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Larkhall Letters #1
The Ace of Hearts
A secret venture, a regrettable love letter, and a heart he can't afford to lose.
Faced with her stepbrother’s betrayal and an unwanted marriage, Alice Rosemeyer accepts an invitation to the estate of Larkhall. Determined to earn her future security without a husband, she begins operating as the anonymous Ace of Hearts, writing love letters on behalf of the men eager to secure a match at the close of the London season. If she can manage to keep her identity secret, her reputation intact, and avoid the arrogant house guest, Mr. Thomas Herring, she might just call herself successful.
When Thomas Herring's sister marries an indebted man because of a love letter, he has no choice but to marry into money himself. Invited to stay at Larkhall, he sets his sights on the wealthy sister of his host. When she appears indifferent, he stumbles upon an advertisement: a gentleman offering assistance in matters of the heart. An ace, so he is called. But when he turns out to be she, and also a guest at the same house, his task is further complicated—especially as Alice proves herself to be as captivating as she is clever.
With reputations, secrets, and more than one heart at risk, Alice and Thomas become trapped in a game with no rules, a game neither intended to play. Had they been wrong to play love for a fool?
The Ace of Hearts is a sweet regency romance novel, book one in the Larkhall Letters series by Ashtyn Newbold.
Faced with her stepbrother’s betrayal and an unwanted marriage, Alice Rosemeyer accepts an invitation to the estate of Larkhall. Determined to earn her future security without a husband, she begins operating as the anonymous Ace of Hearts, writing love letters on behalf of the men eager to secure a match at the close of the London season. If she can manage to keep her identity secret, her reputation intact, and avoid the arrogant house guest, Mr. Thomas Herring, she might just call herself successful.
When Thomas Herring's sister marries an indebted man because of a love letter, he has no choice but to marry into money himself. Invited to stay at Larkhall, he sets his sights on the wealthy sister of his host. When she appears indifferent, he stumbles upon an advertisement: a gentleman offering assistance in matters of the heart. An ace, so he is called. But when he turns out to be she, and also a guest at the same house, his task is further complicated—especially as Alice proves herself to be as captivating as she is clever.
With reputations, secrets, and more than one heart at risk, Alice and Thomas become trapped in a game with no rules, a game neither intended to play. Had they been wrong to play love for a fool?
The Ace of Hearts is a sweet regency romance novel, book one in the Larkhall Letters series by Ashtyn Newbold.
11 pages, Audible Audio
First published April 1, 2020
944 people are currently reading
1728 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 332 reviews
June 11, 2020
This was a sweet story. I love regency so the time period always pulls me in. There is something about reading about woman whose lives were not their own that is so fascinating. Alice is strong and wants to choose her own life. This story was slow moving. The story is a nice one.
August 14, 2021
A bit trite but I still read it.
I really enjoyed the main characters. But the set up was just bizarre. Every single person in the book is looking for someone with money. And they’re willing to put someone else’s happiness on the line to make a match. It just didn’t jive for me. Also, I really wanted the heroine to fall for Matthew. He seemed lovely.
The writing is not bad but the plot points are just bizarre.
I really enjoyed the main characters. But the set up was just bizarre. Every single person in the book is looking for someone with money. And they’re willing to put someone else’s happiness on the line to make a match. It just didn’t jive for me. Also, I really wanted the heroine to fall for Matthew. He seemed lovely.
The writing is not bad but the plot points are just bizarre.
April 26, 2023
I've read this series all out of order but it hasn't mattered. They're each lovely and enjoyable. I loved the enemies to lovers trope and how willing they were to sacrifice for others.
July 19, 2020
3.5 stars
Alice & Thomas' story was a very sweet read.
Hoping to avoid an arranged marriage, Alice escapes her stepfather with her sister, Louisa. They visit friends for the summer. Once there, the matron of the house decides to sponsor a business for Alice who helps men earn the love of their lady-fairs under the nom de plume, Ace of Hearts.
Thomas is on the verge of bankruptcy since his sister eloped with the man who won her heart. Deciding he needed to secure an heiress, he travels to Larkhill to enjoy a summer among friends in the hopes to land an heiress.
However, Thomas has troubling wooing the elusive Bridget and seeks out assistance from the Ace of Hearts. However, he quickly discovers that Alice is the mastermind behind the ruse. He also finds out it is she who helped his sister elope.
This was full of misunderstanding, revenge, secrets, acts of heroism, and so much more!
1 profanity, although it could have been a typo.
A great HEA, I wonder if there are more to come!
Alice & Thomas' story was a very sweet read.
Hoping to avoid an arranged marriage, Alice escapes her stepfather with her sister, Louisa. They visit friends for the summer. Once there, the matron of the house decides to sponsor a business for Alice who helps men earn the love of their lady-fairs under the nom de plume, Ace of Hearts.
Thomas is on the verge of bankruptcy since his sister eloped with the man who won her heart. Deciding he needed to secure an heiress, he travels to Larkhill to enjoy a summer among friends in the hopes to land an heiress.
