Help A Bitch Out

This HaBO is from Nicola, who wants to find this series:

I’ve been trying to find this book for about ten years since our library updated their internal system and cleared my access to loan history before 2016.

There are for sure two books in this series, and I think only two.

The first one has the heroine move next door to an Earl (possibly other nobleman). As part of the opening he wakes up hungover, with a splitting headache, and hears a massive renovation racket next door. He goes over and starts an argument with the newly arrived heroine (newly wealthy, but I don’t think noble) which ends up in the gossip rags. To save her reputation they pretend to court, and of course fall in love.

He is a libertine who is charming, funny, and of course actually a good guy on the inside- she is funny, smart, and strong.

A key detail I remember is she at some point rides in a bright pink and gold carriage wearing a dress to match. That said, I think they get stuck somewhere and she gets covered in mud and ruins the whole thing.

The earl has a Scottish friend (also noble?) who is leads the second book. The woman he falls in love with has some shady friends and there’s a scene in that one where she has to save him from being murdered by criminal elements.

I’m fairly confident this was published sometime around 2013/2014, as it was a recommendation in the comments sections of a Jezebel article about romance novels (before Jezebel imploded thanks to VC takeover).

The internet has not saved me yet, hoping the bitches have ideas!

Let’s HaBO!