I loved this book, and the Wallflowers of West Lane even more so. I want to be friends with them and have them on my team as support through difficult times. Rhys and Poppy's "potential" relationship is obviously a huge part of the story, but everytime the girls interacted I wanted to learn more about them and their time at the Switerland finidhing school. It was such a nice feeling to see real flaws and watch them try to navigate their plans for their lives being questioned. I thought the men in this book to be remarkable well rounded, at least the ones who are not obviously villians!

I cannot wait for Nicholas and Faith's story, and am upset I will have to wait even longer to get to read it. If you like regency romance you will definitely want to pick this up, but you'll proabbly want to read this if you're just a regular romance fan.

While I will admit the cover is what first drew me to this book by a new to me author, I quite liked what was on its pages as well. I love books about close groups of friends who love and support each other no matter what. Poppy and her friends Aurora, Mercy, and Faith are worried when Faith is engaged by her parents to a man they know nothing about. After one disastrous marriage in their group they want to make sure none of them are shackled to a cruel husband again. They decide to learn everything they can about him with the help of Rhys, the older brother of Aurora, and a man Poppy has disliked for years. Thrown together so often Rhys seems to want Poppy to rethink everything she thinks she knows about him and what marriage has to be. The writing is a bit uneven at times, flowing smoothly until it snags on some clunky dialogue. Poppy can be a bit much at times but I enjoyed her spirit. Rhys was a little unformed in my opinion but I still liked him enough to root for his success. Overall this was a charming story and the start of a series I know I will continue on with.

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

I enjoyed this first in a new series. Poppy and her friends became close when sent away as teens to a school in Switzerland to be better ladies. Upon returning her friend Aurora was sent off to an abusive marriage. Aurora is now a widow and she, Poppy, and their friend Mercy are horrified to discover their friend Faith has been engaged to a Duke she has never met. Aurora’s brother, Rhys, agrees to help the Wallflowers determine if this duke is a good man to atone for never realizing how horrible his sister’s marriage was.

Rhys and Poppy have always had a love hate relationship and now they are working together and both realize their feelings may be different than what they seem.

I like the adventures of Rhys and Poppy and enjoyed all the other characters we are introduced to. I did especially like Nicholas, Faith’s Duke, and looks forward to their story next.

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley.

Lady Penelope "Poppy" Arrington has no desire to marry. She's seen firsthand what it can do to a woman, and she wants no part in it. When Poppy learns her friend is being married off to a man she's never met, she sets out to learn if he's right for her friend. Unfortunately, she needs to enlist a man she very much dislikes, Rhys Draper, Earl of Marsden.

Rhys has always liked Poppy, but for some reason she seems to detest him. Working together should be easy when they have a common goal, but it's not. Rhys is determined to change Poppy's opinion of him. He wasn't counting on losing his heart to her in the process.

THE WALLFLOWERS OF WEST LANE begins with THE EARL NOT TAKEN. Author A.S. Fenichel's eye for detail and her story-building techniques are engrossing. Her characters are fun, complex and relatable. Poppy is serious, smart and headstrong. She meets her match in Rhys, who is fun-loving, almost-never serious and just as stubborn. A past encounter has shaded her view of Rhys, but Rhys will stop at nothing to gain her trust and make her like him. I give THE EARL NOT TAKEN 3.5 stars.

A fun read! The first in a series we follow four friends that met at a girls boarding school as children. They made a pact to protect each other from being married to men that would not suit them or hurt them. The first story follows Penny “Penelope” as she tries to discover more information about the man one of her friends has been engaged to by her parents without her knowledge or knowing anything about the man.
The characters are strong and flawed in their own way. There is a sense of coming to terms with past beliefs and actions and making them fit with new information and experiences. In a way some of the story is quite philosophical, which I really enjoyed. I loved the banter between Poppy and Rhys and the strong bonds of friendship between the girls. I’m really looking forward to Nick and Faith’s story.

