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The Scandalous Lady Mina
A Victorian enemies to lovers, forced proximity romance
Setting sail with the enemy…
and a reckless temptation!
Lady Wilhelmina, once the darling of the ton, fled England in shame after jilting her fiancé. Following a decade in disgrace, Mina’s returning to Society’s ballrooms on a luxury steamship…and encounters her ex-fiancé’s distractingly handsome cousin, Max Cavendish—her once friend, now enemy!
Max’s guard is up, yet being in close quarters with Mina sparks a wave of dangerous attraction that makes him want to discover the truth behind the scandal. Wealthy engineer Max is used to being in command of his world and his emotions, but his complicated feelings for Mina are making him feel decidedly out of control…
From Harlequin Your romantic escape to the past.
Setting sail with the enemy…
and a reckless temptation!
Lady Wilhelmina, once the darling of the ton, fled England in shame after jilting her fiancé. Following a decade in disgrace, Mina’s returning to Society’s ballrooms on a luxury steamship…and encounters her ex-fiancé’s distractingly handsome cousin, Max Cavendish—her once friend, now enemy!
Max’s guard is up, yet being in close quarters with Mina sparks a wave of dangerous attraction that makes him want to discover the truth behind the scandal. Wealthy engineer Max is used to being in command of his world and his emotions, but his complicated feelings for Mina are making him feel decidedly out of control…
From Harlequin Your romantic escape to the past.
- GenresHistorical Romance
270 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 23, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4 Stars
The number of people of the ton who believe they are entitled to play fast and loose who the lives and emotions of others astounds me. When it is your own parents it is even worse. Lady Wilhelmina (Mina) Davenport, had grown up thinking she was one thing only to find out at 19 she was something totally different. To find out in such a cruel, spiteful and manipulative way was even worse. Her father only used his children to dig him out of whatever hole he had dug for himself at the time. Her mother, well she was a different type of petty, selfish and cruel woman. All in all her parents should have been neutered and each died alone...preferably with some horrible ailment that lingered.
It saddened me that she carried the damage from her parents for 10 years before she was able to drum up the courage to explain the pain she caused upon finding out what she was. Granted, things ended up the way they ultimately should have been and blessing came from the pain, but it meant Mina had to go through harder times than she deserved. Those harder times did help her come into her own brand of strength and courage that lead her to be the forthright person she wascwhen she returned to England.
Max Cavendish had watched Mina devastate his cousin, Peter, and he was finding it hard to give her any quarter upon meeting up with her 10 years later. He was also struggling with his own guilt of having had feelings for her as well. He never told anyone about his feelings, but they were potentially bordering on love. He stuck to his engineering and pushed his feelings deep in a box somewhere.
Their conversations were stilted and often dry and cutting. They each held their secrets close and each refused to break the cycle of secrecy and lies. Occasionally there were times where they would let their guard down long enough for a bit of truth and emotion to slip. Those times were wonderful.
The secondary characters were lovely. Max's uncle Septemus was a perfectly flighty man that countered both Mina and Max. He was just enough over the top to be able to get away with some shenanigans that helped loosen things up more and more. Anne Seymour Garfunkel is a lovely, precocious and very bright young lady of 10. She enjoys engines, of any type, and her biggest wish while aboard the ship they were all on was to see the engines in petson. Max helped to arrange that and was a hero to both Anne and Mina.
I found the story a bit bogged down for the first 15- 20%, but it seemed to get it's sea legs after that and it was wonderful. I have read other stories by Ms. Temple and that is why I continued to read the book. I look forward to reading more books by Ms. Temple.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher. All thought are my own and freely given.
The number of people of the ton who believe they are entitled to play fast and loose who the lives and emotions of others astounds me. When it is your own parents it is even worse. Lady Wilhelmina (Mina) Davenport, had grown up thinking she was one thing only to find out at 19 she was something totally different. To find out in such a cruel, spiteful and manipulative way was even worse. Her father only used his children to dig him out of whatever hole he had dug for himself at the time. Her mother, well she was a different type of petty, selfish and cruel woman. All in all her parents should have been neutered and each died alone...preferably with some horrible ailment that lingered.
