Lady Elizabeth Spaulding’s world has fallen apart. Despite living her entire life to please her demanding parents, the Duke and Duchess of Marwood, she has little to show for it. After Elizabeth’s second failed betrothal, her father’s debts and appalling acts of retaliation force him to flee the country, consigning Elizabeth and her bitter mother to a life of poverty and exile. But Elizabeth’s … fortunes change one day when an elderly acquaintance makes her an offer she can’t refuse.
Lady Walmsley, widowed and childless, is in need of a lady’s companion—and who better than the lovely Lady Elizabeth? Determined to rescue Elizabeth from her dreary life in the country, Lady Walmsley secures the help of Kit, the dashing Earl of Cantwell, in her quest. But the young woman they find is a ghost of the charming girl they once knew. Taken in by Lady Walmsley, and with Kit’s enthusiastic encouragement, Elizabeth finds herself pushed further and further from her empty solitude as she discovers the joy of truly living. Now, for the first time in her life, she must decide for herself who she is and if she deserves to be loved.
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One of my favorite things about Kit and Elizabeth is that it is a part of a standalone series, meaning you can read any book from the series in any order AND enjoy recurring characters! While this book does not necessarily build upon the previous two, there are characters and plot threads that connect all the books. I love getting to read about familiar characters and it makes me so happy that each person will eventually get their own happily ever after.
I love the way in which Tuft has written this book. It would have been easy to jump right into the “meat” of the story without giving readers any sort of background on Elizabeth’s life before things went south, but instead, she spent a good deal of time showing us what her life was like “before”. I’m glad she did this because I was able to relate to Elizabeth and really root for her while she was rebuilding her life and self-esteem. I loved reading Elizabeth’s lists, seeing her grow, and of course, fall in love.
That brings us to Kit. Oh how I loved him! He is a kind gentleman who truly cares for (and takes care of) Elizabeth. He was funny, and strong, and a character I loved to cheer on. Great book! Recommended for readers who love regency romance.
This was a sweet romance, reminiscent of Jane Austen. Elizabeth is the only child of the Duke and Duchess of Marwood. The estate is entailed to a male heir so Elizabeth needs to find a good match. For her father, preferably someone with lots of money and power. I liked this book for many reasons. First, it was clean and sweet. I love the characters. Lady Malmsey, Kit, Elizabeth are wonderful. Others character are meant to invoke distaste and they do. The story kept me turning the pages wondering what Kit would do next to draw Elizabeth out. The picture of the ton is not always flattering. Some of them are petty, greedy, and selfish. Great descriptions of the rules of decorum, etc.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and offer my honest review on this book.
This clean, sweet regency tale by Karen Tuft focuses on generational choices, attitudes and consequences.
Due to her parents’ poor choices, Elizabeth has very little self-esteem and confidence. Life only deteriorates as events unfold, leaving Elizabeth at the mercy of powerful people around her. Kit is a man of duty and responsibility mixed with adventure and growing empathy. They are thrown together at a crucial time and influence each other in powerful ways.
Enjoy this wholesome read with positive, uplifting message for all.
I received a complimentary copy of the book without obligation. This review is my opinion.
Kit and Elizabeth is one of the most enchanting novels I’ve read all year! From the first page, I was swept away in the story. Karen Tuft has a magical way of writing such endearing characters that you feel invested in their lives immediately. Lady Elizabeth Spaulding, or Lizzie as Kit liked to call her, has led a privileged but sad life. As the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Marwood, she has had to live her whole life a certain way to obtain the right kind of husband. I felt so much sorrow for Lizzie and the physical and verbal abuse she suffered at the hands of her father and mother. I wanted to jump into the book and smack them both. That’s great writing from Tuft that makes readers feel such strong emotions.
Now, let’s talk about the heroes of the story. I’m including two of them Lady Walmsley, widowed and childless, and Kit, the Earl of Cantwell. They come together to save Lizzie’s life by taking her under their proverbial wings. I loved these two characters so much! They brought so much humor and love into Lizzie’s life. They also gave her hope for a new future. Lizzie also had to start loving her true self that she’d never been allowed to do before. It is fabulous to see this character go from a wilting flower to a blossom in full bloom.
This novel has many of the same characters that were in previous books by Tuft called, The Earl’s Betrothal and Wager For a Wife but Kit and Elizabeth can stand on its own. This whole series is just amazing. Reading Kit and Elizabeth was a true joy for me and I was somewhat sad when I finished the book. This is one novel that I know I will pick up again to experience that joy and I highly recommend it to all lovers of Regency Romance.
I enjoyed the story though it perhaps had its faults. More than once I thought about the impropriety of Kit and Elizabeth spending so much time alone and as she so often cared about societal expectation why did she not note everything that was not being done as it should? But I also found that I didn’t really care. I just enjoyed the story.
Elizabeth is a kind-hearted soul but a pawn under her parent’s thumb without even realizing that she has no opinions of her own. She hadn’t even thought about her own feelings on things. She just always did what was expected of her. I’m not sure how she ended up being so good when her parents were so awful. Kit was also a good soul but I didn’t always appreciate his way of handling situations and forcing Elizabeth into doing things she didn’t want to do. In the end it was the best thing for her but I wanted to stand up for her more than once. In some ways he was leading her around just as her parents had. The difference was that it was not for his own benefit but for hers while her parents only thought of themselves. I was grateful that he was able to show her how to live outside of her parent’s rule and that life didn’t need to be the way she had lived it. He slowly showed her she could like and dislike things without earth shattering consequences. I
I loved Lady Walmsley. She is a force to be reckoned with but with a heart of gold.
Though the ending was no big surprise, the book left me feeling satisfied with the HEA.
Sex: no
Language: no
Violence: references to violence that occurred before the book began.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley and voluntarily chose to review it.
I very much enjoyed reading this book, just as I’ve enjoyed reading Tuft’s other Regency’s. This follow-up to The Earl’s Betrothal focuses on the Earl of Cantwell and Lady Elizabeth Spaulding who were secondary characters in the earlier book. The beginning of this book does go back and retell some of the events from the first book so the reader has a context for the situation that poor Lady Elizabeth finds herself in. I found myself sympathizing with Elizabeth or Lizzie as the Earl likes to call her, from the beginning. A naturally kind person, Elizabeth has spent her entire life being groomed to to marry for her parents’ benefit. When things don’t work out the way her parents’ demand, they heap an awful lot of emotional abuse on her. So it’s hardly surprising that when Kit (Earl of Cantwell) runs into her again, she’s not in a good place.
But thanks to the efforts of Lady Walmsley and Kit, Elizabeth starts to develop into her own person, a person of character and courage. But it takes everything she has to learn to see herself as more than her parents’ pawn. And when she finds herself back in the place where so many bad memories were created, can she find the courage to create new ones? Elizabeth is a sweet, sympathetic character, while Kit is the charming rascal that made me smile. He proves to be a nice foil for Elizabeth as she’s first starting to learn who she is. I enjoyed reading this book and found myself reading quickly in order to find out what would happen next. Tuft does an excellent job of writing a charming romance that has some depth to it which for me makes for a more satisfying read.
I’m always up for a great Regency romance. And it’s even better when characters from other books you’ve read get their own happily ever after. That’s the case with this one. Elizabeth was in Karen Tuft’s The Earl’s Betrothal. If you haven’t read that one yet, you should! And it’s on sale.
I really loved Elizabeth. I don’t know how she turned out as amazing, and kind as she did with the parents that she had. Wow, they were awful! Both of them. I was kind of glad to seem them both disappear from her life. But, anyway…Elizabeth is a wonderful young woman. She deserves every happiness, but the story starts out with her not having any happiness.
I LOVED Kit! He’s the kind of hero that brings happiness. He also brings adventure and daring. I loved the way he did that for Elizabeth. And he wouldn’t take no for an answer. My favorite scene might have been the fencing scene. So amazing!
