Cupid Comes to Little Valentine

The Venturesome Ladies of Little Valentine #1

by Emma V. Leech

He thought he’d escaped danger. He hadn’t accounted for Miss Clementine Honeywell.

A witty Regency romance from international bestselling author Emma V. Leech.

When Sylvester ‘Beau’ Cavendish, Earl of Beaumarsh, narrowly escapes an attempt on his life, he’s whisked away from London and deposited in the last place anyone would look for a notorious Regency the seaside town of Little Valentine.

After a humiliating introduction to Miss Clementine Honeywell, the vicar’s capable daughter, Beau realises Little Valentine may be more dangerous than he thought. Clementine has no patience for idle aristocrats, least of all one who won’t confront the cousin bent on killing him.

If the earl will not act, she will.

But as danger closes in and scandal threatens Little Valentine, Clementine begins to glimpse the man beneath Beau’s polished indolence – and Beau discovers that the woman determined to save him may also be the one who steals his heart…

The first book in the Venturesome Ladies of Little Valentine series, where the women of a tranquil English seaside village prove more than a match for London’s most restless and notorious gentlemen.

Read now, then continue with The Song of the Siren (Book 2).

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Amazon, Ebooks, Fiction

314 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 8, 2025

About the author

Bestselling author hiding mostly in 19th-century England, venturing out only for chocolate and tea.

Emma V. Leech is the award-winning author of multiple bestselling series across Regency romance, Regency mystery and paranormal romance. Fall in love with swoon-worthy rogues, bold heroines, witty banter and deeply romantic happily-ever-afters. Follow Emma on BookBub for new releases and exclusive deals.

EMMA’S BOOKS

Rogues And Gentlemen
Regency romance – 17-book series (ongoing)
Sexy, tumultuous and irresistibly romantic. From pirates and smugglers to earls and dukes, these unforgettable rogues will sweep you away!

Winter Rogue
A Regency Christmas romance within the Rogues & Gentlemen world
A scandal-weary earl, a runaway heiress and a crumbling country estate snowed in for Christmas. A sensual, heart-tugging holiday novella about redemption, desire and a love neither of them expects.

A Rogues and Gentlemen Christmas
A standalone Regency Christmas romance
A collection of three romantic holiday stories featuring beloved Rogues & Gentlemen characters. Expect snowstorms, sizzling tension, unexpected proposals, mistletoe moments and heart-melting happily-ever-afters – a cosy festive escape for Regency romance lovers.

The Girl Is Not For Christmas
A standalone Regency Christmas romance
Miss Olivia Penrose is the only thing standing between her family and ruin when a brooding aristocrat crashes into her carefully laid plans. Sparks fly amid family secrets, snowy scandals and irresistible festive longing in this passionate, witty and deeply romantic winter read.

Girls Who Dare
Regency romance – 12-book series
Inside every wallflower is the heart of a lioness. When these overlooked young women make a pact to change their lives, rules are broken, reputations are risked and love becomes the most daring adventure of all.

Daring Daughters
Victorian romance – 19-book series and two compilations
The next generation of the Girls Who Dare. Their mothers risked everything for love – now their daughters are ready to be even bolder. An ongoing series of fiercely romantic stories set in a rapidly changing world.

Wicked Sons
Victorian romance – 12-book series
Their mothers dared all for love. Their sisters did the same. Now it’s the sons’ turn… dangerous, tempting and determined not to fall – until the right woman brings them to their knees.

The Venturesome Ladies Of Little Valentine
Regency romance – my current series
A quiet seaside village, a wave of scandalous newcomers and local ladies who refuse to be swept aside. A warm, witty Regency series full of secrets, second chances and delicious enemies-to-lovers romance.

The Regency Romance Mysteries
Regency romantic suspense – 3-book series
Dashing heroes, wicked villains, murder, mystery – and heroines who refuse to sit prettily and wait to be rescued. Perfect if you like your Regency romance served with danger and intrigue.

The French Vampire Legend
Paranormal romance – 4-book series
A dark, dramatic and heart-wrenching tale of courage, sacrifice and a love that not even time, war or monsters can destroy. Gothic atmosphere, high stakes and a romance that refuses to die.

The French Fae Legend
Fantasy romance – 4-book series
An award-winning saga with close to sixteen million online reads. Moving between modern-day France and the Fae Lands, these books weave powerful magic, danger and an all-consuming love that proves stronger than any enchantment.

The Book Lover
A standalone paranormal romance novella
A book-obsessed young woman, an infuriatingly charming stranger and the unnerving sense that stories might be bleeding into real life. A short, intensely romantic tale for anyone who has ever fallen in love with books… and perhaps with something not entirely of this world.

Reviews

[Aspoon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a very clean book, there was a small intimate scene in the last chapter but nothing special. My issue with this book, is that it was sooooo bland. Nothing really going on besides the Hero goes to a small town and meet the people. No angst, no wittiness, no drama, nothing.

We do not get to see the Hero in his own environment to form a connection with him to better understand his cousin’s dislike and his relationship with friends/family. To the point that he married this girl without her meeting his mother nor his mother being at the wedding. It’s absurd. Yet he traditionally asked her father for his permission/approval. I doubt I will read the other books in the series. I rather read the Daring series again.

[Jing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just a sweet little darling of a book. No angst, just people being emotionally intelligent. I enjoyed this a lot.

[Sherry Vorhaben · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️

I don’t know how she comes up with the ideas for her stories. Adorable story. I look forward to the next one in this new series.