It saddened me that she carried the damage from her parents for 10 years before she was able to drum up the courage to explain the pain she caused upon finding out what she was. Granted, things ended up the way they ultimately should have been and blessing came from the pain, but it meant Mina had to go through harder times than she deserved. Those harder times did help her come into her own brand of strength and courage that lead her to be the forthright person she wascwhen she returned to England.
Max Cavendish had watched Mina devastate his cousin, Peter, and he was finding it hard to give her any quarter upon meeting up with her 10 years later. He was also struggling with his own guilt of having had feelings for her as well. He never told anyone about his feelings, but they were potentially bordering on love. He stuck to his engineering and pushed his feelings deep in a box somewhere.
Their conversations were stilted and often dry and cutting. They each held their secrets close and each refused to break the cycle of secrecy and lies. Occasionally there were times where they would let their guard down long enough for a bit of truth and emotion to slip. Those times were wonderful.
The secondary characters were lovely. Max's uncle Septemus was a perfectly flighty man that countered both Mina and Max. He was just enough over the top to be able to get away with some shenanigans that helped loosen things up more and more. Anne Seymour Garfunkel is a lovely, precocious and very bright young lady of 10. She enjoys engines, of any type, and her biggest wish while aboard the ship they were all on was to see the engines in petson. Max helped to arrange that and was a hero to both Anne and Mina.
I found the story a bit bogged down for the first 15- 20%, but it seemed to get it's sea legs after that and it was wonderful. I have read other stories by Ms. Temple and that is why I continued to read the book. I look forward to reading more books by Ms. Temple.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher. All thought are my own and freely given.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Tropes: enemies to lovers; forced proximity; MFC with a past
Steam level: 3
3.5 stars squeaked up. Because Harlequin is phasing out their HR line (sigh...), I felt compelled to check out this Gilded Age-set ARC for old times' sake.
The rundown: MFC Mina ends up having to sail to England with her nemesis, MMC Max. She jilted Max's cousin Peter a decade earlier, and Max has never forgiven her for it.
What I liked:
--Solid world building/descriptions. Behavior and dialog seem pretty true to the period.
--MFC Mina is strong and resourceful. Once you realize fairly early on her reasons for jilting Peter, it's easy to be sympathetic.
--Nice job with the sexual tension. The steamy scenes are effective.
--The storyline gets off to a bit of a slow start, but picks up speed. I thought the final few chapters and epilogue were excellent.
--Most of the sparring is very witty (although it's not particularly deep).
--The quality of the writing overall is very good.
On the fence about:
--The flashbacks. Not excessive, and a few are very effective at establishing how the MC's felt about each other. In fact, there were times I felt the glimpses into the past were more emotionally gripping than the scenes set in the present.
--Uncle Septimus. At times funny, at times annoying, often very crass.
--The nicknames. Lots of "Minnie"ing and "Maxie"'ing. May or may not be your cup of tea.
Not a big fan of:
--Max, for a large amount of the book. He spends so much time feeling jealous of/protective of Peter I started wondering if they had a bromance going on. And he takes a few nasty shots at Mina at the beginning (idc if you didn't like someone's dead dad, you don't need talk about the guy the way Max did). Plus lots of body language like blocking her doorway, crowding, etc. Kind of a blockhead at times. I know Max is one of those straightforward engineering types, but it would have been great to see him come emotionally undone.
--At times the banter got old. I just wanted the MC's to have an adult conversation. and level with each other.
--Minnie's lack of agency. For someone who's strong, she's manipulated a lot. I didn't like how her Big Secret came out.
Overall: well-written and enjoyable but I never felt completely drawn in to the main characters' relationship.
