Series: The Wallflowers of West Lane #1
Publication Date: 3/17/20
Number of Pages: 304

A.S. Fenichel introduces us to the four ladies who make up the Wallflowers of West Lane in this first book of her new series. These ladies became fast friends when they were each shipped off to Miss Agatha Wormbattle’s School for Young Ladies in Lucerne, Switzerland. Their parents viewed this as punishment, but the girls were all deliriously happy to be away from their misbegotten parents and the mistreatment they endured at home. The set-up for the series and introduction of the ladies who will be featured in future books was nicely done. I came to like each of them and began to root for them to find their HEA. I do have to say though, I was not enamored of Lady Penelope (Poppy) Arrington – the heroine in this book. She just got on my very last nerve and I would have been just as happy if Rhys has just walked away from her. Her ‘issues’ just went on way, way too long for me. Poppy gives a whole new meaning to the word stubborn.

Aurora Draper – now Aurora Sherbourn, new widow of the Earl of Radcliff – was forced into marriage by her parents. It was a miserable, abusive three-year marriage and her three best friends had suffered through all of it with her. None of them were sad at the earl’s passing and Poppy said as much just after the funeral. Rhys Draper, Earl of Marsden, and Aurora’s brother frowned at Poppy when she made her statement. At least he did until he learned what that blackguard had put his much-loved sister through – then he felt guilt – so much guilt – because he hadn’t known and hadn’t protected her.

Poppy and Rhys had met several years ago – just before the girls left for Switzerland and they had bickered and fought ever since then. That certainly hasn’t changed since they have become adults but since Poppy, Mercy, and Faith have come to stay with Aurora to help her in her mourning, Rhys and Poppy are thrown together more and more often. When another of their group is betrothed to a stranger, they all vow – Rhys included – to find out more about the man and to assess whether he is of good character. If he isn’t, they’ll get Faith out of that betrothal one way or another. As Rhys and Poppy spend time investigating, they find that between the bickering, they actually like each other.

Poppy has some very strong views on marriage and men – and they are not favorable to either marriage or men. All she has ever seen are unhappy marriages with domineering, uncaring men who treat their wives and daughters as the chattel they are lawfully considered to be. On top of that, she nursed her friend Aurora back to health each time she was raped, beaten and often left at death’s door and that certainly didn’t endear any male to Poppy’s heart.

Rhys certainly had his work cut out for him once he realized he wanted Poppy for his own. She was unyielding in her opinion of men – even when she could see the evidence that not all men were cut from the same cloth – he was right before her eyes.

I enjoyed this read and am looking forward to the next book in the series – which will feature Faith and Nicholas. I really liked both of them in this book and can’t wait to read their story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A delightful enemies to lovers romance that sets up the rest of the series nicely. I’m looking forward to learning more about the rest of the Wallflowers

I thought this was going to be a great enemies to lovers story but I just didn't care for it. Poppy was annoying and I didn't really get why she behaved the way she did. And the clumsiness trope was really just too much. I might recommend this to patrons who are looking for more of a 'Johanna Lindsey' than 'Jane Austen' title but overall this really didn't feel like a Regency to me. I think the cover and premise will draw in readers but I wish the execution had measured up.

A historical with no sense of time and place, too modern language, and anachronisms all over the place; and a romance with a tiresome heroine, a tedious hero and zero chemistry. No thanks.

This book was delightful and has reaffirmed my love for historical fiction. Dukes, duchesses, societal expections, oh my, this book introduces us to a group of women that anyone would want to be a part of. Poppy, Aurora, Mercy, and Faith, are all miscreants but in the most perfect way. Sent to boarding school together to become "proper ladies" we learn quickly that didn't go as planned and that they're even more of a societal nightmare than before. Their love for each other knows no bounds, and when Aurora's older brother Rhys challenges Poppy's expectations, her world flips upside down.

Told in dual POVs, this book was enemies-to-lovers in the best way, and watching Rhys and Poppy go toe-to-toe was so much fun. I will say Poppy was INFURIATING and the book dragged out her insufferable stubbornness, but I still finished this entire book in a day; there was no stopping me. I am also 100% all in for the rest of this series, so hand them over, Fenichel, I'm ready. (That teaser at the end for the next book was just mean and I would like it now, please).

This book was fun, sweet, and full of strong-headed women, and exactly what I like to read. I can't wait for the rest of them.

