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The Ashmead Heirs #3
The Forgotten Daughter
Fanny’s worthless father forgot her entirely. The earl’s steward plans to make it right; if only he can avoid falling in love with her while he does.
Welcome to book 3 in the fabulous series The Ashmead Heirs by bestselling author Caroline Warfield!
When the old Earl of Clarion leaves a will with bequests for all his children, legitimate and not, listing each and their mothers by name, he complicated the lives of many in the village of Ashmead and beyond. One of them was left out. She is the third of The Ashmead Heirs.
Frances Hancock always knew she was a bastard. She didn’t know her father was an earl until her mother died. The information came just in time. She and her mother’s younger children were about to be homeless. She needs help. Fast. What she wants is a hero.
Eli Benson, the Earl of Clarion’s steward, took great pride in cleaning up the mess left behind by the old earl’s will. When a dainty but ferocious young woman with the earl’s hair and eyes comes demanding help, his heart sinks. She isn’t in the will. She was forgotten entirely. And the estate is just getting its finances back in order. But he knows a moral obligation when he sees one. He may not be her idea of a hero, but people count on him to fix things. He’s good at it. Falling in love with her will only complicate things.
Eli will solve her problems or die trying. It may come to that.
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The Ashmead Heirs
The Wayward Son
The Defiant Daughter
The Forgotten Daughter
The Upright Son
Welcome to book 3 in the fabulous series The Ashmead Heirs by bestselling author Caroline Warfield!
When the old Earl of Clarion leaves a will with bequests for all his children, legitimate and not, listing each and their mothers by name, he complicated the lives of many in the village of Ashmead and beyond. One of them was left out. She is the third of The Ashmead Heirs.
Frances Hancock always knew she was a bastard. She didn’t know her father was an earl until her mother died. The information came just in time. She and her mother’s younger children were about to be homeless. She needs help. Fast. What she wants is a hero.
Eli Benson, the Earl of Clarion’s steward, took great pride in cleaning up the mess left behind by the old earl’s will. When a dainty but ferocious young woman with the earl’s hair and eyes comes demanding help, his heart sinks. She isn’t in the will. She was forgotten entirely. And the estate is just getting its finances back in order. But he knows a moral obligation when he sees one. He may not be her idea of a hero, but people count on him to fix things. He’s good at it. Falling in love with her will only complicate things.
Eli will solve her problems or die trying. It may come to that.
Read Free in Kindle Unlimited!
The Ashmead Heirs
The Wayward Son
The Defiant Daughter
The Forgotten Daughter
The Upright Son
Unknown Binding
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About the author
Caroline Warfield
56 books346 followersCaroline Warfield is the pseudonym of a writer who wishes she had walked through fascinating times in the shoes of one of her characters—but which one?
Caro has at various times been an army brat, a librarian, a poet, a raiser of children, a nun, a bird watcher, an Internet and Web services manager, a conference speaker, an indexer, a tech writer, a genealogist, and, of course, a romantic. She has sailed through the English channel while it was still mined from WWII, stood on the walls of Troy, searched Scotland for the location of an entirely fictional castle (and found it), climbed the steps to the Parthenon, floated down the Thames from the tower to Greenwich, shopped in the Ginza, lost herself in the Louvre, gone on a night tour of the Singapore zoo, walked in the Black Forest, and explored the underground cistern of Istanbul.
By far the biggest adventure has been forty-five years of marriage to a prince among men.
She sits in front of a keyboard at a desk surrounded by windows, looks out at the trees and imagines. Her greatest joy is when one of those imaginings comes to life on the page and in the imagination of her readers.
Caro has at various times been an army brat, a librarian, a poet, a raiser of children, a nun, a bird watcher, an Internet and Web services manager, a conference speaker, an indexer, a tech writer, a genealogist, and, of course, a romantic. She has sailed through the English channel while it was still mined from WWII, stood on the walls of Troy, searched Scotland for the location of an entirely fictional castle (and found it), climbed the steps to the Parthenon, floated down the Thames from the tower to Greenwich, shopped in the Ginza, lost herself in the Louvre, gone on a night tour of the Singapore zoo, walked in the Black Forest, and explored the underground cistern of Istanbul.
By far the biggest adventure has been forty-five years of marriage to a prince among men.
She sits in front of a keyboard at a desk surrounded by windows, looks out at the trees and imagines. Her greatest joy is when one of those imaginings comes to life on the page and in the imagination of her readers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
February 6, 2022
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
Following the death of her mother, and drunkard step father, Frances Hancock knows she needs to find her birth father, the wastrel Earl of Clarion, and demand he give her her due, in order to save her family's business, and allow her to care for her siblings. But when Frances has managed to scrap together enough to travel to Ashmead, all she finds is that her father has passed, and the estate's steward, Eli Benson, has to tell her that she was the only illegitimate child of the previous Earl not to be left a bequest. Frances is at a loss, but Eli can't allow her and her family to suffer, so will do whatever it takes to help her, though his growing feelings for her may just complicate matters.
I've been wondering a lot about Eli, the brother of Rob, the protagonist from the first book, and hoped that he would be the hero at some point in this series. He's definitely an Ashmead boy, born and bred, and will do anything to help anyone, so Frances' story definitely hits a soft spot for him. When they meet, it's not the best of first impressions, but soon the spark that was there takes light, and they are clearly falling for each other, and falling hard. Another thing I loved was the mystery plot line, running alongside the romance, as I felt like it was one of the best if read recently, and kept me gripped until the final page. Now all there is to do is wait for the final book, and see if the current Earl can find happiness again, and overcome all his own difficulties.
Following the death of her mother, and drunkard step father, Frances Hancock knows she needs to find her birth father, the wastrel Earl of Clarion, and demand he give her her due, in order to save her family's business, and allow her to care for her siblings. But when Frances has managed to scrap together enough to travel to Ashmead, all she finds is that her father has passed, and the estate's steward, Eli Benson, has to tell her that she was the only illegitimate child of the previous Earl not to be left a bequest. Frances is at a loss, but Eli can't allow her and her family to suffer, so will do whatever it takes to help her, though his growing feelings for her may just complicate matters.
I've been wondering a lot about Eli, the brother of Rob, the protagonist from the first book, and hoped that he would be the hero at some point in this series. He's definitely an Ashmead boy, born and bred, and will do anything to help anyone, so Frances' story definitely hits a soft spot for him. When they meet, it's not the best of first impressions, but soon the spark that was there takes light, and they are clearly falling for each other, and falling hard. Another thing I loved was the mystery plot line, running alongside the romance, as I felt like it was one of the best if read recently, and kept me gripped until the final page. Now all there is to do is wait for the final book, and see if the current Earl can find happiness again, and overcome all his own difficulties.
January 24, 2022
Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Series: The Ashmead Heirs #3
Publication Date: 1/27/22
Period: Regency – Ashmead and London
Number of Pages: 270
I have been thoroughly enjoying this series. Eli has been my very favorite supporting character from the beginning, so I have been waiting – not very patiently – for his story, and it is finally here with the absolutely perfect match for him. You can totally read this as a standalone, but I have absolutely no idea why you’d want to. If you don’t know the ‘backstory’ to the series, it is definitely a unique one. The previous Earl of Clarion was a real piece of work – in the most unflattering ways. He was cruel, overbearing, abusive, uncaring, and he left a plethora of illegitimate children scattered across the countryside. Those children share something other than a father – they ALL have the red hair and green eyes for which the Caulfield ancestors have been famous. When his legitimate children both challenged him – in different ways – he changed his will to spite them. Since he couldn’t keep his son from inheriting the title or the entailed properties, he paupered the earldom by leaving all of the unentailed property, monies, and valuables to his illegitimate children – and he left absolutely nothing to his legitimate daughter. However, it seems there was one illegitimate child about which he didn’t know, and she is our female lead in this story. You will adore her – she is strong, smart, loyal, practical, loving, and nobody’s fool. She might be a tiny little thing, but she is a warrior at heart.
