com with all your loved clichés, you should give this book a try.
April 22, 2025
The Scandal of the Season by Michelle Kenney is a Regency romance that follows Sophie Fairfax, a determined young woman who aspires to marry for love rather than status. Sophie enters a wager with Lord Rotherby, a notorious rake who has no intentions of marriage. This bet sets off a series of unexpected events as Sophie navigates societal expectations and her growing feelings for Lord Rotherby. The story is filled with witty banter, emotional turmoil, and surprising twists, including the arrival of Aurelia, who complicates matters further. The narrative unfolds primarily from Sophie’s perspective, with glimpses into Lord Rotherby’s thoughts, revealing his secret affair with a married woman and his personal code regarding relationships. As Sophie attempts to salvage her reputation amid scandal and misunderstandings, the backdrop shifts to France, adding a French flair to the story. Readers will enjoy the humor, charm, and the ultimate question of whether Sophie can find love amidst the chaos.
Readers will enjoy the characters and the delightful tension between Sophie and Lord Rotherby. The witty dialogue and humorous situations create a lighthearted atmosphere, making it a fun read. The evolving relationship between the main characters offers a classic enemies-to-lovers trope that many readers adore. The addition of quirky side characters, like the spirited Lu-Lu and the scheming Aurelia, adds depth and intrigue to the plot. Set against the lush backdrop of Regency society, readers will relish the vivid descriptions and period details. This is a slow burn, closed door romance. While the focus is on Sophie and Rotherby, it's more about the chase and the unwinding of the complications that make this a fun read. There is an unexpected twist at the end that was fun. A perfect choice for historical fiction fans that are not into the more explicit historical romance. I enjoyed it!
This book releases May 23, 2025! Thank you to HarperCollinsUK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for a Advance Reader Copy.
Readers will enjoy the characters and the delightful tension between Sophie and Lord Rotherby. The witty dialogue and humorous situations create a lighthearted atmosphere, making it a fun read. The evolving relationship between the main characters offers a classic enemies-to-lovers trope that many readers adore. The addition of quirky side characters, like the spirited Lu-Lu and the scheming Aurelia, adds depth and intrigue to the plot. Set against the lush backdrop of Regency society, readers will relish the vivid descriptions and period details. This is a slow burn, closed door romance. While the focus is on Sophie and Rotherby, it's more about the chase and the unwinding of the complications that make this a fun read. There is an unexpected twist at the end that was fun. A perfect choice for historical fiction fans that are not into the more explicit historical romance. I enjoyed it!
This book releases May 23, 2025! Thank you to HarperCollinsUK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for a Advance Reader Copy.
May 20, 2025
Book 2, and the story of the Fairfax sisters continues to amaze, bewilder and entertain in equal measures.
Phoebe was the first sister to be married after a series of awkward misunderstandings on the way to finding her true love, and now it is the turn of younger sister Sophie.
Sophie is independently minded, wants her freedom, but doesn’t know how to get it. She wants a love match, but hasn’t yet joined the “ meat market”, also known as the debutante season. She is young, naive, headstrong and easily duped into helping friends who really don’t deserve her well meant endeavours. She makes unaccountable choices in life, but without the helping hand of her elder sister, very nearly comes a cropper in so many dangerous and reputation destroying situations.
Enter Lord Dominic Rotherby, a notorious rake, seducer of women, and yet an honourable man in his own way.
These two people meet at a Ball. Sophie tells him she is looking for true love, he wagers she will marry for any other reason than love, she recklessly accepts the wager. Then follows a campaign of each other becoming involved in unfortunate meetings, incidents, and various misunderstandings, not quite stalking behaviour, but there is an undoubted connection between the two of them that is only realised by a third party in Paris of all places.
Young Georgian women seem to have been quite ignorant about sex and men, they can fall prey to the most caddish behaviour, unless, like Phoebe, you manage to find a tolerant and devoted husband. There are many laughs along the way, some situations make you think of a farce being enacted, but the truth is, you have to kiss many frogs before you find your Prince.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers HarperCollinsUK, for my advanced read, freely given in return for my honest review. I gave this five stars.
I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.
Phoebe was the first sister to be married after a series of awkward misunderstandings on the way to finding her true love, and now it is the turn of younger sister Sophie.
