When shy Miss Eliza Balfour married the austere Earl of Somerset, twenty years her senior, it was the match of the season–no matter that he was not the husband Eliza would have chosen.

But ten years later, Eliza is widowed. And at eight and twenty years, she is suddenly left titled, rich, and, for the first time in her life, utterly in control of her own future. Instead of living out her mourning quietly, Eliza heads to Bath with her cousin Margaret. After years of living according to everyone else’s rules, Eliza has resolved, at last, to do as she wants.

But when the ripples of the dowager Lady Somerset’s behavior reach the new Lord Somerset–whom Eliza knew, once, as a younger woman–Eliza is forced to confront the fact that freedom does not come without consequences, though it also brings unexpected opportunities…

Oh my! Where did this go SO wrong?! I’m honestly shocked by how much this one missed the mark for me. I absolutely loved A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting and gave it five stars, so my expectations were high going in. Unfortunately, this book didn’t come close to capturing what I enjoyed so much about the author’s debut, which made the disappointment even worse.

To start with, the positives, there were a few things I genuinely appreciated. The audiobook narration by Imogen Church was excellent. That’s why she is one of my favorite narrators. She brought energy, personality, and distinct voices to each character, which made the listening experience far more engaging than the story itself. Even at around thirteen hours, she held my attention and made it easier to keep going when I might have otherwise stopped. There were also a handful of genuinely funny moments, and the writing itself is polished and well-crafted. I also appreciated that there was no language and no spice.

That said, the story as a whole just didn’t work for me. The pacing felt slow and overly drawn out, with too many scenes that seemed tedious and unnecessary. It never felt like the plot gained real momentum, and I found myself increasingly disengaged as it went on. If I had been reading a physical or digital copy instead of listening, I likely would not have finished it. It felt entirely too long for what the story was.

The characters were another major issue. I struggled to connect with any of them. They came across as shallow, self-absorbed, and often frustratingly unaware of their own behavior. Many of their decisions felt irrational or contrived, which made it difficult to stay invested in their journeys. Instead of rooting for them, I found myself irritated more often than not.

This book also features a love triangle, which is usually something I enjoy, but here it fell completely flat. Both male love interests were unappealing in different ways, there was no chemistry with either one, and one was so clearly positioned as the wrong choice that it removed any real tension. The romance itself felt secondary to everything else, and the resolution came across more like settling than a satisfying emotional payoff.

The biggest issue for me, however, was how overtly woke the story felt. The themes and messaging didn’t feel organic to the time period, and the inclusion of multiple modern social topics pulled me out of the historical setting. Instead of feeling immersed in a Regency era romance, I felt like I was being pulled into present-day conversations that didn’t belong in the story. It came across as heavy-handed and distracting, and it ultimately took away from the escapism I look for in this genre.

This book tries to tackle nearly every modern hot topic, including race, LGBT+ relationships, feminism, and what it frames as toxic masculinity. For me, that completely misses the point of why I pick up Regency romance in the first place. I read this genre for romantic tension and escapism, not to be pulled into present-day political or social conversations.

There are also two gay side characters and a lesbian romance subplot that I was not expecting, especially in a story set in this time period. Rather than feeling like a natural part of the narrative, these elements came across as forced and out of place. It felt like the story was trying to check boxes rather than stay true to its setting. By the time this was introduced more fully toward the end, it completely took me out of the story and, unfortunately, ended up ruining the experience for me.

It’s disappointing because I know this author is capable of so much better. While I enjoyed the narration and can acknowledge the quality of the writing on a technical level, the story itself simply didn’t work for me. I would not recommend this to readers who prefer a more traditional Regency romance experience, as the modern elements may feel jarring.

At this point, I’m unsure whether I will continue with this author. I loved her first book, but this one was a major letdown.