Frances Hancock has certainly been treated shoddily by the men in her life – but she is neither resentful nor bitter about it. She is, however, determined that her natural father provides her with help in some way. If he doesn’t, she and her two half-siblings will be out of food and a home without a farthing to help them recover. She cannot allow that to happen and she determines to travel from Manchester to Ashmead to confront the man who sired her and then ignored both her and her mother. When she arrives, tired and bedraggled from travel, she learns that the earl who fathered her has died and the estate doesn’t have any obligation to assist her in any way. Oh! No! All is not lost because the new earl is as good and the old one was bad. He’ll help if he can, but he has little with which to offer that help.
Eli Benson has been in each of the books and I’ve loved him in each. Eli is everybody’s go-to person. Whatever the problem or issue – the answer is – Mr. Benson will fix it. Yes, he is definitely a fixer. Eli isn’t the typical hero of which young girls dream. No, he’s ordinary looking, not overly tall, with regular brown hair and eyes, not gifted with athletic prowess. Eli is just the most amazing man. While he isn’t the typical hero-type – I’m betting he is the type of man we all end up choosing for ourselves in the end. He’s loyal, steadfast, highly intelligent, compassionate, loving – well – you name it and Eli is all of those good things. So, when a lovely young woman with Caulfield hair and eyes shows up on the earl’s doorstep, he is all empathy. He knows, however, that the estate absolutely cannot afford any financial gifts to the young lady. He also knows the earl will probably want to do something and it will be up to him to figure out what and how.
Eli elects to travel back to Manchester with Fanny in order to try to sort out her most immediate problems – namely having her property foreclosed leaving her and her siblings destitute. Goodness – all fury breaks out from that point forward – we have kidnappings, rescues, highwaymen, debauched potentates, slave trade, human trafficking and so much more. There is plenty of action – and plenty of romance – and – dare I say it – jealousy.
I definitely recommend this book and this series. It is excellently written, the plot is interesting, the timing is perfect, and – well – I already told you the characters are absolutely perfect for each other. Read it – you won’t regret it.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Series: The Ashmead Heirs #3
Publication Date: 1/27/22
Period: Regency – Ashmead and London
Number of Pages: 270
I have been thoroughly enjoying this series. Eli has been my very favorite supporting character from the beginning, so I have been waiting – not very patiently – for his story, and it is finally here with the absolutely perfect match for him. You can totally read this as a standalone, but I have absolutely no idea why you’d want to. If you don’t know the ‘backstory’ to the series, it is definitely a unique one. The previous Earl of Clarion was a real piece of work – in the most unflattering ways. He was cruel, overbearing, abusive, uncaring, and he left a plethora of illegitimate children scattered across the countryside. Those children share something other than a father – they ALL have the red hair and green eyes for which the Caulfield ancestors have been famous. When his legitimate children both challenged him – in different ways – he changed his will to spite them. Since he couldn’t keep his son from inheriting the title or the entailed properties, he paupered the earldom by leaving all of the unentailed property, monies, and valuables to his illegitimate children – and he left absolutely nothing to his legitimate daughter. However, it seems there was one illegitimate child about which he didn’t know, and she is our female lead in this story. You will adore her – she is strong, smart, loyal, practical, loving, and nobody’s fool. She might be a tiny little thing, but she is a warrior at heart.
Frances Hancock has certainly been treated shoddily by the men in her life – but she is neither resentful nor bitter about it. She is, however, determined that her natural father provides her with help in some way. If he doesn’t, she and her two half-siblings will be out of food and a home without a farthing to help them recover. She cannot allow that to happen and she determines to travel from Manchester to Ashmead to confront the man who sired her and then ignored both her and her mother. When she arrives, tired and bedraggled from travel, she learns that the earl who fathered her has died and the estate doesn’t have any obligation to assist her in any way. Oh! No! All is not lost because the new earl is as good and the old one was bad. He’ll help if he can, but he has little with which to offer that help.
Eli Benson has been in each of the books and I’ve loved him in each. Eli is everybody’s go-to person. Whatever the problem or issue – the answer is – Mr. Benson will fix it. Yes, he is definitely a fixer. Eli isn’t the typical hero of which young girls dream. No, he’s ordinary looking, not overly tall, with regular brown hair and eyes, not gifted with athletic prowess. Eli is just the most amazing man. While he isn’t the typical hero-type – I’m betting he is the type of man we all end up choosing for ourselves in the end. He’s loyal, steadfast, highly intelligent, compassionate, loving – well – you name it and Eli is all of those good things. So, when a lovely young woman with Caulfield hair and eyes shows up on the earl’s doorstep, he is all empathy. He knows, however, that the estate absolutely cannot afford any financial gifts to the young lady. He also knows the earl will probably want to do something and it will be up to him to figure out what and how.
Eli elects to travel back to Manchester with Fanny in order to try to sort out her most immediate problems – namely having her property foreclosed leaving her and her siblings destitute. Goodness – all fury breaks out from that point forward – we have kidnappings, rescues, highwaymen, debauched potentates, slave trade, human trafficking and so much more. There is plenty of action – and plenty of romance – and – dare I say it – jealousy.
I definitely recommend this book and this series. It is excellently written, the plot is interesting, the timing is perfect, and – well – I already told you the characters are absolutely perfect for each other. Read it – you won’t regret it.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 26, 2022
Seven years ago, I was lucky enough to read across Dangerous Works. I was gripped by Caroline Warfield’s writing style, her characterisation, her plotting, her gentle sense of humour, and the sense that she understood human nature. So when the rest of the Dangerous books arrived, I devoured them all, and discovered something else that made Warfield a one-click automatic preorder author for me.
That discovery has been confirmed in each of the novels, novellas, and short stories to follow. Each of Warfield’s characters, and especially her heroes, is a unique individual. There’s comfort in authors who always write heroes of a particular type. The warrior, protective of his own feelings and of the heroine when he finally falls for her. The rake, drowning his sorrows in wine, women and song until love makes him strong enough to face his fears. The reader knows what to expect, and the best authors make us love him and look forward to his next incarnation in the next book.
Reading Warfield is an adventure. The scholar. The broken warrior intent on suicide by alcohol. The arrogant duke who manipulates people—for their own good. The kind family man. And that’s just the first four books.
The Forgotten Daughter, book 3 in The Ashmead Heirs has, perhaps, the best hero yet.
Eli Benson, steward to the Earl of Clarion, has spent the last few years cleaning up the mess left by his employer’s horrible father and also putting the earl’s estate—neglected by the old man and ravaged by his widow—to rights. He is known as the man who fixes things, but is nobody’s idea of a hero, especially his own.
Frances Hancock is the illegitimate daughter left out of the will in which the old earl sought to punish his legitimate family by leaving everything not entailed to his bastards.
Can Eli fix it? He can, or will die trying.
I fell in love with this unlikely hero. So did Fanny. I’m willing to bet that you will, too. Read Forgotten Daughter. Read The Ashmead Heirs. Read everything Warfield writes. You’ll be glad you did.
That discovery has been confirmed in each of the novels, novellas, and short stories to follow. Each of Warfield’s characters, and especially her heroes, is a unique individual. There’s comfort in authors who always write heroes of a particular type. The warrior, protective of his own feelings and of the heroine when he finally falls for her. The rake, drowning his sorrows in wine, women and song until love makes him strong enough to face his fears. The reader knows what to expect, and the best authors make us love him and look forward to his next incarnation in the next book.
Reading Warfield is an adventure. The scholar. The broken warrior intent on suicide by alcohol. The arrogant duke who manipulates people—for their own good. The kind family man. And that’s just the first four books.
The Forgotten Daughter, book 3 in The Ashmead Heirs has, perhaps, the best hero yet.
Eli Benson, steward to the Earl of Clarion, has spent the last few years cleaning up the mess left by his employer’s horrible father and also putting the earl’s estate—neglected by the old man and ravaged by his widow—to rights. He is known as the man who fixes things, but is nobody’s idea of a hero, especially his own.
Frances Hancock is the illegitimate daughter left out of the will in which the old earl sought to punish his legitimate family by leaving everything not entailed to his bastards.
Can Eli fix it? He can, or will die trying.
I fell in love with this unlikely hero. So did Fanny. I’m willing to bet that you will, too. Read Forgotten Daughter. Read The Ashmead Heirs. Read everything Warfield writes. You’ll be glad you did.
January 27, 2022
When the old Earl of Clarion leaves a will with bequests for all his children, legitimate and not, listing each and their mothers by name, he complicated the lives of many in the village of Ashmead and beyond. One of them was left out. Frances Hancock always knew she was a bastard. She didn’t know her father was an earl until her mother died. The information came just in time. She and her mother’s two younger children were about to be homeless. Eli Benson, the Earl of Clarion’s steward, took great pride in cleaning up the mess left behind by the old earl’s will. When a dainty but ferocious young woman with the earl’s hair and eyes comes demanding help, his heart sinks. She isn’t in the will. She was forgotten entirely. And the estate is just getting its finances back in order. But he knows a moral obligation when he sees one. He may not be her idea of a hero, but he is Mr fix it. He’s good at it.
This is the third book in the series & it could be read on its own but the author brings this village & its inhabitants to life so as with all series I’d highly recommend reading from the start. The characters are wonderfully portrayed, the descriptions of places & events are so vivid that you feel you are there. I’ve loved Eli throughout the series but he came into his own, he’s one of the most adorable heroes I’ve come across, he’s unassuming, loyal, hardworking & totally indispensable. Fanny may be small in stature but makes up for it with her feisty personality. The pair are perfect for each other & I was totally invested in their journey to a HEA which was thrilling, engrossing – I loved it & highly recommend this beautifully written book
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
This is the third book in the series & it could be read on its own but the author brings this village & its inhabitants to life so as with all series I’d highly recommend reading from the start. The characters are wonderfully portrayed, the descriptions of places & events are so vivid that you feel you are there. I’ve loved Eli throughout the series but he came into his own, he’s one of the most adorable heroes I’ve come across, he’s unassuming, loyal, hardworking & totally indispensable. Fanny may be small in stature but makes up for it with her feisty personality. The pair are perfect for each other & I was totally invested in their journey to a HEA which was thrilling, engrossing – I loved it & highly recommend this beautifully written book
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
April 14, 2022
On the brink of desolation, Fanny seeks help from her real father, the Earl of Clarion, only to discover he forgot her in his will. Fanny was born on the wrong side of the blanket. She’s always known her birthright as a bastard but didn’t realize her father was an earl until after her mother died. With her unscrupulous stepfather also dead and leaving her destitute and in need of money to feed her younger siblings, she makes the journey to seek out the Earl of Clarion. She meets the earl’s steward, Eli, and he informs her the earl is dead and didn’t leave her anything. In fact, the earl listed all his other bastard children in his will but not her. The only thing in her favor is she has the earl’s hair color and eyes. Eli agrees to help her and accompanies her back home while waiting to hear from the current earl. Eli’s expertise is invaluable, but she can’t deny burgeoning feelings for him. Is he her hero in disguise or a wolf in sheep’s clothing?
The Forgotten Daughter is a riveting historical romance I couldn’t put down. This book has all the elements I enjoy in a historical romance: a feisty yet down on her luck heroine, an unexpected hero, a love worth risking it all for, historical accuracy down to the last detail, and a few unsavory characters to defeat. The plot moves at a great pace with twists I didn’t anticipate. I connected with both Fanny and Eli right away. As a couple, they complement each other. Yes, it took them quite some time to get together but it just made the ending all the sweeter. The historical world-building was exquisite, and I didn’t want The Forgotten Daughter to end. Caroline Warfield is a brilliant historical romance author who takes pride in her research prowess. Her heart and soul are in between the pages of The Forgotten Daughter. If you love historical romance, pick up The Forgotten Daughter. Fans of historically accurate romances will simply adore The Forgotten Daughter. Another gem by Caroline Warfield and one I highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I read this on Kindle Unlimited.
My Rating: 5+ stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
The Forgotten Daughter is a riveting historical romance I couldn’t put down. This book has all the elements I enjoy in a historical romance: a feisty yet down on her luck heroine, an unexpected hero, a love worth risking it all for, historical accuracy down to the last detail, and a few unsavory characters to defeat. The plot moves at a great pace with twists I didn’t anticipate. I connected with both Fanny and Eli right away. As a couple, they complement each other. Yes, it took them quite some time to get together but it just made the ending all the sweeter. The historical world-building was exquisite, and I didn’t want The Forgotten Daughter to end. Caroline Warfield is a brilliant historical romance author who takes pride in her research prowess. Her heart and soul are in between the pages of The Forgotten Daughter. If you love historical romance, pick up The Forgotten Daughter. Fans of historically accurate romances will simply adore The Forgotten Daughter. Another gem by Caroline Warfield and one I highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I read this on Kindle Unlimited.
My Rating: 5+ stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
February 2, 2022
good installment in the series
Eli is definitely deserving of his own happily ever after and is an excellent hero. Fanny is bit fanciful but overall a good match for him. The economics aren’t terribly practical and realistic for the time period but it’s a enjoyable story.
Eli is definitely deserving of his own happily ever after and is an excellent hero. Fanny is bit fanciful but overall a good match for him. The economics aren’t terribly practical and realistic for the time period but it’s a enjoyable story.
January 28, 2022
England 1818
"The Earl will help me, he has to."
Such was Fanny's plea when she met Eli. Calm, dependable, hardworking Eli. The stewart who had worked hard to help all of the children of the late Earl obtain their share of the estate per the will, or what had been left to them. Unfortunately Fanny had not been named but he was determined to aid her and her two siblings.
Fanny was looking for a hero. Like one she wrote about in the books she wrote, she was determined to get published. Eli did not look like her idea of a hero... but there was much more to him she was about to find out.
An engaging story that had me on the first page, which was no surprise because Caroline is truly an amazing story teller. This series and premise is a reader's dream and it keeps getting better.
Action, danger, villians of the worst kind, and a hero.. oh yes a wonderful hero, there when least expected, but needed the most....
"The Earl will help me, he has to."
Such was Fanny's plea when she met Eli. Calm, dependable, hardworking Eli. The stewart who had worked hard to help all of the children of the late Earl obtain their share of the estate per the will, or what had been left to them. Unfortunately Fanny had not been named but he was determined to aid her and her two siblings.
Fanny was looking for a hero. Like one she wrote about in the books she wrote, she was determined to get published. Eli did not look like her idea of a hero... but there was much more to him she was about to find out.
An engaging story that had me on the first page, which was no surprise because Caroline is truly an amazing story teller. This series and premise is a reader's dream and it keeps getting better.
Action, danger, villians of the worst kind, and a hero.. oh yes a wonderful hero, there when least expected, but needed the most....
January 27, 2022
The Forgotten Daughter by Caroline Warfield
The Ashmead Heirs #3
Historical romance that is a bit different with both hero and heroine not of the upper class but both worthy of their story being told.
What I liked:
* Frances “Fanny” Hancock: illegitimate daughter the Earl of Clarion, older half-sister to Wil and Amy, sole caretaker of her siblings after the death of her mother and stepfather, handling a financial mess, a budding author, in need of a hero
* Eli Benson: steward for the Earl of Clarion, good with numbers, good with puzzles, son of an inn keeper, brother of the illegitimate son of the Earl of Clarion, has a married sister, the go-to person for most everything, smart, intrepid
* That the lead characters were “commoners”
* Watching the relationship develop between Fanny and Ian
* Wil & Amy: younger siblings of Fanny
* Seeing how the families of Fanny and Ian worked together and took Fanny and her siblings in
* The Barbary Coast Pirates tie-in
* That there were a few foes to vanquish
* That the mystery of who wanted to kidnap Fanny was figured out and dealt with handily
* That I read the work of a new-to-me author I would gladly read again
* The writing, plot, and complexity of the story
* How it all came together for the couple at the end
* Wondering about the stories that came before and the next one in the series that will star the Earl of Clarion-David
* All of it except…
What I didn’t like:
* The stepfather and the way his behavior impacted Fanny and her siblings
* The kidnapping ring, what they were up to, and the misery they created
* Having to say goodbye to interesting characters even though I have a feeling I will see them again
Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade for the ARC – This is my honest review
4-5
The Ashmead Heirs #3
Historical romance that is a bit different with both hero and heroine not of the upper class but both worthy of their story being told.
What I liked:
* Frances “Fanny” Hancock: illegitimate daughter the Earl of Clarion, older half-sister to Wil and Amy, sole caretaker of her siblings after the death of her mother and stepfather, handling a financial mess, a budding author, in need of a hero
* Eli Benson: steward for the Earl of Clarion, good with numbers, good with puzzles, son of an inn keeper, brother of the illegitimate son of the Earl of Clarion, has a married sister, the go-to person for most everything, smart, intrepid
* That the lead characters were “commoners”
* Watching the relationship develop between Fanny and Ian
* Wil & Amy: younger siblings of Fanny
* Seeing how the families of Fanny and Ian worked together and took Fanny and her siblings in
* The Barbary Coast Pirates tie-in
* That there were a few foes to vanquish
* That the mystery of who wanted to kidnap Fanny was figured out and dealt with handily
* That I read the work of a new-to-me author I would gladly read again
* The writing, plot, and complexity of the story
* How it all came together for the couple at the end
* Wondering about the stories that came before and the next one in the series that will star the Earl of Clarion-David
* All of it except…
What I didn’t like:
* The stepfather and the way his behavior impacted Fanny and her siblings
* The kidnapping ring, what they were up to, and the misery they created
* Having to say goodbye to interesting characters even though I have a feeling I will see them again
Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade for the ARC – This is my honest review
4-5
January 23, 2022
Eli Benson, the overburdened man responsible for fixing the problems caused by the irresponsible late Earl of Clarion, is horrified to find a young lady standing on the doorstep with the same eyes and coloring as the rest of the Caulfield offspring. He quickly realizes that his work in solving the family's problems is far from over. Fanny Hancock is feisty and strong-willed, despite her petite appearance, and she will fight for her rights and those of her half-brother and sister. In the third book in this series, the hero appears to be unimposing and the heroine has no status, however, together they form a dynamic duo and win the love and respect of everyone in the family. The novel is more about detective work and finding solutions to the myriad of problems that face the beleaguered steward than romance, but ultimately Eli and Fanny find their way towards one another. Many of the characters from the previous books in the series appear in this novel, each with their part to play, drawing Fanny and “the ducklings” into their fold. Ultimately, the romance comes to a good conclusion with the perpetrators of crimes finding their just desserts, whilst Eli and Fanny find a place to call their own. I received a copy of this book as a gift from Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.
February 6, 2022
This exceeds my expectations. One of them being romance isn't the only affair that moves the story forward. The paths that the characters chose sometimes are questionable but thank God the others or even the characters themselves have the wit to question said paths which makes plain that an intriguing story is possible without sacrificing basic thinking. Some characters I encountered are so devoid of logic *le sigh*. The humor is smooth and just the perfect amount.
Neither the hero nor the heroine is an aristocrat—Eli is a steward and Fanny is a bastard. It’s already common enough to have one of lowborn and the other of highborn so The Forgotten Daughter is a breath of fresh air to the genre. Eli is so easy to love; he is quick-witted, well-rounded, sensible, and not too possessive. He gets jealous a lot but doesn't allow said jealousy to steal his brain. He’s a steward, after all, he will see to it. Meanwhile through our heroine, Fanny, we have the representation of women of literature in the past who had to put in more effort than their male counterparts to have their works published. The romance is slow burn but the story mostly moves at quite a fast pace.
I also want to appreciate the dedication page because, for once, I felt appreciated.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for providing me an ARC!
Neither the hero nor the heroine is an aristocrat—Eli is a steward and Fanny is a bastard. It’s already common enough to have one of lowborn and the other of highborn so The Forgotten Daughter is a breath of fresh air to the genre. Eli is so easy to love; he is quick-witted, well-rounded, sensible, and not too possessive. He gets jealous a lot but doesn't allow said jealousy to steal his brain. He’s a steward, after all, he will see to it. Meanwhile through our heroine, Fanny, we have the representation of women of literature in the past who had to put in more effort than their male counterparts to have their works published. The romance is slow burn but the story mostly moves at quite a fast pace.
I also want to appreciate the dedication page because, for once, I felt appreciated.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for providing me an ARC!
October 1, 2022
nice story of common middle class people during the regency period. Interesting background and plot elements.
January 23, 2022
4 1/2*Stars*
After her mother's death, Fanny discovers her natural father is the Earl of Clarion. With creditors knocking on the door and two siblings to support, Fanny is not afraid to ask him for help. Eli Benson is the steward, solicitor, man of business, agent, bookkeeper and general factotum for the new Earl of Clarion. Not mentioned in the old Earl's will, Fanny's red hair and green eyes leave not doubt she is the old Earl's daughter. Determined to help, Eli works out a plan to take the burden off her shoulders. Meanwhile something sinister is going on. Someone keeps trying to kidnap Fanny. At first glance Eli may not look like a hero, but to Fanny he proves what a hero really is.
Eli is my favorite character in the book. He is the fixer.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book
After her mother's death, Fanny discovers her natural father is the Earl of Clarion. With creditors knocking on the door and two siblings to support, Fanny is not afraid to ask him for help. Eli Benson is the steward, solicitor, man of business, agent, bookkeeper and general factotum for the new Earl of Clarion. Not mentioned in the old Earl's will, Fanny's red hair and green eyes leave not doubt she is the old Earl's daughter. Determined to help, Eli works out a plan to take the burden off her shoulders. Meanwhile something sinister is going on. Someone keeps trying to kidnap Fanny. At first glance Eli may not look like a hero, but to Fanny he proves what a hero really is.
Eli is my favorite character in the book. He is the fixer.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book
January 27, 2022
An unexpected hero... a heroine who has no where to turn. Meet Eli and Fanny and their journey to finding love. Only Caroline Warfield can write characters with so much depth that they practically jump right off the page. Her attention to detail both in historical setting and plots that twist and turn is what will keep the reader up into the wee hours of the night. I love everything about this story and know you will too!
June 7, 2022
So that you know: These three books should be read in order (see below). Also note: THE UPRIGHT SON will arrive in bookstores in June 2022. It will be the story of the Earl of Clarion.
Eli Benson, trained as a solicitor, is the steward of the Earl of Clarion. He has worked hard to clean up the horrors of the old Earl's unkind will and the new Earl's vicious mother's machinations to defraud her husband's illegitimate children. Eli is known as 'the fixer' because he is adept at seeing things logically and finding solutions. However, Eli faces his biggest threat when a young woman arrives (with the Caulfield hair and eye color) and demands help. Her mother is deceased, and she learned that her birth father was an earl.
Frances Hancock has a struggling business. Mrs. Rundle's father started the business. The company flourished until Mrs. Rundle's husband mortgaged the business after his wife's death. Now, Frances and her two siblings, Amy and Wil (children of Frances's mother and her husband, Horace Rundle), are facing starvation and eviction from their business. First, Eli must tell Frances that the Clarion estate owed her nothing because she is not in the will. On the other hand, Eli knew his employer would want to assist the young woman, his sister. However, the estate was strapped for cash because the old Earl punished his legitimate family by giving everything not entailed to his illegitimate children.
While things start to fall together, helping Frances find a way to survive with her two siblings, a new threat appears. Frances has accidents, and someone seems to want to steal her away from her family. Before long, it becomes evident that the purpose is to sell her on the Barbary Coast. Unfortunately, someone is willing to pay a high price for a blue-eyed, auburn-haired, attractive young woman.
I thought the Barbary Coast angle was a bit much, but the author handled it cautiously.
Ashmead Heirs
1. The Wayward Son (2021)
2. The Defiant Daughter (2021)
** 3. The Forgotten Daughter (2022)
4. The Upright Son (2022)
Eli Benson, trained as a solicitor, is the steward of the Earl of Clarion. He has worked hard to clean up the horrors of the old Earl's unkind will and the new Earl's vicious mother's machinations to defraud her husband's illegitimate children. Eli is known as 'the fixer' because he is adept at seeing things logically and finding solutions. However, Eli faces his biggest threat when a young woman arrives (with the Caulfield hair and eye color) and demands help. Her mother is deceased, and she learned that her birth father was an earl.
Frances Hancock has a struggling business. Mrs. Rundle's father started the business. The company flourished until Mrs. Rundle's husband mortgaged the business after his wife's death. Now, Frances and her two siblings, Amy and Wil (children of Frances's mother and her husband, Horace Rundle), are facing starvation and eviction from their business. First, Eli must tell Frances that the Clarion estate owed her nothing because she is not in the will. On the other hand, Eli knew his employer would want to assist the young woman, his sister. However, the estate was strapped for cash because the old Earl punished his legitimate family by giving everything not entailed to his illegitimate children.
While things start to fall together, helping Frances find a way to survive with her two siblings, a new threat appears. Frances has accidents, and someone seems to want to steal her away from her family. Before long, it becomes evident that the purpose is to sell her on the Barbary Coast. Unfortunately, someone is willing to pay a high price for a blue-eyed, auburn-haired, attractive young woman.
I thought the Barbary Coast angle was a bit much, but the author handled it cautiously.
Ashmead Heirs
1. The Wayward Son (2021)
2. The Defiant Daughter (2021)
** 3. The Forgotten Daughter (2022)
4. The Upright Son (2022)
January 21, 2022
🪶 The Forgotten Daughter 🪶
The Ashmead Heirs Book 3
✒️ Caroline Warfield
https://m.facebook.com/carolinewarfield7
Release Date 01/27/2022
Publisher Dragonblade Publishing
➪ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09PGSYJ3Q/...
𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗯
Fanny’s worthless father forgot her entirely. The earl’s steward plans to make it right; if only he can avoid falling in love with her while he does. Welcome to book 3 in the fabulous series The Ashmead Heirs by bestselling author Caroline Warfield! When the old Earl of Clarion leaves a will with bequests for all his children, legitimate and not, listing each and their mothers by name, he complicated the lives of many in the village of Ashmead and beyond. One of them was left out. She is the third of The Ashmead Heirs. Frances Hancock always knew she was a bastard. She didn’t know her father was an earl until her mother died. The information came just in time. She and her mother’s younger children were about to be homeless. She needs help. Fast. What she wants is a hero. Eli Benson, the Earl of Clarion’s steward, took great pride in cleaning up the mess left behind by the old earl’s will. When a dainty but ferocious young woman with the earl’s hair and eyes comes demanding help, his heart sinks. She isn’t in the will. She was forgotten entirely. And the estate is just getting its finances back in order. But he knows a moral obligation when he sees one. He may not be her idea of a hero, but people count on him to fix things. He’s good at it. Falling in love with her will only complicate things. Eli will solve her problems or die trying. It may come to that.
𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
Will she be able to see past his knight without an armor’s appearance to discover the hero behind the books …
I have learned with the author to take my time while reading her stories, they are tale loaded with details, events, twists and turns and historical facts. So every moment is to savored as the clues add piece by piece to the puzzle this book offers.
Eli is my kind of hero, no alpha caveman sort of fellow, he faces problems and solves, with his analytic mind, he is at the right place righting the wrong done by his employer’s late father’s will. Yet he thought he was done until unknown progeny landed at their door. With one more new conundrum to sort out.
Eli might be the shadow behind the hero, the brain handing the informations to the brawn, without his interference, nothing would never be done.
If there is a problem, a need, ask Mr Benson.
Frances or Franny is at her wits end with no one to turn to except the man who sired her. Alas as she finds out quickly, he had passed and left her out of his will. So back to no option nor solutions until Mr Benson steps in and appoints himself as her knight with a quill and ledgers to assail the villains.
Like many, Fanny, the woman who writes epic novels, dismissed him as at best the hero’s best friend, only first seeing the man as a desk person. Yet as hints of this and that come to light, she releases there is much more to the fellow, made of layers of good will, tenacity, cleverness and kindness.
Why she get to change her idea of what makes a good hero, there is more to good looks and prowess in battles.
I adored this story, it is no linear tale as it sees Fanny and Eli often running to one place to another, for Eli to pile up evidence and pointer to help her but also offer her a better future while she explores her new feelings, shredding her girl’s dreams to real expectations.
5 stars
𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 sweet foreplays scene
I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher Dragonblade Publishing, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
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The Ashmead Heirs Book 3
✒️ Caroline Warfield
https://m.facebook.com/carolinewarfield7
Release Date 01/27/2022
Publisher Dragonblade Publishing
➪ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09PGSYJ3Q/...
𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗯
Fanny’s worthless father forgot her entirely. The earl’s steward plans to make it right; if only he can avoid falling in love with her while he does. Welcome to book 3 in the fabulous series The Ashmead Heirs by bestselling author Caroline Warfield! When the old Earl of Clarion leaves a will with bequests for all his children, legitimate and not, listing each and their mothers by name, he complicated the lives of many in the village of Ashmead and beyond. One of them was left out. She is the third of The Ashmead Heirs. Frances Hancock always knew she was a bastard. She didn’t know her father was an earl until her mother died. The information came just in time. She and her mother’s younger children were about to be homeless. She needs help. Fast. What she wants is a hero. Eli Benson, the Earl of Clarion’s steward, took great pride in cleaning up the mess left behind by the old earl’s will. When a dainty but ferocious young woman with the earl’s hair and eyes comes demanding help, his heart sinks. She isn’t in the will. She was forgotten entirely. And the estate is just getting its finances back in order. But he knows a moral obligation when he sees one. He may not be her idea of a hero, but people count on him to fix things. He’s good at it. Falling in love with her will only complicate things. Eli will solve her problems or die trying. It may come to that.
𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
Will she be able to see past his knight without an armor’s appearance to discover the hero behind the books …
I have learned with the author to take my time while reading her stories, they are tale loaded with details, events, twists and turns and historical facts. So every moment is to savored as the clues add piece by piece to the puzzle this book offers.
Eli is my kind of hero, no alpha caveman sort of fellow, he faces problems and solves, with his analytic mind, he is at the right place righting the wrong done by his employer’s late father’s will. Yet he thought he was done until unknown progeny landed at their door. With one more new conundrum to sort out.
Eli might be the shadow behind the hero, the brain handing the informations to the brawn, without his interference, nothing would never be done.
If there is a problem, a need, ask Mr Benson.
Frances or Franny is at her wits end with no one to turn to except the man who sired her. Alas as she finds out quickly, he had passed and left her out of his will. So back to no option nor solutions until Mr Benson steps in and appoints himself as her knight with a quill and ledgers to assail the villains.
Like many, Fanny, the woman who writes epic novels, dismissed him as at best the hero’s best friend, only first seeing the man as a desk person. Yet as hints of this and that come to light, she releases there is much more to the fellow, made of layers of good will, tenacity, cleverness and kindness.
Why she get to change her idea of what makes a good hero, there is more to good looks and prowess in battles.
I adored this story, it is no linear tale as it sees Fanny and Eli often running to one place to another, for Eli to pile up evidence and pointer to help her but also offer her a better future while she explores her new feelings, shredding her girl’s dreams to real expectations.
5 stars
𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 sweet foreplays scene
I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher Dragonblade Publishing, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CY_lSpgI...
https://www.facebook.com/429830134272...
#bookstagram #historicalromance #romance #romancebookblog #romancebookblogger #bookblog #romanceauthor #bookblogger #2022read #bookstagrammer #bookreview #romancebookreviewer #arcreader #bookquote #romancestagram #readersofinstagram
January 27, 2022
The Forgotten Daughter by Caroline Warfield is the third of the Ashmead Heirs series which tells the stories of the old earl's offspring, both legitimate and not. There were many more not. He had delineated them all in his will and left them a little something. But, he had missed one: Frances (Fanny) Hancock, who was now on her way to Ashmead to ask for help, not knowing he was dead. One thing the old earl had passed along to all of them was their appearance. Their hair and eyes were striking and any who laid eyes on them knew who their father was. So it went with Fanny when she arrived at her destination and was told Mr. Benson would deal with the problem. The earl was in London, oh, yes, the young earl, the older being dead. Who was this Mr. Benson? Turns out he was the steward, solicitor, and general factotum for the earl. The largest problem was that the earl had not money. Very little he could do to help, which Mr. Benson knew for a fact.