However, Thomas has troubling wooing the elusive Bridget and seeks out assistance from the Ace of Hearts. However, he quickly discovers that Alice is the mastermind behind the ruse. He also finds out it is she who helped his sister elope.
This was full of misunderstanding, revenge, secrets, acts of heroism, and so much more!
1 profanity, although it could have been a typo.
A great HEA, I wonder if there are more to come!
April 13, 2020
Ashtyn Newbold always tells a fantastic story, and the premise of The Ace of Hearts was especially unique and intriguing—an enemies-to-lovers romance set at a gorgeous estate where the heroine runs a secret business offering romantic advice and writing love letters on behalf of lovesick men…both of which inadvertently cause the hero’s younger sister to elope with a man he disapproves of. Even as he and the heroine overcome their initial dislike and become first friends, then something more, knowledge of her involvement in his sister’s marriage could hinder their budding relationship should he ever learn of it. This added such an interesting dynamic to their growing relationship that made it easy to read the entire book in a single sitting in order for me to discover how everything would resolve.
The story was not only fun and original, but Alice and Thomas’s relationship was deep and romantic. Both were strong characters who over the course of the story grew and helped strengthen one another. I sympathized with both characters and loved watching them come together and overcome their obstacles for a happily ever after that, while not perfect, was still beautiful, especially considering it was centered on sacrifice. I also enjoyed the subplot with Issac and Diana and liked how it was handled.
I loved the secondary characters and am eager to read Louisa, Bridget, and Matthew’s stories. (I’m crossing my fingers that Bridget’s is next after all the hints we got for what promises to be a romantic premise between her and the captain that years ago stole her heart.) I’m so excited to revisit the beautiful Larkhall Estate and not only see the characters I grew to love return to get their happily ever afters, but discover what unique plots centered around letters Ashtyn Newbold will come up with next.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The story was not only fun and original, but Alice and Thomas’s relationship was deep and romantic. Both were strong characters who over the course of the story grew and helped strengthen one another. I sympathized with both characters and loved watching them come together and overcome their obstacles for a happily ever after that, while not perfect, was still beautiful, especially considering it was centered on sacrifice. I also enjoyed the subplot with Issac and Diana and liked how it was handled.
I loved the secondary characters and am eager to read Louisa, Bridget, and Matthew’s stories. (I’m crossing my fingers that Bridget’s is next after all the hints we got for what promises to be a romantic premise between her and the captain that years ago stole her heart.) I’m so excited to revisit the beautiful Larkhall Estate and not only see the characters I grew to love return to get their happily ever afters, but discover what unique plots centered around letters Ashtyn Newbold will come up with next.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 19, 2020
Alice is an imperfect matchmaker and completely unqualified. She's never been in love and doesn't really believe in or want marriage. She does, however, need to escape her stepfather's puppeteering. After sneaking away with her sister to a friend's estate, Alice agrees to become the Ace of Hearts, advising men on how to capture the heart of the lady they want.
Thomas is dreamy. I love a male lead who has a tough exterior and a marshmallow center. The banter is beyond enjoyable.
I loved this book. Ashtyn did a fantastic job reeling me in. I cannot wait for the rest of this series.
Thomas is dreamy. I love a male lead who has a tough exterior and a marshmallow center. The banter is beyond enjoyable.
I loved this book. Ashtyn did a fantastic job reeling me in. I cannot wait for the rest of this series.
September 29, 2021
A cute, clean Regency romance with a house party and the dreaded arranged marriage hanging over our heroine’s head. Either Alice or her sister Louisa must find a husband in order to escape their stepfather’s plan to marry Alice off to one of his odious creditors. They sneak away to Larkhall, where Alice’s friend Bridget has invited them for the summer. Some single men will also be visiting, of course. The characters and plot were engaging and kept me reading well past my bedtime. Some of the twists I could see coming but it was still an enjoyable story.
did-not-finish
December 28, 2022DNF 10%. Just not interested right now. May return to later.
June 13, 2023
An enjoyable predictable romance 👍🏻
February 2, 2026
4.5⭐️
I had a blast listening to this book. It has everything I want in a regency romance. Intense ending, banter, un-proclaimed feelings, mishaps, and beautiful scenery.
Alice is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Her step father bargained her freedom away to be married to a man she doesn’t want in order to clear his debts. She made a deal with her step brother that fell through. She and her sister desperately need to secure a marriage match to turn their futures around.
Thomas also is in a similar position. He was banking on his sister’s dowry to secure his estate. Thomas needs to marry a wealthy woman to turn his future around.
They both end up at the same estate for the summer and are not happy about sharing the same space.
I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers. So often the characters aren’t even enemies. In this story they totally are and I loved every second of their interactions. Alice put Thomas in his place more than once. And because she did it helped him see his failings and snap him out of his funk.
