Lady Scandal

The sparkling second Victorian romance in bestseller Guhrke’s Scandal at the Savoy series (after Bookshop Cinderella) follows a glamorous young widow turned savvy businesswoman. After Lady Delia Stratham’s third husband died, she was severely depressed. Then an acquaintance offered her a job helping to manage the Savoy, an upscale London hotel. Though some members of society were shocked, the position has given Delia’s life new purpose. So she’s not exactly welcoming when the hotel’s board sends Simon Hayden, Lord Calderon, to improve efficiency and secretly conduct an investigation into the potential misappropriation of funds. Delia finds Calderon attractive but cold while he assumes she may be involved in the embezzlement. Inevitably, their antagonism turns into a passion that surprises them both, but Calderon fears Delia will reject him once she learns his real purpose for auditing the hotel, especially if she loses the job she loves. Guhrke makes the historical setting more than mere set dressing, basing the Savoy’s business troubles on a real incident. With appealing protagonists and some convincingly steamy scenes, this will appeal to fans of Julia Quinn and Amanda Quick. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary. (June)