When the Earl Met His Match is the fourth book in Stacy Reid's Wedded by Scandal series. I have the first three books, but I haven't read them yet...but I will. Stacy Reid has a new fan now! I was charmed, cried and had to fan my heated cheeks; this romance really grabbed my heart. If like me this is your first foray in this series, be assured you will not be lost. I found it to stand alone perfectly.

Hugh Winthrop is the future Earl of Albury. The current earl is sickly and wants to see Hugh married before he leaves this life. He decides to place an advertisement in a London paper for a wife. He receives a response from a number of women...but he is charmed by an anonymous woman who doesn't want to marry him, but instead chides him for his lack of belief in love. They are both enjoying the correspondence - until Lady Phoebe Maitland, his mysterious correspondent, arrives at his home in Scotland, and offers him a marriage of convenience in exchange for his protection. Phoebe was planning to marry for love, but was betrayed by the man she cared about. Hugh and Phoebe are extremely drawn to each other and their passion is fiery, but Hugh holds a piece of himself away from Phoebe. Then her past comes back to bite her...will their growing closeness be torn apart?

I simply adored this story, and both leads totally charmed me. Though I sometimes wanted to bash Hugh in the head for being stubborn and holding himself apart from Phoebe, I couldn't help but love him. Small spoiler alert - this was revealed quickly - Hugh is mute. That doesn't stop him from communicating with Phoebe with language almost like poetry. He is now one of my favorite heroes! I about swooned when he helped Phoebe let go of her fears and anxieties by creating artwork and turning them into floating lanterns and releasing the negative. So freaking romantic. I also loved when he communicated with Phobe with his flute. ~Sigh~ Phoebe was an awesome heroine. When all of her choices were being taken away from her, she forged ahead and created her own life as she wished it. Hugh was extremely stubborn, but Phoebe may have had him beat! When vexed or hurt by him, she was bold in making her feelings known. The passion between these two strong people was incendiary. Oh, my! I totally loved this story and I'm thrilled to have the first three books to look forward to diving into.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed were entirely my own.

This is a great romance. Hugh, who has been warned by his father never to fall in love because he will only end up hurt like his mother hurt his father and his siblings. Phoebe who is desperate to marry after being compromised agrees to marry Hugh but still hopes for love. It shows the struggles they each go through to attain their goal but along the way one of them must admit to their feelings. The story is well written and very entertaining. I loved the story and would highly recommend it as a great read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and are voluntarily leaving a review.

I just love how Stacy Reid creates such tension and amazing conflict between her characters. The hero in the her books just have me rooting for them the whole time. Thank you so much, Entangled, for letting me read this early. This book reminds me of a lighter Kerrigan Byrne and I am here for it.

I love Stacy Reid. She is one of my favourite writers. So I jumped at the chance to read her newest book. This is the latest book in her Wedded by Scandal series.

Lady Phoebe is the sister of Richard the Marquess of Westfall from the last book. She answers an ad for a wife made by Hugh the Earl of Albury. Basically she wants to know why he place for a marriage of convenience in an ad and they start corresponding . Ultimately, she propose to him because she pregnant and need a husband.

I love love this book. I think it’s one of the best Reid has written. You see Hugh change from a cold man who don’t believe in love to becoming an instant father and husband. He is a also a mute so one of the few hero with a disability. I loved that the Phoebe also stood up for her husband.

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

I really enjoyed this book even though the heroine makes some poor decisions early in the novel. Her earnestness and love for the hero won me over as the story went on.

The hero has both a tragic past (with accompanying issues about love and women) and has a disability. He cannot speak, which I expected to play a much larger role in the conflict of the romance. Instead, it is really about facing his fears and being open to love, which is a great topic for romance.

This is the 4th book in a series, but I was able to enjoy it even without reading the previous books. I do think it might have been nice to know and understand her brother more before reading the novel, as his actions felt outrageous within the context of this novel.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher and Net Galley in return for a fair review.

What a unique historical romance that included several topics and issues that I’ve never experienced before in past HRs.

