Anna Bradley's More or Less a Countess was a wonderful read. I love Violet and Nick's story. This book is different from other historical romances in that the marriage happens about half way through the book, instead of at the very end. I really liked this change of pace. I look forward to reading more titles from Anna Bradley!

Anna Bradley has become one of my all time favorite authors. She continues to delight with this book. Violet and Nick meet and he presumes she is her sister. I laughed and cried in this book because it gets the reader so involved in the book, you feel like you are there with the characters. Ms. Bradley has hit the mark once again.

This was a well-written, entertaining book. Violet is reconciled to being a spinster, but when a rogue starts showing interest in her younger sister, she will do anything to keep her sister safe, including posing as her. Nicholas is enjoying his life of freedom, but his grandmother makes him promise to marry. He plans to marry the meekest bride he can find, set her up on his estate and continue his independent life. Neither of them planned on what would happen once they started spending time together! I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading other books by this author.

Somerset Sisters
Violet Somerset is an unapologetic bluestocking, eager to write books with a talent for sketching, and resigned to spinsterhood after the gentleman she was interested in, married another.
Nicholas Dare inherited his earldom after his brother's and father's deaths, a responsibility he dreaded. His favorite aunt, the one who held his purse strings wants the property restored and an heir to inherit and isn't above blackmailing him to get it.
Add Violet's innocent, shy sister and a case of mistaken identity to the mix for a recipe for an engaging read. Secrets and misunderstandings are rife between Violet and Nick as both plot to get their heart's desires and lead to a lively tale.
I requested and received a NetGalley ARC to evaluate.

I can't believe that this is the first Anna Bradley novel I've read! How did I not know about her sooner? While this novel is part of a series I read it as a standalone and had no problems with characters or plot. There were intriguing hints of things that had happened before in other characters lives, but that just gives me a motivation to track down Bradley's other titles.
Violet and Nick make for an amusing odd couple that turns out to be not so odd. Both have emotional scars that lead to presenting the world with a version of themselves that isn't true to their hearts. When circumstances force them to marry they have to make the decision of whether to let those walls down and confront the past, or to trap themselves in a loveless marriage. While there are moments when you want to tell Violet and Nick to stop being fools and to just talk to each other, you find yourself truly invested in their growth as individuals and whether or not they will admit to their feelings for one another.

Violet Somerset is an opinionated, odd girl who just wants to love books and also write one about true crime locations in Regency London. So, basically, a legend. Nick Dare is a lord who needs to marry and soon, according to his grandmother. When he mixes up Violet for her younger sister Hyacinth after returning to the London scene following an absence, Violet doesn't correct him; she lets him continue to think that she's Hyacinth, of the amazing pianoforte skills, so that he will escort her on outings to various crime locations which would be unseemly for her to visit on her own. Though both initially sees the other as a match of expediency, they gradually grow closer until they eventually...consummate their relationship. It's only AFTER this point that Lord Dare learns that Violet is not, in fact, Hyacinth, but begrudgingly marries her anyway because, hey, he's been inside her, and that was the done thing in those days. And then, despite the fact that they've started their marriage out on a lie, all things work out and there's a happily ever after.

Though this is the second book in the Somerset Sisters series, it worked just fine as a standalone. (Note to self: stop requesting books without finding out whether they're part of a series first.) I'm assuming the first book is about Violet's sister Iris, who we encounter as well as her new husband, in More or Less a Countess. I didn't love the twee flower names for the Somerset sisters, but we can't always get what we want, I suppose.

I did EXTREMELY relate to Violet. A girl who loves true crime, libraries, and cemeteries? Yeah, that's a romance novel heroine I can get behind, for sure. Also, the very first thing that happens is that she gets stuck in the library when Nick comes in and tups a married woman. Who hasn't been caught in an awkward situation, and then gets stuck when things have passed the point of no return? We've all been there.

The central conflict, that Violet has lied about her name, was SO contrived to me. If this were real life, sure, lying about your name might be a signifier of an underlying tendency to deceive. Or it might just be that it got past the tipping point and it became too awkward to correct him. Granted, I think the bigger problem for Nick is probably that she then decided to use him, but still. Not the best of even terrible fake conflicts that I've encountered in romance novels.

