After being ignored by her husband for the past six years, Daphne Wentworth, the Countess of Carrington has finally had enough. No longer will she take his indifference and will ask for what she wants - a divorce. However, Sylvester Wentworth, the Earl of Carrington isn't about to let her go easily and will stop at nothing to get what he wants -- an heir. Will Daphne and Sylvester be able to come to an agreement to get what they both want or will they fight for their future together?

Ms. Reid has become one of my go-to authors for Historical Romance and this second book of her Rebellious Desires series was an enchanting and extremely entertaining tale, of which I loved how it started because the heroine is lucky that the hero is in the right place at the right time. However, I couldn't help but sympathize with the hero because he would do anything for family and I could understand why treats the heroine the way he does due to how they end up married. Will the hero realize how wrong he is about the heroine before it's too late?

As for the dialogue, it was intense due to the main characters back stories and everything they go through on their journey to happy ever after including whether the hero would be able to protect the heroine when it comes to the trouble they face and whether the heroine will give the hero a chance after everything he's put her through. How could he think she had anything to do with her father's scheming? Moreover, the heroine is resilient, courageous, feisty when backed into a corner and I liked how determined she was to protect the hero, especially with her family continuing to try to get something over him. Will Sylvester be able to protect his family this time around? Yet, what I liked most of all about the heroine was her willingness to give the hero a second chance, even though she was hurt badly by his indifference to their marriage.

While the hero, he's been through so much in his past and I could understand why he's determined to make things right with the heroine. He's persistent in his pursuit and isn't above seducing her if necessary. He's also confident, resilient, brave in standing up to his enemies and I liked how determined he was to win the heroine over. Will they be able to forgive each other for things that have happened in the past to be together or will the past continue to get in the way of their future happiness? Yet, what I liked most of all about the hero was how protective he was of the heroine and his family. No way will he allow anyone to hurt any of them.

Overall, Ms. Reid has delivered another fantastic and captivating read in this book where the chemistry between this couple was powerful and driven by the fact that they see each other as the enemy; the romance was splendid and had me loving this couple together; and the ending had me cheering for this couple's happy ever after. Will Sylvester get to the heroine before she does something she'll regret? I would recommend The Earl in my Bed by Stacy Reid, if you enjoy Historical Romances, second chance romances, the enemy to lovers trope, or books by authors Maddison Michaels, Jess Michaels, Kimberly Bell and Darcy Burke.

I liked this historical read. Plenty of drama and suspense. Sylvester was blackmailed into marrying his wife and for 6 long years Daphne has been alone. She decides to take matters in her own hands and get Sylvester to divorce her, he however has other plans. A fast-paced entertaining read with plenty of drama and chemistry. I liked it.

For six years Daphne Wentworth, Countess Carrington has lived in a loveless marriage, they haven’t lived as man and wife and now she wants a divorce. Sylvester Wentworth, Earl of Carrington, has returned to London for one reason to seduce his to get his heir. After a close call when he was almost murdered he realizes he needs an heir and who better to provide him one than his wife of six years. Sylvester has been reluctant in claiming his wife after her father blackmailed him into marriage, his sister almost dies and all he sees is a scheming female who wanted his title. He doesn’t expect from is wickedly beautiful countess is a demand for a separation and a divorce. He will not agree to such a scandalous thing it will hurt both their families. He makes a bargain with Daphne to give him eight weeks to change her mind and he’ll agree to the separation. Sylvester must now do everything possible to entice his countess to stay forever, everything except trust her and admit love does exists. Loved Daphne with her incredible strength, how could she have lived a such a lonely life for six years, with a man who was never home, who detested her and her family, but she still holds out hope he’ll one day come to forgive her and love her. Sylvester has his work cut out for him, he starts to see his wife in a whole new light for the vivacious woman who’s loyal and honorable to a fault. You’ll truly enjoy reading as Daphne and Sylvester navigate their emotions and discover what they’ve been missing from their lives these past six years to finally get their HEA!!! This is my honest opinions after I voluntarily read a copy of this book that was provided to me with no requirements for a review.

Daphne Wentworth, Countess Carrington loves her husband but she doesn't think he loves her as he's always absent. So she decides to take matters into her own hands.