This is a first time author for me. I enjoyed the book until the end where Poppy and Rhys head toward Scotland. Her incessant protesting about marriage was just too much. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

I picked this book up on a total whim, intrigued by the blurb (I mean, best friend’s brother and hate to love?). And it was definitely an enjoyable read with a main relationship I absolutely loved.

The Earl Not Taken follows Poppy, a woman sworn off marriage after seeing how her best friend has been abused and how her mother and father are to each other, and Rhys, the brother of said best friend. When another of Poppy’s friends is betrothed to a man she has never met, Poppy swears she will investigate him to ensure he is right for her, and Rhys offers his services in aid. Only they can hardly stand each other.

It’s these two that are what I loved most about this book, particularly how Rhys treets Poppy. Because all too often in this genre I feel like I come across male characters who are domineering and want to somehow “possess” the woman. But not Rhys. Instead, he’s incredibly gentle with Poppy, even when they each still manage to frustrate each other. He’s gentle and he lets her choose and doesn’t pressure her. And also Poppy is a wonderful character too, who wants to be able to choose her own destiny, no matter what society says. They, and Poppy’s relationship with the other Wallflowers, were my favourite parts of the book.

The weakness of this book, for me, was the writing style. At times it felt fairly clunky and the characterisation was inconsistent. One moment they would be perfectly happy, and the next, there would be some (truly) innocuous remark and they would be back at each others’ throats. I also felt like I was being told more about Poppy’s trauma that actually being shown it. I mean, it’s all very well someone saying “oh she has these ideas of marriage from her experiences”, but I sort of needed more from her own POV that supported that. Not necessarily showing the actual events, but maybe referencing some and her interpretations of them. As it was, it fell a little flat in that respect.

However, overall it was an enjoyable read, and definitely a series I will be coming back to (particularly with the next book being about Nicholas and Faith…).

I found it hard to care about the plot in this book. The heroine, Poppy, is irritating in her repetitious accusations against the hero just because of a scene she witnessed of him as a young man for a few seconds six years ago. Since her close friend was in an abusive marriage and her father is pretty awful, she vows to never marry. It’s understandable that a young woman in early 19th century England would be appalled at the lack of rights that women had and how a wife basically had no rights in her marriage. I just found her constant repetition of those positions while also backtracking and realizing that the hero was actually a good guy and then swing back to her earlier positions to be rather tiresome. I usually enjoy Regency romances, but just never got into this one.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

I really enjoyed Poppy's story. Ms. Fenichel gave us some insight into the other three Wallflowers that have me anxious for their stories. I think Rhys is such a sweet guy. He has outgrown his wild youth and is a good, kind man. Their story is well written. Sometimes I was frustrated with Poppy because she couldn't let go of the past...but Rhys continued to be so patient. Great story, looking forward to the next one!

This debut historical romance talks of the life of Poppy Arrington, one of the four self-declared Wallflowers of West Lane.

Poppy is strong-willed and loyal to her friends. She becomes closer to Rhys Draper (also her friend Aurora’s brother) when he offers his help to investigate the new fiancé (potential partner of an arranged marriage) of their beloved friend Faith, also part of the circle of Wallflowers. Rhys feels terribly guilty about being unable to protect his sister Aurora from her disastrous and abusive marriage and is determined to prevent such a fate from happening to another of Aurora’s friends. Poppy and Rhys gets to know one another and became friends after many years of animosity; gradually this friendship extends towards mutual attraction for each other and Rhys fights to gain Poppy’s trust and love.

This book is an enjoyable read and I found myself liking all the characters very much. The author also hinted at the romances of two of the Wallflowers Aurora and Faith, and I look forward to finding out more about the remaining Wallflower Mercy. I also like how the main characters disregarded any cultural bias (that seems to be the norm in this time period) and were very open and accepting towards Geb Arafa, an Egyptian who moved to England. (In fact, much effort was put into creating a backstory for this character, too much for a side character who is not part of the Wallflower circle, and if I may venture to guess, he could possibly be paired with Mercy?!!!)