[Olga Godim]

DNF
I wanted to like this story - that's why I read it until I reached 46% - but I couldn't. The editing was dismal, the formatting could've been improved, and the writing was totally amateur. The story did have potential, but alas, the author's lack of writing skills prevented her from realizing that potential.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was unsure about this at first, neither were all that likable. He was an ass and she was a meddling busybody. Then, we were finished with the villain by 50%. That’s unusual. It did turn out nicely and very romantic. I plan on continuing the series.

[Áine Foley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would normally give four stars, but I am removing one star because of the change of covers. Doing that in the middle of a series, so people will have to re-buy the paperbacks of the first few books so they all match feels like a money grab.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 a sweet start to a new series - I like the set up for a women’s club. Suffers from Leech’s new formula where it feels largely like a closed door with very predictable steam following marriage and too close to the end to have any emotional impact on the story. I wish the pacing was better as by the time the MCs are together the story is all but over. There’s also no real conflict which is disappointing given the leads have good chemistry and there are several subplots that get resolved too early. I think she should have reworked this and added a little more pathos to make this stand out. Maybe in the future? We can hope

[Jerry Jares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clementine Honeywell, the eldest daughter of the vicar of Little Valentine, is twenty-four and considers herself "on the shelf." She does not plan to marry, but to manage the townspeople who need her help. She is saving up to send the third sister, Beatrice, to London for a Season because she is so beautiful.

Clementine meets the Earl of Beaumarsh most unhappily; he leaves his carriage and promptly vomits on her shoes. With such an impressive meeting, certainly they must meet again. The next day, Clementine and her sister go to the Earl to request payment to replace her shoes. She thought he was drunk, but found out from his valet that the earl was poisoned.

Clementine devises a solution when she learns the earl was poisoned by a relative who wanted to inherit his title and property.

This is a relationship that simmers over time and seems natural. The couple grows closer as they spend time together.

Venturesome Ladies of Little Valentine
*** 1. Cupid Comes to Little Valentine (2025)
2. The Song of the Siren (2025)
3. The Return of the Rake (2025)
4. Christmas Comes to Little Valentine (2025)
5. A Devil's Bargain (2026)
6. A Taste of Miss Honey (2026)

[Elizabeth S · Rating 3 out of 5]

The series deals with a vicar and his three daughters who live in a small seaside village in southeast England. The Earl of Beaumarsh, a foppish rogue, appears one day, sick from being poisoned by his cousin. The vicar's eldest daughter, Clementine Honeywell, is appalled that the earl doesn't want to do anything about his murderous cousin, who will undoubtedly try to kill him again. Beau has few redeeming qualities, but he doesn't deserve to die at his cousin's hand. Always looking to lend a hand, Clementine helps him, in spite of her dislike for him.

This is a Regency tale with a contemporary tone and modern language. It's as fluffy as the title suggests, although there is after-marriage steam at the end. There are a couple of propriety issues and factual errors (i.e. menus at an inn). Although the remaining two sisters, and several secondary characters, were charming, I wasn't intrigued enough to read more of the series.

[Carrie-anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a.really strong start to the new series. It has done a good.job of setting up for other stories which I am looking forward to.

I do have to point out that it did feature a few plot points and even the name Beau that have been used in previous books in previous series'. Definitely got shades of Montagu from Beau. But these plot points were things I liked in the earlier books so is more of an observation than a complaint.

I disagree that this is a 'clean romance'. There were a few well written scenes although they did take place marriage. Again, that is an observation and not a complaint. Many of EVL's novels are in that order, I don't know why this is so surprising

[S.K. O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a gem! This is the first book in The Venturesome Ladies of Little Valentine series, and it’s an absolute delight. The characters feel grounded and real, making the whole experience feel very "human."

My only critique is that the book could have used a final polish, as there were some typos and grammatical errors that broke my immersion at times. However, the story itself is so charming and adorable that I still thoroughly enjoyed it. If you’re looking for a heartwarming read, give this one a shot. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful Regency romance largely set in a small seaside town in Kent. It all starts with the arrival of a young handsome earl suffering the effects of arsenic poisoning. After the strangely dramatic start the plot settles down, the characters develop and a gentle, humorous tale unfolds.

The book is a pleasure to read with a fine FMC and a MMC who turns out not to be the idiot we first suspect.

[Kathy Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

ms Leech has found her stride again

Avid fan of Ms Leech’s writing for quite some time. Then there was a dramatic change and it someone else was writing- she lost her voice.

These days, I’ll be honest, “steamy” labels often just mean soft narrative porn throughout a book. This isn’t the case here. Yes in the final chapters it gets quite steamy, but by then we have been gifted with full fleshed out characters that you’d love to have tea & cake with.

Highly recommend

[Toni Krogh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sweet story

Clementine Honeywell, daughter of the vicar of Little Valentine, meets the Earl of Beaumarsh in such an uninspiring circumstance. Little did they know where it would lead, but such a nice ending. An uncomplicated cozy romance, low steam, comfortable read. Looking forward to the next book.

[Cynthia Houser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cupid Comes

I absolutely loved this book! The town of Little Valentine sounds very charming and inviting. The characters are very entertaining and engaging. The banter between the Earl and Clementine was captivating. Well done, Emma. I am looking forward to the rest of the series!

[Leena Aluru · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really, truly sweet. I am looking forward to the next in this series.

[mumu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love reading Emma V Leech's stories, and this one satisfies me just as expected.

[Agnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slightly different that my beloved Daring Daughters (and Girls who Dare and Wicked sons) series but very enjoyable still. I was enchanted and transported into beautiful and idyllic countryside of rural England with very realistic description of wisteria and roses. Even the most lazy imagination will conjure breathtaking pictures.
Of course Clementine is delightful too, resourceful and level headed - my favourite type of FMC.
Can't wait for the next book.