After I got used to the language (this being the first regency romance I’ve read in a long time), this was such a fun, easy and enjoyable read. There were so many humorous lines and I enjoyed the way Ashford and Lydia tortured each other. The slow burn romance was slightly more subtle than in other books I’ve read recently, but still enjoyable to watch develop.

There were also some more serious issues (including an abusive husband), and I thought these were handled very well.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the preview. All opinions are my own.

OMG this was an absolute RIOT! I can’t remember the last time I laughed (and cackled and snorted) so much while reading. I’m not even the biggest fan of the movie “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” because apparently what I actually needed was for it to be a Regency house party with a starchy future duke!

The way Lydia and Ashford tormented each other truly had me in stitches. Each time they one-upped each other I was in hysterics. And the side characters! They were all amazing; between Pip and his investigations, the lusty widow with a fawning younger gentleman, and the intrepid “explorer,” there was never a dull moment.

But this also had more serious layers! There were amazing discussion of what women give up to marry (and sometimes to escape those marriages), same-sex loves having to hide, and an abusive husband. Some truly moving moments were mixed in with the humor.
I think this was my fav of Sophie’s books yet!
Highly recommend!

Thank you to Sophie Irwin, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Loved, loved, loved this! A beautifully written regency rom-com with a perfect cast of characters. For fans of Bridgerton, Lex Croucher, and, of course, How To Lose a Guy in Ten Days.

A wonderfully witty and well-written regency romance. I absolutely loved the two main characters and felt their backgrounds and stories were well developed and explained the reasoning behind some quite unbelievable behaviour! Secondary characters were also more fleshed out and this made the whole story engrossing and a joy to read. I thoroughly enjoyed the building of the romance too. The first of books I’ve read by Sophie Irwin but I am immediately on to downloading my next! 5*!

Another brilliant book from Sophie Irwin. It was a joy to read.. The characters were really well written and the dialogue sparkled. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early copy of this book

Sophie Irwin, you absolute queen!

I don’t think I have laughed that much in a long time reading a book, especially a regency romance. But Lydia and Ashford truly took the cake with their little tricks and pranks! An absolute delight to read, I was overcome by a sense of secondhand embarrassment more than one time!

I also very much enjoyed all the unique side characters and the mysterious side plot, in fact all of it was so entertaining that I wish the book would have been longer.

The thing I like the most about Sophie’s characters: their development throughout their stories always feels believable. It’s never rushed or smacks you over the head, it’s always very organic and real!

I will never stop recommending her books to anyone who loves regency romances! This one is another big hit!

Thank you to Negally and HarperCollins UK for providing me with this arc in exchange for my hontest opinion!

I really liked this!
It was funny, romantic and very witty.
Loved how fleshed out Ashford and Lydia were. I also could clearly see this world that they were living in and really wished I could visit.
It felt like a mix between Downton Abbey and How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days...

Love them both so of course I highly recommend this one!

Bright and cheerful and oh-so-silly.

Lydia is a force to be reckoned with, as Ashford soon finds out. To be clear: Their determination to conquer one another is a true comedy, with the romance coming second. Some of the tactics Lydia employs at the start are above and beyond cringe-worthy, but especially once Ashford starts swinging back with pranks of his own, it just turns fun. I do think the ending was a bit lackluster, but with romance playing second fiddle that doesn't come as a surprise. It does make me want to watch How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days to compare some plot points. I also think Pip's sleuthing was a fun addition, even if it did overshadow our main characters some where I would have liked more romantic development.

A brilliant spin of the movie how to loss a guy in ten days. Set in the regency era a woman is trying to get rid of her betrothed, a lord. Unless Andie Andersson she did not turn in a complete mess but rather chose the approach of embarrassing him Infront of family and friends. I adored the sub plots that were going on, may it be a secret love story or a theft to be solved. This is the perfect book for anyone who loves a good romcom and is impatiently waiting for the fourth season of Bridgerton.

Thank you Netgalley for the digital ARC!


Goodreads and Fable posted 29.05,

I have read and enjoyed Sophie Irwin's previous two novels and especially enjoyed 'A lady's guide to scandal'. I was very much looking forward to reading the latest in her regency series as she writes very well and more in the style of the wonderful Georgette Heyer, than some more recent regency series that are more trashy and unrealistic.

This started off very well, with a nice mix of humour and drama and overall this was a fun enjoyable read, but, I do think that the farcical nature of some of the humour was over done and spoilt the authenticity what would have been the behaviour of the time. It also made it harder to engage with the romantic plot and while this was a good read, for me, it didn't live up to her other novels.

