Bed Me, Earl

The Bed Me Books #3

by Felicity Niven

A rake falls for a beautiful recluse.
But it turns out being bad is all he’s good for.

A tall maiden with nothing to lose. Caro knows she will never marry, never bear children. But she will seduce the first man who asked her to dance a dozen years ago. She will be bedded by the Earl of Burchester once in her lifetime. And as fate would have it, the gorgeous man is just down the hall. Alone. Naked in a bed. He wouldn’t refuse her request, would he? Surely, his reputation means he takes all-comers.

A shorter-than-average rogue who is about to lose his mind. And his heart. Phineas Edge knows what he likes. And right now, he very much likes the darling girl who just showed up in his bed at his friend’s country house. True, she doesn’t say much, but what happens between the two of them has a magic he would do anything to experience again. Even if it involves a ring and a church. And falling in love.

Bed Me, Earl is the third book in the steamy Regency romance series The Bed Me Books from author Felicity Niven. Complete content warnings available at author’s website.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Regency, Disability, Ebooks

382 pages, Paperback

Published November 3, 2023

About the author

Sign up for Felicity Niven's newsletter and to receive a free prequel novella to the series The Lovelocks of London at https://www.felicityniven.com/reviews....

Felicity Niven is a hopeful romantic. Writing Regency romance is her third career after two degrees from Harvard. And you know what they say about third things? Yep, it’s a charm. She splits her time between the temperate South in the winter and the cool Great Lakes in the summer and thinks there can be no greater comforts than a pot of soup on the stove, a set of clean sheets on the bed, and a Jimmy Stewart film on a screen in the living room.

Reviews

[Merry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gosh this is a hard one to review. I didn't care for either of the main characters. I know....many did. Phin drove me crazy talking in the third person and Caro was so abused and damaged that....well I didn't like her. The smut in this was fantastic. Almost bordered on erotica but with a plot. I started the book then skipped much of the story till the couple are married. The book is very character driven and I thought the side story was rather tepid as it showed what a strong smart woman Caro is and a rather dim (or not concerned) man that Phin was. Well love did overcome all, and I want to read the next book.

[Becky (romantic_pursuing_feels) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+
Humor: Yes
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine (but I’d say more so from the hero)
When mains are first on page together: Very soon in (6% but only about 5 pages into the actual story)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes. The first epilogue is a few months after. There is also a second epilogue 18 years in the future available as a newsletter sign up.
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy from the author in e-book form
(Descriptions found at end of my review)

Should I read in order?
It’s not totally necessary but there is definitely mention of other characters in the Bed Me series. Also it’s interesting seeing George from book 2 (Bed Me, Baron) during the middle of his story from Phineas’ eyes.

Basic plot:
Caro feels life has passed her by – as a quiet spinster she takes advantage of her brother’s friends attending a house party to have a night of passion.

Give this a try if you want:
- Regency (1819)
- London and country settings
- tall heroine/short hero (...or at least ‘average height’ ;))
- friends sister
- bespectacled hero with silver in his hair
- heroine has a stutter and lisp
- soldier hero – he was in the Navy when he was younger
- beloved pets – heroine has a bloodhound named Lavinia that is the best service dog
- hero falls first
- higher steam – 7 scenes (a couple may be on the short side)

Ages:
- Heroine is 29, hero is 35

First lines:
Mmmmm. Phineas Edge, the Earl of Burchester, was content. More than content, he was wholly gratified. If he were a cat, he would purr.

My thoughts:
What a first meeting! I was immediately in love with this book. Immediately! It’s has been awhile since I’ve been sucked in so completely within the first chapter.

These characters were so real, raw, and had such depth – I know I will be thinking of them long after I finish this review. Phin is SUCH a unique hero. I’ve never read anyone like him. And I just adored him. Utterly charming, adorable, fun, you cannot help but love him. But also a bit arrogant in an unassuming way, maybe a touch self centered, a bit flighty – gosh I just really adored him and all his faults. I never knew how much I needed a chatterbox hero. I would have always said NO. I love my strong, silent type. Wordless dark looks. But...but….I actually needed THIS so, so badly. The way he talks through all the situations, especially the bedroom, is appreciated. He wants her. He fantasizes about her for months. He eagerly awaits her arrival in London months away. With another kiss he decides he must marry her. There is no other conclusion to this – he needs those kisses every morning of his life. He begins thinking of her as his future wife in his head and IT’S SO FUCKING CUTE I SWEAR TO GOD...The fact that this man is on his knees promising to let her come if she just agrees to marry him? Utterly melted.

Caro is..probably my favorite heroine of Niven’s so far. I just melted for her. My heart fucking broke for her worries, her desire for a friend. It takes some time to get to know Caro – and I think she’s getting to know herself as well over the course of this book. She has been basically a prisoner in her home for so many years, she has to explore her new found freedom and gain confidence.

How did Niven take a story that had a bang right at the beginning and immediately build up that longing and tension that I crave so badly in romance? Usually for me it’s broken after the first sex scene or at least dampened quite a bit more I don’t feel much tension at all. But in this one the longing somehow got stronger and stronger as they went on. Every scene got more and more emotional until I was so wrapped up in these two.

Most random thoughts but thank you for acknowledging that he blew it all over his sheets in his guest room at the country house and also on the book store floor and the resolution to that lol. I STILL think about one book (another author) where the hero masturbates on a couch at a house party and there was no mention of the semen. Where IS IT? Those poor servants..

I am just adoring the way this series is coming out. Can’t wait for more!

