Review: This Earl of Mine by Kate Bateman
Print Length: 336 pages
Publisher: St.Martin's Press (October 29, 2019)
From Goodreads.com: The first book in a new Regency romance series, an heiress and a rogue accidentally end up in a secret marriage of convenience.
In a desperate bid to keep her fortune out of her cousin's hands, shipping heiress Georgiana Caversteed marries a condemned criminal in Newgate prison. The scoundrel's first kiss is shockingly heated, but Georgie never expects to see her husband again. Until she spots him across a crowded ballroom. Notorious rogue Benedict Wylde never expected a wife. He was in Newgate undercover, working for Bow Street. To keep their marriage of convenience a secret, Wylde courts Georgie in public, but the more time they spend together, the more their attraction sparks. Could an heiress with the world at her feet find happiness with a penniless rake?
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My Rating: 3 stars out of 5
To be honest, I was a little confused, and a little bored with this story. It seemed to drag on in some places, adding unnecessary plot twists, or dialogue that really did nothing to move the story along. Even the characters became somewhat one dimensional towards the end.
I also feel it's worth mentioning that there will be some people who dislike this story from the beginning simply because of the number of things that need to be overlooked. One of the main things that really sticks out to me is the fact that despite the fact that this story is set in Regency England - where women aren't even allowed to own property - Georgie not only owns and runs her late father's entire shipping empire - but she also has a stipulation that any man that wishes to marry her must sign the equivalent of a prenup, giving away all rights to her fortune. Things like this just weren't done (nor do I think they would be legal considering the government at the time).
The characters are not without their own flaws. When we first meet Georgie, she is on her way to Newgate prison to marry a man heading for the gallows. To her, being a widow is better than being married to her cousin. Well, I mean in her defense, she plans to tell everyone her husband is alive and well - for a while anyway - however it doesn't seem to dawn on her that the moment her widow status is announced, her cousin will be right back around trying to trap her into marriage. After all, it's her money he wants, not her.
I was also a little put off by Wylde's character. Why was he considered to be a rake when we were given no indication of his indiscretions? Also, why was he sharing top secret information with a woman he barely knew, much less allowing her to come along on missions? For all he knew Georgie could have been a spy. Also, it's worth mentioning that Wylde isn't actually an Earl until the very end of the book. He is actually a mere second son until the Prince creates a new Earldom just for him after his services to his country.
However, there were just enough interesting pieces of this story that it was enjoyable enough. It doesn't stand out among the crowd of other historical romance novels on the market, but I can see where it will appeal to a lot of people more than it did to me.
All things considered, if the next books in this series manage to catch my attention the way this one did, I would give this series another chance.
To be honest, I was a little confused, and a little bored with this story. It seemed to drag on in some places, adding unnecessary plot twists, or dialogue that really did nothing to move the story along. Even the characters became somewhat one dimensional towards the end.
I also feel it's worth mentioning that there will be some people who dislike this story from the beginning simply because of the number of things that need to be overlooked. One of the main things that really sticks out to me is the fact that despite the fact that this story is set in Regency England - where women aren't even allowed to own property - Georgie not only owns and runs her late father's entire shipping empire - but she also has a stipulation that any man that wishes to marry her must sign the equivalent of a prenup, giving away all rights to her fortune. Things like this just weren't done (nor do I think they would be legal considering the government at the time).
The characters are not without their own flaws. When we first meet Georgie, she is on her way to Newgate prison to marry a man heading for the gallows. To her, being a widow is better than being married to her cousin. Well, I mean in her defense, she plans to tell everyone her husband is alive and well - for a while anyway - however it doesn't seem to dawn on her that the moment her widow status is announced, her cousin will be right back around trying to trap her into marriage. After all, it's her money he wants, not her.
I was also a little put off by Wylde's character. Why was he considered to be a rake when we were given no indication of his indiscretions? Also, why was he sharing top secret information with a woman he barely knew, much less allowing her to come along on missions? For all he knew Georgie could have been a spy. Also, it's worth mentioning that Wylde isn't actually an Earl until the very end of the book. He is actually a mere second son until the Prince creates a new Earldom just for him after his services to his country.
However, there were just enough interesting pieces of this story that it was enjoyable enough. It doesn't stand out among the crowd of other historical romance novels on the market, but I can see where it will appeal to a lot of people more than it did to me.
All things considered, if the next books in this series manage to catch my attention the way this one did, I would give this series another chance.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
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This Earl of Mine is available from Amazon.com
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