This was another cute story by Ally Broadfield. In the third book in the How To series, we follow Gavin and Louisa. Gavin has been in love with Louisa for awhile but Louisa fears that he hasn't outgrown his roguish ways. So she doesn't necessarily take Gavin seriously in his pursuit. When Gavin accompanies Louisa and her sister-in-law to their country home, he makes it his mission to convince Louisa that he his serious in his pursuit. While they are conversing one evening, they come up with an adventure to find missing jewels that Louisa's great-great grandmother has hidden. Love blossoms but there may be one thing standing in their way.....Louisa's father!! I liked Gavin and Louisa, they were good characters to follow, and I always love a small mystery/adventure thrown into the mix.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was a little bewildered reading this book. Although the storyline itself was quite nice, I found the characters a little wishy-washy. Gavin, who lead a rather roguish past, professes to love Louisa. Gavin keeps doing and saying things that go in different directions, and Louisa does the same. He loves her but won't fight to court her. Neither are very straightforward characters. Her father is very hesitant to give Gavin his blessing to court her because of an adolescent indiscretion. However, since so many years had gone by it is difficult to understand why. This is the basis for a good part of the story, so it is necessary. What adds interest to the story is their search for her great great grandmother's jewels. It keeps the story lively and moving along. As stated before, this is a nice story and an enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed Gavin and Louisa's story!!

I loved the interactions between these two! The bantering often had me laughing out loud. I have really loved this series and this was a great conclusion to it!

Louisa just doesn't want to get married, but Gavin is determined to change her mind.. I enjoyed Gavin's attempts to win her and Louisa coming round to the idea that freedom is also possible when you are married to the person you love.
I received an ARC copy of this book from netgalley.

A good read with good characters, a good plot, a good chase with a good scandal waiting to break free. The Earl of Thornbrook, Gavin, was more than what he used to be, a rake of the first order. He took his life and turned it around and he wanted Louisa to be the lady at his side to move forward with his life. To get her he came up with a wager that he was sure to win or was he. Gavin was interesting and a bit complicated. There was romance and a small mystery. There was a scandal and then there was a lady. Lady Louisa was most desired among the ton. And Gavin wanted her very much. Louisa wanted to maintain her freedom.

There was a good pace to this read with its scandal, mystery, good characters, wonderful banter, smooth flowing writing and more in between the lines and I wanted more of it. I will need to attain the other books of this series and re-read How to Bewilder a Lord.

Usually I like to find and read new authors this book by Ms. Ally Broadfield was really a chance for me to do that. Ms. Broadfield is an author I haven’t read and plus I was totally jumping into a series without starting from the beginning of the series. According to the series this is the third book and yes I was a little lost. I am not saying that Ms. Broadfield is a horrible writer and can’t write a good story. I felt the story was good the characters were fully developed and fairly engaging but I didn’t understand the whole family dynamic between the female protagonist and her father. I don’t think this reflects on Ms. Broadfield as a writer I think in this case this is a series that kind of needs to be read in order as opposed to reading the third book first. Of course this doesn’t really deter me from reading her other stories because I still have an interest in her other stories. Ms. Broadfield has a good grasp of her characters and the story despite me not understanding it the story had interesting plot twists noticeable romantic angst and enough witty banter to satisfy me without all the sex.
Gavin Corey the Earl of Thornbrook is known in society as a rake but in order to win the hand and love of Lady Louisa Adair the youngest daughter of the formidable Duke of Boulstridge Gavin must shed his rakish ways. Gavin is ready to do that and prove to the Duke Louisa’s father how much he has changed when the Duke asks Gavin to escort Louisa home to Walsley along with her sister-in-law Gavin knows this is his chance. Louisa is happy to be home spending time with Gavin but as they spend more time together Louisa discovers a softer side to Gavin. He is not the roguish rakish playboy he has been made out to be he likes to draw birds and likes spending time with Louisa. Pretty soon the mild affection Gavin and Louisa have for each other turns into so much more. Can Gavin convince Louisa’s father of his feelings for her and grant her hand in marriage.
For some strange reason I didn’t really see Gavin as a rake until later on in the book sure he was charming and handsome but he was nice to Louisa he treated her with such respect. I kept thinking if he was a rake then he was sure nice about it. I almost didn’t like Louisa’s father because he really seemed to not like Gavin. No matter what Gavin did to convince him he had changed he was just not going to give him a second chance. I really hated Louisa’s father for being so against him and seriously wanted to slap him. In a sense I was glad that despite all her harsh upbringing when regarding Louisa she was really a nice caring compassionate person. She could even forgive her dear old dad and maybe he wasn’t ready to let her leave the nest which I could understand. I think I just didn’t understand their relationship which would have been helpful for me to read the rest in the series before this book as I stated before. Still I am interested to find out the rest of the Adair clan’s stories and will read another of Ms. Broadfield’s books. I think I will read this book again but just in order of the series next time.

Though How to Bewilder a Lord can stand on its own as a combination romance/light historical mystery, it definitely continues some threads that were started in the first two series books. I have a feeling that having seen Gavin and Louisa in book two ( How to Bewitch an Earl ) would endear the reader even more to them here (though to be honest, they're pretty darn endearing all on their own!)--but don't let the fact that you haven't read the others yet stop you from reading this one :) Gavin and Louisa have their own delightful romance, and their own mystery to solve. Plus, I have a feeling knowing their story will make going back and reading the first two an even more enjoyable experience (plus, I feel like knowing how much trouble Louisa's father gives Gavin here will have me giving him some definite side-eye when I get to his book ( How to Beguile a Duke ) because somehow I doubt he's half as virtuous as he's expecting the younger generation to be ;)

The ending is a bit rushed, but as I was anxious to get Gavin and Louisa to their much-deserved HEA, it's hard to complain much. In the end, How to Bewilder a Lord is an entertaining, quick read just perfect for a summer afternoon or two.

Rating: 4 stars / B+

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

This book was great in that the H changed his ways before approaching the h and trying to court her. I love historical romances, but sick to death of H being a manwh@re and not thinking anything is wrong with it until confronted by the h. There is just the right amount of angst and intrigue in this novel to keep the reader interested and you can really feel how much the characters love each other. The only down side is how over bearing the h's father is, but maybe that's just my independent streak flaring up. Overall this book is a great read and I can't wait for the next in the series.

Gavin Corey, the Earl of Thornbrook is hopelessly in love, but nobody believes him. His past behaviour has coloured people's opinion of him. He is doing his best to prove he has grown up into a responsible man. The father of the woman he loves has a good reason for not trusting him, but because her brother is his best friend he at least has a chance.
Lady Louisa Adair is daddy's baby girl. He has promised to allow her to inherit her favourite home, but only if it stays as her main residence. While looking after her pregnant sister in law, and preparing for Christmas Louisa and Gavin discover there could be more treasure to find.
This is part of a series. You can read it quite easily as a stand alone but it does contain spoilers for the previous book if you haven't read that.
Our characters are all lots of fun and the story line gives them a lovely mystery to solve. A very entertaining lighthearted romance. I loved it.

1847 - London

Gavin Corey, the Earl of Thornbrook, is in love with Lady Louisa Adair, the daughter of the Duke of Boulstridge. However, the Duke remembers Gavin’s rakish past and is skeptical of him. Gavin has proposed to Louisa but she has refused him because she is not convinced that he has truly reformed his ways.

Gavin accompanies Louisa and Isa, wife of Edward and his good friend to their home in Walsley. Isa is to remain there during her confinement and Louisa will be with her. Isa’s husband needs to remain in London for a short while and so he requests that Gavin take the ladies to Walsley in Derbyshire. Edward also invites Gavin to stay for Christmas rather than spend it alone at his home, Rosemere. Gavin is delighted at the invitation and accepts.

As Walsley is not entailed and Louisa loves the property, her father plans to leave the estate to her but only if her future husband agrees to live there and not on his own estate. The possibility of that kind of agreement is minimal so Louisa is resigned to be single.

There is a story that a tiara of pink diamonds was discovered on the estate but Louisa thinks there may be more pieces of the set still hidden somewhere. So, she and Gavin begin a search. Will they uncover any long-hidden jewelry? Could they perhaps find a romance as well?

I had a difficult time getting into this story because the characters and their relationships to one another was rather confusing in the beginning. This is Book No. 3 in a series and I read only Book No. 2 nearly 18 months ago. I found it that the time period between reading it made me have to resort to my earlier review to joggle my memory of the plot. I would suggest that readers be sure to read the first two books before reading this one as it is not a stand-alone novel. On the positive side, I will add that of the two earlier books I have read by this author were quite good.

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

How to Bewilder a Lord, by Ally Broadfield is an enjoyable historical romance with an underlying mystery.

As the Earl of Thornbrook, Gavin Corey has been on his own for years and excelled in rakish behavior. However, he's now ready to marry and wants Lady Louisa Adair to be his wife.

While searching for her family's ancient jewels, Louisa agrees to Gavin's assistance and his proposed wager. As the story continues, Gavin and Louisa deal with interference from her family and their friends, as well as Louisa's inheritance issues and Gavin's looming secret scandal that might jeopardize their blossoming courtship.