I read an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my honest, voluntary review. Thanks to the author, Harlequin, and Net Galley for this opportunity. This book will be releasing April 28.
Steam level: 3
3.5 stars squeaked up. Because Harlequin is phasing out their HR line (sigh...), I felt compelled to check out this Gilded Age-set ARC for old times' sake.
The rundown: MFC Mina ends up having to sail to England with her nemesis, MMC Max. She jilted Max's cousin Peter a decade earlier, and Max has never forgiven her for it.
What I liked:
--Solid world building/descriptions. Behavior and dialog seem pretty true to the period.
--MFC Mina is strong and resourceful. Once you realize fairly early on her reasons for jilting Peter, it's easy to be sympathetic.
--Nice job with the sexual tension. The steamy scenes are effective.
--The storyline gets off to a bit of a slow start, but picks up speed. I thought the final few chapters and epilogue were excellent.
--Most of the sparring is very witty (although it's not particularly deep).
--The quality of the writing overall is very good.
On the fence about:
--The flashbacks. Not excessive, and a few are very effective at establishing how the MC's felt about each other. In fact, there were times I felt the glimpses into the past were more emotionally gripping than the scenes set in the present.
--Uncle Septimus. At times funny, at times annoying, often very crass.
--The nicknames. Lots of "Minnie"ing and "Maxie"'ing. May or may not be your cup of tea.
Not a big fan of:
--Max, for a large amount of the book. He spends so much time feeling jealous of/protective of Peter I started wondering if they had a bromance going on. And he takes a few nasty shots at Mina at the beginning (idc if you didn't like someone's dead dad, you don't need talk about the guy the way Max did). Plus lots of body language like blocking her doorway, crowding, etc. Kind of a blockhead at times. I know Max is one of those straightforward engineering types, but it would have been great to see him come emotionally undone.
--At times the banter got old. I just wanted the MC's to have an adult conversation. and level with each other.
--Minnie's lack of agency. For someone who's strong, she's manipulated a lot. I didn't like how her Big Secret came out.
Overall: well-written and enjoyable but I never felt completely drawn in to the main characters' relationship.
I read an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my honest, voluntary review. Thanks to the author, Harlequin, and Net Galley for this opportunity. This book will be releasing April 28.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
6 stars!!!!!!
Uh oh. Mina has just discovered that her arch nemesis, with whom she has some serious history, and baggage, is on her voyage from New York to London. He's everywhere, blocking doors, arguing, and stirring up some serious FEELINGS. How can she do her job and plow through her life if HE'S there?!? So she was engaged to his cousin. So she ran off in spectacular fashion. That was ten years ago. And no one cares about the past. Or do they???
The banter. The chemistry. The incredible tension! This book had me up late at night, pulling me between different timelines as plot twists and revelations were revealed. The writing was exceptional. The longing top notch. The love scenes were spicin'! All of the characters popped right off the page. I'm OBSESSED. This will be one of my favorite reads of the year. It'll be a fun re-read I come back to again and again. I read this on my kindle, and highlighted ridiculously good line after ridiculously good line. I'd write more, but now I need to go into Lara Temple's backlist and start binging!!!
Content warnings: recovering from an accident (accident happens before story begins)
I'd like to thank Harlequin, Netgalley and Lara Temple for the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Uh oh. Mina has just discovered that her arch nemesis, with whom she has some serious history, and baggage, is on her voyage from New York to London. He's everywhere, blocking doors, arguing, and stirring up some serious FEELINGS. How can she do her job and plow through her life if HE'S there?!? So she was engaged to his cousin. So she ran off in spectacular fashion. That was ten years ago. And no one cares about the past. Or do they???
The banter. The chemistry. The incredible tension! This book had me up late at night, pulling me between different timelines as plot twists and revelations were revealed. The writing was exceptional. The longing top notch. The love scenes were spicin'! All of the characters popped right off the page. I'm OBSESSED. This will be one of my favorite reads of the year. It'll be a fun re-read I come back to again and again. I read this on my kindle, and highlighted ridiculously good line after ridiculously good line. I'd write more, but now I need to go into Lara Temple's backlist and start binging!!!