Remarks •
No spice - but one of my favorite kiss scenes
No language
TW - toxic step parent
Favorite things:
The game of whist with the losers sharing secrets
The bonnet hung in her office
The meeting in town before the carriage collects them
The song
The almost kiss
The kiss is like my favorite ever!!!
Favorite quotes:
How her dislike of him had transformed over that last several weeks. How her opinions had changed. It had come one word at a time, one smile, one glance, one game, one laugh, one touch, one misunderstanding amended after another, one truth revealed, one secret confessed, one ill feeling unwritten.
During our game when I offered you my heart you thought I was teasing. My secret had I been honest with you then, was that you already had it.
I had a blast listening to this book. It has everything I want in a regency romance. Intense ending, banter, un-proclaimed feelings, mishaps, and beautiful scenery.
Alice is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Her step father bargained her freedom away to be married to a man she doesn’t want in order to clear his debts. She made a deal with her step brother that fell through. She and her sister desperately need to secure a marriage match to turn their futures around.
Thomas also is in a similar position. He was banking on his sister’s dowry to secure his estate. Thomas needs to marry a wealthy woman to turn his future around.
They both end up at the same estate for the summer and are not happy about sharing the same space.
I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers. So often the characters aren’t even enemies. In this story they totally are and I loved every second of their interactions. Alice put Thomas in his place more than once. And because she did it helped him see his failings and snap him out of his funk.
Remarks •
No spice - but one of my favorite kiss scenes
No language
TW - toxic step parent
Favorite things:
The game of whist with the losers sharing secrets
The bonnet hung in her office
The meeting in town before the carriage collects them
The song
The almost kiss
The kiss is like my favorite ever!!!
Favorite quotes:
How her dislike of him had transformed over that last several weeks. How her opinions had changed. It had come one word at a time, one smile, one glance, one game, one laugh, one touch, one misunderstanding amended after another, one truth revealed, one secret confessed, one ill feeling unwritten.
During our game when I offered you my heart you thought I was teasing. My secret had I been honest with you then, was that you already had it.
March 7, 2023
A sweet Regency romance that kept me guessing until the end
I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet, clean Regency romance by Ashtyn Newbold. I was quickly caught up in the plight of Alice and her sister Louisa as they run away from the home of their wicked stepfather to live with a friend at her grand estate, Larkhall, for the summer with hopes to marry gentlemen that will save Alice from an arranged marriage. While at Larkhall, Alice runs into Thomas Herring, a man she dislikes greatly and doesn’t hesitate to take to task.
The book is full of supporting characters, three of whom I’ll get to know better in the rest of the series. I plan to start on the second book today!
Ashtyn does a great job keeping the story moving, using believable dialog, and fully developing flawed, but charming, characters. This is my first book by Ashtyn Newbold, but I plan to start the next one right now.
I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet, clean Regency romance by Ashtyn Newbold. I was quickly caught up in the plight of Alice and her sister Louisa as they run away from the home of their wicked stepfather to live with a friend at her grand estate, Larkhall, for the summer with hopes to marry gentlemen that will save Alice from an arranged marriage. While at Larkhall, Alice runs into Thomas Herring, a man she dislikes greatly and doesn’t hesitate to take to task.
The book is full of supporting characters, three of whom I’ll get to know better in the rest of the series. I plan to start on the second book today!
Ashtyn does a great job keeping the story moving, using believable dialog, and fully developing flawed, but charming, characters. This is my first book by Ashtyn Newbold, but I plan to start the next one right now.
April 15, 2020
4.5 Stars! I enjoyed this clean regency book! All of Ashtyn Newbold's books have been fun and engaging to read. I had not read the blurb for this book before I started. It started with Alice's point of view and I liked her and was quickly rooting for a match between her and another male character. That was before I realized there was a male POV!! I was sad at first because I didn't like him and didn't want them to be together. Throughout the book I grew to love him and root for him. It reminded me of P&P throughout parts of the book, which is always a good thing. I still have a soft spot for Matthew and CANNOT wait for his book! Excited for this series by a great author!
May 23, 2020
A solid story that doesn't rely on villians
A solid 3.5 read. I have been reading a lot of books lately that I couldn't finish because of strong beginnings and then something seems to happen around the 60% mark and I just stop and put it aside. That pi!e is growing. This book was a pleasant surprise. A slow start but it got better as it went along. A clean, sweet story with no real misunderstanding, villains, or OM/OW. Yet not boring as we follow 2 people trying to straighten out their lives. What was unique was that though an HE A it doesn't end in the typical way where there's a windfall of money or other deux ex machina. Nice.
A solid 3.5 read. I have been reading a lot of books lately that I couldn't finish because of strong beginnings and then something seems to happen around the 60% mark and I just stop and put it aside. That pi!e is growing. This book was a pleasant surprise. A slow start but it got better as it went along. A clean, sweet story with no real misunderstanding, villains, or OM/OW. Yet not boring as we follow 2 people trying to straighten out their lives. What was unique was that though an HE A it doesn't end in the typical way where there's a windfall of money or other deux ex machina. Nice.
