3.5 stars. Audio. Jan. '24

A different take a historical romance. Both main characters are likeable and I will continue on with the series.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved where it wasn't just the earl who decided to pose as a servant. Unfortunately, it all came about because of a bet which probably was not a good idea.
I loved the earl though he was very sweet. I especially loved the scene where he was trying to declare himself.
This was my first book by this author, but I will definitely try her writing again.

This was a fun read, I loved the idea that an earl would lower himself to pretend to be a servant, just so he could find a wife.
Lucas was a great character, with many layers, I loved that he wasn't the usual pompous earl or duke who are so up themselves and filled with self importance. Lucas was thoughtful and kind and treated all people as equals.
Frances was also a great character, she also wanted to marry for love but due to her father's gambling problem, the family were on the verge of becoming destitute.
Frances was very passionate about people who were less fortunate than herself and was very out spoken about their working conditions. All she wants is equal rights for everyone.
Overall this was a fun light read and I will definitely checking out more of this author's books.

Every fortune-hunting female in London is after the newly titled Earl of Kendall, but he’s intent on finding a wife whose heart is true. So, while drunkenly jesting with his friends in a pub one night, he has an idea, he'll pose as a servant at his friend’s summer country house party and make sure the guest list is full of beautiful, eligible debutantes. Miss Frances Wharton is far more interested in fighting for the rights of the poor than in marriage, but her mother insists she attend a summer house party—and find herself a husband. Frances would rather wed a goat than the pompous man her mother has in mind, so in order to dissuade the would-be suitor, she vows to behave like a shrew. The only person she can be herself with is the kind, handsome footman she runs into at every turn. The first in a new series & a well written interesting read. There are lots of lies, assumptions & misunderstandings. Even though there were nearly 300 pages I found it a quick read & I thoroughly enjoyed & look forward to the rest of the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Somehow I missed this little charmer when it was first published. Despite the outlandish premise, (noblemen masquerading as servants at their best friend’s house party), Frances and Lucas are as nice a couple as you will find, and their romance is immediate and sincere. The hurdles in their path are overcome, one by one, and the satisfactory HEA is heartfelt.

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

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥
Humor: Yes, just a bit

Basic plot:
Lucas wants to find a wife that truly wants him for him, and not his title or fortune. He’s been hurt in the past and doesn’t care to repeat that mistake. Frances is being forced to attend this house party by her mother, who is desperate for her to make a good marriage match. Frances cares more about changing political opinions to help the poor than spending time searching for a husband.

Give this a try if you want:
-Regency time period (1818)
-House party! Most of the story takes place there
-Lower steam – there is one open door scene right at the very end, but kisses throughout
-Though not a true class difference trope, it has that feel for much of the story (heroine is the daughter of a Baron, hero is posing as a footman)
-Secret identity trope
-Soldier hero (he was in the navy) and a heroine that is interested in politics and changing the poor laws

My thoughts:
I thought this book was all right. I do love the premise, especially about the whole series taking place during the same house party at the same time. That itself is making me want to continue with the series.

This story is a bit shorter (I think under 300 pages), but it didn’t feel like it was lacking length. I just didn’t end up connecting with either character much. I can’t say I really liked either of them.

The hero was disappointing to me. He wasn’t expected to be the heir, and had served in the navy. He inherited the title when his brother passed just over a year ago. On his death bed, his brother asked him to help get the Employment Bill passed and Lucas will do everything in his power to do so.

This sets up one of the main conflicts for the story. The heroine is desperately against the Bill, and hates the Earl for that reason. She doesn’t realize the footman she has begun a friendship with is the same man.
What got me about this, is the hero didn’t even really seem to know what he was supporting. He only was doing it because his brother asked him to and needed the bill explained to him about how it would actually hurt a number of people. I really want more from my heroes than that. The fact that he would have gone ahead garnering votes for this and not even realized its far reaching implications for many in society was just so disappointing to me. He needs it explained to him by everyone else before changing his mind about it.

