The Earl of Highmott Hall

by Nina Clare

Celia Asher is convinced she is cursed; nothing in her life goes right. And when the new earl takes up residence on the neighbouring estate, things only get worse. Now she is forced to aid her stepsister in catching the earl for a husband, while falling into a romantic entanglement of her own.

A sweet romance, and a charming Regency Cinderella retelling.

Genres: Romance, Regency, Cinderella, Fantasy, Retellings, Historical Romance, Fairy Tales

218 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 29, 2020

About the author

When she’s not writing stories or thinking up stories or reading other people’s stories, Nina likes to paint and collage pictures, get taken for long walks by her adorable dogs, and cook all things plant-based. She also does other things, like office work, but that’s the boring bit. She lives very happily in rural Cornwall, England with her family.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars.

While I prefer not to read plots propelled by a drawn out secret (or in this case, lie and lies of omission), this one wasn't terrible. It was clean, which is always appreciated, and I happened to lie both MCs. However, there was no comeuppance at all for the stepmother (or stepsister) , and that really stuck in my craw. I'd also really prefer more of an epilogue, since their ILYs were exchanged on literally the last page.

Overall, I will be happy to read more by this author. The retelling aspect was clever and amusing. :)

[Brave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall enjoyment rating 3.5 stars

Truly reads like a fairytale, down to the fairly simple writing/language. A few nice little twists on the Cinderella story, which I do like most retellings of anyway. A quick read, and a fairly enjoyable one.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable book. It's an interesting twist on Cinderella where "Cinderella" and "Prince Charming" are the last members of two families who are victims of a century long curse that has brought misfortune on their families. The only hope to end it? Falling in love and uniting the families. Throw in some confused identities and you have yourself a delightful Regency era romance with a fairytale twist.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fiercely determined and outspoken Cinderella, a generous and thoughtful "Prince Charming", a flamboyant cousin who may or may not (considering the eventual outcome) think up terrible ideas, two lovable and loyal servants, a ditzy if not unkind step-sister, and a plotting step-mother make up the cast of this delightfully different take on Cinderella. Add a dash of fairytale magic that includes a two-sided, long-time family curse and hopefully you will find yourself enjoying this unusual and amusing retelling as much as I did.

[Melinda T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet, ok story, but felt stilted

**Spoilers**

The story gets somewhat twisted around itself with the switching of identities, though the story works out overall. It was also not quite the smoothest storyline, but it at least didn't leave any loose ends. It did end rather abruptly for how long it took to reach mutual attraction admission by the main characters. It was a good sweet, clean read.

[Karen Gory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gentle romance

This is a sweet and gentle romance, with absolutely clean writing, suitable for all ages. The strongest word in the whole thing is a single damn and a couple of chaste kisses. I just wish the action had moved a little faster, or it had more active magic, it was almost glacially slow and the fairy godmother passes in the night without doing much at all. The characters are gently nudged towards each other.

[Candice Waite · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh the trouble a lie can cause...

What a cute retelling of Cinderella, I really enjoyed Celia and her dedication to her home and the people around her. It was nice to have the twist of the earl instead of a prince and the curse on the families because of the lack of forgiveness. It was also interesting to see how the little lie of pretending to be someone else caused so many troubles. Lesson learned in being honest and open!

[J.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful!

I could hardly set this story down for a moment and ended up reading it all in one evening. The Regency setting, distinctive and likable characters, and unique fairy-tale elements combined to form a wonderful and addictive Cinderella story.
I highly recommend this one!

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a satisfying take on the usual story. A generational curse that must be broken, traded identities, a series of tasks and requirements tied to inheritance from a deceased relative, and more depth of relationship allowed to grow made for a lovely read.

[Book_Mom_Of_Three · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just okay

It was a cute story, but they were hardly together! I did find myself skimming a lot of the book just wanting to get back to the two main characters having some type of conversation or interaction. It was a quick read and good but nothing to special I’m sorry to say.

[Candy Tingle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it!

I loved the comedy and drama. I loved that each character found love at the end. happy endings are my favorite!

[PumpkinPi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun Cinderella retelling, and with a twist I didn't see coming!

[Michelle & David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great cinderella retelling

I loved it. This was a sweet, clean romance with a touch of Christmas. I really enjoyed it and stayed up much too late to finish it.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshing. Enjoyed this version.

[Daenerys Targaryen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story line felt flat. The hero and the heroine had no real chemistry.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. I didn't expect it to have magic, but enjoyed that element of the story too.

Content: clean

[Kate Howe]

Meh. This had potential but it just didn't have any life in it. I usually don't dnf over 50% through but I am only overwhelmed thinking about reading more of this book.

[Katejay]

The switching of identities was to confusing for me, also I found it quite boring unfortunately 😅

[LaShunda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not a surprise i enjoyed this tale as I am always up for a good Cinderella retelling, and as Nina Clare is a favorite author of mine, I knew she would do this well. This is the second Cinderella story I have read of hers, and it is just as fun, individualistic and interesting as the first. I love the subterfuge and plot twists and I always enjoy a busybody matchmaker. This tale incorporates all of these and more. In all it is a well told tale and a well done read.

[Katherine Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Earl of Highmott hall is a charming, spunky, and very entertaining retelling of Cinderella as both main characters are portraying partially false identities. Celia is strong, caring, independent, and has a temper. Lord Marbury is wise, compassionate, serious, and a bit flighty. It is a lot of fun seeing the story from both perspectives, particularly with all of the deceptions and misunderstandings flying around. In the midst of all the confusion though, a true sweet romance develops. The book is full of humorous moments that had me laughing out loud. The story also takes full advantage of the twelve days of Christmas and its Regency setting. This would be a great read for those who like clean Regency romances, strong main characters, Cinderella retellings, acts of selflessness, lots of humor, and a little bit of magic.