AHHHHHHH I ABSOLUTELY ADORED THIS BOOK !!!!! The cahracters re so well written and THE SUBPLOTS?!?!?!?!?

I genuinely thought there was a third act breakup kind of scene and it turns out I just can't read so my bad ! Millie is one of my favourite main characters I've ever read and a Grumpy Sunshine, Marriage of Convenience with Major General Beu?! absolute heart eyes!!

also ivy accidentally interrupting their moment? HILARIOUS!

I loved the chemistry between Millie and Drake, and I thought the progression of their relationship from dislike > lust > affection > love was very well done, with lots of tension and angst from both of them. I also liked the twist at the end that I didn't see coming! I was expecting them to spend more time working together on the investigation, but instead they only discovered that they were each investigating the same thing in the last quarter of the book, so much of it was them "keeping secrets" from each other. I would have liked to see them become partners on the page more.

The two villains were almost cartoonishly evil, without much nuance, and this made the plot feel a bit overwrought at times. I'm not saying they needed to have a "good side," but I wish they felt a little more complex. The very first scene between the FMC and her stepmother was so melodramatic I almost stopped reading, but I'm glad I kept with it as overall I enjoyed the read.

Readers should be aware that the plot covers a lot of dark issues (torture, abuse, sex trafficking, murder) which you may not be expecting from the cutesy cover (how I wish publishers would reserve the cartoony covers for true rom coms or lighthearted romances but I guess it can't be helped and it's not the author's fault).

I mostly enjoyed this book, it's fairly typical of regency tropes. It has spies, scarred heroes, strong female lead, troublesome family etc. A fun read

Rating: 5 ⭐️
Spice: 3 🔥
Tropes: historical romance, marriage of convenience, secret badass FMC

There’s so much to talk about when it comes to the book. But I guess let’s start with the fact that I don’t generally read historical romances, but Darcy McGuire’s book was pure perfection.

I felt it was the perfect blend of spicy romance, witty banter, interesting plot, and just anything else you expect and want from a book that makes you laugh while making your heart happy. There was even character growth! Dual POV is something I’ve come to almost need in a book, but the way each POV was intertwined and the small little connections is something only a true master knows to incorporate. I really couldn't have asked for more.

I haven’t read book one of the series, but that was not an issue while I was reading this one. I will definitely be going back and reading the first book and am MOREEEE than excited for the next books.

“What I feel for you is forever. It’s my breath. My beating heart. It eclipses every other emotion. If I have a soul, you are the essence that fills it.”

A lady lesson in scandal was a very nice read, spicy and funny, mixing Victorian and modern romance. Millicent and Beau are both endearing, stubborn and strong (I’m not sure about the subtitle “a wallflower at risk of ruin”, maybe is it a reference about book1, that I haven't read yet). They are both too attached to their independence (and to their respective missions), which makes them reject their feelings during the whole story, resulting in a lot of mutual pining. And even if I like that, it sometimes felt a bit too much.
I loved how the mystery plot waved with the love story, as it undoubtedly adds some rhythm to the novel, and –for once– I didn’t see the final twist coming (at least not a long time before it happened).
I loved Millie’s questioning, it made a lot of sense, and if I absolutely ADORED Drake’s grand gesture, I wish her feelings had taken more space in the story.
If I like the modernity of both MC, I like the writing a bit less. It is completely personal, but when I read historical romance, I prefer to be plunged into the area by the writing, and it is not the case here (the writing is absolutely OK, it’s just modern), but the book was truly an easy read, and very fun with that mystery/spy plot. I’ll definitely read the first book in this series (they are stand alone), as much as the next one.

PS: some characters show openly homophobic behaviors (anti-lesbian), be warned if it might trigger you.


Thank you NetGalley, Darcy McGuire and Boldwood books for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

"A Lady's Lesson in Scandal" by Darcy McGuire is a fun historical romance that combines espionage, love, and humour. Set in Victorian England, the story follows Millicent Whittenburg, a secret agent (sort of still in training) for Queen Victoria, who tries to escape a marriage she doesn’t want by publicly ruining her reputation and making herself unmarryable. Her unknown victim and collateral damage is Major General Beaufort Drake, a man known for avoiding marriage and hating women. However, Millicent's plan goes awry when the battle-scarred veteran (and secret private investigator for the Prime Minister), proposes marriage for his own reasons.