The heroine was really, really focused on the Employment Bill. I didn’t really get to know her too much other than that. The word bill is mentioned almost 100 times in the book and I think that’s part of why this didn’t get a higher rating from me – I wasn’t into the non stop Employment Bill discussions.

I was also disappointed that Lucas’ friend wasn’t even going to be honest about how he felt about this bill. Knowing that he didn’t support it, and why, why wouldn’t he try to talk some sense into his friend? Why would he let him think it was a great idea?? It just didn’t make sense to me.

Anything I liked about this book is overshadowed by how much I hated Francis. She was very holier than thou, and they really did a lot to make her seem like she was so much better than everyone, but with most of her interactions with other people she was just awful. Lucas was cute, and he grew as a character, and you saw him as more than just a one dimensional caricature.

Loved this book and couldn't put it down! Ms. Bowman weaves a story full of wit and charm and with so much heart, it is a delight to read. The characters make sense, they are real, and it doesn't take much suspension of disbelief to get along them on their rollicking journey. This was a book which made me fall in love with historical romances again - hats off to the author!

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. The Footman and I by Valerie Bowman is the first book in her delightful new series, The Footman’s Club. Lukas Drake, Earl of Kendall, had his heart broken when he was jilted by a miss who was after a title, and now that he has a title, he can’t be sure that the young ladies of the ton are interested in him and not just his title. He decides to pretend to be a footman during a friend’s house party and so find a bride who loves him for himself. This always goes well in romance novels. Frances Wharton spends her days fighting for the rights of the poor, and her intention at this house party is to convince the Earl of Kendall (whom she has never met but despises for his politics) to not sponsor a bill that will create havoc in the lives of the poor. Her intentions of remaining unmarried are now being challenged by a handsome footman who seems to be everything she would want in a man, but will her affections for him survive when she learns his true identity? I enjoyed reading this lighthearted romp of a story very much and do recommend reading it.

I adore the concept for this series! Three noble rakes, disguising themselves as servants at a friend’s house party…what could possibly go wrong?

Each gentleman has his own agenda for participating in such an outrageous ruse, but for Lucas, the Earl of Kendall, it’s a mission to find a bride who isn’t interested only in his title or wealth. Unfortunately, the one lady who immediately captures his interest and seems to like HIM as a man only, just happens to be on a mission of her own. She’s determined to stop the bill he’s been championing since his brother’s death and makes no bones about the fact that she holds the “Earl of Kendall” in contempt.

Stuck between a rock and hard place, Lucas must battle his conscience for deceiving Frances and his loyalty to his brother’s final wishes, even after he starts to have his own reservations about the bill’s integrity.

This is a pretty straight forward tale of mistaken identity and while the story is very sweet and funny, which makes it well worth the read, putting off the reveal of Lucas’ subterfuge to near the end of the last act and what felt like a slightly rushed conclusion did knock what would otherwise have been a 5 star rating down to a 4.

That minor flaw aside, this was a nice, light-hearted read and with the juicy little nuggets dropped about the other two gentlemen’s adventures in servitude, I will definitely be following this series through to the end.

A fun, entertaining and well written historical romance. My thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the eArc in return for my opinion.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an Advance Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The first book of the series and I am already hooked. When an Earl and his friends decide to masquerade as servants at a house party it is all for their own reasons. Lucas has had his heart broken before and now all he wants to do is find a bride who doesn't just want him for his money and title.

Frances is at the house party to catch a husband - at least that's what her family needs. They are nearly destitute and, to save her family, she has to marry someone rich. One of the candidates, Sir Richard, is truly odious and thinks he can quell Frances' independent spirit.

But Frances is a champion of the people and, once she meets the intriguing footman who seems to listen to what she has to say, discovers that she may have opinions that will better the lives of the commoners. If it's the only thing she does before she is bound in a loveless marriage, she will try and convince the ton that servants are people too.