Sophie is independently minded, wants her freedom, but doesn’t know how to get it. She wants a love match, but hasn’t yet joined the “ meat market”, also known as the debutante season. She is young, naive, headstrong and easily duped into helping friends who really don’t deserve her well meant endeavours. She makes unaccountable choices in life, but without the helping hand of her elder sister, very nearly comes a cropper in so many dangerous and reputation destroying situations.
Enter Lord Dominic Rotherby, a notorious rake, seducer of women, and yet an honourable man in his own way.
These two people meet at a Ball. Sophie tells him she is looking for true love, he wagers she will marry for any other reason than love, she recklessly accepts the wager. Then follows a campaign of each other becoming involved in unfortunate meetings, incidents, and various misunderstandings, not quite stalking behaviour, but there is an undoubted connection between the two of them that is only realised by a third party in Paris of all places.
Young Georgian women seem to have been quite ignorant about sex and men, they can fall prey to the most caddish behaviour, unless, like Phoebe, you manage to find a tolerant and devoted husband. There are many laughs along the way, some situations make you think of a farce being enacted, but the truth is, you have to kiss many frogs before you find your Prince.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers HarperCollinsUK, for my advanced read, freely given in return for my honest review. I gave this five stars.
I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.
August 27, 2025
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (4/5)
Review:
🎩✨ Michelle Kenney’s The Scandal of the Season is a delightful Regency romance that effortlessly blends wit, charm, and heartfelt emotion 💖. Following Sophie Fairfax, the youngest and most spirited of the Fairfax sisters, this story sweeps you into the glittering balls of London and the romantic streets of Paris 🇬🇧🇫🇷, immersing you in a richly detailed world of high society and elegant intrigue.
The slow-burning enemies-to-lovers relationship between Sophie and Lord Dominic Rotherby crackles with chemistry ⚡️, filled with witty banter and tender moments that keep you rooting for them every step of the way. Their dynamic reminded me a lot of the classic Pride and Prejudice vibe 📚 — sharp, spirited, and full of that timeless tension — with a dash of Bridgerton’s modern sass and steamy romance 🔥. It’s like watching your favorite Regency romance come to life with a fresh, contemporary twist.
That said, the pacing sometimes feels a bit slow 🐢, with some parts of the story lingering longer than necessary. Sophie herself is a strong, engaging heroine 💪, though at times her choices felt a little inconsistent, which made parts of her character development less satisfying. Additionally, a few plot twists, like the dramatic arrival of Aurelia, felt a bit predictable and could have used more buildup to have the full impact.
Overall, The Scandal of the Season is a charming and entertaining escape into Regency society that’s perfect if you’re in the mood for romance with heart 💘 and humor 😂. It might not be flawless, but its engaging characters and sparkling dialogue make it a rewarding read for fans of historical romance looking for something light, fun, and just a little bit scandalous.
If you love the sharp wit of Austen mixed with the glamorous drama of Bridgerton, this one’s definitely worth a spot on your TBR! 📖✨
*** ARC provided by NetGalley ***
Review:
🎩✨ Michelle Kenney’s The Scandal of the Season is a delightful Regency romance that effortlessly blends wit, charm, and heartfelt emotion 💖. Following Sophie Fairfax, the youngest and most spirited of the Fairfax sisters, this story sweeps you into the glittering balls of London and the romantic streets of Paris 🇬🇧🇫🇷, immersing you in a richly detailed world of high society and elegant intrigue.
The slow-burning enemies-to-lovers relationship between Sophie and Lord Dominic Rotherby crackles with chemistry ⚡️, filled with witty banter and tender moments that keep you rooting for them every step of the way. Their dynamic reminded me a lot of the classic Pride and Prejudice vibe 📚 — sharp, spirited, and full of that timeless tension — with a dash of Bridgerton’s modern sass and steamy romance 🔥. It’s like watching your favorite Regency romance come to life with a fresh, contemporary twist.
That said, the pacing sometimes feels a bit slow 🐢, with some parts of the story lingering longer than necessary. Sophie herself is a strong, engaging heroine 💪, though at times her choices felt a little inconsistent, which made parts of her character development less satisfying. Additionally, a few plot twists, like the dramatic arrival of Aurelia, felt a bit predictable and could have used more buildup to have the full impact.
Overall, The Scandal of the Season is a charming and entertaining escape into Regency society that’s perfect if you’re in the mood for romance with heart 💘 and humor 😂. It might not be flawless, but its engaging characters and sparkling dialogue make it a rewarding read for fans of historical romance looking for something light, fun, and just a little bit scandalous.