Sylvester Wentworth, Earl of Carrington, has returned to London for one reason—to seduce his wife. But he has taken it for granted that she would wait for him with open her arms. Now he needs to woo her and make her realise that they belong to each other

I loved this, it's well written and the characters have that certain something that you will love

3.5+ Stars

I love Stacy Reid’s take on historical romance. It has all the trappings of the time (although I couldn’t say anything about accuracy as I’m just not that into history) but she makes everything flowy and fun, instead of the sometimes stilted and over flowery language often used in this sub-genre.

The Earl in My Bed is the story of Daphne, a young girl who falls in love with a handsome gentleman and is soon married to him. She finds this surprising, as she later finds out he is an Earl but is too happy about it to really give it much thought. Unfortunately, the circumstances of their union are far from joyful, which leads to a marriage of appearance and only the cold regard of her husband. Fast forward six years of aloofness and being ignored by the man she has admired for so long, and Daphne is clearly fed up. She decides the only way of capturing a modicum of happiness is by getting divorced from her Earl and is set to achieve this by any means necessary, even if that means being the center of a scandal that’d force her honorable husband’s hand.

Sylvester has never forgiven his wife’s family for forcing their union, and has lumped her with her dishonorable relatives. But after the latest attempt on his life, which left him at the doors of death he realizes not only is it time to create an heir for his bloodline, he’s found himself strangely yearning for his wife.

He gets the shock of a lifetime when not only his wife is not agreeable to finally consummating their marriage in search of an heir, but she actually wishes him to divorce her. Seeing her for the first time for herself and not clouded by his feelings about the reasons behind their union, he sets on wooing and winning her back. If only to have an agreeable marriage. Soon though, his charming wife enchants him, and he finds himself having all kind of feelings, proper and otherwise.

I loved how independent Daphne was, and how she made the best of her circumstances. I enjoyed watching her melt her Earl’s icy veneer, and literally charm the pants off him. She was sassy, fun, courageous and I especially liked how she didn’t care how anyone saw or thought of her.

Sylvester was totally entitled to his feelings, but I really loved to watch him discover his wife, and how it made him question some assumptions about himself. He was sexy, and gruff and could be totally swoony when he set his mind on it. He was honorable yet ruthless but his ideals and his active fight for them was commendable.

I really enjoyed The Earl in My Bed, it was fun and sweet, sexy and hot. It had some intrigue, lots of inappropriately steamy kisses (in all kinds of places) and even some action. I would have really loved an heir and a couple of spares in the epilogue, but I’m hoping to see more of this couple in the next installment of this new series.

The only thing disappoining about a novel by Stacy Reid is when it ends and you have to wait for another release. I loved the premise of this story. Daphne was a young and impressionable girl of 17 when she met Sylvester Wentwoth. After coming to her rescue she fell hard for the enigmatic Earl. Little did she know that the quick proposal she received was only due to a blackmail plot by her father. Now six years into a marriage filled with animosity, Countess Carrington is desperate to end her marriage to Sylvester even if she must create a scandal to do so.
Sylvester Wentworth has plans of his own after a near death experience. He is ready to start a family even if it is with Daphne who he doesn't fully trust.
Daphne will only stay if she gets the love and trust of the man she has loved for years but will their disastrous start be too much to overcome?
As mentioned before, this was another winner. Heartfelt and gripping!

8
Once again Stacy Reid has outdone herself! This was a spectacular read, although it can be read as a stand alone it’s book two

This was one angst filled story, I so loved Daphne how she fell in love with her husband on first sight she was a romantic at heart, a young girl full of dreams and hope that we’re so brutally crushed. Her wedding should have been something that she should have fond memories instead she got a nightmare.
Unbeknownst to her, her fathers machinations have gotten her a husband and a life of loneliness.

Sylvester the Earl of Carrington has been blackmailed in marriage by Viscount Blagrove, marry his daughter or his secrets exposed!
After a horrible wedding night he leaves for six years his scorn kept his wife company until one event that almost cost his life has him thinking of heirs and spares. What he wants and what his wife has planned are two different things!

Daphne has plans for a scandal and divorce, Sylvester has plans on wooing his wife villains have plans to get rid of Sylvester! Will the villains succeed? Can their marriage be saved?