<i>Disclaimer: I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. </i>

<b>What I liked:</b>
- <b>The cover:</b> When I saw the cover on Netgalley, I was immediately drawn to the book. It's cute and pretty and promised an equally cute and fun story. And not a typical historical romance bodice-ripper cover. I hate people on covers in general and half-naked people on covers in particular.
-<b>The premise:</b> I love good stories about wallflowers getting the popular guy. And when there's a promise of enemies-to-friends-to-lovers trope as well? Hooked. That's why the blurb immediately had me hooked and I had to request the book and was waiting every day, hoping my request would be approved.
-<b>The wallflowers:</b> Female friendships in books or shows are so important. I loved the wallflowers' friendship and how they were always there for each other.


What I didn't like:
- The female protagonist: Poppy was pretty annoying tbh. I'm sure she'll improve and get over her prejudices but it was not endearing AT ALL. She came off as mean and pretentious.
- Insta-love disguised as enemies-to-lovers: Yeah, so that enemies-to-friends-to-lovers promise? Not fulfilled AT ALL. From the very beginning both are completely into one another, though they deny it. But we see no real development from hate to like. That all happens off page. So there's a lot of tell instead of show which is a shame. The female protagonists dislike for the male protagonist is completely over the top and had more to do with her low self-confidence than his actions <spoiler>(which were fine, he did nothing bad. He had consensual sex with a girl)</spoiler>.
- Historically incorrect: <spoiler>Unmarried young girl moving in with their equally young and widowed friend? Yeah, I doubt any proper ton parents would allow that, particularly when they sent their daughters to finishing school for misbehaving). It's been a couple of weeks since I read the book, so I can't quite remember all the historical inaccuracies beyond this, but I remember there were some that really bothered me. It just sounded way to modern and ridiculous. </spoiler>
- Horrible parents: All the parents are horrible. Like none of them have redeeming qualities. Which is really sad.

Why I DNF-ed: I dnf-ed at 15%. It was mostly my dislike for Poppy, the historical inaccuracies and the lack of organic development of the romance. There are too many good historical romances out there that I just did not want to waste my time with a book that frustrated me so much. I'm sure a lot of people will like this book, but it just wasn't for me.

Penelope (Poppy) Arrington was very clumsy and worked hard to keep her feet under her. Her parents wanted her married and out of the house. So they sent her to a school in Lucerne with three other girls. They had all been misbehaving or so their parents thought. Aurora, Poppy, Faith, and Mercy became great friends and became the Wallflowers of West Lane. After they arrived home Aurora was to get married and it had been three years since that day and they were putting her husband in the ground. He had died. Thank Heavens for it, he had been very abusive with Aurora. There were times when she had been beaten so badly she could not move or was unconscious. Faith had something to tell them and she was a little afraid. Her mother had arranged for her to marry, someone she had never seen or spoken with. They would figure some way to get information about him, so they would know his character.
Rhys Draper, Earl of Marsden, brother to Aurora, and now head of the family had learned some very shocking things. His sister abused, Poppy's dislike of men and Rhys in particular. But they had to work together to save Faith.
I really liked this story and the characters. They were sweet and protective of each other. Rhys was getting involved with Poppy and remained confused. Poor thing. They did many things to try to find out about his Grace. But it was hard. They added more friends to their network and tried to keep Faith's spirits up. I really recommend this delightful book.
I received this from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Review excerpted from my blog post over at FanSciHist (https://fanscihist.wordpress.com/2020/02/28/the-earl-not-taken-by-a-s-fenichel/)

My Rating: 2 stars

Library recommendation: Not recommended for public library historical romance collections.

Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.


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Number of titles I have read by this author: 2

Love story speed: Slowish burn

Relationship dynamics: The Rakish Earl (H) / The Klutzy Lady (h); elements of the love triangle

Sexual content: Some; “on-screen” and explicit

Triggers: Recounted spousal abuse; misandry

Grammar/Editing: My ARC had a number of typos and misplaced or missing punctuation.

Review: I will preface this review with the statement that this author had a lot to live up to with the “wallflowers” trope, as it has been done as a series, and done very well, by other authors. The first issue I took with this book is that the girls that will be featured in the series are not truly wallflowers. It’s true that they are “undesirable” due to their anachronistic modernity, but they do not lack for dance partners at balls, which is a central tenet of the wallflower trope. Of course, I say that this is anachronistic, but the historical time period is not specified – Regency is my best guess.