If you love the sharp wit of Austen mixed with the glamorous drama of Bridgerton, this one’s definitely worth a spot on your TBR! 📖✨
*** ARC provided by NetGalley ***
April 21, 2025
This was a fun story! Sophie’s life takes a huge but unexpected turn. But despite that, she hasn’t lost her spunk. She’s feisty and bold, and doesn’t quietly accepts defeat, which I liked about her. At the same time, she makes a disastrous decision which ruins her reputation. She then keeps trying to rescue her reputation, which is commendable but her lack of good judgement is sometimes astonishing. You can only read on, fascinated by Sophie’s ability to make things worse and awed by her determination not to give up but to dig herself out of the hole she’s created herself. The speed at which things spiral out of control is sometimes astonishing, but you can't help but read on and find out what happens next.
The pace is good, there are two men vying for her hand in marriage, there’s a French woman named Lu Lu who’s always in for fun, and a girl who is always out to get her and make things worse.
The most part of the book takes place in France, which is a nice alternative to the usual British society. I liked the description of Versailles, for example. Sophie trying her hand at sketching and designing clothes herself and being interested in the art of making them was also a nice addition to the story.
I have to say, there are a lot of references to the romance of Phoebe and her husband, which seems to be the first book in this series. I haven’t read that one so I couldn’t always follow what they were referring to.
This was my first book by Michelle Kenney but I will definitely check out her other books! It is a fun, clean and entertaining read with a satisfying ending and I can honestly recommend it!
Thank you HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, Netgalley and Michelle Kenney for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The pace is good, there are two men vying for her hand in marriage, there’s a French woman named Lu Lu who’s always in for fun, and a girl who is always out to get her and make things worse.
The most part of the book takes place in France, which is a nice alternative to the usual British society. I liked the description of Versailles, for example. Sophie trying her hand at sketching and designing clothes herself and being interested in the art of making them was also a nice addition to the story.
I have to say, there are a lot of references to the romance of Phoebe and her husband, which seems to be the first book in this series. I haven’t read that one so I couldn’t always follow what they were referring to.
This was my first book by Michelle Kenney but I will definitely check out her other books! It is a fun, clean and entertaining read with a satisfying ending and I can honestly recommend it!
Thank you HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, Netgalley and Michelle Kenney for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 5, 2025
This is a follow-up to Mismatch of the Season which I have also read and enjoyed. In this story, Phoebe's sister Sophie is making her debut and is expected to make a good match. After all, she's the good girl in the family and follows all the rules. Except Sophie has ideas of making a love match and, when put in the path of Lord Rotherby, a well-known rake, she makes a wager that she will indeed marry for love. When Sophie tried to stop Aurelia (basically mean girl from the first book) from making a terrible mistake, she ends up compromised and eventually finds herself travelling to France with Rotherby.
One does wonder why Sophie feels so obliged to protect Aurelia from disaster. Of course, this story has no legs without this misstep. I mostly liked Sophie, but her missteps become a bit numerous through the story and that does take away from her a bit. That said, people do make stupid mistakes and continue to make them despite surely having learned one's lesson. As to the romance, I think there's a decent spark between Sophie and Rotherby from the start but I'm not sure it carried through as much as it could have. There's some great banter between the two throughout, though, which may make up for that to some extent. I felt Sophie's interest in fashion design was given rather uneven attention. It was such a passion for her at the start but seemed more a very much side story by the end. The villain of Weston is expectedly lovely on the outside but a nasty piece of work inside. It does all work out in the end, but I did feel there was a bit too much madcap in the latter part of the story.
Overall, I did enjoy this, but it wasn't quite as strong as the previous book. I give it 3 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter for the free advanced reader copy. My feedback in totally voluntary.
One does wonder why Sophie feels so obliged to protect Aurelia from disaster. Of course, this story has no legs without this misstep. I mostly liked Sophie, but her missteps become a bit numerous through the story and that does take away from her a bit. That said, people do make stupid mistakes and continue to make them despite surely having learned one's lesson. As to the romance, I think there's a decent spark between Sophie and Rotherby from the start but I'm not sure it carried through as much as it could have. There's some great banter between the two throughout, though, which may make up for that to some extent. I felt Sophie's interest in fashion design was given rather uneven attention. It was such a passion for her at the start but seemed more a very much side story by the end. The villain of Weston is expectedly lovely on the outside but a nasty piece of work inside. It does all work out in the end, but I did feel there was a bit too much madcap in the latter part of the story.
