Bewitching Benedict

The Lovelorn Lads #1

by C.E. Murphy

Benedict Fairburn does not quite need his ailing great-aunt’s fortune, especially since he’ll have to marry to get it. His family, however, thinks otherwise—as do many of the eligible ladies in London—and the pressure is mounting. An embarrassment of attentions fill Benny’s time, but the young lady he prefers roundly dislikes him.

Claire Dalton, cousin to one of Benedict’s oldest friends, is too busy debuting in Society to pay much attention to the Fairburn boy who once insulted her past bearing. He doesn’t recognize her, but that’s hardly upsetting, especially with the fetching Mr Graham offering his arm.

Unfortunately, Mr Graham is not all he seems, and each week brings a fresh disaster for Claire’s first Season. It’s enough to drive a young woman to distraction, especially since Benny Fairburn keeps behaving so very oddly. Concealed tragedy, poor orphans, a dotty great-aunt, deception and misunderstanding whirl in every direction, ready to explode.

Benedict and Claire are perfect for each other. Unfortunately, it may take catastrophe to make them realize as much…

Genres: Romance, Audiobook, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical, Regency Romance, Regency

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2017

About the author

CE Murphy began writing around age six, when she submitted three poems to a school publication. The teacher producing the magazine selected (inevitably) the one she thought was by far the worst, but also told her–a six year old kid–to keep writing, which she has. She has also held the usual grab-bag of jobs usually seen in an authorial biography, including public library volunteer (at ages 9 and 10; it’s clear she was doomed to a career involving books), archival assistant, cannery worker, and web designer. Writing books is better.

She was born and raised in Alaska, and now lives with her family in her ancestral homeland of Ireland.

She also writes paranormal romance as Murphy Lawless and cozy mysteries as Catie Murphy.

Reviews

[Karen Darling · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book almost got a rating of 2 because I don't like grown men being called lads, and the hero was spoiled and selfish.

[Phyllis · Rating 4 out of 5]

C.E. Murphy has written an excellent regency romance. She has dedicated it to M.C. Beaton, who wrote some delightful Regency romances as Marion Chesney. This novel is imbued with charming and witty banter. The hero maladroitly insults the heroine on their first acquaintance by calling her a mouse. To his mortification, she does not forgive him quickly. Moreover, as the story develops, the heroine challenges him to become a better man. There is a delightful confusion of mismatched couples as the heroine and hero both make poor choices in future partners. The hero has an intimate group of friends, nicknamed the lads. All of these gentlemen promise to be excellent heroes in future romances.

[Vikki Vaught · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled with both the hero and heroine. Both were immature and wishy washy. The narration was okay but not enough to grab my attention and hold it. Of course that was probably more from the characters than the narrator. Happy reading and listening!

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fair disclosure: I’m friends with the author.

Even if I wasn’t, though, I would’ve found this book a perfectly delightful read. I look forward to seeing what the rest of the Lads get up to, especially Hewitt. :)

[Yarna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one. It felt more historical in tone, rather than a lot of other historical romances which just feel like a modern voice and characters put into the 1800s. There were actual social consequences that the heroine had to consider if her reputation was even slightly damaged, which is not something you see a lot of anymore.

The romance was not particularly outstanding. The main characters didn't spend enough time together for me to believe they would be in love by the end, and you jump around in so many different perspectives that you don't have as much time to bond with either Benedict or Claire. They had some nice moments, but not quite enough to justify the end.

Despite that, I loved Worthington (the valet), and would definitely be curious enough to pick up the next book.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this, because this is one of my favorite authors and I've read/own virtually everything else she's written.

Alas, Benedict and Claire rather irritated me. She holds a grudge way too long, he needed to get over himself, it would be great if they could have talked to each other, and that thing with St. Sophia's was completely implausible. Specifically, Claire's overwrought reactions and her expectation that Benedict will forfeit his inheritance from Aunt Nancy so it goes to St. Sophia's. Her reasoning and that expectation are completely asinine, especially for the time period and his class . I didn't believe that either loved the other, especially him loving her. I just couldn't see that love in their interactions.