Endearments
The hero calls the heroine ‘darling’ and ‘sweetness’

Quotes/spoiler-y thoughts:Any mistakes/typos are my own


How very sweet. Such sweet little kisses. He ran his tongue along the seam of her lips. She stopped kissing him, but kept her mouth on his. So he did it again. She pulled her head back and looked at him.
“Open up for Phin, there’s a good little darling.”
---
“You like that, darling?”
She gazed at him with her green eyes and nodded.
“Wait until you feel my mouth.”
---
He knew who she was now, but he still didn’t know what she was. And she must make sure he never did. She wanted to stay his lovely girl. Not deformed, not slow-witted, not evil, not cursed. She didn’t know why she cared since she would never see him again. But she wanted to be lovely for him. And for herself.
---
“She is shy, you know.”
Again. The shyness. It was an abominable falsehood.
“But how is she to meet gentlemen when she is cloistered like a nun on your father’s estate? Doesn’t she need Seasons like every other young lady? To show herself off?”
And to make herself available to Phineas again. He didn’t want to wait another decade for an invitation to come to Sudbury Manor so he could be seduced by the quiet Amazon. He wanted to seduce her himself, at his leisure, in his own bed, with no brother or father nearby.
---
“Good news for you. There are no gaming hells in Burchester.”
“Yes. Good news,” William said weakly.
“And we’ll find something else to do in the evenings besides cards. We’ll talk.”
“Do you ever do anything else, Phin?”
---
A little kiss. Not too short, not too long. He did not suck at her tongue as he longed to do. He kept his own tongue in his mouth.
He came away from her lips just a bit, and pressed his forehead to hers. Yes, she was trembling. Her breath was ragged.
“Maybe one more little one, darling?”
She nodded, her head going up and down only a fraction of an inch. Yes.
And this time, her lips parted slightly and he could feel the heat of her mouth. Oh, his cock was so stiff now with just two kisses. But he had said a little one and he kept his word. And it was just as delicious as the first little one. But now he was greedy.
“And darling, maybe, a bit bigger one?”
She nodded and parted her lips and he held her chin between his thumb and the knuckle of his forefinger and kissed her deeply, softly, his tongue tasting her gently, swirling over her tongue.
---
She was incredible. Incredibly beautiful. Unbelievably arousing.
And she didn’t want him to be good. Could anything be more ideal? Because Phineas Edge was very good at being bad.
---
He had both her wrists pinned to the wall on either side of her and he was pressing into her.
He whispered, “Phin has to make sure this is what you meant, darling. When you said you didn’t want me to be good? Is it?”
---
That could never happen again.
She had to end this.
But she had found no way to resist his touch, his words. If Phineas crept up behind her right now and whispered lovely girl in her ear, she wouldn’t put it past herself to lift her skirts and offer herself to him like a harlot.
And, in fact, wasn’t that what she had just done?

So. Fucking. Cute.

After he had read the letter five times, he folded it carefully and put it in the cedar box which held a silk nightdress trimmed in Brussels lace.
---
Instead, she gasped.
The rage on her face melted and he saw the same look in her eyes he had seen when he had first nuzzled her tidbit with his cock in Sudbury. What was that look? Some kind of wonderment, he supposed. Perhaps a thrill? He could only hope.
//
What had made her melt? She reached out with her free hand and he was so prepared for a slap that he flinched. Her hand went to his face and touched his spectacles.
Damn it. He had forgotten he still had the spectacles on, pushed down to the end of his nose, and he had been looking at her over them this whole time, quite like some harassed and underpaid clerk.
He reached up to take them off, but she pushed his hand roughly away and stepped toward him, her eyes on his.
“You...w-wear thpectacleth,” she choked out.
Her pink tongue flashed to the front of her mouth, behind her teeth, as she said spectacles. His cock turned to iron in his breeches.
---
This was freaking adorable to me.

“We could still be friends.” Frendth.
There was a long silence.
“Well,” Phineas said. He continued to walk at the same pace. He reached out with his free arm and snapped off a twig from a shrub next to the gravel path. “I think you’re a very intelligent woman. Far more intelligent than I am. I deeply respect your thinking. And what you say. And I want you to say more things to me. A great deal more. I want to hear everything you think. So it is with great regret that I, as your friend, have to tell you what you just said is a cartload of rubbish. Complete and utter rubbish.”
He crushed the twig in his hand, threw it away, and stopped walking and turned to her, taking both of her gloved hands in his. “I know a great deal about what will make me happy, Caro. My own happiness is really the only thing I’m expert in. And I have arrive at the conclusion that the thing that will make me the most happy is you. And making you happy.”
---
“Spectacles.” Thpectacleth. She pushed his waistcoat over his shoulders.
“For you, darling.”
And then she couldn’t believe herself, she was clawing at him, moaning into his mouth just as she had in the library when she had first seen him in his spectacles.

---
MISS NIVEN. YOU ARE BREAKING MY HEART.

He had known. He had known she didn’t want to put her tongue on his cock.
“You can tell me anything. I want you to tell me everything.”
She couldn’t tell him everything. She had been silent for too many years. She had too much locked up inside of her.
But she could kiss him.
---
“Ungh. Phineas.”
“Yes?”
“T-t-talk to me.”
“About how you’re such a good girl and you’re going to come for Phin again?”
Oh, my God.

---
My freaking heart

She would seduce him the way he seduced her.
“Caro w-w-wants her Phin.” She released her grip on his back and trailed her hands up and down his flanks. “Caro needs Phin.”’
---
He didn’t think. There was no time to think. And thinking was not what he did best.

---
One of my favorite things – when the hero keeps little trinkets from the heroine

It was a box of her. Her husband had a secret box of her, tucked away in his closet.



Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.

- emotionally abusive father regarding heroine’s speech challenges
- remembrance of mother falling down the stairs and dying (heroine) when she was 17
- alcoholism (heroine’s mother)
- death of father (heroine) from illness
- mention of side character’s gambling addiction
- hero’s ex-mistress spits in his face, slaps him and blackmails him
- heroine is bullied by hero’s ex-mistress
- scene of threatening with a knife
- knife violence on page (attempted suicide)

Author given content warnings: Found on Niven’s website here




Locations of kisses/intimate scenes: These include some quotes that might be repeated from above

Safe sex: Hero pulls out
6% - 🔥 kisses, breast play, cock touches, fingering for her, missionary (V loss for her) in the bed at a country house party

How very sweet. Such sweet little kisses. He ran his tongue along the seam of her lips. She stopped kissing him, but kept her mouth on his. So he did it again. She pulled her head back and looked at him.
“Open up for Phin, there’s a good little darling.”