September 27, 2024
Intriguing and beautiful…
I must admit, it took me a second or two to consider Thomas my next book boyfriend, but I fell for him just as much as Alice did. I am also proud to say, that I figured out one of the villains before it was revealed. What I hate, though, not about the book but the time period was, how fathers and brothers could just marry off young ladies and there was little to nothing to do about it. The unfairness of it makes me angry. The story was captivating and enchanting, though, and I loved it.
I must admit, it took me a second or two to consider Thomas my next book boyfriend, but I fell for him just as much as Alice did. I am also proud to say, that I figured out one of the villains before it was revealed. What I hate, though, not about the book but the time period was, how fathers and brothers could just marry off young ladies and there was little to nothing to do about it. The unfairness of it makes me angry. The story was captivating and enchanting, though, and I loved it.
November 28, 2020
I have read other books that I’ve enjoyed by this author, but this one was disappointing. The Ace of Hearts was very lack luster and it seemed like she wasn’t even good at it. It get unnecessary to the storyline and pointless.
October 29, 2021
Oh boy, this one made me nervous!
Sometimes I just wish characters could be honest at the beginning, so I don't stress out the whole time wondering what they are going to think when they find out the truth. Confusing, I know, but that summarizes my feelings.
Despite the slight anxiety, this was a great read. I loved getting viewpoints from both of the main characters. I definitely read this series out of order but it all ended up not mattering too much.
Sometimes I just wish characters could be honest at the beginning, so I don't stress out the whole time wondering what they are going to think when they find out the truth. Confusing, I know, but that summarizes my feelings.
Despite the slight anxiety, this was a great read. I loved getting viewpoints from both of the main characters. I definitely read this series out of order but it all ended up not mattering too much.
August 3, 2024
Trite is a great word for this. It was great and clever, just like all the others… The characters were of nothing import, the story was a cool concept, but fell a little flat? Drank it up like a day old glass of soda, still super sweet and tasty, but no buzz or pizzaz. Fave parts will always be centered around the house party and after dinner games, a hoot 🦉
February 9, 2025
Re-Read: February 2025
I still really enjoyed this, but I'm downgrading it to 4 stars. I still thought the romance was cute and I loved the communication between the main characters, but I was so frustrated with the author's portrayal of Diana. Like, I get that Thomas probably needed to be less controlling of his sister and all that, and normally I'd think that Diana should get to make her own decisions but...this doesn't really work because Diana is an idiot. She made such a stupid decision and I see no reason to believe that her gambling-addict husband is going to change his ways. He lost over $1 million in just a couple months! There's no way that I believe he changed just because his wife loves him.
So ya, that annoyed me enough to lower this to a 4-star rating, but I still had a really fun time with this and will continue with the series.
Re-Read: January 2023
I decided to re-read this before continuing on with the rest of the series. Since this was one of the first historical romances I read I was worried I wouldn't like it this time around, but luckily it held up! It was still really cute and entertaining ❤
Original Review
Much to my surprise, it seems like historical romance is kind of my genre. I’ve read 3 over the past 3 days and given 2 of them 5 stars. (Admittedly, the other books I gave 1 star but there are duds in every genre.) There’s something so light and fun about these sorts of books. They’re so easy to read and it’s nice that during the entire book you can be sure that there will be a happy ending.
Despite how much I loved this book, there’s not much to say about it. It was obviously very cute and the main couple was adorable together. The side characters were also interesting which makes me excited to continue on with the series and read their stories. Other than that…I don’t have much to add. It was just a really nice book!
I still really enjoyed this, but I'm downgrading it to 4 stars. I still thought the romance was cute and I loved the communication between the main characters, but I was so frustrated with the author's portrayal of Diana. Like, I get that Thomas probably needed to be less controlling of his sister and all that, and normally I'd think that Diana should get to make her own decisions but...this doesn't really work because Diana is an idiot. She made such a stupid decision and I see no reason to believe that her gambling-addict husband is going to change his ways. He lost over $1 million in just a couple months! There's no way that I believe he changed just because his wife loves him.
So ya, that annoyed me enough to lower this to a 4-star rating, but I still had a really fun time with this and will continue with the series.
Re-Read: January 2023
I decided to re-read this before continuing on with the rest of the series. Since this was one of the first historical romances I read I was worried I wouldn't like it this time around, but luckily it held up! It was still really cute and entertaining ❤
Original Review
Much to my surprise, it seems like historical romance is kind of my genre. I’ve read 3 over the past 3 days and given 2 of them 5 stars. (Admittedly, the other books I gave 1 star but there are duds in every genre.) There’s something so light and fun about these sorts of books. They’re so easy to read and it’s nice that during the entire book you can be sure that there will be a happy ending.
Despite how much I loved this book, there’s not much to say about it. It was obviously very cute and the main couple was adorable together. The side characters were also interesting which makes me excited to continue on with the series and read their stories. Other than that…I don’t have much to add. It was just a really nice book!
