Title: Not the Kind of Earl You Marry (The Unconventional Ladies of Mayfair #1)
Author: Kate Pembrooke
Publisher: Forever
Publication date: July 27th, 2021
349 pages
4/5 stars
Goodreads Synopsis
Fans of Netflix’s Bridgerton series will adore this stunning historical romance debut, where a wary wallflower enters a fake engagement with one of London’s most eligible bachelors.
The one woman in London who doesn’t want to marry him is now his fiancée.
William Atherton, Earl of Norwood, is as shocked as the rest of London to discover his betrothal via an announcement in the morning paper. Furious at what appears to be a shrewd marriage trap, William tracks down his alleged fiancée before her plans can affect his campaign for a coveted political post. But then William realizes an engagement, however fake, may benefit them both…
Miss Charlotte Hurst may be a wallflower, but she’s no shrinking violet. She would never attempt such an underhanded scheme, especially not with a man as haughty or sought-after as Norwood. Yet his suggestion to play along with the betrothal has its merits… and the longer they pretend, the more undeniably real their feelings become. But when the true culprit behind their engagement is revealed, can their newfound happiness survive the scandal?
Review
Forever was fantastic and sent me a bunch of historical romances to read and review – so I’ve been on a bit of a regency kick and I’ve been absolutely loving it. Not the Kind of Early You Marry is a fake engagement romance between the Earl of Northwood and Lady Charlotte, which they both found out about by the daily paper. The two had never met before but decide to continue the fake betrothal for mutual gain. But forced proximity tends to make the heart grow stronger and the romance quickly blossoms.
It was a joy reading William fall in love with Charlotte. He went from incredibly angry with her to doting on her every need and proving that their unconventional match could work for real, instead of just for looks. Charlotte is understandably wary given her position in society but can’t help herself either. The draw of the romance and passion between the two is evident in the writing and they bantered back and forth so lovingly. These are my favorite kind of romances, where you can joke and laugh with your partner and argue for sport.
The background characters were also very interesting, and I can tell Serena and Charles will be the next couple to get the novel treatment. I appreciate that the ladies are devoted to charitable acts and aren’t the women who only care about society and balls (one of my main issues with historicals at times). I don’t know if Pembrooke is planning to give Charlotte’s brother a book, but he really stuck out to me with his anxiety and full support of Charlotte’s less than usual society lady self. I would love to read him find a lady.
Looking forward to reading the next, Say You’ll Be My Lady.
Happy reading, folks!
Baltimore Bibliophile 