This story was delightful. I haven't read one with a premise quite like this so it was refreshing. The heroine was extremely naive, but that was more charming and funny than irritating. Gray was fabulous once he started coming out of his shell and he actually wound up being a really great, romantic hero. Fiona could've handled some of this situation differently but everything worked out well in the end so I can't complain. There was a bit of intrigue here and a good old fashioned house party to bring it out. I enjoyed this one and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

A love that just might be written in the stars.....I enjoyed this first book in a new series. Romance with a little mystery, enjoyable characters, and a little fun. This was a fun read. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Miss Fiona Hartley is being blackmailed. If she doesn't find a way to pay off her blackmailer, he will ruin her sister. Fiona is not about to let that happen. If she were married, Fiona would have access to her own funds. That is how Fiona finds herself proposing marriage to David Gray, the Earl of Ravenport.

Gray is shocked when Fiona asks him to marry her. He barely survived being cast off by his former betrothed, Gray is nowhere near ready to consider marrying anyone. To throw Fiona off his scent, Gray invites her to a house party at his crumbling estate. If that doesn't shake Fiona, he doesn't know what will. Gray has no idea what he is in for. Find out what happens in FIRST EARL I SEE TONIGHT.

Author Anna Bennett starts her DEBUTANTE DIARIES series off with a bang with FIRST EARL I SEE TONIGHT. It is a fast-paced, captivating read. Gray is scarred by the woman he was in love with. Luckily, he is able to see her for the person she really is when times get tough. That doesn't mean he's ready to move on. Fiona has a challenge on her hands when it comes to convincing Gray to marry her. What she imagines as a business deal soon takes a very unexpected turn for them both. I'm anxiously awaiting the next installment in Ms. Bennett's DEBUTANTE DIARIES series.

A few early opinions on this story left me nervous to read it, but I found it utterly charming. The premise is soooo far from believable, but if you just go with it, it’s thoroughly enjoyable.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed Fiona and Gray and the secondary characters. The book had a nice flow and the romance was believable. This is my first book by Anna Bennett but I'm sure it won't be my last. I received a free copy for my honest review.

Ms. Bennett has become one of my must read authors! Fiona and Grey are an unlikely pair. She is rich but her family is without a title. He has a title but is without funds. Who would guess when she proposes marriage between the two of them he would say no? This book is so good, it is hard to put down and you feel connected to Gray and Finona as well.

I loved David and Fiona's story!!

Fiona needs to marry and do it quickly. She thinks that David is the perfect person to approach with her proposition. Too bad he has no plans to accept her offer. David invites her to his crumbling home to get her to change her mind, but it backfires on him. The more time he spends with her, he starts to doubt his decision. Can Fiona's proposal of a marriage of convenience turn into something so much more?

I loved watching these two interact. They were so much fun!! Every time David did something to turn Fiona away from the idea of wedding, she turned it around on him. I can't wait to see what Bennett has in store for the rest of the Debutant Diaries series!

I had a great time reading this book even if it did keep me up past my bedtime. I was hooked as soon as Fiona wrote her letter proposing to Gray., a man she hardly knew. I had to see how he would respond. Both characters were wonderful I laughed, I swooned, I am ready for the next in the series.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m always on the hunt for the next great read. What a thrill it is to find a fabulous book and a phenomenal new author to follow. I am officially hooked on Anna Bennett and so thrilled to find her at the start of a new series. First Earl I See Tonight, the first in her Debutante Diaries series, wowed me, made me laugh, and broke my heart. Sometimes all in the same scene!
I adored Fiona and Gray. Anyone that loves their family as fiercely as these two did deserves their HEA. Who couldn’t help but fall in love with Fiona! She was witty, kind, fearless, and so optimistic. I loved each and every diary entry she made. And her first attempt at a kiss had me in tears. Despite his serious and brooding personality, I fell in love with Gray too. Like Fiona, I knew there was more to him than his aloof façade. He’d suffered a tragedy that few people could recover from so, of course, he was guarded. He was also determined, driven, kind, and loyal. I loved that the majority of the story took place in his crumbling manor house. Like The Fortress, Gray’s life was in crumbles. But Fiona and her unique way of seeing the world helped him to see what his life could be. Gave him hope.
There were many deliciously unique tender moments proving romance isn’t all about flowers and poetry. The added mystery of the blackmailer kept me turning the pages. And the twists and turns toward the end left me breathless.
I’m more than anxious for Lily and Sophie’s stories. These 3 girls are such a little Ya Ya Sisterhood group! I can’t wait to see what’s in store for them. Lily is such a romantic. Her history revealed in this book makes me want to know more about her. And I’m dying to see Lily and Fiona rebuild their relationship with their father. That stepmother needs to go!
If you’re looking for a new series to sweep you away, this is the perfect opportunity. You’ll fall in love with these witty, emotionally charged characters. Humor and powerful sexual chemistry abound in this book. You’ll quickly be hooked watching these two find their way to love.

It may seem odd to read a romance novel when you are a bit frustrated with love but this was just the book that I needed. This follows Gray and Fiona, both of whom have secrets they want to protect. Once Fiona is blackmailed by someone vowing to release a secret about her sister that could destroy her whole family she writes to Gray proposing that they marry. Using her dowry money to pay the blackmailer off is the only solution she can think of and Gray is the perfect man to propose to in her eyes. She figures they both can benefit from the marriage.

I really loved both Gray and Fiona. I feel like it's been a while since I really loved the main characters in a romance novel and really cared about their journeys. The chemistry between them was great and I loved that they grew from a weird friendship to an actual relationship. I was a bit annoyed when it was revealed who the blackmailer was as I knew it would tear them apart but I enjoyed where they ended up at the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the galley.

