First Earl I See Tonight
A Debutante Diaries Novel
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3.8 • 16 Ratings
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
Once upon a time three young ladies vowed to record their first London seasons…and to fill in the gaps of their finishing school educations. Thus began The Debutante Diaries—and London will never be the same…
“Fans of Regency romance authors Eloisa James, Tessa Dare, and Mary Jo Putney will go wild.”—Booklist
An heiress with a daring proposal. An earl who’s determined to resist her. And a love that just might be written in the stars, in First Earl I See Tonight by Anna Bennett.
Recently jilted by his fiancée, David Gray, Earl of Ravenport is not in the market for a wife. Even if Gray didn’t have his hands full renovating his crumbling country house, it would take more than a bold marriage proposal from a headstrong young beauty to thaw his frozen heart. Gray is confident that spending a week at his ramshackle estate will change her mind about marriage, but every passionate moment he spends with her tempts him to change his…
A talented artist, Miss Fiona Hartley desperately needs her dowry money to pay off a blackmailer set on ruining her sister. The handsome earl seems a sensible choice for a husband…if only she can convince him that romance will play no part. But marrying in name only may prove difficult for Fiona. Gray can’t help but be dazzled by her genuine warmth. Yet as their feelings deepen, Fiona’s deadline looms. Will her secrets destroy them, or is true love their final destiny?
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
We love a heroine who doesn’t wait to be rescued, so thank you, Anna Bennett! The first book in her Debutante Diaries series introduces us to Fiona Hartley, who is anything but a typical damsel in distress. When a blackmailer threatens to ruin her sister, Fiona decides to secure a husband who can protect them both. She targets David Gray, the earl of Ravenport, who’s shocked to be on the receiving end of Fiona’s marriage proposal, but undeniably drawn to her. A crumbling estate, mysterious letters, and a villain hiding among friends add a dash of intrigue to this tantalizing Regency adventure.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A kind, funny heroine is the perfect match for a stoic, brooding hero in Bennett's delightful first Debutante Diaries Regency romance. David Gray, Earl of Ravenport, needs funds to restore his family's manor. In order to pay off a blackmailer and save her family, the vivacious Miss Fiona Hartley needs to marry within a fortnight so she can gain access to her dowry. This would be a match made in monetary heaven if the recently jilted Ravenport weren't so dead set against marriage. His reluctance doesn't stop Fiona from proposing. At first, Ravenport is shocked, but the more time he spends with her, the more his mind and heart adapt to the idea of spending his life with her. Surrounded by spirited, loving family members and a host of witty friends, the duo tries to make the most of their situation, but their dreams of wedded bliss are threatened by the blackmailer's unrelenting schemes, and Ravenport must convince Fiona to trust him enough to put her family's reputation in his hands. This sexy, clever historical suspense will bring smiles to its readers and garner Bennett (the Wayward Wallflowers series) a host of new fans.
Customer Reviews
A Kiss Changes Everything
I received an ARC of this book to read through Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. First Earl I See Tonight is the first book in Anna Bennett’s sparkling new series The Debutante Diaries. Miss Fiona Hartley is in trouble ... she’s received a letter from a mysterious blackmailer who is privy to a family secret and is threatening to expose it in a gossip rag blackening her sisters reputation and ruining her chances of making a good marriage. After giving the matter great thought the only way she can see to come up with the required sum is to marry and get the money from her dowry. Unfortunately time is running out and she’s not doing that well on the marriage mart herself. The solution she comes up with is to send a letter proposing marriage to David Gray, Earl of Ravenport because he’s recently been dumped by his fiancée, has a country estate in great need of repairs with no funds to do it and he was kind to her once. When Gray receives her letter he’s not quite sure she’s not a lunatic but agrees to meet with her in order to give her a firm refusal, and then she kisses him... a brush of lips really not quite a kiss but yet it may change everything. Medium steam. Publishing Date October 30, 2018 #FirstEarlISeeTonight #NetGalley #AnnaBennett #stmartinspress