Overall, I did enjoy this, but it wasn't quite as strong as the previous book. I give it 3 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter for the free advanced reader copy. My feedback in totally voluntary.
May 2, 2025
Originally published on
Hina Loves To Read
I picked up (requsted on NetGalley) The Scandal of the Season by Michelle Kenney because the synopsis promised a charming Regency romp with a headstrong heroine, a notorious rake, and a juicy wager at the heart of it all. Plus, the cover was too pretty to resist and the premise seemed tailor-made for fans of Bridgerton and Jane Austen. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite live up to the promise.
Sophie Fairfax is described as the most logical of the Fairfax siblings, but her actions throughout the book repeatedly contradict that. She makes impulsive decisions, enters into reckless situations, and seems to lack the self-awareness that the story implies she possesses. As for Lord Rotherby, his sudden shift from scandalous rake to hopeless romantic felt too abrupt and underdeveloped to be convincing. I found myself wishing for more depth and a more gradual emotional arc for both leads.
The tone of the book leaned too heavily into the exaggerated and whimsical, stretching believability and making it hard to connect with the characters. The pacing also felt off, and the overall plot lacked the kind of substance that usually makes Regency romances so satisfying.
While I really wanted to enjoy this, and I do think it had the ingredients for something delightful, it just didn’t come together for me. The characters didn’t feel fully fleshed out, and the story leaned more silly than swoony.
Sadly, this one was a 2-star read for me.
I picked up (requsted on NetGalley) The Scandal of the Season by Michelle Kenney because the synopsis promised a charming Regency romp with a headstrong heroine, a notorious rake, and a juicy wager at the heart of it all. Plus, the cover was too pretty to resist and the premise seemed tailor-made for fans of Bridgerton and Jane Austen. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite live up to the promise.
Sophie Fairfax is described as the most logical of the Fairfax siblings, but her actions throughout the book repeatedly contradict that. She makes impulsive decisions, enters into reckless situations, and seems to lack the self-awareness that the story implies she possesses. As for Lord Rotherby, his sudden shift from scandalous rake to hopeless romantic felt too abrupt and underdeveloped to be convincing. I found myself wishing for more depth and a more gradual emotional arc for both leads.
The tone of the book leaned too heavily into the exaggerated and whimsical, stretching believability and making it hard to connect with the characters. The pacing also felt off, and the overall plot lacked the kind of substance that usually makes Regency romances so satisfying.
While I really wanted to enjoy this, and I do think it had the ingredients for something delightful, it just didn’t come together for me. The characters didn’t feel fully fleshed out, and the story leaned more silly than swoony.
Sadly, this one was a 2-star read for me.
April 19, 2025
The cover promised scandal. The story… didn’t deliver.
Think: a lot of potential, not enough spark. Let’s be honest—the cover is what lured me in. It’s stunning, elegant, intriguing… everything the book sadly wasn’t. I usually try not to judge a book by its cover, but in this case, I got burned.
The Plot:
Sophie wants to marry for love (respect). She enters into a wager with Lord Rotherby (interesting premise), and the story follows the evolution of their relationship.
The chemistry? Barely there.
The emotional connection? Missing.
The characters? A bit flat—some of their choices felt confusing or just… unmotivated.
What didn’t work (for me):
My interest drifted.
Dialogue-heavy at first, which I didn’t mind—until it faded and left me with less engaging prose.
The French phrases sprinkled throughout felt unnecessary and a bit alienating (especially for readers who don’t speak it).
I just couldn’t connect. Neither with Sophie nor Lord Rotherby, and that lack of connection made it hard to care what happened next.
The Silver Lining:
There was potential here. The setup had promise. A love-marriage wager? Yes, please.
But the execution just didn’t bring it to life. That said, I can imagine this book finding the right audience.
The Scandal of the Season might work for some readers, but it wasn’t for me. A beautiful cover can’t carry a story, and this one needed more polish, more passion, and more energy to truly shine.
One for the DNF pile? Almost. But I stuck with it. Barely.
Thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter
Think: a lot of potential, not enough spark. Let’s be honest—the cover is what lured me in. It’s stunning, elegant, intriguing… everything the book sadly wasn’t. I usually try not to judge a book by its cover, but in this case, I got burned.
The Plot:
Sophie wants to marry for love (respect). She enters into a wager with Lord Rotherby (interesting premise), and the story follows the evolution of their relationship.
The chemistry? Barely there.
The emotional connection? Missing.
The characters? A bit flat—some of their choices felt confusing or just… unmotivated.
What didn’t work (for me):
My interest drifted.
Dialogue-heavy at first, which I didn’t mind—until it faded and left me with less engaging prose.
The French phrases sprinkled throughout felt unnecessary and a bit alienating (especially for readers who don’t speak it).
I just couldn’t connect. Neither with Sophie nor Lord Rotherby, and that lack of connection made it hard to care what happened next.
The Silver Lining:
There was potential here. The setup had promise. A love-marriage wager? Yes, please.
But the execution just didn’t bring it to life. That said, I can imagine this book finding the right audience.
The Scandal of the Season might work for some readers, but it wasn’t for me. A beautiful cover can’t carry a story, and this one needed more polish, more passion, and more energy to truly shine.
One for the DNF pile? Almost. But I stuck with it. Barely.
Thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter
June 5, 2025
Michelle has done it again and written one of the best historical romances! Honestly, I binged this book in just two nights as I could not put it down. A book hasn’t made me do that in quite a while!
I am now obsessed with the morally grey and dashing Lord Rotherby, a new favourite male character for me. I was swooning! The main character of Sophie Fairfax is naive yet feisty and sweet. She is such a likeable character who I was rooting for from start to finish.
The plot had so much happening with plenty of twists and turns, an adventure to France, masquerade balls, duels and much drama alongside some witty banter! Some parts had me chuckling to myself due to the funny dialogue and awkward scenarios that Sophie found herself in.
The descriptions of the gorgeous locations such as The Palace of Versailles and the elegant attire are exquisite. I felt fully immersed in that time period.
The Scandal of the Season is a phenomenal regency romp that is full of heart and I can tell just how much fun Michelle must have had writing this. I am such a sucker for an enemies to lovers trope and this was perfection! It was a joy to read and I desperately want more books to read in this series following the lovely Fairfax sisters. I loved the previous book ‘The Mismatch of the Season’ but I think this one is even better - if that is possible!
I want to say a huge thank you to Michelle for thinking of me and adding me in her acknowledgments in this book. It meant the world to me and it was so kind of her.
I am now obsessed with the morally grey and dashing Lord Rotherby, a new favourite male character for me. I was swooning! The main character of Sophie Fairfax is naive yet feisty and sweet. She is such a likeable character who I was rooting for from start to finish.
The plot had so much happening with plenty of twists and turns, an adventure to France, masquerade balls, duels and much drama alongside some witty banter! Some parts had me chuckling to myself due to the funny dialogue and awkward scenarios that Sophie found herself in.
The descriptions of the gorgeous locations such as The Palace of Versailles and the elegant attire are exquisite. I felt fully immersed in that time period.
The Scandal of the Season is a phenomenal regency romp that is full of heart and I can tell just how much fun Michelle must have had writing this. I am such a sucker for an enemies to lovers trope and this was perfection! It was a joy to read and I desperately want more books to read in this series following the lovely Fairfax sisters. I loved the previous book ‘The Mismatch of the Season’ but I think this one is even better - if that is possible!
I want to say a huge thank you to Michelle for thinking of me and adding me in her acknowledgments in this book. It meant the world to me and it was so kind of her.
April 27, 2025
Whew this one was way better than the second but our Heroine Sophie Fairfax was a bit much at times! Her naïveté lost its charm very early on!
We also have Lord Dominic Hugo Rotherby who also a very unlikely hero starts off in a brothel with not one but two companions!?
There are several loose ends for me but I still can’t fathom how one debutante could muck up her reputation so thoroughly!? Sophie was involved in the previous story yes she is young but not stupid!? But to trust anything that Lady Aurelia Carlisle is not and never will be a friend to any Fairfax!
It isn’t until much later that Sophie admits to why she not try harder to stop Dominic mid flight out of the country but of course it’s way too late and her reputation by that time is totally shredded!
I did understand Dominic better after his horrendous childhood!!
Dominic makes no apologies or mention of why he would have been fleeing with a mistress!
