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A Winter's Earl
A secret baby puts a wrench in holiday plans in this charming, snowbound Regency romance from Annabelle Greene Come to me. I need you. It’s a matter of life-and-death.Infamous poet Sherborne Clarke is a scholar, a lover—but not a father. When he finds a baby abandoned on the steps of his crumbling castle, he knows he must get her to London and an orphanage. It’s the perfect excuse to contact the one person he trusts…the man whose love he stills yearns for, and whose heart he broke years before.Richard Ashbrook was groomed from birth to become the Earl of Portland, until Sherborne betrayed him, exposing his sexuality to the papers and forcing him into exile. But as much as he hates Sherborne, Richard has never managed to break their link or let his confusing sentiments concerning him subside. When he receives a missive implying that Sherborne's life is at risk, he knows it is time to return home. Richard undergoes the perilous journey from Sicily only to find the other man untouched. Furious, he agrees to transport the baby to London—whatever gets him out of Sherborne’s life once and for all. But when a snowstorm leaves them stranded, they’re forced to confront the past—and deal with the love between them that’s all too present.
296 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 9, 2021
48 people are currently reading
319 people want to read
About the author
Annabelle Greene
5 books63 followersAnnabelle Greene writes hot, heartwarming historical romances with plenty of humor.
When she isn't crafting the perfect HEA, she's making pasta or walking along Italy's beautiful Adriatic coast.
When she isn't crafting the perfect HEA, she's making pasta or walking along Italy's beautiful Adriatic coast.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
October 26, 2021
~3.5~
A Winter's Early is about second chances and forgiveness. The story is not frivolous or light or Christmasy in any way. It's melancholy and bittersweet, with creeping notes of joy.
Even though Sherborne betrayed Richard many years ago, Richard leaves his home in Sicily, where he's living in exile, to return to England the second Sherborne sends a note stating it's a matter of life and death.
Sherborne isn't being entirely honest, but he's not lying either. He isn't dying, but he's in possession of an infant, one he found on his doorstep. Currently, his servant, Paulina, along with a wet nurse, Hermione, are taking care of the baby girl, whom Sherborne dubs Parsley (because Rosemary is too plain).
Sherborne asks Richard to take the baby with him to London, where Richard's cousin, Beth, runs an orphanage for abandoned children. Richard is furious at being summoned for such a task, but when Sherborne asks him to stay one more night, he does.
This book definitely reads like a historical: the setting, the dialogue, the characters' actions and reactions. Unfortunately, the steam is muted, and the romance gets buried by the baby plot and the arrival of Beth (Richard's cousin).
I don't think I'm giving anything away as it's revealed early on in the story (which is told from a dual POV) that Sherborne is not the one who betrayed Richard. Sherborne was hurt by the letter being published almost as much as Richard was. It's also fairly obvious who the culprit is.
I had some issues with this: Why would Richard have immediately assumed Sherborne's duplicity when the letter was not anonymous? Why didn't Sherborne at least try to explain to Richard that he wasn't guilty?
Granted, their relationship at the time was fraught with insecurities and built on frantic coupling and intense passion, but sixteen years go by, and the MCs are still living in misery without each other: Richard, too quick to judge and blame, and Sherborne, staying silent for nearly two decades due to a misguided sense of honor.
While I liked Arturo (Richard's servant and friend), I wasn't a fan of Paulina and Hermione at all. What exactly did they expect Sherborne to do when he found an abandoned baby? He did more than most, and they didn't deserve his generosity toward the end.
Also, the caravan of actors arriving with the bear (who should never have been tied up in captivity!) added nothing to the plot and served only to create chaos. Why was this even included except as an artificial means of moving the plot along?
Greene's writing is quite polished, even if the descriptions and introspective monologues take up far too much page time. An epilogue wouldn't have been amiss, as the ending offered just a hint of a HEA, with the last chapter cramming resolution and big decisions into just a few pages.
I have mixed feelings about this story but wouldn't discourage anyone who enjoys historical MM romance from reading it.
A Winter's Early is about second chances and forgiveness. The story is not frivolous or light or Christmasy in any way. It's melancholy and bittersweet, with creeping notes of joy.
Even though Sherborne betrayed Richard many years ago, Richard leaves his home in Sicily, where he's living in exile, to return to England the second Sherborne sends a note stating it's a matter of life and death.
Sherborne isn't being entirely honest, but he's not lying either. He isn't dying, but he's in possession of an infant, one he found on his doorstep. Currently, his servant, Paulina, along with a wet nurse, Hermione, are taking care of the baby girl, whom Sherborne dubs Parsley (because Rosemary is too plain).
Sherborne asks Richard to take the baby with him to London, where Richard's cousin, Beth, runs an orphanage for abandoned children. Richard is furious at being summoned for such a task, but when Sherborne asks him to stay one more night, he does.
This book definitely reads like a historical: the setting, the dialogue, the characters' actions and reactions. Unfortunately, the steam is muted, and the romance gets buried by the baby plot and the arrival of Beth (Richard's cousin).
I don't think I'm giving anything away as it's revealed early on in the story (which is told from a dual POV) that Sherborne is not the one who betrayed Richard. Sherborne was hurt by the letter being published almost as much as Richard was. It's also fairly obvious who the culprit is.
I had some issues with this: Why would Richard have immediately assumed Sherborne's duplicity when the letter was not anonymous? Why didn't Sherborne at least try to explain to Richard that he wasn't guilty?
Granted, their relationship at the time was fraught with insecurities and built on frantic coupling and intense passion, but sixteen years go by, and the MCs are still living in misery without each other: Richard, too quick to judge and blame, and Sherborne, staying silent for nearly two decades due to a misguided sense of honor.
While I liked Arturo (Richard's servant and friend), I wasn't a fan of Paulina and Hermione at all. What exactly did they expect Sherborne to do when he found an abandoned baby? He did more than most, and they didn't deserve his generosity toward the end.
Also, the caravan of actors arriving with the bear (who should never have been tied up in captivity!) added nothing to the plot and served only to create chaos. Why was this even included except as an artificial means of moving the plot along?
Greene's writing is quite polished, even if the descriptions and introspective monologues take up far too much page time. An epilogue wouldn't have been amiss, as the ending offered just a hint of a HEA, with the last chapter cramming resolution and big decisions into just a few pages.
I have mixed feelings about this story but wouldn't discourage anyone who enjoys historical MM romance from reading it.
Read
November 11, 2021DNF. I don't like the writing style.
Read
June 14, 2022DNF-70%
Yes, I know if I wasted a few hours of my life reading 70% of a book, I should rate it. But, the problem is when the last book of the same author is a 5-star read for you and you have already added the author to your mental auto-buy list, giving 1-2 stars feels more heartbreaking than a DNF tag.
I am not against Character-driven stories. Actually, I was enjoying the snow-clad atmosphere and two lonely MCs with a handful of side characters in a castle situation. But, at no point, do I feel this book is written by the same author who has written The Soldier and the Spy and The Servant and the Gentleman, two of my fav MM HR books of last two years. The book felt boring and I could not feel the angst of second chance romance.
But, I am still gonna wait for next book release by Annabelle Greene.
