Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a clean recency era romance with main characters, Kit an Earl, and Elizabeth a daughter of a duke. This book brings attention to the fact that a male heir was so important during this time period and a females job was to marry well. Elizabeth learns to be herself in the course of this novel with the help of Kit. The writing was excellent although a few points and phrases were repeated more than I thought necessary. I liked this story perspective and the unique relationship that kit and Elizabeth were able to build. I am hopeful there will be another book or two to explore the lives of Lady Alex, or the Duke of Alyesham as there are additional stories to be told. Great novel and will definitely read more by this author.

Romance, clean; period; series, but stand alone read
Kit's story and Elizabeth's was such a sweet, gentle, heartfelt read. Kit's gradual realization of his feelings, Elizabeth's awkward, hurting heart, that gradually opens and becomes HER was a hard, sweet, honest and lovely read. Anyone who loves gentle period romance will love Kit's heart, and how they fall and gradually get to know each other. Lovely fall.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. My opinions are my own.

"Kit and Elizabeth" is a historical romance set in 1812 and 1813 in England. The main characters were likable, engaging people. Elizabeth was so used to doing what she was told to do (in hopes of gaining her parents approval and love) that she had to learn how to make her own decisions and figure out what she liked and disliked. She also had to realize that not everything was her fault since her parents blamed her for everything, including their own poor decisions.

Kit is a man of action, but he got better at listening to people's concerns by the end. However, I wasn't comfortable with how he pushed Elizabeth to do things she wasn't ready to do yet. Since her parents bullied her, it didn't seem nice that the well-meaning people in her life also bullied her at first. On the other hand, Kit never asked her to do something dangerous or refused to listen to her concerns (unless the concern was what people would think of her). By the end, they were good at listening to each other and building each other up.

The time period was more of a backdrop than a well-researched part of the story. Elizabeth and Kit went off by themselves (with no chaperone) on multiple occasions. Elizabeth showed herself in mixed company when soaking wet in thin gowns but was more concerned about not looking her best rather than how indecent it was. The author also didn't seem to know much about saddles based on how she described Elizabeth riding in front of Kit. But there was no bad language or sex. Overall, I'd recommend this clean Regency romance.

This was such a sad and touching story. Most struggle with the desire to please someone or everyone and Elizabeth personified that so well. Not everything was perfect but it was full of encouragement and support. The character that I liked the least was in fact Kit. While he was for the most part great, his character wasn't as consistent. It felt as if the author forced him to be more difficult than his character would have been. Still a great read and one that will be reread again soon.

A delightful book that will capture your heart more and more with each turn of the page. I loved it!

Elizabeth has been abused and neglected by her parents since birth. Desperate to please them, it is miraculous when she finally finds the strength to go against their wishes, even if it is to help someone else rather than herself.
Thankfully Lady Walmsley is there to walk beside Elizabeth on her journey of healing, as she learns to recognise that what she experienced WAS abuse, rather than some twisted version of parental love. As she emerges from her shell, Elizabeth comes to realize that she is worthy of being loved simply because she is herself. That it was not she who failed her parents, but rather her parents who failed her.
A thought provoking, touching story of an abused young woman who becomes a survivor rather than a victim, and the friends who help her along the way.
Well worth the read.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

A truly beautiful story of trust, forgiveness, courage, understanding and love. This author is new to me and this book can very confidently stand alone, but it’s clear that Kit and Elizabeth lives in a world previously created by the author, and I can’t wait to go back and read the secondary and minor characters’ stories.

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

Lady Elizabeth has suffered her whole life from emotional abuse and neglect from her parents. Despite constantly trying, she can never please them. Through choices she made because of her good heart, her father makes horrific choices and she is left to carry the consequences. Lady Walmsley decides to rescue her and enlists Kit to help her. Kit is the perfect person for this because of his positive attitude and fun personality. Lady Elizabeth learns how to love herself finally, and it is a joy to read her do so. This is just a lovely book, I found myself quietly crying so many times while reading it.

