In “First Earl I See Tonight” we are presented with a heroine that takes to herself to propose to David Gray, Earl of Ravenport. Miss Fiona Hartley is desperate enough to make the bold move of asking for Gray’s hand in order to be able to pay a blackmailer that threatens to ruin her sister’s life.

With this enticing plot we should have been set to a fun, sensual and rather entertaining book but unfortunately everything starts to spiral off as the story progresses. From the start, the passages from one character to the other are poorly made, literally occurring from one paragraph to the other with no warning. That could easily be overlooked but the lack of planning and the poor pacing of the plot made for a disastrous second half of the book. Too much happens in a short period of time, some scenes that were not decently thought out, some events shouldn’t ever have occurred and overall it’s just chaos.

Sadly the rather original premise of the book, some nicely executed sensual scenes and the enjoyable banter between characters are not enough to cover up the mess of the second half of the book.

I loved this story! It's fascinating, entertaining and full of humour. It's an entertaining and enjoyable Regency romance, with great characters and an entertaining plot.
I loved the heroine and I loved the cast of characters.
A very good book and the discovery of an interesting series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to St. Martin Press and Netgalley for this ARC

"First Earl I See Tonight" by Anna Bennett
A delightful Regency Romance novel. I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with Miss Fiona Hartley... and David Gray, the Earl of Ravenport (and their supporting cast of characters). I cheered, worried, laughed and sighed my way through this story. I was gifted an ARC of this story by the publisher via NetGalley.

A blackmail letter throws Fiona Hartley into a spin, the only way she can see to pay the sum involved is to obtain access to her dowry. However there is no suitor on her horizon; so giving up on a love match she reviews the acquaintances she has made since her come out the month before. There is one man who seems the ideal candidate but how does one go about proposing, to a man to whom you have not been formally introduced and get him to agree to a marriage within a fortnight? I thoroughly enjoyed this story which kept my attention throughout.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I stopped reading this book after reading the first third. I didn't think the characters or plot was very original or interesting.

I received First Earl i See Tonight written by Anna Bennet from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. This is the first book in her Debutante Diaries series and I have never read any books from Anna Bennet but have greatly enjoyed this first book and look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Fiona Hartley, klutz extraordinaire, needs access to her dowry money to pay off a blackmailer in order to save her family. She sets her sights on David Gray, Earl of Ravenport who was recently jilted and is in need of funds to repair his home. With only two weeks to work with, she writes a marriage proposal to Gray and then,
The last thing Gray needs is a head strong lady willing to propose to a man. In an attempt to scare her away, he invites her and her family to his crumbling estate for a week. But what begins as an attempt to scare her, ends up with him being dazzled by her warmth, and artistic abilities. But he has secrets as well. Will their secrets keep them apart?
Wonderful romantic and slow burn love story that dealt with wonderful characters. Gray, a grouch, slowly comes around and Fiona, a shy caring person, begins to put up walls. The secondary characters were wonderful as well. Bennet wove a wonderful story that was multi-dimensional and quite enjoyable. The ending was kinda sad (no give aways) but I really hope that Bennet writes a story to resolve this. #FirstEarlISeeTonight #NetGalley

David Gray, Earl of Ravenport wants to restore “The Fortress” his childhood home for his beloved grandmother before she loses her sight. She is his only living family member and he is willing to do anything to make her happy.
Miss Fiona Hartley is the daughter of a wealthy mill owner and is devoted to her father and sister, not so much her stepmother. When a blackmailer makes contact with her threatening her sister’s reputation, she is prepared to go to any length to save her.
Fiona decides on Ravenport as the perfect man to marry and writes him a business-like letter to seek his aid. Ravenport has no intention of marrying Fiona but he didn’t count on her determination.
This was an enjoyable read and I was surprised at the identity of the blackmailer, it wasn’t what I expected. The characters are well written and I only had some minor issues with the plot, why go to Fiona for money when she had no access to funds? Overall I would recommend this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. For more reviews please visit my blog:
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Recently jilted by his fiancée, David Gray, Earl of Ravenport is not in the market for a wife. Even if Gray didn’t have his hands full renovating his crumbling country house, it would take more than a bold marriage proposal from a headstrong young beauty to thaw his frozen heart. Gray is confident that spending a week at his ramshackle estate will change her mind about marriage. A talented artist, Miss Fiona Hartley desperately needs her dowry money to pay off a blackmailer set on ruining her sister, Lily. The handsome earl seems a sensible choice for a husband if only she can convince him that romance will play no part.
I was immediately drawn into the book especially with Fiona’s letters & her clumsiness.
I did wonder why a blackmailer was targeting an unmarried woman for payment when she had no ready money, why not her father who had access to funds? The characters are well fleshed & the pace is good & flows well. I really liked Gray & Fiona & how they came to like each other & then realise they’d fallen in love. There were some inconsistencies & inaccuracies but I forgave the inaccuracies about suicides as I presumed the blackmailer was trying to frighten Fiona into submitting to their demands. This is the first book in a new series & I hope Lily & Sophie have their stories. I would have liked an epilogue just to finish the story.