Yes, I know if I wasted a few hours of my life reading 70% of a book, I should rate it. But, the problem is when the last book of the same author is a 5-star read for you and you have already added the author to your mental auto-buy list, giving 1-2 stars feels more heartbreaking than a DNF tag.
I am not against Character-driven stories. Actually, I was enjoying the snow-clad atmosphere and two lonely MCs with a handful of side characters in a castle situation. But, at no point, do I feel this book is written by the same author who has written The Soldier and the Spy and The Servant and the Gentleman, two of my fav MM HR books of last two years. The book felt boring and I could not feel the angst of second chance romance.
But, I am still gonna wait for next book release by Annabelle Greene.
November 23, 2021
I was sent this book as an advance copy by the publisher via NetGalley for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
4.5 stars
I loved this m/m second chance historical romance so much I had to reread it less than two months after reading it the first time!
The story revolves around two past lovers whose story ended abruptly sixteen years earlier with a bad case of outing, forcing Richard to exile. While Richard has kept an epistolary relationship with his cousin Beth throughout the years, the only thing connecting him to England, it only takes one letter and a few words from Sherborne to have him run back, despite believing him to be the person who ruined him.
From the start I was hooked on the writing style and how intensely character and relationship-driven this story is. I don't believe in second chance romance in most cases, certainly not in real life and rarely in fiction, but here it was precisely that contrast between past and present that made the romance so good. I also don't often talk about sex scenes in my reviews, but here I think especially in those scenes it was beautiful to see how both characters had matured, that what worked for them in the past didn't necessarily work for them now, and seeing them find new ground for a relationship that they maybe hadn't been emotionally ready for in the past. I thought that was a really good exploration of how maybe one person isn't right for you in that moment, but they can be right for you at a different point of your life, especially when you're queer and you have to factor that into the equation.
The snowed-in trope makes this a perfect Christmas read if you don't mind romances that are a little bit more on the angsty side, and there's also plenty of fluff to make up for it. I personally could have done without the added plot with the actors, it just felt a little forced just to make it more Christmas-y and to have an excuse to cite Shakespeare, which I never really care about whenever I see it in books. But I still went and reread it because the relationship and its development was just too good, so I can only recommend this wholeheartedly!
4.5 stars
I loved this m/m second chance historical romance so much I had to reread it less than two months after reading it the first time!
The story revolves around two past lovers whose story ended abruptly sixteen years earlier with a bad case of outing, forcing Richard to exile. While Richard has kept an epistolary relationship with his cousin Beth throughout the years, the only thing connecting him to England, it only takes one letter and a few words from Sherborne to have him run back, despite believing him to be the person who ruined him.
From the start I was hooked on the writing style and how intensely character and relationship-driven this story is. I don't believe in second chance romance in most cases, certainly not in real life and rarely in fiction, but here it was precisely that contrast between past and present that made the romance so good. I also don't often talk about sex scenes in my reviews, but here I think especially in those scenes it was beautiful to see how both characters had matured, that what worked for them in the past didn't necessarily work for them now, and seeing them find new ground for a relationship that they maybe hadn't been emotionally ready for in the past. I thought that was a really good exploration of how maybe one person isn't right for you in that moment, but they can be right for you at a different point of your life, especially when you're queer and you have to factor that into the equation.
The snowed-in trope makes this a perfect Christmas read if you don't mind romances that are a little bit more on the angsty side, and there's also plenty of fluff to make up for it. I personally could have done without the added plot with the actors, it just felt a little forced just to make it more Christmas-y and to have an excuse to cite Shakespeare, which I never really care about whenever I see it in books. But I still went and reread it because the relationship and its development was just too good, so I can only recommend this wholeheartedly!
October 26, 2021
On my blog.
Rep: gay mcs, lesbian side characters
CWs: period typical homophobia, outing, implied rape, attempted suicide
Galley provided by publisher
I was mostly curious to read A Winter’s Earl because I wanted to know just how the author would redeem a character who had done something that, to me, was wholly unforgivable. In the end, I perhaps didn’t get to see just that, although the second chance romance was still a good one, and overall this was a book I enjoyed.
It’s based on A Winter’s Tale, which I have to admit, is a Shakespeare play I know very little about. Here, it features the betrayal of Sherborne’s outing of Richard to the newspapers, followed by, 16 years later, his writing a letter to summon Richard back, on a matter of life or death. This matter simply turns out to be a small child, but, due to inclement weather, Richard finds himself stuck in Sherborne’s home, and stuck with the presence of the man who ruined his life.
What I enjoyed most about this book was the second chance romance. I’m of the opinion that second chance romances ought to be angst-ridden. The whole point of them is that, for whatever reason, the relationship didn’t work out the first time around and maybe even ended acrimoniously. Thus, there needs to be angst for me. And this book delivered on that.
On top of that, I did feel like, on the whole, the redemption arc for Sherborne (inasmuch as it turned out he needed one) was pretty solid. It wasn’t perfect, and there were times I thought it could lean into it more, but it was believable and one you could root for. I think it definitely helped here that the book was in dual POV. If we’d only had Richard’s POV, I could see it being harder to get behind Sherborne.
But despite that, I felt there was something of a distance between the reader and characters, in that it felt almost like they were at an arm’s length, rather than fully allowing you to engage with the emotions. I’m not sure why this was—perhaps the writing style?—but I think it’s the main reason I couldn’t rate this more than 3 stars.
However, if you’re looking for a Christmas romance, one with a fair bit of angst, and a good redemption arc, then I would still recommend this one.
Rep: gay mcs, lesbian side characters
CWs: period typical homophobia, outing, implied rape, attempted suicide
Galley provided by publisher
I was mostly curious to read A Winter’s Earl because I wanted to know just how the author would redeem a character who had done something that, to me, was wholly unforgivable. In the end, I perhaps didn’t get to see just that, although the second chance romance was still a good one, and overall this was a book I enjoyed.
It’s based on A Winter’s Tale, which I have to admit, is a Shakespeare play I know very little about. Here, it features the betrayal of Sherborne’s outing of Richard to the newspapers, followed by, 16 years later, his writing a letter to summon Richard back, on a matter of life or death. This matter simply turns out to be a small child, but, due to inclement weather, Richard finds himself stuck in Sherborne’s home, and stuck with the presence of the man who ruined his life.
What I enjoyed most about this book was the second chance romance. I’m of the opinion that second chance romances ought to be angst-ridden. The whole point of them is that, for whatever reason, the relationship didn’t work out the first time around and maybe even ended acrimoniously. Thus, there needs to be angst for me. And this book delivered on that.
On top of that, I did feel like, on the whole, the redemption arc for Sherborne (inasmuch as it turned out he needed one) was pretty solid. It wasn’t perfect, and there were times I thought it could lean into it more, but it was believable and one you could root for. I think it definitely helped here that the book was in dual POV. If we’d only had Richard’s POV, I could see it being harder to get behind Sherborne.
But despite that, I felt there was something of a distance between the reader and characters, in that it felt almost like they were at an arm’s length, rather than fully allowing you to engage with the emotions. I’m not sure why this was—perhaps the writing style?—but I think it’s the main reason I couldn’t rate this more than 3 stars.
However, if you’re looking for a Christmas romance, one with a fair bit of angst, and a good redemption arc, then I would still recommend this one.
