I have to be honest: I really struggled with whether I should go forward with this post after reading an advance copy of the book. Above all else, I strive to share only my honest thoughts and feelings about the books I read, and I would never recommend something that I did not personally enjoy. It's a difficult balancing act, however, knowing how much time, effort, and love authors put into their writing, and how they (and their publishers) count on bloggers and reviewers to spread positive feedback to help build sales. When I commit to writing a review or joining a promotional tour, it's based on the book's synopsis and because I genuinely believe that I will enjoy it, usually well before it's available for me to actually read. I hate backing out on those commitments and make a sincere effort not to do so, unless it's unavoidable for personal reasons (e.g. my health) or I absolutely hated the book.
Anyway, I apologize for the digression. The point I'm trying to convey is that while I did NOT hate "How to Catch an Errant Earl," I did have very mixed feelings about it, and I can't give it my wholehearted recommendation. That said, some of what I disliked about the book (mainly the insta-lust between main characters Gabriel and Arabella) is a favorite trope for other readers. I invite you to check out the following excerpt as well as my review and judge for yourself whether or not this book is for you.
About "How to Catch an Errant Earl"
A young debutante makes a hasty exit from London only to create new headlines on the Continent.
After being expelled from a young ladies' academy, a disgraced Miss Arabella Jardine is whisked away to the Continent until the controversy in London subsides. However, it doesn't take long for Arabella to shock her family all over again when an encounter in Switzerland with the irresistible rakehell-in-exile Earl of Langdale leads to a compromising situation. Despite his wicked reputation, Lord Langdale is the sort of man she has dreamed of marrying.
When Gabriel Holmes-Fitzgerald is caught in flagrante delicto with the apparently prim and proper Miss Arabella Jardine, he's obliged to offer for the young lady's hand. Unprincipled cad that he is, Gabriel is no stranger to scandal. He'll do the right thing and wed Arabella, although he secretly despairs his tainted soul will corrupt and ultimately destroy her.
When Arabella's life is unexpectedly threatened by an unscrupulous enemy from the past, one thing becomes crystal clear to Gabriel: the worst torment of all will be losing the woman he loves. And he would do anything, even sell his soul to the Devil himself, to save her.
Read an Excerpt from "How to Catch an Errant Earl"
Set-up: During a wild storm, Lord Langdale falls from his horse. Miss Arabella Jardine is about to treat his badly injured shoulder...
Trying to ignore the quickening of her pulse and the wild fluttering in her belly, Arabella forced herself to concentrate on the task at hand. “Right, let’s get on with it, shall we? We’ll need to deal with your cravat and waistcoat first.”
He gave a short nod, then loosened his neckcloth, collar, and the fastenings at the top of his shirt with a shaking hand while Arabella applied herself to undoing the buttons of his sodden silk waistcoat. When the garment sagged open, she tried very hard not to notice his long, lean torso or how the soaked, almost sheer cambric of his shirt clung to the hard swells of his well-developed pectoral muscles.
She frowned and worried at her lower lip when her gaze traveled lower to the waistband of his buckskin breeches. “Shall I tug your shirt out, or would you prefer to? I don’t want to hurt you...at least any more than necessary.”
“I’ll do it.” Drawing a shallow breath, he gingerly tugged the fabric free at the very front. “Will that do?”
“Aye.” She held on to the hem and picked up her scissors from where she’d deposited them on the silk-covered seat of the chaise longue. Lord Langdale’s clothing was drenched through and the chair’s fabric would probably be ruined, but there wasn’t much she could do about it.
She was about to make the first cut when Lord Langdale murmured, “I think this is one of the most novel ways I’ve ever been undressed.”
“One of the most novel? Heavens.” Arabella made a series of careful snips up the middle of the earl’s shirt, stopping just below his sternum. “The mind boggles.”
“Well, if you’re curious, I could tell you about the time—”
“No.” Arabella made a smooth slice up to the shirt’s gaping neckline. With a quick snick, the garment was completely cut in two. Glancing up into the earl’s face, she continued, “I’m not the slightest bit curious...” But then her voice trailed away.