As a lover of the movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Sophie Irwin’s previous work, I was thrilled when I saw this book announced!

I’m happy to say it delivered on mostly everything I hoped for. Her trademark humor, wit, and charm that she infused into her other historical romances were all present, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Our heroine, Lydia Hanworth, is the wealthy granddaughter of a businessman. Despite her substantial dowry, her parents are determined that she marry a man with a title. Enter Lord Ashford: highly titled, extremely eligible, and quick to propose to Lydia at the start of the story. From there, the plot takes off, following Lydia’s mission to make Ashford call off the engagement himself.

What I loved most was how Lydia and Ashford begin with completely the wrong impressions of each other. In trying to embarrass him into ending things, Lydia unintentionally creates opportunities for them to see each other’s true selves. Watching Ashford’s personality gradually come through — and those quieter moments between the chaos where they begin to truly understand each other — was perfect.

That said, the prank war between them felt a bit too drawn out. After a couple of emotional heart-to-hearts, they would just revert to the same antics again, which became a little repetitive for me as a reader. I started to feel a bit of fatigue after the second or third cycle of this.

I also found the subplot involving an abusive relationship to be a bit out of place. While I appreciate historical romances that tackle serious issues — especially since the time period itself is naturally deeply steeped in inequality, classism, and misogyny — I didn’t think it integrated well here. I was so invested in the comedic and romantic elements that the darker subplot felt like a detour. I would have preferred that time be spent showing off more of the emotional connection and romantic tension between Lydia and Ashford, or giving us more of their banter.

That said, the colorful side characters added so many fun comedic elements to the world, and overall, this is a delightful historical rom-com and perfect for anyone in the mood for something light, witty, and romantic.


Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a huge amount of fun this was. Properly laugh out loud funny, thought provoking, cleverly plotted and achingly romantic, I devoured this in one read. Lydia is the grandaughter of a mill owner raised by her social climbing uncle and aunt, which is why when Lord Ashford surprisingly proposes it's made clear to her that refusal is Not an Option. But Lydia isn't interested in an advantageous marriage, after all when she comes of age she will have a fortune of her own to enjoy, if she marries she wants it to be for love. And she barely knows the very correct Lord Ashford let alone love him. But with the threat of exile to Yorkshire hanging over her there is only one thing she can do - make Ashford change his mind before the marriage is announced. Invited to a house party at Ashford's cousin's house, she has just ten days to achieve her task with the help of her want to be sleuth brother Pip and Jane, her best friend and maid. However Ashford has his own reasons for wanting this marriage to go ahead, reasons that have nothing to do with love.
Beautifully drawn characters, great sub plots and a determined and inventive hero and heroine, this is a near perfect regency romance. Highly recommended.

How to Lose a Lord in Ten Days was an absolute gem of a book. In my youth I read all of Georgette Heyer’s Regency romances and remember them with fondness, Sophie Irwin is not, of course, Georgette Heyer and nor should she be but she manages to tap into the charm, humour and period accuracy that Heyer was known for while carving out her own niche full of female characters with grit and storylines following the Regency period but still keeping it modern and fresh. Quite the feat.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Highly recommended, I loved it.

I loved Sophie Irwin's last book, and this was nearly as good! I'm not normally a fan of enemies to lovers but this was excellent and I enjoyed it so much. I actually laughed out loud quite a few times (which I find is quite rare with books), the dialogue was so good, I was impressed by how well sketched all the supporting characters were, and obviously the main romance was great. A very fun regency romance that I obviously recommend!

I’ve been looking forward to Sophie Irwin’s next Regency romance and I wasn’t disappointed. This is such a delightful, fun read and there were plenty of laugh out loud moments particularly in the first half of the book. The dialogue between Lydia and Ashford was brilliantly written and really brought the characters alive. I just had some questions about the ending and whether it was a ‘happy ever after’ or a ‘happy for now’ so I would have loved an epilogue to find out what happens next. It’s so refreshing to read a witty, spirited Regency romance in the true spirit of Georgette Heyer. Looking forward to the next book already!

Just glorious. I'd read her previous two standalone novels and enjoyed them; with the title of this one having a nod to my all-time favourite romcom, I was expecting a lot. I'm pleased to say Sophie Irwin delivered.