A wonderfully written story of betrayal, lust and a heart wrenching love that blossomed to chase the loneliness and healed their hearts!
A five star read that keeps you reading way into the night!

I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley for my honest unbiased opinion.

Betrayal bites deeply. It takes six years before the Earl of Carrington is able to begin forgiving his wife for the blackmail that she and her father used to compel them to marry. Once he is able to move beyond that betrayal, it seems that matters might be a little more complicated than he had thought, and six years of abstinence have made him considerably more interested in his wife’s charms!

This is a lust-filled, rollicking romance, with just enough plot twists to keep the out-of-bed action interesting.

I enjoyed this engaging historical romance. Sylvester and Daphne's story is complicated and full of drama, secrets, a bit of danger, and a lot of emotional turmoil. Their history together begins in such a fairytale fashion (He rescues her and her dog from drowning), that you would expect smooth sailing ahead. However, this is not the case as blackmail, anger, and misunderstandings send this couple down a much less rosy path. Just when Daphne has given up hope on their relationship and decides to take drastic action, Sylvester decides that he wants their relationship to last and become something more. Can these two ever get on the same page? Can they let go of the pain of the past? Can they get the fairytale HEA that their initial meeting foreshadowed? Read this entertaining book to find out.

I absolutely adored Sylvester and Daphne. Their journey to HEA was a hard fought one. Blackmail and misunderstanding taints the first six years of their marriage. They are virtual strangers living in the same house, but putting on a show of a loving marriage for the ton. I really felt the heartbreak and struggle that both of these characters went through. I enjoyed the journey of them getting to know each other as the people they really are. They both break down each other's walls and the intimacy between them was so sexy. I loved that when they finally found their way to each other that it was with true love between them. Both characters grow immensely as individuals while falling in love with each other. This is really a beautiful story of forgiveness and healing. One of Reid's best yet for sure.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

I Loved Daphne and Sylvester's story!!

Daphne's father blackmails Sylvester into marrying Daphne and he believes that she was a part of it. He leaves right after the wedding and they have an estranged marriage for the next 6 years.

Daphne had become smitten from the moment she met Sylvester and is so excited for the wedding. She doesn't understand why Sylvester is acting so cold towards her until the next day when her father tells her what he has done. She spends the next 6 years living a lonely life. Just when she is determined to get a divorce, Sylvester finally wants to heir and comes tumbling back into her life. Can these two find a way to move forward when they want two completely different things out of their life?

I loved watching these two come back together and work out their differences. I didn't want to put the book down!! Another masterful work by Reid! I'm really excited to see what she comes up with next!!

My romantic heart just pounds as I turn the last page of this wonderful story. Every time I read a new book by Stacy Reid I am reminded of why I love her writing. She engages me from the first page and keeps me awake late into the night anxious to see what happens, but at the same time wanting the story to go on forever. Her well drawn characters of Sylvester Wentworth, Earl of Carrington and his soon to be Countess Daphne, are all that you can image. Meeting under fateful circumstances and getting married soon thereafter because of nefarious dealings by her father, it seemed the match was doomed. You see, her father had blackmailed Sylvester into marrying Daphne, yet she really had no idea of everything that transpired. She was almost in love with Sylvester at their first encounter. By his description (did I mention Stacy has a gift for the well drawn character?) what maiden would not be? She was only 17 and still a romantic at heart it seemed. But their marriage was anything but happy until he returned from almost getting killed and determined he really needed an heir. Not wanting to give much away, the tightly held emotions of both characters kept me on edge with Daphne only wanting her husband to care for her her but she had almost had enough of his indifference. I love this trope of the wounded hero in spirit really due to a lot of misunderstandings but with a possible second chance at happiness. Can the two come together and live as a real husband and wife? Do not miss this intriguing story that will only have you holding your breath before the next installment of the Rebellious Desires series comes out. I hope Stacy has already written the third story and will publish soon! I cannot wait.