This book includes a whole great cast of characters, some of whom we’ve seen in her books before. And some of whom, I’m hoping to see in some of her other books.
Everything about this one is so great, the plot, the setting, the characters. And the ending….sigh! I can’t wait for more!
First, before my review, is something I loved about this book. It’s the chapter heading pages. I absolutely love when there are pretties to go along with my books! This one made me want to pull out my pens and color. That’s one perk of physical books VS e-books. E-books don’t usually give you pretties!
I really found myself caught up in the story of Kit and Elizabeth. I loved them both from the beginning for different reasons. Kit is light and joyful for the most part. He has a good energy about him and I was really drawn to him. He is a good friend and a steady companion. I loved how hard he worked to get Elizabeth to experience life and find herself after so many years of being who her parents expected her to be.
Elizabeth is the character that you are empathizing with, rooting for and celebrating with. She has a great emotional journey and it was very satisfying as a reader.
I found so many real life parallels for me in this book. And one quote that sums up everything in this book and many things that my family is dealing with right now. “For some bonds were stronger than lineage, and some loves deeper than blood.” This is a gentle story with a gentle, slow blooming romance. I enjoyed it very much.
This book has carry over characters from the previous book by this author but can easily stand alone.
Content: verbal abuse, kissing
– I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
With the beautiful cover and a setting in Regency England, this novel interested me from the start. This is my first book by Karen Tuft, but with her talent for creating captivating and vividly-drawn characters and fascinating plots, I’m sure it won’t be my last. The characters came alive on the page, and I had no trouble envisioning them in my mind. Kit is a compassionate and endearing hero, and Elizabeth’s predicaments were so poignant and heart-breaking that she needed his rescuing. I enjoyed seeing their relationship evolve and the growth in Elizabeth’s confidence and self-worth.
This is a well-written story with great character growth and development. Spots of humor and light-heartedness brightened the sometimes-somber tones of the tale. The tender messages of hope, courage, and overcoming fear were seamlessly woven throughout and added wonderful dimension to it. 4.5 stars
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the Covenant Communicatons. All opinions are my own.
Man, I really cannot say enough about this book. It certainly isn’t a run-of-the-mill regency. Hardship like you could never imagine befalls Lady Elizabeth and she endures things no one should ever have to. Watching the dynamic between Kit and Elizabeth was a wonder to see unfold and I could not get enough of their interactions. Kit challenged Elizabeth to be daring, bold, and step outside of her comfort zone! The metamorphosis she experiences is one you get to see for yourself as you step inside of her world. From the major character to the minor ones, I loved every one of them! This is definitely a regency novel you do not want to miss! I received a copy of this book for free; all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Elizabeth has had a hard life. Most wouldn’t believe it. She is the daughter of a Duke and lives a life of luxury. Appearances are not what they seem. She is the victim of controlling parents who place their happiness and welfare at her feet. She is despised because she is not a son and pressured to make a match that her parents want. Her thoughts and feelings are never considered.
Kit is a gentleman in every way. He is loyal to his friends and their family. Namely to a great-aunt who he is charged to make sure she is doing well while her family is out of town. This becomes a greater task than he realizes when she pulls him in on a scheme to rescue Elizabeth from her parents.
There were many fun scenarios in this story. I loved the interaction between the characters and the doting elderly aunt. Honestly, she may have been my favorite character. This is a story of helping a young woman finding her footing after years of emotional and verbal abuse. It is also a story of learning how to trust and open your heart to new possibilities.
I enjoyed this book. It does contain parental abuse to a daughter and physical abuse to a rival. It has a very happy ending.
Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
I had to privilege to get an advanced copy of this book by Karen Tuft, but between working crazy hours and relaxing in front of the TV, it took me a while to finish this book, but finish I did. If it were any other time of the year, then I would’ve had this book finish within a few days instead of weeks.
This book is really fantastic. Here’s a list of why I like it:
-Kit is one of my new book guy crush.
-Elizabeth learns to be her own person and to have her own opinions.
-Elizabeth starts making a list of things she discovers that she likes, which includes kissing. It even inspired me to make a list of things I like too.
-I got to revisit with characters I fell in love with from her previous books.
-I got to go on an adventure with Kit and Elizabeth.
What great reasons to get a copy of your own. I highly recommend it, and her other books too!
I thought this book was exceptional. The characters really came alive for me. They were so well written and had such humanity. I truly enjoyed the sweet, clean love story also. It was really beautiful and compelling and I thought the ending perfect. I have enjoyed reading other books by this author as well, and this is a new favorite.
I received a complimentary copy of the book. All opinions are my own and are expressed voluntarily.
Oh. My. Heart. This one had me feeling all the feels. Don’t let the simple title fool you, this book is something special. Lady Elizabeth is abused and hurt by those that should love her best. It takes a rescue, a lot of patience, and love to bring out the girl that wants to love and be loved.
This book explores some very deep hurts and shows some very effective healing. There was no conflict that threw the couple apart due to a misunderstanding, but what there was was healing and growth that they were able to go through together.
I finished reading this one and felt better for it. If you have to be selective about books, definitely read this one. The story transcends beyond this book. I felt myself relating to Elizabeth and Kit in surprising ways.
This is a great Regency Romance. I don’t feel like I need to repeat the blurb on the back of the book so I will just say that the Author did a fantastic job of writing this book. The two main characters are so relatable and I liked both Kit and Elizabeth very much. Watching them fall in love and waiting to see if Lizzy would ever develop a backbone was very enthralling. I recommend this book to all lovers of Regency Romance. I received a complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Oh how I loved this story. My heart felt for Elizabeth from the very first page when she’s being berated by her father before attending a ball where they hope Anthony, the new Lord Halford, will announce his engagement to Elizabeth. Elizabeth is the daughter of the Duke of Marwood, but instead of being loved and adored, she’s grown up having her parents blame her for everything that doesn’t go the way they want even it’s things Elizabeth has no control over–being born a female, not being able to get either Lord Halford to marry her (we find out it’s actually because of who her parents are and not because of anything Elizabeth said or did, which I suspected right away), her father’s bad investments and their financial woes. The list goes on and on. The more I read I more I wondered how such awful people could have such a wonderful, kind-hearted daughter?
Once her father’s creditors come calling he leaves the country and Elizabeth and her mother go to their country estate. Elizabeth basically becomes a recluse during this time, rarely leaving the estate and being subjected to her mother’s constant emotional abuse, she becomes a shell of the girl she once was. The future seems bleak for our dear Elizabeth until Lady Walmsley and Kit, the Earl of Cantwell, descend upon the house after hearing that the Duke of Marwood has died. When they arrive they can’t believe Elizabeth is the same young woman from just the year before. Before you know it the sly older woman manages to wisk Elizabeth away from her mother, and the new Duke and Duchess of Marwood.
Speaking of Kit aka Christopher, the Earl of Cantwell is the best!! He’s fun, caring, trustworthy, a gentleman at all times, the best of men and completely swoony. (sigh) Kit decides to help Elizabeth find who she is inside–the person she was meant to be. He helps her start to find what she likes and doesn’t like, teaches her fencing, and how to swim. He’s patient with her to a point but he wants her to speak her mind.
I loved Lady Walmsley. She’s older but crafty, and if she wants something to happen, she’ll definitely find a way to get it done. Thank goodness Elizabeth made a good impression on her the year before or who knows what would’ve become of her. I loved when Lady Walmsley told Elizabeth to call her Aunt Margaret. So sweet.
Elizabeth is a wonderful character–she’s everything her parents wanted her to be and everything they were not. She was trained to run a household some day, but not to have her own opinions. This was a young woman who’d grown up constantly being told she was a disappointment, “I have ever only been a disappointment and have been making amends for it since the day I was born.” She grows so much in the short time she lives with Lady Walmsley. I loved her list of likes and dislikes and I was so happy the first time she blurted out something kind of snarky at Kit because he was aggravating her. One of my favorite parts is near the end when she stands up to her awful, selfish mother. I cheered inwardly for her.
This is a wonderful book that caused such a range of emotions while reading it. Karen Tuft is becoming a go-to author for me. If you’ve read The Earl’s Betrothal and wondered what happened to Lady Elizabeth this is the rest of her story. This is a standalone and you don’t have to read The Earl’s Bethrothal first, but you may want to do so after reading Kit and Elizabeth.
I once attended a writing class where the lecturer told us, “You must keep your promises to your readers.” And while that can mean something different for every reader, the promises made when writing regency romance are often pretty straightforward. In Kit and Elizabeth, Karen Tuft has most definitely kept her promises to us.
The promise of a good villain. I’ve read my share of abusive uncles, greedy cousins, and wicked aunts, each with their own selfish motives and hurtful ways. But few compare to the absolute waste of space that we meet in the first chapter who are none other than Elizabeth’s parents. Rarely have I been so completely enraged by the behavior of an otherwise respected character as I was reading about Elizabeth’s father and his treatment of her. And her mother wasn’t far behind. Tuft does a marvelous job of quickly demonstrating the extent of the mistreatment our heroine has endured for years. And we are immediately captured in the story in the hope of seeing Elizabeth receive her just dues.
The promise of a flawed, yet loveable hero. Kit is both extremely likeable and utterly flawed. He struggles to share his thoughts yet his actions show all. He pushes Elizabeth while respecting her and seeing her needs. He allows her her independence but never leaves her side. And while he himself has his own ghosts to deal with, his growth throughout the novel is exactly what we as readers hope to see.
The promise of a scene that stays with you. Each well written regency romance tends to have that one scene that stands out from the rest; that scene that changes the whole book in the best of ways. In Kit and Elizabeth, there is a scene that I stopped to read twice before moving on with the story. In this scene, both characters are forced to face their past, and their honesty and acceptance for one another allows them both to come out the other side as different, but stronger individuals. Tuft wrote the scene beautifully, and I was brought to tears.
Karen Tuft’s Kit and Elizabeth is well-written and a lovely read. The characters are charming and the plot never ceases to entertain.
How much do I love this book? Let me count the ways! This is a sweet love story of two beloved characters from a previous book by the author (The Earl’s Betrothal) who deserved their own happily ever after. Kit and Elizabeth find healing and happiness and hope together as Kit learns to let go of misplaced guilt for past events and as he helps Elizabeth discover who she really is and what is important to her. She was never allowed to have opinions or choices growing up as the daughter of a duke and with Kit’s encouragement, she finally finds her voice! Their love is tender and real and their story is so very relatable as we all struggle at times with the unrealistic expectations of others. Truly a beautiful story from start to finish. Just make sure you don’t start reading it late at night unless you are willing to lose some sleep!
I had access to an advance copy of this book but am voluntarily leaving a review of my own opinions.
Beautiful. That’s the best way to describe this book. Sometimes painful, sometimes joyful, but beautiful throughout.
Karen Tuft is a talented writer who knows how to bring characters and situations to life.
Kit is a wonderful friend and champion and it is lovely to see how Elizabeth blossoms as she begins to heal from the emotional abuse inflicted upon her by her parents.
Though their courtship was unusual for London society it was perfectly entertaining to read.
This is the first book I have read by Karen Tuft, it won’t be the last!
My heart goes out to Elizabeth. Her parents are two of the most detestable people I’ve ever met. I loved when Lady Walmsley said, “I don’t understand how…how the likes of the Duke and Duchess of Marwood managed to produce such an exceedingly kind and beautiful daughter.” I loved Lady Walmsley, period. She is a great character.
I liked the respect that Kit showed Elizabeth in the beginning and “one year later.” I liked his attraction to her and how he called her ‘Lizzie.’ I loved how he helped her make a list of things she likes.
There are too many things I liked about this book to mention them all. I will simply say that I highly recommend it!
*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. A review was not required. The opinion expressed is entirely my own