Annabelle Enchants the Rejected Earl

by Hanna Hamilton

Things in life aren't always what they seem to be...

Annabelle's life is turned upside down when her father declares that he has found an excellent suitor for her, Lord Watson Ashdown.

What he does not realize, is that Watson is cruel and inappropriate for the Hathaway reputation.

But that is not the only problem...

Annabelle did not mean it to happen, but she has fallen for Floyd Brewer, the stable boy who works on her family’s land.

Or so she believes about him…

He is kind, loving and caring and nothing like the horrible Lord, but he is not a man that her father will find acceptable.

How will Annabelle get out of her marriage? And what will happen when she discovers that Floyd has some secrets about his real status?

♥ A historical romance novel full of twists that'll keep you turning the pages ♥

*Annabelle Enchants the Rejected Earl is a historical standalone story of 80,000 words (around 350 pages). No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a sweet happily ever after.

Get this book for free with Kindle Unlimited!

Genres: Historical Romance, Regency, Historical, Friends To Lovers, Romance

322 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 5, 2017

About the author

Hanna Hamilton has been fascinated with the Regency era ever since she was a young teen, first discovering historical romance novels by famous authors such as Jane Austen and Lisa Kleypas. She believes that love was just so much more magical back then, more like a fairy tale. She always daydreamed about finding love herself that way, but since that is impossible in the twenty-first century, she decided to write about it instead!

Born in Texas, Hanna Hamilton obtained a degree in Creative Writing and has worked as a literature teacher before becoming a novelist. When she isn’t writing, Hanna likes to explore the countryside with her husband and two children, gaining inspiration from the natural world around her.

So, come on a journey into love, confusion, and redemption all within the Regency era. Hanna hopes that you will enjoy immersing yourself into her novels and that you too will find a love for old-fashioned romance, just as she has. 


Facebook page: http://facebook.com/hannahamiltonauthor

Reviews

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annabelle has a mind of her own, and she refuses to marry the insufferable duke her father has picked for her. Instead, she falls in love with someone quite unsuitable and fights for their love. But, the timing is wrong. Years later, he reappears in her life, but she is otherwise involved. Who will Annabelle pick, and will the old love get a new, second chance?

The characters are written so well that you either really like them or strongly dislike them. The plot is well crafted and interesting. The cover is just gorgeous. This was a winner all the way around for me!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this story in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

[Suzette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story of love enduring through all odds and also about not settling for anything less than what you deserve in life, which of course is the absolute best of everything. Once again it was my pleasure to review this book for Hanna as she took us on this journey. As always she tells a story with characters that you will always remember and cannot help but root for. The ones you dislike you do so intensely, but those you love you do with all your heart. I especially loved in this story that there is a character that shows redemption (sorry no spoilers). Great job Hanna!

[Kasia Burlakoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story about a young lady who was striving for a different fate than had been planned for her by her dictatorial father. Marriage for marriage sake to whomever was chosen as suitable by her father was not Annabelle's objective.

Both characters were quite well developed, and following their path to maturity was interesting. there were some twists in the blot, that made it an enjoyable read.

