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The Branwell Chronicles #4
A Knowing One
An uneasy friendship turns into a dangerous game when the love of a woman is on the line.
Tom Breckinridge has been falling in love with Diana Marshall for the past year, but just when has decided to come to the point, a rival has come out of the Reginald Popplewell, a childhood playmate of Diana's, and now heir to a viscountcy! Diana's father much prefers Reginald, but Tom believes Reginald has something to hide.
When Tom shares his doubts with Diana, however, she won't hear a word against "dear Reggie" and goes so far as to wring a pledge from Tom that he will become Reginald's friend. Fulfilling this promise, Tom quickly discovers just how risky it can be to befriend a con man, and is forced to decide to exactly what lengths he is willing to go to win Diana.
Tom Breckinridge has been falling in love with Diana Marshall for the past year, but just when has decided to come to the point, a rival has come out of the Reginald Popplewell, a childhood playmate of Diana's, and now heir to a viscountcy! Diana's father much prefers Reginald, but Tom believes Reginald has something to hide.
When Tom shares his doubts with Diana, however, she won't hear a word against "dear Reggie" and goes so far as to wring a pledge from Tom that he will become Reginald's friend. Fulfilling this promise, Tom quickly discovers just how risky it can be to befriend a con man, and is forced to decide to exactly what lengths he is willing to go to win Diana.
323 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 3, 2023
About the author
Judith Hale Everett
12 books77 followersJudith Hale Everett writes tongue-in-cheek traditional Regency romance in the immersive style of classic authors, with special emphasis on delightful language, historical accuracy, and no forays into the bedroom.
As one of seven sisters, Judith grew up surrounded by romance novels. Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen were staples, and formed the groundwork for her lifelong love affair with the Regency. Add to that her obsession with the English language and you've got one hopelessly literate romantic.
You can find her at JudithHaleEverett.com or follow her on:
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As one of seven sisters, Judith grew up surrounded by romance novels. Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen were staples, and formed the groundwork for her lifelong love affair with the Regency. Add to that her obsession with the English language and you've got one hopelessly literate romantic.
You can find her at JudithHaleEverett.com or follow her on:
BookBub
Amazon
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 16, 2023
To be honest, I’m not quite sure what to make of this. On the one hand, Everett is one of those glorious authors who writes a completely different book every time — you just never know what’s going to turn up when you start reading. And the authenticity of the language she uses is twelve shades of awesome. On the other hand, some elements of this book left me underwhelmed, most specifically the heroine, and that’s a problem.
Here’s the premise: Tom Breckinridge is the son of a ne’er-do-well who practically bankrupted his family. Happily, he died before things quite reached that point, and Tom’s been spending the years since slowly rebuilding his finances and nurturing his estate. His mother has remarried, his sister is also married and Tom himself is in love with Diana Marshall, who seems to favour his suit. But into this promising situation comes Reginald Popplewell, a childhood friend of Diana’s, who has dazzled her with his charm, wealth and prospects of inheriting a viscountcy. Mr Marshall is very much on his side, and Diana appears to be too. But Mrs Marshall intervenes to invite Tom to stay with them, and when there are setbacks, to follow them to Brighton for the summer. And Tom, faithful, honest Tom, does so, and even tries to make a friend of Popplewell, as Diana asks him to, in the hopes of winning Diana in the end.
I have to say that Tom is one of the most delightful heroes I’ve had the pleasure of encountering. He’s a true down-to-earth fellow, not given to flowery compliments or flirtation, but he knows his own worth and holds to his principles, and that is so rare in a Regency novel. To be honest, a lot of heroes appear to have no principles at all. I absolutely cheered every time he managed to put one over on his adversary (which was not very often, to be frank - at first he appeared to be quite outgunned, but Tom is deep (and the knowing one of the title) so he gets there in the end.
It’s rare to meet a villain who’s as complex and downright nuanced as Reginald Popplewell, or ‘dear Reggie’ as he’s generally known. He appears to the world as a perfectly amiable and charming man, perfect husband material, one would think, yet through Tom’s eyes we see the snide comments and the sly ways in which he tries to make Tom feel inferior and put him at a disadvantage with Diana. It’s very, very clever, and the reader totally sympathises with poor misused and abused Tom. This book is a glacially slow read in many ways, with a fair amount of long-winded introspection, but I read on avidly to see dear Reggie get his comeuppance.