Poppy and Rhys are the central characters of this novel. Poppy is an incredibly unlikable heroine. She goes back and forth, page to page, about whether Rhys has changed or not. She is incredibly changeable and fickle. Her development as a character is almost like the flip of a light switch, although that flip was too late in coming to save Poppy as a heroine that a reader can really root for. Rhys is a much more likable character, and his dogged determination to have Poppy is really the only reason their relationship happens at all (although his insistence to be shackled to a woman like Poppy, who has been genuinely terrible to him for years, beggars belief). In terms of supporting characters, I didn’t find any of the ladies appealing in character. The male characters were more tolerable, but I didn’t feel any particular affinity for any of them. Even the preview for the next book did not sway me to consider reading the next book in the series because it sounds just like this one, but with the roles reversed.

Alternative Reads version: I would recommend reading a different Wallflowers series, like that of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/41154-wallflowers">Lisa Kleypas</a> – give this one a miss.



Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enemies to lovers Regency romance, which was very fun. Rhys and Poppy are forced to work together to discern the character of the mysterious Duke their friend Faith has been engaged to. I enjoyed the romance, and Poppy's journey from hating Rhys and the idea of marriage to love.

I had a little trouble getting into the book, and I found it frustrating that the only way Rhys's sister Aurora was able to escape an abusive marriage was through her husband's death, but I enjoyed the series otherwise and look forward to reading the rest of the series following Poppy's friends

2.5 stars rounded up

Three years at a Swiss finishing school didn't exactly turn Lady Penelope Arrington into a proper debutante, but she did make three strong friendships. The four ladies call themselves the Wallflowers of West Lane and are determined to protect each other from dangerous men after the marriage of one of their own turned out to be a violent disaster. Now another of their number is set to marry a duke she's never met and Poppy is determined to learn his character. Unfortunately, to be successful she needs the help of her friend's rakish brother.

Rhys Draper, the Earl of Marsden, has always been at odds with Poppy since he met her when she was just a girl. Now she needs him and Rhys is determined to figure out why he inspires her ire and disdain. But as they spend more time together, Rhys is shocked by the true depth of his feelings for her. But Poppy never wishes to marry and she and Rhys are soon at risk of being discovered in a compromising position and having their decisions made for them.

I was excited for this series and a little light-hearted girl power, but this book had a lot of issues for me. Firstly, the general book factors. Beware, there is some venting ahead. This is a pet peeve of mine that most probably won't notice, but I'm a horse person so for me it is glaringly obvious: horses do NOT bray, ever, no matter how spooked they are. This is only donkeys and some mules. Besides that slight annoyance, there were also several issues with forms of address and characters who should've had the title of lord but never did. Aside from all that, perhaps most importantly is the fact that this book is modern in the extreme. I expected much of this from the cover (which I really do like), but this is truly just a modern novel set in a time with carriages.

Technical issues aside, what really killed this one for me was the heroine. She was extremely immature, even for age 21, not to mention judgmental, arrogant and rigid in her thinking. She seemed to believe no one else could possibly know more than she and even when met with new information, she insisted on maintaining her beliefs and assumptions, even knowing she was wrong. This to me is not strong-willed or independent, it is simply being hateful and willfully ignorant. Also Poppy's use of odd and annoying curses involving Greek and Norse mythology (though she only acknowledged Greek) just didn't fit the situations and settings they were used in and sounded awkward, though perhaps this made them fitting of her character.

As for the hero, Rhys underwent a good bit of growth and development, which only served to show the lack thereof in Poppy. After Poppy's anger was vented at him (one of many times) for his failure to prove his true feelings for her, Rhys set out to do just that, and then Poppy couldn't understand what the fuss was about and I just wanted to shake her for her hypocrisy. More background on Poppy might've helped but her behavior just showed a lack of character to me, independent of her very understandable lack of self-esteem. Many times she seemed to make up reasons to blow up at Rhys and I even went back and reread and couldn't understand what he had said that made her so angry.

In fact, the majority of the book is Poppy storming off and running away and this along with her incessant and repetitive vitriolic diatribes against all men, regardless of whether she knew them and their character or not, struck me as a highly hypocritical judgment since most of her annoyance stems from women being treated this same way. Rhys wasn't bad, I just really don't know why he thought Poppy was so sweet, wonderful and intelligent because I never saw her demonstrate any of these qualities and he wasn't enough to carry this book for me. Any development we saw from Poppy came in the last 15% or so of the book and for me it was too abrupt and too little too late and her lack of growth was a huge turn off.

This particular heroine killed the whole book for me, but Nicholas (not so much Faith) interested me enough that I'll likely check out the next book and hope it jives better with me.

