This is one of those unfortunate stories that manages to be both good and forgettable. I feel as though with a couple of changes this would have been a five star read. There are some things that don't make sense, some things that are just downright overplayed, and unfortunately some things that are downright irritating.

Let me begin by saying that the characters are well written, complex, and fun to read. I adored Fiona's determination to do anything to save her sister, and I loved Gray's slow transformation from jaded Earl back to the person I imagine he would have been had his life not been wrought with tragedy. Lily and Sophie do not thankfully fade away as background characters, rather they hold their own as secondary characters, and I very much hope to see them both receive their own happily-ever-afters.

No, my problem with this story is in the execution. Fiona's father is rich. This is well known, and yet instead of going to him directly and threatening to expose his youngest daughters secret, our blackmailer instead chooses Fiona. Knowing she cannot access the kind of money they demand. Perhaps they thought she would ask her father, but if they had studied her at all, they would have known that Fiona is just the type of head-strong person to try and find a solution by themselves. And while the romance between Fiona and Gray is just the type of slow burn romance I adore, the way the author tied up the loose ends (the identity of the blackmailer, his ex-fiance suddenly coming back into the picture, the anticipation of wedding vows, etc), it just seemed rushed and altogether reminiscent of a lot of the other historical romance novels on the market today.

Overall, I do still think this story may appeal to those who enjoy historical romances now and then (especially the slow burn kind), and who are able to overlook certain things. I would read more from this author.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

This s a fair and honest review, as promised, for being allowed this ARC. Desperation can lead to many things. Sometimes good. Sometimes bad. But when that desperation leads to happiness...well it is the best kind. Such a lovely story.

First Earl I See Tonight features an amazing romance between a woman determined to save her family from scandal and a man unwilling to put his heart on the line no matter what the reward.

After his fiancée leaves him, David Gray, Earl of Ravenport plans to avoid the marriage mart. His sole focus is renovating his crumbling country estate and ensuring his grandmother’s happiness. When Gray receives a bold marriage proposal, he thinks the woman must be crazy or desperate. Undeterred by Gray’s reluctance to agree to her proposal, Miss Fiona Hartley sets out to change his mind as she desperately needs her dowry to pay off a blackmailer threatening to ruin her sister. As Fiona and Gray engage in a battle of wills hoping to sway the other to their side, the passion that sparks between them threatens to consume them both.

Fiona is a talented artist who is incredibly passionate about her work despite her stepmother’s dismissive attitude in regards to her portraits. I admired Fiona’s dedication to her work and it was clear how much she loved it. Fiona has always been on the outskirts of society despite her family’s wealth and as a result is fiercely loyal to the friends she does have.

Gray didn’t have a stable upbringing and due to his father’s neglect of his duties, his estate and home are in jeopardy. With his grandmother experiencing health issues, Gray is determined to restore the family estate to its former glory while she still has the opportunity to experience it. Gray’s love for his grandmother was quite admirable and I adored their relationship.

I enjoyed how it was Fiona who proposed marriage and was the one trying to convince Gray to agree to a marriage of convenience. Her determination to win him over was wonderful to watch and I loved how she had a counterargument to every excuse he came up with. Plus, I absolutely loved watching these two slowly fall for each other during the house party. The one thing they both seemed able to accept from the start was how much they were attracted to each other. The tension was palpable whenever they were alone and it was incredibly hot when they finally progressed their relationship.

The blackmail plot definitely took a few turns I didn’t see coming and was the only area I had issues with in the book. While I did like the blackmail plot itself, ultimately I didn’t like the choice for the villain. Their motive was a bit suspect in my opinion and throughout the book I had another character in mind as the culprit who I thought was a more compelling choice. For the side characters, Gray’s grandmother is incredibly sweet and I enjoyed her scenes very much. As to Fiona’s sister Lily and their best friend Sophie, I loved them both and I’m very excited for their books.

First Earl I See Tonight ended up being a fantastic start to the author’s new series and I can’t wait for Lily’s book. I highly recommend this book if you’re looking to pick up a fun historical romance.

This was such a cute story. After reading other romances that suck me in right from the beginning this one fell a little flat for me. A little bit predictable. So many things happen to keep them apart but it was still a very cute story and the steamy scenes were STEAMY.

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

This was my first book by this author and it was great. I love historical romance and this really checked all the boxes for me. Fiona is an intelligent, talented, and caring heiress who needs to find a man to marry her asap so she can get her dowry money to pay off whoever is blackmailing her by threatening her adopted sister's reputation. She is so sweetly selfless through the whole story. She writes a letter to propose to Gray, the Earl of Ravenport, who was recently jilted by his fiance and who is in dire need of money to restore his crumbling country estate for his grandmother who is losing her eyesight. So sweet! These two characters were made for each other. I loved watching them fall in love and the added mystery of the blackmail helped keep this from being a boring story... not to mention the eventual steamy love scenes! I will definitely have to check out more from this author!

