My Secret and the Earl is the sweet/tame version of The Earl’s Secret Bride.My dearest Richard,I was a girl of seventeen when you first rescued me from tragic death. You rode in and saved my mother and me from a band of brigands and now six years on, I’m still irresistibly attracted to you. Unfortunately, my father has now agreed to my betrothal to an arrogant marquess who is more than twice my … who is more than twice my age and if I don’t marry the man then my family will lose everything. I certainly can’t allow that to happen so I’ve accepted what shall be, will do my duty and speak vows with him as my father has asked.
Today though, you kissed me down by the lake and curled my toes. You made me long for things I can’t possibly have—a marriage that will hold love, companionship, and immense adventure. If I might be so bold as to say in this letter, it is my secret wish that you would ride in and save me a second time.
A dream, of course, but oh my, what a wonderful dream it would be.
Yours in deep devotion, Rosamonde.
Each book in this series is standalone, and can be enjoyed out of sequence.
SWEET REGENCY TALES SERIES
The Duke Who Stole My Heart, #1
The Earl I Adore, #2
To Love During War, #3
My Secret and the Earl, #4
The Prince Who Captured Me, #5
more
When Lady Rosamonde Raven was seventeen years old and on her way to London with her mother for her first season, their carriage was attacked by a band of highwaymen. The Earl of Winterly, a very close friend of her older brother Avery, rescued her and her mother from the highwaymen. She always liked him, but developed hero worship for him.
Six years later, still never having a season due to the permanent injury to her mothers legs from that assault, Rosamonde discovers her father has promised her to a creepy, cruel neighbor, a Marquess, who has threatened to destroy their family financially if Rosamonde doesn’t provide him with an heir. (The irony is that her own father saved her mother from marriage to the same cruel man by marrying her. Seriously, why would he do this to his daughter? Doesn’t make sense, then he has the gall to ask her to keep the reason for the betrothal a secret from her mother and brother? Wow.
Winterly and his sister Olivia meet Avery when arriving to the Raven estate for a yearly house party. Avery informs him of Rosamonde’s betrothal and shares concerns about the Marquess. Winterly discovers Rosamonde has grown up and no longer sees her as his friend’s little sister. He finds he has feeling for Rosamonde and wants to rescue her from this awful betrothal. Is there a way to help her or will she remain so loyal to her father that she’ll the up making the ultimate sacrifice?
Though this book is listed as sweet there may be more romance here than some readers are comfortable with.
A bit rushed but entertaining and clean historical romance. It has a mix of drama, danger, secrets, twists and emotions. Very well written and has a nice storyline and plot. Main characters are likeable and well defined. I like that it seems like the author has made her research before writing the story. This is seen in the events and language.
A young woman who is forced into a betrothal with a man who could be her father but luckily her brother and his friend has other plans.
Absolutely worth the read.
Rosamunde has to do her duty to his family and wed a horrible man. Her brother Avery and his best friend Winterly can’t understand why that is. They have no idea what’s going on.
Winterly has always thought of Rosamunde as his best friend’s sister and consider her as a dear friend. However, when he knows about her betrothal to the Marquess of Roth, he can’t stop thinking the fine woman she becomes and how beautiful she is.
A great story full of twists and turns that surprise us and make us read on until the last page in a go and feel sad that the story comes to an end.
If I had to choose a book on this series, I would have had a problem because all of them are great stories.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
She writes him a letter to tell him how She feels. How will he take it? Will he decide he needs her in his life? Will he turns his back on her? Follow them to find out
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The good storyline and the well defined characters kept me turning the pages until the very end! I always look forward to reading more from this author!
This is dramatic, romantic and suspenseful. Winterly is charming, chivalrous and sweet. Rosamonde is dutiful, stubborn and brave. When Richard arrives at his best friend Avery’s home to find that Avery’s sister is betrothed to a monster, he suddenly funds himself feeling protective and possessive of her. Both Avery and Winterly know that there was no way Rosamonde would willingly agree to marry Roth, and it takes Winterly and Avery insisting that Winterly would just kidnap her and bring her to Gretna Green to tell all. Then it’s a battle of wills between Winterly and Roth. A surprise twist and shocking ending tie things up very neatly.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This is my honest and voluntary opinion of it.
Intriguing Intrigue
I enjoyed this book in spite of some pretty glaring historical anachronisms. I’ve studied history and culture on the collegiate level, which tends to mess up a lot of stories for me. That said, Winterly is dashing, heroic, and lovely and everything he ought to be in a story of this genre.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Highly entertaining, sexy, fun, emotional and engaging adventure filled with drama, uncertainty, interesting charters and thrilling passion… was a sweetly exciting read that kept me page turning to the very end. Could not put it down!
