Member Reviews
The Good
* This was a well written, interesting romance that didn't go down the expected routes.
* I found myself fully engaged with this and was sad when I had finished.
* The first half is a very detailed look at wooing in the regency era. If you are looking for a fast paced bodice ripper this isn't for you. This book takes its time, it goes through all the balls and teas and carriage rides. I really liked that Ella Quinn took the time to build the world so well and be so historically minded.
* The second part of the book is about their travels to Europe and about there time on the continent. It is set during the Napoleonic wars and id full to the brim of historic information about the period. I have not seen this in a historical romance before and I really loved it.
* Elizabeth is amazing. She is a wonderful, intelligent, funny and well put together young women. I found her impossible not to like.
* I liked the slow build romance and thought the chemistry was bang on.
The Not so Bad
* Geoffrey spent a lot of the first half of the book being cold and aloof. It took me a long while to warm up to him. In the end I did, but his desperate search for a wife in the beginning was a little off putting.
This story was a great read filled with intrigue and mystery. Elizabeth was first while Geoffrey came across as dashing if a bit pompous at times. Elizabeth quickly put him in his place.
Enjoyable read, I liked the characters but think the plot needed a little something more to have me completely invested in the story. Unsure if I would have liked it more if I read the previous books in the series first.
With her three good friends all recently married, Elizabeth Turley is ready for some husband-hunting of her own. One gentleman in particular sparks her interest. Geoffrey, Earl of Harrington is tall, handsome, and dashing. He’s also just a bit too sure of himself. But Elizabeth has observed enough about the rules of attraction to pique the earl’s attention. Yet once she has it, the discovery of a troubling secret taints her future happiness .
This was a good story with two amusing main characters. I like books when the hero isn’t a rogue who knows everything about a woman. It made me appreciate this book more. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book
Ella Quinn's latest book You Never Forget Your First Earl was a fantastic read! I couldn't put it down!
Geoffrey, Earl of Harrington, is in need of a wife and quickly if he wishes to secure his foreign post. When he botches his first attempt at securing a wife, he doesn't have many options. He sets his sights on Miss Elizabeth Turley. The more time Geoffrey spends with Elizabeth, the more he realizes she would make him the perfect diplomat's wife. Elizabeth carries a tendre for Geoffrey, but she wants to make sure he will eventually love her before she accepts his proposal. What could go wrong with these two who expectations of what they want is not exactly what they will get.
I wasn't a fan of Geoffrey's character even though he did redeem himself in the end. I enjoyed Elizabeth a lot and thought her character was more fleshed out. This is another enjoyable romance from Ms. Quinn.
This is book five of the series. A very fun couple to follow on an adventure with. Most the story is their courting but later we get some action and war time. It seems they might stay in Paris a while after all.
Sweet, saucy, funny and so, so very romantic, I will assuredly never forget my first Ella Quinn.
I enjoyed this novel immensely.
Confession to make. I didn’t read the book before this one. That said, there are things that were done in the previous book that might confuse some but Ms. Quinn does a great job letting us know what is going on. Like, that Geoffrey lost Charlotte Worthington in that one but trust me, Elizabeth is perfect for him. And that’s without reading the other book.
This book is great. Not awesome but great. Geoffrey is an idiot when it comes to women and at times, it’s hilarious. I adored how Elizabeth makes him work for it even though she loves him. I mean really, he can’t catch a break. These two are so evenly matched in every sense. Elizabeth is smart, not some simpering damsel and Geoffrey is that kind of hero that you just love from the first page. An idiot to the fairer sex but humbling in the end. Even when these two have their smexy times, Ms. Quinn doesn’t do it over the top but Elizabeth isn’t a lump in the bed either. She knows what she wants and Geoffrey isn’t afraid to give it to her.
One of the things that I really love about Ms. Quinn’s book is her authenticity. She knows her history, customs but doesn’t dumb it down for her readers. Her readers are smart so she doesn’t have to “explain” every little bit in the book. I hate when historical authors do that. I, for one, do not need to know everything about a dress and how many courses there are to eat at a wedding breakfast. To me that’s just filler and Ms. Quinn doesn’t do that.
Their time in Brussels was very good. I’m glad that they weren’t in England. It was a different setting that I’m not used to reading about in historical romance. Most everything happens in either England or France. Great job. I was definitely invested at that point in the book and it just kept getting better. I will have to say that the conflict in the book happened so late in the book that I was a bit disappointed. I expected something bigger but to me it was just meh.
