A Desperate Proposal

by Allegra Grey, Emily Sloan

War hero Major Tristan Ruthven never expected to inherit his rakehell father’s title. The new Earl of Asherton finds himself in need of a respectable wife to help bury his family’s scandal-ridden past. Unfortunately, no daughter of the Ton is desperate enough to accept him unless he discloses the true size of the fortune he’s inherited. He refuses. Not after a money-match destroyed his mother.

Vulnerable, beautiful commoner Elinor Harcourt enchants Tristan the moment they meet. But he's seen what happens to sheltered young ladies dropped into the Beau Monde. Elinor’s happiness must prevail. She deserves the comfortable, quiet life she dreams of.

Elinor can’t risk her future on a fleeting fancy. Tristan makes her feel more alive than anyone else, but he's not just an Earl— he's a soldier like her father. That's too many chances for tragedy. If only she could stop thinking about him…

Genres: Historical Romance

209 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 29, 2023

About the author

A small town Midwestern girl who grew up wanting to write stories, and then did.

Reviews

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to BookSprout for a copy of this novel and this is my freely given opinion.

This is a slow burn historical romance between two people with differing social backgrounds. Major Tristan Ruthven has inherited the title of Earl of Asherton, but it is a title tainted by his father and previous ancestors by scandal and waste. Despite being a war hero and having built up the family coffers again through war bounty and inheritances from his dead brother, Tristan knows he has a lot to overcome to regain his place in Society, thanks to the family reputation. His sister Evelina is hoping to help him find a wife and helpmate to help him manage his inherited responsibilities, including the guardianship of his younger siblings, abandoned by his step mother, and his younger sister who needs to be prepared to debut in Society.

Evelina however, has her own concerns, as she is having a difficult pregnancy, and as such, invites some family friends to stay with her to help her as she organizes a house party and social events for her brother... and perhaps play a bit of the role of matchmaker.

Elinor Harcourt is born of a humble background, and has been living under the care of her uncle and aunt for years to help ease the burden of her parents, as they have such a large family to care for. But she is very aware of how tenuous her position is and fearful that any wrong step in her case can lead to her being sent home. She is aware that, being dowerless, and with inauspicious social stature, that her marriage prospects are scant and lays her hopes on marriage to her cousin, Henry. She tries to be as staid and helpful as possible, in the hopes that Henry, as a future vicar, would see that she could be a good mate to him.

When she and her young cousin Arabella visit Evelina, she and Tristan meet and connect. They forge a friendship, hiding their attraction to each other. Tristan does not see her as a bride for him, despite his desire and attraction to her, and Elinor thinks she is far too low to catch his attention, and forges ahead with her hopes on Henry. Besides, she has witnessed the heartbreak and loneliness her mother frequently suffered when her own soldier father frequently left them behind to go back to the war, and Elinor was determined not to go through that same suffering.

But Henry turns out to be more a manipulative bully, and Elinor is left gravely disappointed and anxious about her future prospects. Tristan gives in to his attraction to her, and offers her another option - marriage to him and to become the Countess of Asherton. The start to their marriage is bumpy as Elinor and Tristan are separated right away because of his work, and Wellington's demand on his time as Major, and also her immediately taking over care of Tristan's family.

This was a slow burn romance, but I enjoyed the rather sweet build up of Tristan and Elinor's relationship from when they meet, and develop a friendship. I found it rather endearing. Though I felt that Tristan was a bit snobbish in initially not considering Elinor a marriage prospect.

3.5 stars out of 5

[Brooke Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story drags to me. It’s hard to follow at times due to multiple story lines going on. It’s slow burn but it’s too slow for me. Elinor doesn’t have a backbone and is at the mercy of the men around her.

I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mary Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I liked best about A Desperate Proposal is that these characters felt like people I could truly meet one day. There are siblings who argue, but who also care deeply for one another. There are people being judged by the actions of their family members, not their own. And there’s someone who’s been undercut just enough that she can’t feel secure in her situation, our heroine Elinor. She’s the poor relation, the eldest daughter of a large family who’s farmed out to relatives to help reduce her family’s burden of living on her father’s army salary. Her cousin has married well, and that brings her into the orbit of Tristan.

Tristan feels like an imposter as well; he’s the third son of a nobleman, so he made a military career for himself. When his brothers pass away and he becomes the earl, he knows he’s ill-suited for it and is searching for a good wife who will understand the Ton and ease his siblings’ way into that society.