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

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read The Earl Not Taken! I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. The way the book started felt a bit abrupt, especially with some of the character development elements that felt like they were rushed, but I found myself really liking the characters as the book progressed. One of the things I liked most was that the book addresses concerns about relationships in a more modern approach, even within the historical setting. Maybe it’s not as historically realistic, but I don’t mind because the hero doesn’t fall into most of the stupid tropes historical romances can present, and he and the heroine have some character development that feels authentic. In addition, I liked that the steamy bits were so focused on consent and positive sexuality. Honestly, even though I have been swamped with work, all I’ve wanted to do is read the book! I very eagerly anticipate the rest of these Wallflowers’ stories!

A.S. Fenichel’s upcoming release, The Earl Not Taken, takes enemies-to-lovers on a back in time to the Victorian Era. Coming out on March 17th, 2020, this novel shows how sometimes first impressions don't give away the whole picture.
Finishing school failed to make a proper lady of Penelope Arrington. But as a Wallflower of West Lane, Poppy has a far more vital role—she and her three best friends have made a pact to protect each other from the clutches of dangerous, disreputable men. So when one of them is about to be married off to a duke sight unseen, Poppy makes it her mission to divine the prospective husband’s true character. If only she didn’t require the aid of London’s most unsuitable rake. Rhys Draper, Earl of Marsden, has known the headstrong Poppy since she was a young girl naïve to the ways of men. To her eternal chagrin—and to his vague amusement—they have been at odds over the memory of their embarrassing first encounter all these years. Now, with his services in need, Rhys sees a chance to finally clear the air between them. Instead, he is surprised by the heat of their feelings. If the two do not tread carefully, they may end up in a most agreeably compromising position...
This novel reminded me of a steamier Jane Austen novel! So if that’s something you are interested in, then this book might be the one for you! While I thoroughly enjoyed the friendship of the Wallflowers of West Lane and wished I could’ve heard more about their past adventures at school together, I did find some of the plot to be a bit predictable.
The protagonist, Poppy, is a headstrong woman who is not easily convinced that a man can truly love a woman. However, Rhys’s attempts to woo her and convince her otherwise are sweet to see. Poppy’s opinions and past experiences make her more than just a swooning damsel in distress. While she knows what she wants and has some agency, she still feels oppressed by the societal standards of the time. Rhys, as well, is naive to Poppy’s feelings in the beginning because he has never been taught to think differently. It is only through their love for one another that they begin to see the other gender’s perspective and attempt to change their own preconceived notions about love and marriage.
The only thing about this novel that bothered me a bit was how Poppy didn’t seem to mature very fast. For a good portion of the novel, she is pretty stubborn in her views on men and even though Rhys continually shows her that he cares about her, she becomes annoyed at the suggestion that he might love her and want to marry her. While I appreciated Poppy having her own opinions, there’s a fine line between holding to your beliefs and just ignoring what’s right in front of you.
Overall, The Earl Not Taken is a pleasant and quick read and fans of historical romance will enjoy the vintage courting rituals and Victorian elements scattered throughout this novel. However, if you’re looking for a strong female protagonist who has a bit more common sense, then this may not be the book for you.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Unfortunately this book just didn't quite work for me. While I could see what the author wanted to do with this story but I found the main characters pretty difficult to relate to. Poppy in particular. Some of her behavior didn't make sense to me and I found myself frustrated a lot. I love the premise of this series, a group of Wallflowers looking out for each other. But this book just wasn't for me. I would likely give the author another chance though as I enjoyed the supporting characters in this story.

I'm a sucker for a good Regency era novel with a twisting narrative of love hard won. In The Earl Not Taken, we meet a group of young women, The Wallflowers. Poppy is the leader of the group and because of her father's indiscretions and the wild youthful ways of the brother of her best friend, she's decided all men are unworthy and has decided swear them off entirely. Well except, (and predictably) that best friend's brother she has been holding a grudge against since childhood.

The Earl not taken was a fun and delightful book. It was almost disturbingly delightful. The Earl Not Taken glosses over domestic violence, forced marriages, and adultery. In this book, a picture is painted where women were little more than the property of their fathers and passed as quickly as possible to a desirable match that would bring the family up or at the very least not bring it down in station. The women in this book, under Poppy's leadership, has decided that's not to be the way for them, so when friend Faith is to be married off without her consent, Poppy takes it upon herself to find out whether or not this man is reputable. She needs the help of Rhys, that best friend's brother, and so the enemies to friends story begins.

This novel was a hard read for me. I think the author leaned into the personalities and tropes so heavily that the reader doesn't even have to imagine or think. Poppy is indecisive, insecure, and at the same time opinionated and sure of her convictions, but maybe she isn't but of course she is, but maybe not... and so it goes throughout the entire novel. Rhys is a callous cad, a snobbish womanizer, a sweet hero, a misunderstood rake, no, he's a loyal friend, except maybe not... and so it goes for him through this novel. Since the outcome was obvious from the prologue, the time it takes for these star crossed enemies to become friends and lovers is agonizing.

