I really enjoyed this book. I really like period books and I enjoyed this as much as when I read the Bridgerton series. The chemistry between the two leads was so charming. Read this book so fast. Can’t wait to read more by this author.

I enjoyed this so much that I didn't want it to end. It's laugh-out-loud funny with a great heroine, a host of interesting side characters and a real Georgette Heyer feel (my greatest compliment to a writer of regency romance). Lydia is not a typical regency miss, she has a mind of her own and enough money to set up house with her brother when he comes of age; marriage is not on her radar. This speech of hers typifies the book, it's superb:

‘You are asking me to marry you. To take your name. To legally cease to exist as a person myself. You are asking me to leave my family and absorb myself into yours, to leave my life and fold myself around your habits, your needs, your preferences. You are asking me to walk one step behind you, for the remainder of my days, to hand my freedom and my finances into your keeping.’
He opened his mouth, but she held up a hand to forestall him. ‘You are asking me to risk my life bearing your children. Children, who at first breath would not belong to me, but to you, to be raised and educated and moulded according to your vision and desire. You are asking for all this and more. And I – I only ask for one thing: for love. For dancing, courting, flirting . . . Yet you think I am the one with unrealistic expectations? '

Just fabulous!

Funny in places, Lydia is strong minded and a combination of Elizabeth Bennett and an amateur detective when she tries to solve what looked like a robbery, there was always going to be only one ending but getting there was enjoyable and as I have said already, there were moments that made me laugh .

I simply loved this novel!
Since I'm a huge fan of historical fiction, I had to read this book. And I had such a good time.
I loved the characters and the story.

I adored How to Lose a Lord in Ten Days so much so that I didn’t want it to end!

In Sophie Irwin's latest Regency romance novel, Lydia’s family are elated when she receives a marriage proposal from none other than the future Duke of Ancaster. It doesn’t matter that she barely knows him (she only met him three weeks ago) and has no (positive) feelings for him. Under threat of being sent to her dreaded Aunt Mildred’s, Lydia has no choice but to accept the proposal. Hilarity ensues as she then does everything in her power to persuade her betrothed to break off the engagement before it is announced. After all, she’s the daughter of a wealthy merchant and will manage just fine even if she never marries. The ten day countdown is on!

This was a great story which had me laughing out loud on numerous occasions. It felt well-researched with references to Regency dress, food and the use of archaic words. The social conventions of the upper classes were deftly woven into the story as Lydia did her level best to flout every custom and cause shock and embarrassment. I liked that the focus wasn’t solely on Lydia and the future Duke; supporting characters were well-written with their own distinctive reactions to events and they had interesting backstories which didn’t detract from the main storyline. There was also an engaging subplot which required a mystery to be solved.

With its light-hearted, humorous tone and immersive storyline, How to Lose a Lord in Ten Days is sure to be well-loved by fans of Irwin’s previous novels and will appeal to readers of historical romance. This is a novel that I will want to read again.

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

I enjoyed Sophies first foray into regency a lot,so when offered this on Netgalley I took a chance.

It was enjoyable.

Oh, I do love when an author comes back into my esteem.

I read and loved Sophie Irwin's debut. I didn't even finish her second book. But I am delighted to say that her third novel, 'How To Lose A Lord In Ten Days' is a delightful (clean) romance with lots to keep the enemies-to-lovers camp interested. And I have firmly planted my tent in that particular camp. It follows a wealthy woman and the Lord who announces he wants to marry her, despite the fact that they've met exactly once before. So, she wages a campaign to get him to revoke his suit. Shenanigans ensue at a house party.

Luckily for this book, once said shenanigans began to get rather repetitive and boring (and we were edging towards that) the author diverts us and begins to develop the core relationship between Lydia and Ashford, which only got better and more interesting in the second half. In fact, I believe the second half is the strongest part of the book. And perhaps all that build up was necessary for that part of the book to be as good as it was. I got completely swept up in the silliness and the bantering between these two. And whilst this is a squeaky clean romance - we get a couple of rather chaste kisses, no passionate liaisons here - I still had a lot of fun. I maintain that Irwin is the modern successor for those who like the vibes of Austen's novels. There's plenty of romantic things happening, but the physical intimacy is kept to a minimum.

I've knocked a star off just because I felt some aspects of the book were underdeveloped or underused. A content warning is in place for an emotionally / financially abusive relationship. There was some integration - and by that I mean, the vaguest hint - of some same-sex relationships which, had they had a bit more time to breathe would have been stronger. Particularly that of Pip, who as a whole, was a rather two-dimensional character who could have had a lot more depth. The problem is, there are just so many characters in this book that no one beyond the main couple and Phoebe get much page space to be developed upon.

Nevertheless. If you want fun Regency romance that's more about the plot than it is about the spice, this is the book you'll want to add to your TBR.

Another absolutely unputdownable Regency romance from Sophie Irwin. I laughed out loud, I cringed from second-hand embarrassment, and I loved every page of this brilliant novel.