Anna Bennett is a new to me author and this was a great first read! I've always loved romances where the girl gets her guy, add a little smut and some mystery or suspense and I'm there! This hit all the buttons for me, and I loved the plot twist with our evil villain. Good for a cold weekend read by the fire.

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Fiona needs cash because she's being blackmailed about her sister, so of course, she needs to marry to get her dowry, and she chooses to pursue the recently jilted Gray. I really enjoyed the interactions between Fiona and Gray and their developing love. The negative of the book for me was the mustache-twirling nature of the villain and the weakness in general of the blackmail plot. I wish some other device had brought Fiona and Gray together or that the blackmail was better developed. Why blackmail a woman who would have to marry in order to have any money? Wouldn't blackmailing the father make more sense? Was the villain just clueless about the availability of money? The pacing of the reveal in the second half of the book felt as chaotic as the entire blackmail scheme, so I guess that was a good match at least. Overall, I did enjoy reading about the romance, which is the main draw of a historical romance of course, but I found myself disliking the plot fairly quickly.

What a marvelous story. Miss Fiona must find a husband and upon marriage, she will get a large dowry. She needs some of the money to go to a blackmailer. She must protect her sister and family. because of this, she needs a peer who is need of money and is willing to give her a few but reasonable demands. He can do with what is left as he wishes.. So she writes him a letter and proposes to him. The Earl of Ravenport, David gray was the perfect candidate. He was nice looking and in desperate circumstances. He thought she was playing a game and he wanted no part of it..
The characters were witty, intelligent and kind. for the most part. The storyline was different in the fact that she asks him to marry her not the opposite. Of course, other things come into play, the way his poor manor is very rundown and dilapidated, the gardens are overgrown, and the roof leaks.
Thru all the strings in this lovely tale, the author has managed to keep track of them into a nice reading piece.
It is a little risque but is fine for the over 18 crowd. I have enjoyed some of her other books and feel this is not a disappointment.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily. reviewed it.

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I loved the premise of this book and I’m a sucker for finding a new author with a new series, so I was all in.

I loved Fiona and Gray. She’s sassy and he’s stoic and somehow their banter and chemistry is fantastic. I enjoyed this entire group of characters, but the bond between Fiona and her sister Lily was an added bonus.

Plot wise, it moved quickly and bit more drama filled than I was expecting {and would have liked}. The thread of blackmail was a bit odd, but worked. And while it was easy for me to figure it out, I liked the journey to the end.

Overall, it was a fun read with characters who were easy to root for. I can’t wait to see if Lily gets the next book.

**Huge thanks to St. Martin’s Paperbacks for providing the arc free of charge**

The wealthy, charming, but under appreciated Fiona is being blackmailed. She decides that rather than tell her family (who have the most to lose by having the secret revealed), she will find a man to marry, get her hands on her dowry, and take care of the problem by herself.

David Gray, Earl of Davenport has been jilted by the woman he wanted to marry. She wasn’t prepared to take on the burden of restoring his father’s run-down estate, even though Gray is determined that he will accomplish just that and soon enough for his beloved grandmother to see the day.

Perfect match, right? Well yes, but we can’t have a 350+ page romance without complications. Some of those complications are a bit contrived, but all in a day’s romance novel, I suppose.

An enjoyable read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A very nice begginning to a new series!
"First Earl I See Tonight" was a very enjoyable read; while the plot is simple it doesn't affect the book; the story still drew me in and kept me interested.
The heroine, Fiona Hartley is being blackmailed and the only way she can think to pay off the blackmailer is by using the money from her dowry but for that she needs a husband; and that is why she seeks to propose to David Gray, Earl of Ravenport, whose estate is in a desperate need of renovations. But even that doesn't seem to tempt David who after being left by his fiancée has no interest in marriage.
Fiona won't give up that easily which is how then David believes that maybe if she spent some time in his crumbling estate, she might changer her mind. But as we can imagine things won't go as any of them expected.

Like I said the story might sound simple and the blackmail aspect doesn't really fit well I think; but the characters make it all worth it. they're both very likable, with their distinct personalities. I really like how the romance develops between them, it was very endearing.
I'd surely recommend this book to all fans of historical romance or romance in general and I look forward to more stories in this series.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I like these characters, Fiona and David, a great deal and enjoyed the story, however, there were some elements that just went too far. Fiona was being blackmailed about her younger sister's (not by blood) birth mother. Why would anyone blackmail the daughter of a wealthy merchant? Women, unless they are wealthy widows, rarely have access to their money, if they have any. The villain just kept getting worse and worse, too. It was rather ridiculous. The only thing that saved the book was the Fiona and David and they did a great job to still get four stars out of me.