[SUZAN C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annabelle Enchants the Rejected Earl
This is a very sweet story about young love and the travesty of the lower class versus the middle/upper class in the Regency Era. Annabelle Enchants the Rejected Earl spans across five years in the lives of Annabelle and Floyd with explicit details about Annabelle’s young life to adulthood.
Annabelle was described very well as the naïve and innocent 18-year old girl who was forced to marry a man several years older than her against her will. The betrothed, Lord Ashdown is an older and vile man who sought pleasure in tormenting Annabelle with his lascivious manners. His single goal in setting out to marry Annabelle was to gain her father’s money and a sizeable dowry. Of course Annabelle saw through his conniving ways immediately and she had instantly disliked his smarmy behavior and his inappropriate ways of always touching her. But alas, as a young lady with a title, she had to obey her demanding father and follow his stringent rules.
Then by chance, Annabelle meets the sweet and kind Floyd who is a stable boy on her father’s estate. There is an instant connection which Annabelle is shocked to feel yet there is no denying the way Floyd’s sweetness relaxes her and his simplest touch excites her. Of course Floyd feels the exact same way too, if not a bit more because most men has a tendency to not hold back their feelings. However, as the stable boy, he knew he could never ask her hand in marriage. But wait, is there a secret to his title afterall?
As Annabelle and Floyd’s relationship grew, so did her hatred and fear of Lord Ashdown. He did not relent in pursuing the engagement and even a wedding date had been set. Annabelle grew desperate as her father didn’t care about her fears of the Lord and her mother tried but did not succeed in saving her from an impending doomed marriage. So the only thing Annabelle could do was to run away with Floyd although they had very little money to do so.
Young love and hopes and dreams become realized when Annabelle’s father finally realized that Lord Ashdown was a horrible man. However, it was all too late. Floyd, thinking that Annabelle had decided to marry the horrible Lord Ashdown, in a fit of self pity and broken heart left the estate to start a life of his own as a horse trainer and business man. If he couldn’t have Annabelle then at least he can continue with his other dream of being his own man and becoming a successful horse trainer.
However, we jump to five years later and Annabelle starts a new life of her own after escaping from her home. She meets a new man who is kind and thoughtful to her but she never feels the same spark as she did with her Floyd. In her heart she would never forget Floyd and the love and devotion they had for each other. But alas, she had to move on with the new man who has been nothing but kind to her.
The story ends happily ever after of course, but I felt the sense that the author could have written a bit more about the time jump. I realize that would probably extend the story too much, but I would have liked to know more about what Floyd did in those five years.
Annabelle Enchants the Rejected Earl was an easy to read story and the cleverness of detailing Annabelle’s innocence and maturity was a true delight. I instantly liked Floyd and despised Lord Ashdown. And although I hated the way Annabelle’s father had treated her, in the end he had somewhat redeemed his harsh behavior to some degree.

[Marsha Keeper Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed at Romantic Historicals

Sometimes what is right in front of our noses is nothing more than an illusion. Annabelle discovers that the hard way when she falls for a man who her father would never approve of. A stable boy is not husband material for her, but an older man of truly bad reputation apparently is. Annabelle has fallen in love with a handsome man who tends to their horses, Floyd is everything she’d desire in a husband but she also knows that he would never be permitted to speak to her let alone court her should her father realize her feelings. But things or people aren’t always what they seem.

Annabelle Enchants the Rejected Earl is an intriguing Regency Romance full of twists and turns, and not all will be seen coming your way. The man her father is forcing her to marry is beyond loathsome but he hides that well when around anyone else but Annabelle knows his true character. Floyd and Annabelle attempt to change her future, but complications arise. We don’t learn a lot about Floyd’s time away from Annabelle, and I admit I would have liked to understand more. But seeing them together again only reinforces the feeling that these two are destined to be husband and wife… eventually. The journey to discover their happy ending was very enjoyable, and now I’ll be looking at more of Ms Hamilton’s back list of books to get caught up.

If you enjoy a story that will touch your emotions, a couple who have much to overcome, and the twists and turns that make any complicated romance addicting – then you’d enjoy Annabelle Enchants the Rejected Earl.

I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book that I have read by Hanna Hamilton. Annabelle is young and naïve while being a bit wild for the time period she was born into. Floyd is sweet, caring and determined to make something of himself. The story follows Annabelle as she is being forced to marry Lord Ashdown, a vile older man, while she is in love with Floyd, the stable boy. Annabelle’s father wants what is best for his family but he can’t see past Lord Ashdown’s polished veneer to the real man inside. When he does finally see that Lord Ashdown is not a good man and not appropriate for his daughter, it is too late for Annabelle and Floyd to be together. The story then skips 5 years ahead to the life that Annabelle has made for herself by the sea and the new man that she met. When Floyd drops back into her life, what will Annabelle do?
The characters in this book are well developed- you either love them or hate them. I enjoyed the story but would have liked more information about Floyd during the 5 year jump to the end. The story seemed to concentrate only on Annabelle towards the end. While I did enjoy the many characters in this book, I found it frustrating to have all of their POVs included in the book. Overall this was a good read.
I received an ARC of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest review.

