Review: Forever Your Earl (The Wicked Quills of London #1) by Eva Leigh
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Series: The Wicked Quills of London #1
Author: Eva Leigh
Published September 29th 2015 by Avon
Goodreads Synopsis
Eleanor Hawke loves a good scandal. And readers of her successful gossip rag live for the exploits of her favorite subject: Daniel Balfour, the notorious Earl of Ashford. So when the earl himself marches into her office one day and invites her to experience his illicit pursuits firsthand, Eleanor is stunned. Gambling hells, phaeton races, masquerades…What more could a scandal writer want than a secret look into the life of this devilishly handsome rake?
Daniel has secrets and if The Hawk’s Eye gets wind of them, a man’s life could be at stake. And what better way to distract a gossip than by feeding her the scandal she desperately craves? But Daniel never expected the sharp mind and biting wit of the beautiful writer, and their desire for each other threatens even his best laid plans.
But when Eleanor learns the truth of his deception, Daniel will do anything to prove a romance between a commoner and an earl could really last forever.
Goodreads
Review
In Forever Your Earl, newspaper proprietress Eleanor Hawke finds herself drawn into the world of renowned rake, Daniel Balfour, the Earl of Ashford. Her prosperous gossip paper, The Hawk’s Eye, loves to tell the tales of the life and scandals of the upper crust, and Daniel commonly makes appearances in the paper. Daniel, though, is not too pleased with this, and marches into her offices to speak with a Mr Hawke, and is astonished to discover Eleanor is the owner. He needs to keep the paper off his back, especially when they've gotten too close to home at times, and he is trying to protect the family of his missing best friend. So, Daniel invites Eleanor along to his various outings: gambling nights, races, masquerades, etc., and it soon becomes obvious that their attraction is more than they can overcome, and they need to decide whether an Earl and a commoner can be together, and face what comes at them, or stop their romance in it's tracks.
My first Eva Leigh book was Would I Lie to the Duke which I was approved to review, and as soon as I finished it, I went out and bought her entire back list. Her debut novel, Forever Your Earl was simply fantastic. The main character, Eleanor, had had a difficult childhood with an alcoholic father, and she had managed to educate herself, and use her intellect to write articles in the place of her father. Her journalistic prowess was so good, that she was even starting to get published under her own name, and when the chance to buy a struggling paper came up, she did so, and paid back all loans in just two years. She was an amazing person, so strong and caring, and even though we knew her and Daniel would get together, she fully deserved her happiness. Daniel, on the other hand, has a reputation all around town, and knows that by bigging up his 'rogue'-ness, he would be able to keep the journalists, and Eleanor especially, off the trail of searching for his missing friend, Jonathan, who was suffering from PTSD after the Napoleonic Wars, and fled his family. Daniel showed his caring side here, helping Jonathan's sister, Catherine, search, and ruining his own reputation further so that they didn't suffer. He and Eleanor were perfect for each other in every way, and the way they built each other up when they were struggling was beautiful! I think they are one of the best matched couples I had read in a historical romance, and everything about their love story was spot on. I'm so glad I've bought Eva's other books, because I'm reading them straight away!
Dates Read:
Rating
4 Stars
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