Category: Novella

The Earl Who Loved Her by Sophie Barnes

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Christmas, Novella, Regency Era (1811-1820)Leave a comment

The Earl Who Loved Her (The Honorable Scoundrels, #2)The Earl Who Loved Her by Sophie Barnes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Honorable Scoundrels #2
Publication Date: 11/14/17

This second book in the Honorable Scoundrels is a great read. The series centers around three impoverished sisters. Their great-grandfather was a Viscount and they are the wards of the Duke of Snowden. However, they have never met the Duke and he has made no effort to contact them or provide for them in the year since their father passed away. They are totally on their own. Josephine, the oldest at twenty-six has employment as a bookkeeper. Louise, the middle sister left just yesterday to take employment as a governess (that was the first book in the series – see my review here). This novella features Eve, the youngest at twenty. The two older sisters want very much to give Eve the season they never got to have and are working hard to do just that.

Eve’s childhood friend, Margaret, has invited Eve to spend the Christmas holidays at Amberley Hall. Eve is hesitant to leave Josephine all alone during the holidays, but Josephine encourages her to go because of the contacts and exposure to eligible bachelors. Eve understands how very hard her sisters are working for her and how very much they want her to marry well, so she agrees to make the journey.

Eve’s mail coach made excellent time on the trip to Amberley Hall and arrived about half an hour early – before Margaret’s coach was to meet her. So, Eve decides to walk. It is dusk and Eve heads toward the lights in the distance. When she arrives – she finds she is at the wrong house. Her destination lies six miles in the other direction and the roadways have now turned to ice. Neither man nor beast can make the trip. This means she must spend the night in the home of the bachelor who lives there.

There is an instant attraction between Eve and Bryce Harlowe, the Earl of Ravenworth. He collects, books, coins and . . . . . . flowers. He is also rusticating at his estate – for the last three years – because he’s being shunned by society for a scandalous transgression. He’s really a kind and lovable man and you come to feel his pain as you get to know him. He and Eve make a great pair and their journey to an HEA isn’t a smooth or easy one.

The characters are fully developed and very robust and that is something that is hard to do in a novella. The book is interesting and filled with twists and turns. When you finish, you feel as if you have read a full-length novel rather than a shorter novella. It is excellently done. The plot is solid, the characters are full and the romance is convincing. Well done Sophie Barnes!

Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages…
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev

“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”

The Governess Who Captured His Heart by Sophie Barnes

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Novella, Regency Era (1811-1820)3 Comments

The Governess Who Captured His Heart (The Honorable Scoundrels, #1)The Governess Who Captured His Heart by Sophie Barnes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Honorable Scoundrels #1
Publication Date: 11/7/17

I had the great honor of being a beta reader for this series and I thought it just couldn’t get much better! However, Sophie Barnes has proven me wrong. The finished version of this novella is a sweet, delightfully delicious story of a love that grows over the course of a week of travel in a carriage. Those close quarters certainly give our H/h a chance to get to know each other and to fall in love – even though the heroine is convinced that it is a relationship that can never be.

The series features three impoverished, gently-born sisters who live in a London townhouse. The older sister, Josephine is twenty-six, Louise (our heroine in this novella) is twenty-four, and Eve, the youngest is twenty. Their great-grandfather was an earl, but their grandfather was a younger son who went into law. He was very successful and provided a good foundation for his family. His son, however, just didn’t have the talent for it and when his wife passed away, he took to drink and lost case after case. He finally had to quit practicing and continually sold off properties until all that was left upon his death was the small townhouse that wasn’t in the best of neighborhoods. The two older sisters are determined to give the younger one a season in order to see her well settled. Josephine has found work in London and is doing her best to keep them afloat, but they are barely scraping by. In order to help, Louise finds a position as a governess, but it is far from London.

Louise’s new employer offers her the opportunity to travel to their estate with the employer’s uncle since it will be a much more comfortable mode of travel than the mail-coach would be. Just imagine the surprise of both the uncle and Louise when each finds the other to be totally different than they expected. Louise expected a portly, elderly gentleman and Alistair Langley expected a plump, middle-aged spinster. That is definitely NOT what they got.

Once you meet them, you can’t help but like both Alistair and Louise. They are both good, caring people. I hope you’ll read and love this book and this series as much as I have.

Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages…
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev

“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”