November 21, 2021
Is it truly a historical romance if it doesn't have YEARNING? This is the perfect second chance romance for everyone who sees "enemies to lovers" and goes: "Why not enemies AND lovers?" I was absolutely living for the angst, and I loved the writing style, which is flowery while still being very readable.
November 10, 2021
Have you ever been a fan of a long-running soap opera? Recall all those scenes where two characters talk constantly about .... "talking"? As in, "We really need to talk about our feelings" or "Why can't we just talk about Devon's terrible accident?" or "I've decided to finally tell you .... my deep, dark secret" as they stare off into the distance and furrow their brow?
Yet somehow they never actually TALK, while miscommunication, HUGE misunderstandings and MASSIVE secrets pile up like sands in the hourglass .... (Yup, that's a Days of Our Lives reference.)
I loved Annabelle Greene's The Vicar and the Rake and adored the wonderful second chance romance, as well as the way she crafted her MCs and the secondary characters. And starting in on "A Winter's Earl" I had hoped to find the same sort of cohesive story that grabs your attention and won't let go.
However ... reclusive poet Sherborne Clarke and moody self-exiled Earl of Portland, Richard Ashbrook are wrapped in their mutual misery of a youthful infatuation and so-very-hot affair cut short by betrayal. The betrayal is all they talk .... and NOT talk about ... for almost 300 pages. There is brow-furrowing aplenty and numerous angry scenes ending with Richard storming off, while Sherborne suffers in noble silence. We get POV from both MCs, yet I never found myself gaining a deeper understanding of either character.
The secondary characters are also somewhat murky and unfleshed out, while the plot device to get Richard and Sherborne together is lightly explored, in my opinion. Personally, I felt this particular book was a near-miss, but I continue to admire Annabelle Greene's work and look forward to reading more from her. 3 stars.
I received an ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Yet somehow they never actually TALK, while miscommunication, HUGE misunderstandings and MASSIVE secrets pile up like sands in the hourglass .... (Yup, that's a Days of Our Lives reference.)
I loved Annabelle Greene's The Vicar and the Rake and adored the wonderful second chance romance, as well as the way she crafted her MCs and the secondary characters. And starting in on "A Winter's Earl" I had hoped to find the same sort of cohesive story that grabs your attention and won't let go.
However ... reclusive poet Sherborne Clarke and moody self-exiled Earl of Portland, Richard Ashbrook are wrapped in their mutual misery of a youthful infatuation and so-very-hot affair cut short by betrayal. The betrayal is all they talk .... and NOT talk about ... for almost 300 pages. There is brow-furrowing aplenty and numerous angry scenes ending with Richard storming off, while Sherborne suffers in noble silence. We get POV from both MCs, yet I never found myself gaining a deeper understanding of either character.
The secondary characters are also somewhat murky and unfleshed out, while the plot device to get Richard and Sherborne together is lightly explored, in my opinion. Personally, I felt this particular book was a near-miss, but I continue to admire Annabelle Greene's work and look forward to reading more from her. 3 stars.
I received an ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
November 4, 2021
❄️ A Winter's Earl ❄️
A Regency Christmas Romance
✒️ Annabelle Greene
https://annabellegreene.com
Release Date 11/09/2021
Publisher Carina Press
➪ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WWLFSC2/...
𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗯
Come to me. I need you. It’s a matter of life-and-death.
Infamous poet Sherborne Clarke is a scholar, a lover—but not a father. When he finds a baby abandoned on the steps of his crumbling castle, he knows he must get her to London and an orphanage. It’s the perfect excuse to contact the one person he trusts…the man whose love he stills yearns for, and whose heart he broke years before.
Richard Ashbrook was groomed from birth to become the Earl of Portland, until Sherborne betrayed him, exposing his sexuality to the papers and forcing him into exile. But as much as he hates Sherborne, Richard has never managed to break their link or let his confusing sentiments concerning him subside. When he receives a missive implying that Sherborne's life is at risk, he knows it is time to return home.
Richard undergoes the perilous journey from Sicily only to find the other man untouched. Furious, he agrees to transport the baby to London—whatever gets him out of Sherborne’s life once and for all. But when a snowstorm leaves them stranded, they’re forced to confront the past—and deal with the love between them that’s all too present.
𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
Will their guilt and ire continue to stand between the truth …
I confess it is the cover which caught first my eyes, the blurb intrigued me.
So here I am.
Oh my!
Sixteen years of estrangement because of someone else ill thought deed.
So here they are now, face to face with the angst and the wounds that have had years to fester, the unsaid, the lies, the betrayal but also the love they once shared.
When they parted way all those years ago, they were ill-equipped for love. Their feelings were at their early stages, raw, brutal and filled with doubts, jealousy and pain.
And while everything is still there a decade and a half later, they have matured, their feelings and their wounds still open but no more bleeding.
Richard had to leave everything behind and rebuild his life after his sexual preferences were published, so he lives in exile, in a sort of limbo of existence as he never was able to let go of his past love, despite the treason.
Sherborne made a name of himself but he never recovered from his parting with Richard, ashamed that his words were Richard’s downfall even if he was not the one behind the published deed, the thoughts were his. So he silenced his hurt and let go the man he loved.
Would their life have been different if Sherborne had been able to confide in Richard, he did not have his thoughts published, but their affair at that time was one too tumultuous for them to see reason. As they have matured, while the scars are still à vif, will Richard be able to put aside his pain and anger and listen to Sherborne without rushing to assumptions. And can Sherborne lessen his guilt enough to shared his own pain.
Their reunion is in some way a means to clean the stake but interlopers and others’ secret repeatedly impede their journey toward one another and the truth.
In all, a lovely second chance romance about two prideful stubborn wounded lovers.
4 stars
𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 onscreen foreplays and lovemaking scenes.
I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher Carina Press, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CV2sfjAj...
https://www.facebook.com/429830134272...
#bookstagram #historicalromance #romance #romancebookblog #romancebookblogger #bookblog #romanceauthor #bookblogger #2021read #bookstagrammer #bookreview #romancebookreviewer #arcreader #bookquote #romancestagram #readersofinstagram #bookbirthday #lgbtqia
A Regency Christmas Romance
✒️ Annabelle Greene
https://annabellegreene.com
Release Date 11/09/2021
Publisher Carina Press
➪ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WWLFSC2/...
𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗯
Come to me. I need you. It’s a matter of life-and-death.
Infamous poet Sherborne Clarke is a scholar, a lover—but not a father. When he finds a baby abandoned on the steps of his crumbling castle, he knows he must get her to London and an orphanage. It’s the perfect excuse to contact the one person he trusts…the man whose love he stills yearns for, and whose heart he broke years before.
Richard Ashbrook was groomed from birth to become the Earl of Portland, until Sherborne betrayed him, exposing his sexuality to the papers and forcing him into exile. But as much as he hates Sherborne, Richard has never managed to break their link or let his confusing sentiments concerning him subside. When he receives a missive implying that Sherborne's life is at risk, he knows it is time to return home.
Richard undergoes the perilous journey from Sicily only to find the other man untouched. Furious, he agrees to transport the baby to London—whatever gets him out of Sherborne’s life once and for all. But when a snowstorm leaves them stranded, they’re forced to confront the past—and deal with the love between them that’s all too present.
𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
Will their guilt and ire continue to stand between the truth …
I confess it is the cover which caught first my eyes, the blurb intrigued me.
So here I am.
Oh my!
Sixteen years of estrangement because of someone else ill thought deed.
So here they are now, face to face with the angst and the wounds that have had years to fester, the unsaid, the lies, the betrayal but also the love they once shared.
When they parted way all those years ago, they were ill-equipped for love. Their feelings were at their early stages, raw, brutal and filled with doubts, jealousy and pain.
And while everything is still there a decade and a half later, they have matured, their feelings and their wounds still open but no more bleeding.
Richard had to leave everything behind and rebuild his life after his sexual preferences were published, so he lives in exile, in a sort of limbo of existence as he never was able to let go of his past love, despite the treason.
Sherborne made a name of himself but he never recovered from his parting with Richard, ashamed that his words were Richard’s downfall even if he was not the one behind the published deed, the thoughts were his. So he silenced his hurt and let go the man he loved.
Would their life have been different if Sherborne had been able to confide in Richard, he did not have his thoughts published, but their affair at that time was one too tumultuous for them to see reason. As they have matured, while the scars are still à vif, will Richard be able to put aside his pain and anger and listen to Sherborne without rushing to assumptions. And can Sherborne lessen his guilt enough to shared his own pain.
Their reunion is in some way a means to clean the stake but interlopers and others’ secret repeatedly impede their journey toward one another and the truth.
In all, a lovely second chance romance about two prideful stubborn wounded lovers.
4 stars
𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 onscreen foreplays and lovemaking scenes.
I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher Carina Press, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CV2sfjAj...
https://www.facebook.com/429830134272...
#bookstagram #historicalromance #romance #romancebookblog #romancebookblogger #bookblog #romanceauthor #bookblogger #2021read #bookstagrammer #bookreview #romancebookreviewer #arcreader #bookquote #romancestagram #readersofinstagram #bookbirthday #lgbtqia
November 12, 2021
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
A Winter’s Earl is an intense enemies-to-lovers story with a Shakespearean twist. So before I go too far, let me note that I had no idea this was loosely based on A Winter’s Tale, nor was I familiar at all with the play. So I came into this one totally cold from that sense and the story still worked fine for me. Having read a little about the play after the fact, I do see where there are some similar elements, so I assume readers who are familiar with that story would get a bit more out of this one, but I don’t think you will miss it if not. Sherborne is a poet, and the bard comes up quite a bit throughout the story, including the men quoting poetry to each other in a lead up to a sexy night together.
While this may be based on the play, the real focus of this story for me is the enemies-to-lovers element, as it is so strong and almost heartbreaking. We learn that Richard and Sherborne were lovers as young men in school and there was almost a brutal intensity to their relationship. The men had such a compulsion for one another, and when things went bad and Sherborne penned his letter exposing their relationship, everything just exploded.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
4 stars
A Winter’s Earl is an intense enemies-to-lovers story with a Shakespearean twist. So before I go too far, let me note that I had no idea this was loosely based on A Winter’s Tale, nor was I familiar at all with the play. So I came into this one totally cold from that sense and the story still worked fine for me. Having read a little about the play after the fact, I do see where there are some similar elements, so I assume readers who are familiar with that story would get a bit more out of this one, but I don’t think you will miss it if not. Sherborne is a poet, and the bard comes up quite a bit throughout the story, including the men quoting poetry to each other in a lead up to a sexy night together.
While this may be based on the play, the real focus of this story for me is the enemies-to-lovers element, as it is so strong and almost heartbreaking. We learn that Richard and Sherborne were lovers as young men in school and there was almost a brutal intensity to their relationship. The men had such a compulsion for one another, and when things went bad and Sherborne penned his letter exposing their relationship, everything just exploded.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
November 11, 2021
Tortured Brits forgive.
Melodrama, but no lube.
Earl, poet, baby, love.
Melodrama, but no lube.
Earl, poet, baby, love.
November 14, 2021
3.5 Stars
I love Annabelle Greene and her historical romance books. I adored her Society of Beasts series and when I had the opportunity to read this I jumped at the opportunity to do so.
Like all second chance novels go, in this, someone royally screws up, and the rest of the novel is about getting them back to the place of love. This for the most part was the same, in other ways, quite different. I enjoyed the writing and found the story to be good. It was not perfect, but I enjoyed reading it for the most part.
At first, I intensely disliked Sherborne because of what had occurred but as the book went on, we get to realise that everything was not as it seemed and he was as multi-layered as an eccentric poet could ever be. Richard was a noble sweetheart and a better person than me (because I wouldn't have returned for any reason, lol). I liked their connection together which transitioned from one fraught with anger and betrayal to one with genuine emotional connections.
Unfortunately, this brings me to the thing that frustrated me most about this book: The poor communication. I really REALLY dislike this plot device in books I read. I mean, half the angst and more than half of the push and pull could've and would've been avoided had things been made clearer earlier.
I got it initially, but after the 60% mark, my patience for it was nonexistent. I needed things to happen and they just weren't.
Also, if Richard & Sherborne had not been (and sorry to say) so self-absorbed, they would've seen the obvious signs on the wall about the happenings in the castle much much earlier .
Further, Although I liked the ending, I felt there were a few loose ends , especially concerning Beth's husband and Arturo.
Nonetheless, like I said earlier, this was a well written historical second-chance romance and I would recommend you give it a try should you be in the mood for same.
**eARC Provided via Netgalley in Exchange for an Honest, Unbiased Review **
I love Annabelle Greene and her historical romance books. I adored her Society of Beasts series and when I had the opportunity to read this I jumped at the opportunity to do so.
Like all second chance novels go, in this, someone royally screws up, and the rest of the novel is about getting them back to the place of love. This for the most part was the same, in other ways, quite different. I enjoyed the writing and found the story to be good. It was not perfect, but I enjoyed reading it for the most part.
At first, I intensely disliked Sherborne because of what had occurred but as the book went on, we get to realise that everything was not as it seemed and he was as multi-layered as an eccentric poet could ever be. Richard was a noble sweetheart and a better person than me (because I wouldn't have returned for any reason, lol). I liked their connection together which transitioned from one fraught with anger and betrayal to one with genuine emotional connections.
Unfortunately, this brings me to the thing that frustrated me most about this book: The poor communication. I really REALLY dislike this plot device in books I read. I mean, half the angst and more than half of the push and pull could've and would've been avoided had things been made clearer earlier.
I got it initially, but after the 60% mark, my patience for it was nonexistent. I needed things to happen and they just weren't.
Also, if Richard & Sherborne had not been (and sorry to say) so self-absorbed, they would've seen the obvious signs on the wall about the happenings in the castle much much earlier .
Further, Although I liked the ending, I felt there were a few loose ends , especially concerning Beth's husband and Arturo.
Nonetheless, like I said earlier, this was a well written historical second-chance romance and I would recommend you give it a try should you be in the mood for same.