Eli (Mr. Benson) was the most accomplished, well-organized, and self-deprecating person around. The answer to most queries was Mr. Benson, and he took care of nearly all of them. Fanny was hard working, accomplished, and mature. Despite the fact she looked 15, she was nearly 21. She had a half-sister and half-brother to take care of. Their mother had died, and now their father, who had run their business into the ground and left them with myriad debts. She didn't let that hinder her in any way. As the adventures she insisted on going on with Mr. Benson increase in regularity and danger, she recognized that he was the man for her. The plot was consistent with the first two books and was well plotted and appropriately paced. They were not nobility so in some ways their lives were simpler, except for the siblings left by her father. It was an interesting and reward read.
I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Forgotten Daughter by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #netgalley #dragonblade #carolinewarfield #theforgottendaughter
Eli (Mr. Benson) was the most accomplished, well-organized, and self-deprecating person around. The answer to most queries was Mr. Benson, and he took care of nearly all of them. Fanny was hard working, accomplished, and mature. Despite the fact she looked 15, she was nearly 21. She had a half-sister and half-brother to take care of. Their mother had died, and now their father, who had run their business into the ground and left them with myriad debts. She didn't let that hinder her in any way. As the adventures she insisted on going on with Mr. Benson increase in regularity and danger, she recognized that he was the man for her. The plot was consistent with the first two books and was well plotted and appropriately paced. They were not nobility so in some ways their lives were simpler, except for the siblings left by her father. It was an interesting and reward read.
I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Forgotten Daughter by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #netgalley #dragonblade #carolinewarfield #theforgottendaughter
January 28, 2022
A refreshing & marvellously entangling read!
A beautifully engrossing story that has complexity, lurking villiany, finely polished characters that sang with realism and radiated a warmth that pulled you in and a subtly of wit that blended seemlessly together into a romance that emanated through each clue gathered, compassionate action taken and heartfelt uncertainity revealed.
Overall, Caroline Warfield has crafted a tale that cleverly pieces together all the intricacies and layers of a person and wraps you up in the notion of what truly makes a hero. And Eli, so refreshingly not your stereotypical "knight in shining armour" but more the loyal reliable fixer, with his sharp mind, quiet keen determination and wealth of kindness had me falling irrevocably in love. As he attempted to help Fanny and her 'ducklings' escape a horrific fate thanks to the unashamedly selfish acts of her stepfather and the Late Earl of Clarion, having forgotten her existence entirely.
This series just keeps getting better. Although you can read this well written and plotted tale as a standalone, why would you want to when the people in it are so engaging. Afterall, I find its the little intricacies of their characters and past histories (however fleetingly portrayed in past books) that adds richness to their connections, depth to their characters and understanding in the dynamics and actions displayed, that truly made what happened to Fanny and Eli all the more captivating. THE FORGOTTEN DAUGHTER ... well I just couldn't tear myself away to the point I stayed up until four in the morning, so I could devour it in one delightfully enjoyable sitting!! Because as we now all know, "Benson will see to it" and by jove did he and so wonderfully to boot!!
A beautifully engrossing story that has complexity, lurking villiany, finely polished characters that sang with realism and radiated a warmth that pulled you in and a subtly of wit that blended seemlessly together into a romance that emanated through each clue gathered, compassionate action taken and heartfelt uncertainity revealed.
Overall, Caroline Warfield has crafted a tale that cleverly pieces together all the intricacies and layers of a person and wraps you up in the notion of what truly makes a hero. And Eli, so refreshingly not your stereotypical "knight in shining armour" but more the loyal reliable fixer, with his sharp mind, quiet keen determination and wealth of kindness had me falling irrevocably in love. As he attempted to help Fanny and her 'ducklings' escape a horrific fate thanks to the unashamedly selfish acts of her stepfather and the Late Earl of Clarion, having forgotten her existence entirely.
This series just keeps getting better. Although you can read this well written and plotted tale as a standalone, why would you want to when the people in it are so engaging. Afterall, I find its the little intricacies of their characters and past histories (however fleetingly portrayed in past books) that adds richness to their connections, depth to their characters and understanding in the dynamics and actions displayed, that truly made what happened to Fanny and Eli all the more captivating. THE FORGOTTEN DAUGHTER ... well I just couldn't tear myself away to the point I stayed up until four in the morning, so I could devour it in one delightfully enjoyable sitting!! Because as we now all know, "Benson will see to it" and by jove did he and so wonderfully to boot!!
January 24, 2022
Miss Frances Hancock was busy running the family drapery business, while caring for her younger brother and sister until her stepfather passed leaving behind a mountain of debt, having mortgaged the Drapery to pay for his extravagance. Poor and destitute with little choices, she goes in search of her father. An earl she never knew about, but whom she’s determined will have to help. Instead of a negligent father, what she finds is a capable steward, a fixer, Eli Benson. Through helping her, she eventually meets the earl (not her father, but his son who inherited the title when his father passed). She learns that though her father named all of his illegitimate children, he failed to remember her. Fortunately, the faithful steward will make sure he is cared for.
The adventure that ensues is fraught with danger, intrigue and of course, romance. I enjoyed watching the bond between his unlikely family of legitimate and illegitimate children alike. The fact that the Earl accepts and even cares for his fathers by-blows is a testament to his character and I look forward to reading his own story.
Fanny and Eli have such wonderful chemistry throughout the story. I loved that she never backed down, despite a new found abundance of men determined to see he ‘cared’ for, she was quick to set them in their place. To make them understand that it was her life, and she would not sit by the side like a good society girl. Eli’s doubts were understandable considering the relationships around him. He needed to be able to see himself through the eyes of others, to see that he was the indispensable one. Indeed, Mr.Benson would see to everything, and never failed to deliver.
The adventure that ensues is fraught with danger, intrigue and of course, romance. I enjoyed watching the bond between his unlikely family of legitimate and illegitimate children alike. The fact that the Earl accepts and even cares for his fathers by-blows is a testament to his character and I look forward to reading his own story.
Fanny and Eli have such wonderful chemistry throughout the story. I loved that she never backed down, despite a new found abundance of men determined to see he ‘cared’ for, she was quick to set them in their place. To make them understand that it was her life, and she would not sit by the side like a good society girl. Eli’s doubts were understandable considering the relationships around him. He needed to be able to see himself through the eyes of others, to see that he was the indispensable one. Indeed, Mr.Benson would see to everything, and never failed to deliver.
December 10, 2022
This series is really enjoyable. Yes, it belongs to the regency historical romance genre but it is very different and each of the heirs brings a new and exciting angle. This review includes the first two volumes. They are equally good and I would really recommend you read them. Each can be read as a standalone and Caroline Warfield expertly gives enough background for her readers to understand what motivates the heroes to act as they do. Sometimes, authors who do this simply repeat exactly what went on previously and if you read the books back to back it becomes rather tedious; this is not the case here.
I am delighted to have recently discovered this author and will continue to read her work.
I suppose I would say that Fanny is not my favourite heir, on the whole I prefer Sir Robert Benson. Her character is not developed quite as much as the other heirs; I think I would have liked to know more about the books she writes. As for Eli Benson, the male hero, he walks a tight rope between being utterly dependable and a bit bland. He perhaps lacks panache, not quite the knight in shiny armour of Fanny's books.
One of my favourite characters is the Benson's patriarch Da. There is so much, love, compassion and wisdom displayed there.
When reading about the work of Rockford, and his spy/security network for the Crown, I was reminded of Dalziel in the Bastion Club series by Stephanie Laurens. It's very similar and just as entertaining. I don't know if such an organisation existed at the time, but in any case it's a gift for writers of adventure/romance Regency novels.
So ever onwards, I am now looking forward to reading Clarion's story. Can't wait!
I am delighted to have recently discovered this author and will continue to read her work.
I suppose I would say that Fanny is not my favourite heir, on the whole I prefer Sir Robert Benson. Her character is not developed quite as much as the other heirs; I think I would have liked to know more about the books she writes. As for Eli Benson, the male hero, he walks a tight rope between being utterly dependable and a bit bland. He perhaps lacks panache, not quite the knight in shiny armour of Fanny's books.
One of my favourite characters is the Benson's patriarch Da. There is so much, love, compassion and wisdom displayed there.
When reading about the work of Rockford, and his spy/security network for the Crown, I was reminded of Dalziel in the Bastion Club series by Stephanie Laurens. It's very similar and just as entertaining. I don't know if such an organisation existed at the time, but in any case it's a gift for writers of adventure/romance Regency novels.
So ever onwards, I am now looking forward to reading Clarion's story. Can't wait!
February 11, 2022
I haven't had the pleasure of reading one of Ms. Warfield's books before and after having the opportunity to read this I realized I have really been missing out! Her storytelling really makes the characters and story come alive. Her vivid descriptions really makes you feel as if you are in the story experiencing it for yourself. This is the third installment of The Ashmead Heirs series. I had no trouble reading this as a standalone, but I have the feeling I would have enjoyed it even more had I read the previous books. I have plans to remedy that soon!
The late earl thought to punish his family by including his illegitimate children in his will. Frances, however, had been left out. She never knew she was the daughter of an earl until her mother died. She and her younger siblings are close to becoming homeless and she is in dire need of money. Eli is the steward to the current Earl of Clarion and is working hard to clean up the mess the late Earl has left of the estate. He is good at fixing things, but can he fix the situation with Frances? He is certainly going to try! I guarantee you will fall in love with this unlikely hero. I was pulled into this story and captivated from start to finish. This was an engaging and enjoyable read and I wholeheartedly recommend!
Thank you Dragonblade Publishing and Netgalley for providing a complimentary copy. This is my voluntarily and honest review.
The late earl thought to punish his family by including his illegitimate children in his will. Frances, however, had been left out. She never knew she was the daughter of an earl until her mother died. She and her younger siblings are close to becoming homeless and she is in dire need of money. Eli is the steward to the current Earl of Clarion and is working hard to clean up the mess the late Earl has left of the estate. He is good at fixing things, but can he fix the situation with Frances? He is certainly going to try! I guarantee you will fall in love with this unlikely hero. I was pulled into this story and captivated from start to finish. This was an engaging and enjoyable read and I wholeheartedly recommend!
Thank you Dragonblade Publishing and Netgalley for providing a complimentary copy. This is my voluntarily and honest review.
January 23, 2022
4.5 stars
Eli is the efficient steward to David, the Earl of Clarion. His father runs the local inn with his sister. It's a great series and we've seen Eli before in books one and two. In those books he was helping sort of David's fathers will. The will left behests for the old Earl's illegitimate children. Unfortunately Frances turns up and from her physical appearance it's obvious she's an illegitimate sibling of David but wasn't mentioned in the will. She's also penniless and looking after her half silings. Eli returns with Fran to Manchester to aid her in sorting out her step fathers estate and finds that villains are after kidnapping her. This means that Eli has to get the help of both his half siblng Rob (Hero from Book 1) and David to help solve the problem. Eli worries that he is not hero material and therefore Frances won't consider him but it works out well in the end,
A delightful cleanish read that I think you will enjoy. Now eagerly awaiting David's story.,
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Eli is the efficient steward to David, the Earl of Clarion. His father runs the local inn with his sister. It's a great series and we've seen Eli before in books one and two. In those books he was helping sort of David's fathers will. The will left behests for the old Earl's illegitimate children. Unfortunately Frances turns up and from her physical appearance it's obvious she's an illegitimate sibling of David but wasn't mentioned in the will. She's also penniless and looking after her half silings. Eli returns with Fran to Manchester to aid her in sorting out her step fathers estate and finds that villains are after kidnapping her. This means that Eli has to get the help of both his half siblng Rob (Hero from Book 1) and David to help solve the problem. Eli worries that he is not hero material and therefore Frances won't consider him but it works out well in the end,
A delightful cleanish read that I think you will enjoy. Now eagerly awaiting David's story.,
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 27, 2022
*I received a free ARC from the publisher throught NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*
This is the first book in the series that I have read but I did not think that interfered with my ability to enjoy the story. The author does a great job of informing the reader what happened in the previous books without it feeling like she was retelling the plots from those novels - which works great for you (if like me) you want to go back and read the previous books or if you have already read books 1 and 2 and do not need the reminders of what happened in them. I liked Fanny's independent streak and commitment to her family, she was tough without being overbearing. I absolutely loved Eli right from the beginning and found it frustrating that Fanny couldn't see what a great guy he was earlier than she did. He is the kind of understated hero we could use more of in romance novels. The mystery surrounding Fanny's attempted abduction added an extra level of intrigue to the story without taking over the entire thing. My only complaint about the book is that I really wanted to know the plots of the books Fanny wrote. This is a solid 3.5 stars.
This is the first book in the series that I have read but I did not think that interfered with my ability to enjoy the story. The author does a great job of informing the reader what happened in the previous books without it feeling like she was retelling the plots from those novels - which works great for you (if like me) you want to go back and read the previous books or if you have already read books 1 and 2 and do not need the reminders of what happened in them. I liked Fanny's independent streak and commitment to her family, she was tough without being overbearing. I absolutely loved Eli right from the beginning and found it frustrating that Fanny couldn't see what a great guy he was earlier than she did. He is the kind of understated hero we could use more of in romance novels. The mystery surrounding Fanny's attempted abduction added an extra level of intrigue to the story without taking over the entire thing. My only complaint about the book is that I really wanted to know the plots of the books Fanny wrote. This is a solid 3.5 stars.
February 8, 2022
3.25 STARS
Book 1 was my favorite and this one a slight let down. It is a stand alone, even though you do have cross over character's. It may help to read book 1 so you would enjoy this one more.
Some typo's but not enough to where you didn't know what it should be.
Something terrible happens to the h and I kept waiting for her to have some trauma from it but she doesn't. Then it almost happens again and still no aftermath. The H was a dream and the perfect alpha even though he didn't realize his own worth. The h was at first a strong character and caring and loving with her half siblings. Then she loses that and rarely even checks what was happening with them.
The story has a theme of human trafficking. But, when the story is closing in on who they are it's told after the fact. What happened to the Earl and the other villains? It is only touched on why the Earl was participating but we don't know if the person he was trying to protect was saved. Maybe the lose ends will be divulged in the next story.
Mild bedroom action - heat level 2 out of 5.
No cheating, no cliffhanger, HEA, tiny amount of romance and spice. (ljb)
Book 1 was my favorite and this one a slight let down. It is a stand alone, even though you do have cross over character's. It may help to read book 1 so you would enjoy this one more.
Some typo's but not enough to where you didn't know what it should be.
Something terrible happens to the h and I kept waiting for her to have some trauma from it but she doesn't. Then it almost happens again and still no aftermath. The H was a dream and the perfect alpha even though he didn't realize his own worth. The h was at first a strong character and caring and loving with her half siblings. Then she loses that and rarely even checks what was happening with them.
The story has a theme of human trafficking. But, when the story is closing in on who they are it's told after the fact. What happened to the Earl and the other villains? It is only touched on why the Earl was participating but we don't know if the person he was trying to protect was saved. Maybe the lose ends will be divulged in the next story.
Mild bedroom action - heat level 2 out of 5.
No cheating, no cliffhanger, HEA, tiny amount of romance and spice. (ljb)
June 9, 2022
Dashing Hero vs Steady Fixer
What does a woman want more: a big, handsome savior rushing to subvert danger or an average, steady, comfortable, dependable take-care-of-whatever's- needed guy? Eli Benson, barrister and estate steward, is the latter which he thinks is not as good as the former like his big brother Rob who commands a royal security guard unit. But in this third book of the series (which keeps the reader current with characters from prior books -YES) Eli gets pulled a bit out of his comfort zone in order to help an illegitimate daughter left out of the old Earl of Clarion's strange will. Lots more action than I expected for Eli. Courageous, determined, independent, creative Frances Hancock really wants a hero to save her like in the romantic stories she writes and hopes to publish. Other than in loyalty, Eli judges himself not good enough for Frannie. I encourage historical romance readers to dive into this book to assess Eli's worthiness for themselves, plus learn some historical tidbits worked into the story and further explained in author's notes. I enjoyed this book very much!
