The Duchess (The Scandalous Ladies of London, #2)
Sophie Jordan
The thrilling second book in New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s amazing new high concept series, The Scandalous Ladies of London, which chronicles the lives of a group of affluent ladies reigning over glittering, Regency-era London, vying for position in the hierarchy of the ton . They are the young wives, widows, and daughters of London’s wealthiest families. The drama is big, the money runs deep, and the shade is real. Life is different in the ton . “I liked my husband well enough … but I like him even better dead.” It’s been a year since her wretched cad of a husband died and Valencia, the Dowager Duchess of Dedham, is finally her own woman. Flitting from party to party, freedom is sweet and life should be perfect. Until the new duke surfaces. Nothing like the haughty noblemen who populate the ton , Rhain, the newly minted Duke of Dedham, is a big brawny Welshman with an accent that makes Valencia’s knees go weak as he boldly moves into her home with his six wild unwed sisters. The rude and humorless usurper thinks her vain and spoiled. But with a pittance to her name, Valencia needs his support to remain in London and enjoy all the pleasures her new position as a merry widow has to offer. So a bargain is struck. Valencia will usher his sisters into Good Society and see them happily betrothed. In return, he’ll give her the financial security and independence she craves. But the more time they spend beneath the same roof, the more she realizes it's not safety she wants but the dangerously seductive Rhain. Valencia has vowed never to risk marriage again. And yet how can she resist the tempting man when he might be the greatest adventure of her life?
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0 03.5/5. Releases 3/26/24.
Vibes: recovery and healing, forced proximity, and female friendship
Heat Index: 4/10
Duchess Valencia is undoubtedly happier now that her abusive husband is dead. But her merry widowhood is interrupted by Rhain, her husband's beefy Welsh successor, whose gruffness hides his immediate attraction to her. Valencia can't continue with her familiar lifestyle without Rhain's support--and he won't offer that support unless she ushers his sisters into society. The more time she spends with Rhain and his family, the more Valencia is tempted by the man. However, after the pain of her first marriage, she dreads letting any man law claim to her again...
There are levels on which this book works for me: it's well-written, it's fast-paced, and it offers a look at the kinds of figures we normally don't see in historical romance. Like Tru before her, Valencia is in her thirties, jaded and experiences. She's not a blushing virgin being romanced by your standard issue rake.
Where I struggle, however, is with this as a romance. A lot of the plot deals more with Valencia's pain and recovery from it (TW: for domestic violence--it's in the past, but it's heavy, and there is also a brief sexual assault in a flashback). Her romance with Rhain feels somewhat more like a subplot, whereas the main plot is her journey--and it's a tough journey. In this sense, it feels more like it's slanting towards women's fiction than historical romance. I'm more used to Sophie Jordan as a very straightforward, frothy, high-heat historical romance author, and while the Scandalous Ladies of London books have been pushed as a heroine-forward series, the summaries then read like historical romance summaries. And I don't know if I'd categorize this as that.
Quick Takes:
--There is something important and empowering about Valencia recovering from what was truly a hideous marriage. I do need to be clear, too--she does find her happiness with Rhain. However, she does spend a lot of this book sad, and I don't know if that's necessarily what I expect from a romance novel. It's not dark; it's highly emotional, but it's not what I would call anywhere near "dark romance". But it's also not anything like the kind of light, frothy, fun historical romance I'm used to reading from Sophie Jordan.
In a lot of ways, I tend to wonder if this could've been fixed by extending the length of the book? I'm used to Sophie writing a short, tight book. She's good at that. However, with subject matter as intense as this, more pages could've potentially been helpful. Not only to balance the intense emotionality of Valencia's recovery a little more; but to devote more time to Valencia and Rhain's romance.
--That being said, I continue to enjoy the uniqueness of the heroines in this series. They aren't your standard historical leads, and their friendships are really real. You feel the sense that the story is totally invested in them, in a way that it perhaps isn't invested in the love story. Which isn't bad! It's a different kind of love story. It just isn't quite what you may expect from a historical romance.
--Rhain is Welsh, and he is sexy, and I did feel echoes of a certain Welsh historical romance hero who's become quite popular... But it isn't quite on that level. I think he could've gotten there! We just didn't have the time between him and Valencia. He's a cute, comforting, kinda gruff dude who clearly loves his sisters and has no idea what to do with them. Which is charming.
The Sex:
This is fairly low heat. I'd say there is one explicit sex scene--well-done, it's Sophie Jordan--and then a smattering of other mentions. I could've used some more.
I think this is perfect for readers who are looking for a more somewhat heavier book focused on female friendships, heroine-forward development, and a lower heat level. For me, I do wonder if it's fully a ROMANCE romance. That doesn't mean it's a bad book, it just means it's a different book than what I expected.
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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