Left standing on the side while their contemporaries marry into society, four young ladies forge a bond to guard each other from a similar fate . . . Finishing school failed to make a proper lady of Penelope Arrington. But as a Wallflower of West Lane, Poppy has a far more vital role—she and her three best friends have made a pact to protect each other from the clutches of dangerous, … the clutches of dangerous, disreputable men. So when one of them is about to be married off to a duke sight unseen, Poppy makes it her mission to divine the prospective husband’s true character. If only she didn’t require the aid of London’s most unsuitable rake.
Rhys Draper, Earl of Marsden, has known the headstrong Poppy since she was a young girl, naïve to the ways of men. To her eternal chagrin—and to his vague amusement—they have been at odds over the memory of their embarrassing first encounter all these years. Now, with his services in need, Rhys sees a chance to finally clear the air between them. Instead, he is surprised by the heat of their feelings. If the two do not tread carefully, they may end up in a most agreeably compromising position . . .
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The Earl Not Taken (The Wallflowers of West Lane) by A.S. Fenichel 4 Stars.
A Fun and Delightful Read!
Four young women met at finishing school where they were sent as punishment for not acting the proper ladies they were born to be.
The four bonded having shared similar upbringing and negative experiences of arranged marriage. They moved in together and vowed to protect one another from being forced into an advantageous marriage arranged by their fathers and the men who were seeking to better there status and bank accounts. These women would not be bought and sold as chattel, watching their belongings become their husbands property to do with what he wanted, all the while he’s out spending her dowery on his mistresses and such. Not these strong and intelligent women. Well, until the right man comes along!
I loved the storyline. It opened up each one of the girls characters and how their lives were effected by arranged and bad marriages. Including parents who weren’t faithful, fathered other children, unkind parents who were devastatingly cruel. It was also uplifting to see some love matches and the love and support the girls had for each other. The slow burn romance between Poppy and her long time antagonist Rhys, who is the brother of her best friend and a sworn protector of all four of the women was pretty good too! This fast paced story is a fun read.
Happy Reading
Content: Adult Romance 3 out of 5 flames
Penelope (Poppy) Arrington was very clumsy and worked hard to keep her feet under her. Her parents wanted her married and out of the house. So they sent her to a school in Lucerne with three other girls. They had all been misbehaving or so their parents thought. Aurora, Poppy, Faith, and Mercy became great friends and became the Wallflowers of West Lane. After they arrived home Aurora was to get married and it had been three years since that day and they were putting her husband in the ground. He had died. Thank Heavens for it, he had been very abusive with Aurora. There were times when she had been beaten so badly she could not move or was unconscious. Faith had something to tell them and she was a little afraid. Her mother had arranged for her to marry, someone she had never seen or spoken with. They would figure some way to get information about him, so they would know his character.
Rhys Draper, Earl of Marsden, brother to Aurora, and now head of the family had learned some very shocking things. His sister abused, Poppy’s dislike of men and Rhys in particular. But they had to work together to save Faith.
I really liked this story and the characters. They were sweet and protective of each other. Rhys was getting involved with Poppy and remained confused. Poor thing. They did many things to try to find out about his Grace. But it was hard. They added more friends to their network and tried to keep Faith’s spirits up. I really recommend this delightful book.
I received this from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.
2.5 stars rounded up
Three years at a Swiss finishing school didn’t exactly turn Lady Penelope Arrington into a proper debutante, but she did make three strong friendships. The four ladies call themselves the Wallflowers of West Lane and are determined to protect each other from dangerous men after the marriage of one of their own turned out to be a violent disaster. Now another of their number is set to marry a duke she’s never met and Poppy is determined to learn his character. Unfortunately, to be successful she needs the help of her friend’s rakish brother.
Rhys Draper, the Earl of Marsden, has always been at odds with Poppy since he met her when she was just a girl. Now she needs him and Rhys is determined to figure out why he inspires her ire and disdain. But as they spend more time together, Rhys is shocked by the true depth of his feelings for her. But Poppy never wishes to marry and she and Rhys are soon at risk of being discovered in a compromising position and having their decisions made for them.
I was excited for this series and a little light-hearted girl power, but this book had a lot of issues for me. Firstly, the general book factors. Beware, there is some venting ahead. This is a pet peeve of mine that most probably won’t notice, but I’m a horse person so for me it is glaringly obvious: horses do NOT bray, ever, no matter how spooked they are. This is only donkeys and some mules. Besides that slight annoyance, there were also several issues with forms of address and characters who should’ve had the title of lord but never did. Aside from all that, perhaps most importantly is the fact that this book is modern in the extreme. I expected much of this from the cover (which I really do like), but this is truly just a modern novel set in a time with carriages.