This is my first time reading a book by this author. Did not finish.

Fiona doesn’t lack spine but Gray still doesn’t know his own heart, endlessly denying himself. Story and character development is slow. I was about to give up at the progress of 37% but held off till I was halfway through.

Had a great start at the beginning then I noticed the heavy reliance on the use of the em dash. Some words used in the novel yanked me out of the historical setting which makes me sad.

There’s too much beating around the bush going on in the book. But I like Fiona’s diary entries.

This was an enjoyable book. We meet Fiona who is being blackmailed on who her sister really is, and she does not want that to hurt her sister who she truly loves. Since she has a large dowry she sees this as the only solution for her to pay the black mailer however he only gives her two weeks. So in these two weeks she has to find someone and convince them to marry her and the only person she can think of is The Earl of Davenport (Grey). Fiona doesn't really know Grey, but he assisted her in a rather embarrassing situation before so she reaches out to him. Grey is cold hearted and has also recently been jilted by his fiance who drops him after she sees his hom "The Fortress" because it is falling apart and he is broke but doing his damndest to fix for his grandmother whom he loves. So I gave you the bones to the story and how they go about everything is enjoyable. We have lies, secrets, betrayal and humor, and the whole time you are rooting for Grey and Fiona...I hope we get stories on Lily and Sophia..Enjoy!

Fiona Hartley is being blackmailed, about the identity of her adopted sister's mother. Willing to do anything for her sister, she's decided that the best way to get the money is to marry, and soon. She chooses Gray, the Earl of Ravenport as her target.

Gray is intrigued, but wary. His fiancee jilted him after seeing his run-down estate - and frankly, he's not very interested in looking for another candidate.

Gray thinks that the best way to dissuade Fiona from her mission is to bring her to his run-down estate. After all, it's already scared away one woman. But Fiona is not to be deterred.

Gray and Fiona get to know each other, and of course, they fall in love. I don't want to spoil everything for other readers, so I'll say that they identify the blackmailer and negate the threat.

Fiona's sister's parentage, however, remains a Sword of Damocles over the family's head - no doubt this will be explored in other books in this series!

A nice, typical regency romance where a commoner heiress (her father's in trade!) proposes to an impoverished earl who (thankfully) she finds fascinating.

Fiona has a plan...to save her sister from blackmail and scandal, she needs to get married quickly to access her dowry and pay off the blackmailer. And she picks Gray, a down-on-his-luck earl who wants to give his grandmother the world before she loses sight of it. Gray, of course, is skeptical and wants nothing to do with the whole thing but Fiona intrigues him.

The story is sweet and romantic, and set in one of the romanticized periods of all. Learning who the bad guy is was really sad. I did not expect that. Sigh.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for a copy of this book.

Mystery, suspense, and steaminess is abundant in this book. Fiona and Gray are a formidable couple together, Anna's style of writing is such that you're captivated from the start and can't wait to see what happens next.

Wow! Is the word for this book. I was on the edge of my seat the entire book. Great story. Great characters. A demented villain. What more can you ask for in a good, intriguing romamce novel!

3 stars. I love Regency and I did like this book. The actual writing style flowed nicely and was able to hold my attention. But the plot wasn't entirely believable. I liked the fact that Fiona was a bit of a maverick. She found herself in a sticky situation and proposed to Gray to find her way out. However, why would she be the one blackmailed? Maybe because the blackmailer though she was the easiest target? Except they had never met. And I felt Gray's reluctance to accept did not make sense. I would think he would welcome a marriage of convenience. He would get money to fix his estate and not worry about falling in love. That was a bit of a brow scruncher. And then when you find out who was the villain...kind of out of left field.
This was my first Anna Bennett book and I will probably read he next in the series when it comes out.

I enjoyed much of the book but for me the reasons for the story timeline (a two week blackmail deadline) didn't fit well with other aspects of the story. The hero came up with more likely, if equally cliched, reasons for marriage in haste between relative strangers. I would also have liked a prologue with some backstory for the hero or heroine and their friendships/family ties, since they played such an important role in later parts of the book. The main characters seemed to be a mix of similar ones from other Regency series, again not necessarily a bad thing. I loved the author's use of diary entries at the beginning of each chapter to give us the heroine's inner thoughts instead of telling the story in first person - gave the hero a chance to have his own inner conversations. I will definitely be on the lookout for more books in the series, especially if they build on the first book's family relationships, but probably as library reads.

What a delightful start to a new series. Fiona needs to pay off a blackmailer to protect her sister and her only solution is to write a letter in which she proposes marriage to a poor duke in order to get her dowry.

Gray could use the money she is offering to fix up his estate but isn’t game to marrying her. I loved the banter between the two and watched them fall in love.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I enjoyed this book very much.

Fiona received a blackmail letter from a villain threading to expose the real identity of Fiona sister Lily. Fiona has a.plan to get the money she needs to pay the blackmailer to keep from ruining her sister. She will even go so far as to propose marriage to an Earl. Gray has recently been released from his betrothal when he receives Fiona's proposal which he has every intention of rejecting, but she is not so easily dissuaded. So Gray believes if he holds a house party for her and.her family and.a few friends that once she sees the state of his country estate she will leave and forget about her proposal the same way his former fiancee did. However it backfires on him as he did not expect Fiona to see his home with an artist eye and.fall in love with it as he and his Grandmother do. Both Gray and.Fiona will have to learn to trust.each other with their secrets in order to find what they are both looking.for even if that.was not the case in the beginning.

This is a heartwarming read.

I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.