ARC Review: Curled Up with an Earl (The Byronic Book Club #2) by Amy Rose Bennett
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Series: The Byronic Book Club #2
Author: Amy Rose Bennett
Published February 7th 2023 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
Goodreads Synopsis
"Ever since we first met, I've imagined what it would be like to be in your arms, to feel your lips upon mine. I'm twenty-eight years old. A shy and oft-times awkward spinster with singular scientific interests, and I've...I've never been kissed. Not once. In fact, I never thought I would ever want to be kissed. But then I met you and...and I do want this. Very much."
Miss Lucy Bertram is content to spend her days writing scientific articles or curling up with a Gothic romance novel. Indeed, she'd rather stick a hatpin in her eye than attend a ball. But when her father, the eccentric botanist Sir Oswald, insists she accept the suit of a wealthy but stiffer-than-a-poker industrialist to save the family from penury, Lucy decides to act. She's certain her disowned brother, Monty, will take her side. But first she must find him in St. Giles's cutthroat rookeries.
A covert agent for the Crown, William Lockhart, the Earl of Kyle, is on the hunt for a ruthless killer determined to destroy the Linnean Society. Sir Oswald, a botanical poisons expert, is the prime suspect. Posing as a groom in the baronet's household, it shouldn't take Will long to unearth the evidence Scotland Yard needs. If only the beguiling Miss Bertram wasn't so damn distracting...
As an unexpected but undeniable passion flares between Lucy and Will, confidences are exchanged and dark secrets come to light. But will a murderer, determined to stay hidden, destroy their chances of finding a happy-ever-after?
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
For Miss Lucy Bertram, trying to keep the estate together after her brother, Monty, runs off, her father is pushing her into a match with a wealthy industrialist, and hoping for her work to be listened to has been tough. The new groom, Will - the first new servant in years - seems to be someone Lucy can trust, and when she needs to journey into the dangerous St Giles area of London, there's no one else she would rather ask. But Will is not only a groom. He is in fact William Lockhart, Earl of Kyle, working for the Crown to discover who is poisoning members of the Linnean Society, and threatening Charles Darwin. He has suspicions of the baron, and maybe even Lucy, and needs to rule them out, one way or another. Will has always been able to keep his head on even the toughest of missions, but around Lucy, it's proving to be his hardest case even.
Well, this was phenomenal. I honestly could not put the book down. From the first meeting of Lucy and Will, it was clear that their story was going to be filled with twists and turns, and one for the ages. Lucy had been forced to take on more and more responsibility for the household when her mother died, and then her father came into money worries, and more and more staff were let go. She's a jack of all trades, and now has lost her brother who she relied on. She needs help, and Will appears at the perfect moment. Though he's keeping a secret, and is convinced that the baron has some role in the poisonings, he can't abide seeing Lucy suffer, and is ready and willing to help when she finally asks. He is possessive in a way he's never been before, but he knows that Lucy is strong and capable, but seeing her in danger is a step too far. I loved that when Will finally revealed the truth of who he was, he was honest and open about everything, and brought Lucy into his plans. Rather than sheltering her, he supported Lucy and pushed her ideas forward to his superiors. He was Lucy's biggest champion, and someone who she needed after so long. The mystery was great, though I had guessed at who the villain was. Even so, I'm really looking forward to book 3!
Dates Read:
January 21, 2023
Rating
4 Stars
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