Rosamunde is betrothed to a sadistic man, who was once engaged to her mother. I couldn’t understand why her parents didn’t think he would physically hurt or even kill her in revenge and that they would tamely accept her marriage to him to settle a debt. His previous three wives died and no one saw them leave his estate. Why wouldn’t they wonder that something nefarious was going on? He probably tortured the daughters they gave birth to until they died too. Her brother’s friend, the Earl of Winterly saved Rosamunde and her mother from highway at the beginning of the story, so she begs him to save her from this fate too. Their romance was not smooth especially when dealing with a madman who is determined to get his way.
A well-written story that held my interest throughout this is book four in the Sweet Regency Tales series. Rosamonde was enamored with Richard from the age of seventeen when he rescued her and her Mother from a band of brigands. Now she needs him to rescue her again from a very evil man. There is suspense, drama, danger, kidnapping, and romance. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Lady Rosamonde Raven rode next to her mother, the Countess of Hillhurst, on their way to London. She was excited at going to the balls and meeting people. But soon her father would announce that she was to be betrothed to the Marquess of Roth, a neighbor who was the same age as her father! It would dispel the long-standing feud between their families and give her the security of wealth. She had always dreamed of marrying for love, but Lord Roth was grumpy and unhappy all the time. The coach swerved and thumped, and three highwaymen rode up. Rosamonde’s mother was injured, and Rosamonde was thrown into the carriage as one highwayman prepared to take her to the port to sell as a slave. Suddenly her friend Olivia’s brother, the Earl of Winterly was there with a pistol and shot the highwayman. His brother and a friend had already shot the others and sent for a doctor for her mother. Winterly was her hero and would always remain so.
Since the attack six years ago, Rosamonde had been her mother’s constant companion since she didn’t have use of her legs from the injury. Her mother asked for red thread to sew and, as Rosamonde prepared to knock on her father’s study, she heard the Marquess of Roth arguing with her father. The man had married another when Rosamonde was needed to care for her mother. But that woman died in childbirth so Lord Roth needed another to give him an heir! He again wanted Rosamonde, and he wanted her by the end of the month! Otherwise the loan to her father would be due immediately. She also heard that Lord Roth was the old man that had intended to marry her mother before her father rescued her and married her in Scotland! She was now betrothed to the man and he would attend the house party to get to know her better before they married. She had to convince her mother and brother that she was fine with this. And she would need to forget all thoughts of one day marrying Winterly.
Richard Trentbury, the Earl of Winterly, rode toward Hillhurst Hall to attend the house party at his friend Avery’s, home. Avery met him on the road and they raced their horses to their respective sisters who were fishing by the lake. Avery told Winterly of Rosamonde’s impending marriage. Lord Roth had already buried 3 wives and 6 children! And he gave a wife no freedom to leave home for family visits. Something was not right about this, and Avery asked Winterly to speak to Rosamonde and find the truth. To his surprise, she was no longer the little sister he was used to – she was now a lovely lady. He advised her to be careful of Roth; he was arrogant and cruel. Then he kissed her and could not stop thinking of her.
Roth had started to show his cruel nature when he didn’t like Rosamonde being in Winterly’s presence. He tightly squeezed her arm and reprimanded her harshly and threatened worse. When he was called back to his home to deal with an incident, Avery and Winterly joined her in the small parlor. With Avery’s enthusiastic encouragement, and with Winterly’s own thoughts since he kissed her at the picnic, Winterly got to one knee and proposed! Rosamonde insisted he just pitied her, but he kept asking for her to marry him while she kept refusing. He had to make her understand or he might lose her forever. He realized he could not allow that, he could not give her up! With her feelings for him, and the kisses he tried to convince her with, she finally told him the truth. Would he and Avery pay off the debt to free her? Would Winterly convince her to marry him regardless? And what dark, evil plans did Roth have for her; he would never let her escape his plans! Would it cost her the loss of her life?
This was an outstanding story, filled with suspense and intrigue and mystery to pull the reader deep into the story. Winterly was Rosamonde’s hero, and that never changed. He had even rescued her kitten from a tree! They are really meant for each other. But something dark and nefarious is going on, and there is no simple solution in sight! Grab a copy of this exhilarating book and experience the breath-taking revelation of what is really going on! It will take a hero to save the day!!
A fantastic historical.
An arranged marriage is in the future for Rosamonde to a man as old as her father and who has outlived three other wives. The best friend of her brother and neighbor sees what her father doesn’t. Then a house party and issues come up between Rosamonde and Winterly. Will they find a way to be together? Lord Roth is so evil wonderful character! I loved the book very entertaining I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
Rosamonde father wishes her to mary lord roth because he owes him a debt and the rude lord wants use that loan to force her fathers hand. Lord roth has a personal reason for revenge on her father. Rosamonde has always liked her brother Avery friend lord winterly whom is also her friend Olivia brother.
Upon him visiting her home with his family he finally open to his feelings to Rosamonde but find out she betrothed to her neighbor the rude lord roth. Now he must find out why she is so agreeable to a betrothel she isnt happy about.
Time is of the essence to convience her she must not marry lord roth but him instead.
Good book sweet and quick paced.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Rushed, High Drama Regency
This book is full of high drama. The book’s opening scene is a highway robbery six years ago and then proceeds to the current day with an earl forcing his daughter into a betrothal with a neighboring marquess because he owes him a lot of money. The daughter, Rosamonde, is a sweet young thing who, during that frightening incident six years ago, was rescued from the highwayman by one of her brother’s friends, Lord Winterly. She has developed a strong affection for him, but he is not a suitor as he has always seen her as his friend’s little sister.
After her official betrothal, though, all this changes when Lord Winterly comes for a house party. He now sees her as a grown woman and acknowledges romantic feelings for her. Neither he nor her brother wishes to see Rosamonde wed this marquess, who is of an age to be her father and is known to be a stern fellow who keeps his wives on a short leash, rarely letting them out of the house. Their imaginings of him are actually pale compared to reality.
Lord Winterly proposes despite her betrothal, and she turns him down. It takes some time for him to ferret out all of the reasons why she would wed this vile man, but once it is figured out, he and the other males in her life work out an alternate plan so that she doesn’t have to marry the marquess. Will their plans succeed? Or will she have to marry this terrible older man? What plans and schemes are there on each side, and will she suffer?
The villain in the book is truly vile, which isn’t fully seen until closer to the end. Yes, of course, we get a glimpse of how terrible he is but not the true extent. The father at the start seems far too insistent and unbendable in his demands that his daughter will marry this wretched person. Honestly, it is more than a little creepy, as the father knows the extent of the history between the marquess and Rosamonde’s family. Even despite that, though, would a father who truly loves his daughter insist that she live with a monster and consign her to a life of misery, no matter what he gains from it? What young woman, if she knew her parents loved her, would not ask her father to think of another way out of his circumstances? Why would she agree not to tell her brother and mother about the true details of the betrothal
I also thought that things happened just to quickly in the story. The romance was rushed, the couple’s solution was rushed, and then the climax with the Marquess was just unpleasant, adding to the creepiness factor I mentioned earlier.
The book has the common issues with grammar, punctuation, and usage. Commas seem to be particularly troublesome, with some needed one missing and others chopping up sentences where they didn’t need to.
All in all, due to the pacing and some aspects that I thought stretched my belief, I found this story disappointing.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Rosamonde was enamored with Richard from a tender age. It became a hero worship that grew and when she was seventeen Richard rescued her from tragic death. He rode in and saved her and her mother from a band of brigands and now six years on, she is still irresistibly attracted to him. Unfortunately, her father has now agreed to her betrothal to an arrogant marquess who is more than twice her age and if she doesn’t marry the man then her family will lose everything.
This book is a quick, easy read and a page turner in spite of the sweet nature. My Secret and the Earl is the sweet version of The Earl’s Secret Bride but still is a well written read.
I gave this book 4.5 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization. There are still heroes and villains in spite of the sweet/clean nature of this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
An enjoyable story full of surprises and twists.
Wonderful characters and surprises.
A caring hero and an old arrogant marquess.
A fantastic story for all!
You will love it!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Lady Rosamonde Raven is a very loyal daughter and when her father arranges a marriage between her and an old Marquess who he owes a lot of money to, she agrees, even though she’s secretly in love with her brother’s best friend, the Earl Richard Winterly. When her brother and Richard learn of this impending marriage, they immediately try to convince her that she’s making a grave error. Richard finally sees her as a beautiful grown woman and can’t stand the thought of her being married to any other than him. A plan is formed to get the money owed to the Marquess and break off the betrothal….they also sneak off to Gretna Green to marry!! On their return, Rosamonde is kidnapped by the Marquess and his true evilness is discovered. Can Richard save her in time?
I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet and clean story and I really can’t think of anything I didn’t like about it! I also love the emphasis on how important family is and must always come first.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.