‘Tis the season to be wicked?When a woman desperate for a job saves the life of an earl?? both of their plans for the future are thwarted.He’s eccentric and society-shy?There’s no polite way to describe Ansley, Earl of Scarborough’s obsession with schedules and inflexible routines. Unfortunately, he’s also in need of a wife, which forces him squarely in the midst of the society he can scarcely … function within. If only he dared to ignore the haut ton’s censure and claim the lovely, wholly unsuitable Willow as his own. She seeks a governess post?Up from the country, Willow Harwood must quickly secure a governess position and save enough money to return to America. Only, her plans are foiled when she rushes to the rescue of a devastatingly handsome earl in the process of being robbed. Though he’s far above her station, she can’t fight the irrepressible attraction she feels toward him. Neither is prepared for the upheaval to their lives when she reluctantly accepts his offer of employment?as his housekeeper. Nor can either predict the mayhem that follows when a lord who disdains society and a country miss with no experience plan a haut ton Christmastide gathering.
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“Her tread lightened somewhat, the furious tramping giving away to normal footfall. Ah good. He was making headway, then.”
This was one of the many lines in this book that made me either smile broadly, or laugh out loud. The characters are very endearing, especially Ansley with his need of schedules and routines to keep his life relatively calm. Although he is an Earl, he’s also kind, fair and completely thrown for a loop when he meets Willow.
Willow is a commoner, half English, half American, with an excellent education, but society is prejudiced against her, and it’s been difficult to find a job as a teacher after her grandfather passes away. When she is hired by Ansley, she knows her station as a commoner and there can’t be anything between her and the Earl. Or can there? What about the haut ton?
This is a type of Cinderella story, and I was completely charmed. The author gave us an imperfect hero – which in turn, made him perfect. And the cover? I know exactly where that takes place in the book. Cheers. Reviewed by Cyrene
I absolutely loved this book. Ansley the earl with his anxiety and social awkwardness was portrayed with warmth and dignity. Willow, strong and independent yet most graceful is his perfect match. The character development is well done. Collette Cameron shines with her development of a person with a ‘disability’. The storyline builds and flows well. Overall a wonderful read that leaves you with a smile.
Series: Wicked Earl’s Christmas
Publication Date: 11/26/19
Number of Pages: 204
Ansley Twistleton, the Earl of Scarborough is NOT spontaneous. He adheres to rigid habits and schedules – no variations – no surprises. Variations cause him to be anxious and set his nerves on edge. Then, he is attacked one evening as he’s walking away from the Wicked Earl’s Club. Two men bent on taking his purse and him determined they won’t – and then – out of nowhere comes an avenging angel – with an umbrella.
Half English, half American Willow Harwood has just arrived in London where she’ll be seeking a governess position. All she needs to do is earn enough money to pay her fare back to America. After her American father passed away, her English mother brought her to England – now her mother has died and the grandfather to whom she had become attached has passed on as well. After her arrival in London, she’d chosen to walk the several miles to her new lodging house. When she’s nearly there, she notices a man being attacked by two men and she rushes to his aid.
During several unplanned interactions in the next few days, Willow unwittingly manages to turn Ansley’s life on end. Somehow, none of that bothers him. His schedule being impacted doesn’t seem so bad and if he misses his bedtime – well – it couldn’t be helped. Even the subsequent scandal is of no matter. It is becoming rapidly apparent that the only thing that does matter is Willow.
This is a lovely, fun read and I enjoyed watching Willow and Ansley overcome all of the obstacles thrown in their path (including each other). Their HEA was well earned and hard-won.
I hope you enjoy the read as much as I did.
