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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Kit and Elizabeth is the sequel to The Earl’s Betrothal. There are pros and cons to having read the previous book first. There are some scenes from The Earl’s Betrothal that are skimmed over in this book, like the scene about Amelia’s parentage at the ball. If you have read the first book it makes a lot more sense, and I feel that you will better be able to appreciate the characters. On the other hand, having read the previous book, some of the recap tends to drag a little.
This book took me a bit to get in to at first. The first three chapters of the book include Elizabeth’s point of view of what happened during the book The Earl’s Betrothal which I have read. Chapter four no longer includes recap and becomes the new story which I was quickly able to get in to as the story really got going.
Elizabeth’s parents had never treated her well and they had always wanted a son. While a son had been needed for an heir, they shouldn’t have taken it out on her. She was always treated like property, and they told her often of her failure in not marrying who they wanted her to. She had always tried to make her parents proud and act like the daughter of a duke. This has caused others to compare her with being made of stone. She is still grieving the loss of her betrothed Alex and doesn’t want to marry his brother Anthony which her father is demanding. When Anthony offers her a way out, she takes it.
“I have ever only been a disappointment and have been making amends for it since the day I was born.”
Elizabeth’s father is truly evil with no morals and no love for his wife or daughter.
It’s so crazy during this time period that if someone doesn’t produce an heir, their remaining family loses everything due to entailment. Someone could just show up and kick people out of their house, even while they are in mourning. It was also a little shocking to see how some of the servants treated their masters; especially right after a tragic event.
Lady Walmsley is loud and talkative and just what Elizabeth needs to keep her from hiding in her room and shutting down. She also needs Kit to challenge her and help her find the good in life. Kit also helps her to realize who she really is and what she really wants.
“That question had raised other similar questions. Did she enjoy playing the harp? Did she even like music? Did she like doing needlework? Or painting? Or drawing? She’d taken lessons as a girl in all of these things and in others as well and had always worked to improve her skills. It had been expected of her. But she’d never thought about whether she liked doing any of them. It had never crossed her mind.”
Some favorite quotes:
“She had little faith at the moment, but maybe, just maybe, there was the tiniest acorn of faith that hadn’t been entirely extinguished . . .”
“Kit thought he might rather stick a fork in his eye than listen to a woman cry.”
Kit and Elizabeth was such an enjoyable read! I particularly felt like Elizabeth’s character resonated with me as she went from a woman who tried so hard to meet everyone’s unrealistic expectations, to broken down and beaten by the hardships of life, to being brought back to life again through the wonderful help of the bold and daring Kit Cantwell. This story had an amazing supporting cast of characters, was well written, and had just the right amount of romance and humor to keep me interested from start to finish.
The cover initially attracted me as it is lovely, but after reading the story I have to just mention that it fits Kit and Elizabeth so perfectly. Looking at it now, it just strikes me like “yep, that’s them”. I definitely enjoyed and recommend this story! While a standalone, the other Regency novels by this author do tie into this story and I would recommend reading them as well if you want that extra level of enjoyment when reading this story.
Tuft has such a unique style of writing. I always worry I am not going to like a book when I start it but I always end up liking it. Poor Sweet Elizabeth took some time for me to understand and like. So did Kit for that matter. I love when a story and characters evolve and grow and become better people. Her story’s also have a good supporting cast. I know her next book will involve these people. You can read this as a series or on it’s own. I have enjoyed all 3 of these books and how different they all are. I loved watching these two fall in love. It was so natural and easy and so well written. This is a proper regency romance with no religion.
I wanted to love this story; the cover is beautiful and the summary is appealing. There are so many good reviews and I probably had higher expectations than I should have. This is my first book by this author and it was just not my cup of tea. The best parts of the book were the interactions between Kit and Elizabeth. I think Kit is set up to be the ideal hero. Kit is a great friend, responsible, understanding, supportive, and pushes others to excel.
I really struggled with Elizabeth and the supporting cast. Elizabeth makes me feel sad, for lack of a better word. A lot of conversations are repetitive and several times different characters say something along the lines of, “I’ve said too much”, which bogged down the dialogue. The first several chapters have a lot of what felt like forced cant to me. I’m not opposed to regency slang – I’ve read several stories where it brings out humor and fun – but I appreciate it better when it flows within the story with ease. There are some editing issues too that should have been addressed like calling cousins “aunt and uncle” for a few chapters and then properly addressed as cousins later.
I don’t love writing negative reviews, but I do appreciate the opportunity to try a new-to-me author. Thanks to Covenant Communications and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
The beautiful and intriguing cover had me highly anticipating this story, and I’m sorry to say that I was disappointed when my high expectations weren’t quite met. This was a new-to-me author, although I have learned that the characters are from previous books, and that the first 15% or so of the story describes events that occurred in those books. To be fair, I do feel that the story improved from that point forward. I was struggling to get through unnatural dialogue and stilted exposition of the plot (lots of telling instead of showing, as some might say). The story was at times almost theatrical, with fairytale-esque villains. There was inconsistent behavior on the part of several characters, and sometimes build-up for a confrontation that never happens. All of that said, there was enough tension and shocking events to keep my interest through what seemed like an unnecessarily long book. And then, three-quarters of the way through the story, I was in tears. What started for me as a solid three-star book, gradually evolved into a four-star one. It took me quite a while to get into the story and feel anything for the characters, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down.
As tender as this romance story was, I felt like the real beauty of the book shone in Lady Elizabeth’s transformation. The back and forth emotions of someone trying to break out of neglectful abuse was very well done. Lady Elizabeth was a complex well written character who I was rooting for all the way.
Kit was an equally well written foil for Elizabeth. The author had a very good balance between strong characters and captivating plot. The whole book was a beautiful example of the necessity of both placing and pushing boundaries in our relationships.
The one plot point I struggled with was the letter Elizabeth wrote to the Duke of Aylesham. I kept expecting it to shift something, and when it didn’t I felt like it was just distracting from the more important things going on. However, taking this unnecessarily plot point and giving it life in the Duke’s own story could be a delightful little twist, just saying.
To begin with, this book is not what I expected. Not that this is bad, but I thought, because the publisher is Covenant Communications, that this would be a Christian book. I would not call it that, but it is a clean read. God is mentioned but in a very generalized way, not in a way that shows who God is.
So, with that mentioned, my opinion of this book is very good. It is a historical/regency love story and it is well written. The main characters are quite well developed. The storyline flows well. You get a sense of what is truly important to most of the characters except the minor players.
I won’t say that I couldn’t put the book down, in fact, a couple of places I felt it got a bit slow, towards the end of the book. This was not a big problem, I just did a bit of skimming the pages sometimes but not often.
I have never read anything by Karen Tuft before but I will be interested in reading more of her books. I was gifted this book through NetGalley by Covenant Communications, Inc. and this review is not required and my freely given, personal opinion. The book was an ARC and as such the editing was quite well done. I noticed less than 10 errors and that is good. I give this book a 4 out of 5-star rating.
I loved this book and not only for the romantic aspect but about the self discovery and joy of finding yourself! There were so many good ideas to apply to our own lives on how loving ourselves opens up our hearts for greater love for those around us! Great character development and a fun romance!
I loved the full arc of character growth in this book! We see Elizabeth in many forms- subservient yet courageous, reclusive and depressed, fragile but sassy. It was important that the author show us her behavior and struggles living under the thumb of her parents, because I loved it so much more to see her come out of her shell and with Kit’s encouragement, discover and explore her true self. The list she makes of what she likes is a great touch that brought her humanity to life and shows how gratitude brings happiness and peace. Her relationship with Kit starts as an acquaintance with mutual friends, moves to a rescuer/rescuee dynamic, evolves to friendship, then naturally to romance. Kit is wonderful with Elizabeth, and while he has his own small flaws, plays a pivotal role in her newfound empowerment. Lady Walmsley, Elizabeth’s benefactor, is a favorite character and I hope to be a fun and meddling person like her when I’m older! This book is a lovely and sweet romance with deeper themes that is perfect for Regency fans!
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
How would you feel if your whole life you were blamed for your parents failures and weaknesses? How would you feel if you were told your life was supposed to go in one direction, and that direction suddenly was changed? How would you feel if the people you are supposed to trust the most failed you?
Lady Elizabeth Spaulding has felt these feelings and more. “Kit and Elizabeth” is the Elizabeth’s side of the story from Karen Tufts novel “The Earl’s Betrothal.”
If you’ve read The Earl’s Betrothal like me you finish wondering what happens to Elizabeth, and this is the answer you have been looking for. But this book has enough details and story lines referring to the first book to stand on it’s own. (I didn’t realize it was a sequel until I had finished reading the first chapter or two, but thought the characters and part of the story was similar to a book I had read.)
Elizabeth had been told at the age of 10 that she was betrothed to Lord Halford, and as such she needed to learn how to be a daughter of a Duke, and the wife of a future Marquess. But Lord Halford died in a tragic accident and Elizabeth’s parents expect her to marry his younger brother in his place.
When Anthony Hargreaves the new Lord Halford talks to Elizabeth to see if she really wanted to go through with the betrothal, she decided that for once she wouldn’t do what her parents required. When he immediately became engaged to Amelia Clarke, her father is outraged.
Her parents continue to blame her for all of their problems, and eventually her father leaves the country.
Over a year passes and Elizabeth’s life is drifting. Enter crafty old Lady Walmsley and her sidekick Kit, Lord Cantwell. They rush to Elizabeth’s home to have her come stay in London with Lady Walmsley.
When Kit sees Elizabeth she is just a reflection of who she used to be. Kit makes it his goal to help her to rediscover herself.
This charming book is one of laughter and redemption. Finding out who you are and what you like, and who your family really is. It’s also about overcoming your past and learning to live and love.
I enjoyed this book and being able to see the redemption of Lady Elizabeth.
I was given access to an advanced copy but all opinions are my own.
4.5 Stars
KIT AND ELIZABETH is a story of neglect, heartbreak, friendship, and love. The characters are delightful and the story is so heartfelt that readers won’t be able to resist loving it. Highly recommended to sweet historical romance fans!
I love stories that are balanced between the difficulties of life and the sweetness of love. This one definitely is. There are some difficult people the characters face, as well as a society where there are expectations and gossip galore. The story also shows the various relationship found at this time in history, such as arranged marriages, unfaithful spouses, friendships, family (both by blood and by adoption), and love matches. I literally ate up the first half of this story. I loved all the interactions between Kit, Lizzie and “Aunt Margaret.” There is so much humor, chemistry, and just good friendship. My heart went out to Lizzie and Kit. The story did lose a bit of its momentum in the second half when these characters travel to the country, particularly as some things were completely let go in regards to being chaperoned, but it was still very enjoyable. I especially loved the epilogue. It was perfect for this story.
In the end, was it what I wished for? I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and definitely recommend it to sweet historical romance fans. Having read the other books by the author, there were also some delightful cameos from prior characters. A perfect read for those looking for a story to warm their heart.
Content: Clean
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.
I loved this book. Truly. A purely delightful regency tale rife with tragedies and self-discovery. Elizabeth has lived the life expected and dictated by her harsh, controlling parents. She has been the perfect daughter, until she defies them and sets of a chain reaction of events. In the aftermath, Lady Walmsley decides to step in and help Elizabeth, along with the assistance of Kit. I liked Kit from the git-go. His easy-going nature is exactly what Elizabeth needs as she struggles to find herself. His patience and creative approaches to drawing out Lizzie left me smiling many times. There are definite moments of raw emotions, but they make the moments of joy and victory all the more exquisite. The author did an excellent job of introducing the characters and allowing me to get to know them beyond a superficial telling. If you enjoy clean, sweet regency romances, you will be captivated by Kit and Elizabeth.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I had high hopes for Kit and Elizabeth after reading Wager for a Wife and The Gentleman’s Deception. After reading Kit and Elizabeth, I wish that there had been more editing done. There was one part where the reader was a part of the entire encounter of two characters and a conversation was mentioned later to another character that never took place. It would have been an easy fix for the author to just add a few lines. There were also parts of the story that would have left Elizabeth a ruined woman if anyone discovered who and where she had been. It seemed like she would have taken more care to guard her reputation. There were also times when she seemed to have called her cousins her Uncle and Aunt. Several of the scenes were enjoyable and entertaining. Lady Walmsley has some really great lines. I admired her determination and spirit. Lady Walmsley felt like the driving force in the novel in helping Elizabeth until Kit started to gain feeling for her. I also liked revisiting some of the characters from Tuft’s previous books. I enjoyed seeing Elizabeth discovering herself and forming her own opinion on things. Her character blossoms as she determines her own path and goals. There were several memorable and well-thought out scenes.
Please note that I received a free copy, however, this is my honest opinion.
As the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Marwood, Lady Elizabeth Spaulding lives under the tight reins of her parents. With little to no choices, Lady Elizabeth doesn’t know who she truly is or what she truly likes. When her father flees the country to escape his debts, he leaves Elizabeth and her mother to live a life of seclusion and poverty.
Lady Walmsley remembers Elizabeth from the summer before as a sweet, shy, beautiful young woman. When she decided she needs a lady’s companion, she decides to rescue Elizabeth from a life of misery. With the help of Kit, the Earl of Cantwell, the duo seeks to reestablish Elizabeth into the charming girl they once know. When Elizabeth gets caught up in their enthusiasm and joy for life, Elizabeth comes to find out who she truly is and what she truly deserves- a life full of happiness and love.
Filled with moments that range from funny to tender, Karen Tuft creates a regency tale that speaks to modern audiences. I truly enjoyed each of Elizabeth’s discoveries as she formed a list of things she loved and liked.
“Kit and Elizabeth” is one of the few stories that stick in your head and in your heart for days and weeks after you read it. From the first chapter to the very last page, this is a story that grips you and won’t let go. With characters that grow and evolve as the plot goes along, you will root for them as they come to find themselves and each other. This is a story you will want to visit again and again.