Tristan and Elinor shouldn’t really marry—especially when Elinor expects one of her cousins to propose. But the heart will what the heart will, and watching these two figure out their way to love is just charming. I also adored the many family members in this story, each of whom brought a certain flair to this tale.

There are some elements in A Desperate Proposal that jarred a bit. For example, Tristan remaining committed to the military after gaining his title seemed odd, particularly after the loss of two brothers. Many other men in his situation would have been able to leave the military with little difficulty. And how Elinor’s cousin married into the nobility would be a great prequel to this book—I’d like to know how she managed it!

Grey and Sloan write this well; I was impressed to realize this is their first historical romance! They wisely stick to a country-home setup for most of this book; that lets them focus on character rather than Regency society structure.

I hope these two write more in this series, because A Desperate Proposal is a great start!

[Deborah Durand · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel is predominantly about the lives of Major Tristan Ruthven and Miss Elinor Harcourt. The story opens into the life of Elinor and her Weston cousins with whom she lives. Mean spirited cousin Henry has led her to believe that under her circumstances, that she can only hope to attain being the wife of a vicar…him. She has been sent to live with her cousins because her father, a retired military man, can ill afford 7 children on half a pension.
Major Tristan Ruthven, now the new Earl of Asherton, has returned home from working with Wellington, to a household of siblings and one 4 y/o ward. His sister reminds him of his duty to the estate and his siblings and encourages his marriage. To help him in this endeavor she invites Arabella Weston and Elinor to assist her in an upcoming party at her home, where Tristan is currently staying. He’s very interested in Elinor and comes to find out her circumstances through Elinor herself.
I would not describe this as a page turner, because there are numerous characters worthy of a reader’s attention and they contribute greatly to the storyline. Read how Tristan reveals the scandal connected to his family name and his desire to continue to be involved in the military and how these things may influence Elinor’s acceptance of him as husband material. Both MC’s will appeal to readers, as well as the antics of Tristan’s younger brother, Cavendish.
This is a steamy, well written romance, but there are a lot of things left unaddressed. Where are Tristan’s older brothers, Arthur and Lance? Will Lizzie and Lydia (the ward) return from their aunt’s home to live with older sister Cecilia? Is Cecilia expected to take care of them and not have a season? What about the mischievous Cavendish? Will Henry Weston get his comeuppance? What about her other two cousins, whom Elinor adores, Alexander and Arabella?
Hopefully, these matters will be addressed in this apparent series. That is why I’m only giving it 4 stars.⭐️ I have received an ARC from Booksprout and I am leaving an unbiased review voluntarily.

[Jayne Butcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story! It has a Major who recently inherited an earldom; his sister, a general’s wife who is suffering from morning sickness; a cousin expecting a marriage proposal from another cousin; a wild boy-crazy young lady; and a half-brother who likes to torment governesses and destroy things. Add to that an injury, a betrayal and an all consuming attraction, and you have a story filled with emotion, excitement and seduction. Major Tristan Ruthven, now the Earl of Asherton, was back on English soil, a rarity in the past fifteen years. He was visiting his sister Evie, who was determined to find him a wife, despite her queasiness. Enter Elinor and Arabella, two young ladies, cousins actually, whose aunt and mother had been friends with Evie and Tristan’s mother. His attraction to Elinor was instant, but he was a soldier and a new earl from a family with a very tarnished reputation. He feared Elinor, the daughter of a soldier and a commoner, would never hold up under the strain caused by his carreer and the ton. But the heart wants what the heart wants, and drama, heartache and potential absences couldn’t change that. This story is fast-paced, well written, full of surprises and steamy encounters. It is hard to put down, so be prepared to read well into the night!.

I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd never heard of this author before, but I like the cover models, so I thought I would give this book a shot. It started out well by introducing the characters and establishing their background. I initially thought that this was the second book of the series because of the happily married Evelina and Edward. Turns out, Evelina is the sister of the hero Tristan, and she really wants him to marry and settle down. Next, a bunch of people are introduced, one of them being Tristan's future intended, Elinor.
Elinor and Tristan were a likeable couple, but I feel like I got a bit lost with all of the other goings on. They had a slow burn romance and once things got steamy, there was no looking back. The story also had some clever humor. At one point, Edward was either engaging in "target practice or a disappointingly petite military uprising."
The author did a good amount of world building in this story, so great things will hopefully be coming from her in the future!