And then we come to Diana. What can I say? The whole premise of the book is that, although she seems to be drawn to Tom, she does very little to encourage him, constantly seeming to be in thrall to Reggie, and she refuses to believe there’s anything underhand about him. In fact, she outright accuses Tom of irrational prejudice against his rival, and wants the two to be friends so that Tom will come to appreciate Reggie for the good and noble man he really is. And honest Tom does as she asks, or makes a valiant attempt to, and only succeeds in proving to his own satisfaction what a deceiving toad Reggie is. But Diana never makes the same effort to see Reggie from Tom’s point of view. Considering that she supposedly wants to marry Tom, she’s astonishingly dismissive of his opinions. If a good, honest man tells you that another man is a shady character, you should at least trust him enough to think about it. After all, women only see men in certain carefully prescribed contexts, so she couldn’t possibly know what Reggie gets up to when she’s not around. Although, to be fair, her father ought to have been looking out for her interests too, and he failed rather badly in that regard, being blinded by his own advancement, silly man. But that doesn’t excuse Diana for arguing so forcefully against Tom’s opinion. There’s a moment when they have a huge dust-up when I wondered just why he wanted to marry her at all. Any rational man would have said, well, if that’s how you feel, you can have Reggie, I’m outta here.
But in the end, it all gets worked out and I expect that marriage to Tom will knock the most obviously stupid of her ideas out of her head. A beautifully realised Regency, with language and manners and every detail perfect. Only that slight overdose of introspection and a moderately silly heroine keep it to four stars.
Here’s the premise: Tom Breckinridge is the son of a ne’er-do-well who practically bankrupted his family. Happily, he died before things quite reached that point, and Tom’s been spending the years since slowly rebuilding his finances and nurturing his estate. His mother has remarried, his sister is also married and Tom himself is in love with Diana Marshall, who seems to favour his suit. But into this promising situation comes Reginald Popplewell, a childhood friend of Diana’s, who has dazzled her with his charm, wealth and prospects of inheriting a viscountcy. Mr Marshall is very much on his side, and Diana appears to be too. But Mrs Marshall intervenes to invite Tom to stay with them, and when there are setbacks, to follow them to Brighton for the summer. And Tom, faithful, honest Tom, does so, and even tries to make a friend of Popplewell, as Diana asks him to, in the hopes of winning Diana in the end.
I have to say that Tom is one of the most delightful heroes I’ve had the pleasure of encountering. He’s a true down-to-earth fellow, not given to flowery compliments or flirtation, but he knows his own worth and holds to his principles, and that is so rare in a Regency novel. To be honest, a lot of heroes appear to have no principles at all. I absolutely cheered every time he managed to put one over on his adversary (which was not very often, to be frank - at first he appeared to be quite outgunned, but Tom is deep (and the knowing one of the title) so he gets there in the end.
It’s rare to meet a villain who’s as complex and downright nuanced as Reginald Popplewell, or ‘dear Reggie’ as he’s generally known. He appears to the world as a perfectly amiable and charming man, perfect husband material, one would think, yet through Tom’s eyes we see the snide comments and the sly ways in which he tries to make Tom feel inferior and put him at a disadvantage with Diana. It’s very, very clever, and the reader totally sympathises with poor misused and abused Tom. This book is a glacially slow read in many ways, with a fair amount of long-winded introspection, but I read on avidly to see dear Reggie get his comeuppance.
And then we come to Diana. What can I say? The whole premise of the book is that, although she seems to be drawn to Tom, she does very little to encourage him, constantly seeming to be in thrall to Reggie, and she refuses to believe there’s anything underhand about him. In fact, she outright accuses Tom of irrational prejudice against his rival, and wants the two to be friends so that Tom will come to appreciate Reggie for the good and noble man he really is. And honest Tom does as she asks, or makes a valiant attempt to, and only succeeds in proving to his own satisfaction what a deceiving toad Reggie is. But Diana never makes the same effort to see Reggie from Tom’s point of view. Considering that she supposedly wants to marry Tom, she’s astonishingly dismissive of his opinions. If a good, honest man tells you that another man is a shady character, you should at least trust him enough to think about it. After all, women only see men in certain carefully prescribed contexts, so she couldn’t possibly know what Reggie gets up to when she’s not around. Although, to be fair, her father ought to have been looking out for her interests too, and he failed rather badly in that regard, being blinded by his own advancement, silly man. But that doesn’t excuse Diana for arguing so forcefully against Tom’s opinion. There’s a moment when they have a huge dust-up when I wondered just why he wanted to marry her at all. Any rational man would have said, well, if that’s how you feel, you can have Reggie, I’m outta here.