McGuire's storytelling is compelling as she blends romance and mystery. The chemistry between Millie and Drake is palpable from their first meeting, and their relationship grows as they deal with their imminent engagement. Both characters are interesting and well-developed. Millie is a strong, possibly plus-size woman (she is called fat by a character, but the book cover doesn't show this) who challenges societal norms of feminine weakness and stupidity. At the same time, Drake’s tough appearance hides a more sensitive side and trauma that is both mental and physical.

What makes this novel stand out is the powerful mix of romance and mystery tipped in favour of romance in the first half of the book, and mystery in the second. As Millie and Drake secretly work on supposedly separate missions to uncover a sinister plan, their paths cross. The intertwined storylines keep the pace engaging. Their playful banter is delightful and the spicy scenes are realistic and enjoyable.

A romance needs some spice, and McGuire delivers a good amount of it. The intimate scenes strike a lovely balance between sensual and sweet. The tension between Mille and Drake builds wonderfully, making their moments together even more rewarding.

"A Lady's Lesson in Scandal" is a must-read for anyone who loves historical romance (and isn't too much of a stickler about historical accuracy), with a bit of mystery and strong female leads. It's perfect for both newcomers (like me) and seasoned fans, offering captivating characters and a plot that keeps you intrigued until the last page.

It was a real struggle not to read this book all in one go, I could barely put it down. "A Lady's Lesson in Scandal" is a fantastic addition to the historical romance world and leaves you excited for more in The Queen's Deadly Damsels series. I will absolutely be reading the rest of this series.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Net Galley for my eARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

A rollicking tour-de-force filled with heart and heat! A Lady’s Lesson in Scandal had so much to enjoy. I ripped through it in a little more than a day--it is that much fun.

However, it has some issues, that, while the book was compulsively readable, really kept me from fully immersing myself in McGuire's writing and enjoying the book. On the surface level of the writing, I found the villains to be a tad cartoonish, the interior thoughts of the characters (Millie especially) far too anachronistic, and the “badassery” read mostly silly and over the top. But for me the biggest issue was the way in which the war “hero” backstory was handled for Beau. There was no nuance in his backstory to acknowledge the horrors of British occupation in Asia, particularly in the Middle East, and so the one note-ness of the evil Afghan soldiers was very shallow. While I don't necessarily expect minor villains to be round, dynamic characters, I would have expected more nuance and understanding of how the "evil Middle Eastern" may read to an international audience, especially given the last two decades or so.

All that being said, I think McGuire has a lot of talent and some really excellent writing in this book, making it very hard for me to decide on a rating for this review. I found Millie and Beau's relationship trajectory perhaps a bit too insta-lusty and quickly paced, but that is a purely personal preference; their banter and character growth helped to ground their stories and create characters I was rooting for.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

This second book in the series was really fun to read . I’m looking forward to next in the series

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review

A Lady's Lesson in Scandal by Darcy McGuire delivers an engaging blend of historical fiction and slow-burn romance, with a refreshing twist—a female secret agent protagonist in a historical setting. As a fan of historical romances, especially with strong, independent female characters, I thoroughly enjoyed this unique approach. The slow-burn romance was well-developed, with an intriguing dynamic between the leads that kept me invested. The fairytale-like presence of the evil stepmother added a classic element to the story, while the love scenes were steamy and satisfying, making for a well-rounded read.

What truly stood out was the protagonist's role as a secret agent, a rare and exciting feature in a historical romance. Darcy McGuire skillfully handled this aspect, making the heroine's strength and independence believable and compelling. This was my first experience with such a storyline, and it brought a fresh energy to the genre. Overall, the book was a lot of fun, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical romances with a twist. A Lady's Lesson in Scandal is available to buy or through Kindle Unlimited.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for a ARC of this book.

I received this as an ARC but am providing an unbiased review.