Phoebe was wonderfully brave to take steps that other young women of her time would have never even considered. Just writing to the Gentleman of Distinction and Wealth in response to his advertisement for a wife put her a step above other ladies in my opinion. She wanted to control her own life and yet she was continually caught in a tangle and found her path blocked each way she turned.

I’ve never read another hero quite as interesting as Hugh. Even his family history brings an originality to his character. I hated what he’d had to suffer and how it had shaped him and his outlook on relationships and especially marriage. While he doesn’t stand up to proclaim “mine”, nor does he showcase a protective or possessive attitude toward Phoebe, he does take certain actions that are a shadowing of those emotions.

There are so many wonderful moments with this couple as they grow to know each other and develop a new relationship, many of them laced with laughter and joy. However, most of this story definitely has a heavier angst on so many levels. Without action or drama from outside forces, this book could feel a bit slow but I did not find that to be the case. What Phoebe and Hugh must deal with was more than enough to keep their story moving forward, oftentimes breaking my heart along the way.

The very uniqueness of this story will force this book and these characters to remain on my mind for a good while.

Hugh Winthrop, the future Earl of Albury, has been corresponding with an unknown lady and finding himself more and more intrigued with the elusive lady. He's hiding a secret though that he's not sharing it with anyone. Lady Phoebe Maitland, the daughter of a duke, is expected to marry for the benefit of the family, but she takes a stand and refuses to be told what to do. She along with her maid takes the extraordinary step and runs away to avoid a marriage to an old man her father has chosen for her and goes to the only man she feels a connection with - Hugh Winthrop. Phoebe is hiding her own secret when she proposes marriage to Hugh. Can they overcome their own secrets and have a happy life together?

What an interesting story! I loved that Hugh had a disability and how he learned to have a rich life despite it. Phoebe was a darling and quite brave for a young woman of her time. Having been told what to do, think and say for her entire life, it was surprising that she would run away from everything that she'd known. The author does a great job teasing out the details of their lives and their blossoming romance. The Earl was a great addition to the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be reading more from her.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my review and honest opinions.

Hugh Winthrop needs a wife. Urgently. So he puts out an advertisement in the local paper for a proper wife who can rest on his arm, but never in his heart.
Lady Phoebe Maitland needs to escape. Under the over bearing eyes of her mother and her cold father, her "love of my life" man betrays her and leaves her alone to deal with the consequences. Phoebe responds to the advertisement and quickly realizes that Hugh Winthrop could be the answer to all of her problems, if she can keep herself from falling in love with him.

When I first started this book, my first by Stacy Reid, I was a little taken aback by the fact that the main character, Hugh was a mute. I admired the author for doing something I had never seen in a Historical Romance book before, but it took me a little while to appreciate the idea of the "hero" having a disability. After I started reading the story, I absolutely fell in love with Hugh and realized that his disability made him all the more of an endearing hero! This was a wonderful story, that I found myself devouring! If you're a lover of romance, pick this one up!

This book has one of the most interesting premise and unique start I've ever read. I loved how the story of Hugh and Phoebe started with the letters and through letters they both acknowledge their love for each other. The characters have depths in them and I can really see the world in their perspective and somehow understand their actions and reactions to different things and situations. Hugh is such an incredible person that is shaped by his preconceived notion based on his past experiences and yet still learn to look at the world with a new lens and perspective. Phoebe is so adorable and I loved her attitude by the end of the book, specifically the second page of her letter to Hugh. I loved her determination and her strong will to fight for Hugh and their love for each other. Hugh and Phoebe are one of the few couples that really has a strong connection that even the readers can feel, and I think that makes them more real and enjoying to read.

I'm grateful for their ending because they really do deserve that happy ending after all the emotional roller-coaster they've been through. Their marriage of convenience is too far-fetched and a lot of their early situations are too convenient, but nevertheless, the overall story is so great the mentioned critique didn't lessen my likeness of this book. This is also the first book I've read by the author and I can't wait to read more books from her.