[Dawn Herrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book it was emotional, dramatic and sweet, Hanna Hamilton has written a great romance with some ups and downs. The characters were extremely exciting to get to know, they were sweet strong and some were just bad. Lady Annabelle Hathaway just attended her sisters wedding so she knows her time to wed is still years away but unfortunately for her, her father believes he has just found the right man to be her husband Lord Ashdown. Annabelle has heard the bad rumors about the Lord and doesn't want anything to do with him, but her father has made the decision for her. Annabelle has just recently started to have feeling for the stableboy Floyd, when she finds out Floyd has the same feelings, in a desperate move they decide to run away with each other. But circumstances are against them and they are separated. Things are not looking good for Annabelle. Floyd Brewer is a stable boy with big dreams, when he meets Lady Annabelle he starts to have feelings for her and wants to do anything to be with her. Can these two young people find there wsy back to one another? This was truly a book that hooked me from the start, I really enjoyed the whole story and could not put it down.

[B. D. Mann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate to rain on the parade of four and five star reviews, but I am honor bound to call it the way I see it. The teaser for this book was interesting which led me to have great expectations. It is a clean romance which is probably the most redeeming quality of this book. Character development was rather shallow while the story itself frequently lacked detail. Most significantly there were numerous mistakes that an experienced author and a good editor should have caught prior to publication. Although I was not an English major, I found missing or misused words, grammar errors, punctuation errors, a disjointed and inconsistent writing style, double negatives, and multiple instances of language inconsistent with the regency period, i.e. the word “autopilot” is clearly a mid-twentieth century expression. I also question the use of a typewriter and typing skills for secretaries during that period. I found at least 30 such errors in the first half of the book after which I quit counting. Not knowing differently, I would have expected to learn that this was the first offering of an average college freshman with poor research skills instead of a college graduate, let alone one ranked with Amazon Best Sellers with an actual degree in creative writing.

[Space Cowgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

For Want of a Nail🔨, The Shoe Was Lost🐎

ARC received for a voluntary and honest review.

Annabelle💋👗 is an eighteen year old, carefree young women born into a staid and regimented time in historic England.
Her father, Otto, has worked hard to recover his family name and amass wealth💰 from the debt his father left him. He is bound and determined to see his second daughter married👰 to a titled, wealthy man.
At the older sister's wedding👰 dinner, a handsome young man, Lord Watson🐺, is introduced to Annabelle💋👗 and he almost immediately declares she will be his wife👰.
Annabelle💋👗 is afraid of Watson🐺🍆🌋, he is a player, and is rude👹 to her when they are alone. He projects an entirely different demeanor and attitude around her father. Annabelle 's father tells her she is marrying him, period.
Annabelle💋👗 has met someone who makes her happy, plus he's super handsome, but he's just the stable boy🐎, Floyd. He is way beneath her station in life, so there's absolutely no way her overbearing father would allow her to marry👰 him!

I love historical romances! This is a good one! Recommend.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Dynamite 5 Stars for Hanna Hamilton's Annabelle Enchants the Rejected Earl. This was my first tale by Ms. Hamilton and I must say I was very impressed and this will now be a one-click author for me! Annabelle's father has chosen a man for her to marry; Lord Watson Ashdown. Lord Ashdown is very cruel and crude man and not only that, Annabelle has fallen for another; the stable boy. A most unsuitable match indeed. However, she can't help her feelings and she loves Floyd's kind and gentle nature. Her father and society insist she marries within her class. Annabelle's heart belongs to Floyd and she will do anything to be with him.

An amazing tale, I especially love that she falls for a working-class individual, we don't see this often in Historical Romance, usually most all of the heroines fall for a Duke or Earl, however, sweet Annabelle falls for the everyday Joe. Absolutely wonderful change and storyline! I can't wait for more tales by Ms. Hamilton!