**eARC Provided via Netgalley in Exchange for an Honest, Unbiased Review **
October 21, 2021
A Winter's Earl by Annabelle Greene is quite a ride! Featuring one of the most profound character arcs I've read in a while (from completely unlikeable almost to the point of 'I can't keep reading this' to 'oh okay actually he might be improving as a human being' around the literal 40-50% to 'genuine sympathetic character I'm glad I'm reading this'), a completely redundant baby who gets less genuine attention than Branson the spaniel, some really awesome lyrical writing and place-setting / description, and some great characterisation and dialogue. This is the nice, gothic-Christmas-adjacent moody m/m romance your heart is looking for, provided you like an awful lot of melodrama (and gosh, I really do).
I'll get the ugly stuff out of the way first. I couldn't stand Sherborne as a love interest until around 44% into the book where he started to become a human being. He starts out profoundly unlikeable, not just because of his past, but because of his mindset. In the present, he's melodramatic, unsympathetic to others, selfish, hot-headed and immature. He thinks a legitimate response to jealousy is to cause someone else physical harm, and at one point observes that he's not inspired to be a gracious host if his guest doesn't like him, which indicates he doesn't actually understand what 'gracious host' really means (i.e. it's not conditional on your guests coddling you with kid gloves).
After this, there's a sharp turnabout in the quality of his dialogue with others, and in the ways he starts thinking, and I think it's honestly worth waiting out if you find him as unlikeable as I did. It's really quite a skill, to turn him around so profoundly.
The baby is an insignificant part of the plot, and 'Parsley' is unmemorable and a clear plot device. I was surprised she wasn't even mentioned when summoning Richard back to Sherborne, because the blurb indicates this is the reason Richard returns (it's not, he returns because he's imagined something very different).
Now for all the good stuff.
Beth is a great character. She's complex, lovely, interesting, has some great lines of dialogue, flawed while still maintaining integrity and enlivens every single scene she's in. From the moment she comes into the story, the whole book comes alive whether she's in the scene or not.
The descriptions in this book are so great, I really felt the sense of Sherborne's castle, the wintry setting, all of it really created a rich and immersive experience which showed attention to detail and a lot of love for place that isn't belaboured.
Greene's prose is lyrical and beautiful, with many quotable lines of dialogue, without being purple or heavy-handed, which can be an issue in some Regency and Victorian-style romances. It's effortless and a pleasure to read (though maybe she's a little *too* good at crafting an unlikeable character, lol). Seriously though, the writing style is wonderful, and I found myself not stalling at all because of pacing or feeling disconnected or anything like that.
Every character feels individual and distinct and well-crafted and gets their own 'pattern' of dialogue that suits them. From Richard's shorter sentences, to Sherborne's more evasive way of speaking, to Paulina's 'I have no idea what she's thinking 99% of the time,' to Beth's loquacious compassion, to Arturo's earnest, sincere and straightforward mannerisms. This feels like a proper cast, and not 8 versions of the same character, and as weird a thing as that is to compliment, it's a great strength and shows a lot of love for character-driven stories which I really appreciate.
The evolution of the chemistry between Richard and Sherborne was a pleasure to read, and I thought really logical, it mapped and mirrored the evolution of their connection to one another in a way that felt seamless and gave every scene of lovemaking a real reason to be there (not that there needs to be a reason, but these had one, every time).
All in all this review copy was a pleasurable and enjoyable and solid read that I nearly abandoned because of Sherborne's initial characterisation (hence the one star ding, plus the emphasis on a baby plot device that felt forced). Pushing through that, however, revealed what turned out to be a well-knitted adventure with some great, meaty characterisation and arcs, some excellent twists and reveals, and a lovely happy ending to boot. I think anyone looking for a moody Christmas romance with a HEA and a lot of beautiful dialogue will not be at all disappointed with this one!
I'll get the ugly stuff out of the way first. I couldn't stand Sherborne as a love interest until around 44% into the book where he started to become a human being. He starts out profoundly unlikeable, not just because of his past, but because of his mindset. In the present, he's melodramatic, unsympathetic to others, selfish, hot-headed and immature. He thinks a legitimate response to jealousy is to cause someone else physical harm, and at one point observes that he's not inspired to be a gracious host if his guest doesn't like him, which indicates he doesn't actually understand what 'gracious host' really means (i.e. it's not conditional on your guests coddling you with kid gloves).
After this, there's a sharp turnabout in the quality of his dialogue with others, and in the ways he starts thinking, and I think it's honestly worth waiting out if you find him as unlikeable as I did. It's really quite a skill, to turn him around so profoundly.
The baby is an insignificant part of the plot, and 'Parsley' is unmemorable and a clear plot device. I was surprised she wasn't even mentioned when summoning Richard back to Sherborne, because the blurb indicates this is the reason Richard returns (it's not, he returns because he's imagined something very different).
Now for all the good stuff.
Beth is a great character. She's complex, lovely, interesting, has some great lines of dialogue, flawed while still maintaining integrity and enlivens every single scene she's in. From the moment she comes into the story, the whole book comes alive whether she's in the scene or not.
The descriptions in this book are so great, I really felt the sense of Sherborne's castle, the wintry setting, all of it really created a rich and immersive experience which showed attention to detail and a lot of love for place that isn't belaboured.
Greene's prose is lyrical and beautiful, with many quotable lines of dialogue, without being purple or heavy-handed, which can be an issue in some Regency and Victorian-style romances. It's effortless and a pleasure to read (though maybe she's a little *too* good at crafting an unlikeable character, lol). Seriously though, the writing style is wonderful, and I found myself not stalling at all because of pacing or feeling disconnected or anything like that.
Every character feels individual and distinct and well-crafted and gets their own 'pattern' of dialogue that suits them. From Richard's shorter sentences, to Sherborne's more evasive way of speaking, to Paulina's 'I have no idea what she's thinking 99% of the time,' to Beth's loquacious compassion, to Arturo's earnest, sincere and straightforward mannerisms. This feels like a proper cast, and not 8 versions of the same character, and as weird a thing as that is to compliment, it's a great strength and shows a lot of love for character-driven stories which I really appreciate.
The evolution of the chemistry between Richard and Sherborne was a pleasure to read, and I thought really logical, it mapped and mirrored the evolution of their connection to one another in a way that felt seamless and gave every scene of lovemaking a real reason to be there (not that there needs to be a reason, but these had one, every time).
All in all this review copy was a pleasurable and enjoyable and solid read that I nearly abandoned because of Sherborne's initial characterisation (hence the one star ding, plus the emphasis on a baby plot device that felt forced). Pushing through that, however, revealed what turned out to be a well-knitted adventure with some great, meaty characterisation and arcs, some excellent twists and reveals, and a lovely happy ending to boot. I think anyone looking for a moody Christmas romance with a HEA and a lot of beautiful dialogue will not be at all disappointed with this one!
October 1, 2021
I'm so impressed! I heard great things about Annabelle Greene when she came out with The Vicar and the Rake. (Yes I own it, and no I haven't had the chance to read it yet - but you can bet I'm moving it up!)
A Winter's Earl has an inctricate storyline and Annabelle Greene sets it all up beautifully. I'll admit, there were a few times I was biting my tongue to keep from yelling out loud at Sherborne... but STAY THE COURSE, it is so worth it! Clearly Ms. Greene knows what she's doing.