Even the secondary conflict, when Nick discovers a sketch that Violet made of him entitled, "The Selfish Rake" from the time that she watched him fuck the married woman in the library, was kind of ridiculous. He gets upset that she's entitled the piece that way, but, dude, you were. You were undoubtedly and assuredly a selfish rake. It did make a little more sense that he actually overreacted to that because of the specter of his dead older brother, the golden child, and his own feelings of inadequacy that he won't ever measure up. Still, not an appropriate reason to be a dick to your new wife, even in Regency England.

There were some really great tropes in this one too. One that I've been noticing more and more recently is the precocious but naive young woman who understands the act of lovemaking intellectually but asks questions of the experienced man on practicality, which, of course, gets him immediately and irreversibly hard. To be fair, the sexy times were pretty compelling, so it was worth reading for them alone.

There was some fairly funny dialogue, most especially from Gibbs, Lord Dare's valet. The writing was a little repetitive in places, especially when addressing Violet's past, and even more so when talking about Lord Derrick.

Overall, a pretty solid three, three and a half stars from me. I didn't love it, but I liked it enough to read more by Anna Bradley, and I don't think I've read any of her stuff before.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Somerset sisters are quite the trio. Violet is the bookish one and is not looking for a husband. Lord Dare is back from the continent and is expected by his aunt to marry and produce an heir. He hopes to do this and then go back to Italy and his mistress. He decides to court Hyacinth, the youngest and most shy of the sisters. Due to a mistaken identity, it's Violet that he meets. He thinks she's mad, then recognizes that she is very intelligent. There's an old love and a mistress is in the background. Will jealousy and misunderstanding keep this couple apart? A naughty romp thru London makes this a favorite book. I received this book from Net Galley for an honest review and no compensation otherwise.

I love books with quirky heroines and the damaged heroes who appreciate them, and Violet and Nicholas are just that. Well written and a fun read. I was given an ARC for my honest opinion.

An excellent read! This book follows Violet, a bluestocking artist & writer, and Nick, a reluctant earl looking for a wife.

Nick is the Earl of Dare, due to the death of his brother Graham a few years prior and the more recent death of his father. After Graham's death, his father made Nick feel unable to fill Graham's shoes. At his aunt's suggestion, he fled to Italy for a few years. But now she thinks it's time he return to England, marry, and continue the family line.

Violet is a clever young woman, smarting from the fact that her best friend has married the object of Violet's affections. She's deeply engrossed in writing and illustrating a book for other bluestockings.

At a dinner party, Nick mistakes Violet for her quiet, demure sister Hyacinth and begins to court her - with the intention of marrying her, impregnating her, and going back to Italy to his mistress. Violet takes advantage of his mistake and uses him in order to visit the shadier and grizzlier parts of London, so she can include information about them in her book.

Now, this is a romance novel - so of course, they fall in love. Without revealing more of the plot, I can say it was great fun watching them get to know one another, and the chemistry between them was palpable. This title is a smooth, well-crafted read. Recommended.

3.5 stars

I thought the story was good and I liked the characters. I found the way their relationship developed to be engaging and believable. The pacing was a bit up and down, it’s a very slow start.

And I found some of it odd. The journey to his estate took a long time two days with an overnight stay. Yet with no planning they made the return journey in hours, that kind of thing really puts me off.

What’s it About? While nursing her broken heart at a dinner party, Violet Somerset meets the notorious Earl of Dare. His reputation with women has Violet worried, especially when it seems his interest has turned toward her shy, timid sister Hyacinth. So Violet does what any sister would do, she poses as her sister to discourage the earl! After all, she looks enough like her sister that a shallow rake like him wouldn’t notice right?


The Earl of Dare is reluctant to settle down but for his grandmother he will marry a suitable, meek bride, do his duty and father the requisite heir and spare then go on his merry way and live the life he chooses. When he meets Hyacinth he thinks he’s found the perfect candidate but getting to know her is causing all sorts of trouble for him. She isn’t meek at all but intelligent, daring, and more than willing to tell him off.


As Violet’s association with the earl continues, she finds herself forgetting why she decided to deceive him and wishing that she had approached him as herself instead of her sister.







Overall reaction to the book? Sometimes I feel like Anna Bradley writes these books just for me lol. I’m serious, she always includes a likable heroine and hero which is essential, a fun plot, plenty of heat, and a nice dose of emotional angst that makes the ending so much sweeter.