14% - kiss
28% - kisses, cock touches
32% - 🔥 - standing up fuck inside the third floor of the bookstore

She experienced two seconds of panic as she was backed into a wall by a sturdy force until she heard “Darling, you did say you didn’t want me to be good,” and she started to throb from his voice alone.

41% - kiss
47% - 🔥 kisses that lead to oral for her on the couch in the drawing room/sitting room

“That’s right, darling. Don’t worry about a thing. Just let Phin be close to you. It makes him feel so good to touch you. Even this way. With all our clothes on. Standing up. In your brother’s drawing room.”

54% - kiss
57% - 🔥 kisses, missionary followed by another missionary scene and then fingering for her

“Ungh. Phineas.”
“Yes?”
“T-t-talk to me.”
“About how you’re such a good girl and you’re going to come for Phin again?”
Oh, my God.

65% - kiss
66% - 🔥missionary scene that is pretty short

She would seduce him the way he seduced her.
“Caro w-w-wants her Phin.” She released her grip on his back and trailed her hands up and down his flanks. “Caro needs Phin.”’

71% - kiss
72% - start of a blow job that is ended
85% - 🔥her on top

“Yes, that’s right, ride me, Caro. As rough as you want. You won’t hurt me.”

92% - 🔥blow job
”Oh, God, yes. You can do whatever you want to me.”


Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs


Full break down on what my ratings above mean here:
Overall: How I felt about it everything considered!
Readability: How ‘readable’ was the book? Did I fly through it? Did I have to tell myself to pick it back up repeatedly? Were any passages confusing? (I will probably score like (1) is literally unreadable due to formatting/typing errors, etc (2) There were lots of errors that made it difficult to read OR It was extremely confusing and I had to reread passages to make sense of it OR I disliked it so much I had to bribe myself to keep reading (3) I didn’t really want to keep reading and would have preferred to abandon the read and start something else OR some minor continuity issues/confusion (4) I liked it fine, maybe a minor error or 2. I was happy to pick it up when I had time. (5) I never wanted to put this down. I thought about it when I wasn’t reading it. I hid in the bathroom from my kids to read. I threw inappropriate food at my children for dinner so I could read instead.)
Feels: Totally subjective to each person but did the book give me any tingles? Any butterflies? Did it rip my heart out (in a good way?)
Emotional depth: How well do I feel I know the characters at the end? How much did I feel their emotions throughout the story?
Sexual tension: Again, subjective, but how strong was the wanting and longing to me between the characters? A book might have strong sexual tension without a single touch.
Romance: Was there romance? Did romantic things happen? This can be actions/words/thoughts of the characters and again is subjective.
Sensuality: This is how the intimate scenes are written. Kisses and sexual scenes – how sensual were they? Were they on the mechanical side? Was there emotional pull tied in? Were the details explicit or flowery? These are subjective but generally (1) too short to get a good judgement (2) not all what I'm looking for - very vague or flowery prose (3) either not explicit enough or not enough emotional pull (too mechanical/physically descriptive without the emotions) (4) what I love in a scene (5) absolute perfection - perfect balance of emotional longing and explicit descriptions
Sex Scene Length: How long the bedroom scenes are (generally (1) is 1-3 sentences (2) is a few paragraphs to a page-ish (3) is about average, a few pages (4) more well developed scenes, quite a few pages with descriptions (4) the majority of the book takes place in the bedroom. This is always hard to tell for me on audio!
Steam Scale: Generally, each flame is a scene. If scenes are super close together I sometimes combine them. If a scene is super short or so vague I don’t know what’s happening, I don’t count it. There’s some levels of grey but generally the number of flames is how many sex scenes there are (I max out at 5 so I’ll put a + after if there’s more than that)


Find me
Instagram || The Storygraph || Bookbub ||

Book Clubs
The Ton and the Tartans (Historical Romance)
Upturned Petticoats and Undone Cravats (Historical Romance with Steam Requirements)
A Love Less Ordinary (Science Fiction, Paranormal, Monster, Fantasy)
Modern Manuscripts (Contemporary Romance)
Words for the Wicked (Contemporary Romance with Steam Requirements)
Vintage Romance (Old School Romance – published 2000 and prior)

[guiltless pleasures · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one hurts, folks. I have been agonizing over this review for days. I adored the first two books in this series and also am a fan of Felicity Niven’s Lovelock series. But this one just didn’t work for me.

Overall, I just think this needed a lot longer in developmental editing. Niven has been releasing books at a rate of knots, and without knowing her process, I’d say it’s probably time to slow down.

Her writing is beautiful as usual, but she made a number of stylistic choices that made this an unappealing read for me. First is that Phineas talks in the third person during sex, which gave me the icks majorly. I just couldn’t get past it.

Second is that Niven chose to write out Caro’s lisp phonetically for much of her dialogue, which made it hard to read and took me right out of the story.

The other major problem is that even though Caro was often the sexual aggressor in the first half, her laconicism and shyness felt uncomfortable against Phineas’ effusive and flowery speech, making it feel like he was pressuring her (even though he wasn’t really). I don’t feel like we ever got to know her properly, so it just felt unbalanced.

There was also a pointless appearance by Lady Starling, who seems to have been written in to these stories purely to provide a misogynistic “other woman” hate figure, and a slightly random moment of peril that is resolved quickly.

I don’t know, it just felt so messy and half-baked. I was so looking forward to Phineas’ story, too.

Here’s hoping she’s back on form for Edmund’s book.

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Nabilah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Jessica White · Rating 5 out of 5]

First let me say, if you aren’t reading Felicity Niven then what are you really doing? In the Venn Diagram of historical romance authors, she overlaps storytelling with complex characters, sex lessons, and emotional depth. Bed Me Earl is a much quieter book than the previous two Bed Me books in the sense that our MCs develop a relationship slowly with trust over time. Caro and Phineas are as opposite as two partners could ever be; where Caro is silent, Phineas is vociferous, where Caro is a tall “giantess”, Phineas is shorter in stature, where Caro is inquisitive and book smart, Phineas is a jovial himbo. Yet it’s these oppositions that fit them together so perfectly and permit them to complement each other’s needs.

I want to talk about how sex is used in this book. For Phineas and Caroline, it is a main form of communication. In fact, the first time in years that they ever encounter one another is through the act of sex (not a spoiler—a VERY hot scene right from the beginning). With a heroine that speaks as little as possible, lovemaking is such a perfect way for her to express herself; through kissing, touching, etc. making her feelings and thoughts known to Phin. So it should come as no surprise that sex is FREQUENT and key to relational encounters. Prior to Caro, Phineas’s main talent lie in who he could bed and how exceptional he was in the act of pleasuring his lovers (especially widows seeking a lover). So sex with Caro becomes something he has to work at, work for, and it becomes a bit of a challenge to understand her needs. Phineas is a man who will utterly ruin himself for Caro. When he comes across excerpts from her diary, he obsessively has to be the man he thinks Caro desires. Their love languages are words of affirmation coupled with physical touch because each acts as a balm to quell insecurities. Phin uses words to ease Caro’s nervousness, and Caro uses touch to express her emotions, her gratitude, her heart and show him she cares. I think this is what Niven does so well, exploring how a couple communicates; we are privy to seeing Caro and Phin behind closed doors when from all outward appearances, theirs would be a mismatch. Bed Me Earl also has very explicit sex lessons (obviously, it’s in the title!). I feel like in a way you could hand this book over as an educational manual for how to perform fellatio without it being too clinical. There is no shying away from bedroom acts and the reader should know they are upfront and integral to Caro and Phineas’s relationship.

Intimacy aside, the storytelling in Bed Me Earl is exceptional. I always feel like the characters in Niven’s novels go on to lead lives beyond the pages of the book and that to me is a true sign of writing depth. And as with her first two Bed Me books, there’s the opportunity to read not one but TWO epilogues (the second being given to newsletter subscribers). I will just say that epilogue 1 has written correspondence that is SPOT ON for the ending of the novel and epilogue 2 leaves you wanting to know more about the Niven universe. I know I’m already clamoring for more. Once again, I’m giving a grand ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for this Bed Me book (all have been for me) and it’s primarily for the uniqueness of the author’s voice and the longevity of her characters staying power within my mind. I hope you give Caro and Phin a chance.
I received this advanced copy from the author in exchange for a review. As with all books, check your content warnings. Some warnings may contain necessary spoilers, but are available on Felicity Niven’s website.

[Julie reads romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
4.5 rounded to 5

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“He certainly met the description of a man in love. Unhappy, uncomfortable, uninterested in any quim that wasn’t Caro’s. He had become one of those other men he had so pitied in the past. Phineas Edge, at last, had fallen in love. “
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Felicity Niven brings a unique voice to historical romance. Her books include unconventional characters, often breaking the mold of the traditional heroine. While some other authors do indeed offer female leads who break societal convention, those heroines often maintain a beauty and overall passable presentation that’s acceptable to society.

But, Niven’s heroines are further afield than that. She’s written neurodiverse characters, “ugly” heroines, and mature heroines. In this case, the heroine has a lisp and a stutter.

I found it difficult sometimes to reconcile the character’s voice- her lisp and stutter- with her beauty and appeal. I realized that, even though unintentional, I had judgement of the character’s voice, and this novel challenged me to shed that perception.

If you can go along with his schtick, you’ll find Phineus very funny and charming. But, you definitely have to be a bit open to his quarks. I got used to Phineus’s use of the third person and ultimately found it very funny. His dopey softness sometimes felt like too much, but overall came to feel charming to me.

I found myself staying up late to finish this book. I really recommend it as a refreshing historical romance read.

[Juliet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let’s all agree to not have a romance MMC refer to himself in the third person ever again, ok?

I liked how Phin was all about Caro from the jump and didn’t care about her supposed deficiencies but I didn’t like anything else about him. He was a lazy ne’er do well who was only too happy to have his wife fix all his problems for him. It was not sexy.

Poor Caro could certainly have gotten a better husband if she hadn’t been so abused and broken. She seemed lovely but all too willing to fall in love with the first dusty noble who paid her any attention.

The spice was spicy though. Weird third-person dirty talk aside.

[Ainhoa · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was fun and spicy.

A tad bit long and I found the author tried to complicate things and make them deeper issues than what the story needed. But it was good nevertheless.

[Julianne W · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book felt like an exercise in chasing tropes and/or ideas (a short hero/tall heroine! A heroine with a speech impediment! A shallow hero!), but never caught up with convincing characterization or compelling plot. Both Phineas and Caro were superficial character sketches throughout the book, and the central attraction/pull between them felt highly problematic. Phineas first falls for Caro because of her silent mystery, and discovers her lisp nearly halfway through the book and it immediately becomes a sexual fetish for him. The fetishization of her lisp and tongue continues until the very end of the book, and there's little depth to their relationship beyond this. I found this characterization of Caro and her speech impediment highly two-dimensional and even offensive.

There are other historic romance books that describe reclusive heroines/heroes because of disability with much more grace and depth - Mary Balogh's Someone to Wed (the heroine has a disfiguring facial birthmark) or Lord Carew's Bride (the hero's hand and leg are permanently injured/malformed from a childhood injury); Stacy Reid's My Darling Duke (hero is badly burned and disabled); Sabrina Jeffries' To Pleasure a Prince (heroine has dyslexia/cannot read); Tessa Dare's Three Nights with a Scoundrel (heroine is deaf) - in each of these books (and many, many more!), the main character's disability in a world that has treated them with censure, misunderstanding, and cruelty, is a prominent feature of the story, but the character is also a full person who is loved fully, not fetishized. I wish Felicity Niven had taken more time to consider Caro and Phineas' full character arc outside of the bedroom and their most prominent features (her speech impediment and his shallow rakishness).

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good! What a unique couple! I love when I get to be surprised by something new after all these years.

5 stars
3 on the spice scale

CW: abusive parents (verbally), death of parents, bullying

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally delightful. RTC

[daemyra, the realm's delight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this! Phin dirty talking in the third person unlocked something in me tho. RTC!

[BookishMya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Felicity Niven never fails to introduce us to the most unconventional, inspiring characters in historical romance. You so rarely read of heroines with imperfections or impairments. To be able to create a character who is completely defined by these impairments and simultaneously create a reader bond with that character is remarkable. Caro is not the standard diamond of the first water, she is a gem of undefinable beauty. Despite being a woman of few words due to her impairments and esteem, she is able to display herself in wonderful clarity. She is strength, determination and resilience wrapped up in a beautiful bow of caring. After a life of isolation, she deserves to be seen and no one sees her as clearly as Phineas. Phineas has always been a man of great affection, but he lacks purpose. With one introduction to Caroline, that purpose becomes crystal clear. Watching this himbo evolve into a one-woman, solely focused man was beautiful. For him, she cleared the fog so he could plainly see how to become the man he was meant to be. He is her protector, her champion and her light. Where Caro is stalwart, he is joviality. Where she is quiet, he is boisterous. They compliment each other in every area and fill the gaps so the other can shine. This is what is truly ideal in their story, they learn to communicate in a way that is clear and free of discord. To say their story is purely sweet would cloud that is also, so so spicy! When a story begins and ends in the bedroom, you know there’s bound to be plenty of delicious spicy times and these two do not fail in those expectations. The story is told in a perfect flow of sexy, strong finesse. Toying with your emotions as they work through the unavoidable conflicts of love and acceptance. Niven is firmly on my forever shelf as each of her stories continue to embed in my heart!
And the 2nd epilogue: Oh what a lovely glimpse into the future. I love when series overlap, I only hate that I have to wait 3 years for Tabitha to grow up. But I know there are still more Bed Me stories to fill that gap, so I will be patient and hope for more teasers to come.

[T Rojo · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW (thanks Felicity!)

“He’s my best friend, he’s my pal, he’s my homeboy, my rotten soldier, my sweet cheese, my good time boy,”

^^ this is all I kept thinking of while reading about Phineas. He’s just a happy go lucky dude taking in all life’s
pleasures have to offer.

13 years years ago Caroline dances with him at a ball and falls for his charm. After that her life basically falls apart but she keeps the memory of dancing with her brothers friend close to her heart. When she finds out Phin is coming to visit her brother she devises a plan to seduce him for one night. After that one night Phin becomes obsessed.

I’m not going to go into every detail of the book because just fucking read it, it’s so good. I love how every character is nuanced and the small idiosyncrasies they have makes them endearing to eachother. Caroline stutters and has a lisp so she rarely speaks. Phineas (Phineath) is absolutely obsessed with how her tongue sticks out when she lisps. She melts into a puddle whenever he needs to put on his reading glasses. It’s just simple little things you notice about someone when getting to know them and falling in love. And that’s what makes you fall in love with the characters.

I loved after they’re married Caroline realizes theyre broke as a joke. How she reacts and what she says to her brother and Phin broke my heart. Phin was so busy living the good life he doesn’t really care he’s blowing all his money. She takes over his finances and they make the responsible modern decision to hold off having kids until they’re in the black.

My only issue really came at the end- I knew Albion had to be up to no good as soon as he was introduced. And the whole confession after Caro runs away was a little unnecessary. But otherwise another excellent edition to the Bed Me series! I really need a book about William, I’m getting major West Ravenel vibes from him.

[Roxane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two lost hearts

What can I tell you about this book? This is the third story in the Bed Me series, and by far the best IMO. I have enjoyed them all, but there’s something about this one. It develops backwards, in a way. Caro goes to the Earl’s bedchamber in the first few pages. This is all her idea, she is taking something for herself, damn the consequences. The Earl is enthralled, but doesn’t know who she really is. All he knows is he wants more. So he finds out her identity and pursues her relentlessly.
Phineas is a good time guy. He has a reputation as a rake, but he doesn’t want to hurt anyone, he just wants to enjoy himself. To the extent that he avoids anything that might diminish that, including his responsibilities. He’s kind of immature, but lovable.
Caro is severely emotionally damaged by her father because of a speech impediment. She thinks she is completely unlovable, but Phineas wants her. These two grow so much throughout the book. The story unfolds seamlessly and is so heartwarming.
Another thing I loved are the intimate scenes. I’ll confess, I often skip those. But Caro and Phineas are just so in tune with each other, and Phin is so considerate and caring. I loved every word.
There is a mystery involving Phin’s estate, but it doesn’t overpower the story of their relationship, and it enables Caro to shine.
I totally recommend this book for anyone wanting a sweet (but 🔥) heartwarming story with two completely lovable characters.
I received an ARC of this book. The opinions are honest and entirely my own.

[Rachel b00ksrmagic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Felicity Niven hits it out of the park and once again sets herself apart as one of the best regency romance writers around! So many regency characters are interchangeable and unoriginal. But Niven’s are unique. A FMC with a speech impairment? Who is taller than the MMC? Throw in some emotional baggage. You won’t find this character in any other novel! And the MMC is such a sweet golden retriever. You just can’t help wanting to pet him.

This is book three in a wonderful series called The Bed Me Books, and it is Niven’s steamiest romance yet. I lost count of the number of spicy scenes. But they never overpowered or took me out of the story. The character development was exceptional, and the spice furthered the plot. The plot was so well done. I love how Niven always surprises me. Her plots always have twists I never saw coming.

These characters came to life for me and I couldn’t get enough of their story. I’m already eagerly anticipating book four in the series!

Bed Me, Earl releases this week on November 9 on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. You will not regret checking this one out! It has overlapping characters from the other books in the series. Be sure to read the author’s note for instructions on receiving the second epilogue, set 18 years later. I received an ARC from the author to review. All opinions are my own.

[Pam Bereznak · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always try to let you guys know when I read a new author. I usually spend time researching every new author I read to make sure they are my genre and contains sex scenes but she was actually recommended from one of my hot and steamy FB groups and got a lot of good reviews. They said it was steamy and Regency. Just my genre. I have read book 1 and 2 in this series and have enjoyed them.

This one, not so much. Not sure what it was. I just didn't care for this book. I felt Phineas' character was an ass. Caro wasn't a bad character, just boring. I didn't feel either one of them had much of a personality. I hated the way he talked to her in 3rd person. And the way he called her “darling” all the fucking time AND he treated her like she was a teenager and not almost 30. Some of it was kind of cringe worthy. UGH! Again, I just wasn't feeling this book. I read it super fast just to finish it up which was weird because book 1 and 2 were good reads.

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to start by saying that I am a big fan of Felicity Niven’s writing style and believe her to be a fresh, unique voice among the historical romance genre. I’ve read all of her current catalog and anxiously await new work. I know that with her work I can always count on unique takes on familiar tropes and a new way to look at characters and relationships.

Bed Me, Earl is the third in the Bed Me series and while I really enjoyed the first two installments I found this latest one difficult to read. I’ve been sitting with my thoughts and ultimately I just did not believe in the love story between the main characters or in their chemistry outside of the bed chamber. I was desperate for more connection and growth for them as a couple. I believe that the male main character, Phineas, was besotted with an idea, rather than Caro as a person, and that Caro remained elusive and isolated in her thoughts. I did enjoy Caro as heroine but I felt that her speech disorder was fetishized in a way I did not care for, and the phonetic writing of it was a distraction. Part of this is likely influenced by my profession in the field of communication disorders. I understand that the impression was to be for Phin to be accepting as a partner but as a reader I was offended. I also did not like Phin speaking in third person during intimate moments. This is a large component of his personality and took me out of the story during his scenes. While this wasn’t for me, I believe it may really work for some readers.

I received Bed Me, Earl as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Though this book didn’t work for me I am looking forward to the next character within this series.

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bed Me, Earl
Book 3 in the Bed me series (can be read as a stand alone)
By Felicity Niven
Available 11/9
Available also on Kindle Unlimited

The latest installment in Felicity Niven’s Bed Me series and, quite possibly, the best so far. Of course, that may be a bit biased as I have a weakness for an unrepentant rake who falls hard!

Bed Me, Earl introduces us to Lady Caroline (or Caro), a woman who goes after what she wants, the best way she knows how (albeit using ways that are sometimes a bit misguided). Caro struggles with a speech impediment, having difficulty with using her words. Naturally, she finds her match in Phineas, the rogue who charms everyone with his incessant (but often empty) chatter!

If you stick through all of the dips, turns and yes, even occasional lulls in the book, the story does a great job developing not only their love story, but each of the characters individually and helping them both to find their own voices in a meaningful way.

Steam level in the book is high but, warning: the hero does like to speak in the third person while getting intimate. This was a little bit of a turnoff for me, but I did think it fit his (initially) self-absorbed character well.

My only other callout is that I wish there was more mention & interaction with the characters we’ve already met and fallen in love with along the way. As a big fan of Bed Me, Duke & Bed Me, Baron, it would have been so great to see more glimpses into their happily-ever-afters while falling in love with this new duo.

If you’re unfamiliar with Niven’s work, her writing:
• Is well written and deliciously steamy
• Often involves characters that are somewhere on the neurodivergent spectrum or at least has a trait that makes them unique. She gifts us with brand new personalities that aren’t just the ‘cookie cutter’ variety found in so many HR stories
• Makes you long for the next release as soon as you’ve finished the last page (or devoured the bonus epilogues offered on her website)

I am grateful for the ARC given to me by the author for my honest review.

[Old Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eyes.”

This is a wonderful book. It has taken me a few days to gather my thoughts to write this review. This book is so much more than a story about a recluse and a rake. Caro, the MFC has lisp and developed a stutter from the abuse and neglect of her family. She feels unworthy of love. Phin is the MMC whose identity was wrapped up in his naval career until he unexpectedly became Earl; at which point he lost whatever sense of purpose he may have had. They become involved with each other 13 years after their first meeting. And, it is at that point both of their lives change - Phin’s pursuit of Caro becomes his purpose and then his salvation when he figures out he needs to love and be loved. Caro’s salvation is Phin who sees beyond the cold, silent woman she has turned into. Their relationship starts with a sudden sexual encounter. The sexual tension and fireworks are strong between them and it is through their strong sexual chemistry that they learn to communicate. There are steamy sex scenes which are integral to the story. Ultimately it is Phin’s love for Caro that makes the difference for them. Caro is so shut down and starved for affection she nearly borders on being feral. And, Caro sees and brings out of Phin, his innate sweetness and his recognition of his own need to be loved. To some extent I am reminded of Saint-Exuperey’s “The Little Prince” because Caro and Phin have truly “tamed” each other. “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eyes.”

I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

[Sarah Ess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Felicity Niven has really landed upon the magic formula for her Bed Me series. This third installment is just as strong as the first two and a moving portrayal of a developing relationship between complex characters who aren’t just your average run-of-the-mill romance stereotypes – they are people with flaws, fears and trauma.

And oh! The deep-seated trauma of Caro with her speech impediment and lisp, truly painful to read at times. Throughout the story I was soooo pulling for her to come to a place of self-love and find a way to confidently express herself. She was frustrating and fragile and scared – this story killed me and brought me back to life several times!

And Phineas.. a himbo at his best! Or, when we first meet him, he really is at his worst – a flibbertigibbet floating through life solely on the merits of his overall geniality. It definitely made me squirm that Caro saw Phineas as a shallow person – because I didn’t disagree AT ALL! But this is a man with hidden depths and by the end of this story, Sarah is a full on Phineas convert – even with his constant illeism – or referring to himself in the third person.

It’s a wonderful story of a couple who truly learn and grow together, becoming their best selves! I'm still fondly thinking of Caro - letting Phineas know in no uncertain terms that she’s in charge of the money now, and Phineas – knowing what’s good for him and enthusiastically agreeing?! Umm YAASSSSSS! I truly love to see an MFC with skills in business management and accounting!

Now.. can we please send someone out to check on William Dagenham?!

[Desdemona Dreadless · Rating 4 out of 5]

Format: ebook
Rating: 4,4

Hearing about this book, I was SO excited because Felicity Niven had been teasing little tidbits and quotes and it all looked really excited. More than anything it was the fact that the heroine was taller than the hero! (Something I as a 192cm/6'3 tall woman am intimately familiar with) Yes, I know this is a small thing, but representation matters, and never seeing any books where tall women have male partners who are just normal sized kinda sucks. I'm TIRED of all the men having to be mutant behemoths and all the women being tiny. That is something that is interesting about Felicity Niven as an author in general. She is really good at switching up the kinds of people and pairings we usually see in romance.
She one book with a heroine who is clearly on the autism spectrum, and an upcoming book I know of where I believe the hero is pretty much legally blind.
She has a book with a large age gap where the heroine is the older partner, a romance where the hero has gone bald even though he's a young man, and this where the heroine is taller than the hero.
Some of these are pretty small things, but things we practically never see, and so I find it delightful when the characters that populate my books are different than the tired and overdone ones I see everywhere else.

And now for the actual review of this book....

This book was absolutely delightful! It is my second favorite book by this author.
The book starts of with a bang with a scorching hot sex scene of Caro getting assertive and finding Phineas in his bed and asking him to do her. Something he's more than willing to oblige with. Phineas speaks in the third person sometimes in bed, and it's a little silly and a little funny and just ridiculous enough to be sexy and fun. I think it works because Phin isn't a character who takes himself too seriously, he knows he's a little silly, and so it's fun and playful when he does it.

As the book develops we eventually see that Caro is isolated, she's been terribly emotionally abused by her brute of a father under the guise of "protecting" her. When her mother died he retired her to the country to take over her mother's responsibilities for the household and eventually his for the estate. He cut her season short, because he said no one would want to marry someone like her. It's left her a wounded and emotionally guarded person. She is so lonely and isolated and desperate for love, but also so thoroughly convinced she is unlovable and it's heartbreaking to see. She has lisp, and a severe stutter that she developed due to anxiety and bullying about her speech. She barely speaks because she is so ashamed, and she is so smart and clever and has so many things to say, but she dare not. Her brother thinks she's shy, but she isn't actually a shy person. She's just terribly self-conscious about what she's been told is this horrible malformation she has. She's whip smart, sensible and decisive. She's just never gotten to socially flourish

Phineas is just the sort of easygoing golden receiver to bring her out of her shell, he's a bit of a himbo. And a chatterbox, where Caro goes silent he speaks about everything and nothing when he's nervous. He's a pretty simple guy, he likes to party and have fun. He's a rake who likes women and wine and a good time, but there is nothing malicious about him or broody. He just wants everyone to have a good time. Unfortunately he's a bit of a "stick his head in the sand" person when it comes to dealing with some of his problems. He prefers to just float along and hope for things to settle itself. Which isn't really a great attitude to have to finance. But Phineas was never raised to be a peer and to have a title. He never really learned estate management, and he hasn't really spent the intervening years trying to. Instead he's been having fun, delegating the responsibility to others and assuming they can be trusted.

These two are prefect for each other, Phineas needs someone to take him in hand and rein him in a bit, and Caro needs someone to force her to cut loose. Through hijinks and many a scorching smut scene we see these two people doing just that.
There is some drama for our two lovers to find their HEA, some internal struggles need to be fought. Some external troubles must be rectified (and a few villains put in their place)
Seeds are also being laid for future books in the series, and I'm exited to see what will come of our side characters also, I already suspect a few of the ships we might get.

This book isn't perfect, some plot twists are a bit too predictable, some times I got a bit annoyed with Caro refusing to see what was right in front of her. But all in all an excellent book.

Disclaimer: I recieved and ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS BOOK.

Phin and Caro. ALL THE FEELS.

Phin - our charming, rakish main lead: of average height, silver hair, a tender heart, and who is often lead by his cock. His dirty talk is full of praise and he just can't shut his mouth. And I am here for it all.

Caro - our tall, silent, wounded female lead: who has lead a life of pain. Who was made to feel less than - and who decided to take her body and her pleasure in her own hands and have one night of passion with the man who captured her attention 13 years prior when she attended her one and only ball.

This book starts with a bang - literally - we are introduced to Phin as he lies in bed and is seduced by a silent female whom he assumes in a serving girl. It turns out she's his best friend's younger sister.

While this book is about the lust that can bring two people together - it is also about opening yourself up to wanting more, being better, and trying to grow with the help/support of that other person.

Phin opens himself up to Caro pretty quickly - he falls first, he falls hard and he uses his charm to show her that he sees her, he understands her, and he isn't going anywhere.

Caro is slow to open herself up to anything that isn't physical between the two of them - for fear of being hurt, rejected, ridiculed. Let's just say - her father really played with her head, and her sense of self-worth. But this story shows her growth, her ability to allow kindness and love to move her past her hurts.

Because of Phin, Caro has a new lease on life. And because of Caro, Phin is finally accepting his role and responsibility as not only an Earl, but as a man.

I LOVED IT ALL. I read this in basically one sitting (started it late at night, got 12% in and then the next day I just didn't want to put it down).

This series is as addictive as The Bridgerton and Ravenels series were (in my opinion). I want more and I want it now.

Thank you Felicity Niven for providing me with an ARC in return for my honest review. I loved it and couldn't recommend this story more.

[Jes · Rating 2 out of 5]

The other day, I proclaimed that Felicity Niven is my GOAT. This is still true. It's just that this book happened to be a miss.

I read it in one sitting during my shift on Monday and I couldn't get into it. I wasn't comfortable with the third person.... 'pillow talk' in the love scenes...?

And I felt like the characters were never really fleshed out too much. I think so much of this book exists to be a counter to romance tropes. For instance, it features a tall heroine with a speech impediment, a short and un-clever hero, and a pretty quick love epiphany from said hero. And like. These are all features I love seeing in romance novels! I'm a tall girl! I love small, stupid men! But I feel like Niven didn't write too much more than those traits, though.

With that said, I did like that Caro took charge of running [MMC, WHOSE NAME I'VE FORGOTTEN]'s estate. I love the limited view we get of peerage duties in books like this. Like I just love seeing day-to-day chores and work in historical romance.

I also liked that [MMC] was completely chill to let Caro take over. Like his reaction isn't just "I believe in equality. Caro is just as capable of taking care of finances." He's more like "Thank God I cannot do this Caro please save me." He's well aware of where his strengths lie.

So yeah. This feels harsh to say, but this felt like a bad book from a fantastic author. I'm still locked into Felicity Niven. The bones of a really great book were here.

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 3 of this series and I want more. Like all of it. All the secondary characters... And the next generation ( you MUST read the second epilogue!). I received a complimentary copy of this book, but the salivation is all my own. Anyway, I was curious about Phineas and Edmund's sister, Caro. There was, again, a lot of vulnerability amongst the main characters... More obviously for Caro but Felicity Niven has a real knack for writing about lovable himbos. Thomas, in the Convergence of Desire was one, and now Phineas, who seems to be super happy-go-lucky, except when it comes to Caro and his pursuit of her. I love how vain he is too, to a certain degree, but just so in love with her... To the point where I think he does fall first. I also appreciate that things get bad or you get the foreboding of something going wrong but it doesn't ever get too dark between them or drag on... Things get resolved fairly quickly. I love the unconventional yet perfect pairings and Caro and Phin are great. I thought I would be annoyed with all the third person talk but for some reason it didn't bother me. And the epilogues... Especially the 2nd one... Gah. I need more. Okay that's all.

Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Heart Flutters: ❤️❤️

[Jeriann Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Felicity Niven gives us another winner in her third installment of the Bed Me series with Bed Me, Earl.

Phineas Edge is a charming, sunny character and when he stays with a chum at his estate, he gets the shock of his life when a tall, leggy woman sneaks into his room and seduces him! Caro is her name.

He learns the next morning that Caro is Lady Caroline, his host's tall, gorgeous sister. She is certainly taller than him. This begins Phineas' campaign to woo Lady Caroline. (Who is silent because of a severe speech impediment.) Phineas is a chatterbox - seducing with words as much as with his body. I loved how he was willing to accommodate Caro's halting speech.

The course of true love doesn't run smoothly for these two. Caro is slow to trust. Phineas tries to understand the woman he's enamored by but can't quite grasp her. But their physical union is scorching and Caro uses this as a way to communicate with him that doesn't require words.

This is a spicy, sexy book about two people who have to learn about one another after they get married. I really enjoyed this!

[Cristina · Rating 2 out of 5]

It had so much potential if it wasn’t for the plot. First time reading this author and enjoyed the writing style. Unfortunately neither MC was fully developed, both lacked depth and most of the story revolved around how they couldn’t stay away from each other (sexually speaking). There was barely any connection 🫤

[Jess (JustMaybePerfect) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This latest installment of Niven’s Bed Me series brings us the story of Phineas, a rake and reprobate, and Caro, an isolated “spinster” on a mission to get herself one night of joy. What follows is a story of deception, conceit, betrayal, forgiveness, and love.

As with all of Niven’s FMCs, Caro is a refreshing take on the historical romance heroine. Her speech impediment has made her the nearly life long victim of a distant and often cruel father. Her brother, though on his way to redemption, has basically ignored her for years. Though entitled to bitterness, Caro is a genuinely good person with a sense of humor.

This was, unfortunately, all I liked about this book. Phin, a lazy often unkind man, was never completely redeemed for me. Near enough to the end of the story to be deeply problematic, he makes awful accusations against Caro and when she attempts to defend herself he uses her stutter again her. Caro never completes a character arc. She ends the story seemingly happy in love but without much else and destined for continued loneliness. The intimacy in this story also didn’t work for me, Phin’s use of the third person and borderline fetishization of Caro was off putting.

This is the first of Niven’s books I haven’t loved immensely so perhaps the story just wasn’t right for me as a reader. In any event, I will continue to enthusiastically recommend ALL of her other books and cannot wait for what she gives us next.

Thank you to Niven for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Melinda Greathouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I read a book by Felicity Niven, I think she can’t possibly get better. Until I read her next book. Bed Me, Earl was no exception. I fell completely in love with Phineas and Caro. Their story took me apart and then put me back together again, in the best possible way. I loved everything about this book.

I received an ARC from the author. This is my honest review.

[Safrinsko · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stephanie does not like it when he talks in third person.