January 26, 2023
UGH.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
I feel SO LET DOWN BY THIS. I was even buddy reading with another friend who didn’t even finish it. Both of us struggled with so many things that happened here.
There was entirely too much focus on the other future couples in this series. Random tangents to set up their story and the main character was putting a lot more effort into everyone else so it felt like the focus was never on her.
When the focus was on her and the budding relationship with Thomas I was only impressed occasionally. They had some cute banter filled moments, but why throw out enemies to lovers than immediately take it away? I saw all of the potential but none of the execution. Not to mention, the same plot device was used over and over again. All of the characters kept playing “games” to get to know one another, tell secrets, etc. and it felt drawn out and over done.
Alright, I’m stopping here. I wanted to love this so badly because the cover is gorgeous, I’ve liked other books by this author and was interested in the rest of the series, but I don’t think I can convince myself to try again.
Overall audience notes:
- Regency Romance
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses
- Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of loved ones, mentions of gambling addiction
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
I feel SO LET DOWN BY THIS. I was even buddy reading with another friend who didn’t even finish it. Both of us struggled with so many things that happened here.
There was entirely too much focus on the other future couples in this series. Random tangents to set up their story and the main character was putting a lot more effort into everyone else so it felt like the focus was never on her.
When the focus was on her and the budding relationship with Thomas I was only impressed occasionally. They had some cute banter filled moments, but why throw out enemies to lovers than immediately take it away? I saw all of the potential but none of the execution. Not to mention, the same plot device was used over and over again. All of the characters kept playing “games” to get to know one another, tell secrets, etc. and it felt drawn out and over done.
Alright, I’m stopping here. I wanted to love this so badly because the cover is gorgeous, I’ve liked other books by this author and was interested in the rest of the series, but I don’t think I can convince myself to try again.
Overall audience notes:
- Regency Romance
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses
- Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of loved ones, mentions of gambling addiction
July 12, 2022
This is a sweet story with an intriguing premise and likeable characters. The concept of Alice acting as a matchmaker via her Ace of Hearts pseudonym is unique and carries the potential for some interesting and possibly humorous situations, but it wasn’t really explored as much as I thought it would be. Thomas and Alice are kindhearted, easy to root for characters. While their interactions are peppered with little sparks of connection here and there, I was hoping for stronger chemistry. Give me witty conversation, romantic encounters, profound declarations of love! The final few chapters fell a little flat as a result, but The Ace of Hearts is still an enjoyable, well written read, and I’m intrigued enough to continue with the rest of the series to find out what happens to various side characters.
April 23, 2023
I typically reach for an Ashtyn Newbold book when I am in the mood for a Regency novel. Her books are consistently well written and usually a little different than the typical Regency novel. This one was a little slow to get started but the plot picked up as it went on. I feel like the connection between the two main characters wasn’t as strong as it could’ve been, and some of the plot was pretty predictable. However, it wasn’t a plot I had read before, so I admire her creativity. If you enjoy Regency novels, I would recommend this author and I will continue to read her books!
In my opinion, this book is appropriate for: 14+ (intimacy).
In my opinion, this book is appropriate for: 14+ (intimacy).
March 11, 2021
This book was free with Kindle Unlimited- and since I am a sucker for love letters in my romances, I picked it up as a short weekend read.
I'm giving it 4 stars. It was cute and fairly entertaining. I thought there would be more of a comedy of errors type of plot and more focus on the love letters than there was.... but I did like the story overall. I would read more from Ashtyn Newbold in the future!
I'm giving it 4 stars. It was cute and fairly entertaining. I thought there would be more of a comedy of errors type of plot and more focus on the love letters than there was.... but I did like the story overall. I would read more from Ashtyn Newbold in the future!
January 11, 2021
Ms. Newbold is becoming a favorite! If you like a slow burn, she is the author for you. To be honest sometimes I want to yell at the book, hurry up already! Do I skim pages? At times, yes. But the characters are built up so well and you become so enveloped in the story. I was rooting for Thomas and Alice the whole time. I just loved them! I also loved all the other characters too and can’t wait for their books.
Happy sighs... that’s how I know if it’s good!
Happy sighs... that’s how I know if it’s good!
May 8, 2020
I’ve really enjoyed other books by this author. This one just wasn’t my cup of tea.
May 24, 2021
Poorly written - I returned the second book unread.
January 30, 2026
Content:
Profanity: None.
Violence: None. There is threat of it, but nothing happens.
Sexual: High mild-low moderate. There is a lot of noticing of broad shoulders, bare shoulders, necks, etc. There are some moments where neither are dressed appropriately (hair down for the lady, jacket off and waistcoat unbuttoned for the man). There is one kiss that is quite enthusiastic, with the man pushing the woman against a bookshelf, pinning her there, hands in her hair and her hands go all over his chest, neck, and in his hair. Groans happen, and they gasp for breath, that sort of thing. It was a low level spicy makeout session. There are two of these, and and a lot of kisses that are on jaw/neck/cheek/face...pretty much everywhere reachable from shoulders up.
