I always enjoy Sally MacKenzie's historical romances, and "When to Engage an Earl" was no exception. Ms. MacKenzie is very good at crafting light, sweet stories that incorporate humor while still conveying emotional depth.

After watching Jane and Alex dance around each other in the previous Spinster House books, it was nice to see them finally wind up together in the conclusion of the series. I must admit that their journey was somewhat frustrating for me at times, mainly because Jane was so stubborn in refusing to give up her independence to marry Alex. Given the events of her childhood, I can understand her hesitation, but after watching her friends fall in love and marry, she should have known that marriage did not have to mean giving up her freedom entirely. Even though it took her longer than I would have liked, I'm glad that Jane finally came to her senses and agreed to marry Alex.

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Jane and Alex's story!

Jane is finally able to move into the Spinster House and can't be more excited about living on her own. She is determined not to marry. Alex on the other hand wants to marry and after being jilted, is on the hunt for the perfect wife. But he can't stop thinking about Jane. She is definitely not the type of woman he thought he would be marrying. Can Alex convince Jane that marrying him would be better than living in the Spinster House?

This was a great conclusion to the Spinster House series!

I love Sally MacKenzie and have loved all the books in the series. This was such a wonderful title to end the series. Alex and Jane are a fun couple as they fall in love. I was cautious at first because Jane wasn't the nicest future heroine in the previous books but there is no trace of that here. It was a fun, enjoyable read.

Alec was the earl of Evans rode up to his country estate . he had left the little village of Loves Bridge after he attended the weddings of his two friends -Marcus who was the Duke of Hart and nate who was the Marquess of Haywood. After that he spent the last two months wondering the Lake district alone and feeling envious his friends had found - his friends who had been trying to avoid marriage. Alec had been jilted by Lady Charlotte - while away Alec vowed to leave that part of his life in the past. He wanted a quiet restful sort of female who wouldn’t busy herself about his or other people's affairs. He would He would shop the Marriage Mart, attend the balls, and house parties and talk to every eligible lady. Then as he got close to his home his niece rachel yelled his name which meant his sister Diana was at the hall. Diana was five years older then Alec and would notice Alec’s blues and figure it out and assemble a bunch of eager matrimonial candidates before he knew it. Diana had eight daughters and wa sagain pregnant Alec hoped this one was a boy and his brother in law Roger finally got his son and heir. Then Alec learned his mother was also at the hall, Alec decided he didn’t want to deal with his mother and decided to return to Loves Bridge. The village wanted the carnival special as it way be the Duke’s last one as his family was cursed and each male died before his heir was born. Ellen’s friend Catherine/Cat was married to the Duke. Cat was one of Ellen’s two best friends her other was Anne who married the Marquess of Haywood. Jane found she was envious of her friends even though now she had the Spinsters house to herself to live alone in. Jane was yelling at the man who owned the traveling zoo and Alec stopped and offered his assistance. After he asked Jane to tea and she took him back to the Spinsters House. Alec decides he wants Jane but he is afraid she won’t want him. Jane does like the Earl. The Spinster House is a house set aside for a lady wishing to be a spinster who can live there free and not be forced to marry. Jane had wanted to go to the Spinster House to get away from her brother and she had no interest in marriage. Jane felt feelings and attraction to Alec but she decided she wanted her freedom more. When he proposed to her jane turned Alec down. As time passed she came to regret that decision.
I read this and it was okay but not a favorite of mine. I did chuckle while reading this at times. I also advise you to read the other books in this series in order. At times I got bored with all the conflicts. I also didn’t feel the romance between Alec and jane. I am sure others will love this just really wasn’t for me.

I got this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I have read most of the “Spinster House” series and I really have to say the cat grew on me – it’s my favorite character but you have to love her!
So everybody in town kind of has tied the knot except for Jane Wilkinson (who lives at the Spinster House at the moment) the Earl of Evans (Alex) – so who else should be involved in this love story?? It was a funny storyline (mostly because of the cat’s actions) but some parts were rather lengthy towards the end – the passages when Jane was thinking about her maybe future etc.
Nevertheless it’s a well written novel and you have to like Alex and Jane because they really are a match!

Alex, Earl of Evans, is such a great hero. He is funny, sweet and sexy. I really liked his relationship with his family (even though he avoids them several times). You can tell that even though they drive him completely crazy, he loves them more than anything. 

It took a bit for Jane to grow on me. Her fierce independence is almost overdone. Yes, she has finally become the "Spinster House spinster", but it is more than obvious that she also wants love. However, when that love is standing right in front of her, she tries to ignore it. 

