CAN A WOMAN WHO DOESN’T WANT A HUSBANDWhen she had her come out, Lady Penelope Keats was one of the most sought-after debutantes of the season. But now, years later and by her own choosing, Penelope is still unmarried. She has little interest in love and prefers to spend her time at St. Thomas’s hospital in pursuit of medical knowledge and helping others. However, staying unwed when one’s mother … staying unwed when one’s mother is a notorious matchmaker is no easy feat.
AND A MAN WHO DOESN’T WANT A WIFE
Through unfortunate circumstances, James MacKenzie is the new Earl of Oakhurst, a title he never expected or wanted. When he is summoned by his only living relative, his grandmother the Dowager Countess of Oakhurst, to attend to her in London so that she might instruct him on his duties as earl, including finding a bride, he reluctantly complies. Upon arrival, he finds the older woman ill and in need of medical attention. When his grandmother proves difficult and resistant to help, he allows Lady Penelope’s aid in treating her.
MAKE THE PERFECT MATCH?
When both learn of the other’s lack of desire for love, they know the best chance to escape those seeking to wed them is to come to an agreement—one that will free them both from the pressures of matchmaking. But a marriage of convenience doesn’t imply a marriage without passion. As their feelings eventually warm toward one another, old enemies emerge and threaten everything they have worked for. Will they be able to draw strength from their blossoming love to defeat those who seek to destroy them, or will they deny their feelings and lose one another forever?
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Madeline Martin has written two books in the Wicked Earl’s Club series: The Earl of Benton and now The Earl of Oakhurst. Both stories are connected and worth reading in succession. The Earl of Oakhurst picks up a year after The Earl of Benton closes. I enjoyed this book, and read it in one afternoon. I couldn’t put it down. I thought Martin did a good job developing the heroine of this story – Lady Penelope Keats. I liked the way Martin wove historical facts into her story. Penelope is interested in medicine but is forbidden from having any real influence because she is a woman. I liked the accurate way that Martin portrayed the practice of medicine in 1819. She does a good job making Penelope’s character strong and tenacious, but not whiny. I liked how open and honest Penelope is with James. I did think that James MacKenzie’s rise from smuggler to valet to Earl a bit far fetched. He is all through the Earl of Benton and his background is somewhat of a mystery. And I am still puzzled as to how he became a valet in the first place. However, there are a number of swoon worthy moments and James is definitely the braw Scot that Martin is skillful at creating. “He stole all her senses when he was near. Consumed them. Held them with rapt need.” Hubba, hubba. There are a number of steamy scenes. The pace is good. I hope Martin continues to write more Regency era books. I was given a copy of this book.
What a wonderful story! Earl of Oakhurst is the first of the Wicked Earls’ Club that I have read. I enjoyed it so much that I’m going to start reading the whole series!
Madeline Martin has written a novel with a magnificent cast of characters who are believable with wonderful secondary characters who steal your heart. From the first page and throughout I was totally swept away with sigh-worthy romance of James and Penelope. James the Earl of Oakhurst has burned by love once and has no attention to do it again! Penelope has only one love which is medicine. Will they find love together? With delicious passion, trials and tribulations, hope, and drama make this one outstanding read that you won’t want to miss
The Earl of Oakhurst is charming and wickedly delightful!
Neither Lady Penelope nor the new Earl of Oakhurst James MacKenzie had ever planned to marry. Until Penelope found herself banned from volunteering at the hospital she had worked at for the past 3 years using the excuse that her “unfortunate marital status” was inappropriate for her to be roaming around. Now that James was the new Earl his first duty was to marry! But, to avoid being roped into a betrothal to the woman who betrayed him to become betrothed to his cousin the prior Earl for his title, he has to find and marry quickly. So, after meeting each other it just made perfect sense to them to marry each other in name only and avoid interference in their own pursuits. So they thought.
I enjoyed this “marriage of convenience” to “love and happily ever after” story! The storyline is well written with the hero’s love of history and the heroine’s study of healing and medicine, in a time when women were not allowed to become doctors, was fantastically researched and executed. I recommend this happy feel good story to everyone who loves a “marriage of convenience to love and happily ever after” with a steamy romance chaser!
Happy Reading
Content: Adult, Steamy and explicit open bedroom scenes.
Until you..
Determined and well sort out beauty, who clearly does not want a husband to control her while she can practice her medicine . A handsome Earl who needs a marriage of convenience only to fulfill his duties and not have to marry a woman from his past , a woman who once broke his heart.
Two different worlds with one purpose , Freedom! But fate and two meddling grand mama’s have other plans for them. It’s romantic , humorous with a Happily Ever After ending.
The Author Madeline Martin will have you turning page after page with this lovely romance book, Enjoy, I did.
Thank you
Much-sought-after debutante Lady Penelope Keats has avoided marriage in favor of her volunteering at St. Thomas’ Hospital and a pursuit of medical learning. But odds are against her single status given that her mother is a known matchmaker and when Penelope is barred from the hospital on the grounds of her scandalously unwed state, she realizes she will need to find a husband after all if she hopes to continue pursuing her dream.
Scottish raised James MacKenzie has just unexpectedly come into the much unwanted title of Earl of Oakhurst. Now he must journey to London so his only remaining relative, his grandmother the Dowager Countess of Oakhurst, can help him learn his new role. He finds his late cousin’s former betrothed, and awkwardly his own first love until she abandoned him in favor of a title, beyond eager to sink her claws into the him now that he’s the new earl. His grandmother is also in need of medical attention to which she is reluctant to submit.
When James and Penelope meet and learn of each other’s situations and their mutual determination to eschew love, they decide on a marriage of convenience to save them both from their sticky situations. But their marriage proves to have plenty of heat and when their newfound peaceful accord is threatened by outside forces, it becomes apparent that both James and Penelope may have developed feelings they never planned on.
This was a delightful, quick read. I enjoyed James and Penelope as well as her parents and his grandmother who made the book rather humorous as well. My only complaint was that I wasn’t ready for the book to end.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Lady Penelope Keats prefers to spend her time at St. Thomas’s hospital in pursuit of medical knowledge and helping others & is devastated when the hospital decides that it is unseemly for an unmarried woman to help. James MacKenzie is the new Earl of Oakhurst, a title he never expected or wanted. He is summoned by his only living relative, his grandmother the Dowager Countess of Oakhurst, to London so that she might instruct him on his duties as earl, including finding a bride. Upon arrival, he finds the older woman suffering from gout. When his grandmother proves difficult and resistant to help, he allows Lady Penelope’s aid in treating her.
When both learn of the other’s lack of desire for love, a marriage of convenience seems to be the solution.
I loved James & Penelope but adored the two scheming ladies & their presents who made the book so humorous. I’ll never think of thumbs the same again!! I also liked the research that had gone into the book & it was very informative about some agricultural & medical practices of the time. To be truthful I loved everything about it. A well paced book that I found hard to put down, which I read it a sitting
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Earl of Oakhurst
Wicked Earls Club Series #19
Madeline Martin
https://www.facebook.com/MadelineMartinAuthor/
Release date 11/12/2019
Publisher Madeline Martin
Blurb :
CAN A WOMAN WHO DOESN’T WANT A HUSBAND
When she had her come out, Lady Penelope Keats was one of the most sought-after debutantes of the season. But now, years later and by her own choosing, Penelope is still unmarried. She has little interest in love and prefers to spend her time at St. Thomas’s hospital in pursuit of medical knowledge and helping others. However, staying unwed when one’s mother is a notorious matchmaker is no easy feat.
AND A MAN WHO DOESN’T WANT A WIFE
Through unfortunate circumstances, James MacKenzie is the new Earl of Oakhurst, a title he never expected or wanted. When he is summoned by his only living relative, his grandmother the Dowager Countess of Oakhurst, to attend to her in London so that she might instruct him on his duties as earl, including finding a bride, he reluctantly complies. Upon arrival, he finds the older woman ill and in need of medical attention. When his grandmother proves difficult and resistant to help, he allows Lady Penelope’s aid in treating her.
MAKE THE PERFECT MATCH?
When both learn of the other’s lack of desire for love, they know the best chance to escape those seeking to wed them is to come to an agreement—one that will free them both from the pressures of matchmaking. But a marriage of convenience doesn’t imply a marriage without passion. As their feelings eventually warm toward one another, old enemies emerge and threaten everything they have worked for. Will they be able to draw strength from their blossoming love to defeat those who seek to destroy them, or will they deny their feelings and lose one another forever?
My review :
Will a marriage of convenience be enough to fulfill all their dreams …
This is my first-ever read by Mrs Madeline Martin, and definitely not my last.
I read this book in a flash, so eager to see how James and Penelope would settle and deal with married life.
Penelope is focused on only one thing, pursuing her medical career and nothing else can make her diverge from her path until she is told her marital status or absence of it does not allow her anymore access to the hospital.
Thus her agreement to James’ offer, as it suits her purpose.
James never expected nor wanted to inherit a title, and even less inherit his cousin’s fiancée, the very one who left him for the title of said cousin. Since he did some growing up and is no more the green lad he once was, yet he is willing to become the Earl his family and estates need. And with it, comes the need to marry, why he thinks he has found the perfect associate with Penelope.
It is such a sensual and fun read witnessing Penelope and James falling for each other by igniting their longing and feeding their needs of knowledge.
Mrs Martin portrayed two wonderful characters very focused on their task, with some flaws but also the asset they could be for others, if only they would be accepted more easily but it was a different time. It was so entertaining to see them overcome one by one their own misconceptions about their arranged marriage to accept the other and see what jewel they have indeed married.
5 stars
I was granted an advance copy by the author but I priorly to it ordered my own.
Here is my true and unbiased opinion.
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