Triggers: There is a theme of men distrusting women and women being unable to trust men, and therefore marriage is nothing more than a cage or misery. There is hint at a guardian being controlling and possibly abusive if not physically then certainly verbally and emotionally. It is not seen on screen. There is also a theme of gambling addiction and losing everything because of it, leaving behind wife/children with nothing.
Honestly, this was more a 2.5 for me. I dislike it the more I digest it.
But it's all because I just didn't like the tone and the themes.
The writing is good, the characters well done, and the story well paced and plotted.
I just hated the set up. Alice is desperate for escape from an arranged marriage to a hideous/horrible gentleman, so she befriends another girl named Diana only to con her into falling for her insipid step-brother, who has promised to use the money from this poor girl's dowry to pay off his father's debt so Alice doesn't have to marry gross gentleman to satisfy her step-father's debt from gambling.
Diana's brother is Thomas, our male protagonist. And he and Alice cannot be civil to each other because of Diana falling in love with Alice's encouragement even though Diana is already promised to someone else. The catch is, Thomas doesn't know that Isaac, who Diana is in love with, is actually Alice's step-brother, who she helped to woo Diana.
Does it sound like a soap opera yet? Yeah.
It only gets worse as secret upon secret gets held by Alice especially. Thomas is the bigger person and, going off the incorrect info he has, decides to forgive Alice...and then promptly starts falling for her. Alice falls for him too, but is riddled with guilt (as she should be) when she finds out that something truly horrible happened to Diana, and because of Diana's choices, Thomas is now in dire straights as well.
It's a hot mess express.
No amount of cute moments could get me to relax about the level of ick happening between these two people who are falling in love, but refuse to be adults and talk to each other and own their mistakes. I'm a very straightforward person, and can't stand tension, so this drawing out of the drama just made me madder and madder as I read.
By the time the book ends and all the drama is (FINALLY) through, I didn't like Alice or Thomas anymore. Everything was messy and I felt like Diana just got railroaded and conned. That poor woman. And she's a side-note in this. Sure It was dissatisfying. When I read regency romance, I'm looking for light romance with some depth, but not despair or such horrible miscommunications/secrets that I almost want the protagonists to fail.
I didn't like this. At all.
But...I'll try the next book with the hope that it's not going to kill me with secrets, gambling, and horrible decision making.
Profanity: None.
Violence: None. There is threat of it, but nothing happens.
Sexual: High mild-low moderate. There is a lot of noticing of broad shoulders, bare shoulders, necks, etc. There are some moments where neither are dressed appropriately (hair down for the lady, jacket off and waistcoat unbuttoned for the man). There is one kiss that is quite enthusiastic, with the man pushing the woman against a bookshelf, pinning her there, hands in her hair and her hands go all over his chest, neck, and in his hair. Groans happen, and they gasp for breath, that sort of thing. It was a low level spicy makeout session. There are two of these, and and a lot of kisses that are on jaw/neck/cheek/face...pretty much everywhere reachable from shoulders up.
Triggers: There is a theme of men distrusting women and women being unable to trust men, and therefore marriage is nothing more than a cage or misery. There is hint at a guardian being controlling and possibly abusive if not physically then certainly verbally and emotionally. It is not seen on screen. There is also a theme of gambling addiction and losing everything because of it, leaving behind wife/children with nothing.
Honestly, this was more a 2.5 for me. I dislike it the more I digest it.
But it's all because I just didn't like the tone and the themes.
The writing is good, the characters well done, and the story well paced and plotted.
I just hated the set up. Alice is desperate for escape from an arranged marriage to a hideous/horrible gentleman, so she befriends another girl named Diana only to con her into falling for her insipid step-brother, who has promised to use the money from this poor girl's dowry to pay off his father's debt so Alice doesn't have to marry gross gentleman to satisfy her step-father's debt from gambling.
Diana's brother is Thomas, our male protagonist. And he and Alice cannot be civil to each other because of Diana falling in love with Alice's encouragement even though Diana is already promised to someone else. The catch is, Thomas doesn't know that Isaac, who Diana is in love with, is actually Alice's step-brother, who she helped to woo Diana.
Does it sound like a soap opera yet? Yeah.
It only gets worse as secret upon secret gets held by Alice especially. Thomas is the bigger person and, going off the incorrect info he has, decides to forgive Alice...and then promptly starts falling for her. Alice falls for him too, but is riddled with guilt (as she should be) when she finds out that something truly horrible happened to Diana, and because of Diana's choices, Thomas is now in dire straights as well.
It's a hot mess express.
No amount of cute moments could get me to relax about the level of ick happening between these two people who are falling in love, but refuse to be adults and talk to each other and own their mistakes. I'm a very straightforward person, and can't stand tension, so this drawing out of the drama just made me madder and madder as I read.