Alex and Jane together are great. They bring out the best in each other. WHEN TO ENGAGE AN EARL is sweet and romantic. 

Rating:

the book girl gives WHEN TO ENGAGE AN EARL a 4/5

Does this mean it's not over? I hope so. Really excited for more from poppy at the spinster house!!! Wonderful read and loved the end and the way they came together after it all.

This is a book that fans of Sally MacKenzie and Sarah MacLean must read. The main character has finally gotten the solitude she has wanted all of her life but is it truly what she wants? Her friends are married and have children on the way and she is slightly jealous but doesn't want to give up her hard fought independence. Lord Evans ends up running away from his pregnant sister and his mother as they visit him to see how he is doing and to meddle in his life. He runs straight to Jane's village and find her in an argument and sort of offers his assistance. They keep running into each other and feelings start to grow and they find themselves longing for the other but trying to hide it because they feel the other doesn't reciprocate the feelings. I am glad that they find each other in the end!

It's been a while since I've read something by Sally MacKenzie and I'm wondering what kept me away from so long. This is the only novel in the series that I've read and though it took me a while to get into I really enjoyed it. There were some brilliant lines- some that even hit home with me. But mostly it was the fact that it was a novel where the story slowly unravels. I love seeing it unfurl piece by piece. The characters, the relationships- they were all written with care.

A great read that I would recommend any HR reader.

This will be a quick review.
When to Engage an Earl is the third book in the Spinster House Series and this one follows Miss Jane Wilkinson and Alex, the Earl of Evans. Jane is a self proclaimed spinster. She has been eyeing the Spinster House for a really long time, but kept loosing the lottery so she deviously won the house by making sure the two women before her, fell in love and got married. Now Jane lives in the house alone with Poppy the cat and has no plans on getting married.
Alex is the Earl of Evans and he is looking for a wife because he needs an heir. Alex is a bit wary, especially since he was recently jilted at the altar by the woman he thought he loved. He knows Jane is out of the question as the woman is a proclaimed spinster who is uninterested in marriage and fiercely independent. Yet, Alex can’t seem to stop being drawn to her and often shows up with no reason in her town just to see her.
This was super cute and a quick read. The romance was easy, albeit a bit frustrating in the end there until Jane’s wants and needs get resolved. I enjoyed Alex and Jane together and the secondary characters had me chuckling. I especially love Alex’s mom and sister’s involvement in trying to get the two together. Their meddling at times has led to some interesting scenes between Jane and Alex.
This book was definitely on the lighter side and what kept me on reading. I enjoyed how the romances unfolded and I did adore the secondary characters. Jane and Alex were so easy to live and overall I found it to be a very solid read.

This is the 3rd book in the series and without reading the first two, I never felt like I had missed something. Meaning, this could be read as a stand-alone.

This was a light romance, most romances usually are! Anyway.....I enjoyed this for the most part. The characters were interesting. Jane is a spinster at 28 living alone, except for a possible supernatural cat, and she likes it this way.....at least she thought she did. Our hero is kind and fun, which I enjoyed. Usually our hero's are dark and brooding. He wants to be with Jane but is convinced she'll never have him. The only thing I really didn't like about this book is the romance itself. I never felt like Jane and Alex were in love. Other than that, I enjoyed the overall story.

**Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sally Mackenzie has become one of my go to historical romance authors. Her characters are always warm and relatable, and her storylines keep telling the kind of romances that make the reader love historical romance. Very recommended.

I have enjoyed this entire series and hope to see more of these characters in the future. Jane is a tough and smart woman, traits not readily adored during this time period. She is elated to find herself out of her brother's home and finally an independant woman, a state she will not depart from easily. The book keeps you engaged and the characters are well developed.

I love this series. Jane has no interest in marriage and was finally able to get her two friends married off so she could get away from her brother and have the Spinster House for herself. Now that she has what she wanted, she finds herself not has happy as she thought she would be. Alex was jilted at the alter and now he must find another. While out riding he ends up and the Spinster House will Jane and Alex find their happily ever after? This story is fun, entertaining and steamy. A great historical read. I loved it!

Miss Jane Wilkinson plotted and schemed to get her two friends married and out of the Spinster house so she could move in to get away from her brother. She finally has her independence and everything she wanted, but she’s not enjoying her dull and lonely life like she thought she would. Alex, the Earl of Evans has always intended to marry and raise a family except now he’s been jilted and his self-esteem is suffering. After his two closest friends have tied the knot he’s decided it’s about time to head back into the marriage mart to find a wife.
A few months later Alex finds himself in Loves Bridge at the door of the Spinster House where the current spinster whom he met at his friend’s wedding. Jane feels the pangs of loneliness and is conflicted by her feeling for Alex she’s had an attraction to our hero from the first time they met, but was determined to fight it. She’s simple not willing to give up the independence she has worked so hard for. Alex feels continually drawn to Jane and finds himself turning up at the Spinster House when he doesn't really intend to go there. Alex declares Jane is the one he wants to marry, but Jane fears giving up her independence. These two have a complicated relationship and it’s a long journey to find their HEA, but well worth the read!!!
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers' copy of this book from Net Galley and the publisher.