But in the end, it all gets worked out and I expect that marriage to Tom will knock the most obviously stupid of her ideas out of her head. A beautifully realised Regency, with language and manners and every detail perfect. Only that slight overdose of introspection and a moderately silly heroine keep it to four stars.
April 7, 2023
If you love Regency Romances, you will love Judith Everett Hale. Her tone and vocabulary are ptich perfect and her characters just the right mixture of lovers and villains.
In this book Tom is desperately in love with Diana but being the stiff upper lip type, he doesn't let her know it. He is in despair when he's introduced to her old childhood friend Reginald "dear Reggie", who's apparently heir to a viscountcy and has the support of Diana's father, a would-be parliamentarian who sees in him the opportunity for political advancement.
But Tom suspects Reggie and doesn't like the company he keeps, especially a flighty widow who seems to have a roving eye for any man willing to support her.
Proof of Reggie's villainy soon abounds, but Tom is too much of a gentleman to denounce him to Diana. But, as the saying goes, be sure your sins will find you out. Reggie's do, and a happy ending prevails, of course.
A classic Regency, clean and charming. You will love it!
In this book Tom is desperately in love with Diana but being the stiff upper lip type, he doesn't let her know it. He is in despair when he's introduced to her old childhood friend Reginald "dear Reggie", who's apparently heir to a viscountcy and has the support of Diana's father, a would-be parliamentarian who sees in him the opportunity for political advancement.
But Tom suspects Reggie and doesn't like the company he keeps, especially a flighty widow who seems to have a roving eye for any man willing to support her.
Proof of Reggie's villainy soon abounds, but Tom is too much of a gentleman to denounce him to Diana. But, as the saying goes, be sure your sins will find you out. Reggie's do, and a happy ending prevails, of course.
A classic Regency, clean and charming. You will love it!
April 10, 2026
Young Tom Breckinridge is in love with Diana Marshall. He's mooning over her, because a rival has appeared on the scene, one Reginald Poppelwell, a childhood friend of Diana's. Encouraged by his mother and sister, and determined to give it his all, he accepts an invitation to a house party at the Marshalls' country home, where mishaps are bound to occur. Tom is an unshakable gentleman, a stickler for propriety, and determined to maintain a character that is the complete opposite of his deceased father's. Reginald, on the other hand, is determined to outdo Tom in every way, and does his best to make him look bad. Over and over, Tom is drawn into Reginald's plots, and again and again he falls for them. It got tiresome, but I was still cheerleading in his corner.
The next stage of Tom's quest takes place in Brighton. Diana refuses to see anything negative about Reggie's behavior, and she challenges Tom to befriend him and recognize the (non-existent) good in him. There was a point where I wondered why Tom bothered with her. Again, I admired Tom's honesty, but grew tired of his naïveté. The author writes beautifully, though. I often reread paragraphs just to savor the prose.
Some might be put off by the author's liberal use of Regency cant and slang, but I enjoyed it. She uses it very well. It gives extra zing to the dialogue. This could probably be read as a standalone, but it's helpful to have read the prequel and the three previous books in the series.
Cover: I continue to be impressed by the collaged covers for the books in this series. They are the wok of the author's daughter. Each one is a clever hint of the plot. A+
The next stage of Tom's quest takes place in Brighton. Diana refuses to see anything negative about Reggie's behavior, and she challenges Tom to befriend him and recognize the (non-existent) good in him. There was a point where I wondered why Tom bothered with her. Again, I admired Tom's honesty, but grew tired of his naïveté. The author writes beautifully, though. I often reread paragraphs just to savor the prose.
Some might be put off by the author's liberal use of Regency cant and slang, but I enjoyed it. She uses it very well. It gives extra zing to the dialogue. This could probably be read as a standalone, but it's helpful to have read the prequel and the three previous books in the series.
Cover: I continue to be impressed by the collaged covers for the books in this series. They are the wok of the author's daughter. Each one is a clever hint of the plot. A+
March 31, 2026
This is a historical romance set in the Regency, the fourth in the loosely related stories conforming the Bramwell Chronicles series.
As was the case with the previous books, the first word that springs to mind is impeccable: impeccable writing and impeccable historical feeling. Then comes originality, not only because all four stories are quite different from each other (how refreshing to have an author who doesn't stick to a successful formula), but also because the plot is quite unpredictable and, furthermore, quite distinct from other "regencies" out there.