Lydia has ten days to convince Lord Ashford to terminate their engagement, otherwise she faces a future married to a man she doesn't love, or banished to her aunt Mildred far away from polite society. Luckily, Lydia and her brother Pip have an intimate, ten-day house party and a fool-proof plan to send Ashford running form the altar.

How to Lose a Lord in Ten Days has Lord Ashford proposing to Miss Lydia Howarth after only meeting her briefly a few times.
Lydia does not wish to marry but is pressurised by her family, if she does not accept the proposal she will be sent to live with a dour aunt in the country.
Ashford does not wish the engagement to be announced for tens days so he can persuade his father it is a love match so Lydia plots with her brother to make herself so unsuitable he will withdraw his proposal. This leads to many farcical situations that are extremely amusing.
With a cast of great characters this is a romp of a regency romance and an enjoyable read. For me the ending was satisfying but a little abrupt, a glimpse into their future would have given that extra depth I felt was missing.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

i don’t usually reach for historical romance. all those corsets, ballrooms, and men named “lord something-something the third”? yeah, no thanks. but this one? surprisingly cute. think: enemies-to-lovers but make it regency-lite with a sprinkle of trauma and a dash of “i hate how much i love you.”

so what’s it about?
lord ashford wants to marry miss lydia hanworth. she… does not. well, she might, but not if she has to be forced into it by society’s nonsense and his Very Serious Proposal Face. she’s got ten days to run, scheme, or sabotage her way out of this engagement, and obviously, chaos ensues. and feelings. lots of those.

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what i liked:
• ashford. omg. an actual emotionally intelligent man in historical fiction? a man who takes feedback and changes?? hello??
• the banter was cute, the chemistry made sense, and the story didn’t take itself too seriously. like yes, it deals with heavy things (domestic abuse, grief), but it’s all balanced with wit and softness.
• quick, easy read. didn’t make my brain hurt. didn’t make me cry. just vibes.
• perfect if you’ve been in a slump and need something to gently shake you awake.

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what i didn’t like:
• subplot got a little messy. like girl we came here for the romance, not side quests. some parts dragged and i just wanted to get back to the main couple arguing in drawing rooms and nearly kissing in gardens.
• not enough bickering. sorry. if it’s enemies to lovers i want verbal sparring. i want veiled insults. i want sexual tension so thick you could stab it with a letter opener.
• some moments were a bit too sweet-toothed. like someone wrote it with a pastel pink quill. cute, but sometimes i needed more spice or stakes.

⸻

3/5. cute but not unforgettable. would i read more from sophie irwin? probably. idk.

The third Regency rom-com from Sophie Irwin and just as good as the first two. It tackles topics such as domestic violence, LGB issues and neurodiversity with sensitivity and compassion. However, the story is filled with humour and light. Some wonderfully diverse characters who are expertly written and capture the reader’s heart. A book I couldn’t put down and had to finish it one sitting. Brava, Sophie!

I am absolutely loving this delightfully refreshing historical enemies-to-lovers romance; which has a feisty couple, great banter and ingenious and amusing pranks which they play on each other. I found myself sniggering to myself more times than I can mention at their original and petty revenge ideas. Accompanying Ashford and Lydia are a great cast of side characters, who are equally well developed and likeable - particularly Pip - There is even a small mystery to solve as a sub plot, making this story a real winner for me. Overall, a fun and entertaining read - I highly recommend lovers of lighthearted romances with witty banter picking up a copy of this book when it is out on July 17, 2025. Many thanks to HarperCollins Publishers for knowing I would love this book and sending me the widget, and thanks to NetGallery for allowing me to get an early copy, which is greatly appreciated.

A splendid regency romance that made me both guffaw and swoon. Sophie Irwin is now a must-read author for me. Brava!

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for a review copy of this novel. I was thrilled to get a review copy of Sophie Irwin’s new novel because I had enjoyed the previous two so much. With all of her novels, including this new offering you feel as though you have found some undiscovered Georgette Heyer novels, with all the wit, intelligence, charm and historical accuracy her books possessed that make Irwin stand out from the others.

At the heart of this story is Lydia a wealthy orphan who, along with her eccentric brother, is now under the care of their social climbing aunt and uncle. They are determined to find Lydia a nobly born husband to further their own social aspirations to further distance themselves from their merchant background. Lydia, however, wants a love match and has her eye on the adventurer whom she met at one of his talks and where she felt they had a ‘significant moment’. She is startled then to find Lord Ashford, a duke’s heir, proposing in her drawing room in front of her aunt and uncle and is startled into accepting him, but instantly inwardly rails against a marriage to a cold fish like Ashford who obviously cares nothing for her, despite his claims otherwise. To her relief she’s told the engagement must be kept secret for ten days until Ashford’s father arrives at a house party to announce it. Determined to make the best use of those ten days she enlists her brother to employ all his eccentricities at the week-long house party they’re both compelled to attend while she applies her own special plan to make Ashford break the engagement.

Filled with fun, humour and wit, the novel still stays within the bounds of believability and accuracy to make for a wonderfully charming Regency novel. I sailed through it, enjoying it so immensely and with the sure knowledge that I will re-read it as many times as I have read the others. Highly enjoyable!