[Vicki Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good story by this author that will have you turning the pages until the end. Annabelle, being from the "upper crust" of this era is bound to wed the man who her father chooses. However, Lord Ashdown is worse than the worst in her mind. Then she meets Floyd who is working in their stables and there is a strong connection between the two of them. However, he is not suitable for her class in society so what is this sweet couple to do? Rather than watch Annabelle marry another, Floyd departs her family's employment and sets out on his own. There are twists and turns in this story that make this a very intriguing and captivating read. A clean, sweet romance with a HEA.
I received an ARC copy of this book. This is my voluntary, honest and completely personal review.
VICKI FROM WYOMING

[Margaret Watkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although a Regency romance, the plot and language used in the book do not always follow the rules for the era. When Annabelle’s autocratic and stubborn father demands that she marry a business associate, she is horrified as the man turns her stomach. When the opportunity arises Annabelle escapes her home with the stable boy, whom she has strong feelings for. The outline of this story had potential but after reading other books by this author, I was sadly disappointed in this book. The flow of language was stilted and the heroine of the story came across as immature. The development of the story between Annabelle and Floyd was also sadly lacking. I received a copy of this book from the author and this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Candy Briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lord Watson Ashdown met Annabelle at her sister's wedding but she could not bring herself to like him. Some thing seemed to be off. Lady Annabelle Hathaway is the second daughter of Josephine and Otto Her father he knew what his family needed, despite what anyone else felt. She ended up engaged to Ashdown. She met Floyd Brewer, while he worked in the stables.
This was a wonderful story, but has a complicated plot. The author has taken all the pieces and combined them to make one thoroughly mesmerizing tale. From the first paragraph, I was hooked and could not put it down. The characters seemed very realistic. I loved it.
I received this ARC free and voluntarily reviewed it.

[BP34 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Annabelle Hathaway father arranged a marriage for her to the horrible Lord Watson Ashdown. She has fallen for Floyd,the stable boy, but knows her father will never agree to her marrying beneath her class. On the day of the wedding her father finally realizes what a bad guy the Lord is and lets her call off the wedding. She runs to Floyd but finds out that he has left, brokenhearted. The story skips five years and Annabelle has chosen to move on with another guy since Floyd is gone. Then the twists and turns begin and wow what a roller coaster of emotions and events. A great historical romance that was a joy to read. I read an advance reader copy and voluntarily chose to review.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hero: Floyd --- Heroine: Annabelle
Ending-3.5*- A sweet but not a complete HEA. - I felt that there should have been more especially with all that they have been through. I would have felt better about their HEA if I got to read their wedding story as part of the book.
Reading Enjoyment:4.* - I enjoyed reading this engaging story that progressed steadily, has interesting characters, an unique plot. One thing that did not resonate with me is Floyd being able to accept or reject being an Earl. There seems to be a lack of understanding the Regency period social mores in this story.
Other: I voluntarily read an ARC of this book for/with an honest review.

[Elissa Mahler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was blessed with a free copy of this book, and I have chosen of my own volition to share my review with you!

A clean historical romance! A young woman is being forced to marry a man she does not love, while a runaway earl has taken on the job of a stable boy. These two decide to runaway together, so that the young lady can avoid marrying the detestable suitor that her father has chosen for her. Daddy tracks his daughter down, and he forces her to return home to honor her commitment to her betrothed. Can she convince her father that this man is no good? Does the earl who became a stable boy have a chance of winning her back? Read this book to find out!

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this story through Hidden Gems and this is my honest and voluntary review.
This book was a lovely historical romance with an unusual plot line, but I really enjoyed the twist! Annabelle doesn't want to marry the man her father has picked for her and also falls in love with a servant; instead of the usual plots of the girl either realizing that her husband to be isn't that bad and she really does want to marry him or the other usual plot of the servant being a lord in disguise, this book deviates from either course but still ends in a HEA. This unusual love story was still a good one!

[Annette Drewett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of star-crossed lovers who struggle to be allowed to stay together. With a domineering father and an unwanted suitor, Annabelle feels desperate to have her opinions heard. Floyd has a vision for his future. How can these two entirely different people ever find true love and be together. A wonderful story, written with passion and suspense. This writer keeps us wondering up to the last chapter. I enjoyed this book very much.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this interesting tale, Annabelle and Floyd (our heroine and hero) work their way through a somewhat complicated plot with twists, turns, and surprises, some good and some not, and atrocious timing to find love and a happily ever after. Along the way an ambitious and controlling father learns to listen to others, an aristocratic daughter finds happiness and satisfaction in working for her living, a boy rejected by his titled father makes his own way with pride, and two people beat the odds and find a future together. A nice story.

Voluntary ARC review.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am volunteering to leave a review for an ARC of this 4.5 book from Hidden Gems. I just love sweet historical romances!!! Annabelle is betrothed to an awful man. But, he is Rich! Her Dad does not listen to the people around him, so, Annabelle has no choice but to find a way out. Enter Floyd, And oh boy, the sparks fly and the butterflies flit. Annabelle runs away with Floyd, but Dad finds her and takes her back for the wedding. Does Annabelle marry Watson, or does she find her way back to Floyd. Read this book to find out.

[DM Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. I love Annabelle and how strong she is during a time where women’s independence and personal strength, especially with a young woman with a title. Annabelle, knows who she wants and who she clearly doesn’t want, and everything in between.

Ms. Hamilton is true to her characters behaviors and what was socially acceptable as well as what isn’t, in her novels. If you enjoy historical romances…don’t miss this one. Not to mention, don’t forget to read the extended epilogue.

ARC read in exchange for honest review.

[Avid Book · Rating 1 out of 5]

I expected so much more

Much like America electing an underexposed man with high hopes of a hero, I tried to keep going with this book. One can only turn so many pages to find more of the same poor performance before they become frustrated with one too many more disappointments, and simply has to reject the work and author as a waste of time and potential. I felt I eas reading an I'll edited grade 8 school girl's submission into a fictional story competition. I'm sorry for the author, I usually try to find something positive to say. I just can't this time.

[Deborah Cleaves · Rating 1 out of 5]

Utter shite. Heaven save me from tripping over other Hanna Hamilton novels. Nothing worked in this novel, not plotting, not conversation, and not relationships. The author rejected every opportunity to create something real and believable and delivered something so poor that it would have to aspire to mediocrity. Barf. Save yourself. The ability to create a sentence without grammatical errors and misspellings is not equivalent to the ability to create the world that needs to be given life in a novel.

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written plot that is clean and entertaining where a school teacher is jilted at the altar by a second son of a duke. The plot thickens with several offers of marriage, confusion and unable to make a decision for fear of hurting each of the men who offer for her because she loves them each in a different way.
The author writes to let you see how this teacher responds with depth to her character.
The author also shows the compassion Annabelle has for others and especially children she taught.
I enjoy this author's novels because the plots are pleasant and light.

[Diane Horne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annabelle Enchants the Rejected Earl By Hanna Hamilton

Five stars, relationship between families during that they me with the father choosing the husband for his daughters.. The sexisim of the gender gap of male vs female and upper class vs lower class.. What you can do and what cannot.. Annabelle, extremely independent and free spirited, had the honor of going through it all..Peter a stable but was actually an Earl but they made it happen at the.. Took some years before it became a happy ending.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is full of drama and angst. Annabelle is rebellious, independent and naive.
Floyd is ambitious and stubborn. The story is dramatic and intriguing​, but not exciting. Annabelle has more guts and bravery than Floyd. But she is the only character that has any spark. It definitely has some interesting characters in it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This is my honest and voluntary opinion of it.

[Aud · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Annabelle Enchants the Rejected Earl" by Hanna Hamilton. I liked this story. For me the story seemed slow. I kept trying to speed it up, just a bit, and maybe that is because I had been ill enough that I couldn't read for a whole week and maybe I am not fully recovered as yet. It is a fun, sweet, clean, romance filled with drama. I think if you like sweet clean romance stories you will like this book. I was given the opportunity to read an ARC by the author. This is my honest review.

[diana romano · Rating 5 out of 5]

A historical Regnancy romance

This was a winner. I just loved this book. First time with this author but it all not be the last. She writes wonderful characters and great storyline. I was so happy you added the epilogue at the end of the story. It made me so happy to have such a great edition. I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves regency romance. Diana Romano

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again Ms. Hamilton has written a story that is emotional, sweet, heartwarming and dramatic. I enjoyed the characters, the plot and how Ms. Hamilton pulled everything together to make a sweet romance. A great read for fans of historical, and sweet romance with heart.


Rating: 4
Heat rating: Sweet
Reviewer: AprilR

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by this author but it won't be the last. The story was well written and had some twists. It kept my attention and had me wanting to know what would happen next. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
*I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. This is my honest review.*