Now, the book is not so much about the romance (Tom Breckinridge fell in love with his sister's friend, Diana, in the second book), but about the courtship. Tom owns a state which still recovering from his late father's mismanagement (almost profitable, but not yet) and is just a mere mister. So, even if he is handsome and has many good qualities (he's hardworking, all that is sensible, more mature than his age and, against appearances, the knowing-one from the title), Tom is not very eligible. On top of this, there's a second beau, an old family friend, more dashing, apparently richer, and heir to a peerage. In consequence, Tom needs to convince everyone (starting with himself) that he's the best candidate to Diana's hand. In particular, he needs to "court" his prospective father in law and gain his approval, while counteracting the backhanded manoeuvres of his rival (by the way, how masterfully depicted are the characters of both the father and the rival!).
In Diana's favour, she doesn't need convincing of Tom's worth. She already fell in love with Tom in a previous book and she never considers any other candidate to her hand. Again , praise to the author because this is no ordinary love triangle. Despite this, I found Diana's attitude wanting. She is, for the most part, lukewarm to her beau (although I suppose this may be attributed to modesty and social habits of the time). Worse than that, she's "unfair" and always takes her friend's side against Tom, not trusting his opinion nor giving him the benefit of the doubt. Furthermore, she seems to make unreasonable demands from Tom and gets crossed too easily if he doesn't act, feel or think exactly as she says. Of course she's not completely disagreeable, and has redeeming qualities, but she seemed a much nicer person in the second book in the series.
Either because of Diana's attitude or because of the story's focus, I felt that the romance lacked some chemistry. But, other than that, this is a delightful read, certainly recommended to anyone who likes high quality historical romance.
As was the case with the previous books, the first word that springs to mind is impeccable: impeccable writing and impeccable historical feeling. Then comes originality, not only because all four stories are quite different from each other (how refreshing to have an author who doesn't stick to a successful formula), but also because the plot is quite unpredictable and, furthermore, quite distinct from other "regencies" out there.
Now, the book is not so much about the romance (Tom Breckinridge fell in love with his sister's friend, Diana, in the second book), but about the courtship. Tom owns a state which still recovering from his late father's mismanagement (almost profitable, but not yet) and is just a mere mister. So, even if he is handsome and has many good qualities (he's hardworking, all that is sensible, more mature than his age and, against appearances, the knowing-one from the title), Tom is not very eligible. On top of this, there's a second beau, an old family friend, more dashing, apparently richer, and heir to a peerage. In consequence, Tom needs to convince everyone (starting with himself) that he's the best candidate to Diana's hand. In particular, he needs to "court" his prospective father in law and gain his approval, while counteracting the backhanded manoeuvres of his rival (by the way, how masterfully depicted are the characters of both the father and the rival!).
In Diana's favour, she doesn't need convincing of Tom's worth. She already fell in love with Tom in a previous book and she never considers any other candidate to her hand. Again , praise to the author because this is no ordinary love triangle. Despite this, I found Diana's attitude wanting. She is, for the most part, lukewarm to her beau (although I suppose this may be attributed to modesty and social habits of the time). Worse than that, she's "unfair" and always takes her friend's side against Tom, not trusting his opinion nor giving him the benefit of the doubt. Furthermore, she seems to make unreasonable demands from Tom and gets crossed too easily if he doesn't act, feel or think exactly as she says. Of course she's not completely disagreeable, and has redeeming qualities, but she seemed a much nicer person in the second book in the series.
Either because of Diana's attitude or because of the story's focus, I felt that the romance lacked some chemistry. But, other than that, this is a delightful read, certainly recommended to anyone who likes high quality historical romance.
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July 25, 2026Suspense lento.
O que me matou nessa história foi a juventude do protagonista. 21 anos.
É escrito em terceira pessoa, mas praticamente no ponto de vista de Tom. Ele é apaixonado e está cortejando Diana, até que aparece Reggie, um amigo de infancia dela, que acaba de se tornar herdeiro de um visconde, e é o pretendente preferido do pai dela. Reggie é um membro ocioso da nobreza, a alma da festa e só Tom percebe o canalha por baixo da capa brilhante.
E assim passamos o livro todo vendo Tom sofrer com Reggie fazendo-o de bobo, até o final, quando ele finalmente desmascara-o.
Mas o que eu pensava o tempo todo era "mas ele só tem 21 anos!" e Reggie devia ter até menos, pq era dois anos mais velho que Diana, que estava em sua segunda temporada.
O que me matou nessa história foi a juventude do protagonista. 21 anos.
É escrito em terceira pessoa, mas praticamente no ponto de vista de Tom. Ele é apaixonado e está cortejando Diana, até que aparece Reggie, um amigo de infancia dela, que acaba de se tornar herdeiro de um visconde, e é o pretendente preferido do pai dela. Reggie é um membro ocioso da nobreza, a alma da festa e só Tom percebe o canalha por baixo da capa brilhante.
E assim passamos o livro todo vendo Tom sofrer com Reggie fazendo-o de bobo, até o final, quando ele finalmente desmascara-o.
Mas o que eu pensava o tempo todo era "mas ele só tem 21 anos!" e Reggie devia ter até menos, pq era dois anos mais velho que Diana, que estava em sua segunda temporada.
January 30, 2025
Good read and great audio book. I enjoyed this book as well as the audiobook, which was very well read by Clair Wille. I liked that the hero was not your typical, dashing, tall, dark and handsome, but a rather ordinary kind of guy, although perfectly capable of defending and protecting his lady. I like how his solid dependability and knowing mind became its own kind of romance. I also enjoyed the huge amount of research that obviously went into this book and the history of Bath as seen in the appendix. Judith Everett really knows her Regency and stays true to it. She is also an excellent writer and a joy to read.
September 9, 2023
This, to me, was the best one of them all. Tom and Diana were both intriguing and compelling characters. The storyline didn't have any of the hiccups that the others had. I didn't feel that their relationship was rushed, nor did I feel that the story lagged like some of the others. I think, in this one, the author truly found her stride. I'm excited to see what comes next. The regency language and etiquette were well done through out the series. And it truly all came together in this one.
January 29, 2024
Regency Romance From A Male Perspective
I did enjoy this story very much! It’s refreshing to see male exploits from a not easily fooled viewpoint, we seldom get that in Regency Romance novels.
This is my 2nd favourite in the series. I’m assuming that this ends the series, but book 3 wasn’t directly about the Branwell family members, so I hope that there is another episode. (I shall look out for other books by this author).
If this IS the end of the series, it’s a lovely finale.
I did enjoy this story very much! It’s refreshing to see male exploits from a not easily fooled viewpoint, we seldom get that in Regency Romance novels.
This is my 2nd favourite in the series. I’m assuming that this ends the series, but book 3 wasn’t directly about the Branwell family members, so I hope that there is another episode. (I shall look out for other books by this author).
If this IS the end of the series, it’s a lovely finale.
May 2, 2025
The first few chapters i didn't really know what to think of this book, starting out slow and focusing on one individual, AND that individual being a male in a historical romance book. Though things progressed slower than im used to, I did really enjoy the plotline. It wasn't rushed, it was thought-out and very much different to many other books. There was a lot of depth and I loved the main characters thought process. It flowed really well. Worth the read!
August 29, 2023
I'm a Branwell Chronicles fan, so I was delighted to listen #4 book, A Knowing One on Audible. It was so well narrated, and so well written. Judith is a master at the dialogue and character development. The plot had some fun and surprising twists too. Listening to this book was my happy place to go each day. Thanks Judith.
September 30, 2025
I really tried to like this but the story was so slow I had to put it down. Main character gave up on even trying to court the woman he wanted to marry because someone else was interested in her. He only decided to pursue her after everyone you meet in the books tells him to try. Everyone. Ugh. If he needs that much prodding to try he can’t be that into her
May 2, 2025
A sweet and clean read that catalogs a young man’s thoughts and emotions as he attempts to court his lady. He ultimately gains his hea although must deal with a potential suitor (in his eyes only) he does not like. I wasn’t really impressed with his lady Diane but in the end he wins her hand
June 22, 2025
I almost gave up on this book early on, as the main character was so tentative and easily swayed. It got better as it went on. There was a lot of period language that my Kindle was no help translating - I'm assuming that the author did a lot of research in that area.
September 17, 2024
I really liked & enjoyed Tom, but was annoyed with Diana until the very end. I kept wishing he’d drop her and go home.
Want to Read
March 14, 2025Audiobook purchased at Chirp
B0CFGC23KB
Narrator: Clare Wille
8 hrs 56 mins
Evershire Publishing
August 14, 2023
B0CFGC23KB
Narrator: Clare Wille
8 hrs 56 mins
Evershire Publishing
August 14, 2023
March 21, 2026
I liked this couple, and their journey to HEA
April 12, 2023
This is one of the author’s best works so far. Tom is one of my favorite Branwell characters.
January 31, 2024
Loved this book
Tom's story was great. I liked the way Tom got himself out of scrapes on his way to winning Diana's heart. A very good book.
Tom's story was great. I liked the way Tom got himself out of scrapes on his way to winning Diana's heart. A very good book.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews