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Games Earls Play #1
Not Just Any Earl
A lady hidden in the shadows . . . It's never been easy to be one of the five Templeton sisters, but for quiet Emmeline, the silver lining surrounding the dark cloud of her family's disgrace is a quiet life of comfortable obscurity. But when her sister accepts an outrageous wager that takes her to London for a season, an unexpected kiss with a handsome earl thrusts shy Emmeline into the middle of a shocking public scandal. A dazzling earl with the ton at his feet . . . Johnathan Parrish, the Earl of Melrose, never meant to kiss Emmeline Templeton. Emmeline Templeton is perfectly wrong for him, and he's never before spared the shy wallflower a single glance, but after one kiss the memory of her warm curves are imprinted forever on Johnathan's fingertips, and he can't forget the sweet taste of her lips against his. A dizzying spark of desire . . . But wherever the Templeton family ventures, gossip and rumor inevitably follow. If the secret wager is revealed, it will shake London to its foundations. Will the blazing passion that brought Emmeline and Johnathan together end in a happily ever after, or will their hearts fall victim to the consuming flames? Contains mature themes.
Runtime: 5. 21 hours, 5 library CDs
Runtime: 5. 21 hours, 5 library CDs
186 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 14, 2021
291 people are currently reading
784 people want to read
About the author
Anna Bradley
52 books844 followersAnna Bradley writes Regency and Georgian historical romance with heat, heart, and happily-ever-afters. Her books have received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, and Library Journal, and her debut novel won the Romantic Times’ award for Best First Historical.
Anna is originally from New England, but now makes her home in Oregon, where she lives with her family, an overgrown English garden and a menagerie of wayward pets. If she isn’t writing, she’s probably hiding in a corner reading, chasing the dog, or herding the cats. Find Anna on the web at www.annabradley.net
Find Anna on the web at www.annabradley.net
Anna is originally from New England, but now makes her home in Oregon, where she lives with her family, an overgrown English garden and a menagerie of wayward pets. If she isn’t writing, she’s probably hiding in a corner reading, chasing the dog, or herding the cats. Find Anna on the web at www.annabradley.net
Find Anna on the web at www.annabradley.net
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
February 3, 2022
I usually adore Anna Bradley, but Not Just Any Earl felt a little blah to me. It was still an enjoyable read, but it didn't have the same zest and energy that I usually get from her books.
The plot is a take on a Cinderella-type story. There isn't a glass slipper here but a fragrance that the male MC can't forget. I think the female MC was much more interesting than the male MC, but I think if the story was longer than the characters would be more fleshed out overall. I wanted more personality from the male MC. There were elements of the story that I enjoyed, but I think the characters and relationship needed more time to develop.
Not Just Any Earl is a start to a new series, and I have to say that I'm intrigued. I want to read about all of the side characters in this series, so I'm excited to see where Anna Bradley will take me. Juliet and Lord Cross are a given, but I'm also hoping for some more queer characters (she actually does them so well, but doesn't write them often), so fingers crossed.
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The plot is a take on a Cinderella-type story. There isn't a glass slipper here but a fragrance that the male MC can't forget. I think the female MC was much more interesting than the male MC, but I think if the story was longer than the characters would be more fleshed out overall. I wanted more personality from the male MC. There were elements of the story that I enjoyed, but I think the characters and relationship needed more time to develop.
Not Just Any Earl is a start to a new series, and I have to say that I'm intrigued. I want to read about all of the side characters in this series, so I'm excited to see where Anna Bradley will take me. Juliet and Lord Cross are a given, but I'm also hoping for some more queer characters (she actually does them so well, but doesn't write them often), so fingers crossed.
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December 16, 2021
BRADLEY HAS GIVEN ME BOTH HIGHS AND LOWS - THIS IS SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE
Anna Bradley has written one of the best historical romances I have read in a while (For the Sake of a Scottish Rake) and I have been chasing that kind of high from her since then. Sadly, I have been denied it thus far. Still, this is not a bad book by any means, it's perfectly adequate. It's a fun take on the Cinderella trope and I am certainly going to continue this series. But there wasn't much to excite me. And there was even something that annoyed me a lot, which was the 'science language' spoken by the sisters. It was so heavy handed that it toed the line of ridiculous. But I am hopeful that Bradley has another smash in her, so I'll keep going.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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Anna Bradley has written one of the best historical romances I have read in a while (For the Sake of a Scottish Rake) and I have been chasing that kind of high from her since then. Sadly, I have been denied it thus far. Still, this is not a bad book by any means, it's perfectly adequate. It's a fun take on the Cinderella trope and I am certainly going to continue this series. But there wasn't much to excite me. And there was even something that annoyed me a lot, which was the 'science language' spoken by the sisters. It was so heavy handed that it toed the line of ridiculous. But I am hopeful that Bradley has another smash in her, so I'll keep going.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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Blog Post: 10 Criminally Underrated YA Books with an LGBTQ Twist
November 19, 2021
Miss Emmeline Templeton and her sisters live in comfortable obscurity after a scandal rocked their family, but a wager with a family friend brings her to London for the season. Jonathan Parrish, Earl of Melrose, is trying to avoid a betrothal that the ton expects is forthcoming. When he sneaks off for a rendezvous with a widow, he never expects that an innocent case of mistaken identity would land him and his "Lady in Lavender" on the tip of every gossip's tongue!
This is the first book in the Games Earls Play series and it has a bit of a Cinderella spin with Melrose searching for his mystery kissing partner. Emmeline thinks she is perfectly wrong for him, and hopes to keep her identity under wraps. But as the gossip and rumors continue to grow, Melrose and Emmeline find themselves more and more attracted to each other. This story was short and sweet...just lacking some heat! It was well told and perfectly paced. I can't wait for Juliet's story next!
Tropes: Bluestocking, Mistaken Identity, Compromised
Steam Rating: 0 (sex is alluded to in the epilogue, but that's it)
* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #NotJustAnyEarl #NetGalley
This is the first book in the Games Earls Play series and it has a bit of a Cinderella spin with Melrose searching for his mystery kissing partner. Emmeline thinks she is perfectly wrong for him, and hopes to keep her identity under wraps. But as the gossip and rumors continue to grow, Melrose and Emmeline find themselves more and more attracted to each other. This story was short and sweet...just lacking some heat! It was well told and perfectly paced. I can't wait for Juliet's story next!
Tropes: Bluestocking, Mistaken Identity, Compromised
Steam Rating: 0 (sex is alluded to in the epilogue, but that's it)
* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #NotJustAnyEarl #NetGalley
June 4, 2024
⭐⭐⭐
3 stars.
➕ What I liked :
Some sweet moments.
Interesting side characters.
Botanist heroine.
Kind/nice hero.
➖ What I disliked:
Repetitive.
(Especially about how handsome the hero was…. But also about the roses and perfume.)
Rushed in some parts and dragged in others so the pacing was a little weird.
Too much insta-love and insta-lust.
The main characters lacked depth.
The steam/sex scene seemed and felt more like a afterthought and it was also too short and too vague.
(Only kisses… and in the epilogue there is a scene but it is so vague and very short.)
The heroine did not know her worth and compared herself to her sister in a negative way a little too much.
Lacking chemistry.
The plot is somewhat bland.
Too little focus on the romantic build-up/romance.
Formulaic.
Jumbled timeline in the plot.
The main characters have too little time together one on one.
Irrational behavior from the heroine.
December 5, 2021
3.5 stars
Lovely start to a promising new series! I absolutely adored our hero. He was sweet, funny, kind, genuinely fond of his sisters, and just such a good guy - My kind of hero!
Emmeline, our heroine, I mostly liked. She was of the learned, bluestocking, different kind of heroine. She spent most her time digging around her father's rose garden, trying to restore it to its former glory and recreating the mystery perfume her father had finished before his death without telling anyone the formula. Only towards the end, to create some last-minute drama, did she take a decidedly not-sensible turn. But luckily, our dear hero remained sensible and simply followed her.
All in all, I thought this was a very sweet story about two lovely people. I loved seeing them becoming friends and developing feelings. I also really liked that the story was fairly short. There was no drawn-out drama, just two people meeting, developing feelings, and finding happiness with each other. And really, that's all I want from my romances in these confusing times.
*I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Lovely start to a promising new series! I absolutely adored our hero. He was sweet, funny, kind, genuinely fond of his sisters, and just such a good guy - My kind of hero!
Emmeline, our heroine, I mostly liked. She was of the learned, bluestocking, different kind of heroine. She spent most her time digging around her father's rose garden, trying to restore it to its former glory and recreating the mystery perfume her father had finished before his death without telling anyone the formula. Only towards the end, to create some last-minute drama, did she take a decidedly not-sensible turn. But luckily, our dear hero remained sensible and simply followed her.
All in all, I thought this was a very sweet story about two lovely people. I loved seeing them becoming friends and developing feelings. I also really liked that the story was fairly short. There was no drawn-out drama, just two people meeting, developing feelings, and finding happiness with each other. And really, that's all I want from my romances in these confusing times.
*I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
December 7, 2021
Barbara’s rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Series: Games Earls Play
Publication Date: 12/14/21
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: 186
This was a nice, straightforward introduction to the series, Games Earls Play, the Templeton sisters, and, of course, it includes a sweet romance. If you are looking for an exciting, heart palpating, hold-your-breath kind of read, well, this isn’t it. It is a steady, lovely romance between two very likable people who seem totally wrong for each other but are really so very right. I would have liked for it to be a tad longer so we could have gotten to know the characters a bit better – and so we could have spent more time seeing the dastardly dirty folks in the ton get their comeuppance.
The Templeton sisters are Emmeline (our current heroine), Euphemia (the oldest), Mathilda (the youngest), Juliet (her book is next I think), and Helena who is in service as the governess to the Marquess of Hawke (maybe he will be her hero???). Three years ago, two of the Templeton sisters had been in London for their season when their mother, Alice, ran off to the continent with her lover. The scandal, of course, drove the girls out of London and they’ve never set foot in it again. Since their father’s death, their circumstances have become direr and direr – until all of them will probably end up in service. So, when their father’s old friend, Lady Fosberry, coaxes Juliet and Emmaline back to London, it is their hope that Juliet will make a match – particularly with Lord Melrose.
Jonathan Parrish, the Earl of Melrose, is the male equivalent of a diamond of the first water. All the ladies admire him, sigh over him, and wish he’d notice them. He’s decided he’ll marry this season – and he supposes it might as well be Lady Christine Dingley since his mother once expressed a desire for that. He’s not particularly attracted to her, but he does have to marry. Isn’t it nice that fate has a way of stomping all over our best-laid plans?
At Lady Fosberry’s ball, Jonathan heads across the ballroom to request a dance from Lady Christine but becomes distracted when he notices a lovely widow with whom he’s spent some pleasant hours. Did I mention Jonathan is drunk as a skunk? He follows the lady from the ballroom and thinks he has lost her until he enters the library and notices her (well, he thinks it is her) there. He quietly comes up behind her and -- well, she didn’t stop him from kissing her – and she even kissed him back. Only, it wasn’t the lady he thought it was. Oops! He never saw her face because it was so dark – and now, he really wants to find her, she intrigues him – but he has no idea how to find her nor can he even describe her.
I really liked Jonathan because he was a lovely, sweet, caring, honorable man. I also really liked Emmeline who was all about family, and it was heart-warming to see the two of them become friends and then come to love each other. Again, I would really have liked the book to have been just a tad longer so we could see more of their coming to love each other.
I would recommend this book to a friend as a nice set-up for what promises to be a very nice series. The writing is good, the characters are very likable, the plot is a good one, but, overall, it is a pretty bland read. The set-up for the next book, which I assume will feature Juliet and Jonathan’s friend Lord Cross, is threaded throughout this one.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Series: Games Earls Play
Publication Date: 12/14/21
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: 186
This was a nice, straightforward introduction to the series, Games Earls Play, the Templeton sisters, and, of course, it includes a sweet romance. If you are looking for an exciting, heart palpating, hold-your-breath kind of read, well, this isn’t it. It is a steady, lovely romance between two very likable people who seem totally wrong for each other but are really so very right. I would have liked for it to be a tad longer so we could have gotten to know the characters a bit better – and so we could have spent more time seeing the dastardly dirty folks in the ton get their comeuppance.