I loved Violet! She’s the heroine that stands out among the usual, simpering, blushing, common heroines. She has a curious mind and a lack of a verbal filter at the most inappropriate times. She has real questions that she’s determined to get the answers to. My favorite scenes with Violet were always when she was asking a question or questions that no normal woman would ask in that time. She’s so determined to learn that she doesn’t always catch on that others may feel embarrassed or scandalized by the question. She’s a treat.

At the same time though, she is fiercely loyal to her sisters. I felt so bad for her in the previous book, having thought herself hopelessly in love with one man only to find out he is in love with and plans to marry her best friend. Poor Violet! She’s such a trooper though, and she doesn’t hesitate to put herself between her timid younger sister and a man she thinks is no good for her.


The man in question is much more than his reputation suggests though and of course that left me no choice but to like him. At first glance, the Earl of Dare seems like your typical irresponsible playboy who thinks of no one else but himself. He certainly gave me that impression and Violet definitely thought he wasn’t much more than a pretty face. It didn’t take long for him to show a softer side of himself though and that caught both Violet’s and my attention. He’s actually quite funny, giving, and very accepting of Violet’s curious mind. In fact, he not only accepts her as she is, he helps her further her knowledge by using his title and gender to get her into places she wouldn’t be able to on her own. He never shames her for wanting to know more about life and the world around her, he encourages it even as he knows that it could mean disaster for his plans of having a typical society marriage in name only.


As a couple, Violet and the Earl of Dare are a bit slow to get from the point where they meet (and he mistakes her for her younger sister Hyacinth) to where they start falling in love but that was part of the charm of More or Less a Countess. The mistaken identity gave these two a chance to really get to know each other. Violet decided to use his influence to gain the knowledge she wanted, and he wanted to “court” what he thought was a typical society girl. They developed an odd sort of friendship that had me smiling every time they were together. I loved that during those outings to help Violet gather knowledge these two started to develop a mutual respect and affection that grew into something deeper, though neither would admit it to the other. The yearning, the lingering looks, and the almost desperate need these two had for the other is part of the passion and romance and yes, I know, they could have saved themselves the trouble of suffering through so much self doubt had they just confessed their feelings to each other but where is the fun in that right?


Because Violet and her earl have such a big obstacle to overcome with their emotions, not to mention that teeny tiny bit about him believing Violet to be her sister Hyacinth, More or Less a Countess is primarily focused on them. There are a few scenes here and there where readers will get to see Violet’s first love and his wife, and Violet’s family but all those scenes serve to push these two somewhat wounded souls together which I loved because they really did suit each other. I will say that the glimpses I got of Hyacinth have me a bit worried, only because I don’t care much for timid, shy heroines. I hope she’s got something special about her hidden away because after Violet, Hyacinth has a pretty steep hill to climb to match her in my eyes.



Click It or Skip It? Click It. Violet and the Earl of Dare are a match made in heaven and my favorite couple out of the Somerset sisters.


** Review will go live closer to publication date.

Nicholas Balfour, the Earl of Dare hates England. He’s been in Italy for years, since his brother died, and he never wanted to return. Now his father is dead and he returns to England to assume the title. Unfortunately his aunt holds all of the purse strings and she’s demanding he stay in England, find a bride, and get an heir. Nicholas hates that he has to comply in order to live the life he wants but he agrees. He decides he’ll find a woman, propose, get a baby in her and get back to Italy and his mistress within a few months.

Nick is at a dinner party with an old friend when he hears Hyacinth Somerset play the pianoforte. He’s entranced and immediately thinks to court her. He even thinks she’s pretty. He approaches her, even though they’ve not been introduced and asks to call on her the following day. She refuses. He’s shocked but not too put off and returns the next day. When he finds that Hyacinth’s grandmother is gone he asks for Miss Somerset, not realizing that he’s asking for Hyacinth’s sister, Violet – the woman he was actually speaking with the night before. He couldn’t tell Violet and Hyacinth apart (even though they’re not twins) and since Violet would do anything to protect her incredibly shy younger sister she went along with acting like Hyacinth.

