My Thoughts: Scandal of the Summer by Alexandra Vasti

*I received a digital advance copy of this book from St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

Scandal of the Summer

by Alexandra Vasti

June 23, 2026

Goodreads Summary:

A desperate debutante meets a ragtag smuggler in this sexy Regency romp by USA Today bestselling author Alexandra Vasti.

Eccentric heiress Lady Ruby Ballimore has had enough of the Marriage Mart. After offending yet another Very Important Marquess―and imperiling her father’s diplomatic career―Ruby flees London for the holiday house of a glamorous (and better yet, absent) princess. Armed with a forged invitation and accompanied by her like-minded friends, Ruby arrives at the Cornwall estate expecting a summer of blissful freedom.

Instead, she discovers a derelict mansion and the most suspiciously charming man she’s ever met.

Former privateer and current con artist Captain Malcolm Archer has dragged his ramshackle crew into a new life. Posing as staff at a princess’s abandoned estate provides the perfect cover for Archer’s smuggling scheme (not to mention free rent). Everything’s going according to plan―until an unorthodox London heiress crashes the party.

But when Archer and his crew attempt to frighten off their uninvited guests, Ruby’s unfazed by insect invasions and sham sea monsters. Harder to ignore? The scorching heat between the rakish pirate and the debutante who can see right through him. As sparks fly, deceptions run wild―because in this Great Cornish Fake Off, the only thing riskier than telling the truth is falling in love.

Review

Scandal of the Summer was a busy book. From one unknown adventure into another frightening situation, the characters had no time to rest. I adored their resilience and quick-thinking! They made the story highly enjoyable.

Scandal of the Summer took us on a roller coaster ride. The fake ladies-in-waiting, the botched plans to drive them away and their unintentional integration into Pomeroy House had me laughing and giggling. The politics was a grave yet unserious issue. “But complicity was as much a decision as any other.” (eARC, Loc 3402)

Ruby was brilliant. I hated seeing her defer to her father when all he did was belittle her accomplishments and stifle her intelligence over and over again. But family was everything to her, so she endured. “She would have liked for defiance to be easy…” (eARC, Loc 1487) It wasn’t until all that transpired at Pomeroy House that Ruby fully realized her father would never have her back. Archer saw Ruby and helped her discover her confidence. She was bolder than she appeared ;)

Archer was a good person (which Ruby knew all along) and an excellent love interest. Since he was young, he has taken care of his loved ones. Even into adulthood Archer shouldered everything on his own. It wasn’t until Ruby that he realized he could share the load. “The circumstances of his life- his own choices, for better and for worse- had set him on a path that seemed, at times, irrevocable. But he did not have to follow it. He could choose differently.” (eARC, Loc 2804) They were strong together.

The side characters shone in Scandal of the Summer. I honestly don’t know how Ruby and Archer would have survived without Tamsin, Alice, Lamentation, Gerry and the hounds. Their mere presence added much liveliness to the story. I adored all their shenanigans- the harmless undermining and polite head-to-head.

Scandal of the Summer was heaps of fun. I’ll be looking out for the next book in the Flirty Rotten Scoundrels series! This series title just promises more swoons and troubles ;)

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the copy I received.