The Templeton sisters are Emmeline (our current heroine), Euphemia (the oldest), Mathilda (the youngest), Juliet (her book is next I think), and Helena who is in service as the governess to the Marquess of Hawke (maybe he will be her hero???). Three years ago, two of the Templeton sisters had been in London for their season when their mother, Alice, ran off to the continent with her lover. The scandal, of course, drove the girls out of London and they’ve never set foot in it again. Since their father’s death, their circumstances have become direr and direr – until all of them will probably end up in service. So, when their father’s old friend, Lady Fosberry, coaxes Juliet and Emmaline back to London, it is their hope that Juliet will make a match – particularly with Lord Melrose.
Jonathan Parrish, the Earl of Melrose, is the male equivalent of a diamond of the first water. All the ladies admire him, sigh over him, and wish he’d notice them. He’s decided he’ll marry this season – and he supposes it might as well be Lady Christine Dingley since his mother once expressed a desire for that. He’s not particularly attracted to her, but he does have to marry. Isn’t it nice that fate has a way of stomping all over our best-laid plans?
At Lady Fosberry’s ball, Jonathan heads across the ballroom to request a dance from Lady Christine but becomes distracted when he notices a lovely widow with whom he’s spent some pleasant hours. Did I mention Jonathan is drunk as a skunk? He follows the lady from the ballroom and thinks he has lost her until he enters the library and notices her (well, he thinks it is her) there. He quietly comes up behind her and -- well, she didn’t stop him from kissing her – and she even kissed him back. Only, it wasn’t the lady he thought it was. Oops! He never saw her face because it was so dark – and now, he really wants to find her, she intrigues him – but he has no idea how to find her nor can he even describe her.
I really liked Jonathan because he was a lovely, sweet, caring, honorable man. I also really liked Emmeline who was all about family, and it was heart-warming to see the two of them become friends and then come to love each other. Again, I would really have liked the book to have been just a tad longer so we could see more of their coming to love each other.
I would recommend this book to a friend as a nice set-up for what promises to be a very nice series. The writing is good, the characters are very likable, the plot is a good one, but, overall, it is a pretty bland read. The set-up for the next book, which I assume will feature Juliet and Jonathan’s friend Lord Cross, is threaded throughout this one.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
November 3, 2022
A charming surprise! I'm giving this one 4.5 because I loved the set up and the connection I felt between our characters!
December 29, 2022
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥 (it’s barely countable as a flame)
Humor: Yes, a bit
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine
(These are all personal preference on a scale of 1-5 (yours ratings may vary depending what gives you feels and how you prefer you sex scenes written, etc) except the Steam Scale which follows our chart from The Ton and Tartans Book Club )
...but because his heart had only ever leapt from his chest for one lady, his knees had only ever weakened over one kiss...
Should I read in order?
This is the first in Bradley’s Games Earls Play series
Basic plot:
A scandalous kiss in a library leads Emmeline and Melrose into a scandal that puts them under the tons microscope
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency time period (1812)
- London setting
- Shorter page count (goodreads has it at 186 pages)
- Focus on the main couple and society scandals/rumors
- Lower steam – kisses and one short/vague on page scene
- Earl hero/scientist heroine (she loves botany)
- Secret identity
- Compromised heroine
Ages
- Heroine “couldn’t be more than 22”, and hero is 29
My thoughts:
I love the idea of this series! And adore that they focused on the couple, the romance, and the world of Regency England. I adore Bradley’s debut work and missed those aspects in her Swooning Virgins Society series.
This story is sweet. But it did feel a little slow to me. I think I wanted the hero and heroine together more on page. When they were together I really liked it, but there was a lot of the heroine being off on her own or with her family and I just kept waiting. The thing that usually guts me about Bradley’s writing is the emotional pull and the pure angst eating up the characters. I didn’t really feel that here. So I did enjoy it, it was pleasant, but probably not something I would reread and not a top read from her for me.
Something I love about Bradley’s work though is how immersed I feel in the time period. Some historical romances just don’t give me the full transportation, but I do find that with her. The society rules and culture of the London season feature heavy in this one and I really liked that aspect to it.
I loved that the heroine was a botanist. And since I’ve been logging the scents of the characters I notice, I also appreciate all the perfume and smell talk. Especially when it was mentioned that the Viscounts in society seemed to be overrun with sandalwood haha (Sandalwood is definitely a top scent for heroes!)
Content warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥 (it’s barely countable as a flame)
Humor: Yes, a bit
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine
(These are all personal preference on a scale of 1-5 (yours ratings may vary depending what gives you feels and how you prefer you sex scenes written, etc) except the Steam Scale which follows our chart from The Ton and Tartans Book Club )
...but because his heart had only ever leapt from his chest for one lady, his knees had only ever weakened over one kiss...
Should I read in order?
This is the first in Bradley’s Games Earls Play series
Basic plot:
A scandalous kiss in a library leads Emmeline and Melrose into a scandal that puts them under the tons microscope
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency time period (1812)
- London setting
- Shorter page count (goodreads has it at 186 pages)
- Focus on the main couple and society scandals/rumors
- Lower steam – kisses and one short/vague on page scene
- Earl hero/scientist heroine (she loves botany)
- Secret identity
- Compromised heroine
Ages
- Heroine “couldn’t be more than 22”, and hero is 29
My thoughts:
I love the idea of this series! And adore that they focused on the couple, the romance, and the world of Regency England. I adore Bradley’s debut work and missed those aspects in her Swooning Virgins Society series.
This story is sweet. But it did feel a little slow to me. I think I wanted the hero and heroine together more on page. When they were together I really liked it, but there was a lot of the heroine being off on her own or with her family and I just kept waiting. The thing that usually guts me about Bradley’s writing is the emotional pull and the pure angst eating up the characters. I didn’t really feel that here. So I did enjoy it, it was pleasant, but probably not something I would reread and not a top read from her for me.
Something I love about Bradley’s work though is how immersed I feel in the time period. Some historical romances just don’t give me the full transportation, but I do find that with her. The society rules and culture of the London season feature heavy in this one and I really liked that aspect to it.
I loved that the heroine was a botanist. And since I’ve been logging the scents of the characters I notice, I also appreciate all the perfume and smell talk. Especially when it was mentioned that the Viscounts in society seemed to be overrun with sandalwood haha (Sandalwood is definitely a top scent for heroes!)
Content warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
December 9, 2021
Scents and scentsability!
A Cinderella remix / mashup with the glass slipper being replaced by a ribbon redundant with a subtle yet heady scent of roses.
Emmaline Templeton is one of five daughters whose scandalous mother Alice ran off to the continent with her Marquis lover years before. (Members of the Ton find that hard to forgive!) Their father died a year later. The young women are trying to make ends meet. Emmaline is trying to work out the elements constituting her father’s most perfect perfume. He never wrote the components down. The search is her passion.
Lady Fosberry (fairy godmother figure) descends on the family to whisk Lady Juliet away to spend the season with her. Emmaline will join them but stay in the background. Her desire is to search out the missing ingredient for her botanist father’s rose perfume.
What Emmaline didn’t expect, during a ball at Lady Fosberry’s house, when she crept downstairs into the darkened library, was to to be thoroughly kissed by Lord Melrose (aka the Nonesuch)
This wouldn’t do. In her head she’d seen Lord Melrose as a potential partner for her sister Juliet.
The ton is expecting Lord Melrose to become engaged to Lady Christine Dingley, a vacuous and, as it later proves, vicious and spoilt young woman. (Ugly sister equivalent!) But after the ball, with no announcement, the ton is awash with speculation and gossip. Society’s top group is portrayed as a rapid monstrosity baying for blood. Hounds of the Baskervilles are tame compared to the ton’s dismembering of its own!
I must admit Emmaline does my head in with her excuses, pondering and double takes about how the man she loves must marry her sister Juliet. I really, really lost all patience with Emmaline during these moments.
And yes, this Regency romance has its fairytale ending. A pleasant quick read.
An Xpresso Book ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
A Cinderella remix / mashup with the glass slipper being replaced by a ribbon redundant with a subtle yet heady scent of roses.
Emmaline Templeton is one of five daughters whose scandalous mother Alice ran off to the continent with her Marquis lover years before. (Members of the Ton find that hard to forgive!) Their father died a year later. The young women are trying to make ends meet. Emmaline is trying to work out the elements constituting her father’s most perfect perfume. He never wrote the components down. The search is her passion.
Lady Fosberry (fairy godmother figure) descends on the family to whisk Lady Juliet away to spend the season with her. Emmaline will join them but stay in the background. Her desire is to search out the missing ingredient for her botanist father’s rose perfume.
What Emmaline didn’t expect, during a ball at Lady Fosberry’s house, when she crept downstairs into the darkened library, was to to be thoroughly kissed by Lord Melrose (aka the Nonesuch)
This wouldn’t do. In her head she’d seen Lord Melrose as a potential partner for her sister Juliet.
The ton is expecting Lord Melrose to become engaged to Lady Christine Dingley, a vacuous and, as it later proves, vicious and spoilt young woman. (Ugly sister equivalent!) But after the ball, with no announcement, the ton is awash with speculation and gossip. Society’s top group is portrayed as a rapid monstrosity baying for blood. Hounds of the Baskervilles are tame compared to the ton’s dismembering of its own!
I must admit Emmaline does my head in with her excuses, pondering and double takes about how the man she loves must marry her sister Juliet. I really, really lost all patience with Emmaline during these moments.
And yes, this Regency romance has its fairytale ending. A pleasant quick read.
An Xpresso Book ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
November 27, 2021
Short and sweet and perfectly lovely. It's so nice to genuinely like both characters in a book. I love Emmaline and Johnathan together. Emmaline was so cute with her nerdiness. Johnathan clearly adored that and everything else about her. Made me sigh. I am excited for the secondary romance as well. I hope that is the next book. I also want to see the happy endings for Emmaline's sisters. This book gave me a happy feeling as I finished it.
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine. http://affairedecoeur.com
ARC courtesy of Oliver-Heber books from Netgalley for review for Affaire de Coeur Magazine.
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine. http://affairedecoeur.com
ARC courtesy of Oliver-Heber books from Netgalley for review for Affaire de Coeur Magazine.
December 31, 2021
3.5 Stars
Not Just Any Earl was a great start to a new historical romance series following a group of sisters from a family fallen from grace.
Emmeline Templeton has lived a life of relative obscurity until now, something she has been grateful for. When her sisters accept a wager that has them heading to London for a season, Emmeline finds herself sharing an unexpected kiss with an earl that has her at the center of a shocking scandal. Jonathan Parrish, the Earl of Melrose, thought he was kissing someone else when he kissed Emmeline in the library. But with one kiss, Jonathan can't forget the shy wallflower who quickly changes everything Jonathan has planned for his life.
Emmeline is one of five sisters and since the death of their father, things have been getting tight for the family. Emmeline, like her father, has a passion for roses and she spends a great deal of time throughout the book looking for a specific rose to recreate a scent her father made before he died. I liked how passionate she was about roses but it did get a bit old hearing about them over and over. Jonathan definitely comes across as a rogue when we first meet him which actually isn't how he generally behaves. He has decided this is the season he is going to look for a wife and everyone expects him to pick the daughter of his late mother's oldest friend.
Emmeline and Jonathan's first meeting actually happens by mistake. Emmeline is staying at the home of a family friend in London who hosts a ball that Emmeline decides not to attend but she does sneak into the library during the ball to get a book to read which is where Jonathan finds her. The kiss they share in the library is quite steamy and it's clear these two have chemistry. When it comes out someone saw the kiss, although didn't see it was Emmeline, the two continually run into each other as they try to decide how to handle the situation. I enjoyed the back and forth with Jonathan actually being the one who wanted to move forward more than Emmeline. There is a bit of unnecessary drama near the end, but for the most part I was happy with the way the pair worked everything out.
Overall Not Just Any Earl was an enjoyable read and I will definitely be picking up the sequel, Odd Earl Out, when it releases next year.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
Not Just Any Earl was a great start to a new historical romance series following a group of sisters from a family fallen from grace.
Emmeline Templeton has lived a life of relative obscurity until now, something she has been grateful for. When her sisters accept a wager that has them heading to London for a season, Emmeline finds herself sharing an unexpected kiss with an earl that has her at the center of a shocking scandal. Jonathan Parrish, the Earl of Melrose, thought he was kissing someone else when he kissed Emmeline in the library. But with one kiss, Jonathan can't forget the shy wallflower who quickly changes everything Jonathan has planned for his life.
Emmeline is one of five sisters and since the death of their father, things have been getting tight for the family. Emmeline, like her father, has a passion for roses and she spends a great deal of time throughout the book looking for a specific rose to recreate a scent her father made before he died. I liked how passionate she was about roses but it did get a bit old hearing about them over and over. Jonathan definitely comes across as a rogue when we first meet him which actually isn't how he generally behaves. He has decided this is the season he is going to look for a wife and everyone expects him to pick the daughter of his late mother's oldest friend.
Emmeline and Jonathan's first meeting actually happens by mistake. Emmeline is staying at the home of a family friend in London who hosts a ball that Emmeline decides not to attend but she does sneak into the library during the ball to get a book to read which is where Jonathan finds her. The kiss they share in the library is quite steamy and it's clear these two have chemistry. When it comes out someone saw the kiss, although didn't see it was Emmeline, the two continually run into each other as they try to decide how to handle the situation. I enjoyed the back and forth with Jonathan actually being the one who wanted to move forward more than Emmeline. There is a bit of unnecessary drama near the end, but for the most part I was happy with the way the pair worked everything out.
Overall Not Just Any Earl was an enjoyable read and I will definitely be picking up the sequel, Odd Earl Out, when it releases next year.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
January 8, 2022
Not Just Any Earl by Anna Bradley is book one in her new series — Games Earls Play. This is an enjoyable, lighthearted, uncomplicated story that I read in one sitting. The characters are not very complex but they are likable (except for 3 of them).
As one of five sisters Emmeline Templeton has resigned herself to spinsterhood and is quite happy with her hands in dirt as she tends to her roses. But when her sisters accept an outrageous wager that takes the family to London for a season, an unexpected kiss with a handsome earl thrusts shy Emmeline into the middle of a shocking public scandal.
Jonathan Parrish, the Earl of Melrose never meant to kiss Emmeline Templeton. It was an innocent case of mistaken identity, a stolen embrace meant for one of his vivacious admirers. Emmeline Templeton is perfectly wrong for him, and he’s never before spared the shy wallflower a single glance, but after a single kiss, the memory of her warm curves are imprinted forever on Jonathan’s fingertips, and he can’t forget the sweet taste of her lips against his.
The question is will these two get their HEA or will the viciousness of the Ton tear these two would be lovers apart before they even get a chance to start. Jonathan is determined to keep the lady he loves even if he has to chase her down and claim her!!
What Went Wrong
So while I enjoyed the story there were times when I wanted to strangle Emmeline — I really don’t like weak women and although her reasons for not claiming Jonathan straight away were “noble” 🤨 they were also highly annoying. The fact that it seemed like everyone knew what she was doing was also annoying.
Lack of angst — Give me angst!! I love it!! This story lacked it.
Also this story has a very low heat rating — some kissing, light petting, and one scene of very vague sex. I would have liked the author to turn up the heat a bit…🔥
Overall an enjoyable story — 3.5 Stars ⭐️ | 1.5 Flames 🔥
As one of five sisters Emmeline Templeton has resigned herself to spinsterhood and is quite happy with her hands in dirt as she tends to her roses. But when her sisters accept an outrageous wager that takes the family to London for a season, an unexpected kiss with a handsome earl thrusts shy Emmeline into the middle of a shocking public scandal.
Jonathan Parrish, the Earl of Melrose never meant to kiss Emmeline Templeton. It was an innocent case of mistaken identity, a stolen embrace meant for one of his vivacious admirers. Emmeline Templeton is perfectly wrong for him, and he’s never before spared the shy wallflower a single glance, but after a single kiss, the memory of her warm curves are imprinted forever on Jonathan’s fingertips, and he can’t forget the sweet taste of her lips against his.
The question is will these two get their HEA or will the viciousness of the Ton tear these two would be lovers apart before they even get a chance to start. Jonathan is determined to keep the lady he loves even if he has to chase her down and claim her!!
What Went Wrong
So while I enjoyed the story there were times when I wanted to strangle Emmeline — I really don’t like weak women and although her reasons for not claiming Jonathan straight away were “noble” 🤨 they were also highly annoying. The fact that it seemed like everyone knew what she was doing was also annoying.
Lack of angst — Give me angst!! I love it!! This story lacked it.
Also this story has a very low heat rating — some kissing, light petting, and one scene of very vague sex. I would have liked the author to turn up the heat a bit…🔥
Overall an enjoyable story — 3.5 Stars ⭐️ | 1.5 Flames 🔥
November 18, 2021
I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Emmeline Templeton doesn't care for ton gossip, and has spent the years since her mother's scandal hiding at her father's country estate trying to cultivate the elusive scent her father created before he passed. She takes a wager to go to London in the hopes of finding the elusive rose needed for her perfume, but instead of the rose she finds Lord Melrose. Jonathan and Emmaline have a chance encounter in a darkened library that leads to both finding their lives instantly changed.
I'm an Anna Bradley stan, we all know that. I absolutely love all her books, but I'm glad she is going back to her romance roots. While I enjoyed her last series, I'm always waiting for another book of hers to touch me like A Wicked Way to Win an Earl did, and I think that could happen in this series. This was a short and sweet read full of romance. Emmaline and Jonathan were a great match for each other, and I loved their push and pull with each other. SO many sweet moments and wonderful lines. Lots of highlighted lines in my Kindle because Anna is such a wonderful storyteller. I know this is going to be a series, and I'm already itching for Cross and Juliet. I'll be over here impatiently waiting for it.
4.5 stars rounded to 5.
Emmeline Templeton doesn't care for ton gossip, and has spent the years since her mother's scandal hiding at her father's country estate trying to cultivate the elusive scent her father created before he passed. She takes a wager to go to London in the hopes of finding the elusive rose needed for her perfume, but instead of the rose she finds Lord Melrose. Jonathan and Emmaline have a chance encounter in a darkened library that leads to both finding their lives instantly changed.