My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

This is David Gray, Earl of Ravenport and Miss Fiona Hartley’s love story; first in the Debutante Diaries Series, a standalone. happily ever after, historical romance with plenty of sizzle.
A well written tale, full of humor, a title hungry step-mother, secrets, blackmail, intrigue and romance. The characters are believable and well rounded, the romance nicely developed.
For the plot twist and some of the plot premise (sorry, you have to read to understand, no spoilers from me!), I would give this book 3 stars; but, overall, the humor, flow, romance and main characters bump the rating to 4 stars. I look forward to reading the next in this series.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest opinion.

This was my first historical romance. The blurb had me interested, but sadly it wasn't what I had hoped for. I didn't feel that spark between them. Wish there was a lot more chemistry between them, and yes I get that there wouldn't be a lot in the beginning given their situation, but it seemed to take forever for them to get there. It wasn't until the very end of the book that I felt something or was excited to read. And their was so much begging from Fiona, just a little too desperate for my liking. A lot of the scene changes made it hard to read. I wish there had been some kind of break to let me know of them. I really wish we had the end of the book sooner, it almost seemed too little too late.

If you like this series, you should read this book. I love how passionate and loving the characters are. Its a must read!

I received an ARC of this book to read through Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. First Earl I See Tonight is the first book in Anna Bennett’s sparkling new series The Debutante Diaries. Miss Fiona Hartley is in trouble ... she’s received a letter from a mysterious blackmailer who is privy to a family secret and is threatening to expose it in a gossip rag blackening her sisters reputation and ruining her chances of making a good marriage. After giving the matter great thought the only way she can see to come up with the required sum is to marry and get the money from her dowry. Unfortunately time is running out and she’s not doing that well on the marriage mart herself. The solution she comes up with is to send a letter proposing marriage to David Gray, Earl of Ravenport because he’s recently been dumped by his fiancée, has a country estate in great need of repairs with no funds to do it and he was kind to her once. When Gray receives her letter he’s not quite sure she’s not a lunatic but agrees to meet with her in order to give her a firm refusal, and then she kisses him... a brush of lips really not quite a kiss but yet it may change everything. Medium steam. Publishing Date October 30, 2018 #FirstEarlISeeTonight #NetGalley #AnnaBennett #stmartinspress

***ARC was provided to me for a fair and honest review***

Overall rating: 5/5 It was a good read and stayed up late into the night to finish it since I couldn’t put it down.

Heroine (Miss Fiona Hartley): 5/5 Fiona is determined to protect a family member’s secret - even if she has to propose marriage to do so. She’s fiercely loyal, a brilliant artist, and not so graceful.

Hero (David Gray, Earl of Ravenport ): 4/5 Gray tries to deny his own happiness for the sake of others, he believes that his heart is frozen over. But let me tell you that nothing he does reflects what he believes is his character. Behind the mask of contempt is a thoughtful, caring man willing to indulge a girl he scarcely knows proposing marriage.

Plot: 4.5/5 Fiona is being blackmailed by someone who knows a secret about her sister Lily. A secret that the family believed to be well in past. To get the money she needs to pay off the blackmailer she needs access to her dowry, and the only way to get access is to marry and marry fast. She proposes in a letter to Gray, the Earl of Ravenport who had been recently jilted by a fiance and is also in need of cash for his dismal estate. Gray tries to dissuade Fiona from marriage by indulging her idea of a house party since his estate is in ruins after years of neglect. What starts as a business venture for Fiona and a bid to get her out of his life for Gray quickly turns hot and heavy. Fiona must make a choice as to whether or not she can trust Gray with her secret reason for marriage. Gray must make a choice as to whether or not he can trust Fiona with the cold pieces of his heart.