Lord Langdale was looking down at her through half-closed lids, and Arabella suddenly found herself trapped as though entranced by a mesmerist. Her pulse raced faster than quicksilver, and she suddenly felt giddy as though she’d been drinking cognac too. Goodness, this beautiful man was dangerous. Even though he was in a seriously injured, disheveled state, his rakish charm was in no way diminished.
But she had a job to do. And swooning at the earl’s feet like a silly miss who’d never seen a bare male chest before was not conducive to getting it done. Arabella swallowed and pushed herself up. “Now that I think on it, I probably should have cut through the back of your shirt instead of the front,” she said, moving behind him.
“But where would the fun have been in that?”
Arabella frowned at the back of his head. Was he implying he enjoyed seeing her on her knees between his legs? She was sure he was making a joke of a sexual nature at her expense. “You have a wicked tongue, Lord Langdale,” she said as she efficiently snipped down the back of his waistcoat.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“And you’re incorrigible too.” She started on the back of his shirt.
“I won’t disagree.”
“Good.”
My Review
I had mixed feelings about Amy Rose Bennett's "How to Catch an Errant Earl." On the positive side, the book was generally well-written, and main character Gabriel, Lord Langdale's, investigation into the circumstances of his parents' marriage and his mother's later disappearance was interesting. I also enjoyed the fact that the first half of the novel was set in Switzerland rather than the typical ballrooms and drawing rooms of Regency London. It was nice to get a glimpse of what traveling on the Continent might have been like 200 years ago.
Gabriel and his love interest, Miss Arabella Jardine, were mostly likeable lead characters, though there were aspects of their personalities that I wish had been better developed. At first, Arabella seemed quite intelligent and capable, and I appreciated her pride in her medical knowledge and the fact that she wasn't ashamed to be considered a bluestocking. As the story went on, however, her seeming lack of self-esteem when she was around Gabriel really started to bother me, mainly because it didn't quite seem to fit with her behavior earlier in the novel. Admittedly, Arabella's aunt and cousin treated her rather poorly over the years and that probably took a toll, but I was still uncomfortable with the way she continually thought of and described herself as "nothing and no one" in comparison to Gabriel because of his title and standing in society. Arabella must have had some family connections or else how could she have been admitted to the ladies' academy where she met Lady Charlotte and her other friends? If the academy was good enough for the daughter of an earl, it must have been pretty selective.
Gabriel was a roguishly charming hero, but I appreciated the fact that he actually seemed to grow up a bit over the course of the story. Perhaps because of the threat of his cousin challenging his title, he finally realized what was important in life and that he needed to take his responsibilities more seriously. However, I wish that Gabriel's addiction to laudanum had been explored in greater depth. It was an important part of his background, but seemed to be treated as nothing more than an afterthought.
As for the relationship between Arabella and Gabriel, while their physical attraction to each other was obvious, I remained unconvinced of their emotional connection by the end of the book. I am not a fan of the insta-lust or insta-love tropes, and both of those seemed to come into play here. Gabriel could never quite explain what it was that he actually liked about Arabella, but he somehow "just knew" he had to have her. Arabella became obsessed with the fact that Gabriel wasn't in love with her and tried to push him away. They seemed to keep having the same argument over and over again, and frankly, I found myself growing more and more annoyed with Arabella and her unrealistic expectations. They were forced to marry quickly without knowing each other at all, and the whole story took place over only a month or so. They needed to spend some time getting to know each other in order to fall in love!
Overall, like the first book in this series, "How to Catch an Errant Earl" was not a terrible book, but I did not find it to be particularly memorable either. I will probably give the series one more chance since I've enjoyed getting to know Arabella's friends Olivia and Lady Charlotte (Charlie) in these first two books, but at this point my expectations are pretty low.
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments make my day! While I do not expect everyone to agree with my point of view, please note that I reserve the right to delete any nasty or uncharitable messages, as well as spam. Open discussion is welcome and appreciated, but personal attacks are not. Thanks for understanding and have a nice day. :-)