This was a very captivating read. After six years of a loveless marriage, Daphne decides to gain her freedom. However, her husband, Sylvester has different ideas. I liked the fact that Daphne didn’t just agree to what her husband wanted, after practically ignoring her for the time of their marriage. There were a number of factors working against them, some caused by Daphne’s family. This book kept my interest from beginning to end. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

An emotional read about a relationship saturated with strife, The Earl in My Bed is a well developed historical romance. That being said, it is also exhausting. The couple is at odd almost the entire novel and their reasonings for keeping each other at arm’s length is shallow and tedious at best. It is an emotional read that can be draining on the reader. As a reader, it is frustrating to see the heroine treated so poorly, the hero only becoming interested in her for her uterus. It is also illogical for the heroine to think she can be free with a divorce. It’s easy to see she is miserable but divorces were close to impossible at this time and would have put her as a social pariah.

Despite the author’s skill with writing, the story she wrote was not one I enjoyed. Some readers may enjoy second chance romances, but this story as a whole was draining.

This is Book 2 and is as superb as Book 1.

Viscount Blagrove has a compromising information against the sister of Sylvester Augustus Wentworth, eleventh Earl of Carrington. In return for his silence, the Earl has to marry Miss Daphne Collins, the Viscount's 17-year-old lovely daughter.

Six years on, the Earl and his Countess are yet to consummate their marriage. Sylvester has treated Daphne with icy disdain and cold indifference tainting her with the same brush as her father. Daphne, who became aware of the blackmail only after the wedding, has grown into a beautiful albeit, lonely woman.

Sylvester has worked tirelessly in the parliament, he's one of the few powerful lords who fought with resilience for liberation of slaves in the West Indies under Wilberforce. While Daphne has eased into the role of a perfect Countess. She champions Sylvester, support charities and managed their household. Their estrangement is taking its toll, they are both heartsick. Sylvester's near-death experience compelled him to think of producing an heir with his Countess. But Daphne is contemplating a scandal of the highest magnitude to be granted an almost-impossible divorce from Her Earl.

Stacy Reid has written a magnificent, angsty story, I utterly adore Daphne, a woman with a backbone of steel, has the kindest of hearts, possesses an indomitable inner strength, and a clever mind. A lesser woman would have crumbled from the pain. Sylvester has a very strong sense of right and wrong and totally unforgiving to those who have wronged him and his family.

When the Earl and the Countess have come through their ordeal, their reunion is akin to conflagration!
I can't stress enough how I love this trope. Though I wept for the hurt the characters inflict on one another and seeing the meted actions as just. Five stars for the author's wonderful storytelling, and tugging at my heartstrings.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an eGalley copy. All opinions are impartial, honest and all mine.

Trigger warning: [past suicide attempt of a secondary character, discussions of slavery]

This is the second in the Rebellious Desires series, and my second book by Ms. Reid. While I liked this one as well, I think I prefer the first one for various reasons I'll outline in my review.

To start out with, though, one fascinating subplot was that Sylvester was an ardent abolitionist, traveling to Jamaica to work on freeing slaves from plantations. While I knew that England outlawed slavery long before the US, I hadn't known that any slaves that arrived in England were immediately freed. It's his work as an abolitionist that has made him many enemies, and the latest near-death assassination attempt has given him a new view on his heir-less life and sends him back to England to his estranged wife, Daphne. Unbeknownst to her until the night of their wedding, Sylvester was blackmailed into marrying her, and he's taken it out on her with six years of coldness and indifference. Daphne herself is tired of a lonely and unloved existence, and also looking to make a change - but unlike Sylvester's hopes of an "agreeable marriage" and an heir, she wants a divorce.

“'I tore it to pieces because I know I am falling in love you, and I could not hurt you. If you cannot trust me to behave with integrity and honor...that is not an agreeable marriage, my lord,' she said hoarsely."


While I liked Daphne, and certainly felt awful for her predicament, she had a tendency to come off as a bit too naive and passive to me. Sylvester, on the other hand, is too passionate in some ways, and I was so annoyed at his treatment of her that it took a while before I started to warm to him. There's a lot of blame being slung around, and I certainly don't mean to say that Sylvester didn't have plenty of reason to be upset and angry, but the fact that he kept taking it out on Daphne, that he couldn't find it in himself to trust her, that he felt it necessary to trick her into spending time with him with a promise he had no intention of keeping, was disappointing to me. Eventually, after pretty much 90% of the book, I did come to grudgingly accept that Sylvester and Daphne were really very suited to each other.