Personal Review: I really did enjoy this book and can’t wait to read the sequels. The steamy scenes were steamy, the emotional scenes with Gray by the rope swing were heart wrenching, and the relationship was cute.

I hope in the sequels Fiona and Lily’s stepmother’s character is fleshed out a bit more. In this story she’s somewhere between a loving mother and a cartoonishly petty stepmother being forced to indulge the existing children. It was odd, to say the least. But she was the only character whose actions are not supported by their character.

I wish there was slightly more foreshadowing as to the identity of the blackmailer, but the dynamic still brought in the needed tension. I’m not saying to let the audience know outright, just when it’s revealed I wish I had an ‘ah-ha’ moment where the pieces fell into place a bit more clearly. Yes the motive makes sense, but it was only brought up once toward the beginning of the story in passing.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read even though a few things puzzled me. It was fast-paced and kept me reading well past my bedtime. I enjoyed the characters and wanted to see them have their HEA and to see the villain punished.

David Gray, Earl of Ravenport inherited his earldom when he was much too young, twelve to be exact. He had a traumatic childhood and his father’s, and then his mother’s passing were tragic as well. Now, he’s an adult with a bankrupt earldom. He’s taciturn, dark, cold and more guarded than most. Given the way he was raised and the horror he witnessed, he knows that he will never give his heart to anyone. He’d even tried that once only to have the woman break the betrothal. His one goal at the moment is to refurbish the Fortress – the name Gray had given his manor house. He needed to do that for his grandmother who was the one bright light in his otherwise dark world and now, she’s losing her eyesight. Gray wants to restore that cherished childhood home before she loses her sight and can’t see it at all.

Miss Fiona Hartley is the very lovely, caring daughter of an insanely rich mill owner. She loves her sister and her father beyond measure – and well – maybe her step-mother a bit as well. Fiona is a bit gangly and accident prone which seems to keep her suitors away. As a gifted artist, she usually sees through to the real person underneath the one that is shown to the world. Now, there is trouble, big trouble, in her world. Someone is blackmailing her and if she doesn’t pay, they’ll reveal a family secret that would ruin Fiona’s family and her sister in particular. She has no access to those kinds of funds, so how can she pay him? Well, she decides her only choice is to very quickly find someone to marry her. She only needs to find an impoverished peer who will marry her for her very sizable fortune.

Fiona has considered and eliminated a number of men of the ton and has finally settled on the Earl of Ravenport. He was sweet and considerate to her when she had a mishap at a ball – and when he gripped her hand to help her up, she felt a jolt of electricity. So, she writes him a very businesslike letter outlining terms and conditions and proposes marriage. You can surely imagine his reaction when he received that letter. He tells her no, but she is persistent and he has to find some way to dissuade her. So, what does he come up with? He decides to invite her, her family and a friend to visit his home for a house party. He is sure that will do the trick because the last fiancé he took to his home jilted him promptly.

I loved watching them come to care for each other and realize that each wanted only the other. I would have loved to see an epilogue in this book. Something set a couple of years into the future -- with the Fortress all restored, maybe a baby and a wonderful relationship with Fiona's father restored.

You noticed that I said there were some things that puzzled me – weren’t right – or just bothered me. Obviously they didn’t bother me a lot because I gave the book a 4-star rating, but still, they are puzzling. What are they – well here are some of them. (1) Why would a blackmailer choose to black Fiona? She’s rich but has absolutely no access to actual funds. Why wouldn’t the blackmailer blackmail either the father who does have access to money or the sister who would be directly affected by the revelation - even though she doesn't have access to funds either? (2) Why would there be a gratuitous appearance by the former fiancé? It added nothing to the story and just annoyed me. Why she would do that wasn’t explained or even hinted at. Just made no sense. (3) When a peer commits suicide their title and property are NOT forfeit to the crown unless there are no heirs. Treason was about the only reason the title and lands would be forfeit. (4) During the Regency period, when people committed suicide, they weren’t required to be buried at a crossroads with a wooden stake through their heart. They probably couldn’t be buried in consecrated ground, but that would be the only thing. (5) ** Possible Spoiler here. When Gray has foiled the blackmailer and prints the sketch, Fiona is ready to jump into his arms and marry him right then – but – SHE doesn’t know he’s foiled the blackmailer and the blackmailer specifically said he’d ruin Gray if she didn’t stay away from him. (6) The way the blackmailer was dealt with. He was pummeled and told to leave town and never come back or there would be a duel. Say what? How does that foil him? All he has to do is mail the letters to the newspaper, just as he threatened – and he can do that from anywhere.