The setting is the early 1800's in England. Lady Elizabeth Spaulding is daughter of the Duke and Dutchess of Marwood. Elizabeth spent her life trying to please her controlling and harsh parents. It was at times sad and painful to read the verbal abuse she received from her parents. Her father chose who she was to marry and both failed. Her father abandons both Elizabeth and her mother and Lady Walmsley saves Elizabeth by bringing her to her home to live.
Author Karen Tuft is a very talented writer. Her portrayal of each character in the story was amazing. I look forward to reading more of her books.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the eARC

The Lady Elizabeth is facing a quandary. She was been a dutiful, obedient daughter from the day she was born. She also knows that she has been a disappointment to her parents - one for being a girl, and secondly for failing to get betrothed even after an understanding with a family has been forged. That the young man died in battle is beside the point for her father. There is a younger brother and you just switch allegiances and feelings. It did not bode well for Elizabeth.

Lady Walmsley widowed and childless takes the young Elizabeth under her wing when Elizabeth's father first absconds to the continent to escape his debtors and then subsequently dies there. Elizabeth's mother basically couldn't care less what happens to her daughter and her callousness is appalling. The story is harsh and emotional, but that it ends well is the saving grace.

I would not say that characterization is typical but marriage and benefits of a financial nature is the only view taken by Elizabeth's parents and it may have been one common amongst the aristocracy of the time. The story is descriptive and depicts the morale and behaviour of the period.

Kit and Elizabeth by Karen Tuft, 296 pages.
Covenant Communications, 2019. $17.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Still unwed at the age of twenty-one, Lady Elizabeth is practically a spinster according to society and a failure according to her father. Doing everything she can to be the ideal daughter of a duke and duchess, Elizabeth is surprised by the animosity of her parents in regard to her single status. The reason is finally revealed, shattering the life Elizabeth has known and putting her future into question.
I enjoyed reading Tuft’s book because she wrote in such a way to make me fall in love with the characters. With such characters, I wanted to see them succeed and overcome their challenges. Tuft makes Elizabeth’s problems feel relevant and relatable, and I loved watching Elizabeth’s evolution over the course of her character arc. I also recognize that this book was very cheesy -- so much so that I might have actually rolled my eyes at it a couple of times. Nevertheless, it was an overall-good read with a pronounced lesson on individual worth.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

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

This was such a well written story. It drew me in from the start. I love the beautiful imagery portrayed by the author. Karen Tuft is such a talented writer. She captivates her audience and creates such interesting and vivid characters.

My favorite part of this character driven story was how much the characters developed through the pages. Tuft put Elizabeth in such heartbreaking circumstances that just felt very real. I loved seeing Elizabeth grow in both her self confidence and her self worth.

I love a good historical romance, and this has to be one of my favorites. There were so many ups and downs that it keeps you guessing! I love how I just couldn’t wait to see what would happen.

Thank you so much to Karen Tuft, Covenant Communications, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this title.

I really liked this one. Elizabeth is such a fun character as she learns for herself who she is. Kit is fun without being hindered by the all too common “dumb male” theme. It’s a good read from start to finish with enough tie ins to past books to be enjoyable without it being necessary for you to have read them. Well done!

With the beautiful cover and a setting in Regency England, this novel interested me from the start. This is my first book by Karen Tuft, but with her talent for creating captivating and vividly-drawn characters and fascinating plots, I’m sure it won’t be my last. The characters came alive on the page, and I had no trouble envisioning them in my mind. Kit is a compassionate and endearing hero, and Elizabeth’s predicaments were so poignant and heart-breaking that she needed his rescuing. I enjoyed seeing their relationship evolve and the growth in Elizabeth’s confidence and self-worth.

This is a well-written story with great character growth and development. Spots of humor and light-heartedness brightened the sometimes-somber tones of the tale. The tender messages of hope, courage, and overcoming fear were seamlessly woven throughout and added wonderful dimension to it. 4.5 stars

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the Covenant Communicatons/NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book. Truly. A purely delightful regency tale rife with tragedies and self-discovery. Elizabeth has lived the life expected and dictated by her harsh, controlling parents. She has been the perfect daughter, until she defies them and sets of a chain reaction of events. In the aftermath, Lady Walmsley decides to step in and help Elizabeth, along with the assistance of Kit. I liked Kit from the git-go. His easy-going nature is exactly what Elizabeth needs as she struggles to find herself. His patience and creative approaches to drawing out Lizzie left me smiling many times. There are definite moments of raw emotions, but they make the moments of joy and victory all the more exquisite. The author did an excellent job of introducing the characters and allowing me to get to know them beyond a superficial telling. If you enjoy clean, sweet regency romances, you will be captivated by Kit and Elizabeth.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love Tuft's books and this is no exception! These are stand-alone books but previous characters are mentioned (it makes me want to go back and reread them!)

