To Entice an Earl by Naomi Boom Published by The Wild Rose Press Inc on January 22nd 2018
Genres: Fiction, Romance, Historical, General
Pages: 268
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Miss Alexandra Farris lost her heart to her older brother's friend, Lord Maxon Collins, long, long ago. Despite her girlhood attempts to win him, he never noticed her. Now that her first season is underway, she understands why. He prefers willowy blondes, not curvaceous maidens with darker coloring like herself. Rather than wallow in self-pity, she forgets love and focuses on something more attainable—an advantageous match.
Lord Collins is plagued by an uncomfortable feeling whenever he goes near Miss Farris. One of annoyance. And yet, he can’t seem to stop thinking of her, touching her, kissing her...He must act in her brother’s stead, which means he has to approve her suitor and ensure her safety. Unfortunately, he can’t seem to find a worthy gentleman. Wedding her off should be a simple task, but not if he can’t let her go.
I received To Entice an Earl for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Alexa is in her first season and has decided to go for an advantageous match instead of a love one. She knows she will only love one man, her brother Gavin’s best friend, Lord Maxon Collins. She has loved him since childhood, but since he hasn’t noticed her before, she gives up the dream of ever becoming his wife. Maxon is eight years older than Alexa, so I believe he might not have seen her as an eligible match before her come out and the fact that she is his best friend’s sister. I was a little confused as to why Alexa wouldn’t have a kernel of hope for a match with Maxon in the beginning, but I haven’t read the other two books in the series, so that might be why.
Alexa is being courted by, in my opinion, a prig. He is pompous, self-centered, and over critical of every aspect of Alexa’s life. His name is even priggish, Lord Edwin Rudgers. Even though Alexa isn’t overly fond of Lord Edwin, she believes he’s a good match. When he proposes, she is still a little hesitant and tells him she will think on it.
Then Maxon gets thrown into the mix when he is sent to watch over Alexa in her brother’s stead. He, of course, hates Edwin on sight and realizes what an amazing and beautiful woman Alexa has become. After a horrific title hunter debacle earlier in the season, Maxon is hesitant to pursue Alexa, but he does everything he can to discourage her from accepting Lord Edwin. In turn, Maxon’s reservations make Alexa even more convinced she must make it work with Edwin. I really wanted to slap her at several point in the novel for her utter stubbornness, but I understood her behavior to a point. She believed she didn’t have any other choices after a rumor spread earlier in the season.
So here we have a stubborn debutant and a once burned Earl. They both have their reasons for playing the parts they do throughout the novel, but love cannot be denied!
While this was the first book I’ve read in the three book series, I felt there was enough background info explained that I didn’t feel too lost. I liked Boom’s writing style and will be going back to read the first two books in the series.
About Naomi Boom
Naomi Boom is an author who never expected to love writing. Her inspiration struck on a search for the perfect historical romance novel to read. Nothing sounded appealing, so she decided to write her own. That one novel has morphed into a series, and hopefully many, many more.
She resides in her home state of South Dakota with her husband and toddler. Her dream is to someday find an acreage where she can raise chickens and continue her writing.
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