The saucy Yvette de Maupassant is used to danger. She’s spent the last 10 years spying for England in Napoleon’s court. Now that her work has been discovered, she must hide, and what better place than the remote wooded estate of the Earl of Carrolton? Her friend Miss Thorn and that delightful cat Fortune place her in a position where she can pretend to be companion to the earl’s sickly mother. … Yet one look at the earl has Yvette rethinking why she wants to stay.
Gregory, Earl of Carrolton, is used to power. So why does one moment in the company of his mother and spinster sister leave him feeling powerless? And why does the look in a certain Frenchwoman’s eyes leave him weak at the knees? As danger draws closer, Gregory and Yvette must work together to protect her, his family, and the future of England, as they discover the greatest danger and delight is falling in love.
This sweet, clean Regency romance is the sequel to Never Borrow a Baronet. Fortune’s Brides: Only a matchmaking cat can hunt true love. Here’s a taste:
Men. They must have been discussing what to do about her situation, yet they all stared at her as if she’d floated down from the ceiling dressed in chicken feathers. Mr. Villers’s mouth even hung open.
“Vite, vite,” Yvette said, coming to join them. “You must be quick. Meredith is with her ladyship, but I will be wanted shortly.”
Mr. Mayes brightened. She’d met the solicitor last month at Foulness Manor, the home of her friend Harry. Of course he would want news of Meredith—unless Yvette missed her guess, he intended to court the lady.
“Miss Thorn is still here?” he asked.
“For the time being,” the earl told him. Then he stepped forward to take Yvette’s hand in his. Such a large hand. Hers disappeared inside it, yet she felt perfectly comfortable.
“Miss de Maupassant,” he said, “Mr. Mayes and Mr. Villers came to let us know they have identified the man pursuing you. You must be brave. It is your cousin.”
The room dimmed. She must have swayed on her feet, for his hand slipped around her waist as if to hold her upright. She clung to his hand, to his warmth. She could not let her fear rule her.
“I should have known Claude would be involved,” she made herself say. “I am only surprised he crossed the Channel himself. Where is he now?”
“We’re not sure,” Mr. Mayes admitted. “One of our best men, Lord Trevithan, nearly caught him in London, but he managed to escape.”
He would, even from the dashing Lord Trevithan, who’d recruited her for a spy. Her cousin was a survivor. So many wrongs could be laid at his door, yet he always escaped capture, like a cockroach scuttling away from the light.
“You’re safe here,” the earl said in his deep voice, hand still holding hers. “He has no idea where you are.”
Yvette shook her head. “He had no idea where I was. Why do you think he allowed you to see him in London? He wanted you to know he was in England. You hurried to tell me, and he will hurry to follow you.”
Mr. Villers straightened, and Mr. Mayes’ handsome face tightened.
“You’re right,” the solicitor said. “We were fools. Carrolton, there’s nothing for it now. We’ll have to find another place for Miss de Maupassant.”
The earl stiffened, but once more the room seemed to darken. Leave Carrolton Park? She had only been here a few days, but she felt as if ribbons bound her to the place. Why? She owed them only her thanks.
But who would answer Lady Carrolton’s bell?
Who would depress Lady Lilith’s notions?
Who would smile encouragement to a beleaguered earl over dinner, share secrets and plans in the corridors?
He still had not released her hand, was gazing down at her, face troubled. Did he fear the danger she had brought to his beautiful home?
Or was he also troubled that she might leave?
more
With her, his world will never be the same…
I’ve always been a little leery of Regency Romance as they so often tend to be either silly or trashy, but neither word ever enters my mind when picking up a Regina Scott novel. I have a few favorite Regency era authors and it’s because of books like Never Envy An Earl that Regina Scott is right up there top with the best of them.
I fell in love with Fortune’s Brides, and of course, Fortune herself, the very first time I read one. Never Envy An Earl is the third book in the Fortune’s Brides series and it’s the third one that I’ve read, though I did not read the first two chronologically. I am completely hooked on this series and invested in the characters.
I’ll confess that I did not care so much for Yvette in book two, for no real reason she just rubbed my fur the wrong way. But, I am happy to say that she completely changed my mind and just like Gregory she quite won my heart. I absolutely loved how she spoke her mind, stood up for the defenseless, and completely turned one earl’s life totally upside-down.
Never Envy An Earl had all of the wit, sparkle, and charm of the first two Fortune’s Brides books. And also like them, the liberal helping of danger and intrigue was the perfect yin to the historical romance’s yang. If you are a fan of Regency era fiction I cannot recommend this book and series from Regina Scott, they are fun and a delight to read.
(I received a copy of this book from the author. All opinions are entirely my own.)
Yvette has lived a sorrowful life, beginning with the death of her family in the terror of the French Revolution. She survived everything life has thrown at her and is now restless with her escape from the danger, her safety while others are still fighting.
Nevertheless, she doesn’t want to die. So, she agrees to hide by posing as a companion to a woman some have nicknamed Lady Quarrelsome.
Worse even than wondering about her own fate is the doubt in her heart about the man she’s trusting. Large as a house, the evidence points both ways — is he a sweet, gentle giant? or a gilded bully?
Yvette de Maupassant is hiding out. Her evil uncle is after her. How dare she disobey him. She will pay before he lifts her head as he did her mama and papa. Then along came big Greg Earl of Carrolton, gentle giant protecting sister and mother. He will do the same and more so for little Yvette.
Another good story an another that I paid for this has to stop.
“Never Envy an Earl” (nook) is a great read. Ms. Scott continues her series with characters introduced in the previous books but the emphasis is on a new hero and heroine. I also like that Meredith’s and Julian’s love story is ongoing.
I received this book for free. I am voluntarily posting this review and any opinions expressed herein are my own.
This is the third book in the Fortune’s Brides series. Each book in this series is a standalone and tells a complete story [no cliffhanger ending]. I did not realize when I listened to this book that the main characters in this book come from other books written by this author. So, I did not know the backstory nor any of the relationships of these characters. There were references to events which had occurred prior to this book [and I assume occurred in the other books] and the author provided quick summaries to catch you up. I did not find that I was lost or needed to have read prior books to understand this story or the characters’ motivations.
I enjoyed this story but I do have to say that it was a little disappointing how easily and frequently Yvette’s cousin [the man who is trying to capture Yvette] gets away. What I liked most of all was how Yvette was able to deal and eventually win over the Earl’s mother and sister – some of it was pretty humorous. Overall, it was an entertaining and enjoyable romp.
The narrator, Jannie Meisberger, did a great job, as always.
Yvette takes on a position as a companion to a sickly lady to hide from the French agents seeking to kill her. Gregory is eager to do what he can for his government and vows to keep Yvette safe. When a plan is devised to draw out the killer, can these two work together?
We met our heroine in the previous book. She has done what she needed to do to survive in the French court, and now she is on the run. her patience is sorely tried in the Carrolton household, but she manages to put people in their place when they test her too far. She is not a lady to be overlooked.
Gregory took a while for me to warm up to. He was nice, eager to do his duty, but he came across as lukewarm in his interactions with Yvette.
I really enjoyed seeing all of the previous main characters come together in this book. The entire cast was fun. The plot moves at a good pace.
I would recommend this series to fans of Regency romance.
What a fun and romantic addition to the Fortune’s Brides series! This novel adds nicely to the entire story and brings in a couple of characters from previous books to make them main characters. Although this story could probably be enjoyed without having read the others, the reader would be missing out on a lot of backstory for the main character, as well as some overall information that carries over throughout all of the books.
I loved the way Yvette dealt with the Earl’s difficult sister and mother. Where many others had failed regarding these two, Yvette was amazing and took care of things in her own, unique way.
The romance was sweet and slowly developed in a natural way throughout the story. There was some light danger and intrigue, as well. This has been a fun series to read and I am looking forward to reading the next book, Never Vie for a Viscount.
(4.5 stars)
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Okay, time for a confession: despite having loved each book in the series until now, I was skeptical about this book given the characters. I did not care much for Gregory from the earlier novels, mostly because of his mother, and what kind of man he must be after being raised in that home. Yvette struck me as competition for Harry in the previous story, and since I loved Patience, that meant I couldn’t like her rival. Thankfully, I found I loved this story, and yes, the characters, too!
Gregory is nothing like the man I pictured. He is a gentle giant, caring and considerate to a fault, a man who has a difficult time telling anything but the stark truth. Yvette is brave and courageous, as well as sweet and loving, a woman who has endured much at the hands of family and society, but has not allowed it to reduce her to a bitter shadow. Together they make a perfect pair, one that I couldn’t help but root for as soon as I understood them better.
Even the dreaded Lady Carrolton, a character I couldn’t stomach in the previous book, gained depth and development in this novel, humanizing the character beyond what I believed possible. There are several secondary characters I am still not too fond of, but largely, learning more about them has made them more endearing than not. I look forward to seeing what the author does with them in future installments of this series.
This particular story is a lot about waiting and patience: waiting for the right time to act, making the most of the time until then, and learning about others and self. As I still have much to learn in these areas, I found the book fascinating and the characters very relatable. Really, the same reason I was sure I wouldn’t like this novel became one of the best sources of enjoyment as I read. I highly recommend it for those who love Regency novels, and for those who enjoy being surprised by characters who do the unexpected.
I received a review copy of this book from the author but was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts expressed are both honest and my own.
Never Envy an Earl by Regina Scott
Fortune’s Brides Series Book Three
Gregory, Earl of Carrolton, is a gentle giant. He does his best to take care of his ailing mother and spinster sister. He wasn’t able to go to war, but the War Office has asked him to help out. Finally, he can feel as he is doing his part. All he has to do is hide a Frenchwoman who has helped England.
Yvette de Maupassant will never regret helping England by passing along secrets she heard in the French court. Even if it ended up with her in prison until her English friends helped her escape. And now, she just has to act as a companion until those who are after her are captured.
Meredith Thorn and her companion cat, Fortune, help bring Yvette to safety. The pair of an uncanny sense of bringing couples together under the guise of the Fortune Employment Agency. This particular placement was to help Yvette. Who knew she’d find more than cover from the enemy in the earl’s home. Wonderful series!
http://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/2012/10/regina-scott-book-list.html
This series, Fortune’s Brides, is absolutely delightful! I love it! This third in the series finds us once again amid intrigue with Miss Yvette recently brought to England because she is in danger of the guillotine if she stays in France. She is taken in by Miss Meredith Thorn and found a position as companion to the dowager Lady Carrolton, who is in ill health. Lord Carrolton, her son, is bound and determined to protect Yvette from the danger surrounding her.
Regina Scott is a master at writing a completely satisfying Regency novel. She creates the most wonderful characters and settings. I am eager awaiting the next in the series.
*My thanks to the author for a copy of this book. The opinions stated here are entirely my own.