I liked this. I enjoy historical romances that have a mystery, and especially ones where the women are strong and doing more than just being fashionable. In this case, there was some interesting relationship stuff and gender inequities, and I need to read Ivy's book. I very much hated the war stuff because the history of the British in South and Central Asia is horrific. For most of the book, the focus was on the horror visited upon them and I'm a little tired of the narrative, but at least there were some illusions as to the horror they visited on people whose only crime was living on land they wanted to possess. The central case was also a little difficult to buy, but at the end, that didn't mar my enjoyment of the book much.

But in the end, there were interesting exchanges about justice and the way it is, and isn't, enforced. Also the duchess is one of my favorite recent characters. I've immediately bought the first book in the series and will be buying more.

A Lady’s Lesson in Scandal is one of my favourite Regency romances of the year. There is brilliantly-written slow-burn romance, espionage, kidnapping, and subterfuges, a cruel step-mother (as they are usually found in a Disney movie), an all-female squad of well-trained spies, and lots of spice.

The protagonists of the novel are Millicent “Millie” Whittenburg and Major General Beaufort Drake, both considered outcasts from the ton of London. Millie has been entrapped by her step-mother in a betrothal with a man old enough to be her grandfather, but all she wants is to have the freedom to train as a spy with the Duchess of Dorset and take down the band of criminals kidnapping and selling young women all across Europe. The only way out of her engagement is to cause a scandal and what better than to be found in a compromising position with Major Drake? He is a war hero who still bears the scars, both physical and mental, of two years of imprisonment and torture in Afghanistan. Now working as a spy for the prime minister, he has sworn off women for good after he returned from war to his first love married his brother. And while Millie may think that she will be released from any engagement and let go in shame, Major Drake has every intention of being honourable and marrying her. And during a week-long party at his country estate to celebrate the wedding, they will have to face not only their trust and feelings for each other, but also a few dangers and enemies.

I had so much fun reading A Lady’s Lesson in Scandal. The romance is very well-developed. The characters are intriguing and entertaining and there are also a few twists that I didn’t expect. This is the second book in The Queen’s Deadly Damsels series and I am looking forward to reading more.

This was a cute story and I really liked both characters . I don’t always enjoy the mystery aspects in historical romance but it does work quite well in this series . Looking forward to the next book

Evil stepmother, controlling and brutish love interest, and a secret society of women working for the queen to stop crimes. Overall, it is not the most original plotline but maybe that's why it was also so easy and quick to read. The predictability made it more fun than anything else and when a book is labelled a romance, you know the main character's decision on whether she should pursue her heart at the risk of losing her freedom to throw knives at disgusting men is never actually a risk.

The book follows a woman called Millie who, instead of marrying a man much older than her with 'superior' ideals of the woman's place in society, plots to ruin her image and escape to the country where she can continue her training as a spy. To do this, she has to tarnish her already questionable reputation by kissing a man with a scarred past who clearly refuses to ever marry. Obviously, he doesn't really stick to this out of supposed honour and pretty quickly he gets over it. Predictable, but. like, I guess hot? To be honest, I can see how the love interest could be appealing but he wasn't really for me mainly because when reading from the perspective of him at the beginning I thought he was a tad creepy. That being said, once he gets to know her, he loves her beyond her body and we find out about his past and why he can't trust women. Spoiler- he changes for our protagonist.

Besides the romantic element, there's also a relatively action laced plot where they are investigating these missing women which, once again, ends with Millie throwing her knives and, just when you think the love interest is going to come save her... Millie uses her fighting skills and all is well. How no one investigated these dead bodies or think there are probably more bad people behind this whole women trafficking plot I don't know. This also all happens over the course of, I think, a week. So the romance is very quick and also the climax to the action is relatively underwhelming.

Despite everything, I did still enjoy the book. I know this review is mostly negative, but I would still recommend it to people who read regency romance because it had so many classic tropes and I loved the setting. It was also quick, easy, and still had an engaging plotline. I know this is the second book and, though I don't think my understanding of this book was impeded in any way, maybe by reading the first one I would know more background to this secret society of women which I would have been more interested in. Overall, it took me out of a reading slump so I'm grateful.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC of this book and the chance to write a review on it!