Alongside the complexities of the interpersonal relationships, Annabelle Greene paints a very descriptive picture of the goings on within Sherborne's home. Between preparations for the encroaching holiday, the colorful cast of characters, and the realitiy of living in an ancient, drafty castle, A Winter's Earl is beautifully written.
Thoroughly enjoyable for the holidays (and every day), I highly recommend this one!
thank you to HARLEQUIN - Carina Press through NetGalley for the ARC of A Winter's Earl, all opinions are my own
A Winter's Earl has an inctricate storyline and Annabelle Greene sets it all up beautifully. I'll admit, there were a few times I was biting my tongue to keep from yelling out loud at Sherborne... but STAY THE COURSE, it is so worth it! Clearly Ms. Greene knows what she's doing.
Alongside the complexities of the interpersonal relationships, Annabelle Greene paints a very descriptive picture of the goings on within Sherborne's home. Between preparations for the encroaching holiday, the colorful cast of characters, and the realitiy of living in an ancient, drafty castle, A Winter's Earl is beautifully written.
Thoroughly enjoyable for the holidays (and every day), I highly recommend this one!
thank you to HARLEQUIN - Carina Press through NetGalley for the ARC of A Winter's Earl, all opinions are my own
October 6, 2021
1.5 stars. To be honest, I found this a slog, though a large part of that comes down to personal preference, I suspect. I cannot resist a historical, and lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers is very much my jam, so I was attracted by the past betrayal aspect; unfortunately I ended up disliking most of it in execution.
I thought the premise of reconnection was pretty flimsy but that alone wouldn’t have bothered me that much had the central relationship been compelling. The potential was there: enforced proximity, oodles of delicious bitterness over a pretty massive past betrayal, pesky feelings that never quite died.
But the way the characters went about it drove me bonkers. Wilful miscommunication is one of my biggest pet peeves, and the fact that these two just wouldn’t ever have One Damn Chat (TM) about their past absolutely ruined the story for me. There are so many moments when they’re just one honest conversation away from completely solving their main issue, and then Sherbourne either doesn’t talk for contrived reasons or Richard shuts him down for equally contrived reasons. It was an obvious gambit to maintain an artificial source of conflict that just didn’t have the weight to justify the way it was dragged out, and I lost patience with it very quickly. It didn’t help that what we do learn about their past relationship wasn’t really enough to make me root for them in the present – it sounded like it had been very much more about youthful infatuation/lust rather than anything more, they seemed to have either fought or fucked, and the thing is, they don’t seem to have matured all that much in sixteen years and still act like sullen teenagers. I cannot be arsed to root for two grown men who can’t get their shit together enough to TALK. (There was also way too much melodramatic emphasis on DESTINY for my liking. Everything was DESTINY. Snow storm? Destiny. Other people’s manipulations? Destiny. Every personal decision or random happenstance? DESTINY.)
I also simply didn’t like Richard. He came across as a self-righteous prick with anger-management issues and his classist attitude was really off-putting. Yes, I get it’s a historical but I hated his superior, snobbish attitude with the servants. There was a puzzling number of scenes where it was made abundantly clear that he needed to assert his master position – and needed all staff, whether his own or someone else’s – to be “properly” subservient and grovelling in order to feel comfortable with the dynamics, and I have no idea what the point of it was other than to make him seem like a massive arse.
The surrounding plot with the baby was… okay, if weird at times; the mystery elements felt a bit shoehorned in. I appreciated the sapphic side plot, but not the way their HEA is entirely dependent on the male MCs’ magnanimity.
I’m rounding up because the writing was nice, I enjoyed the Shakespeare references and the wintry atmosphere was appealing, but overall, this was a miss for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin - Carina Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I thought the premise of reconnection was pretty flimsy but that alone wouldn’t have bothered me that much had the central relationship been compelling. The potential was there: enforced proximity, oodles of delicious bitterness over a pretty massive past betrayal, pesky feelings that never quite died.
But the way the characters went about it drove me bonkers. Wilful miscommunication is one of my biggest pet peeves, and the fact that these two just wouldn’t ever have One Damn Chat (TM) about their past absolutely ruined the story for me. There are so many moments when they’re just one honest conversation away from completely solving their main issue, and then Sherbourne either doesn’t talk for contrived reasons or Richard shuts him down for equally contrived reasons. It was an obvious gambit to maintain an artificial source of conflict that just didn’t have the weight to justify the way it was dragged out, and I lost patience with it very quickly. It didn’t help that what we do learn about their past relationship wasn’t really enough to make me root for them in the present – it sounded like it had been very much more about youthful infatuation/lust rather than anything more, they seemed to have either fought or fucked, and the thing is, they don’t seem to have matured all that much in sixteen years and still act like sullen teenagers. I cannot be arsed to root for two grown men who can’t get their shit together enough to TALK. (There was also way too much melodramatic emphasis on DESTINY for my liking. Everything was DESTINY. Snow storm? Destiny. Other people’s manipulations? Destiny. Every personal decision or random happenstance? DESTINY.)
I also simply didn’t like Richard. He came across as a self-righteous prick with anger-management issues and his classist attitude was really off-putting. Yes, I get it’s a historical but I hated his superior, snobbish attitude with the servants. There was a puzzling number of scenes where it was made abundantly clear that he needed to assert his master position – and needed all staff, whether his own or someone else’s – to be “properly” subservient and grovelling in order to feel comfortable with the dynamics, and I have no idea what the point of it was other than to make him seem like a massive arse.
The surrounding plot with the baby was… okay, if weird at times; the mystery elements felt a bit shoehorned in. I appreciated the sapphic side plot, but not the way their HEA is entirely dependent on the male MCs’ magnanimity.
I’m rounding up because the writing was nice, I enjoyed the Shakespeare references and the wintry atmosphere was appealing, but overall, this was a miss for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin - Carina Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Read
November 17, 2021A lovely second chance romance at Christmas time among colorful characters and a stunning backdrop of a snow covered English countryside.
I went into this book for the second chance romance and the romance being between two men during the regency era. I got the romance part of the story but it was a almost difficult slow burn to read. Don't get me wrong, I love a slow burn romance but there was time for Richard and Sherborne to hash out what happened over a decade ago and they danced around it time and time again.
Once we did get some talking and contact between the men, they punch you hard with emotions and that was what I was waiting for. To feel all of the hurt, passion, lust and love these two have for one another.
The mystery of the infant was a twist I didn't see coming and the extra house guests got a bit tedious after the last ones showed up. I honestly just wanted more of Sherborne and Richard together but I am greedy with my romantic leads.
At the end of it, this was a good book and has me intrigues by the authors earlier works that I will be checking out.
***Review copy provide by HARLEQUIN - Carina Press via NetGalley***
I went into this book for the second chance romance and the romance being between two men during the regency era. I got the romance part of the story but it was a almost difficult slow burn to read. Don't get me wrong, I love a slow burn romance but there was time for Richard and Sherborne to hash out what happened over a decade ago and they danced around it time and time again.
Once we did get some talking and contact between the men, they punch you hard with emotions and that was what I was waiting for. To feel all of the hurt, passion, lust and love these two have for one another.
The mystery of the infant was a twist I didn't see coming and the extra house guests got a bit tedious after the last ones showed up. I honestly just wanted more of Sherborne and Richard together but I am greedy with my romantic leads.
