Review: Not the Kind of Earl You Marry (The Unconventional Ladies of Mayfair #1) by Kate Pembrooke
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Series: The Unconventional Ladies of Mayfair #1
Author: Kate Pembrooke
Published July 27th 2021 by Forever
Goodreads Synopsis
Fans of Netflix's Bridgerton series will adore this stunning historical romance debut, where a wary wallflower enters a fake engagement with one of London's most eligible bachelors.
The one woman in London who doesn’t want to marry him is now his fiancée.
William Atherton, Earl of Norwood, is as shocked as the rest of London to discover his betrothal via an announcement in the morning paper. Furious at what appears to be a shrewd marriage trap, William tracks down his alleged fiancée before her plans can affect his campaign for a coveted political post. But then William realizes an engagement, however fake, may benefit them both...
Miss Charlotte Hurst may be a wallflower, but she’s no shrinking violet. She would never attempt such an underhanded scheme, especially not with a man as haughty or sought-after as Norwood. Yet his suggestion to play along with the betrothal has its merits... and the longer they pretend, the more undeniably real their feelings become. But when the true culprit behind their engagement is revealed, can their newfound happiness survive the scandal?
Goodreads
Review
When Charlotte Hurst discovers that she is supposedly engaged to William Atherton, Earl of Norwood, she’s not happy about it, but angry. She may be a wallflower, but she’d never put a claim in the paper of an engagement, no matter what anyone thinks. And that’s exactly what William believes of her. He’s angry, and wants to make her pay for the trap which may cost him his career. However, they soon realise that a political foe has had the notice printed, in order to discredit William, and decide to work together and pretend to be engaged until they discover who's behind the deception. But all good plans have a catch, and soon they realise that their fake engagement is one filled with very real feelings, and William may just be the earl Charlotte does marry.
I'm going to admit, I didn't really have this book on my radar until I was approved for book 2 - not realising it was a sequel - and ordered Not the Kind of Earl You Marry. I'm so glad too, as this book was just perfect! I laughed, I cried, and had a whale of a time. The characters were all amazing, with Charlotte being a fantastic heroine. She might be on the shelf, but that doesn't bother her, so to be accused of trying to trap a man into marriage, and a peer of the realm at that, she understandably takes offence. I think the first meeting of her and William really set the stage for their romance, and was the time when William started falling for her. He was so focused on his political career, and Charlotte was someone who challenged him and made him think, which is definitely what he needed. I love fake dating/engagement tropes, and this was do so well. Charlotte may have been on the of the only characters who couldn't see how real their romance was for a long time, but the friends and family members around them saw the sparks flying, and knew she would be the Countess of Norwood sooner rather than later. Now, I'm extremely glad to have a copy of book 2, Say You'll Be My Lady, and hopefully we'll see more of these two then!
Dates Read:
December 28-29, 2021
Rating
4 Stars
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