I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rose Seals · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, full of drama, love, society, romance, intrigue, suspense, light steam, sweet but some twists. Elinor is living with her uncle and cousins, where she is given to believe that all she can hope for is a marriage to her cousin at the best. She and her cousin are spending time with another who is pregnant and having a really hard time of it. It's there that she meets the new Earl- Tristan, who had been in the service. As she trips and hurts her ankle, Tristen carries her to the couch. It's at this time that feelings are noticed by both. Time helps them to discuss what they need and want. Tristen wants Elinor for his wife but he has some military issues that he will have to deal with plus she is still wearing the promise cross by another man. At his sister's ball that Elinor finds out that Henry has asked another to marry him. She then asks Tristan for the governess job but he wants her for his wife. Lots of action to read about in his book. Would strongly recommend to others.

I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters developed in this story were very good although I think the story itself could have used more fleshing out. Many characters and events were introduced, but never thoroughly explained. Such as the ward Lydia, we never really do learn more about her or Tristan‘s sister Elizabeth only that they are living with an aunt. Also, the cause of Elinor’s fear of London is only slightly addressed and then when she ends up living there we never learn how she really copes. More insight on that would have been wonderful. The authors, which are new to me, introduced some wonderful characters that I would love to know more about: Annabella, Henry, Alexander, Cecelia, Cavendish, Elizabeth and Lydia. This could be a very good series if the authors choose to continue it. The epilogue left something to be desired as well. Susan epilogue brings closure but this one only raised more questions for me. I would read another book by these authors.
I read this book as a free download on BookFunnel.

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

🐞🐞ONE HEART-POUNDING RIDE🐞🐞
Jumping jackals Jim! This immensely talented, dynamic duo presents one artfully tantalizingly, skillfully enthralling, impressively composed, rock-our-world rousing delight. Cognizant of the soaring ups and turbulent downs, breathtaking in it's strength and inspiring in it's depth. Futures are forged and promises are pledged, putting our characters through their paces, wrapping this gem up sleek, shiny and tight. Our characters are authentically distinctive and thoroughly genuine with perceptible natures and engaging attributes, molding into amazing personalities so realistic and refined, uniting them together brilliantly. The scenarios are vividly illustrative with vibrant portrayals and graphic depictions, constructing embellished scenes that feel as though you were transported to ground zero. Fantastic job guys, thanks for sharing this little treat with us.

[Isabel Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The story moves at a good pace and the plot is engaging. There are also some unusual twists along the way.
I liked the character development and that you got to know them as the progresses. There are some fantastic side characters who I hope will make a return in future stories as it will be interesting to see what they do next.
I liked the writing style and the story was easy to get into and difficult to put down, which is a good combination in any book. I look forward to reading more by the authors in the future.

I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[EM · Rating 4 out of 5]

An historical, slow burn romance with twists and turns

This story between Tristan and Elinor was a slow burn, with their relationship developing overtime, as well as twists, turns and uncertainty over how matters would develop for them. I did struggle a little to get into the book at the beginning, however I am glad I persevered with it as I did end up enjoying it.

I also enjoyed the side characters, Tristan's siblings and Elinor's cousins (well, most of her cousins were enjoyable). It would be interesting to see if other books in the future which focused on those characters.

I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow, sweet romance!
I liked how the characters were introduced at the beginning of this novella, when Elinor and Tristan meet and forge a friendship. There are some agreeable dialogue exchanges when they are in each other's presence. The couple’s attraction is gradually growing. Everything moves slowly and smoothly. The characters are lovely, but they lack the sparks that would make them more appealing to me. It was a beautiful story, yet it took some time to grow on me.

I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book in the Desperate Desires, War hero Major Tristan Ruthven, the new Earl of Asherton and commoner Elinor Harcourt's story. It is well written with drama, intrigue, suspense, light steam, and romance. I want to read more in this series. I received a copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Anij · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Of course, she dreamed of Lord Asherton."

A little slow at first I actually really enjoyed this regency romance that was different in some ways from traditional stories of the genre. Tristan was actually a likeable hero and he came across very real. Elinor was a bit weak but still nice. There's a lot of plot and drama. I was happy to see them find their way to happiness.

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Tristan and Elinor’s story. It was an intriguing and entertaining read. And am voluntarily leaving this review.