3.75 Stars
Earl. War hero. Notorious rake. After the Battle of Waterloo, Eli Dawes was presumed dead and would have happily stayed that way. He's no longer the reckless young man he once was, and only half as pretty. All he wants is to hide away in his country home, where no one can see his scars. But when he tries to sneak into his old bedroom in the middle of the night, he's shocked to find someone already there. Rose Hayward remembers Eli as the arrogant lord who helped her late fiancé betray her. Finding him stealing into her art studio doesn't correct her impression. Her only thought is to get him to leave immediately.
The second book in the series & it’s easily read on its own but there are lose ends from the first book which still aren’t resolved. I liked both Eli & Rose & loved how she helped heal his scars but she wouldn’t accept the same help. Whilst this was a well written book I was left wanting more & it didn’t captivate me
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

What an insanely amazing story! I’m already anxious to read it again! I absolutely fell in love with Eli and Rose. Both were so strong and had been tested in unimaginable ways. While Eli was considered flawed by society because of the disfiguring wounds he’d received in battle, he also saw himself as flawed because of the man he had once been. Rose suffered greatly from society’s perception of her after the humiliating end of her engagement. Both had fears that would have paralyzed most people. And that’s where the true beauty of this story came into play. I loved watching them rekindle their lost friendship. They shared their fears and challenged one another to face them. “Regret is a far worse fate than fear.” This was such a beautiful and compelling story with characters that seemed so real and pulled me right into their journey.
Though #2 in the series, I had no trouble reading this as a stand-alone. Though I will be going back to read the first book in the series, Clare’s story. I adored her at the end of this book as she advised her sister, Rose. I’m anxious too for brother Harland’s story. He’s up to something and I’m dying to know what it is. I’m also hoping to find out more about the enigmatic King. This book was one of the best I’ve read this summer and I am so excited to read more of this series.

I really enjoyed Eli as a hero, and Rose had her good moments, but I felt a little disappointed by the direction the novel went. I understand it's not a trauma-off, but he literally got blown up and she has some PTSD from gossip? Doesn't really compare to me. I did like how Rose was the one who instigated the third act breakup, but also the re-connection. There were a lot of characters in this book that I did want to see more of, so I did enjoy it, despite my minor annoyance.

This is my first read by Kelly Bowen, and while this is the second book in her Devils of Dover series, it works well as a standalone.

***
Eli Dawes was left badly scarred after Waterloo. Instead of returning home, he decided to stay away for several years and was eventually presumed dead. On the eve of him being legally proclaimed dead, his estate's solicitors succeed at tracking him down and informing him that his father has died and that he is now the earl. He returns home to find his estate is currently being let and used as the Haverhall School for Young Ladies. Among the family that runs it is Rose Hayward, an artist/art teacher and the former fiancée of his childhood friend that died in the same battle that left him scarred. Eli had always loved Rose, but since his friend saw her first, she was off limits. Now that he's back, and she's still unmarried, he's determined not to waste his second chance.

***
Rose & Eli have great sexual chemistry, but they also develop a strong friendship that allows them to eventually heal and face the emotional scars they both have.

While I loved the relationships and characters in the book, I didn't love the overall pacing of the story. At first, it felt rather slow then all of a sudden everything was rushed and tied up in a nice little bow. Eli went from avoiding society for six years and being self-conscious about his wounds to easily attending dinners and balls in no time. Eli also began a special project to help fellow veterans and their families, and while some of that happens on the page, most of the results of his work happen off the page, and the epilogue gives you just a quick recap of what we missed during the time that's elapsed.

Then, Rose & Eli both avoid society for different reasons, and while he's forthcoming about his fears, she doesn't reciprocate initially or willingly, and she's hypocritical in the way she pushes Eli to take up his place in society but continues to avoid it herself.

***
Overall, I enjoyed their story and really believed in their love for each other. Rose is a strong, independent, smart woman and how she builds up other women is really lovely. Eli is a great beta-hero. He's not afraid of his emotions, and despite the preconceived notions that people have about him - either from his scars or his reputation - he's compassion, decency, and actions quickly refutes them. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from Kelly Bowen!