Violet is a bluestocking. She is writing a book and sketching pictures of the famous places in London. Her grandmother says that some of the places she wants to go to aren’t ladylike, so she won’t allow her to go. Violet wants nothing to do with Nick. He’s a rake and she wants him gone. He keeps asking if he can call and she keeps refusing and he keeps showing up. She finally realizes that she can use him to her advantage. She agrees to go driving with him but directs him to the places that she wants to go. Nick is horrified at first but then the longer he gets to know Hyacinth, the more he likes her. In fact he starts to fall in love, which was never in his plans. When he finds out that he’s been courting Violet, however, he’s not sure love will be enough.

This was a really cute story. I really liked Nick even though he was a rake. Yes, he wasn’t nice at first, only thinking of himself, but he was so kind to Violet. I loved how he started to appreciate her quirks and even planned outings that he would never have taken another lady on. Yes, he started out being an ass but then I started to feel bad for him because Violet wasn’t coming clean about her identity.

Violet was interesting. Like most bluestockings in romance novels she was single-minded in her endeavors. I really didn’t like her pulling the wool over Nick’s eyes and wanted her to come clean, but we don’t always get what we want. Lol. Despite those issues I really liked her. She had a great personality and I liked her a lot.

This was a great story and while I didn’t read book one in this series I’m positive I’ll be reading the next one when it comes out.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

This will post as a guest review on Book Binge.
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I had the pleasure to read and review two previous titles by this author, Lady Eleanor's Seventh Suitor and Lady Charlotte's First Love, and thought she couldn't get any better than that indepth in yearning and feelings. I was wrong.

In this romance the author manages to deliver a character growth like few Others for both hero and heroine. The hero, a rake who is initially caught with his pants down, quite literally, during a quick hook up in his friend's library turns out to be a kind, caring soul who is initially tormented by the idea of never living up to other people's expectations and therefore looks forward to escaping his past and country by setting up a household abroad with his mistress. The love for and by his wife will finally give him peace.

Our heroine had made herself a cocoon of private researches into London's oddest spots for a book she is writing in order to avoid confronting a society that has shunned her to the last straw of seeing one of her friends marry the man she was infatuated with during her first and so far only season. She initially deceives the hero into believing she is her sister, but falls for him, and the need to make up for the hurt she delivered him with her deception and initial prejudices against him will make her grow and stand up to fight for their marriage.

The romance is beautifully developed and I found myself crying at some points. You will have to read the book for yourself to discover those points... highly recommended

I received a free copy from netGalley for an honest review. Anna Bradley is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors in this genre. This is the second book in the series and as much as I love the first one this one is so much better. There is lying and deception but the love feels so normal and organic that you can't help fall in love with both Nick and violet. They both mess up but of course there's a happily ever after. I really enjoyed this book

What a great book. I liked Violet right from the beginning. She's very independent and strong minded. Nick is also a great character. They clash and compliment each other.

I received an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a sweet, sweet story, with gentle humor and wonderful characters, I didn't want it to end. The author makes the hero and heroine real and enjoyable despite the well-worn trope of a rake and bluestocking. will make this lady a must-read.

I received this novel from net galley and the publisher for an honest review. Thank you!
This novel was an enjoyable read. I enjoyed the characters, the plot, and the romance. Violet Somerset is a bluestocking and is writing her own book, including sketches that she does herself. She is protective of her younger sister, Hyacinth, who is the ideal lady. Violet has very different interests from ladies of the ton. Nicholas Balfour, the Earl of Dare, does not want the title he inherited from his brother, for he feels he cannot live up to his standards. He is most interested in being a rake and only returns to appease his aunt in finding a wife that he plans to leave on his estate. Hyacinth seems the prefect lady, but he mistakes her for Violet and Violet does not correct him, wanting to protect her from this rakeshell. Violet has Nick taking her to places to draw her sketches for her book, using him. Both Nick and Violet use each other for their own purposes, but the passion and desire they stir within each other cannot be denied. However, things explode when Nick learns the truth. Nick and Violet need to open up to each other and clear the air. Still, misunderstandings occur between them. Somehow, they need to give the other what they need to show that they are more than what they have perceived themselves to be.

At least three times I thought that this book was coming to an end then Wham, something horrible happens to make it take a twist. If their relationship were left to fate I wonder if it would go anywhere. It's only because of Violet's persistence that it even had a fighting chance.