Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Chronicles of a Bluestocking #1; Wicked Earls’ Christmas #1; Wicked Earls’ Club #13
Publication Date: 9/24/19

The authors of the Wicked Earls’ Club series are giving us part two with the series Wicked Earls’ Christmas series. I don’t know if the release schedule is the same as the original series or not, but that one released a new novella every two weeks.

I loved meeting and getting to know The Earl of Dryden and Miss Chloe Finch. At first glance, they are an improbable match, but as you get to know them, you realize that they are actually perfect for each other. I loved seeing them find their HEA.

Fenton (Fin) [sorry, we never learned his last name], the Earl of Dryden, has a dark and troubled past. He still feels as if he’s filled with that darkness and hates to be anywhere near society. Over the last few years, he’s recovered his health and then built up his bankrupt estate – but the rumors about him are wild. Many think he is associated with the criminal element – though he isn’t. He certainly isn’t marriage material – nor does he trust himself to marry because he can’t do anything that would send him back into that dark place and emotions could do that.

Chloe lost her father before she was even old enough to form a memory of him. However, her mother made a loving and happy home for them. Then, when Chloe was thirteen, her mother died. That was when Chloe’s nightmare began. She went to live with her aunt who was cruel to her, belittled her, denigrated her, and abused her. Chloe lost her ability to speak. She wanted to speak, she just couldn’t get the words past her constricted throat.

Things become more and more intolerable at home, but there is no way for Chloe to escape. She’ll never get a proposal because – well – she can’t speak to the gentlemen. Many of those gentlemen now think she’s a joke and that she is deaf and dumb. None of them want to chance passing her affliction on to their own children.

While at a ball, Chloe’s aunt was being particularly mean and Chloe turned and spoke to the statue that was beside her – “Would you save me, kind sir, from the dastardly tongues of wicked old women?” Then, the statue answered back, “Why yes, I will.”

Fin couldn’t believe he’d just uttered those words – yet there was something about that lovely young woman that drew him to want to protect her and save her.

I really liked Fin who was a very good man, he just had a troubled past and Chloe was just what he needed to bring light into his dark places.

This is definitely a good read and I am looking forward to reading the next books in both the Wicked Earls’ series and The Chronicles of A Bluestocking series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.