#TheEarlNotTaken #NetGalley
I received a free review copy of this ebook and am happy to write a review for it. Thank you NetGalley for helping me discover another nice read!

Four wallflowers become close friends when they find themselves in a Swiss school for ladies for three years. Another three years later one of them is now a widow of a man who was a monster. Poppy has her own fears of marriage. Her father isn't known for his compassion or wanting a daughter in the first place. Aurora's brother Rhys, the Earl of Draper, is deeply attracted to Poppy/Penelope, but she seems to hate him. With patience and understanding, he hopes he can convince Poppy to be his wife. A little mystery, humor, distrust and a lot of sad involved in this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

The Earl Not Taken by A.S. Fenichel was a lovely historical romance. The Wallflowers of West Lane, Penelope, Aurora, Faith and Mimi, are an amazing group of women who have been friends since they were all sent to finishing school. One of their own was married off by her father to a cruel and abusive man who was eventually killed. The women have vowed to not be forced into a marriage with an unknown man again. Penelope/Poppy is very strong willed and very forthright in her speech and attitude. So much so, that I can began to hate her frequent "men bashing". Rhys Draper, Aurora's brother, was arrogant at the beginning but began to grow throughout the book. His patience was infinite with Poppy.

All in all it was an engaging read and I'm looking forward to the next one in the series as it is Faith's story with her mysterious Duke.

I really enjoyed this historical romance debut! Poppy and Rhys had the best chemistry and I love when historical romance takes a particularly feminist turn. The engaging prose kept me hooked from the start and I found even the side characters compelling. I'm looking forward to more from Fenichel and in the Wallflowers series!

Feisty Poppy Arrington's less than agreeable parents have turned her away from all thoughts of marriage and ever being “owned” by a man. Her nemesis, Rhys Draper and Earl of Marsden, has been a thorn in her side for years. However, when her friend needs intervention in an arranged marriage, Rhys realises that for Poppy's own good, he needs to join her in her endeavours. As Rhys and Poppy become embroiled in her friend's matters they learn a new respect for one another and soon find themselves fighting an attraction that cannot be denied. Rhys is more than willing to pursue their relationship, but Poppy has made her mind up and nothing can deter her from antagonism towards marriage. There is humour and wit in this novel, but also heartache and tense moments as Poppy has to endure the scorn of her father. It takes a dramatic turn of events to persuade Poppy that it is in fact in order for her to change her mind about her preconceived ideas. This novel is well written and leaves one with a warm romantic feeling. It is also a standalone and comes to an amusing and delightful close. I am so looking forward to the next book in this series. I received a copy of this book as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.

A great witty read for the summer. The Wallflower of West Lane are quite a quartet of girls that you thoroughly enjoy reading their antics. The introduction of a 5th/Honourary wallflower and tales get even more elaborate. I can just imagine the antics that they got upto in finishing school. A book I thoroughly enjoyed and hope that there are more Wallflower Tales to follow.

“The Earl Not Taken” was a charming debut but not a standout. This historical romance novel tells the tale of Pobby, who swore off marriage due to the ‘extracurricular activities’ of her father and a duke, Rhys, who is trying to redeem himself in the light of his sister's best friend after an awkward encounter years prior. Their journey begins with secret meetings and kisses, heated moments, and a plan to reveal the true intentions of a well off man who is betrothed to a Wallflower. It was an overall pleasant read but it did have tiring back and forth with the couple that got old quick yet… I did enjoy most of their encounters and the process of how they became enemies to lovers. This was an enjoyable read all around.

This was such an adorable historical romance. I'm such a huge fan of the Wallflower trope and author AS Fenichel did not disappoint me with her take. The characters were complex, multifaceted creatures. Intelligent, loyal, kind, scared and confused. And it's within this incredible mix of emotions that we are given a fairly realistic and super romantic love story, that is truly well written, fleshed out and packed with engaging, funny and charming players. Not only our main protagonists are thoroughly delightful but also the rest of the wallflowers and side characters. I'm super excited to read more about those women.