Also, Wothington as deus ex machina throughout the whole book was jarring and why didn't anyone call him on all his manipulations? On the one hand, all's well that ends well, right? On the other, I had no idea that a butler's job description included knowing what was best for your employers better than they did and manipulating people/events to bring about your desired results.

This one just didn't work for me, which makes me sad. I think I need to go re-read The Walker Papers or the Old Races series.

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The good
This book has excellent pros! The narration was very good! The camaraderie between the lads makes me want to read more, and I loved the fact that the other people in the story were well rounded characters and not just shadows of people, there was one point that made me laugh out loud with the ridiculous situation, and I loved the relationship Clare had with her cousin, Worthington was great and I want to know his story.
The bad
The love story was not great, the only thing it seemed that they liked about each other was their appearance because they constantly mentioned it and compared them to other people.
Clare seemed to have more chemistry with some of the other lads than the male MC, it appeared it was more lust than love to me.
Clare was very self righteous at times while jumping to conclusions and assuming the worst but she was right in the end? The kindness and generosity that she demanded of others came across as socialistic.
The part where the author almost lost me was when Clare had just berated him and is looking at him with utter loathing and he thinks she is pretty so he kisses her!!! 🤦🏼‍♀️ I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t want to kiss someone that was looking at me in utter loathing.
It was an enjoyable listen though if you can get past those.

[Diane Shearer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost gave it four stars, but I thought of Worthington and added a star. Really, this is a very good book. I've never heard of this author before so I'm not prejudiced that she has gone out of her usual fantasy genre as other reviewers are. The story has depth that is often missing in traditional Regency Romances, which focus on the, well, the romance. Which I absolutely love, don't get me wrong.In fact, I wish there were more kissing, etc, in this one. It's definitely short on sexual tension. The story focuses on the characters and their back stories. As the mother of military men I love "the lads", just love them. I can only hope the rest of the series will focus on getting them all married off. I adore the character of ever faithful Worthington, the valet/batman in the tradition of Jeeves, who manages all from behind the green baize door with humor and grace. The ending is shocking, satisfying, and beautifully done, in spite of the do-goodery. It tends towards being preachy, which is why I almost gave it four stars, but I can ignore it since the rest of it is so good. I'm not going to read the authors' non romance novels, but I am going to breathlessly await Book 2 of the Lovelorn Lads.

[MELISSA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, a companionable read/listen. I struggled a bit with the heroine Claire as I wondered at her very strong opinions which led to her lashing out (at first sight) rather frequently at Benedict and even going to the extent of intentionally being rude for what reason? I had no problem with her knowing her own mind just at her intolerance of one person while tolerating worse behavior from others. And this was not because she was smitten with him (poor excuse that it would have been). Additionally, listening felt a little bumpy in transitions which may be a function of the narrator or was it the writing. And the ending - fairly unbelievable in context of the times. Again, these were my mild struggles with the book and I did finish and did not skim so I conclude it was worth the listen while I did other tasks.

[Carôle Ceres · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite other reviews to the contrary, I didn’t find that this novel was so dire as to necessitate dismissing!

I listened to the audiobook version of this title so, admittedly the unadvised pronunciation of ‘Valet’ is disappointing, which the editors/producers should have paid attention to, and I’m reasonably sure that a comforter was not then known as a duvet, these were the only things I found amiss with this production (Maybe said valet would not have sounded so cockney, either, but…).

The story of itself was a good one, and interesting and I do intend to read the entire series. Very enjoyable.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice easy listening story set against a Regency background. It was a bit different from many in that at its centre was a group of young male friends or lads who had fought in the war together and hung out with one another. At its head was Charles Dalton, the cousin of Claire Dalton. The story begins with the lads being taken to visit the family of Charles' cousin, Claire, which has wide reaching implications. The romance of Claire, who is a bit of a tomboy and one of the lads herself, is told against the background of story of destitution and need and altruism. It reaches a satisfactory conclusion for all involved. I would like to listen to more books in this series.

[Jacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A straight Regency historical from an author I usually associate with urban or historical fantasy. I love Catie Murphy’s writing so was very pleased to read this. Benedict Fairburn stands to inherit his great-aunt’s fortune, but only if he marries. He doesn’t need the money and he’s inclined to let it go to the default inheritor, an orphanage, but his family are pushing every winsome spinster at him. He only has eyes for one, but sadly he once unwittingly insulted Claire Dalton past bearing and it’s going to take a lot to gain her forgiveness. A neat story, much enjoyed.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t read this genre often, but C E Murphy is one of my favorite urban fantasy authors, so I thought I’d see how she writes regency romance. This book was a hoot! I especially loved Worthington, the valet! He’s the real star. In fact, I would read a whole series of books with him as the protagonist. The story fell into the typical formula of regency romance, but Murphy creates characters who strain at the “rules” of society with amusing outcomes. Definitely fun for a quick, light read!

[Picky Virgo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not particularly care for the beginning of this book, but I persevered in hopes that it would improve, and because I liked Magic and Manners a great deal. But when I realized (thanks to another review) that no magic would be forthcoming I decided to return this novel for a refund. If I need a Regency fix without supernatural elements I'll reread one of my beloved Georgette Heyer stories.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Does anyone else hate female characters that are "witty" in a condescending and immature way? Ugh! She's so smug and thinks she's got one up on the young men in the novel but somehow these rich boys love her.
I'm not going to read anything else by this author. I think she was trying to Austenesc but she missed the mark with this preachy story.

[Mary Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is all the things you want from a Regency Romance - witty comments, pretty clothes, attractive people, sassy leading ladies, near-tragedies, happy resolutions. This time, with a bit less helplessness and simpering.

[JW USA · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tedious

Nothing surprising here. Relies on regular plot devices. Not sure any of the characters are likeable. The ending is ridiculous. None of them could survive the scandal within the ton.

[Emma England · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, how joyous. It's a cross between Jeeves and Wooster and Pride and Prejudice with a little adventuring thrown in for good measure. Thoroughly enjoyable for romance lovers and those who enjoy P.G. Wodehouse.

I cannot wait for the rest of the series.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful historical romance. The characters have enough believability for the era while artistic licence makes them understandable. I admit to feeling great disappointment at finding there to be only one so far in the series.

[Regina Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book was very entertaining, it was also quite ridiculous. I squawked out loud at some of the scenes. I didn’t believe any of it, but I enjoyed the characters. I don’t know if I will continue the series, but if I do, I know I’ll be entertained.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murphy never disappoints, even when there isn't a hint of the supernatural. Hope this proves to be an extensive series (all of the Lads!)

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, fun Regency romance. I blew through this in a couple of hours. As usual with Murphy, I had trouble putting the book down to get anything done, even without any magic or fantasy elements.

[K O · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had so much potential. Unfortunately the h and H were totally incompatible. DNF at 80%. Could not even care anymore about the couple who was “suppose” to be together.

[Connie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was boring. I read the whole book to be fair.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was alright. I didn’t much care for Benedict so that makes the journey a little less enjoyable. Also if lads was used one more time I was going to scream.

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet tale of two couples and their ultimate partner swap. It was obvious from the beginning that the pairs were mismatched and the story to getting it properly matched was believable and also scandalous.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable

This was an adorable regency romance with much hilarity! I've always enjoyed the author, and this book did not disappoint!

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute Regency tale that was a nice quick bit of escapist reading. The ePub version I read originally had some conversion errors, but these were quickly corrected within a week or so.

[TropeOpera (Shelley)]

This book is great for people who want Jane Austen with a few kissing scenes.

However, the couple had no chemistry whatsoever. They interacted with each other three or four times(and were rude each time) but then decided they loved each other? Tbh "The Lads" friend group had more chemistry than the main couple. Worthington was interesting, though. I'd like to see how Ackerman's story plays out.