He’s searching for a guiding light. She’s yearning for a safe harbor. Destiny will come knocking on their door…Since he lost his wife, Francis Blackburn, the Earl of Ashfield, has withdrawn from the world and his two young children. There is nothing that can shake him out of his grief… or so he thought.Miss Emma Baker, newly orphaned and with her brother mysteriously absent, carries the weight … her brother mysteriously absent, carries the weight of the world on her shoulders. The only way to avoid destitution is to start working, and she suddenly finds herself in Blackburn Manor in a position she never expected…
With the arrival of the new governess, an unexpected breath of fresh air comes to chase away the storm clouds in this family, and in Francis’ heart… and Emma finds much more than a family she’s desperate to mend – dreams of love lie in wait in the depths of sapphire blue eyes.
But Emma has secrets, secrets that suddenly become too heavy for her to carry, and Francis receives a blackmail that will chill him to the bone.
When an unforeseen enemy entraps them in a devious scheme, Emma and Francis will have to fight for family and love before everything turns to ashes…
*If you like engaging characters, heart- wrenching twists and turns, and lots of romance, then you’ll love “A Guiding Light for the Lost Earl!”
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A good mystery in addition to a good romance. Forced to seek employment as a governess, Emma falls quickly for her two charges. Seemingly abandoned by their father following the death of his wife/their mother, Winston and Rowana come to love Grace also. But all is not what it seems and Abby Ayles keeps you wondering the whys?
Since he lost his wife, Francis Blackburn, the Earl of Ashfield Has closed himself off from society and his children. But he needs to find them a governess!
Emma Baker has recently lost her parents and her brother is very sick! She must keep the household going with limited resources! Her family lawyer suggests she get a job as a governess to Lord Ashfield. She is immediately smitten with the adorable orphaned children and appalled that their father disregards them! She decides it’s up to her to help this family reconnect once again.
I really enjoyed this book! The plot was a bit slow in places but it really portrayed how the staff was treated in Regency times. The story was not original but the characters were wonderful! I especially enjoyed how close the children were and how tightly bonded they were!
Emma Baker is going through an extremely difficult time. Her parents are both deceased and her older brother, Marcus, is not available (more on that later in the book) to help her with the family expenses, which are quite dismal. Thankfully, her family’s solicitor, Lucius Rowley, is there to help her with an referral of a job as a governess to Francis Blackburn, Earl of Ashfield, who lost his beloved wife, Caroline, in a tragic accident a year ago.
Emma is quite nervous about applying for the job as a governess since she has no experience, but Mr Rowley assures her that she will do fine. And, to her surprise, she gets the job.
Lord Blackburn is still deeply grieving his wife and unfortunately is very neglectful to his children, Winston and Rowena, because they remind him so much of their late mother. He rarely spends time with them, which is noticed immediately by Emma, who confronts the Earl about his bad behavior. This does not go well with the Earl and he reminds her of her place and that she does not have the right to judge him. Unfortunately for him, but fortunately for us, Emma does not let that discourage her from standing up for the children, whom she dearly loves.
And if that is not enough, the Earl is being blackmailed by his father-in-law, Grant Brentwood, is pressuring the Earl to remarry as soon as possible, and the bride he has in mind is his own niece, Rosaline Brentwood, who also reminds him of his wife, her cousin, Caroline. Brentwood has also threatened to ruin the Earl by not allowing his to use his ships to send his goods to America and India.I
Because this book is longer than most books,which I like, it is possible to learn more about each character and lots of plotlines. I highly recommend this to as well as the rest of the books by Ms. Ayles.
I received a ARC of this ebook to read and give an honest review. In addition, I got a copy of the final ebook directly from Amazon.
I was given an advanced copy of this one! This sweet romance has a definitive flair for the dramatic. Emma is trying to hide her brother’s consumption from the town, manage the family’s declining finances, keep her best friend and maid housed/fed/clothed, and hold down a job as a governess to two grieving children after the death of their mother. Her employer, Francis, has isolated himself from the world after his wife’s death and that includes his own children. As Emma tries to bridge the gap between the children and their father, she starts falling in love with her boss. But as Emma investigates her declining finances for her brother’s sake, she realizes that things aren’t adding up. In the processes of apologizing to Emma for dismissing her on the grounds of theft, Francis begins to unravel the complex ring of theft run by Emma’s former lawyer. Be sure to read the extended ending because its really sweet!
Oh, what a sappy HEA! I love it! The extended epilogue was also quite sappy. I’d like to see anyone who doesn’t like a sappy love story with a sappy romantic ending. (Insert a big sigh here!) In the usual Abby Ayles fashion, this was well written. I love the characters even though I sometimes wanted to strangle a certain one or two for being so idiotic. This alone tells me that they were well written and just like some characters I know personally. 😉 if you like regency romance then I can certainly recommend this one.
Strong characters lead to an interesting story, with side stories making it just more interesting. The earl is realistic and the governess, delightful? Children added in to the mix are always a source for added endearment.
Well written, the story is one I would happily read again.
He thinks his world has gotten dark and will stay that way when he loses his wife. He has two children but can’t see past his grief to them. She is in a bad way. Her brother is no where around and she needs help badly. So she goes to work for him. She helps chip away at that darkness and brings light in. It is exciting, fun, dramatic, suspenseful, emotional and so much more. I received a review copy and voluntarily review it.
This outstanding read was well written and the characters were so well developed that as I turned each and every page I felt like Lord Francis and Emma jumped from the pages and pulled me right into their story which made this book a very enjoyable read!