I'm sad to say I read this book 9 months ago, rated it, and I planned to go back and review it and completely forgot. Even though I enjoyed this book, and I always enjoy Kelly's writing, there were times when I remember wanting it to go deeper into Eli's past and be more emotional. It was full of steam, which I'm never opposed to, but somehow that detracted from it in this one for me.

Kelly Bowen is a historical romance novelist who isn’t talked about enough. She’s a wonderful writer; her leads sparkle and the heat between them keeps me turning the pages. Every time I read one of her books I’m reminded of how much she adds to the genre.

Artist Rose Hayward is teaching painting to unconventional young ladies using unconventional models in an effort to illustrate how beauty is found in everyone—when a nemesis from her past shows up.

Eli Dawes was the heir to an Earl-ship (is that a word?) when he leaves for war. He returns six years after the war ended as a heavily scarred, disillusioned man. He’s always had feelings for Rose, who was once his best friend’s fiancée. Though his former best friend is now dead there are many other new obstacles standing in their way, including Roses’s animosity.

This is a sweet, tender story heavy on the romance. I love Bowen’s message about beauty standards and how accepting and loving Rose and Eli are...even as they challenge the other (with the knowledge that they’ll support each other through their respective difficulties). I think Last Night with the Earl will resonate with lots of readers, who like me will be moved by Rose and Eli’s passionate romance and the ways they grow thanks to the other.

4.25 ⭐️

[I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Netgalley but all opinions provided are my own.]

I really enjoy Kelly's historical romances and this one did not disappoint. Loved the sexy characters....and the emotional story. Brava!

As always, I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this title.

However, I was not able to finish this as I was not able to connect with the story and the way the characters were written.

I have chosen to mark this title as a "DNF" and I apologize for the delay in sending this response to this title.

Thank you!

❤️❤️❤️❤️ out of 5
I have mixed feelings about this book so I’m hoping that by the end of this review I’ll have some clarity. If you want a light historical romance this is definitely not it- instead it’s deep, emotional and more than a little bit angsty with characters who are both flawed and scarred (either physically or emotionally or both really). Yes this book also has an agenda (which I’m really not a fan of) but it was overshadowed by the romance (kind of) and I didn’t hate it? (See my predicament??)
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Our hero is returning back to his life after avoiding it for more than 6 years after the end of the war and everyone believes him to be dead. He sneaks into his home in the dead of night to discover a woman from his past in residence (and of course she is THE woman he could never forget). The heroine is a painter and teacher at a school that is renting the hero’s house. What follows is the rekindling of more than a friendship.
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One of the things I loved about the heroine was that she held nothing back and refused to let the hero wallow in his scars and called him out on any of his crap. The hero is scarred mentally and physically yet has this romantic side that’s practically swoon worthy. There was definitely an agenda in the storyline and with both the characters and it irritated me because I’m finding myself hypersensitive to it at the moment but other than that it was an emotional and beautiful read. (I think I’m still confused).

I’ve been a fan of Kelly Bowen for a while but honestly the first book in this series was just ok for me and it didn’t leave me rushing to pick up this next one. I should’ve known better! LAST NIGHT WITH THE EARL is about a scarred hero who comes back from war after everyone believes him dead and he gets a chance to get the girl he was in love with before leaving who was engaged to his best friend. I couldn’t put this book down!

Rose is working with her sister at her Haverhall School for Young Ladies teaching about her passion, art. I love the concept of the School and the siblings this series revolves around and was very interested to see Eli’s reaction to what was going on at his house. But he fit perfectly well! The chemistry between Rose and Eli is palpable from the very first encounter in this book where she threatens him with a paintbrush. I adored the back and forth, the teasing, the sparks, the sexual tension! They were addicting for me.

I’m a fan of strong female leads in historical romance and while Rose had things to fight through, she came out in the end stronger for it. All that being said, I know the next book will be excellent and full of danger so I can’t wait!

If you aren’t reading Kelly Bowen you may want to rectify that immediately.