I'm an Anna Bradley stan, we all know that. I absolutely love all her books, but I'm glad she is going back to her romance roots. While I enjoyed her last series, I'm always waiting for another book of hers to touch me like A Wicked Way to Win an Earl did, and I think that could happen in this series. This was a short and sweet read full of romance. Emmaline and Jonathan were a great match for each other, and I loved their push and pull with each other. SO many sweet moments and wonderful lines. Lots of highlighted lines in my Kindle because Anna is such a wonderful storyteller. I know this is going to be a series, and I'm already itching for Cross and Juliet. I'll be over here impatiently waiting for it.
4.5 stars rounded to 5.
February 18, 2024
This was a sweet read and perfect for someone looking for a kissing only romance. I actually had the physical copy of the book and it is a beautiful little book visually with the pages and the feel of it.
July 1, 2024
This was Frustrating
I think I'm calling it, Anna Bradley and I don't agree on what romantic arcs should look like and that's fine. This started off so interestingly, with the MMC having an intimate encounter in a library where the MMC was a bit drunk and thought the FMC was someone else.
It took a stark decline from then on, with the whole story essentially hinging on a scandal where they were seen together but also not and Jonathan is pretty sure he knows who the chick he was macking on was, but not 100% sure. Emmeline meanwhile is torn because there was wager her sister could get with Jonathan? Except that wasn't woven into the story very well at all. And they meet like three times? And then are in love? And WE DON'T EVEN GET TO SEE THEM HAVE SEX. All this tension and attraction for NOTHING. I was spice-bated dammit.
I don't appreciate that.
Anyways, Anna's romantic arcs continue to be all over the place and I think I'm done reading her books. Sorry, but also not sorry.
I think I'm calling it, Anna Bradley and I don't agree on what romantic arcs should look like and that's fine. This started off so interestingly, with the MMC having an intimate encounter in a library where the MMC was a bit drunk and thought the FMC was someone else.
It took a stark decline from then on, with the whole story essentially hinging on a scandal where they were seen together but also not and Jonathan is pretty sure he knows who the chick he was macking on was, but not 100% sure. Emmeline meanwhile is torn because there was wager her sister could get with Jonathan? Except that wasn't woven into the story very well at all. And they meet like three times? And then are in love? And WE DON'T EVEN GET TO SEE THEM HAVE SEX. All this tension and attraction for NOTHING. I was spice-bated dammit.
I don't appreciate that.
Anyways, Anna's romantic arcs continue to be all over the place and I think I'm done reading her books. Sorry, but also not sorry.
December 11, 2021
The five Templeton sisters are struggling to survive following their mother's disgrace & then their father's death, but for quiet Emmeline, the silver lining is a quiet life of comfortable obscurity where she can indulge in her love of gardening. But when her sister Juliet accepts an outrageous wager that takes her to London for a season, an unexpected kiss with a handsome earl thrusts shy Emmeline into the middle of a shocking public scandal. Jonathan Parrish, the Earl of Melrose in known as The Nonesuch but one night uncharacteristically he over indulges on brandy & kisses Emmeline in a library. It was an innocent case of mistaken identity, a stolen embrace meant for one of his vivacious admirers but after one kiss the memory of her warm curves are imprinted forever on Jonathan’s fingertips, and he can’t forget the sweet taste of her lips against his. However Emmeline was seen fleeing the library whilst her face wasn’t seen the rumours start about the Lady in Lavender.
The start of a new series featuring five ‘ruined’ sisters. I thoroughly enjoyed Jonathan & Emmeline's journey to a HEA. I always love it when a Corinthian falls for an unlikely lady & Jonathan fell hard & fast. The characters had depth & I loved the sisters, as well as Lady Fosberry, Jonathan & Lord Cross. Emmeline was a delight & came alive whilst among or talking about her beloved roses, Jonathan was honourable, caring & just a downright decent man. I really enjoyed the banter between the characters & the chemistry between Jonathan & Emmeline was sizzling even though they’d only shared a kiss. This was a quick read & I would have loved for the Cudworths' & Lady Dingley to have had their comeuppance & hope this happens in future books.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
The start of a new series featuring five ‘ruined’ sisters. I thoroughly enjoyed Jonathan & Emmeline's journey to a HEA. I always love it when a Corinthian falls for an unlikely lady & Jonathan fell hard & fast. The characters had depth & I loved the sisters, as well as Lady Fosberry, Jonathan & Lord Cross. Emmeline was a delight & came alive whilst among or talking about her beloved roses, Jonathan was honourable, caring & just a downright decent man. I really enjoyed the banter between the characters & the chemistry between Jonathan & Emmeline was sizzling even though they’d only shared a kiss. This was a quick read & I would have loved for the Cudworths' & Lady Dingley to have had their comeuppance & hope this happens in future books.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
December 23, 2021
This love story was an enjoyable read for me. I liked the many different characters. They brought some entertainment to Emmelines life that she wasn’t expecting. The beginning of the story has a lot of narrative that sets up the story to were Emmiline and her sisters start their journey with their aunt. I did find the dialogue among the group entertaining with a bit of humor. This book is easy to read. The romance was certainly a treat to read and cuddle up to.
December 9, 2025
Stupid plot meets stupid characters
Does this book deserve a one star rating? Probably not. I think if I was being more impartial, then it'd be a two star book. Except, too many things infuriated me about it and I'm lashing out for it wasting my time.
Stupid plot
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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Does this book deserve a one star rating? Probably not. I think if I was being more impartial, then it'd be a two star book. Except, too many things infuriated me about it and I'm lashing out for it wasting my time.