“I feel as if I am fated to love you…for I’ve never dreamed I could feel such a yearning for another soul.”

Lady Phoebe Maitland has the expectations to marry for wealth and power to better her family in the eyes of the ton. Wanting to do what is expected versus what her heart wants, Phoebe is at a crossroads…throw caution to the wind and beg to be permitted to wed her long-time friend or be an obedient daughter and marry a man older than her father. But destiny has given Phoebe another scenario…one she never dreamed possible…one that could cost her or give her everything she always desired…

Hugh Winthrop, the future Earl of Albury, has promised his ailing father to wed and to wed quickly. With no time to travel to London for the season, Hugh puts an advertisement in the paper for a proper wife, never imagining that he will dual wits with an anonymous lady who intrigues him more than any other…

Phoebe and Hugh share a connection that starts off in the most unlikely of circumstances and whisks them headlong into a love affair overcoming obstacles that would tear most romances apart…

When the Earl Met his Match is the 4th installment to the Wedded by Scandal series, but may be read stand alone. Stacy Reid has woven a broken hero romance that tugged at my heart and brought tears to my eyes. Dear Read, I loved every moment and didn’t want the story to end! Devoured and highly recommend! Wish I could give more than 5 Stars!!




**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

This is my fair and honest review, voluntarily given and in my own words, for this ARC. What a delightfully different story! Remarkable characters who are so far from what you normally get. Well told with enough to keep anyone enthralled. You should def put this on your TBR list.

Wow! This is not your typical romance – it has a unique and truly a special romance. You see early how loving and caring Phoebe is in the prologue. This love carries through the book as that is her personality. Sweet and caring Phoebe tries to save a dog named Wolf who is starving in the snow. He does not act/react to commands, but to signals as we find out after being introduced to Hugh’s mischievous sister.

Phoebe responds to the advert for a wife not knowing that the advertiser is Wolf’s owner from all those months prior. When her heart is ripped to pieces, she heads to Hugh, hoping the connection made with the letters will help her convince him to marry and protect her.

Hugh is not the usual hero. He has a disability, but absolutely does not let it hold him back. His upbringing has been a bit unusual. Hugh’s father, the Earl, loves his children tremendously! He made sure they were protected and treated with love and care. How could Hugh not be any different from the lessons and love he received from his father.

I love that Phoebe holds strong in her love for Hugh, regardless of what he thought he wanted! She will show him how it is done. I, also, think Caroline is my favorite secondary character of all time! I would love to see her romance and HEA in the future.

I loved this story, I loved the characters, I loved the plot, I do not think there was anything I did not love about this book. I enjoyed Phoebe’s spunk, she was not afraid and puts her whole heart into making a new life. I also have a soft spot for Hugh, even if he did not believe in love, he was always good, kind and cared about Phoebe, he was very honorable. I do not want to give anything away, but I have never read a story with the hero having the difficulties Hugh had. Wait there was something I did not love about this story – the Duchess, Phoebe’s mother, when you read this story you will understand.
Stacy Reid is one of my top favorite authors to read. She never disappoints me.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My first book by this author and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked it.

I love heroes who are disadvantaged in some way but manage to make it possible and live their life fully. Hugh is mute so he seeks a wife in a rather unconventional way – by publishing an add in a newspaper. He doesn’t believe in love and wants to marry because that’s what his father wanted for him.

Phoebe isn’t looking for love either because she was hurt by the worst possible way. She was intrigued by this man but she only wanted to give him her opinion on his add. This turns into some sort of friendship. When she suddenly shows up on his doorstep and offer him marriage, the only thing he is sure about is saying yes to this bold, courageous woman. Their relationship is not meant to become more than mere acquaintances but the more they spent their time together the more their feelings start to grow.

I really love all the sweet scenes and Hugh’s kindness. He was hurt by many people so he’s kind of a recluse but he still knows how to make a woman fall in love with him.