Ansley Twistleton, the Earl of Scarborough, is at the Wicked Earls Club pondering his dilemma, his mother wants him to host a Christmastide House Party and he finds the idea completely appalling. Ansley suffers from OCD and the thought of strangers in his home violating his rigid schedule is beyond upsetting, especially since his housekeeper wants to retire. As he is leaving he accepts an invitation to join a few of the men on a trip to Tattersall’s – because besides a housekeeper, he needs a horse! He leaves the club and decides to walk home, but he is held up – he fights his attackers and is saved from being blindsided by a woman yelling out a warning and trying to help him. Together they send the attackers fleeing and Ansley offers to walk the woman home.
Willow Harwood is an American living in London, she desperately wants to return to Connecticut and teach. She moved to England eight years ago when her father died and lived with her grandfather, but when he passed, she didn’t have enough money to return and moved to London hoping to find work. She was on her way to the lodging house when she happens upon Ansley being attacked. She helps him without thought and when she finally gets a look at him, she finds he is gorgeous! He walks her to the boardinghouse and where she is treated rudely by the owner after he leaves because she thinks Willow is Ansley’s lover. The next day she goes to an employment registry and is rejected for a position as a governess because of her American accent. She is leaving when Ansley intervenes and offers her the position of housekeeper. She declines, but he convinces her to take tea with him so they can discuss it, while at the tea shop, her land lady sees them together and tells Willow she is not to come back to the house. With nowhere to go and no income, Willow accepts Ansley’s offer and the outrageous salary.
As she settles into her new role, she comes to admire Ansley more and more, she doesn’t find him odd and accepts his need to adhere to a routine, but as time passes, he begins to relax a little. They are both attracted to the other, so much so that when he tells her his mother is coming to host a house party, she considers leaving early so she doesn’t have to see him choosing a bride. She will stay for the house party, but decides to leave right after it ends. She is finishing last minute details for the party when she hears music and finds Ansley playing – they share a kiss and he asks her to be his, she assumes that means mistress and she is going to leave when his mother finds them and Willow runs out of the room. She tries to leave immediately, but Ansley isn’t the only one who is not willing to let her go…
This was a very sweet story with delightful characters and a rather unique storyline. I loved the slow build in Ansley and Willow’s relationship and her complete acceptance of his nature. The love scenes are warm and appropriate to the story, the secondary characters are charming and the HEA is wonderful. The story is short, but it is well written, paced perfectly and very easy to read. This is part of the Wicked Earl’s Club series, but it can easily be read out of order or as a standalone title.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me.*
Earl of Scarborough: The Honorable Rogues™
Wicked Earls’ Club Series #21
Collette Cameron
https://www.facebook.com/collettecameronauthor/
Release date 11/26/2019
Publisher Blue Rose Romance
Blurb :
’Tis the season to be wicked…
When a woman desperate for a job saves the life of an earl…
… both of their plans for the future are thwarted.
He’s eccentric and society-shy…
There’s no polite way to describe Ansley, Earl of Scarborough’s obsession with schedules and inflexible routines. Unfortunately, he’s also in need of a wife, which forces him squarely in the midst of the society he can scarcely function in. If only he dared to ignore the haut ton’s censure and claim the lovely, wholly unsuitable Willow as his own.
She seeks a governess post…
Up from the country, Willow Harwood must quickly secure a governess position and save enough money to return to America. Only, her plans are foiled when she rushes to the rescue of a devastatingly handsome earl in the process of being robbed. Though he’s far above her station, she can’t fight the irrepressible attraction she feels toward him.
Neither is prepared for the upheaval to their lives when she reluctantly accepts his offer of employment…as his housekeeper. Nor can either predict the mayhem that follows when a lord who disdains society and a country miss with no experience plan a haut ton Christmastide gathering.
This charming Regency holiday historical by a USA Today bestselling author will make you smile, laugh, and sigh with contentment as you witness the sweet and tender love growing between Ansley and Willow.
My review :
When a woman rewarded for her help is being hired as a housekeeper by a lord, what is she to make of their attraction.
Mrs Collette Cameron with this new addition to the Wicked Earls’ Club series offers a sweet and bright read.
Despite the shortness of this story, the characters are perfectly painted, their qualities and society’s seen shortcomings well developed, so much I rooted for them and loved to see them navigate the muddy water of the employer-employee relationship while drawn to each other.
Ansley is no usual lord, he is plagued with obsessive-compulsive disorder, his whole life is scheduled and disruptions cause him troubles, plus he avoids as much as possible to meddle with his peers. But everything is derailed upon his first encounter with a lovely fearless miss. From then, his so ordained life takes a new turn, and it seems to bother him far less it should have.
Willow has the course of life once more hampered, she was one more told there is no room for her because of her heritage. When she is proposed an unexpected job’s offer by the very man she helped the night before to defend himself against some miscreants.
But what is she to do when their chemistry threatens her position.
Mrs Cameron did a wonderful work at describing the tumult of their heart, the subtle changes of their relationship and the depth of their sentiments. With nuance, she leads her characters in a merry game of hide-and-seek, until their very feelings seize control.
A lovely and delightful read, perfect for the season.
5 stars
I was granted an advance copy by the author, and prior to it, I preordered my own.
Here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://www.facebook.com/429830134272830/posts/494970311092145?d=n&sfns=mo
He’s a little bit OCD, sticks to a strict regimen, sarcastic, socially awkward, introverted, enigmatic, has a pet rock of sorts, has a nervous tic, and…I love him. He’s Ansley Twistleton, the Earl of Scarborough. In addition to that, he’s as handsome as all get out, tall, strong (yes, he works out) and smart. He’s easily agitated and gets stressed out when his routine is disrupted no matter what the reason.
Willow Harlow is an American who has lived in England for the past eight years. She’s in London on her own, and hoping to find a job as a governess and earn enough money to go back to Connecticut. When she encounters two ruffians trying to rob a man on the street in the dark, she jumps in there to help the lone man. She’s got a sense of justice and gosh darn the consequences. She wasn’t about to let this guy try to fight off the robbers by himself, no matter how calm, cool, and collected he was or how well he was handling himself in the fight. She didn’t know who he was, but she soon found out and scandal ensued.
Being a housekeeper wasn’t on her list of possible careers, but after being treated like offal at the employment registry because she was an American and didn’t have a British accent, her chances of getting a governess position were little to none. After the scandal broke, her chances went to zero. She had no choice now. Housekeeping it was and the job was for the Earl of Scarborough.
Acting like he did at the employment registry was not something Ansley ever did. He stepped outside of his comfort zone. The thoughts that were going through his head in this scene had me doubling over with laughter. I hadn’t laughed at book like that in a long time. I was almost in tears, it was so funny. I’d never heard of such a thing until Ansley came across with it. I knew then he was my kind of guy.
This is a sweet romance, not a hundred percent clean, but no clothes came off and there were no bedroom scenes. It was so cool to watch Ansley come out of his shell, learn how to deal with his peculiarities in a different way, and to fall in love.
Willow was the perfect match for him. She didn’t care about his routines, his OCD ways, the tic of his eye–none of that mattered. She thought they were endearing and never tried to change him. She accepted him and loved him madly.
This is a beautiful love story with two characters who thought the odds were against them (she was an American; a commoner. He was an Earl, part of the English high society) only to prove that love conquers all.
I’d give it more stars for a great cover if I could.
The Earl of Scarborough is book 21 in The Wicked Earl’s Club series. This is Cameron’s second contribution to the group (her first being The Earl of Wainthorp) and she does a marvelous job. In fact, this is Cameron at her best. I adored this story and felt especially drawn to the hero – the Earl of Scarborough, Ansley Twistleton. I think I’m in love. He reminds me of that lovable detective Monk with all his eccentricities. Cameron takes a flawed and at times vulnerable character and handles him with a sensitive touch. His tic is adorable, and so is his “pet” rock. I love that he is so strong and capable of fighting off the bad guys and yet so vulnerable that he needs the touch of the rock in his pocket to calm him. Just a wonderful character. I especially loved how his household does everything they can to ensure that his life goes on without a hitch out of sheer love for the Earl. I liked the heroine Willow Harwood, but Ansley stole the show. “You’re like oxygen to me, Willow. I can scarcely breathe without you.’ Then he was kissing her, wrapping one sinewy arm around her back and cradling her head with the other as he laid her against his shoulder. This wasn’t the tender whisper across her lips she’d experienced in his study. This was a ravenous man. His kisses wicked and wanton.” Bravo Ms. Cameron! I think this goes on my shelf as one of my very favorite books – certainly one that I will read over and over again. I was given a copy of this book.
Obsessive, compulsive, and socially awkward, the Earl of Scarborough finds that his schedules help him to keep control of his life. That, however, does not mean that he is not active and is unable to defend himself. Thus, when he is set upon by footpads he does not hesitate to defend himself, but when danger comes from a further quarter, he is surprised to find a young woman protecting him, with an umbrella no less. Willow Harwood is feisty and independent and all she wants is to earn enough money to enable her to return to her home in America. When the situation runs out of control, she finds herself employed by Ansley, putting her in an even more precarious position. Although this is a short story, it is lighthearted and entertaining and comes to a happy and romantic conclusion. I received a copy of this book as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.
Great book
A fun, quick read with an Aspie (my interpretation) hero and a charming American heroine. Not entirely realistic, perhaps, but entirely enjoyable!
Ansley, the Earl of Scarborough and Willow are a couple that you will fall in love with, Collette has written a wonderful book that gives a feeling of compassion for Ansley with his insecurities and feeling that keeping to a schedule will make his life full But, in comes an American young lady with goals to achieve in a time that women really didn’t have the opportunity to get. And also a time at which American’s were not liked in England.
This is the second of the Wicked Earls series that I have read and I really enjoyed it from the way Willow came and helped a stranger being ganged up with to being accused of being the type of person that she isn’t. brings together two people that find that love is more important.
Collette Cameron writes the most intriguing stories that once read you just can’t get enough. Loved how Ansley carried a stone in his pocket to help give him strength whenever he felt stressed then in getting to know Willow he slowly started to give up on keeping it in his pocket. To him , Willow brought out his best, as an ARC reader for this book, It is well written, enjoyable, wonderful characters and the storyline had me turning pages to make sure that there was a happy ending.
A connection was made despite the differences in station. Willow’s determination and adaptability made her a wonderful heroine. Her willingness to protect others without a thought to herself made me smile. I loved her spunk. Ansley was definitely interesting with his need for routine and precision, and I enjoyed how Willow upset that only for him to find there were more important things. The secondary characters were a joy as well, especially Ansley’s mother. I recommend this story, and the Wicked Earls’ Club series.
I received an ARC for free, and this is my unsolicited review.
Ansley Twistleton, the Earl of Scarborough is as fixed and rigid as the schedules and routines he religiously adheres to. But he’s also of an age where he must consider marriage and loathes the idea of participating in society to do so as he’s too socially awkward to ever feel comfortable there.
Willow Harwood, finding herself well-educated but alone in the world, is in desperate need of a governess position so she can save enough to return to her native America. But a chance acquaintance with a dashing earl foils her well-laid plans and though she’s nowhere near his loft station, she can’t deny the devastating attraction she feels for him.
When Ansley impetuously offers Willow a housekeeper position in his home, she reluctantly accepts; she needs income and has no better options. Bu they’re neither one prepared for the irresistible attraction that grows between them as they plan a Christmas house party together.
This was a charming story and it was lovely to see Ansley relaxing and overcoming some of his idiosyncrasies and to see a socially awkward hero in the first place. It was a bit tiresome how often the reasons Willow and Ansley couldn’t be together were enumerated, especially given how little Ansley cared for society and the fact that Willow was still educated and fairly gently bred. That said, it was a short book so this didn’t go on long enough to truly annoy me. Overall this was a charming, sweet Christmasy story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.