This was definitely a twist of fate for the handsome earl! I love the uniqueness of his backstory! There’s not many novelist who can risk the main character being deformed in a physical way, yet make him gorgeous on the inside like this author! And the main female character is such a joy with sharp perception, wit and insurmountable love for this gentleman. Loved this story! I recommend.

After the tremendous first book in the Devils of Dover series, this was a tough follow-up. I liked Rose and Eli - and their hot/cold courtship was a delicious. Unfortunately, the plot contrivances that keep them apart are...well, they're dumb. These two clearly love each other, know they've made mistakes with each other in the past, and there just didn't seem to be ENOUGH to keep them apart.

A better than average historical romance - but not Ms. Bowen's best and not nearly as good as the first in the series.

Last Night With the Earl is the second book in the Devils of Dover series by Kelly Bowen. I did read the first book in this series, but think that while some of the characters and situations are set up and developed in the first book, they can be read alone as well.

Earl. War hero. Notorious rake. After the Battle of Waterloo, Eli Dawes was presumed dead-and would have happily stayed that way. He's no longer the reckless young man he once was, and only half as pretty. All he wants is to hide away in his country home, where no one can see his scars. But when he tries to sneak into his old bedroom in the middle of the night, he's shocked to find someone already there. Rose Hayward remembers Eli as the arrogant lord who helped her late fiance betray her. Finding him stealing into her art studio doesn't correct her impression. Her only thought is to get him to leave immediately. Yet the tension between them is electric, and she can't help but be drawn to him. He might be back from the dead, but it's Rose who is suddenly feeling very, very much alive.

Last Night With the Earl is an engaging read and I found myself very interested in the characters and what makes them tick from the very beginning. Eli might have once been a golden boy and a rake, but war and life have forced him to grow up, and he wants to do better, be better. He is reluctant to face his demons, but does what he must to gain what he wants. Rose has been hurt, and has emotional scars, but has turned her lesson into fodder for art and helping others see themselves as they truly are rather than how society talks about them. She still has her own issues with taking her own advice, but does the best she can. When these old friends come together they have to face those demons and issues, as well as betrayals. I like how honest and open they were with each other, and how hard they each had to work with their own issues, and helping each other face up to the things they did not really deal with. That pushing each other and coming to terms with their own faults, wounds, and worries was very well done. I thought Eli and Rose were well matched, and complemented each other, and challenged each other, almost perfectly. I enjoyed the read, and was glad that I picked this one up. I think I will be continuing the series, mostly because of my curiosity about just what is going on with Rose's brother Harland.

Last Night With the Earl is an entertaining read. I enjoyed returning to a good group of characters, and am curious about what will happen next.

Interesting, wounded characters make up Bowen's Regency romance. Bowen was able to take the typical romance and add some added umph by deeper themes of war trauma and woman's issues.

I received this book as an ACR in return for an honest review.
This has the making of a romance classic! A wonderful read from start to finish that was hard to out down. The heroine artist, Rose caught my attention from the get go and was a very likeable and relatable character. The Earl of Rivers is the type of brooding hero that you can't help fall in love with.
My favourite aspect of this book is the fact that it was solely about the development of their relationship and getting over their own personal dramas, no random drama trout in just to spice it up. These characters and their development was strong enough to cary the book. Overall a very enjoyable read and I am looking forward to reading more of Kelly Bowens work.

This was MUCH more my flavor of catnip, and this may just become my go to Kelly Bowen rec. As much as I enjoyed though, I still felt like we didn't get enough of the heroine's emotional arc considering how much of the climax hinged on it (and I just had SO MANY questions about the setup i.e. what is Society's opinion/knowledge about Anthony, what happened to all the girls in the book & was Rose doing something similar to Eli's war widow thing to help, who the hell is King and are we going to see him again). So consider me a weeeeee bit unsatisfied le sigh, despite a very satisfying romance.

The Story in 4 Sentences or Less: When Rose Hayward finds a man inside the home she uses as an art studio she doesn’t recognize him underneath all his scars until he reveals his identity to her. Eli Dawes was best friends with Rose’s late fiancé who betrayed her in one of the worse ways and she blames Eli for helping him. Except Eli never knew what his friend had done and when he finds out he wants to do everything he can to make up for it and to explore the chemistry between them that has him feeling like maybe his life isn’t over yet.