Since it's the third book in the How To series, it's ideal to start with the first book, yet it's not necessary to read them in order.

How to Bewilder a Lord is geared towards those who enjoy reading clean regency historical romances.


Note: I received this book from NetGalley, which is a program designed for bloggers to write book reviews in exchange for books, yet the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

How to Bewilder a Lord by Ally Broadfield is book Three in the "How To" series. This is the story of Gavin Corey, the Earl of Thornbrook and Lady Louisa Adair. I have read the other books in this series and you can read this book as a standalone but I think you will enjoy it more if you read the previous books.
Louisa wants to inherit the family estate that she has grown to love since childhood. But to do so her father says that she would have to live their full time and he is unsure if she can handle the estate is would seem. Besides that, Louisa doesn't really seem to want to marry. Marrying would mean giving up her independence and her inheritance.
Gavin would like to marry Louisa, but he had been a notorious rake. Which has affected the Duke's perception of him and would stop any relationship goals he has in mind. Gavin is in love with Louisa and is trying to clean up his act. Although, Louisa father the Duke of Boulstridge isn't so easy to convince. When he is given the chance to escort Louisa's sister in-law to the country along with Louisa he jumps at the chance. Gavin thinks now he will be with Louisa more to get that chance to marry her. But Gavin and Louisa come to a wager that who ever finds the rumor jewels that are hidden will win their bet. If Gavin wins then Louisa will allow him to court her and if she wins then Gavin must tell the secret he has been keeping from her.
How To series:
Series Order:
Book #1 How to Beguile a Duke
Book #2 How to Bewitch an Earl
Book #3 How To Bewilder a Lord
"My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."
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Louisa is a rebel with a cause. To maintain her freedom from the noose of marriage. Gavin is a man who doesn't back away from a challenge. Gutsy, frustrating and entrancing Louisa is a prize worth claiming, now all he has to do is win her heart. Who will come out the winter in this tango of seduction, secrets and romance? How to Bewilder a Lord is a stylishly tempting dance of love that is scandalous with with a capital S.

Publisher's Description:

Gavin Corey, the Earl of Thornbrook, has shed his rakish ways in the hope of winning Lady Louisa Adair's heart, but he's not exactly a suitable match. He convinces her to help him find a family treasure by proposing a wager: if he finds the jewels, she must allow him to court her. But if she does, he has to reveal the secret he's keeping from her...

Lady Louisa might be the most sought after lady on the marriage mart, but she values her independence and doesn't want to give up her inheritance to marry. But as she spends more time with the charming earl, she begins to wonder if he's worth the risk. That all changes when she's confronted with the scandal from his past...

My Thoughts:

I'm in love with Ally Broadfield's writing style! It is humorous with delightful characters and a storyline that entrances.
This is the first book I have read in this series and although it is book #3 of the series and reads well as a standalone, it made me want to read the other two books that came before it.
I was totally hooked from chapter one and couldn't put this one aside for more than a short break. I was so taken that I purchased one of the other books before I was half through this one.
Since some of the characters in this book are also featured in the first two, I look forward to the read.
Gavin is hopelessly in love with Lady Louisa, his best friends sister. I say hopelessly because although she likes him, she has decided not to marry. The thing she wants most is to inherit her family home and to do so she is required to make it her primary residence. What man will agree to this stipulation?
After Gavin spots a necklace and earring set of prized pink diamonds in a portrait the two set off on a scavenger hunt for clues to their location. They happen to match a tiara which had been previously found.
A touch of humor, mystery and love thrown in for good measure make this book a wonderful read.
I gave this book 4.75 of 5 stars for the saucy, well developed storyline and the interesting and delightful characters. I gave it a sensual rating of 3 of 5 flames. There is very little sexual interaction with only one physical encounter.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Foolish young men tend to do foolish things. Gavin Corey was no different. Yet, his foolish indiscretion has come back to haunt him when he falls madly in love with the daughter of a man who hates him. Now the Earl of Thornbrook, Gavin still isn’t good enough to court Lady Louisa Adair in her father’s eyes. Even though he’s mended his rakehell ways and made it clear that he intends to offer for her, Louisa doesn’t take Gavin’s claims seriously.

Louisa doesn’t need to marry and doesn’t really want to if she can inherit her childhood home of Walsley. The stipulation that she makes Walsley her primary residence is another reason she doesn’t believe she can marry. When Gavin is asked by his best friend to escort Louisa and her sister-in-law, Isa, to Walsley for Isa’s confinement, Gavin sees a once in a lifetime chance and he’s not about to squander it.