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"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.

I found this story to be delightful. I really enjoyed Miss Fiona Harley and her tactics to make David Gray, Earl of Ravenport, her fiancé. I thought the story was heartwarming and suspenseful and enjoyed it as the mystery unraveled.

Anna Bennet has done it again. From page one I was hooked and continued that page until the end. The novel flowed so well I was a bit surprised and disappointed when it was over, but not for any lacking. This book was what a romance should be and I couldn't be happier that I was able to read it before I had to wait for it to come in stores. Blessed are those who receive ARCs like these. I can't wait for the next from Ms. Bennet.

Thanks NetGalley for the review copy.

I've been reading more and more romance this year and I feel the more cliché the title the better.
I had no expectations for this. I wanted to read a romance and found this. Picked it up and read it when I needed to shut of my brain for a while. Because there is no need to read between the lines in this.
Fiona proposes to Gray, Earl of Ravenport, since she's in a pickle and want them, who do not know each other, to see the marriage as a business arrangement. Ravenport says no, especially since Fiona will not tell him why there is such a hurry to get married.

Throughout the book we find out why time is of the essence, the back story to both Fiona and Gray and how they start to fall for each other. (That's not a spoiler, mind you this is romance.)

It's quite funny at times since Fiona is the opposite of graceful and is trying so hard to sneer Gray even though she has no experience with men, or sexual relations. Because there is sex in this too, again it's romance, no one should be surprised. And it's very easy to read which was perfect for my brain while I was reading it.

After reading quite a few romances this year I recommend this. If you want a cute, quite funny Regency romance. It will do the trick as a pallet cleanser between books perfectly.
The only thing that I, which really is more of a personal preference than the books fault, is that it wasn't as steamy as I am apparently now used to and kind of shamelessly want from romance. I mean there is still sex scenes, and they are quite good, but they didn't made me blush while reading, which has happened with other romance books recently. So again, more of a personal preference than the books fault. It is likely that I will read upcoming books in this series.

This looks to be another winning series by Anna Bennett, if the story of the Earl of Ravenport and Miss Fiona Hartley is any indication.

Hardworking yet destitute, thanks to a tragic upbringing, David Gray has reached an all new low when his fiancé jilts him after viewing his crumbling estate.

Fiona may have wealth but it is because of her father being involved in trade. No marriage prospects are forthcoming from titled men. When a blackmail scheme forces Fiona to come up with a large amount of money to save her family, the Earl of Ravensport might be just the one she could propose to in order to get her dowry money.

Gray is skeptical of the plan but there is something about Fiona that doesn’t allow him to turn her down flat. Maybe a trip to his ‘fortress of doom’ will send her running.

Fiona was a delight and had a heart of gold. She was a perfect match for the reserved Earl. My only complaint was the lack of an epilogue. There was an abrupt ending to the book but nothing that took away my enjoyment of the story.

Fiona is desperate to marry because, she needs money to pay a blackmailer in order to keep her sisters' true birth mother a secret. She decides she needs to propose to the most eligible man of the present season because, hopefully it will insure her a positive response. Earl Grey knew Fiona as a child and has never forgotten her. However, he is bowled over by the stunning beauty who appears at his grandmother's dinner. That is, until he realizes it's Fiona, the sister of his former best friend. When Fiona proposes marriage to Grey, he agrees to think about it because, he can surely use the money to help rebuild the family home but, there is something that pulls him to Fiona and, having already been burned by the only woman he loved, he is not about to allow himself to feel anything for Fiona but lust!
The relationship between these two is heartwarming, to say the least and, I loved everything else the two were trying to deal with, while dealing with the unexpected emotions that neither of them wanted.
The best laid plans and, all that!

This could have turned into a very dark story given the blackmail plot and the hero's traumatic backstory, but despite these weighty topics, the author managed to produce a remarkably sweet, funny, and enjoyable novel. The only thing that bothered me was the incredible coincidence of the blackmailer's identity. What are the odds that Fiona, the h, would randomly choose to propose marriage to someone so closely connected to her blackmailer? I found that part hard to believe, though at least the author's explanation for how the blackmailer discovered Lily's secret was credible.

In any event, the book was well-written, and I found both the H and h to be very likeable characters. I look forward to reading future books in this series.

*ARC provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.