Earls Rush In by Jennifer Haymore

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Regency Era (1811-1820), Standalone Title, Tracy's Reviews1 Comment

Earls Rush InEarls Rush In by Jennifer Haymore

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Release Date: May 8, 2023

Life has not been easy for Miss Charlotte Chapman after the death of her beloved brother Chris, the Baron Chapman almost two years ago. Making matters worse, her uncle, the new baron has made it clear that Charlotte and her younger sister, Celine are no longer welcome in the house and must leave by the two-year anniversary of Chris’ passing in just a few months. Charlotte had always hoped for a love match and turned down suitors prior to her brother’s death, but now with the threat of homelessness looming, she can’t afford to hold on to that dream, and to save her sister, she is willing to accept the proposal of her only suitor, Reginald Bagshaw. But unbeknownst to her, her brother’s best friend, Finn will never let her marry Bagshaw, and he is willing to do whatever is necessary to ensure that doesn’t happen, which is exactly how she ended up stranded with him at an inn during a blizzard, pretending to be his wife.

Finneas “Finn” Jones, the Earl of Trevelyan has loved Charlotte for as long as he can remember but knows he is not worthy of her and that if she ever found out the truth of her brother’s death, she would hate him. But there is no way he will let her make the mistake of a lifetime by marrying Reginald Bagshaw. Without his usual thoughtful planning, Finn rushes to stop her by basically kidnapping her. He planned to take her to Scotland, but the weather has other plans and when they are forced to share a room as husband and wife, Finn will be tempted beyond measure. A temptation Charlotte would happily make a reality, but Finn hasn’t been totally honest with Charlotte and as much as he would love to spend his life with her by his side, he knows the truth will make her hate him and he will lose her completely. So he holds her at arm’s length and promises to find her a husband before her uncle’s deadline. But can he actually hand her over to another man or is there a way to keep her without telling her everything about her brother’s death?

This well-written, nicely-paced story was an enjoyable read even though parts of it were a bit hard to believe. I thought that Finn and Charlotte were both likable characters, who seemed to balance each other nicely, making them an easy couple to root for. The story did have a few things happening that I personally had a hard time believing, such as her uncle kicking them out without a penny; his own nieces who are young unmarried women, one of whom is just 16 years old. There were other things that were a bit far-fetched, but I don’t want to spoil the story and they were not earth-shattering, but did make me shake my head in disbelief. The book was filled with lies, secrets, wonderful secondary characters, steamyish love scenes, duels, a bit of heartache, and finally a HEA including an epilogue. This book is a standalone title ( I am hoping that the author decides to give some of the secondary characters their own HEA) so if you are new to this author, this is the perfect book to start with.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

Surrender of a Highland Smuggler by Lori Ann Bailey

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Scottish/HighlanderLeave a comment

Surrender of a Highland Smuggler (Wicked Highland Misfits Book 4)Barbara’s rating: 3.7 of 5 Stars
Series: Wicked Highland Misfits
Publication Date: 5/9/23
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: 258

This is a highly emotional, angsty tale of two lovers who were torn apart by trickery and deceit. Three years previous to this story, Olivia Ledford witnessed the shooting of her betrothed – the love of her life – and she was convinced she was in danger as well. She willingly allowed herself to be moved to England (from Aberdeen, Scotland) where she was casually moved from relative to relative – none of whom really wanted her. In all that time, she never quit mourning her love and certainly never considered a life with anyone else. Until her cousin, whom she loved like a brother, convinced her to come back to Aberdeen and consider marriage to a man who was interested in her. She decided she’d at least consider it since she really wanted a home and family of her own and if it couldn’t be with the man she loved, maybe it could be with a man she liked.

Callum Campbell was walking through the village with his betrothed – the love of his life – when he was shot in the head. Later, when he awoke, it was to find a letter on his bedside table. A letter from his beloved – a goodbye letter. She had left him when he needed her most. But . . . Everyone left him when he needed them most. If he loved them, they left him. So, he closed off his heart, his emotions, and certainly his love for Olivia.

Imagine the utter shock each of them felt when they ran into each other on the streets of Aberdeen three years later. At first, Olivia thought she must be seeing a ghost – or at least Callum’s twin brother. No, it really was Callum. Why hadn’t he come after her? Why hadn’t he let her know he was alive? Why hadn’t anyone else let her know? Callum, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with her – he wanted no explanations. He just wanted her to disappear and leave him be.

Both Callum and Olivia were fighting demons from their past – demons from before they ever met. Neither had stable homes nor anyone they could trust. Yet, they had managed to find that love and trust with each other. Could they find it again? Olivia was absolutely relentless in her pursuit of Callum and trying to make him understand what happened. Callum was absolutely determined to have nothing to do with Olivia in any way. So, it was interesting to watch these two overcome their fears and anguish and learn to love and trust again.

For me, the book was much too angsty – too ‘woe is me’. I quickly tired of that especially when I thought the danger and the search for the villain could have been played to a much better advantage than all of the angst. But then, I’m not a fan of angst, so I’m sure that explains why I tired of it.

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

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