Thursday, August 29, 2019

Review - First Earl I See Tonight

Author:  Anna Bennett
Series:  Debutante Diaries #1
Genre:   Anna Bennett
Publisher:  St. Martin's
Format:  Kindle
No. of Pages:   338
Date of Publication:  October 30, 2018
My Rating:  4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

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… 

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?

MY THOUGHTS:

Miss Fiona Hartley is a skilled artist who is facing a serious dilemma. Her sister Lily's very future could be ruined and Fiona is being blackmailed. She must come up with a large sum of money to protect Lily. Lily's past is cloudy, but she is very much loved by Fiona, therefore Fiona comes up with a plan. She approaches David Gray, Earl of Ravenport, and convinces him that marrying her would be a wise idea.

Gray was hurt by his previous fiancée, so marriage is the furthest thing from his mind. However, the fact that he is suffering greatly financially makes the offer by the delectable Miss Hartley rather tempting. They both know if they go forward that it will be a marriage of convenience, with neither of their hearts on the line.

Fiona finds herself more than drawn to Gray. Not only is she now forced to deal with her powerful attraction and feelings for Gray, her blackmailer begins playing a dangerous game. How can she satisfy that situation, all the while keeping it from Gray?

First Earl I See Tonight is the first book in the Debutante Diaries series. This was an enjoyable story. I loved Fiona, she is a woman who loves deep and unreservedly. It was enjoyable watching Gray thaw towards her. Meanwhile, there was the edge of drama throughout the story. This book was a great start to a new series. I have already had a chanced to read the next book, The Duke is But a Dream, available now. The third book in the series, When You Wish Upon a Rogue, will be available spring 2020.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Anna Bennett is the award-winning author of the Wayward Wallflowers and Debutante Diaries series. Her dream of writing historical romance first took root during a semester in London, where she fell in love with the city, its history, and its pubs. Now she’s living happily ever after in Maryland with her tech-savvy husband and kids, who try valiantly not to roll their eyes whenever she quotes Jane Austen.

Anna spends a lot of time procrastinating on Twitter and Facebook, and she’d love to see you there! You can also keep up with her book news by signing up for her newsletter.


By the way, Anna wrote some books under the pen name Anne Barton, and you can find them on the Books page.



Happy reading!


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