Stupid plot
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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April 29, 2022
This was a (hot) 🔥 meet cute HR an inebriated Earl in hot pursuit of one of his paramours who turned out to be the sweet innocent Miss Emmaline Templeton a bluestocking Botanist looking for a Rose book in Lady Fosberry’s library. He kissed her neck and started kissing her lips and then he said the other ladies name. Emmaline left thinking she had not been seen. The next day all the gossip said Melrose had been seen debauching a mysterious lady in lavender. Alarmed Lord Melrose and his best friend Lord Cross paid a visit to Lady Fosberry’s to try and find the young lady. He didn’t recognize Emmaline. She decide to keep silent hoping she could help him fall for her sister Juliette. The two friends escort the ladies to several Rose Gardens. Another young lady whom Melrose’s late mother hoped he would marry had her nose out of joint because now she would be passed over. She insults the Temptation sisters and Lord Melrose dresses her down. Out of spite she becomes engaged to the man who started the rumours about Melrose and lady in lavender. They start a new rumour naming the lavender lady as Juliet Templeton when both Emmaline and Jonathan (Melrose) know it’s her. They shared another kiss in a rose garden and Jonathan knew Emmaline was the same girl he kissed in the library. He asks her to marry him. She says no and thinks he needs to offer for her sister Juliett so her reputation isn’t destroyed. She runs away back to her home in the country. He follows her and asks to marry her again. She says yes.❤️💕
December 18, 2024
Not a fan of the hero. He almost had drunken sex with an unknown virgin. the heroine, in a library during a party. Luckly when he called her by someone else name she ran off. The next day he blabbed to the ton that he is looking for this unknown virgin. When he was in the library about to yank her skirts up and give it to her, he didn't realize she was a virgin. It was the next day he told everyone that she is an innocent. I don't understand how he just decided that she was not experienced when in the library he thought she was and why did he blab to the entire ton. It didn't make sense to me. I stopped reading at chapter 7.
November 29, 2022
An enjoyable read for sure, but I kept waiting for the moment that's gonna make me go "omg this THIS!"
Don't get me wrong, the main couple was wonderfully sweet and so very soft but it all felt a bit too hmm... it felt like a first third of a wonderful slow burn pining and aching romance 🤷🏻♀️
side note: the level of subtle hotness of that first scene in the library was aboslutely sizzling, making me expect so much more when the shit finally goes down but alas zero points 😅
Don't get me wrong, the main couple was wonderfully sweet and so very soft but it all felt a bit too hmm... it felt like a first third of a wonderful slow burn pining and aching romance 🤷🏻♀️
side note: the level of subtle hotness of that first scene in the library was aboslutely sizzling, making me expect so much more when the shit finally goes down but alas zero points 😅
March 10, 2023
Not quite as good as book #2 of this series (but maybe I’m just partial to the verve of Juliet), but a great series opener and a fun intro to a botanist/perfumer shy heroine and an all around good hero who made a mistake in a rare event when he was tipsy.
I absolutely adore Lady Fosberry and how she defends the five Templeton sisters. It was nice to
See backstory with the friendship of Melrose and the hero of book 2.
I found the heroine a little bland in this one but the perfumer angle and talk of roses was a nice add on. Melrose was also really nice and I liked his straightforward pursuit.
Great set up for Book 2 also which I highly recommend. I’m on to read Helena’s book now. I hope Bradley writes books for each of these sisters!
I absolutely adore Lady Fosberry and how she defends the five Templeton sisters. It was nice to
See backstory with the friendship of Melrose and the hero of book 2.
I found the heroine a little bland in this one but the perfumer angle and talk of roses was a nice add on. Melrose was also really nice and I liked his straightforward pursuit.
Great set up for Book 2 also which I highly recommend. I’m on to read Helena’s book now. I hope Bradley writes books for each of these sisters!
January 11, 2022
It took a while to get into this story - not a lot was happening for a time. However, it was an entertaining read. I liked the main characters, the green-fingered Emmeline and Jonathan, Earl of Melrose. Will definitely read #2. 4☆
Nice cover!
Nice cover!
March 28, 2024
This was so fun! Loved every minute of this story, definitely had a smile on my face 😊♥️
December 1, 2021
Thank you NetGalley and Xpresso for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
5 stars
Not Just Any Earl follows one of the Templeton sisters, a family that has been disgraced by scandal. Emmeline Templeton is a quiet, unassuming woman that just wants to tend to the roses left behind by her father. Enter Lord Melrose, the star bachelor of the season that is sure to marry the esteemed Lady Christine. When Lord Melrose mistakenly kisses Emmeline in the library, everyone in the ton is determined to find out who she is, including Lord Melrose.
I adored this book. It was such a fun and romantic read. Lord Melrose and Emmeline's chemistry was so sweet, as well as the secondary romance (hoping they're the next book!). I could feel how deeply Emmeline cared for her father and how it became her passion for roses. Lord Melrose profoundly cares for her and loves her for her.
I could relate to Emmeline in her love for her family. She puts her sister's happiness before her own. She believes herself to be underserving of love, something I've seen in myself before. A lack of self-confidence in main characters can be annoying if done wrong, but I believe the author wrote it excellently. It was easy to root for her.
5 stars
Not Just Any Earl follows one of the Templeton sisters, a family that has been disgraced by scandal. Emmeline Templeton is a quiet, unassuming woman that just wants to tend to the roses left behind by her father. Enter Lord Melrose, the star bachelor of the season that is sure to marry the esteemed Lady Christine. When Lord Melrose mistakenly kisses Emmeline in the library, everyone in the ton is determined to find out who she is, including Lord Melrose.
I adored this book. It was such a fun and romantic read. Lord Melrose and Emmeline's chemistry was so sweet, as well as the secondary romance (hoping they're the next book!). I could feel how deeply Emmeline cared for her father and how it became her passion for roses. Lord Melrose profoundly cares for her and loves her for her.
I could relate to Emmeline in her love for her family. She puts her sister's happiness before her own. She believes herself to be underserving of love, something I've seen in myself before. A lack of self-confidence in main characters can be annoying if done wrong, but I believe the author wrote it excellently. It was easy to root for her.
May 13, 2024
It was an OK read. The H thinks he's following a former lover into the library during a ball. The h is in the library looking for a gardening book. It's dark. Kisses are exchanged. He calls the h his lover's name. She flees. Her flight is observed but only the colour of her dress is seen and becomes the topic of gossip.
The h and her four sisters live under the cloud of their mother's scandalous choice to run away with her lover as well as the restrictions of limited income. The H searches for information about the possible identity of "The Lady in Lavender". He is fascinated by her intriguing scent. The search brings him in proximity to the h and he is drawn to her. She has been searching gardens to find the roses her father used to make a distinctive scent.
The H's focus on the elusive lady in the library infuriates another lady who expected the H to offer for her.
The author uses a common tea Rose as a metaphor for the h. It was a pleasant story but lacked tension to entice emotional responses in the reader.