I was really interested in this book riiiight up to the point when the hero said that is incapable of love and the heroine shouldn't expect it of him. And this was not long before he takes her virginity and then abruptly leaves.

The whole "I can't feel love" line that comes from heroes is just completely overdone and one that I hate with passion, after reading so many romances with heroes that say that. Not only does it make his reversal extremely predictable (because we all know he will, in fact, eventually love the heroine), but it is so dramatic. I didn't feel it made much sense in this case, and then the way he handles sex with her is just not right. I didn't like how she seemed to always be begging for his attention. Wasn't romantic to me.

Anna Bennet gets better and better! Fiona finds herself being blackmailed about her sister’s real parentage. She has a short amount of time to come up with the money to pay the blackmailer. While her father is wealthy, she sees her only option as marriage to get her hands on her bride portion. Her idea: propose marriage to someone kind and in need of money! Who does she choose? gray is an earl with The Fortress to restore to its former glory before his beloved grandmother loses her eyesight. Fiona and Gray enter into an arrangement where he might consider her proposal.
All does not go as planned, and there are some bumps and a huge surprise along the way to an HEA for Fiona and Gray. I really enjoyed the story which will become a new series. I did receive an ARC of this book.

Fiona and Gray have no idea how much they need each other!

Fiona needs cash, now, to silence a blackmailer that threatens to destroy her family. The only option she has is to access her dowry, but to do that, she needs a husband. Right away. The only man she knows that needs her money more than she does is David Gray, an earl whose estate is hanging on by the slimmest of threads.

But Gray isn't ready to align himself with just any female, especially after his ex-fiance showed her true colors. So he sets out to demonstrate to her every reason why she can't consider him as a suitable husband, since he can't seem to find it within himself to directly tell her No.

This delightful romantic comedy finds Fiona a heck of a lot more resilient and resourceful than Gray gave her credit for. And he discovers a protectiveness and possessiveness that surprises him at every turn, as he falls for her charms and discovers the reason behind her urgent proposal.

The resolution of this story has quite a few surprises along with its HEA for David and Fiona. The enchanting characters come to life instantly, and the writing quickly teleports us back a couple hundred years to an idealized England with its foundation built on the rules of society. It's a thoroughly enjoyable romance, and I recommend it to every reader of historical romance. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

suspense,humor and romance make up this book. The characters have great chemistry and I really liked the family love.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this novel was intriguing and compelling. Fiona is forced to propose to the hero in an attempt to gain access to her dowry and pay off a blackmailer who threatens to ruin her family with a secret. Grey is resistant at first due to a past heartbreak and his fear that his poor state and broken spirit would drive her away.
What I found so endearing about both characters was how compelling and beautifully woven was their story. Both had the opportunity to see each other for who they truly were. Fiona's gift for sketching and reveling beauty where others perceived ugliness was brilliant. She showed amazing courage and kindness throughout the novel.
Definitely recommend! Can't wait to read the rest of the series.

First Earl I See Tonight (Debutante Diaries, #1)
by Anna Bennett

Arguable...however to me it is a buy buy buy book. It has some cliches in it. Which is the reason for the downgrade. however however however,

I like the story..... , the characters and the romance between the two of them. I enjoyed the layers that were twined in the story to make it different but interesting. I did not like the blackmail portion for it seemed it should of been done in another manner. I enjoy this author, I would of wished for a less cliched line. But all in all her writing carried it off and made it an enjoyable read for me. I was given this ARC via NetGalley. ALL opinions expressed here are my own. Regards, Anna

This book has almost a contemporary feel to it...language and so forth...instead of a historical. The story was good, but I think more of a historical feel could have improved it. I'm not looking for a history book --but a little more of a story from times gone by would be great.

Miss Fiona Hartley is being blackmailed. To get the money to pay the blackmail she needs to marry to gain access to her dowry. So she proposes marriage to David Gray, the Earl of Ravenport. She chose him because he helped her out of an embarrassing situation on the dance floor.
David is determined to restore his crumbling estate called the Fortress to its former glory. He also doesn’t want to marry a woman he hardly knows. So sets out to tell Miss Hartley he will not marry her. As David and Fiona waltzes she convinces him to have a house party at the Fortress. David agrees because his estate in the worst shape and his former fiancé jilted him once she saw it. He hopes it will deter Fiona.
Fiona and David are alike in they will do anything for their family. He wants to restore the family estate before his grandmother loses her sight. Fiona wants to save her sister from ruin if the details of her birth get out. Spending time together David and Fiona take down a blackmailer and discover love.
This story was a great read and I recommend it.