Millicent Whittenburg is working undercover for the Queen. What's standing between her and her mission is her impending marriage to an old man that her horrible stepmother arranged. Desperate to escape from this arrangement, Millicent is willing to ruin herself and vanish from society.
All she has to do is to seduce the only man that will never marry her but things don't go according to her plan.
Major General Beaufort Drake, a PI for the Prime Minister, sworn off marriage after coming back from war to discover that his fiancee has married his brother. After Millicent lures him in a kiss that turns out to be a public scandal, he surprisingly offers to marry her.


A Lady's Lesson in Scandal is brilliant, I have never read a Historical Romance where the FMC is a secret agent and she's not the classic beauty.
The plot was original and well developed and I adored the main characters.
I found Millicent refreshing, bold, brave and I loved her determination.
Drake is a scarred man with a big crush for our FMC, he is totally obsessed with her and I loved it.

The author did a wonderful job with this book.

I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3,80 stars but rounded to 4!

It was described as historical romance with a bit of mistery/detective parts.
Both of the MCs are trying to find out, who is killing some of the young woman. They both have the same goal, just only work for two different 'bosses' - Millie for the Queen, Drake for the Prime Minister.
Millie just wants to work her investigation in peace, not to be a wife. She had a brilliant idea - let herself get ruined by a man, so then no other Lord would like to marry her. Sounds perfect, am I right? Well... It didn't went according to her plan...Now she is forced into just another engagement.

First of all, i didn't know that this book is the second one (ups) but it wasn't hard for me to read, so i don't think it is nessesary to read first one before the second!

I really liked both the General Beaufort Drake and Miss Millie, their banter and their relationship growing. One of my fav tropes is forced proximity so it sounded like the perfect read for me.
It was such a nice read, now i think i will check the first one out to see what did i miss!












Thank you NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me a copy of this book!

All opinions are my own.
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Loved it and reminds us there is always hope. One door closes and another opens. True love prevails and always will.

Holy Smokes! I have third degree burns from the STEAM! This series gets better and better.

It was hard to put aside the compelling chemistry between General Beaufort Drake and Miss Millie which made this a very quick read. McGuire continues putting together sexy, scarred war heroes (my fave!) and strong lady spies (with ninja skillz!) for tender, page-turning romanctic adventures.

Again, the challenge is to overcome their tragic pasts, learn to trust each other and take down a sex trafficking ring one villain at a time. Same plot, different couple, just as entertaining and even more open-door scintillating as the first book. I love this series and McGuire's skill at writing flirty banter, characters you become invested in, spy mystery and love scenes is top notch.

Ahh this was very cute. Like a comfy warm bath. Millie is a great heroine, and Beau is a perfect pairing for her. I like the modern, fresh feel with tropes of women being just as competent as men.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's a great continuation of the series, and I love the strong FMC. A spy working for the Queen, Millie kisses a stranger at a party to get out of a loathsome marriage arrangement. What she doesn't realize is that she kissed Major General Drake, an honorable man and private investigator who feels it is his duty to marry Millie since they were caught in a compromised position.

Major General Drake, aka Beau, and Millie have a great romance. The banter and witty conversations are fantastic, and they have a grumpy/sunshine dynamic that I enjoyed. Beau is a scarred and brooding hero, and Millie challenges him perfectly. Their love story is steamy and sexy, and their adventures together are filled with mystery and intrigue as they work together on a secret mission both have been assigned to.

There are some heavier issues in the plot, including abuse and trafficking, and though the trafficking issue is part of the overarching plot, the physical abuse Millie suffers was surprising and a bit tough to read. I would recommend checking out the content warnings, even though the lighter and romantic parts balance out the darker elements well.

Special thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

I think I overall did enjoy this but it just missed something. I don’t know if it was the confusion on which year it was meant to be in as it was not historically correct and it seems like one of the shows where they try to make a historical show more modern but this just didn’t fit. It seemed rushed and the enemies part just wasn’t realllyyy enemies just sexual tension. I did like the side plot part but overall this just fell flat to me. Also how many times can a guy get a hard on in one book…

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book in exchange of my honest review