Series: Scandal at the Savoy #2 (Standalone)
Publication Date: 18th June 2024
Genre: Regency Romance
3.7 Stars
One Liner: Entertaining
Delia Stratham might be a lady of the nobility, but she enjoys being the manager at the city’s luxurious Savory Hotel, organizing extravagant events, and handling clients with her charm. Being thrice-widowed in her 30s, she values her job and independence more than others' approval.
Simon Hayden comes from a middle-class family but has been given a title for his services. He is also an investor in the Savory Hotel and is intent on unearthing the financial fraud in the place. He immediately clashes with Delia, but the duo may have to work together to keep the Hotel afloat. This also means that may actually like each other a lot more than expected!
The story comes in Delia and Simon’s third-person POVs.
My Thoughts:
After meeting Delia in book one, I knew a story with her in the lead role would be fun. This works as a standalone and has only a few mentions of the previous characters. Max has a slightly active role, while Evie is only mentioned.
This one is grumpy vs. sunshine, with Simon being the grumpy rude boss determined to bring changes to Savory. It is also enemies-to-lovers since the two of them clash from the very beginning.
The banter is entertaining and keeps the narration steady. Though the pacing dips a little here and there, it doesn’t drag at any point.
The attraction between the characters is well done, even if they fall in love a bit too soon. I can see why it had to happen before the reveal, but it could have been a little more believable. There’s a bit of steam where necessary (2.5-3ish).
I like that both characters have depth and are more than what they seem to be. Delia’s backstory has a bit of a trigger and shows why her job is so important to her (despite her riches and the women from nobility didn’t work).
The new side characters are interesting. Simon’s sister is a sweet girl. We are likely to see more of her in the coming books. Another track has been left open. I’m guessing it will form the main plot in book #3.
We also have a third-act breakup (they barely got together!), which is necessary. It aligns with the overall plot development and takes the story to its natural conclusion. And there’s an epilogue, so hurray!
To summarize, Lady Scandal is a fun read that can be finished in a couple of sittings. I can’t say about historical accuracy since most books these days tend to have some modern elements.
Don’t miss the little note at the end about real-life characters in the book.
Thank you, NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #LadyScandal
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