What does a woman want more: a big, handsome savior rushing to subvert danger or an average, steady, comfortable, dependable take-care-of-whatever's- needed guy? Eli Benson, barrister and estate steward, is the latter which he thinks is not as good as the former like his big brother Rob who commands a royal security guard unit. But in this third book of the series (which keeps the reader current with characters from prior books -YES) Eli gets pulled a bit out of his comfort zone in order to help an illegitimate daughter left out of the old Earl of Clarion's strange will. Lots more action than I expected for Eli. Courageous, determined, independent, creative Frances Hancock really wants a hero to save her like in the romantic stories she writes and hopes to publish. Other than in loyalty, Eli judges himself not good enough for Frannie. I encourage historical romance readers to dive into this book to assess Eli's worthiness for themselves, plus learn some historical tidbits worked into the story and further explained in author's notes. I enjoyed this book very much!
January 25, 2022
Miss Fanny Hancock has been left to care for her two younger siblings, the home they always lived in is about to be taken from them. So it's time her natural father, the Earl of Clarion to face his responsibility and help her.
Our heroine is an intelligent and capable young woman, but her age and the "ducklings" make her vulnerable.
Eli Benson is the steward of the Clarion estate and he's had a lot to sort out since the old Earl died and left a very complicated last will and testament. Our hero is not the typical type who charges in and saves the day. He's a hard working man who "gets things done". His knowledge of the law and just about everything will prove invaluable.
This historical romance is part of a wonderful series . Each book can be read on it's own, but are better in series order because what the other heirs have faced impacts on all of them. The characters are fabulous and there's plenty of danger and excitement to go with the gentle romance.
I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
I loved it.
Our heroine is an intelligent and capable young woman, but her age and the "ducklings" make her vulnerable.
Eli Benson is the steward of the Clarion estate and he's had a lot to sort out since the old Earl died and left a very complicated last will and testament. Our hero is not the typical type who charges in and saves the day. He's a hard working man who "gets things done". His knowledge of the law and just about everything will prove invaluable.
This historical romance is part of a wonderful series . Each book can be read on it's own, but are better in series order because what the other heirs have faced impacts on all of them. The characters are fabulous and there's plenty of danger and excitement to go with the gentle romance.
I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
I loved it.
January 27, 2022
Fanny and her half siblings are struggling after her stepfather drives their drapery business into the ground and dies leaving them with nothing but debts. Fanny is determined that her natural father owes it to her to help them but on travelling to his estate discovers that he is long dead and as she was not mentioned in his Will the estate owes her nothing. The new Earl however feels a moral obligation to help Fanny but as his father impoverished him, leaves it to his steward (fixer extraordinaire) to advise on a way forward. From the start Eli Benson is attracted to Fanny but knows he is not the hero she dreams of and with the the Earl’s acceptance of her as his half sister feels she is out of his reach. The story was enlivened by a human trafficking angle along with kidnap attempts, shootouts and frantic escapes. I can verify that this can be read as a standalone as I haven’t read the previous two books in this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 29, 2022
Fanny and her siblings are on the verge of destitution. Their appalling father has died leaving them with nothing but debts. Fanny has one last hope of keeping herself and her siblings from becoming homeless. She goes to ask for financial help from her birthfather, the Earl of Clarion, only to find out he’s died. The estate’s steward pleads her case to the new Earl, her half brother, and is given the task to help her. Eli, is not only the steward but also the estate’s solicitor and fixer. He’s competent, kind, and thoughtful. Fanny is a fighter, independent, tenacious with a writer’s imagination.. There’s a harrowing kidnapping, an obvious villain and an evil scheme. I very much enjoyed the romance between Eli and Fanny however the mystery /thriller started off as a nail biter but I felt the author lost interest mid-way.
Although this book is the 3rd in the series, it can be read as a stand alone. I highly recommend “The Defiant Daughter”.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC.
Although this book is the 3rd in the series, it can be read as a stand alone. I highly recommend “The Defiant Daughter”.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC.
February 5, 2022
Mr. Benson will see to it
Eli Benson is an important character in Warfield's series The Ashmead Heirs, and in this third book in the series he gets to be the unlikely hero instead of the Mr. Fix-it who solves everyone else's problems.
This book held my interest from beginning to end. I liked both the spunky heroine Fanny and the self-effacing but extremely capable Eli. The plot was interesting. I could not quite give it the maximum number of stars because oddly enough, at more than one point in the story, the points of highest action, the author pulls our hero and heroine away and skips forward in time, explaining the events in narrative form. I would have preferred to follow Eli and Fanny into the woods and observe how they managed to survive, and I would have preferred for Eli to be on scene as we watched him and his cohorts defeat the villain. I am surprised at the way the author handled these situations.
Still, it was an enjoyable story with mild heat and a charming H-E-A.
Eli Benson is an important character in Warfield's series The Ashmead Heirs, and in this third book in the series he gets to be the unlikely hero instead of the Mr. Fix-it who solves everyone else's problems.
This book held my interest from beginning to end. I liked both the spunky heroine Fanny and the self-effacing but extremely capable Eli. The plot was interesting. I could not quite give it the maximum number of stars because oddly enough, at more than one point in the story, the points of highest action, the author pulls our hero and heroine away and skips forward in time, explaining the events in narrative form. I would have preferred to follow Eli and Fanny into the woods and observe how they managed to survive, and I would have preferred for Eli to be on scene as we watched him and his cohorts defeat the villain. I am surprised at the way the author handled these situations.
Still, it was an enjoyable story with mild heat and a charming H-E-A.
December 6, 2022
I trust Caroline to provide excellent stories and am never disappointed! I'm always sure to enjoy and appreciate whatever she writes. One of the things I love best about her books is that they have appealing family relationships- often with children - that give her characters a well-roundedness, a sense that they are either already surrounded by family that loves them, or they are struggling to enter that situation and will fully appreciate it when they apprehend their happily ever after.
Eli Benson is the sort of hero I personally enjoy reading about. He's not the dashing sort, but is instead sharp and good at sorting out other people's problems. In this case, lucky for him, it's the woes of Fran and her younger siblings. Through their story, he finds he's capable in more ways than he thought, and she finds someone to trust. Lovely!
Eli Benson is the sort of hero I personally enjoy reading about. He's not the dashing sort, but is instead sharp and good at sorting out other people's problems. In this case, lucky for him, it's the woes of Fran and her younger siblings. Through their story, he finds he's capable in more ways than he thought, and she finds someone to trust. Lovely!
January 29, 2022
Another heir comes forth
I have enjoyed all of the books in this series. The Forgotten Daughter is the story of Fanny, an unknown Ashmead heir, who comes to Clarion Hall to demand the Earl's assistance. Instead of the Earl, Fanny finds Eli Benson, the estate steward. As Eli works with Fanny to help her untangle her family's financial situation, she is unknowingly put in danger. Eli's efforts to assist her and keep her safe soon involve the rest of the Ashmead and Benson clan. This story has a decidedly HEA, very mild sexual reference and can be read alone although the extended family makes more sense if the series is read in order. Now I can't wait for Clarion's story!
I have enjoyed all of the books in this series. The Forgotten Daughter is the story of Fanny, an unknown Ashmead heir, who comes to Clarion Hall to demand the Earl's assistance. Instead of the Earl, Fanny finds Eli Benson, the estate steward. As Eli works with Fanny to help her untangle her family's financial situation, she is unknowingly put in danger. Eli's efforts to assist her and keep her safe soon involve the rest of the Ashmead and Benson clan. This story has a decidedly HEA, very mild sexual reference and can be read alone although the extended family makes more sense if the series is read in order. Now I can't wait for Clarion's story!
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