I was expecting the quest for family jewels to be the focus of Gavin and Louisa’s journey together, but Broadfield surprised and delighted me by having the pair veer from the path several times. I felt like I was falling in love with Gavin at the same time as Louisa. Ok, maybe I fell for him sooner than she did, but how could I not? The second he realized Louisa is the only woman for him, he left all other women behind. At the beginning of our story, he has been besotted for over a year. His charm and devotion bring him the greatest gift he could ever wish for in the form of Louisa.

I love that Broadfield gave me an “ah-ha” moment near the end of the novel. It was a moment when a character brings a notion to light that you as the reader never thought of but completely makes sense. It is not often I get these moments as a reader and I love Broadfield all the more for giving it to me. I wonder if you can guess what my “ah-ha” moment is after you finish reading.

Since this is the first book I’ve read in the three book How To series, I’m looking forward to catching up with the first two books as soon as possible.

Poor Gavin loved Louisa but felt he was not good enough. She was all light and kindness but
she had been offered her ancestral estate for her inheritance and she would have to live there most of the year. She loved her home a lot
The story has delightful characters. The plot kept the somewhat complex story going and the mystery, conflict and danger heading the way it was suppose to go. The author did such a good job, it amazes me. I enjoyed the book, the story and especially the sweet characters. There are a couple of racy scenes toward the end. This book is definitely worth the time to read. I received this ARC for an honest opinion..

I am feeling a bit wishy-washy about this review. I thought the writing was great, but the plot was just a bit too far fetched for me and it felt like it completely fell apart at the end. I really believe that this is one of those books that you have to read the entire series, in order, to really appreciate the characters. I have not read the first two books (although, I have them and will probably go back and read them) I have a feeling that if I read the prior books in the series, I would have been more understanding and accepting of Louisa's father in this book and perhaps his actions would have seemed reasonable to me. But since I haven't read them, I can only base my review on this book.

I found Gavin and Louisa to be likable characters - Louisa was a little too stubborn and single minded for my taste - but she wasn't without her own charms. Gavin was a great hero and I truly believed he loved Louisa, but he believes he is unworthy of her and doesn't seem like he is willing to stand up to her father.

In a nutshell - Louisa wants to inherit the estate she grew up on, it is unentailed and her father has promised it to her if she agrees to live on the estate full time. Which pretty much rules out the possibility of her ever getting married. An incident in her past has made her question her judgement and she wants to prove to her parents that she deserves the estate. She thinks if she can find some jewelry hidden away by an ancestor, it will prove to them that she is smart enough to take care of the estate. OK - I found this ridiculous - One - Her father is basically bribing her to remain unwed and alone FOREVER and she is all over that like white on rice, even though she has two younger brothers that would be better served by inheriting the estate. Two - I just didn't understand how finding the jewels would PROVE that she could manage the estate.

Gavin wants to marry Louisa - but because of an incident that happened when he was all of 15, her father doesn't trust him. Again - not buying this plotline. He was 15 and recently orphaned when he had a consensual affair with a maid while staying with Louisa's family. Her father kicked him out and banned him from the house, but the maid was just reassigned to the kitchen?? Seriously? And YEARS later her father still holds it against him and refuses to let him court Louisa?

Gavin ends up escorting Louisa and her sister in law Isa to the estate, because Isa is pregnant and is not doing well in London, but Edward (Louisa's brother) and the Duke (Louisa's father) can't leave London. He agrees to stay at the estate with the ladies until her family can return. Once they reach the estate, he figures he can win Louisa over and have her convince her father that he has changed and make him agree to court her. He suggests that they work together to find the lost jewels and they place a wager on the outcome - if he wins, she will let him court her, if she wins, he will tell her why her father kicked him out years ago.

The story moves along a good pace, but it just became contrived and rushed at the end.

I am planning on reading the previous books and if reading those gives me more insight into this book, I will revise my review. But as it stands now - this is a 2.5 star read - not bad, but by no means a keeper.

Gavin, an Earl, good friends with Edward, heir to a Duke, falls madly in love with his best friends sister, Louisa. Louisa, claims that she never wants to marry, instead she would rather inherit Walsley, where she grew up. The only way to inherit it, is not to marry, however, Gavin does not plan to give up on her marrying him! The problem is, how is he going​ to accomplish this, when her father, The Duke hates him, and refuses to forgive a youthful indiscretion. This is the second book in a series, the last time Edward and Isa found a Tiara, what will Gavin and Louisa find? I highly recommend! Thanks! Enjoy!
Carolintallahassee 👒