It is totally in contrast to a letter he wrote to his aunt!? That mystery was never resolved to my satisfaction!
But there is a duel, a masked ball a forced elopement (thwarted) and unnecessary reappearance of Lady Aurelia! Do try to keep up when reading this!
It is nonstop action and a huge leap of faith that Sophie is resolved to only marry for love! It took two rollercoaster ride and international intrigue to get to her HEA! Bravo
I received an ARC copy for my unbiased opinion!
We also have Lord Dominic Hugo Rotherby who also a very unlikely hero starts off in a brothel with not one but two companions!?
There are several loose ends for me but I still can’t fathom how one debutante could muck up her reputation so thoroughly!? Sophie was involved in the previous story yes she is young but not stupid!? But to trust anything that Lady Aurelia Carlisle is not and never will be a friend to any Fairfax!
It isn’t until much later that Sophie admits to why she not try harder to stop Dominic mid flight out of the country but of course it’s way too late and her reputation by that time is totally shredded!
I did understand Dominic better after his horrendous childhood!!
Dominic makes no apologies or mention of why he would have been fleeing with a mistress!
It is totally in contrast to a letter he wrote to his aunt!? That mystery was never resolved to my satisfaction!
But there is a duel, a masked ball a forced elopement (thwarted) and unnecessary reappearance of Lady Aurelia! Do try to keep up when reading this!
It is nonstop action and a huge leap of faith that Sophie is resolved to only marry for love! It took two rollercoaster ride and international intrigue to get to her HEA! Bravo
I received an ARC copy for my unbiased opinion!
May 16, 2025
3 Stars
I really wanted to love this book—it had so much potential! To be honest, what caught my attention, aside from the beautiful cover, was the blurb: "worthy of Georgette Heyer." That’s a big claim, and I was curious to see if it was true. Candidly, I might have enjoyed the book more had that expectation not been ringing in my head.
Although the plot shares many similarities, particularly with 'Devil's Cub', it ultimately fell flat for me. It didn’t have the wit or pacing I was hoping for. The beginning was a struggle, but once the plot picked up—specifically, once Sophia hastens to end her friend's plan—it became thoroughly enjoyable. That is, until the story shifts to France, where it starts to feel like the early parts all over again.
However, the Regency aspects were more authentic than in many period books today, and that was refreshing. The narrative often felt like two separate storylines, with little connection between the characters—especially when the sardonic rake starts acting completely out of character at the end. The road to the HEA felt long, only to be rushed through in the last paragraph.
While this book didn’t quite work for me, I can see how it might resonate with readers who enjoy historical romances with a much slower build-up and more traditional Regency elements.
This book is part of a series, but it can easily be read as a stand-alone.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I really wanted to love this book—it had so much potential! To be honest, what caught my attention, aside from the beautiful cover, was the blurb: "worthy of Georgette Heyer." That’s a big claim, and I was curious to see if it was true. Candidly, I might have enjoyed the book more had that expectation not been ringing in my head.
Although the plot shares many similarities, particularly with 'Devil's Cub', it ultimately fell flat for me. It didn’t have the wit or pacing I was hoping for. The beginning was a struggle, but once the plot picked up—specifically, once Sophia hastens to end her friend's plan—it became thoroughly enjoyable. That is, until the story shifts to France, where it starts to feel like the early parts all over again.
However, the Regency aspects were more authentic than in many period books today, and that was refreshing. The narrative often felt like two separate storylines, with little connection between the characters—especially when the sardonic rake starts acting completely out of character at the end. The road to the HEA felt long, only to be rushed through in the last paragraph.
While this book didn’t quite work for me, I can see how it might resonate with readers who enjoy historical romances with a much slower build-up and more traditional Regency elements.
This book is part of a series, but it can easily be read as a stand-alone.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
May 24, 2025
Sophie Fairfax of Knightsbridge Manor in Devon, enjoys discussing her future with her many sisters and what she looks for in a future husband. She is to have her come out soon and her newly married sister, Viscountess Phoebe Damerel, is her chaperone. Their parents died some years ago.
At a soiree, she meets Lord Dominic Rotherby, 29, who is a suave man, but also a bit of a reputation as a rake. As they chat, they end up making a wager. She bets that by the end of the season, she will marry a man for love and he bets that she will marry for any reason other than love.