OK, so that all sounds particularly horrible when I lay it out like that, but, to be honest, this whole sham-marriage-into-real-marriage trope is a favorite of mine, and I think it was particularly believable in this case why they were so at odds with each other. As in the first book in the series, the chemistry between the two is smoking hot, and there was enough delightful angst to balance it out. Even with my annoyance with the characters' actions, I found it hard to put the book down, and I wanted more when it was over!

Overall, while I didn't enjoy this as much as the first book, and while I had problems with Sylvester being a ruthless insensitive jerk, I enjoyed reading the book and will definitely be picking up the next one!

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

The Earl in My Bed by Stacy Reid is book Two in the Rebellious Desires Series. This is the story of Daphne Wentworth, Countess Carrington and Sylvester Wentworth, Earl of Carrington.
I have read the previous book (and loved it!) but feel this can easily be a standalone book if you choose to do so.
Daphne and Sylvester are married they didn't live as man and wife. Daphne was young and went along with her father's wishes. Not knowing what all her father had done to ensure the marriage but soon learned afterwards. Sylvester may have married Daphne but he made sure to keep his distance from her. Now years later Daphne isn't the young girl with dreams... she just wants out of this non existence marriage. But now Sylvester has a change of heart about his marriage after coming close to dying. But now his wife has turned away and he has to convince her to give their marriage a chance.
I Love Ms. Reid's books so this was a joy to read. Couldn't put it down!

.They meet when he saves her from drowning and she saved her dog from drowning. It is a sad story she spends time so alone after she marries. Her father blackmailed Sylvester Augustus Wentworth, Earl of Carrington into marrying his daughter. Carrington was so angry he had to marry her, he was so cold and indifferent to her. He blamed her for being in cahoots with her father.
I felt so bad for Daphne. I did not care for Carrington, I thought he was cruel, and unkind especially since he kept doing it again. She did everything in her power to prove he could trust her but still, he didn't. I thought she was lovely and kind.The plot had some interesting twists, danger, intrigue, and just evil. The author chose a tough subject but handled it with finesse, I am so glad I got a chance to read it.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

The Earl in My Bed by Stacy Reid
Rebellious Desires #2

For six years Daphne and Sylvester have been married to one another but have never really been a true husband and wife with all that entails. Their marriage is a sham with no intimacy, not much conversation and little interaction at all…the marriage could easily be annulled if either party should want to. Daphne acquired the status and position her father desired for her, she married a man she admired until she actually found out what being married to him would entail. Her father’s blackmail of Sylvester to get him to the altar definitely backfired putting the kibosh on the husband wanting anything to do with his wife…until…his wife was willing to do almost anything necessary to be free of her marriage.

This is, to me, a highly unbelievable story. True, Daphne was naïve when she married and Sylvester was unbending and chilly to the extreme but still, I can’t see how six years would impact the two of them as it did or that Daphne had grown up or matured much in the six years if she really believed scandal and divorce would be preferable to her husband’s offer to make the marriage more than the empty situation it had previously been. Women in that time did not have rights so Daphne’s defiance and desires seemed a bit unreal…more than a bit, actually. I kept thinking, “Really?” That said, the writing was well done, the story provided some history of the slave trade and abolition movement, there were some secrets unearthed about family and others that were…perhaps…surprising and Daphne and Sylvester did eventually manage to come to terms with one another and have a shot at a happy ending.

I read the first book in the series and am glad I read this one and look forward to reading the third book to see what will happen next. It is not essential to read book one before book two. I was surprised that the couple in this story is not one of the characters I enjoyed reading about in book one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

Never having read a book by Stacy Reid I can say I was highly impressed and will be looking for her books in the future. For years, Daphne Wentworth, Countess Carrington has loved her husband from afar, but no more. Daphne intends to create a scandal so big, her husband will have no choice but to divorce her. The only thing she didn't plan on was her husband returning for her.Sylvester after nearly dying has decided he needs to start a family and make his marriage a real one. This book is powerful and I loved watching the two of them learn to trust again. A book you won't be disappointed you purchased.