Three Stars
First Earl I See Tonight by Anna Bennett started so strong. The first page was perfection, and the plot drew me in immediately. Fiona, our heroine, is being blackmailed and needs access to her dowry to pay it. She develops the bold plan of proposing to the Gray, the Earl of Ravenport.
I loved the heroine taking control of her destiny. Fiona’s proposal to the grouchy Earl delighted me. I was really enjoying the impoverished Earl and desperate heiress figuring out their attraction in a short amount of time. Fiona was cute and clumsy, Gray was grumpy and sarcastic, they really seemed to work, for a while.
Unfortunately, around 60% I began to lose interest in the story. I was pretty sure I knew who the villain was and I wasn’t too delighted about it. Fiona and Gray were still adorable, but I didn’t really see why Fiona was so in love with Gray. He was great though I feel like I only understood how great he was because I could see through his eyes and knew his motivations. Fiona didn’t have that luxury, and I don’t think Gray was actually that outwardly wonderful.
What really bugged me was all the unresolved plot points. I hope they’re resolved in the second book. We still don’t really know what is going to happen to Fiona’s sister in regards to her secret. Fiona’s dad came in and out of the story when it was convenient to add emotional depth, and I wasn’t content with the villain’s end.
Overall, this was a decent historical romance. I wasn’t over the moon in love with it, but I didn’t mind finishing it either. I think Anna Bennett’s writing shows promise and I feel like Fiona’s sister will have an exciting book with the secret hanging over her head.
**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
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?
EXCERPT:
Romance Reader 