Lydia's social-climber aunt angles to get a proposal from the rich and very eligible Lord Ashcroft; Lydia's forced to accept, but she wants a love match and doesn't want to marry a man she barely knows and dislikes. Meanwhile, Lord Ashcroft needs to persuade his father that he's made a love match (and, with Lydia being from New Money, this convinces his father). So he asks Lydia to keep their engagement a secret until his cousin's masquerade ball in ten days' time.

Lydia thinks she can persuade him to jilt her during the ten days at the house party, and plots a few things with her brother. It's glorious. The clothes. The singing (!!). Using slang. The charades. The little nod to the pond scene in P&P (and, even better, the acting out afterwards for everyone else in the house party). It's all beautifully done and made me laugh for the right reasons. We get inside both the hero and the heroine's head, and there's also a speech about marital expectations that's a worthy successor to Jane Eyre's 'poor, obscure, plain and little' rant. Beautifully done.

The history's accurate and weaved in nicely (ie not in infodump), the characterisation is excellent (I really did like her brother, and her relationship with her maid), and there's a nice little locked room mystery in between. Lovely light-hearted tone with depth underneath. And it's so refreshing to have a plot and witty dialogue instead of pages and pages and pages of spice.

Thoroughly recommended.

Once again, an absolute masterpiece from Sophie Irwin. I have loved each of her books for how she weaves modern humour and that regency charm together, and How to Lose a Lord in Ten Days is no exception. This book is perfect for classic rom-com lovers, Bridgerton fans, and anyone looking for a hilarious ride.

Lydia, the heroine of this tale, an orphaned heiress to a new money fortune, is at the mercy of her social-climbing aunt and uncle until her delightfully eccentric brother, Pip, comes of age. When the rich and influential Lord Ashcroft offers for her hand, she has no choice but to accept. Lydia, however, wants a love match for herself, not a marriage that will give her family status and distance them from their *gasp* factory roots and leave her tied to a man she doesn’t know and doesn’t particularly like. Lord Ashcroft has only one ask: that she not tell anybody about the engagement until the masquerade ball his cousin is hosting in ten days. This gives Lydia a terrible, wonderful idea - secluded at a house party in the run-up to the ball, she must act so scandalously that Lord Ashcroft has no choice but to jilt her before the announcement can be made.

This was a wonderful story, filled with all of the charm of a 00s rom-com and a wonderful cast of characters. The plot was charming, with some unexpected twists to keep you on your toes, and even a locked room mystery of sorts! I laughed out loud on multiple occasions, and was well researched on regency customs, food and dress - always a potential pitfall in similar books.

All in all, an excellent book, I can’t wait to read it again!

Thank you so much to HarperCollins and NetGalley for sharing this eARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this so much! It's very funny. I properly laughed out loud on multiple occasions and spent one day very bleary-eyed after reading deep into the night
Georgette Heyer with modern day heroines, who use their wit and intelligence to achieve their aims in a society bound by strict rules and hierarchy.
Fabulous character building (Fact is, you'll love Pip) and brilliant scenes you can so easily visualise. Oh that I had half the wit of Lydia and even a smidgen of her attitude!

Sophie Irwin is an auto-buy author for me. I’ve read both novels that she has published so far and I was really excited to approved for this ARC as I’ve been waiting for her new book. I personally prefer her debut, A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting, over her second novel. The first book is a bit more simplistic in plot but I felt I was better connected to the characters. Her second novel the plot got a bit too convoluted. So how does her third novel compare?

Well, we all know where the inspiration of this title comes from. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is one of my all-time feel good romcoms and I’ve lost count how many times I’ve seen this film over the years. Ashford reminds me of Darcy and how Lydia’s perception of him is clouded, like Elizabeth. The book made me chuckle. It was such a fun read to see what antics Lydia came up with next to offend the ton as she tried to spur Ashford away. There was another plot line that got introduced which surprised me but I enjoyed. Even though, they were only together for 10 days, it felt like a slow-burn and it was done well.

Irwin is great at writing historical romance that feels modern and injecting it into her characters. I’ve enjoyed all her books. Whilst there are parallels to Pride and Prejudice, it felt very much its own book. I’m having a hard time deciding if I prefer this or her debut. A worthy read for sure.

I rate this 4.5 stars, rounded up.

This was hilarious and so well written. I loved Lydia from the very beginning and grumpy Lord Ashford was amusing too. Reading about all she got up to in order to make herself unmarriable was very funny and seeing Lord Ashford try to hold it together and maintain decorum was just as amusing. They were certainly a very well matched pair and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about them