At the end of it, this was a good book and has me intrigues by the authors earlier works that I will be checking out.
***Review copy provide by HARLEQUIN - Carina Press via NetGalley***
October 10, 2021
I have received an ARC of this book by NetGalley, and CarinaPress/Harlenquin and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review. The Pub date of the book is November 9th. This review will be posted on my Goodreads, Facebook page and Instagram.
After some shitty days without reading, I finally came back and started with this perfect little thing. I can also say that although it's perfect it was fucking sad too - for some time. Just what I love about some books and stories.
Time is powerful and here we deal with so many years of feelings and sadness because of one simple mistake. And the guilty? Oh boy. But love is powerful too and this book tells us something about it. Not only between de MCs but to others. Kindness. Forgiveness.
We have fun characters, beautiful moments, a cute little baby potato with a cute name, and friends. Christmas was the perfect scenario to write the story because it's magical and we can wish and hope that some dreams come true, right?
I loved this book.
Richard and Sherborne went through complicated moments and years of separation that almost destroyed them to no return, but one little baby started the change of their lives again. Slowly and with some difficult decisions. Sometimes we do things that we think are better for another and suffer and don’t see that we need to reach out and ask for help too. they were so different and so perfect together. They needed to say things that were left unsaid years prior and try to see a better path for the future.
I was sad, anxious, irritated, and happy. All this made me love the book even more because reading with emotions is what I like while reading. Like want to shout to de MC: "JUST TALK TO HIM YOU CRAZY!" or "JUST FUCKING LOOK AT HIM!" Something like that... yeah I'm crazy but which reader isn't?
I hope this Annebelle keep giving us these stories. She has a beautiful and funny way of telling us stories. Her other books are very good too.
After some shitty days without reading, I finally came back and started with this perfect little thing. I can also say that although it's perfect it was fucking sad too - for some time. Just what I love about some books and stories.
Time is powerful and here we deal with so many years of feelings and sadness because of one simple mistake. And the guilty? Oh boy. But love is powerful too and this book tells us something about it. Not only between de MCs but to others. Kindness. Forgiveness.
We have fun characters, beautiful moments, a cute little baby potato with a cute name, and friends. Christmas was the perfect scenario to write the story because it's magical and we can wish and hope that some dreams come true, right?
I loved this book.
Richard and Sherborne went through complicated moments and years of separation that almost destroyed them to no return, but one little baby started the change of their lives again. Slowly and with some difficult decisions. Sometimes we do things that we think are better for another and suffer and don’t see that we need to reach out and ask for help too. they were so different and so perfect together. They needed to say things that were left unsaid years prior and try to see a better path for the future.
I was sad, anxious, irritated, and happy. All this made me love the book even more because reading with emotions is what I like while reading. Like want to shout to de MC: "JUST TALK TO HIM YOU CRAZY!" or "JUST FUCKING LOOK AT HIM!" Something like that... yeah I'm crazy but which reader isn't?
I hope this Annebelle keep giving us these stories. She has a beautiful and funny way of telling us stories. Her other books are very good too.
November 11, 2021
I found it really hard to keep track of what was going on in this book. Not sure if it was me or all the internal dialogue.
November 13, 2021
Not a light and fluffy Christmas story but really good.
I’ve really enjoyed reading Annabelle Greene’s other two MM historical books, The Vicar and the Rake and The Soldier and the Spy – books one and two in the Society of Beasts series – so I was happy to give this one a try.
This book started out a bit slow for me but that may have something to do with real life interfering with my reading time. Once I had a chance to sit down and really concentrate on the book it didn’t take me long to become engrossed in the story.
Something horrible happened to Richard 16 years ago and he blamed his lover and friend, Sherborne. Sherborne writes to Richard imploring him to come see him about a matter that is life or death. Beyond this aspect of the story there is a side story going on about the abandoned baby left with Sherborne. I was intrigued by this aspect of the book as much or more than I was by the main story about Richard and Sherborne. I had my suspicions of what was going on with the baby but I certainly didn’t figure it all out correctly and I think that’s a really good thing when an author can keep me guessing until all is revealed.
There is a lot of back and forth between Richard and Sherborne to the point where it almost becomes tedious which is why I rated the book 4 stars instead of 5. In spite of that I did really enjoy this and the sexy time between Richard and Sherborne was pretty hot. I liked how their relationship evolved from one of antagonistic lovers to something more gentle and loving. I could feel how much they loved each other while at the same time still having negative feelings about what happened in the past.
The blurb does a much better job giving you details about the book so I’m just going to close by saying I love historical MM romance and I think Annabelle Greene’s books are great additions to this genre. I’m looking forward to the next book in her Society of Beasts series coming in May 2022.
A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.
I’ve really enjoyed reading Annabelle Greene’s other two MM historical books, The Vicar and the Rake and The Soldier and the Spy – books one and two in the Society of Beasts series – so I was happy to give this one a try.
This book started out a bit slow for me but that may have something to do with real life interfering with my reading time. Once I had a chance to sit down and really concentrate on the book it didn’t take me long to become engrossed in the story.
Something horrible happened to Richard 16 years ago and he blamed his lover and friend, Sherborne. Sherborne writes to Richard imploring him to come see him about a matter that is life or death. Beyond this aspect of the story there is a side story going on about the abandoned baby left with Sherborne. I was intrigued by this aspect of the book as much or more than I was by the main story about Richard and Sherborne. I had my suspicions of what was going on with the baby but I certainly didn’t figure it all out correctly and I think that’s a really good thing when an author can keep me guessing until all is revealed.
There is a lot of back and forth between Richard and Sherborne to the point where it almost becomes tedious which is why I rated the book 4 stars instead of 5. In spite of that I did really enjoy this and the sexy time between Richard and Sherborne was pretty hot. I liked how their relationship evolved from one of antagonistic lovers to something more gentle and loving. I could feel how much they loved each other while at the same time still having negative feelings about what happened in the past.
The blurb does a much better job giving you details about the book so I’m just going to close by saying I love historical MM romance and I think Annabelle Greene’s books are great additions to this genre. I’m looking forward to the next book in her Society of Beasts series coming in May 2022.
A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.
November 9, 2021
A Winter’s Earl by Annabelle Green
A Regency Romance
What a wonderful story filled with second chances, romance, and the holiday spirit. I was swept into the past and immersed in a story that made me hope for a HEA for more than one in this book!
What I liked:
* The setting, plot, character development, and beautiful writing
* Richard Ashbrook: nobility, banished, abandoned by family, exposed, scarred, lonely, and hurt…
* Sherborne Clarke: commoner, alone, wordsmith, gambler, alone, falsely blamed, martyrs himself…mourns the loss of Richard
* Arturo: Sicilian valet to Richard, a good man, interesting, would like to see him in a book of his own
* Parsley: abandoned female infant, taken in by Sherborne, catalyst to bringing the separated lovers together again
* Pauline: housekeeper for Sherborne, capable, has a secret, and deserving
* Hermione: wet nurse to Parsley, friend of Pauline, has a secret
* The traveling menagerie and their human troop: brought something different to the snowbound people in Sherborne’s castle – the bear, parrot, and monkey were definitely something different
* The story of what separated Richard and Sherborne and how it impacted them both – and learning the truth of the matter before the end of the book
* That I was invested in the characters and rooting for them to get together again
* That the second chance at romance came when both men were mature and wise enough to finally get it right
* The conclusion and potential for happiness for more than one in the book.