Elizabeth had direction and a purpose for her life, but when the man she was intended for and she isn't the one getting married, what is she to do? Poor Lady Elizabeth, try as she might, can't please her parents. It was painful to read about the verbal abuse she received from her parents.

So happy that Aunt Margaret and Kit rescued Elizabeth. With Kit's prompting she breaks free from being the perfect daughter of a duke and tries to be daring.

This book had fresh regency elements, semi-predictable plot and enjoyable characters. It was a little long in a few places. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I enjoyed the story though it perhaps had its faults. More than once I thought about the impropriety of Kit and Elizabeth spending so much time alone and as she so often cared about societal expectation why did she not note everything that was not being done as it should? But I also found that I didn't really care. I just enjoyed the story.
Elizabeth is a kind-hearted soul but a pawn under her parent's thumb without even realizing that she has no opinions of her own. She hadn't even thought about her own feelings on things. She just always did what was expected of her. I'm not sure how she ended up being so good when her parents were so awful. Kit was also a good soul but I didn't always appreciate his way of handling situations and forcing Elizabeth into doing things she didn't want to do. In the end it was the best thing for her but I wanted to stand up for her more than once. In some ways he was leading her around just as her parents had. The difference was that it was not for his own benefit but for hers while her parents only thought of themselves. I was grateful that he was able to show her how to live outside of her parent's rule and that life didn't need to be the way she had lived it. He slowly showed her she could like and dislike things without earth shattering consequences. I
I loved Lady Walmsley. She is a force to be reckoned with but with a heart of gold.
Though the ending was no big surprise, the book left me feeling satisfied with the HEA.

Sex: no
Language: no
Violence: references to violence that occurred before the book began.

I had a hard time getting into the story. I don't know why, since I've read other books by this author and liked them. But I kept going and it got better (either the story or me, not quite sure which).

Elizabeth has a very controlled life (by her parents) and is expected to marry for advantage, and has been for years. She has a hard time asserting herself and her opinion. When the engagement doesn't happen, let alone the wedding, her parents are furious.

Instead of assuming responsibility, her parents blame everything on her and her father flees the country, and her mother cares only for herself.

Lady Walmsley offers Elizabeth a place in her home and she asks Kit, Earl of Cantwell, for help to bring Elizabeth.

Slowly, with the help of her friends, Elizabeth learns to form an opinion and to speak up, and, in the process, she and Kit fall in love.

This is not only an historical romance but also a story of one's worth.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Set in the early 1800s, Elizabeth was born to wealth and privilege. Betrothed at a young age to an appropriate suitor, her life was set for success. Or so she thought. Having her every thought and move controlled by her Duke and Duchess parents was not what she imagined for herself. With the help of two companions, Elizabeth decided to take an adventure and find out who she really was.

I absolutely loved the characters in this book. The author portrayed them in a way that made me feel as if they were standing in front of me. This story is about someone finding herself and overcoming all of the obstacles and finding long lasting friends and love along the way. I believe this relates to a lot of young women. Having their lives mapped out without ever knowing who they are. So many emotions in this book. Many ups and down. Definitely will keep you interested from the first page to the last.

This was a refreshing take on the Regency romance genre, and I enjoyed the emotional depth of the story. The main characters were winning and the story was heartfelt.
Lady Elizabeth has always known that she is a disappointment to her parents. When she is unable to accomplish a marriage to either of the gentlemen they have picked out for her, her father's actions nearly ruin the entire family and Elizabeth is left with only her facade of being the perfect society lady.
Lady Walmsley, an elderly friend from London, decides that she needs to save Elizabeth from her own life. She spirits her away from the family's country estate with the help of Christopher "Kit," Lord Cantwell, an intriguing young earl who quickly makes it his mission to help Elizabeth break out of her perfect mold. The relationship that these two discover is very sweet. I like that they didn't have the major misunderstandings that often keep couples apart in this genre. A lot of the dramatic tension in this book comes more from Elizabeth's own emotional baggage and the work she has to do to recover. I can respect that kind of storyline, because it's realistic.

The book could have been just a little shorter and possibly been even more effective, but it was easy reading and didn't take too long to finish. Near the beginning in particular I noticed some clunky exposition-as-dialogue that didn't come off very naturally, but for the most part I enjoyed the writing and look forward to future works from this author.