Scandal of the Summer

Alexandra Vasti has quickly become a go-to author for historical romances, and I was excited for her latest, Scandal of the Summer, the first in her Flirty Rotten Scoundrels series. After four seasons, heiress Ruby is tired of trying to find a husband who can appreciate her depth of knowledge on “masculine” subjects like art and history. So she and her two friends abscond to an Italian princess’s mostly uninhabited mansion, Pomeroy House. But acting as stewards of the house are a familiar man and his crew. Malcolm is actually a smuggler, and he doesn’t want Ruby and her companions discovering his undercover operation. With both parties keeping significant secrets, and with Malcolm actively trying to scare the women off, the summer turns into one of many surprises.

What I Liked:

• Secrets and schemes! Scandal of the Summer is hilarious and naughty. Ruby and her two friends are in the princess’s house, posing as ladies maids, trying to hide the fact that they aren’t supposed to be there. Malcolm and his crew are similarly trying to hide what they’re really up to there and desperately hoping the women don’t catch on. But with increasing schemes, tricks, and planned out scares, it seems that both parties are quite stubborn and clever. Maybe instead of working against each other, they should team up instead?
• Ruby is so smart yet not appreciated for it. Ruby has a knack for identifying exactly when and where art originated… and that means calling out fakes when she sees them. She’s published journals (anonymously), and yet no one, least of all her father, has ever admired her intelligence one whit. Even so, she perseveres. I loved her quick and astute observations, as well as her tendency to expose too much of what she knows. I read her as possibly being neurodivergent, whether or not that was the author’s intention.
• Malcolm is so caring and loyal. Perhaps Malcolm’s biggest merit is that he’s kind and protective, sometimes to a fault. He was a captain before, and he took care of his crew no matter what. Now that he’s steward of the house and running a smuggling business, he still does all he can to help his crew, the local townspeople, and, eventually, Ruby herself. Malcolm may have a spotty resume, but he’s a genuinely good and sweet man.
• Little connection to the Belvoir’s Library series. Small Easter egg for those who have read Alexandra Vasti before! Ruby mentions that she got a book from Belvoir’s Library once, and despite her original presumption about what it would actually be about, she found it quite instructive, if you know what I mean. Clearly the Flirty Rotten Scoundrels series exists in the same universe as the Belvoir’s Library trilogy!
• Setup for both Alice and Tamsin. Both of Ruby’s friends are due for books of their own, and I’m excited for each of them. Alice is up next, with a man we haven’t yet met. And Tamsin seems to be headed for a romance with the Princess, if my observations are correct!

Audiobook:

Mhairi Morrison has narrated several of Alexandra Vasti’s books, and the same is true for Scandal of the Summer. As always, I enjoyed how she perfectly captures the author’s particular brand of humor, lightness, and romance. Her narration is rather slower than most, so instead of my usual pace of 2x speed, I listened to the audiobook at 2.5x speed.

Final Thoughts

Scandal of the Summer is a fun, action-packed, and smart romance full of spice and swoon. I enjoyed this immensely, and I can’t wait to continue the Flirty Rotten Scoundrels series. The second book, Meet Me at Midsummer, is due out in June 2027. It will star Alice and a duke/spy. Intriguing! Until then, I have two more books from the author to catch up on, including an ARC of her first contemporary paranormal romance.

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy Scandal of the Summer here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Scandal of the Summer by Alexandra Vasti
Series	Flirty Rotten Scoundrels (#1)
Audiobook Narrator	Mhairi Morrison
Audience	Adult
Genre	Historical Romance
Setting	England
Number of Pages	368
Format I Read	Audiobook & Ebook (NetGalley ARCs)
Original Publication Date	June 23, 2026
Publisher	St. Martin’s Griffin

Official 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.