I love historical romance and this one was a delight. Good storyline running through it and good knowledge of behaviours for that period. I loved the character of Lydia and the antics she used to try to “lose her lord”. All in all, very enjoyable.

This was really good fun.

It took me a little while to connect either Ashford but I think that made his character arc all the better. I absolutely loved Lydia, she was brilliant, such an interesting main character empowered by her circumstance to break the mould. I wasn’t convinced by Pip’s investigating subplot but again it actually turned out brilliantly and had a satisfying conclusion.

All in all a fun read and I now want to read Sophie Irwin’s previous book.

I enjoyed this light-hearted Regency romance which plays on the challenges of either defying convention or sticking to it rigorously. Lydia Hanworth is determined to only marry for love but she has accidentally become engaged to a very prim lord who she needs to be jilted by at the earliest occasion. She cannot withdraw from the marriage or she'll risk the worst fate of being sent to Aunt Mildred in the deepest, darkest depths of the countryside.

The book has a fun cast of characters and I'll admit that I particularly enjoyed Lady Morton as she made the most of the house party. I would have liked to see a bit more of the romance between Lydia and Ashford but the pranks created plenty of fun banter between them.

I'd definitely recommend this to any fans of Georgette Heyer and I'm looking forward to exploring Sophie Irwin's previous books!

This book should come with a health warning - I couldn’t put it down after starting it. It is absolutely hilarious and not the typical regency romance I expected. The story itself starts as a main character is forced into a secret engagement by relatives but from there develops into something outrageously funny with the bride to be, her fiancé and her brother embarking on a series of pranks, a mystery to be solved and amusing verbal exchanges. This book will brighten your day.

Sophie Irwin’s first book was a worthy successor to Georgette Heyer’s witty Regency romances, and I read it thrice in the first week after my first reading and countless times since). I expected less from her second, because I’ve read all of Heyer’s imitators and most aren’t very good after even one book, but her second book was just as good. This is her third book, and it’s joining the other two in my list of books that I have read as soon as I’ve set eyes on them-and this has been in the middle of my work day ( extra long lunches and tea breaks). I love Irwin’s Regency romances because while they have all the familiar tropes you expect-strong willed heroines, good-looking male love interests, loads of banter and some pratfalls, there’s also enough for readers who enjoyed reading ‘Longbourn’, nearly as much as they enjoyed reading ‘Pride and Prejudice’-a slightly more nuanced look at the society of the time, and a wider cross section of society. There are other authors who have done this, but they tend to go overboard with their virtue signalling, and more often than not , are filled with anachronisms or just factual inaccuracies ( one very popular one that’s all over social media over the last 5 years, with one of those annoying pastel illustrated covers started off with the “plucky female protagonist” wanting to visit Oxford to see the alma mater of Newton! And she
succeeds-even Philip Pullman’s alternate universe Oxford University does not claim Newton as alumnus. Needless to say, I did not progress beyond the first page.)
Lydia Hanworth, intelligent, sensitive heiress is forced to accept a marriage proposal by Lord Ashcroft by her relatives and the diktats of society-who would ever think that the grand-daughter of a house-maid and woollen wear manufacturer would ever turn down an aristocrat and the opportunity to move up the social scale? Lydia wants love though, and is willing to hold out for it, and is supported in this by her elder brother Pip-imagine a delightful, slightly less absent-minded Thompson Twin ( Tintin, not 80s pop). The announcement is to be made in 10 days-10 days that Lydia’s going to spend at Ashcroft’s favourite cousin’s country estate, and that she sees as the perfect opportunity to utterly annoy Ashcroft so much that he breaks off the engagement. That’s easier said than done , though, and what follows is sparkling wit that had me laughing out loud ( and ineptly covering it up with a cough, at my office canteen!), compelling side characters, and quite moving romances. The ending was unexpected and I loved it-it was perfect for this story. I like that there are echoes of Heyer in the characters of her books, but she subverts them in excellent ways, without you feeling that these are 20th century attitudes imposed on the Regency-the language used, the way ideas are expressed; for instance, siblings of protagonists are either non existent or evil in Heyer, Irwin makes them fully rounded characters, and not superfluous. I also love all her little Easter Eggs-the very LOckhart-like Captain Von Prett, for one! ( and a character mistaking his name for Captain Von Pratt)
I’m so glad I have another Sophie Irwin to add to my other two well-thumbed comfort reads by her!

How to Lose a Lord in Ten Days was so much fun! It was a lighthearted read with humour that made me laugh out loud but also some emotional moments.

I enjoyed the progression of the romance between Lydia and Ashford from their ridiculous petty pranks to more meaningful conversations and how Lydia forced Ashford to look at things from a different perspective.

One of my favourite things about this book was the cast of distinct and developed side characters. I would love to see this become a series focusing on some of the other characters’ stories, I think a Pip book would be wonderful!

I haven’t read either of Sophie Irwin’s previous books yet but they will be the first thing I reach for when I’m next in the mood for a historical romance and I will definitely pick up future books from this author.