What I come away with from this book is an utter dislike of Poppy. I like the other girls and I even like Rhys, but Poppy reminds me of those girls in high school and women in college who would shortsightedly champion a cause, convince others of its merit, and then come up short because their fervor was based on personal slights, not conviction or experience. I just couldn't like her. She was not endearing to me but just unlikable and narrow minded. I would have rather learned more about the other girls actually.

The author uses phrases to describe women like "soft in all the right places but surprisingly firm." That's also how one might describe a mattress. The author also dangles the "flirtation with ruination" trope all over this novel, but really, would someone flirt with ruining themselves so much with a person they've despised for a decade? It's hard to say. I couldn't take Poppy seriously, or the danger of the setting very seriously either. That said, the novel was a good way to pass a few hours, but I'm not sure how invested I am in more of Poppy. I'd love to know more about the other girls.

I went into this because I thought the cover was cute and fell in love with the characters. The writing was lovely to read and the storyline fun and antsy. It was a good story to read when I needed a pick-me-up. Now I want to find my own Duke;)

THE EARL NOT TAKEN is a pleasant read with a beautiful cover. There are four "Wallflowers of West Lane" - fast friends who met at a boarding school for rebellious girls and remain close back in London six years later.

Clumsy, filterless Poppy has only seen marriage as an oppressive and dangerous institution for women, and only knows men as profligate, womanizing beasts. An idea about men reinforced by an early encounter with her best friend's older brother, Rhys. But now Poppy and Rhys are working together to investigate the fiancee-by-mail of another Wallflower...

I enjoyed the book, but I'm not sure it's one that will stick in my memory. Poppy is defined by her distrust of marriage and loyalty to her friends. Rhys is defined by his regret, but we actually don't learn that much more about who he is. Their chemistry is fine, and I enjoyed the time they were trapped by weather at a country house.

I'm actually much more interested in other characters. The fiancee-by-mail seems to be a spy and that's fascinating. Aurora, Rhys' sister, has seen some stuff in her life and been damaged by it. I'll be interested to see how this series develops.

I received an ARC from the publisher for review via NetGalley.

The Earl Not Taken (The Wallflowers of West Lane) by A.S. Fenichel 4 Stars.
A Fun and Delightful Read!
Four young women met at finishing school where they were sent as punishment for not acting the proper ladies they were born to be.
The four bonded having shared similar upbringing and negative experiences of arranged marriage. They moved in together and vowed to protect one another from being forced into an advantageous marriage arranged by their fathers and the men who were seeking to better there status and bank accounts. These women would not be bought and sold as chattel, watching their belongings become their husbands property to do with what he wanted, all the while he’s out spending her dowery on his mistresses and such. Not these strong and intelligent women. Well, until the right man comes along!
I loved the storyline. It opened up each one of the girls characters and how their lives were effected by arranged and bad marriages. Including parents who weren’t faithful, fathered other children, unkind parents who were devastatingly cruel. It was also uplifting to see some love matches and the love and support the girls had for each other. The slow burn romance between Poppy and her long time antagonist Rhys, who is the brother of her best friend and a sworn protector of all four of the women was pretty good too! This fast paced story is a fun read.
Happy Reading ♥️

Content: Adult Romance 3 out of 5 flames 🔥🔥🔥

This is the first in a new series, and the first I’ve read by this author. And while I’ll happily read the rest of this series, I wasn’t enamored enough to go back and read the authors’ back catalogue. This is a fairly happy enemies-to-lovers story, except that the hero has no idea why they’re enemies and has never wanted to be. The hero was charming, endearing, and all the lovely things expected of a Regency hero. The heroine was brash, stubborn, and with all the modern sensibilities unexpected of a Regency heroine. She was a lot to handle, and took waaaay to long to adjust to the change in her beliefs. But again, it was cute and quick and I will happily read about the next of our Wallflowers. 3.5 stars.

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

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read a preview copy of this book.
I did enjoy the storyline in parts and it was a good start to I assume a series of books about the 4 Wallflowers and their quest to find love. I found myself slightly frustrated by Poppy and her fears about marriage and doubts about Rhys wore a little thin as they seemed to just go round in circles. Hence the 3 stars. I would definitely hope to read the next in the series which I assume will be Faith’s story.

A very enjoyable romance that has me super excited for the rest of the series. The steaminess isn't indicated by the cover, but it's definitely there.