THE EARL DOTH PROTEST . . .
For businessman Heath Hextall, inheriting an earldom has been a damnable nuisance. The answer: find a well-bred, biddable woman to keep his life in order and observe the required social niceties. But it's always been clear that Lady Josephine Somerhall is not that woman. Once a shy slip of a girl, Joss is now brilliant, beautiful chaos in a ball gown.
. . . BUT THE LADY KNOWS BEST
In her heart, Joss has always loved Heath, the one person she's always been able to count on. That doesn't mean she wants to marry him though. Without a husband, Joss can do as she pleases—and now, it pleases her to solve the mystery of an encoded file given to Heath by a dying man. It's put Heath in peril once, and Joss won't let that happen again. She'll do what she must to ensure the earl's safety. And to remind him that what she lacks in convention, she makes up for in passion.
Review:
Heath Hextall wants to find a wife – someone to give him children and quiet companionship, no brains required. When his friend’s intelligent, hoyden sister returns from travels abroad, though, she confuses matters. Josephine is intelligent, naughty, and careless of society’s rules. The two are drawn together as they attempt to solve a dark, murderous mystery. Heath discovers what a strong, intelligent woman has to offer, but Josephine has no intention of getting married…
A Lady's Guide to Skirting Scandal by Kelly Bowen is up there among my all time favorite historical romances, so I'm always excited to get my hands on Kelly Bowen's books. You're the Earl That I Want is a fun romp, but it didn't quite stack up to my high expectations of Bowen's books.
I love strong heroines (and this is one of the reasons Kelly Bowen has found her way onto my must read list and will continue to stay here) but Joss does suffer a little from being a bit too perfect. I would have liked more from her perspective to show that she wasn't quite as perfect as she appears from all the knowing so much, being well travelled, well read and beautiful...
Despite that, Joss and Heath work well together. They have the playfulness of childhood friends and the sexual tension of like-minded individuals. Joss' radical ways are just what Heath needs to see that he needs more than just a companion wife in his life.
The suspense storyline was a little too convoluted for me (I'm really just not a fan of the historical mystery/romance combo though) and I had to skim it a little - and then got lost. I also have this weird pet hate in historical romances that have scenes from the perspectives of additional characters (ie. not the hero or heroine), often giving information about the mystery that the heroine and hero haven't worked out. So I did struggle a little with the suspense storyline. That said, I did enjoy to romance aside from this and will definitely be reading more of Kelly Bowen!
Joss and Heath are a playful, fun couple, with heat sizzling between them that drives this romance. The suspense storyline wasn’t my favorite, but the romance makes this a worthwhile read from one of our Lords of Worth.
You're the Earl That I Want by Kelly Bowen is a historical romance, released by Forever on August 25, 2015.
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More from Kelly Bowen on Love Reading Romance:
A Lady's Guide to Skirting Scandal by Kelly Bowen - Book Review