Technical issues aside, what really killed this one for me was the heroine. She was extremely immature, even for age 21, not to mention judgmental, arrogant and rigid in her thinking. She seemed to believe no one else could possibly know more than she and even when met with new information, she insisted on maintaining her beliefs and assumptions, even knowing she was wrong. This to me is not strong-willed or independent, it is simply being hateful and willfully ignorant. Also Poppy’s use of odd and annoying curses involving Greek and Norse mythology (though she only acknowledged Greek) just didn’t fit the situations and settings they were used in and sounded awkward, though perhaps this made them fitting of her character.
As for the hero, Rhys underwent a good bit of growth and development, which only served to show the lack thereof in Poppy. After Poppy’s anger was vented at him (one of many times) for his failure to prove his true feelings for her, Rhys set out to do just that, and then Poppy couldn’t understand what the fuss was about and I just wanted to shake her for her hypocrisy. More background on Poppy might’ve helped but her behavior just showed a lack of character to me, independent of her very understandable lack of self-esteem. Many times she seemed to make up reasons to blow up at Rhys and I even went back and reread and couldn’t understand what he had said that made her so angry.
In fact, the majority of the book is Poppy storming off and running away and this along with her incessant and repetitive vitriolic diatribes against all men, regardless of whether she knew them and their character or not, struck me as a highly hypocritical judgment since most of her annoyance stems from women being treated this same way. Rhys wasn’t bad, I just really don’t know why he thought Poppy was so sweet, wonderful and intelligent because I never saw her demonstrate any of these qualities and he wasn’t enough to carry this book for me. Any development we saw from Poppy came in the last 15% or so of the book and for me it was too abrupt and too little too late and her lack of growth was a huge turn off.
This particular heroine killed the whole book for me, but Nicholas (not so much Faith) interested me enough that I’ll likely check out the next book and hope it jives better with me.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Finishing school failed to make a proper lady of Penelope Arrington. But as a Wallflower of West Lane, Poppy has a far more vital role—she and her three best friends have made a pact to protect each other from the clutches of dangerous, disreputable men. So when one of them is about to be married off to a duke sight unseen, Poppy makes it her mission to divine the prospective husband’s true character. If only she didn’t require the aid of London’s most unsuitable rake.
Rhys Draper, Earl of Marsden, has known the headstrong Poppy since she was a young girl naïve to the ways of men. To her eternal chagrin—and to his vague amusement—they have been at odds over the memory of embarrassing first encounter all these years. Now, with his services in need, Rhys sees a chance to finally clear the air between them. Instead, he is surprised by the heat of their feelings. If the two do not tread carefully, they may end up in a most agreeably compromising position .
Poppy and Rhys are meant to be, despite Poppy’s dislike for the institution of marriage.
A.S. Fenichel is a phenomenal author.
I just can’t get into it. It doesn’t give a good introduction of the characters, I don’t feel like I know them. Why do they have to form a plan to find out about this duke? And the plan is pretty simple. Why after six years is Rhys all of a sudden attracted to Poppy? She sounds like a slob.
Though I have been “off” historical romance for quite some time, when the book club chose to read this—I jumped in. It was a quick, snappy read for a rainy afternoon. Be aware that this enemy to lover trope has a wide open door for the bedroom scenes; but you won’t have to skip too many pages.
“The Earl Not Taken” was a charming debut but not a standout. This historical romance novel tells the tale of Pobby, who swore off marriage due to the ‘extracurricular activities’ of her father and a duke, Rhys, who is trying to redeem himself in the light of his sister’s best friend after an awkward encounter years prior. Their journey begins with secret meetings and kisses, heated moments, and a plan to reveal the true intentions of a well off man who is betrothed to a Wallflower. It was an overall pleasant read but it did have tiring back and forth with the couple that got old quick yet… I did enjoy most of their encounters and the process of how they became enemies to lovers. This was an enjoyable read all around.
The Earl Not Taken is Pride and Prejudice on its head.
Rhys Draper, Earl of Marsden, has been harboring unrequited feelings for Poppy Arrington for years. The out-spoken wallflower is his sister’s dear friend, and despite his many attempts, she harbors nothing but contempt for him. The man believes that it’s her refusal that breeds his lust for her and that once she favors him, it will go away. But he’s suffering something far worse than pride, Rhys is head over heels for the unconventional miss, and there is no cure.
I enjoy a rebel bluestocking, but Poppy is too much. What she has against Rhys is that he is unforgivably male: men are controlling, violent beasts, who revel in the ownership of women. Poppy holds on to this prejudice until magically cured of the misconception. There were no steps to the epiphany, and it made me feel like she had no growth.
This role reversal, with Poppy lacking emotional availability and Rhys, as the one who is eager to explore his feelings, makes The Earl Not Taken a unique, refreshing read. With a good deal of Rhys’ POV reading in a casual state of acceptance, unlike any other hero I’ve encountered. Rhys is determined and onboard.
One of the issues I ran into with this novel was the pacing. There are some significant parts to it where the writing is on point, and then the pacing drags. The last few chapters felt interminable, with the author putting all her ducks in a row. The end of The Earl Not Taken does nicely set up the next book, which I will be happy to read.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary advance copy of this book.
Poppy and her three best friends want a say in their marriages. They form a pact to help each other in any way they can. When one is set to be married without ever meeting him. Poppy enlists the help of her childhood nemesis Rhys Draper, Earl of Marsden. He wants to put their past behind them but can she?
Such a good book and the characters had a lot of depth.
This historical romance is good if you like big groups of characters and don’t mind the feel of caricatures. I found the plot contrived and the second half of the novel tiresome as the hero and heroine came up with excuses not to be together, but I did admire the characters for tackling the question of women’s rights within the traditional legal marriage structure.
Beautiful cover, promising storyline, disappointing execution. First of all, let me say, I loved Poppy and her strong-willed, sassy nature. Some of her expressions had me chuckling out loud. Her assumptions and protective guard were challenged a little too easily for what I would have expected from a firecracker like her. I loved the idea of her friends forming a club, born out of rebellion, tried by time and proven true by loyalty in all of life’s circumstances. That kind of sisterhood is a perfect element for a story such as this. Rhys is the kind of gentleman I would expect to sweep Poppy off her feet, but some of the interactions felt rushed. The forwardness of conversations felt out of place for this genre and made it a little hard to pass off as a regency tale. I have never read this author before, so expecting a clean read and finding it has a lot of steam is no one’s fault but my own but did contribute to my decreased level of enjoyment.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and all opinions expressed are solely my own.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of The Earl Not Taken!
My favorite genre is romance. More modern day romance. I recently read a cozy mystery series where the mother read books about courting and arranged marriage and Dowries. I was kind of interested but didn’t know what to read.
Well one day The Earl Not Taken cake up on my Facebook feed for a group Between The Chapters Book Club. From that moment I knew I had to read this book. I must say I love this book.
I’m really bummed that i have the kindle version because I really want this book on my bookshelf that’s how much I love this book!
The storyline comes from the Regency Romance Era. Not only do you get a little bit of a history lesson you get a true love story of a woman trying to “rebel” from the ways of past generations.
A short and sweet romance where your shouting from the top of you lungs saying just kiss the girl lol. The Earl Not Taken well turn you on to regency romance for sure.
As someone who doesn’t normally read Regency novels, I was quite surprised at how the synopsis and this adorable cover really caught my attention, and I had to give it a try!
Penelope, Poppy, Arrington has never been considered a proper lady, and neither have her closest friends. While attending finishing school, they began calling themselves the Wallflowers of West Lane to fully embrace how comfortable they are not quite fitting in with high society. Their bond with one another is admirable and provides great representation of female friendship, especially as they navigate their roles within a community that largely looks down upon them for simply being a woman. Poppy, herself, is cast aside because she is the only child, and a daughter no less, of a wealthy and respected family. Her attitude and personality cannot help but be a reflection of this struggle with her parents, and in effect, creates some very negative presumptions about all men and relationships in general. Her stubbornness is entertaining to watch, especially as she addresses her feelings for Rhys and the role marriage may play in her own life. I’m always a fan of the hate to love troupe, and the author does a fantastic job of drawing out the sense of desire and longing they are hiding from not just each other, but from within themselves as well.
With great pacing and just the right of amount of pull between a slow-burning romance and a steamy tryst, this coming of age story about life and love shows that happily ever afters can happen even in the most unlikely circumstance.
Definitely an unexpected and easy read within a promising series that I would like to return to soon.
Many thanks to Pump Up Your Book Blog Tours and the author for providing me with a free copy of the book. This is my honest and thoughtful opinion.
This is a first time author for me. I enjoyed the book until the end where Poppy and Rhys head toward Scotland. Her incessant protesting about marriage was just too much. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.
I fell in love with The Wallflower of West Lane. They each have their strengths, which compliments the others. Penelope or affectionately called Poppy, is the one who believes all men are cads and not worth marrying. She is fiercely protective of her friends. She is smart and funny. Rhys Draper, The Duke of Marsden and Aurora’s brother, is a handsome and engaging person. He is protective of his sister. It seems as if Faith has now been matched and The Wallflowers are worried he will not be a good match. He is to secretive. Poppy and Rhys have teamed up to see what the can find out about hi,. Along the way, Rhys has discovered why Poppy hates him. In the weeks that follow, Rhys and Poppy become friends but he is in love. He wants it all. How do you change a way of life? It was so romantic! I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
Wallflower Poppy Arrington is on a mission to see if the Duke her close friend is to marry is a man to be trusted or not. When Rhys Draper, Earl of Marsden, hears Poppy’s outlandish plan he is determined to be part of it to keep her away from trouble. What Rhys doesn’t understand though is why Poppy seems to hate him so much, the disdain radiates from her and when Rhys begins to fall for the strong willed women he becomes determined to win her heart even though she keeps pushing him away.
I liked this one quite a bit, the chemistry between Rhys and Poppy is terrific and builds up as the story progresses. I liked Poppy’s spirit through out the book and could easily visualize her character. Entertaining story, definitely one to pick up and spend the day getting swept away in.
The Earl Not Taken by A.S. Fenichel is the first book in The Wallflowers of West Lane Series. This is the story of Rhys Draper, Earl of Marsden and Penelope ‘Poppy’ Arrington. Poppy had been sent away to Miss Agatha Wormbattle’s School for Young Ladies in Lucerne, Switzerland for punishment but really it was the best thing because became close to friends that are more like sisters to her. Now in their present day they women have form a group called the Wallflowers of West Lane to help each other and to protect each other. This is what leads Poppy to start to investigate a man that her friend may have to marry. Poppy and Rhys had know each other when they were younger and before she was sent off to school. They have been butting heads from the first and still doing so now. But Rhys knows that he needs to help Poppy which ends up bring them together. Enjoyed their story and the start to this new series.
When I see a new book by this author, I can never wait to read it. I know it will be simply wonderful and this one proved delightful!
Four girls who are friends (they call themselves the Wallflowers of West Lane) are sent to Switzerland to become proper young ladies. Each has been a trial to their parents and they look at it as an adventure! Once they are back this story picks up a few years later.
One of the four, Aurora had married an Earl who had just passed away and all were together. Aurora’s brother Rhys was with them and when he heard how horrible a person the Earl had been to his sister he was furious.
Now their friend Faith announced her mother had arranged for her to marry a Duke, neither had met. That put our heroine and one of the four, Poppy, determined to find out about the man so that Faith would not get into a situation like Aurora. Rhys agreed to help her since she could not be snooping around on her own. Oh, but they had a history….
For years Rhys had tried to determine why Poppy held him in disdain. She just seemed to dislike him, even when he tried to be agreeable to her. “Poppy Arrington was a mess. She always said the wrong thing, had no sense of fashion, and was far too headstrong and opinionated.” “She made him want to kiss her senseless!”
I loved this story! Humor, intrigue, a headstrong heroine who spoke her mind and a hero who I loved. A delightful journey to their happy ever after and just had to sigh as I turned the last page! Cannot wait for more!!!
I enjoyed this first book in the Wallflowers of West Lane. Poppy was quite a fun character. Her doubts about her self-worth almost broke my heart but the way she flaunted the rules of society made this story worth reading. I did feel sorry for Rhys as he tried to navigate Poppy’s world. I loved his tenderness with her and his willingness to help out the ladies. I recommend this story.
I received an ARC of this story through Netgalley, and this is my unsolicited review.
A delightful story! Poppy and Rhys are wonderfully developed characters. I enjoyed Rhys always calling Poppy by her formal name, Penelope, and his patience with her headstrong personality. I look forward to the next Wallflower of West Lane.
I was provided with an advance readers copy of this book. This review is my honest opinion voluntarily given.