Overall, I really liked getting to know Elizabeth and Geoffrey. While they could have been any other regency couple, it was their shennigans that kept pulling me back.
Another book in the always entertaining Worthington family series, Lord Geoffrey needs a proper wife, quickly. The young lady he intended to marry has run off with another, but he is on a time crunch. In order to obtain the job he has dreamed of for years, he must be a married man.
Lady Elizabeth meets all of his requirements for an acceptable match, she was even a friend of his former intended, why hadn’t he thought of her earlier?
So Geoffrey sets his cap for Elizabeth, but is this what SHE wants? What about love? Has Geoffrey really seen the person his wife is in total?
In reading along, the author tells a story of a man who in the beginning isn’t quite mature enough to see how lucky he is and a woman who is secure enough that she does not need to tell him. I enjoyed the story and recommend it.
Elizabeth has been interested in Geoffrey since he had started his pursuit of her best friend, who chose another man, introduced them because they had so much in common. Though she fell for him she's determined to marry for love both giving and receiving. She is strong, intelligent and extremely unique. Geoffrey is a bit frustrating in his determination of finding the right wife for the "job". He is extremely focused yet caring and swoon worthy.
This story was a fast paced read that had me on an emotional roller coaster for both of them throughout the story. As my first Ella Quinn book I loved every bit and will be reading more of her stories in the future! If you enjoy a great historical romance with a strong protagonist who's willing to walk through fire for others, I highly recommend reading You Never Forget Your First Earl.
Just okay for me. I never really felt much chemistry between Elizabeth and Geoffrey. I believe the story intends to show how love likely grew during this time in history when alliances and practicality ruled the day. While this story did that, unfortunately, it also means I never was excited about or for the characters. They meandered along, and so did I. The most mundane bit was in the middle where there were about 3-4 chapters in which very little happened and I almost gave up on it. The most engaging thing in the entire book was when Elizabeth defends her horses from a would-be gentleman thief.
I was blown away by how much I enjoyed The Marquis and I, another book by Ms. Quinn. It really showed how talented she is and I think that is the reason why I had such very high hopes for this read. It might also be why my disappointment is more acute.
If you like a sedate romance, with a bit of simmer, that strives to show how many marriages likely plotted along and settled into a comfortable union this is for you. Otherwise, I'd give this one a pass and read The Marquis and I, if you haven't already.
I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Danger, romance and a very intriguing plot make this a fantastic read! A fast paced and well written story, I fell in love with Elizabeth and Geoff - even though he comes of a bit on the snobbish side- they do say that opposites attract and boy do they ever! Elizabeth isn’t your typical debutant, she’s straight forward and gutsy and she gives him a run for his money. Even though he does try to make his marriage work he really has to work on his charming skills! All in all this was a very entertaining read that I truly enjoyed reading!
I recieved a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest unbiased opinion!
When I ask to be given an ARC, I always promise to give a fair and honest review in return. Look, this book was very well written however it did not keep me in alt.
Thanks Kensington Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
Quinn pulls this one off even through you'll think it unlikely from the beginning. But this romance will have you up all night and very satisfied at the end.
~~Reviewed by AnnMarie~~
You Never Forget Your First Earl is the fifth book in The Worthingtons series by Ella Quinn. Although part of a series it can be read as a standalone book.
Geoffrey, Lord Harrington needs a wife in order to gain the job he wants in Brussels. When two people, his friend and his grandmother suggest that he woo Miss Elizabeth Turley he decides she could indeed make the perfect wife for him. He doesn’t need love, he just needs an amiable young woman who is capable of running a household.
Elizabeth is aware that Geoff must marry as soon as possible before losing his chance of the position abroad. Her three closest friends have not long got married and Elizabeth wants to find her dream man as well. Geoff is very good looking and seems a decent enough man, so she agrees to a courtship with him. It isn’t too long before Geoff offers for her, and Elizabeth happily accepts. They marry by special licence and immediately prepare for their move. The trouble begins when just after the wedding she hears Geoff and his father talking and what she hears breaks her heart.
Geoff realises that something is very wrong with Elizabeth when she stops sharing his bed and barely speaks to him. He has no idea what he has done to upset her. He doesn’t like that they are at odds, and even when he has to concentrate on the war effort Elizabeth is always on his mind. Can he find out what is wrong and sort it out, can he keep her safe in what turns into a war zone? Will Elizabeth ever tell him what she overheard so that they can work at getting their marriage back on an even keel? Or will they end up separating?