Sophie chafes at not being allowed to do certain things because she is a debutante. When her friend says she is going to do something scandalous, Sophie jumps in to rescue her so she doesn’t lose her reputation. However, it’s Sophie who gets caught up in a frightening situation that may mean she will not only lose her own reputation but her family may disown her. It appears that Lord Rotherby is calling the shots and she must follow what he says or she may lose everything. Oh, this handsome man is so irritating.
There is a lot of romping around France that I’m sure a lot of people will love. Having lived there myself for years, I found myself chuckling at the French and the locations. This book is quite busy which I found to be a bit overdone. However, I’m sure many readers will enjoy it.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
At a soiree, she meets Lord Dominic Rotherby, 29, who is a suave man, but also a bit of a reputation as a rake. As they chat, they end up making a wager. She bets that by the end of the season, she will marry a man for love and he bets that she will marry for any reason other than love.
Sophie chafes at not being allowed to do certain things because she is a debutante. When her friend says she is going to do something scandalous, Sophie jumps in to rescue her so she doesn’t lose her reputation. However, it’s Sophie who gets caught up in a frightening situation that may mean she will not only lose her own reputation but her family may disown her. It appears that Lord Rotherby is calling the shots and she must follow what he says or she may lose everything. Oh, this handsome man is so irritating.
There is a lot of romping around France that I’m sure a lot of people will love. Having lived there myself for years, I found myself chuckling at the French and the locations. This book is quite busy which I found to be a bit overdone. However, I’m sure many readers will enjoy it.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
April 29, 2025
This novel promises a love story wrapped in intrigue, courtesy of our heroine Sophie and somewhat charming Lord Rotherby. The opinionated and reckless Sophie is set on marrying for love, and she’s thrown into a wager with the arrogant and notorious rake Lord Rotherby who thinks love is a farce. It sounded good; however, while the theme had my hopes high, the journey left me a bit underwhelmed.
First off, let’s chat about chemistry. Or, rather, the lack of it. Sophie and Lord Rotherby had all the makings of a classic enemies-to-lovers scenario, but the sparks were lacking. When I read a romance, I want to feel that electric pull between the characters, something that makes me root for them and their romance. Instead, I found their emotional connection missing, which made their evolving relationship feel flat.
I didn’t mind the dialogue and the fun banter at the beginning. However, as the story progressed, that engaging back-and-forth disappeared, leaving me with prose that just didn’t make sense. It almost felt like the book was trying to overload me with misadventures and filler information about historical facts at a time where I wanted to see the simple beauty of a well-told story. Don’t get me wrong I love reading about history, but it was at an awkward time in the book.
Despite my misgivings, the idea of a love wager had real potential. That’s an intriguing hook that could have led to something truly special, but I felt it needed something more. If you’re a fan of regency romances that play with interesting themes, you might find some enjoyment in this. But if you’re looking for something with deeper connections and compelling characters, you might want to pass this one by.
Thank you to Michelle Kenney for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.
For more of my reviews, visit The Eclectic Review.
First off, let’s chat about chemistry. Or, rather, the lack of it. Sophie and Lord Rotherby had all the makings of a classic enemies-to-lovers scenario, but the sparks were lacking. When I read a romance, I want to feel that electric pull between the characters, something that makes me root for them and their romance. Instead, I found their emotional connection missing, which made their evolving relationship feel flat.
I didn’t mind the dialogue and the fun banter at the beginning. However, as the story progressed, that engaging back-and-forth disappeared, leaving me with prose that just didn’t make sense. It almost felt like the book was trying to overload me with misadventures and filler information about historical facts at a time where I wanted to see the simple beauty of a well-told story. Don’t get me wrong I love reading about history, but it was at an awkward time in the book.
Despite my misgivings, the idea of a love wager had real potential. That’s an intriguing hook that could have led to something truly special, but I felt it needed something more. If you’re a fan of regency romances that play with interesting themes, you might find some enjoyment in this. But if you’re looking for something with deeper connections and compelling characters, you might want to pass this one by.
Thank you to Michelle Kenney for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.
For more of my reviews, visit The Eclectic Review.
November 27, 2025
The Scandal of the Season is a follow-up to Mismatch of the Season, which I also read and enjoyed! That said, I don't think it's necessary to read the first book to enjoy this one. It definitely helped me feel more connected to the characters early on, but I wouldn't say it's essential.