Like It? Hate it? Love it? Why? I’ve read this author before and liked her work and while I liked Last Night with the Earl there were some things that kept me from loving it.

What I liked: Rose’s upbringing. She was an educated woman and well read. I loved that about her and that she painted more than just the typical watercolor landscapes. She was bold and whip smart but at times she came across as sanctimonious and so bitter about the past that she was blind to any and all facts until closer to the very end. She was so bent on pinning the blame on Eli’s shoulders since the real guilty person was dead. I got tired of her reasoning and her attitude about it seemed a bit extreme by the end. Her story felt like it went in circles, with not much growth. In the beginning she was likable but when you reach 40% in and she’s still with the same argument and attitude it gets tiring. Eli was a bit better. I felt that he had the most interesting background and was the more likable of the two lead characters but he didn’t stand out to me either.


Another problem I had with Last Night with the Earl is how modern it seemed for a historical romance. Now, I know that the majority of HR have a modern-ish style to the writing and frankly I’m fine with that. As much as I love Pride and Prejudice, I do not want every historical romance to be written that way. Too tiring. And as this is FICTION, I don’t mind some historical liberties being taken. I’m not one of those annoying history police people that has to nitpick at every inaccuracy they come across. BUT in this case it was just one too many instances of ignoring what was or wasn’t around medically, and sometimes Rose’s rants sounded suspiciously like some modern day rally cries.

All I have to say is that subtlety goes a lot farther than the in-your-face attitude in historical romance. Just saying.

I could have use less material at around the 40 and 50% mark, there was too much going on without enough going into building a believable connection and romance between Eli and Rose. I just didn’t feel it.

Click It or Skip It? Skip It. This is the second book I’ve read by this author and while I know not every book is going to be a hit, I think I’ll wait a bit before trying again.

First of all, this is part of a series but can easily be read as a standalone.

As the story begins, Rose's fiance (Anthony) and a mutual friend (Eli) went to war for England six years ago, and both are believed to have died on the battlefield. Prior to his death, Anthony had cruelly betrayed Rose, and she believed that Eli was also involved in that betrayal. When Eli returns upon his father's passing, he is shocked to learn that Rose not only lives in his family's estate, but she is running an art school there in order to support herself. Believing he was dead and that he had tormented her, she is initially angry, but she soon realizes that Eli was not responsible for Anthony's actions.

Rose is the only woman Eli ever had feelings for, but he had to hide them as she was engaged to his friend. While in battle, a fire disfigured Eli which is one of the main reasons he did not return previously. Now that he is back and Rose is free... will they be able to get past their issues and live happily ever after?

I enjoyed this book - it had most of the elements I look for in a good HR: a solid plot, interesting characters, and (of course) steamy goodness. It was a little progressive for the time period which may put some readers who are sticklers for the authenticity aspect off a little, but that didn't bother me or detract from my experience. All in all, a worthwhile read.

My Mt. TBR claims I have a few Kelly Bowen books there but I haven’t read any of them yet. So, what do I do? Request to read an ARC of Last Night With the Earl. Second in a series so I was jumping blind. Well, my worries were unfounded because I wasn’t lost at all for this is completely Eli and Rose’s book.

I so admire Kelly’s writing. Her prose is beautiful and the engagement of all the senses takes the reader inside the book. While there is angst, it’s the kind that makes one sympathize with the characters. Not too heavy that it depresses you especially with the inclusion of characters like the aunts who provide a dash of humor.

Eli and Rose produced some serious steam. I didn't expect that, butI love it. I really like both of them. I believe in them and rooted for their love to bring them together. Which it, of course, did but they had to work for it.

I also love the secondary characters, the feminism, and the serious issues discussed.

Lastly, I love "Respect for Christmas" - the bonus story by Grace Burrowes. Another worthy of five stars.

I enjoy reading historical romances because they are such easy reads. This book was an easy fun read also. The scarred "hero" returns home after being presumed dead and has come to win back a secret love. I liked that both the hero and heroine were strong, moral characters who always fought for what was right and looking beyond physical appearances to see the real person.