Tracy’s review of I Love the Earl 
A single lady in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a suitor
Margaret de Lacey has accepted her unmarried state with dignity, if not delight. She had no suitors when she was young and starry-eyed, though regrettably poor, and it’s unlikely any man will court her now that she’s older, wiser, and still just as penniless. Until, that is, her brother unexpectedly inherits the dukedom of Durham and settles an enormous dowry on her, making her the most eligible heiress in town.
No gentleman in London is more in need of a wealthy bride than Rhys Corwen, Earl of Dowling. He contrives an introduction to Margaret because of her dowry, but she swiftly sets him right: no fortune hunter will win her heart or her hand. Far from put off, Rhys is intrigued. Interested. Entranced. And soon the only thing he needs more than Margaret’s fortune…is her love.
I Love the Earl was a wonderful novella about a plain 30 year old woman who is resigned to spinsterood. In fact, she’s not all that opposed to it at all. Her brother is in trade and does well with his investments so they’re not in the poor house. When a fluke death makes her brother a Duke things start to change. Instead of spinsterhood Margaret gets a 40,000 pound dowry. She’s not pleased with her brother for doing it but he says he’ll allow her to chose the suitor she wants to marry.
Margaret, not long after starting to attend parties, gets mighty sick of the fortune hunters and how they compliment her, etc. when she knows that they don’t find her attractive at all. She knows they just want her money. When she is introduced to Rhy, the Earl of Dowling, she’s already been told that he is penniless. She has no sympathy and speaks her mind to him about what he can do with his fortune hunting. For Rhys, who was cringing at the thought of marrying for money, even though he knew he must, that was one of the most intriguing things he’d ever heard. He liked Margaret’s spirit and decides she’s the one he must marry. He truly is smitten almost from the get go.
Rhys goes about courting Margaret but in a not so evident way. She’s charmed and eventually the two realize their affection for each other. Too bad her brother, who swore she’d have a choice, doesn’t want her to marry Rhys and does everything he can think of to get them to stay apart.
The romance itself was quite lovely – not all that angsty and it was nice to read a story where the man looks to within rather than just on the outside – hoping the inside fits as well. Rhys was a lovely man and I wished them the best.
Francis, Margaret’s brother, was a bastard. I know he thought he was looking out for Margaret’s best interests and I believe he really did love her, but frankly the way he went about trying to keep Rhys and Margaret apart was quite horrid. I have One Night in London and was so happy to see that it wasn’t about Francis. Well, it is in a round about sort of way, but not technically his romance. I can’t see how he might have been redeemed. lol
Anyway, a good novella that I think will be a nice prequel to One Night in London.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place
This book is available from Avon Impulse. You can buy it here
I like stories about spinsters (having been called one myself ha!).
I like Caroline’s writing and this one sounds cute.
You? A spinster? NOT! lol That’s ridiculous. But…I do like spinster stories as well. 🙂