I honestly have mixed feelings about Sophie in this book...
I started off liking her, but her string of poor decisions really piled up as the story went on. I could understand and forgive the first few, but the pattern continued, and it started to feel like she wasn’t growing or learning. She kept making things worse, not just for herself, but for the people around her. It made her come across as selfish and a bit thoughtless, which left me feeling kinda frustrated.
One thing I did enjoy was the dialogue - especially in the first half of the book! The banter had energy and charm, and the enemies-to-lovers chemistry between the leads was promising. Unfortunately, that spark faded as the story progressed. The dynamic that pulled me in early on seemed to lose momentum, which made me feel somewhat disconnected from the romance by the end.
Even though this wasn't a big hit for me, I still adore this author and if you're a fan of historical romances - I'd still say it's worth giving this a shot!!
Thank you HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the ARC! All opinions are my own.
I honestly have mixed feelings about Sophie in this book...
I started off liking her, but her string of poor decisions really piled up as the story went on. I could understand and forgive the first few, but the pattern continued, and it started to feel like she wasn’t growing or learning. She kept making things worse, not just for herself, but for the people around her. It made her come across as selfish and a bit thoughtless, which left me feeling kinda frustrated.
One thing I did enjoy was the dialogue - especially in the first half of the book! The banter had energy and charm, and the enemies-to-lovers chemistry between the leads was promising. Unfortunately, that spark faded as the story progressed. The dynamic that pulled me in early on seemed to lose momentum, which made me feel somewhat disconnected from the romance by the end.
Even though this wasn't a big hit for me, I still adore this author and if you're a fan of historical romances - I'd still say it's worth giving this a shot!!
Thank you HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the ARC! All opinions are my own.
May 22, 2025
I absolutely loved Kenney's first entry in this series, The Mismatch of the Season, so I was excited to read the next chapter, The Scandal of the Season. We now have Phoebe's younger sister, Sophie, ready to find love on the marriage mart. She's a bit more stubborn than her older sister, but she has a bit more common sense. That is until she meets the rogue Lord Rotherby. Sophie finds herself involved in a wager with the rake, but she also attempts to save her friend from scandal and lands herself in potentially the worst scandal of the season.
We again have a clean romance, unlike Bridgerton, The banter between Sophie and Rotherby is fun to follow, and their evolving relationship is endearing. There's some intrigue and the alternate backdrop of France to make this an entertaining Regency read. I love losing myself in this time period, and Michelle Kenney has a talent for transporting the reader to that time period.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for the ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
We again have a clean romance, unlike Bridgerton, The banter between Sophie and Rotherby is fun to follow, and their evolving relationship is endearing. There's some intrigue and the alternate backdrop of France to make this an entertaining Regency read. I love losing myself in this time period, and Michelle Kenney has a talent for transporting the reader to that time period.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for the ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
June 7, 2025
3.5 🌟
In general I enjoyed this more than the first installment in the series, I felt more connected to Sophie as a MC than I did with Phoebe, though her naïveté and penchant for truly not-very-good decisions did begin to wear thin by the end of the book. The romance is more front-and-centre this time around, but the plot was a bit busy for my liking. It felt like a lot of things were thrown into the second half to add excitement but the quiet moments between Sophie and Lord Rotherby were where this really shone for me - her nursing him back to health (albeit after shooting him with an arrow and causing an infected wound which made him delirious), the stolen kiss in the garden, "I exist in a space where no one gets hurt, Miss Fairfax, and I am quite determined to stay there" - it's pretty diabolical that so much of the time they are actually not together on the page, because I didn't like them quite as much left to their own devices.
**arc received from publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
In general I enjoyed this more than the first installment in the series, I felt more connected to Sophie as a MC than I did with Phoebe, though her naïveté and penchant for truly not-very-good decisions did begin to wear thin by the end of the book. The romance is more front-and-centre this time around, but the plot was a bit busy for my liking. It felt like a lot of things were thrown into the second half to add excitement but the quiet moments between Sophie and Lord Rotherby were where this really shone for me - her nursing him back to health (albeit after shooting him with an arrow and causing an infected wound which made him delirious), the stolen kiss in the garden, "I exist in a space where no one gets hurt, Miss Fairfax, and I am quite determined to stay there" - it's pretty diabolical that so much of the time they are actually not together on the page, because I didn't like them quite as much left to their own devices.
**arc received from publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
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