This was my first book by this author and probably my last. If you haven't read the earlier books in this series, you may want to, since it feels like fully half the book is about other couples from previous books. (By the time the book reaches the halfway mark, 3 or 4 other couples have already paired off)
The H/h have already met by the time the book begins, and any obstacles to their obvious romance seem manufactured. I guess I didn't buy the premise of a rich, handsome, kind earl who really wants to be married and have children but can't manage to land a wife... or an attractive woman who somehow sets up house on her own, finds that she is miserable, and still rejects love. I also thought the prop of a supernatural cat to be kind of lame, though I suspect cat-lovers may disagree! The book moved ploddingly along (maybe 4 encounters set over a period of almost a year) with an anticlimactic finish and thoroughly unconvincing romance. Pass.

This was an enjoyable regency romance. The characters are engaging and there is a healthy amount of humor infused throughout the story. There's even a quirky cat with lots of personality and meddling ways. Overall, I solid romance. Great for a day at the beach!

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

ACTUALLY A 3.5 BOOK FOR ME

I loved the first two books in this series. They were light and amusing. Ms MacKenzie writes wonderfully humorous stories which create an atmosphere of fun and her characters are always entertaining.
Jane Wilkinson has been fortunate enough to move into the Spinster House. She has waited while her two best friends moved into the Spinster House, found love and moved on to marriages.
Jane is an independent woman who has looked forward to living alone and being able to do as she pleases.
Alex, the Earl of Evans has found Jane interesting. He was jilted and now he realizes he must find a wife. But, instead of searching, he visits Jane and the village and the villagers and generally avoids his meddling family members.
I liked Alex a great deal. He is a loyal and devoted son, brother and friend. Although his meddling family makes him crazy, he loves them and generally enjoys spending time with his nieces and nephew. His family background makes him realize he longs for that same love and closeness he has seen.
Jane is a strong woman who has not had a background which provided her with a sense of family. She has closed herself off from nearly everyone in her life. But, her two best friends like her a great deal and hope for the best for her. They would like to see her with a happy marriage.
But, for me she became tiresome. There seemed to be too much back and forth about what she wanted. I wanted to like her, but her apparent lack of commitment prevented me from feeling very invested in her future.
Ms MacKenzie has created a good and interesting plot. The fact that this is part of a series, should not keep the reader from being able to follow what is happening. For me, there were times when things just seemed to drag because Jane had no idea what she actually wanted from life. But, there is the humor I expect from Ms MacKenzie, and all the secondary characters add a great deal to the story.
I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are my own.

Evans Hall - 1817

Alex, the Earl of Evans, was jilted by Charlotte some years ago and now he is back in the market for a wife. He knows that when his older sister, Diana, discovers this, she will push him until she ensures that he is married.

The wife of Roger, Viscount Chanton, Diana is the mother of eight girls and is expecting again. Diana’s oldest daughter, Bea, is preparing for her upcoming season. So, rather than face Diana and his mother and listen to them plan to get him married, he decides to head to the fair in Love’s Bridge.

Miss Jane Wilkinson, age 28, is the new Spinster House spinster in Love’s Bridge. As old friends, when Jane and Alex see one another, they get together to discuss some last minute entertainment for the fair. Poppy, the cat that comes with the house is with them at the Spinster House.

There is a curse associated with the house and its original occupant, Miss Isabelle Dorring. Long ago, Isabelle proclaimed a curse that unless a man marries for love, he will die shortly after his heir is born. This curse has held true and has been the case for many years.
If a spinster living in the house gets married, a lottery is help to see which spinster gets it next.

After helping Jane at the fair, Alex is delighted to learn that his sister has finally given birth to a son. At a celebration party at Roger and Diana’s, Alex and Jane are walking in the garden after dinner and end up kissing. Reminding herself that she is the Spinster House spinster, Jane is happy to get back home. But Diana’s little girls cannot help but meddle and play matchmaker with their Uncle Alex and Jane. Is there any hope for Jane to give up her spinsterhood for marriage?

I have read a number of books in this series. The first ones were good but I think that a series runs its course after awhile. The author is very talented and I would like to see her take on writing more stand-alone novels.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.