I enjoyed this story, although I will admit that the first few chapters of the book didn’t hook me immediately. From the minute that Elizabeth agrees to marry Geoff, and then they begin their travels that soon changed though and I couldn’t read the book quickly enough to find out how it would end. I enjoyed the will they won’t they aspect of the romance, wondering if they could work things out. I especially enjoyed how even though she was angry with him, Elizabeth still very much cared for her husband and was there for him when he needed her. I enjoyed too seeing when Elizabeth proved that she wasn’t just a pretty face, both when faced with would be bandits, plus helping with the wounded soldiers of war. All in all, this book, as with the others in the series which I have read and loved, is a good read and I recommend it.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers’ copy of this book.
Love will find a way!
This novel went to a place I didn't expect. It developed not only an interesting romantic plot but provided extra fascination by describing Brussels at the time of Waterloo. However one cannot read of these times and this place without thinking of Georgette Heyer's, An Infamous Army. I still think of Heyer's Duchess of Richmond's ball and all those young men leaving for death and destruction after dancing gaily, then slipping away as duty and honor calls. Quinn's novel aptly recalls these emotions (as Quinn points to her personal and obviously very raw feelings in her author's note. Bravo!)
Geoffrey, Earl of Harrington, needs a wife to take up a post in Brussels. Elizabeth Turley has set her sights on Geoffrey but he needs to come up to scratch for theirs to be more than a marriage of convenience. Elizabeth is a wonderful character. Geoffrey just needs the right sort of nudge to blossom. The search for love between these two, alongside the dangers they find themselves in, makes for a great read!
A NetGalley ARC
This is book 6 in the Worthington series. But the 2 main characters, Elizabeth and Geoffrey are not apart of the Worthington family. I think that's kind of what put me off about this book. There are enough children in this family to write stories about, that it makes no sense to go outside the family.
That said, I did like the heroine, Elizabeth. I felt she knew her mind and what she wanted. She wasn't going to just settle for second best.
On the other hand, Geoffrey, was very single minded and was only concerned about accomplishing what was best fit his career. He annoyed me. I was glad to see in the end, he realized what he had b4 it was too late.
Good book, just not a great one.
Definitely of the Historical Romance genre and definitely very easy to read. Set in the times of the Napoleonic Wars, this story speaks of politics and wars but only amongst the polite talk made at Balls long ago, where women were supposed to be well-versed in certain subjects to learn to carry on conversations with their prospects. Truly your girl in a “coming out” stage and a titled boy trying to find the proper wife, story. Nonetheless, it’s a delightful love story and I enjoyed it. It was even a little humorous at times which I thought kept it moving along well.
Romance is not my favorite genre but I enjoyed this book. There is no explicit sex, at least to me, nothing that did not fit in the story and the characters were not just defined but likeable. They were easy to know. I am talking about the whole family…the Marchioness of Somewhere, the Lord, the Earl, the Lady…well you get my point. Each family was discernible living in times of war, politics and slaughter. To make it real but yet a pleasant read, Quinn described the homes, the riding out in carriages, the Balls, even the beautiful Teas to allow us to enjoy her storyline and yet give us a hint of what went on at the time. I think she did a good job at this.
Let me tell you what else she did. She gave this book a title to make me think this book would have a whole ‘nother ending than it did. What a sassy lady.
This is Book 5 in her “The Worthingtons” series. There is no question it could be read as a stand-alone but I think it’s probably worth checking them all out.
***This book was provided to me free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
Geoffrey, Earl of Harrington, just lost the lady he had picked out to marry, now he must find a new lady who meets all his “perfect wife” boxes. Geoffrey’s not looking for a love match, but instead is looking for someone to compliment his diplomatic career. He must marry or lose this prestigious position in Brussels he desperately wants. Geoffrey sets his sights on Elizabeth Turley as the perfect wife for him. He set out to woo Elizabeth.
Elizabeth Turley finds Geoffrey intriguing, but a little too sure of himself. Elizabeth wants a husband who loves her and so far she’s not seeing any signs that he is in love with her. These two character have a sweet chemistry and romance, but have trouble communicating their feeling and you’ll be routing for them to find 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.