This was a remarkable historical Romance. Not only is the cover stunning but the whole story within is just beautiful.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this for a fair review.

Historic romance is probably my favorite genre. It's not even a guilty pleasure - it's among my favorite things. And I was so psyched for this one. I LOVED the super contemporary cover, the enemies to lovers trope got me excited, and I had a cold snowy weekend to enjoy it in all of its ruffle and lace

But this one was hard to finish.

For one thing, there was some unexpected and frankly, a little triggering confrontation with Poppy's family. For another, her lack of confidence and ability to trust her own needs tried my patience. She loudly bemoans marriage and having any longterm connection to Rhys in an emotionally manipulative way, even when she's falling for him.

Rhys was enjoyable in small doses but even he has his moments of highhandedness, particularly later in the book. Their age discrepancy worked for me but I felt like her reaction to an embarrassing event in the first chapter unrealistically colored their entire relationship - particularly his inability to see how that may have impacted her feelings for him when that was one of their last encounters before she went away to school. I know many male heroes aren't emotionally fluent (which I don't have a lot of patience for, frankly) but Rhys could have travelled a little bit of distance on this point.

I'm not sure if this is an author mismatch for me or if this story just hit me wrong, but this was nearly a pass. However, I may give the story of Rhys's sister Faith a shot at a later date.

I have a lot of feelings about this book - and such mixed emotions. i loved Rhys and the progression of his character. I loved the concept of four close female friends against the world - a regency sex and the city if you will. But I just had such a hard time with Poppy.

Poppy has a very harsh and fixed view of the world and men in particular. She is extremely rigid in her thinking. You can see how it happened. Her parents are pretty awful people and her closest friend suffered abuse at the hands of her husband. She's been badly scarred in the process. At age 16 she catches Rhys, her best friend's brother, without his shirt having sex with a girl out in a field. From that point forward, she decides he is a womanizer and pretty much a terrible person. Judgy much? She says he has never done anything to correct her opinion of him - but I am pretty sure even if he had, her opinion wouldn't have changed.

For Rhys, Poppy is difficult to understand. He sees her as a clumsy, overly direct, socially awkward girl who is friends with his sister. Someone to roll his eyes at. When his sister's husband dies and his eyes are opened to everything she went through - things immediately start to change in how he views Poppy and the world. Unlike Poppy, Rhys seems more open to change and accepting the change around him. as the book progresses - it becomes harder and harder to accept Poppy. She turns it around at the end - but it was almost too late for me.

There is a lot to like about this book - I loved the side characters and am really hoping we find a match for Geb - maybe a Mercy-Geb matchup because the other girls seem pretty well spoken for already! I just wonder if maybe this should have been the second book or even third. I am not sure the female relationships were settled enough for me to understand the depth and I am not sure that I knew enough about Poppy to love her through her rigidity and anger. I just couldn't get past it - even with her strong love for her friends. I think overall, I needed a little more history with the girls and each person individually.

I am very interested in reading the other books in the series - so I would give this one an extra half star if I could!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

Ther were so many things swirling around in my mind after reading this book that I had to take a day to collect all my thoughts before I could write a review for The Earl Not Taken. First off let me say that I enjoyed this book immensely. Secondly, I think this needs to be on everyone's must-read list.

The beauty of this book, I feel, is that is dives into so many social and mental issues all while wrapping it up beautifully in a historical romance. As we live in an ever-changing world where women are finally starting to have a voice, this book speaks to the issues of a abuse and of a woman having control of her sexuality. I don't know how Fenichel was able to tackle these deep subjects and still make this book a delightful read, but she absolutely did it!

Poppy has dreams of living her life unmarried. Her opinion of men has been shaped by her father and the dominating men she sees around her. Can she learn to overcome her prejudice against marriage and realize that not all men can be grouped into the same box? This story is full of second chances and self-awareness. The Earl Not Taken is the first in a new series called Wall Flowers of West Lane.

I could not put this book down! I literally was having to force myself to put it down during the day to get anything done. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.