{The Impossible Balfours Review} The Last Earl Standing by Gemma Blackwood

The Last Earl Standing by Gemma Blackwood
Series: The Impossible Balfours #2
on December 27th, 2019
Genres: Historical, Romance
Format: eBook
Source: Booksprout
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A bluestocking with a secret nom de plume and a dashing spy compete to uncover a scandal – and their undeniable attraction puts all their secrets at risk.

Lady Anthea Balfour has never had much luck with eligible gentlemen – and she’d have even less if they knew she was the infamous Lady X behind London’s most popular newspaper column. When not one but two wealthy earls suddenly insist on courting her, all her investigative instincts are on high alert. Something is amiss, and Lady X will be the first to expose the scandal.

The last thing she needs is a third earl’s attention distracting her from her task. Even if he happens to be the charming, handsome and mysterious Lord Streatham…

George Bonneville, Earl of Streatham, cannot afford any distractions from his secret mission for the Crown. His work as a spy is dark, dangerous, and leaves no room for romance. But when he meets the alluringly outspoken Anthea, their magnetic connection overturns all his plans.

George soon finds himself locked in a deadly game between three powerful lords. The winner will take Anthea’s hand – but only George can offer her the passion she deserves.

Fortunately, he is accustomed to winning. At any cost.

Now, if only he could discover the identity of that pesky Lady X who’s been slandering his name in the papers…

I received The Last Earl Standing for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Also in this series: No Dukes Need Apply

Lady Anthea has a secret. She is the woman behind a mysterious newspaper column writing under the pen name of Lady X. Two earls have been vying for her affection but she is not interested in the slightest and believes they are only after her wealth.

George Bonneville, Earl of Streatham, is on a secret mission for The Crown. His mission leads him to Anthea’s admirers and thus placing him in the race to win her heart.

As the story progresses, the chemistry between Anthea and George is well written and very natural. The two end up complementing each other in their race to find the truth. At times I wished they had been a little more forthcoming, but that would spoil the fun.

I read this story over the course of a day, I just couldn’t put it down. Even though I haven’t read the previous novel in the series, A Duke She Can’t Refuse, I didn’t feel lost at all. Of course, I will now go back and read the story of Anthes’s brother, Alexander, and the woman he eventually marries, Daisy. Blackwood’s novels are a fantastic way to pass the day away!