Okay, spoiler alert that I didn’t want to say at first but I can’t write a review without mentioning it briefly: Phoebe is pregnant before she met Hugh. He’s her last chance to give her child the best in the Society. I loved how Hugh accepted her and her condition without hesitation. But what I find missing is that the rest of her pregnancy is rushed in a book. I would love to know more about her time being pregnant but once they get married it’s more about jumping time (”weeks passed”, ”been here for months”). I feel like the author rushed this because she wanted to focus on the time after the baby was born and how they finally got together and were more connected. Even after her child being born, I was hoping for more mother-baby or Hugh-baby time but it ws only mentioned once or twice. The focus was more on their relationship with each other than their time as a new family.

What confused me a little, was the unexpected kidnapping. At first I thought it was a joke because it seemed odd that her brother would order a kidnapping of his own sister. Personally, I think she forgot him too soon because while his intentions were good, he was just too pushy and not understanding. He was thinking of himself. This could be easily avoided with a visit or several letters.

Overall, I really liked this book. I would love to have it on my shelf someday, possibly with some other books by this author 🙂 I would recommend this book to anyone who loves historical romance, heroes with disabilities, scandals and secrets. This hero-being-mute kind of gave me some Archer vibes (Archer’s Vow by Mia Sheridan) and I think readeers who loved that one would like this one as well.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Book 4 in the Wedded by Scandal series. It could be a standalone, but this story follow the cliffhanger from book 3.

Ruined debutante Phoebe runs away from home when her first love takes $ over marriage. She is pregnant and her parents are planning to hide her away until she gives birth and send her child to an orphanage.

Hugh is a mute Marquess living in Scotland. He has advertised for a wife and gets a response from Phoebe. She is appalled at his advert and responds to tell him just that. They begin to exchange letters and ideas about love (he doesn't believe in it, she does).

She travels to Scotland after running from home in hopes of marrying him and keeping her baby. The development of their relationship from near strangers to friends (and spouses) to lovers is lovely.

I appreciate the thought put into helping both characters grow into the roles they take on, as spouses and parents. She learns sign language so that they can better communicate and he supports her needs as a pregnant lady and new mother. There is so much care and concern for one another in these characters and it was lovely to read.

There are some angsty trust issues that come up when Phoebe's family tries to reclaim her, and we get to see her developmwnt from an unsure dutiful daughter to a strong woman and mother. I also liked that Hugh was never an impulsive, reactive jerk when Phoebe is tempted by a life without him. (Wow, is the bar that low?)

Some of the story is a little uneven, with Hugh's brother, who just never makes it to the story. And I would have liked a little more of Caroline and Hugh's Dad.

I have read this entire series and every time I feel like this one is my fav... I just love Stacy Reid! Thanks to Netgally for the ARC.

#WhentheEarlMetHisMatch #NetGalley

Hugh future earl of Albury must marry to appease his dying father, so he sets up a advertisement in the London papers. There he lists his requirements.

Lady Phoebe Maitland daughter of a Duke replies only to criticize him. The correspond back and forth and somewhat become friends.

Phoebe is arranged to marry a much older man to be precise older than her father. Trying to avoid that marriage she acts out Recklessly and becomes pregnant. Her only choice is to flee to escape her controlling parents. Her mother plans for her to go to the country to give birth, then give way her baby.

She Runs away to Scotland to where hugh resides. She then asks him if he'd marry her. He accepts her, and her unborn child as his own. But through their marriage they go through many challenges such as communication, trust issues, and learning how to accept love.

Hugh was born without a voice and is mute. They communicate through writing and eventually she learns how to sign his language. Through his life he has suffered from alot of pain and acceptance from people. One His mother leaves him as child, and two finding out he is a bastard. The man who raises him His step father puts it in his brain that you should never love a woman. Loving a woman will only destroy you. Seeing his mother leave and the pain it causes his father makes him lives by that motto to never love a woman.

In the process of falling in love with phoebe it frightens him and he backs away. Together they must learn how to accept love, and he must learn how to trust. Together they fight for their happily ever after.