By the time the book ends and all the drama is (FINALLY) through, I didn't like Alice or Thomas anymore. Everything was messy and I felt like Diana just got railroaded and conned. That poor woman. And she's a side-note in this. Sure It was dissatisfying. When I read regency romance, I'm looking for light romance with some depth, but not despair or such horrible miscommunications/secrets that I almost want the protagonists to fail.
I didn't like this. At all.
But...I'll try the next book with the hope that it's not going to kill me with secrets, gambling, and horrible decision making.
September 7, 2022
4.8 ⭐
_______
Overall, I actually quite enjoyed this book! It took me a bit to get into only because I accidentally mixed two characters up, and thought the man she was running from was the other MC, Thomas. Once I found out that it wasn't and I was sorely mistaken, it was much easier to enjoy the story.
I really enjoyed the characters, flawed (of course) as they were. Most of them had a secret of sorts to divulge, and some were quite welcome, whereas others not so much (I loved Mrs. Crauford as a character, but stating that she made her fortune by being a fortune teller gave me the heeby jeebies - although I'm glad it was only mentioned for a couple paragraphs and didn't go into detail, and of course the fact she wasn't actually one, it was all a hoax)
The storyline involving Alice's stepbrother Isaac's elopement to Diana (Thomas' sister) showed us the flaw of Alice's character in wanting to be free of her stepfather's grasp by setting them up, but in a not-so-great way, to the detriment of Thomas' financial situation as a result. We see a lot of hurt on her part when we find out that her stepbrother indeed spoiled the money in reserve for her to escape because he gambled it away, leaving him and his wife close to destitution. I felt as though the chapter in which this is mentioned was a bit rushed, and almost a bit weird in the way it was written, but overall the shock of the fact they were in a financial rut made up for the awkwardness of it all.
I just want to say that I love Matthew and cannot wait to get to his book to see how it works out for him. I relate to his idea of swearing off marriage for being anxiety inducing.
I felt as though a few plotlines were resolved a bit too quickly, and the book came to a rushing end trying to tie them up. I'm pretty sure four or more plots found conclusions within the last 15 percent of the book, which in effect felt rushed with the bigger ones (solving the stepfather issue as well as Alice's upcoming arranged marriage she was running from in the first place, among others), but overall that wasn't such a horrible thing because dragging some of them on would've left me probably skim reading to get to the happy ending.
And a happy ending it was! Honestly enemies to lovers plots kinda get me every time, and while Thomas and Alice weren't enemies persay, they weren't exactly friends. To see the banter and intimidation to friendship blossom between them and then love was quite amusing and, dare I say, adorable. I loved how she worked hard to earn a little money by put up a persona of the ace of hearts, a gentleman who can help guys with their love and lady problems, only to have it crumble real fast because Thomas found out who was hiding behind the partition. The scene where she reveals herself to him was hilarious, and him working so hard to help her with it melted my heart too. Also, some lines he says in this book were mental annotations as I read this digitally. (And when the big reveal was made that Alice had a big part in Isaac eloping with Diana and furthering Thomas' financial issues, it helped him to see another side of her and finding a way to love her more instead of swearing her off for a bit, as some other MC's do when a bombshell secret is laid out.)
All in all, a solid book, I would definitely read again, but it fell shy of 5 stars for the rushing of plots toward the end and some plot points in general that didn't damper my reading or were just awkwardly written out.
_______
Overall, I actually quite enjoyed this book! It took me a bit to get into only because I accidentally mixed two characters up, and thought the man she was running from was the other MC, Thomas. Once I found out that it wasn't and I was sorely mistaken, it was much easier to enjoy the story.
I really enjoyed the characters, flawed (of course) as they were. Most of them had a secret of sorts to divulge, and some were quite welcome, whereas others not so much (I loved Mrs. Crauford as a character, but stating that she made her fortune by being a fortune teller gave me the heeby jeebies - although I'm glad it was only mentioned for a couple paragraphs and didn't go into detail, and of course the fact she wasn't actually one, it was all a hoax)
The storyline involving Alice's stepbrother Isaac's elopement to Diana (Thomas' sister) showed us the flaw of Alice's character in wanting to be free of her stepfather's grasp by setting them up, but in a not-so-great way, to the detriment of Thomas' financial situation as a result. We see a lot of hurt on her part when we find out that her stepbrother indeed spoiled the money in reserve for her to escape because he gambled it away, leaving him and his wife close to destitution. I felt as though the chapter in which this is mentioned was a bit rushed, and almost a bit weird in the way it was written, but overall the shock of the fact they were in a financial rut made up for the awkwardness of it all.
I just want to say that I love Matthew and cannot wait to get to his book to see how it works out for him. I relate to his idea of swearing off marriage for being anxiety inducing.
I felt as though a few plotlines were resolved a bit too quickly, and the book came to a rushing end trying to tie them up. I'm pretty sure four or more plots found conclusions within the last 15 percent of the book, which in effect felt rushed with the bigger ones (solving the stepfather issue as well as Alice's upcoming arranged marriage she was running from in the first place, among others), but overall that wasn't such a horrible thing because dragging some of them on would've left me probably skim reading to get to the happy ending.