Content warnings: recovering from an accident (accident happens before story begins)
I'd like to thank Harlequin, Netgalley and Lara Temple for the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Harlequin for the e-ARC.
With the end of the Harlequin Historical line on the horizon, I've intentionally been requesting any and all historical romances that pop up on NetGalley that strike my appeal. The premise is always what reels me in, and this book was no different.
Late Victorian era, check.
Enemies to lovers dynamic, check.
Glamourous Transatlantic travel, check.
A dash of yearning fools, check.
While the pacing suited the story setting - slower in the beginning to mirror the drawn out days of travel aboard the massive steamship, a bit faster once all the characters arrived in England - the plot conflict felt dragged out and repetitive. The character development unfortunately wasn't strong enough to overcome the weak points in the plot. Max and Mina just sort of circled around one another, talked AT one another, and failed to develop a believable or engaging romantic relationship arc. The time jumps into their shared past did little to enhance their character or romantic arcs. This story just didn't feel all that memorable or compelling by the end of 250+ pages.
With the end of the Harlequin Historical line on the horizon, I've intentionally been requesting any and all historical romances that pop up on NetGalley that strike my appeal. The premise is always what reels me in, and this book was no different.
Late Victorian era, check.
Enemies to lovers dynamic, check.
Glamourous Transatlantic travel, check.
A dash of yearning fools, check.
While the pacing suited the story setting - slower in the beginning to mirror the drawn out days of travel aboard the massive steamship, a bit faster once all the characters arrived in England - the plot conflict felt dragged out and repetitive. The character development unfortunately wasn't strong enough to overcome the weak points in the plot. Max and Mina just sort of circled around one another, talked AT one another, and failed to develop a believable or engaging romantic relationship arc. The time jumps into their shared past did little to enhance their character or romantic arcs. This story just didn't feel all that memorable or compelling by the end of 250+ pages.
Review of advance copy received from Author
The Scandalous Lady Mina is a Victorian historical romance with a nautical theme.
Mina has been engaged by Septimus Cavendish to teach Eliza, his latest opera diva, the ways of London society before he launches her onto a new stage. Years ago, Mina fled England amid a scandalous family situation. Now her new teaching role takes place during a transatlantic crossing.
Also aboard the ship is Max Cavendish, Septimus’s nephew and cousin to the man Mina once jilted. He fears that Mina’s arrival back in England will upset his cousin anew. However, beneath Max’s anger is confusion as he battles his own supressed feelings for Mina.
I enjoyed the setting for this story, especially the parts set on the ship as it crossed from New York to Liverpool. This is almost an enemies-to-lovers romance; Max and Mina certainly have their share of arguments; however, they had previously been friends before Mina abruptly left.
The build-up to the end is intense and had me reading late into the night, but it was worth the wait!
Mina has been engaged by Septimus Cavendish to teach Eliza, his latest opera diva, the ways of London society before he launches her onto a new stage. Years ago, Mina fled England amid a scandalous family situation. Now her new teaching role takes place during a transatlantic crossing.
Also aboard the ship is Max Cavendish, Septimus’s nephew and cousin to the man Mina once jilted. He fears that Mina’s arrival back in England will upset his cousin anew. However, beneath Max’s anger is confusion as he battles his own supressed feelings for Mina.
I enjoyed the setting for this story, especially the parts set on the ship as it crossed from New York to Liverpool. This is almost an enemies-to-lovers romance; Max and Mina certainly have their share of arguments; however, they had previously been friends before Mina abruptly left.
