Funny, sweet, and even better then the first book, this regency romp delighted and impressed me with its humor and a shy main character you can't help but root for.
Eliza's twenty year older husband has finally kicked the bucket and surprisingly left her with quite a bit of income, and a freedom she has never had before. Leaving her to finally pursue her own wants, but a stipulation in the will as well as a man she nearly married put quite a damper on her new life.
Getting to see Eliza come out of her shell and grow into her own person through the course of the book made me so happy. She goes through so much character growth in finally finding out who she is, and then being her own person and not letting others order her around. The scene where she went to the paint shop and all but demanded her supplies was everything.
Irwin does rapier wit and sharp dialogue well, and Lord Melville's sassy and colorful personality make that shine. He was by far my favorite character, a foil to the rigid and stifling society. His interactions with Eliza were my favorite, and even as I worked to not get too attached to him for fear of what I thought might happen, I couldn't help it and he remained my favorite till the end.
High society is no friend to anyone different, or of a different race, and the inclusion and discussion of Melville and Caroline and how they were treated both crushed me, and it hit in that place that anyone familiar with casual racism will recognize. Speaking of Caroline, THANK YOU Irwin, for giving us QUEER characters in this book! Regency and yearning and sapphics go so well, and how it would have worked in that time period felt so accurate as well as sweet and keeping in line with the lighter storyline.
Let me extoll upon Irwin's virtues once more, I truly enjoy the level of detail and research that goes into her writing. I feel like I learn so much about the time period and the vivid descriptions of thej food, outfits, and architecture make me feel like I am right there enjoying the opera or the waters of Bath.
Because the book blurb and even the back cover doesn't name the male lead outright, I really thought that Eliza was going to end up with

Somerset. Considering that is who is first introduced and who she pines for, I was prepared for that pairing to be the end game. Which had me so sad because I was honestly loving Melville and his flamboyant self so much. (Sassy man apocalypse, it is the era and I am a stan) Irwin surprised me and it soon became clear that Melville WAS the male lead, and not merely suffering from second lead syndrome. (A fatal disease to be fair) It isn't often that the BIPOC member of a love triangle actually gets the girl, I honestly really loved this bit so much. Plus let us be frank. Somerset was an ass. AN ASS.

I almost would have liked for a bit of exploration into Eliza's experience with the Earl in terms what she would have experienced being forced to bed someone she cared little for, and who had zero respect for her. I understand why Irwin didn't, such a tragic topic isn't well suited to a light hearted story such as this one, but I do think it was a disservice not to at least address it in passing. (Though it could be argued that Eliza's entire personality for most of the book and actions could also be attributed to such a thing, so my musings may be for naught!)
I admit after reading the first book in the series, A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting, my hopes were fairly standard. I didn't really expect to be surprised or enthralled by this book. I just expected mild enjoyment at best, the kind you get from a fairly solid sandwich and chips. A nice 4 star read, solid, but nothing to rave about. Imagine my surprise when I not only liked this book but I loved it. The inclusion of queer characters, diverse characters, and just a longer story in general made this a far more enjoyable read. There was more substance, more heart, and I can easily say this felt like less of a sandwich and more of a delectable feast that I wished I could have kept eating when it ended.
Once the pair come together, we only get such a short time to enjoy their moment. I would have liked to have seen an epilogue at the very least. If the two characters had to go through so much to get together, why not let the reader enjoy it and bask in it for more than a scant chapter or two?

I highly enjoyed this, I definitely recommend this book, one of my favorite regency romps to date. I do hope Sophie Irwin writes more in this series, and in this same vein, I will definitely read them.

I was sent this to read and review, thank you to the publisher.