*Steam is low with lots a sexual tension.

*Intercourse doesn't happen until later on in the book. But when it happens its amazing.

*great character and relation development

Trope falls under marriage of convenience and in my opinion it's also second chance at love.

I was excited to read this one because —- Stacy Reid. NetGalley kindly granted me an ARC. Since it is a Stacy Reid book expect it to be cleverly written. And it is.

I eead books to escape into a world of romance and happy endings. And I always believe that everybody deserves a love story. I like the hero of this book. He is flawed. I will not divulge the nature of his “flaw”. The heroine is also “flawed” in the sense that she trusted a man with her innocence and he left her with consequences. I did not enjoy that part. So here is where the marriage of convenience comes. It is convenient for the girl. But for me the hero, just because of his “flaw”, was paired with a heroine with a tarnished background. In my escapism induced mind I would have found it more romantic if the hero found someone who people would deem unreachable for him. But that is just me wanting a fairy tale. I am appreciate that they got their happy ending though and Stacy Reid went out of the box in terms of characters for the hero and heroine.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Lady Phoebe Maitland knows that as the daughter of a Duke, she is expected to marry well, but she only cares about marrying for love, and her music teacher, George Hastings, the son of a viscount, should be perfect. After spending a night with him, she fully expects her father to give his blessing, but he refuses, and pays George off to leave. If only it was as easy as that, but there was an added complication from their time together, and now the Duchess is claiming she will put Phoebe in a guarded house, and as soon as the child is born, it will be given away to a baby farm. Luckily, she's been writing letters to a gentlemen advertising in the paper for a wife from a respectable background, and as soon as can get away, she flees to the Scottish estate of the Earl of Albury, where she meet's Hugh, and they marry. Hugh is mute, and the scandal around his own birth and rumours of his illegitimacy have plagued the family since his mother left, and with the old Earl dying, he needs to marry quickly, and have a partner who can help both himself, and younger sister, Caroline, navigate London society. Meeting Phoebe was nothing he expected, and the added complication of a baby doesn't help matters, but Hugh promises to protect her, and the baby, though their marriage will only be one of convenience.

I loved another one of Stacy's books that I read recently, My Darling Duke, so when When the Earl Met His Match became available to request on NG, I knew I needed to apply for it. Reading this book was fantastic, and such a fabulous book for a lazy Saturday morning. I loved the voices of Hugh and Phoebe, and the way they first interacted, through Phoebe taking ownership of Hugh's dog, Wolf, after an illness, to the witty banter through the letters between them, was perfect to break the ice. Their chemistry was vividly clear, and Phoebe's relationships with her father- and sister-in-law was wonderful, and showed how important she was becoming to her new family, who wholly appreciated her, unlike her parents. Some of the angst and plot points were a little obvious, but all in all I really enjoyed the book.

I have read one Stacy Reid book before and was blown away by it. This book did not disappoint. Hugh was a dream of a hero, incredibly kind and noble. Most of this book was people being tender to each other so if you need an escape from the world right now, this book will make you warm all over--and quite hot in places at times too! I loved the clever opening, the way they "met" was so fun and demonstrated their characters immediately. The love scenes were so sensual and emotional. For nearly the entire book I had a knot of emotion in my chest. I'm a sucker for the soul mate trope and the reserved but kind hero who slowly unfurls. So much to love in this book--the thoughtful way the hero and heroine talk to each other for a lot of the book, a mute hero whose disability the author handles respectfully, the protector trope. Swoon, swoon, swoon. This book was more of a slow burn than the spicier book of hers I'd first read, but the emotional payoff when the sex scenes came was incredible. Stacy Reid knows how to evoke emotion! She wove a clever plot that never felt boring or excessive. Every sentence had me saying "yes". I will be reading all of her books!

A little fraught, a little too. much handwringing, but overall, I loved it! The book's plot is a fresh, original one and the characters are (generally) lovely and likeable. This is the perfect book to read before bed: comforting, interesting and well-written. I heartily recommend that readers give it a go.