The h and her four sisters live under the cloud of their mother's scandalous choice to run away with her lover as well as the restrictions of limited income. The H searches for information about the possible identity of "The Lady in Lavender". He is fascinated by her intriguing scent. The search brings him in proximity to the h and he is drawn to her. She has been searching gardens to find the roses her father used to make a distinctive scent.
The H's focus on the elusive lady in the library infuriates another lady who expected the H to offer for her.
The author uses a common tea Rose as a metaphor for the h. It was a pleasant story but lacked tension to entice emotional responses in the reader.
December 12, 2021
Not Just Any Earl by Anna Bradley is the first book in a new series called Games Earls Play. The series is going to focus on the five Templeton sisters, who are shunned by the “ton” due to their mother’s shameless behavior. The sisters are scared about the future and hopeful that they can keep their home.
An opportunity comes about that will allow Emmaline a chance in London for a season. Really the opportunity is a wager, something that will further shun them if it were to be discovered. Emmaline decided to avoid the ball and was looking for a book when a man came into the library and began kissing her like she has never been kissed - and then he left.
Jonathan Parrish, the Earl of Melrose did not realize he was kissing the wrong person - it was a simple mistake thinking she was someone else. Now everything is all mucked up. Emmaline and Jonathan might just be the surprise. Not Just Any Earl by Anna Bradley was a fun read.
An opportunity comes about that will allow Emmaline a chance in London for a season. Really the opportunity is a wager, something that will further shun them if it were to be discovered. Emmaline decided to avoid the ball and was looking for a book when a man came into the library and began kissing her like she has never been kissed - and then he left.
Jonathan Parrish, the Earl of Melrose did not realize he was kissing the wrong person - it was a simple mistake thinking she was someone else. Now everything is all mucked up. Emmaline and Jonathan might just be the surprise. Not Just Any Earl by Anna Bradley was a fun read.
November 29, 2021
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
Following her father's death, Emmeline Templeton and her sisters faced ruin, and had to rely on the kindness of others, including Lady Fosberry. Hoping for a better future, Emmeline and her younger sister, Juliet, head to London for the Season, thinking the beautiful Juliet will find a good match. All Emmeline wants is to discover the rose that her father used to create the perfume she remembers him by. While sneaking around Lady Fosberry's home, during a party, to search the gardens, she encounters Jonathan Parrish, the Earl of Melrose, and they share a kiss which changes them both. Luckily no one knows it was Emmeline who kissed Jonathan, as the gossip is soon all over the ton. Jonathan wants to discover who mysterious lady was, and is drawn to Emmeline. Can they discover the truth, and protect her reputation, or with the rumours and gossip split them apart?
Another Regency romance that I recently read, and one which was a really quick read. I liked the characters, and though there wasn't too much to the plot, it was enjoyable nonetheless. I liked how Emmeline and Jonathan developed a friendship, apart from the kiss, but wish that Emmeline had owned up to it a lot earlier, so her sister and Jonathan's best friend, Lord Cross (who I think will be the protagonists of book 2) weren't hurt in the mean time. All in all, a decent read.
Following her father's death, Emmeline Templeton and her sisters faced ruin, and had to rely on the kindness of others, including Lady Fosberry. Hoping for a better future, Emmeline and her younger sister, Juliet, head to London for the Season, thinking the beautiful Juliet will find a good match. All Emmeline wants is to discover the rose that her father used to create the perfume she remembers him by. While sneaking around Lady Fosberry's home, during a party, to search the gardens, she encounters Jonathan Parrish, the Earl of Melrose, and they share a kiss which changes them both. Luckily no one knows it was Emmeline who kissed Jonathan, as the gossip is soon all over the ton. Jonathan wants to discover who mysterious lady was, and is drawn to Emmeline. Can they discover the truth, and protect her reputation, or with the rumours and gossip split them apart?
Another Regency romance that I recently read, and one which was a really quick read. I liked the characters, and though there wasn't too much to the plot, it was enjoyable nonetheless. I liked how Emmeline and Jonathan developed a friendship, apart from the kiss, but wish that Emmeline had owned up to it a lot earlier, so her sister and Jonathan's best friend, Lord Cross (who I think will be the protagonists of book 2) weren't hurt in the mean time. All in all, a decent read.
January 27, 2022
It was a cute book; however I like steam and sexy times and we didn't have that here, and oh I missed it. Anywho, let's get to the review. So, we have Emmaline who is back in London after her and her sister make a wager. They did not live in London anymore since the Scandal, and it was a Scandal, now they are much poorer. We have Jonathan, the Earl of Melrose who has decided to marry this season, now he is supposedly hot stuff, since he is good looking and titles and it.
At an affair, Jonathan is about to go dance with the girl that his momma wants him to, when he sees a widow that he used to have sexy times with and decides to follow her, and Jonathan is very drunk, he thinks he has found her in the library and kisses her, only it is not her it is Emmaline who kisses him back. Since its dark he does not know who it is, cannot forget that kiss and intent on finding her, however he doesn't know what she looks like. Unnecessary drama enfolds, they get to know each other, fall in love..yada yada.
rcvd an ARC at no cost to author...(netgalley) voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions.
At an affair, Jonathan is about to go dance with the girl that his momma wants him to, when he sees a widow that he used to have sexy times with and decides to follow her, and Jonathan is very drunk, he thinks he has found her in the library and kisses her, only it is not her it is Emmaline who kisses him back. Since its dark he does not know who it is, cannot forget that kiss and intent on finding her, however he doesn't know what she looks like. Unnecessary drama enfolds, they get to know each other, fall in love..yada yada.
rcvd an ARC at no cost to author...(netgalley) voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions.
December 25, 2021
It is hard to be the quiet one of five sisters. Especially when the disgrace of one’s mother brings a dark cloud to hover over their seasons with the ton.
When a wager brings them to London for a season, the last thing Emmaline ever expected was the passionate kiss she is given in the dim lighting of the library!!
A fun romance that sets up this new series that should be great! Find out how that kiss brings about a romance not soon forgotten!!
When a wager brings them to London for a season, the last thing Emmaline ever expected was the passionate kiss she is given in the dim lighting of the library!!
A fun romance that sets up this new series that should be great! Find out how that kiss brings about a romance not soon forgotten!!
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