The Earl Next Door
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3.8 • 4 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
What does a fiercely independent young widow really want? One determined suitor is about to find out. . .
When Adeline, Dowager Countess of Wake, learns of her husband’s sudden death, she realizes she’s free. At last, she can do, go, and be as she pleases. Finally, she can have the life she has always dreamed of. She doesn’t need, or want, to remarry. Especially not the supremely dashing future Marquis of Marksworth, who makes Adeline yearn for his desire. . .
Lord Lyonwood, son of a philandering marquis, will not be like his father. He wants to run his estates and watch them flourish—and find a wife who brings love to his life. When he meets spirited and self-reliant Adeline in a case of near-scandalous mistaken identity, Lyon feels he’s met his match. But Adeline isn’t interested in a marriage proposal. She will only accept becoming his lover—and Lyon finds it hard to refuse. Unless the fire of his passion can melt Adeline’s resolve. . .
“A master storyteller.”—Affaire de Coeur
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Adeline, Dowager Countess of Wake, the heroine in this flimsy First Comes Love Regency series opener, is determined to keep her independence, no matter how diligently the handsome Lyon Marksworth, Earl of Lyonwood, tries to win her hand. Adeline, recently widowed, is young enough to remarry, but her marriage was anything but blissful, so a replay is not in the cards. She's dedicated her life to establishing and running the Seafarer's School for Girls and believes marriage would make her and the school too vulnerable to her husband's whims. When Lyonwood mistakes her for a lady of the night, she is both appalled by his assumption and intrigued by his looks. Lyonwood admires her fire and boldness, and after their passionate first encounter, he knows she's the only one for him. They begin a battle of wits as Lyonwood woos Adeline and she fends him off. Grey (The Rakes of St. James) rushes the central relationship without developing it; a shocking revelation and the eventual declaration of love feel like nothing more than genre boxes to check off. Grey's prose is strong and her characters are fun, but the romantic side of this romance is a disappointment.