And a happy ending it was! Honestly enemies to lovers plots kinda get me every time, and while Thomas and Alice weren't enemies persay, they weren't exactly friends. To see the banter and intimidation to friendship blossom between them and then love was quite amusing and, dare I say, adorable. I loved how she worked hard to earn a little money by put up a persona of the ace of hearts, a gentleman who can help guys with their love and lady problems, only to have it crumble real fast because Thomas found out who was hiding behind the partition. The scene where she reveals herself to him was hilarious, and him working so hard to help her with it melted my heart too. Also, some lines he says in this book were mental annotations as I read this digitally. (And when the big reveal was made that Alice had a big part in Isaac eloping with Diana and furthering Thomas' financial issues, it helped him to see another side of her and finding a way to love her more instead of swearing her off for a bit, as some other MC's do when a bombshell secret is laid out.)
All in all, a solid book, I would definitely read again, but it fell shy of 5 stars for the rushing of plots toward the end and some plot points in general that didn't damper my reading or were just awkwardly written out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2021
Enfin des romances historiques qui ne se déroulent non pas dans la "grande aristocratie", mais dans un contexte de la "petite noblesse" ou seulement des propriétaires terriens aisés ou non. Un des grands points positifs : quand commence le roman, nos deux héros se sont déjà rencontrés dans une situation "délicate" qui a eu des conséquences malheureuses. Une intrigue façon : on ne badine pas avec l'amour, va se dérouler, entre malentendus, pièges, mensonges, liaisons, révélations, attirances et rejets. Si l'héroïne paraît ne pas avoir de scrupules, on ne peut que la comprendre, puisqu'à l'époque, il est vital pour ces jeunes filles de bonne famille mais sans argent, de se marier à tout prix, il en va de leur survie. J'ai trouvé la fin très réussie car tout ne peut pas finir magnifiquement.
Cette autrice parvient à écrire avec une certaine originalité, du rythme, et un joli style... et ses héros sont nuancés. Cela mériterait qu'elle fouille un peu mieux ses personnages secondaires (futurs héros, on l'aura bien compris). Mais vraiment, une autrice à suivre !
Cette autrice parvient à écrire avec une certaine originalité, du rythme, et un joli style... et ses héros sont nuancés. Cela mériterait qu'elle fouille un peu mieux ses personnages secondaires (futurs héros, on l'aura bien compris). Mais vraiment, une autrice à suivre !
March 2, 2022
3.5 rounded up
So, actually, the first 30% was only 3 stars, it really took me a bit to get into it. There was allot of info to get the story set up. The last 20% was 4 stars and the middle was around 3.5-3.7. So mathematically speaking, I guess it's 4 stars, after rounding up. However, I feel like I'm being generous with 4... It more fits my description of a 3 star🤷🏼♀️ I did enjoy it, it just didn't stick out to me as great. I never really connected with either main character and they both made stupid decisions at the end that bothered me. It was a first for me for this author and I do plan on reading the next in the series to see if I like it better. Like a friend said, maybe I just wasn't in the right mood to love it🤔
So, actually, the first 30% was only 3 stars, it really took me a bit to get into it. There was allot of info to get the story set up. The last 20% was 4 stars and the middle was around 3.5-3.7. So mathematically speaking, I guess it's 4 stars, after rounding up. However, I feel like I'm being generous with 4... It more fits my description of a 3 star🤷🏼♀️ I did enjoy it, it just didn't stick out to me as great. I never really connected with either main character and they both made stupid decisions at the end that bothered me. It was a first for me for this author and I do plan on reading the next in the series to see if I like it better. Like a friend said, maybe I just wasn't in the right mood to love it🤔
July 11, 2022
The Ace of Hearts (Larkhall Letters 1) by Ashtyn Newbold
🌟 4,5 stars
I can't stop devouring Ashtyn Newbold's books! This time, I would like to focus on "The Ace of Hearts", which was such a great start to the Larkhall Letters saga!
I read it as a standalone after having read "The Captain's Confidant" and "With Love, Louisa" first, and it has been my favourite so far, followed by Bridget's story, which I also loved!
I found the premise of Ace of Hearts very original, and I also loved the characters' personalities. The romance in this book was awesome in my opinion, and the kissing scenes, superb!
I can't wait to read the fourth book in the saga!
[Review shared from my instagram account]
🌟 4,5 stars
I can't stop devouring Ashtyn Newbold's books! This time, I would like to focus on "The Ace of Hearts", which was such a great start to the Larkhall Letters saga!
I read it as a standalone after having read "The Captain's Confidant" and "With Love, Louisa" first, and it has been my favourite so far, followed by Bridget's story, which I also loved!
I found the premise of Ace of Hearts very original, and I also loved the characters' personalities. The romance in this book was awesome in my opinion, and the kissing scenes, superb!
I can't wait to read the fourth book in the saga!
[Review shared from my instagram account]
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