The build-up to the end is intense and had me reading late into the night, but it was worth the wait!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Lady Wilhelmina, once the darling of the ton, fled England in shame after jilting her fiancé. Following a decade in disgrace, Mina is returning to Society’s ballrooms on a luxury steamship…and encounters her ex-fiancé’s distractingly handsome cousin, Max Cavendish—her once friend, now enemy! Max’s guard is up, yet being in close quarters with Mina sparks a wave of dangerous attraction that makes him want to discover the truth behind the scandal.
A well written, engrossing romance. I started by liking Mina but grew to love her as her backstory was revealed. I liked Max eventually but I wanted to shake him for being so protective of Peter. I liked the chemistry between them & how they grew to love each other. Enemies to lovers is my favourite trope & this didn’t disappoint
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own
A well written, engrossing romance. I started by liking Mina but grew to love her as her backstory was revealed. I liked Max eventually but I wanted to shake him for being so protective of Peter. I liked the chemistry between them & how they grew to love each other. Enemies to lovers is my favourite trope & this didn’t disappoint
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Rating: 5 stars ⭐️
I absolutely adored this book. I had been stuck in a terrible book slump, unable to finish anything, but this book helped me break free from it.
This is a second chance romance, and I was instantly captivated. Minnie’s pain and yearning were incredibly relatable, and I found myself drawn to her character from the very beginning. However, it took me a while to warm up to Max. I genuinely enjoyed the other characters who enriched the story. The UST and banter were top-notch. I wanted Minnie and Max to get together a little sooner purely because I wanted to read more about them as a couple.
Thank you to the publisher for providing the ARC
I absolutely adored this book. I had been stuck in a terrible book slump, unable to finish anything, but this book helped me break free from it.
This is a second chance romance, and I was instantly captivated. Minnie’s pain and yearning were incredibly relatable, and I found myself drawn to her character from the very beginning. However, it took me a while to warm up to Max. I genuinely enjoyed the other characters who enriched the story. The UST and banter were top-notch. I wanted Minnie and Max to get together a little sooner purely because I wanted to read more about them as a couple.
Thank you to the publisher for providing the ARC
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Recommended Read
Septimus Cavendish, opera impresario, when he sees Lady Mina Davenport (who he’d always liked) in New York decides to meddle, even though ten years previous she caused a huge scandal within his family. Believing he knows best, he manipulates her (and his nephew) and hires her to coach his new star in how to go about in society. A tumultuous ocean crossing is followed in London by scandal and upset. Will Mina, who made an unselfish choice before, be able to do so for a second time?
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Septimus Cavendish, opera impresario, when he sees Lady Mina Davenport (who he’d always liked) in New York decides to meddle, even though ten years previous she caused a huge scandal within his family. Believing he knows best, he manipulates her (and his nephew) and hires her to coach his new star in how to go about in society. A tumultuous ocean crossing is followed in London by scandal and upset. Will Mina, who made an unselfish choice before, be able to do so for a second time?
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 1, 2026
On a luxury steamship, Mina encounters former friend Max, her ex-fiancé's cousin. Despite his reservations, Max is drawn to Mina, sparking a dangerous attraction.
This is a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance. Mina is likable from the beginning, while Max is a little more difficult to get to know, given his initial animosity toward her. But as the story progresses, he softens and becomes devoted to her. The ending swoony and satisfying.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
This is a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance. Mina is likable from the beginning, while Max is a little more difficult to get to know, given his initial animosity toward her. But as the story progresses, he softens and becomes devoted to her. The ending swoony and satisfying.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
the romantic aspects worked later on, and that part worked, but at the beginning I wasn't a huge fan of our FMC Mina. It also felt a little bit rapid, even for a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance. Still, it ended really well. 3.25 stars, tysm for the arc.
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Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Mina, having jilted her fiance, runs off to America. Down on her luck, her ex-fiancé's uncle finds her and convinces her to sail back to England. She soon realizes that her old friend turned enemy, Max, is also on the ship. They try to deny their attraction. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Harlequin for my honest review.
May 12, 2026
DNF. Sometimes an enemies to lovers trope is done really well. And sometimes it just feels like bickering.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews