One estate. Two heirs. No rules, only battle lines.Sophia Anson does not have much in her life to call her own and never has. Nothing surprises or delights her more than to suddenly be named mistress of Rosennor Hall, and from a relation she had never heard of nor met at that. But her elation is short lived, for she is not the only heir to the estate, and the will is very specific. The two of … two of them are to share Rosennor. Together.
Larkin Roth does not have time nor energy to deal with the twisted and ridiculous legacy left to him and the fair but fiery Miss Anson. He is determined to stand his ground and fight for every inch of the estate he can get, and he does not care what happens to her in the process. But a life in the same house as Sophia Anson could never be simple, and soon he finds himself thinking of her as more than just his enemy, and of Rosennor as more than just his inheritance.
For more Rebecca Connolly romance, try the first book in her best-selling Spinster Chronicles, ‘The Merry Lives of Spinsters’ here: https://tinyurl.com/yysq5ybh
The Rivals of Rosennor Hall is part of the ENTANGLED INHERITANCE series, a set of stand-alone regency romance novels. Look for the complete collection of stories by these incredible authors:
A Provision for Love by Heather Chapman
His Unexpected Heiress by Sally Britton
The Rivals of Rosennor Hall by Rebecca Connolly
An Unwelcome Suitor by Ashtyn Newbold
more
Story: 4 stars
I thought that Ms. Connolly deserved kudos for coming up with such a strange and twisted will. It certainly put the old (and tired) ‘have to get married because of a will’ trope to task! She certainly used her creativity on this one!
I agree with many of the reviewers that the tension between the main characters came out of seemingly nowhere, and was inexplicably extreme. Why they decided right away to fight, instead of to listen carefully to the will to see what their options were, was indeed childish, but admittedly necessary to the plot…
Lots of banter and mean-spirited practical jokes ensue. The main place where we see them act more like the people they should be is with his mother. They both treat her sweetly and try to make sure she is comfortable and cared for.
I loved when they worked together for the Cutting of the Roses event.
Their battle of wills was interesting, but almost went on too long. I was glad when Ms. Connolly made them team up and act like grown-ups.
The romance was clean and sweet.
Kudos to Ms. Connolly for getting creative and writing something less formulaic than most romance novels out there. I truly enjoyed this book!
*poor, **ok,***good, ****very good, *****something special
From the moment the ridiculous will of Sir Kentworth was read to Sophia Anson and Larkin Roth willing them both interconnected parts of Rosennor Hall they squabble and find ways to infuriate the other. I could tell that it was only a matter of time before all that passion turned to kissing. At first I thought Larkin is a jerk especially since Sophia had nothing prior to the will and was forced to live off the mercy of her cousins the Arthurs, but then she gives it right back to him. I laughed out loud at the ways they messed with each other. There are tender moments in the book too like how they bond together helping his mother who isn’t always with it. And they way the both want to help their tenants. This was a funny, at times head shaking or sweet, enemies to lovers historical romance.
I laughed all the way through this book. The rivalry between the main characters for Rosennor Hall was great.
Just finished the third book in the series, Entangled Inheritance. When I started this series I didn’t think it was going to be as good as it is. All four books are written by different authors, but the premise is the same on all. An unexpected person inherits from someone they barely knew, a distant relative or a complete stranger who they met by chance. There’s a catch in each book which makes the stories very entertaining. You can’t help liking all these wonderful characters!
I loved the unique twist in the plot of this book! Sophia and Larkin not only inherit Rosennor Hall together, but the will stipulates that the contents of the rooms and land that Larkin inherits belong to Sophia, and vice versa, among other crazy details. So much fodder for pranks… Larkin and Sophia initially despise each other because of the situation and the reactions they so easily pull from each other. I loved seeing them soften towards each other as they get to know the true character of their archnemesis 😉 Larkin’s mother has some sort of dimensia so she joins them on the estate as the “chaperone” and I loved the way Sophia had such a compassionate spirit for her. A fun and often surprising Regency story!
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
I love Rebecca’s characters!
Enjoyable even if the premise is rather farfetched!
It was original, funny, and witty but I didn’t love it. At first, I was a bit off-put by the unprovoked hate at first sight feelings of the two main characters, and really put off by the ridiculous will–nor could I believe that any ethical attorney would have drafted a convoluted will i.e a certain room belongs to him yet the furniture belongs to her. However, once I set aside my disbelief, I started to enjoy the “games” and antics. Even though some of the pranks they pulled on one another bordered on childish, they were clearly meant as simply that, pranks, as they battled to stake a claim and suggest that the other leave. Still, the way they worked together when it mattered and really did want the best for each other was gratifying. The prose was beautifully written, original, and swoony and the romance was clean but with plenty of chemistry. Since this is my first Rebecca Connolly book, I will probably read another one before I reserve judgment on whether or not she’s an “auto-buy.”
I loved this story! What a fun plot. I have read the other 2 and liked this whole idea. I never pass up a Connolly story so I jumped at this one. It takes skill to craft a novel worth reading where the 2 main characters start out as rivals or dislike each other. I either end up disliking one and thinking they are jerks or it’s just not believable and feels weird. Rebecca is a fun author and I love the light feeling and some deep feelings she can convey. This has some fun tension and some great moments.
Very entertaining!! I loved so many things about this book! Beginning – Middle – and End!
I absolutely appreciate the author’s sense of humor! Some of the dialog is just laugh-out-loud funny.
The plot is original and comical. The characters are just perfect and so likable.
The attraction between the two is so fun as it develops, with several melting – sigh inducing moments…
The writing is done very well, with so many witty and funny situations.
I also enjoyed the characters of Larkin’s mother, and his friend Taft – the Earl.
This book made me laugh (a lot), cry (a bit), and sigh contentedly when they finally kiss!!
Rebecca Connolly is a gifted writer and this book is a wonderful addition to this series!
I received an ARC of this book. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I highly recommend this book and I will be reading it again!
The premise of this entangled inheritance is pretty hilarious and sets up some humorous situations through out the book. But to truly enjoy this book you pretty much need to set aside everything you think you know about Regency England because the characters aren’t going to behave at all like we think they should. They are rude, snide, mean spirited, and initially not very likable. There is not even the pretense of behaving as proper young people. And at the beginning of the book I didn’t think I was going to like them or enjoy the book at all. I’m pleased to report that by the end of the book I did have a smile on my face.
The word ridiculous is used over and over in this book and I think it describes so much about the entire book. I think everything is a little over the top and a bit ridiculous and if you can set aside expectations of Regency England then you can sit back and enjoy the ride. In some ways I think the story might have been better set in a more modern time but having it in the Regency Era just adds to the ridiculousness of the entire thing. I can see Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn playing these roles set in the 40’s or something- madcap comedy.
So, don’t take the book too seriously. Enjoy it for what it is.
Sex: a kiss and a little mild innuendo
Language: some, pretty mild
Violence: no, unless you count their verbal sparring.
As always, Rebecca Connolly writes with great wit and a gift for comedic timing. I LOVED this romance.