What I didn’t like:
* The person that caused the trouble between Richard and Sherborne
* The time lost to the two men
* Knowing how horrible the laws and penalties for breaking them that existed in the era of this story and how they would have impacted Richard, Sherborne and others like them
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin – Carina Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
A Regency Romance
What a wonderful story filled with second chances, romance, and the holiday spirit. I was swept into the past and immersed in a story that made me hope for a HEA for more than one in this book!
What I liked:
* The setting, plot, character development, and beautiful writing
* Richard Ashbrook: nobility, banished, abandoned by family, exposed, scarred, lonely, and hurt…
* Sherborne Clarke: commoner, alone, wordsmith, gambler, alone, falsely blamed, martyrs himself…mourns the loss of Richard
* Arturo: Sicilian valet to Richard, a good man, interesting, would like to see him in a book of his own
* Parsley: abandoned female infant, taken in by Sherborne, catalyst to bringing the separated lovers together again
* Pauline: housekeeper for Sherborne, capable, has a secret, and deserving
* Hermione: wet nurse to Parsley, friend of Pauline, has a secret
* The traveling menagerie and their human troop: brought something different to the snowbound people in Sherborne’s castle – the bear, parrot, and monkey were definitely something different
* The story of what separated Richard and Sherborne and how it impacted them both – and learning the truth of the matter before the end of the book
* That I was invested in the characters and rooting for them to get together again
* That the second chance at romance came when both men were mature and wise enough to finally get it right
* The conclusion and potential for happiness for more than one in the book.
What I didn’t like:
* The person that caused the trouble between Richard and Sherborne
* The time lost to the two men
* Knowing how horrible the laws and penalties for breaking them that existed in the era of this story and how they would have impacted Richard, Sherborne and others like them
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin – Carina Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
August 14, 2022
4.5 stars. I'm not really one for second chances romances, mostly because I like the beginning of things - the chase, the tension, the bubbling over of feelings. So I wasn't expecting to enjoy this one as much as I did. I mean, I already know I like Annabelle Greene, her Society of Beasts series was great, but she proved her writing mettle here again.
This story is about an English earl, horribly betrayed by his university lover and sent into exile, who is now asked to return to England by this same person under an unknown pretext. So he comes back with a boatload of bitterness and resentment, and sparks fly. There was a huge amount of back and forth which, honestly, should have been infuriating, but I enjoyed it so much. It was, in its own way, a kind of slow burn. This is really a story about two people irresistibly drawn to each other, while also having huge gulfs between them. It was beautifully written and sexy and a bit angsty. It hit the right notes for me, and I'm definitely looking forward to more from Greene.
This story is about an English earl, horribly betrayed by his university lover and sent into exile, who is now asked to return to England by this same person under an unknown pretext. So he comes back with a boatload of bitterness and resentment, and sparks fly. There was a huge amount of back and forth which, honestly, should have been infuriating, but I enjoyed it so much. It was, in its own way, a kind of slow burn. This is really a story about two people irresistibly drawn to each other, while also having huge gulfs between them. It was beautifully written and sexy and a bit angsty. It hit the right notes for me, and I'm definitely looking forward to more from Greene.
December 20, 2021
This is a really nice 2nd chance Regency Romance and it also features a mischievous monkey as well as an actual pet bear. The characters are complex and interesting and I would definitely be here for Arturo getting his own book.
November 29, 2021
3.5 stars
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December 1, 2021Categories
Male/Male, Regency, Holiday Romance, Historical Romance, Regency Romance, Gay
Male/Male, Regency, Holiday Romance, Historical Romance, Regency Romance, Gay
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December 22, 2021THE PROSE IN THIS BOOK IS SO PURPLE BUT I CAN’T RESIST THE COMBINATION OF LOL BITTER AND STILL PINING EXES AND ACCIDENTAL BABBY ACQUISITION.
January 1, 2026
3.5 stars. RTC.
January 8, 2026
Surprisingly gorgeous and moving. Hit me hard. Had some OTT moments (naming the baby Parsley, the circus coming to town) but they made it fun. Lyrical and hot. Loved it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2021
When I started this, I was hesitant. Historic romances aren’t usually my thing, because their almost always based around blatant homophobia. While “A Winters Earl”’s main conflict is mildly a product of the homophobia of its time, the story was endearing enough to overshadow. Richard was an alright narrator, but I absolutely adored when Sherborne took the reigns. Not a whole lot of steam, but that isn’t necessary to this plot, and if there’s one thing about romances I can’t stand it’s out of character smut scenes. High angst, but deserved. The cast of B characters add a charm to this book that it needed: Arturo (Richards servant) is probably the most loyal servant In history. Beth is one of the most layered characters I’ve read in a book like this in ages, and her progression really stands out. Overall, middle of the pack for me, but worth the stars for character development alone.
January 24, 2022
Stick With It
First of all, read the blurb, and then have patience until you get through the machinations of the first two paragraphs of the blurb and then get ready for an incredibly contorted wild ride of a long denouement.
That part of the book is worth all the patience as Sherborne and Richard engage in a pas-de-deux while surrounded by a coterie of characters who seem to be flying apart at the seams but in reality are all working toward a common goal.
These characters include Richard's cousin Beth and his valet Arturo as well as one or two of Sherborne's employees and, eventually, a troop of traveling actors. They spin several tales with surprising, if not shocking, origins.
By the time all the plot lines come together you can only sit back and give thanks that author Annabelle Greene has come along to entertain us just fine.
First of all, read the blurb, and then have patience until you get through the machinations of the first two paragraphs of the blurb and then get ready for an incredibly contorted wild ride of a long denouement.
That part of the book is worth all the patience as Sherborne and Richard engage in a pas-de-deux while surrounded by a coterie of characters who seem to be flying apart at the seams but in reality are all working toward a common goal.
These characters include Richard's cousin Beth and his valet Arturo as well as one or two of Sherborne's employees and, eventually, a troop of traveling actors. They spin several tales with surprising, if not shocking, origins.
By the time all the plot lines come together you can only sit back and give thanks that author Annabelle Greene has come along to entertain us just fine.
December 6, 2021
I didn't enjoy this quite as much as Greene' Society of Beasts series but this does take place in the same world - Sherborne Clarke mentions "a society" that he's become a member of in London for "men like us."
I think the child aspect is what ultimately turned me off. I don't like reading mm involving children, especially in historical context and when it's the major plot point. This book is ultimately a story of redemption with a HEA but is a little bloated with characters and sub-plots that its short length didn't need and couldn't contain.
I think the child aspect is what ultimately turned me off. I don't like reading mm involving children, especially in historical context and when it's the major plot point. This book is ultimately a story of redemption with a HEA but is a little bloated with characters and sub-plots that its short length didn't need and couldn't contain.
Read
January 1, 2022I'm at chapter 9 and this book is not flowing. I don't understand what is wrong with these people, but from what I've read, seems like a toxic relationship and at least one sociopath. I'm not sure I can continue reading even though I love Greene's other work. I want to escape into an interesting, fun world; not get depressed and lost.
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