Lady Scandal

When Simon Hayden shows up at the lavish Savoy Hotel to investigate the possible mishandling of funds and unearth fraudulent activities, he expects to easily take charge and have everything running his way under his new rules. However, he is quickly outmatched by Delia Stratham, a stubborn and striking three-time widow who is the hotel’s devoted events coordinator and is extremely loyal to the current (absent) hotel manager. Delia is aghast at Simon’s changes to the hotel, and soon each is trying to outmaneuver the other while fighting their growing attraction. This is a captivating, delightful read, full of humorous moments and characters who feel real enough for readers to genuinely care about how their story will end. Guhrke’s second “Scandal at the Savoy” novel (after Bookshop Cinderella) does an excellent job of portraying characters with intelligence and wit and writing stories in which the heroine defies expectations for the usual high-society ladies featured in historical romance.