Little does she know that one of the people she is trying to help is the Earl of Kendall, a man whose politics she despises.

This is a lot of fun, part comedy of errors, part intelligent commentary on society in Regency England.

I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

I read about this trope, an earl masquerading as a footman and was so excited because I adore it. I enjoyed the initial interaction in between Frances and Lucas but as time went on and Lucas still didn't come clean with Frances, I just got more frustrated with Lucas. He has so many opportunities to talk to her and tell her the truth but he doesn't take any of them. Even then I enjoyed the story and the book and I am excited to read the rest of the series. This is book one of the Footman's Club series.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

This book just wasn't for me. I had a difficult time believing the premise...a group of noblemen pretend to be servants during a house party. On top of that there was the female love interest that talked politics constantly.

The footman and I my Valerie Bowman

This is the first book of a trilogy.

Frances is a debutante and a bit of a blue stocking and only interested in the lower class rights. Lucas is an Earl pretending to be a foot man at his friends country house party so he can select a prospective wife where no one knows who he really is.

A well written book set in the Regency .
Which Is a rather fun lighthearted book to read.

Give me all the Regency Romance including this beautiful and fun story by Valerie Bowman! I LOVED the love story, what a fun buildup and the idea of pretending to be servants was something totally different and made the story captivating! Highly recommend!!

I have received an ARC of this book by NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
I don’t have much to say about this book because I didn't dislike it but at the same time didn’t bring me nothing new. I liked the story and the heroes, but I felt like it was not her best work. Maybe I shouldn’t compare them, but I have read other books by this author and loved them, but this one I can not say the same.
It’s a cute story with different characters that want to change something about them.
Regardless, I will read the next one’s of the Trilogy, because I’m curious and maybe the others would bring me more or something.
It took me a while to finished, because I couldn’t read straight, but I finally finished.

I enjoyed this book as a holiday read, leisurely sitting by the lake with a blanket. It was light and fun. Also, a quick read, which given the holidays, was a perfect match; a much needed escape and engaging throughout, I found that I connected more with Lucas than I did with the heroine of the story, and that left me a bit disappointed, I can't truly pinpoint why, but I imagine it might be because it didn't really explain how she became so attached to servants-as-people, unlike all the other's of her station.

I did love how the author focused on how servants/servers weren't recognized or even seen as people. I believe a fact still true today, unfortunately.

I also loved the element of fighting for rights of workers. It brought both the hero and heroine together in the end.

Thanks to June Third Enterprises​ and Netgalley for extending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.​

A whirlwind love story at a country house party. Lucas, an Earl, wants to find a wife who loves him, not his title and money. Alcohol having something to do with it, three friends decide to pretend to be servants at a fourth friends house party. They bet on who is undiscovered the longest. Lucas thinks he can observe the debutantes to see who is nice to the servants. And find an introduction later. He is also determined to pass an employment bill that his dead brother had written. Francis is also at the house party. Her mother is determined for her to marry a rich man. Her father has lost all of their money gambling. She doesn’t want to get married. She is also very interested in politics which puts most men off. they begin to like each other but what will Lucas do when she discovered he has been lying to her all along? I’m looking forward to the next two installments to see how the other two men have been functioning at the same house party.

I love the premise in The Footman’s Club trilogy of these close friends pretending to be servants. You know what is going to happen and Ms. Bowman makes it an enjoyable journey in the first book, The Footman and I. Frances is an adorable bluestocking who wants to change the world of the lower classes by protecting them from an unreasonable bill before the House of Lords. Of course, the one man who is bringing the bill forward is the ‘footman’ she meets and falls in love with at the house party. The footman, or Lucas, or Lord Kendall, whatever name he goes by has gotten himself in a mess once they meet and realize they have a lot in common. They, also, have that employment bill. He seems to play devil’s advocate about the bill, while she is convincing him it is a bad deal for the lower classes.

You know there is trouble when her mother keeps pushing her at another man. Yet, it adds to the problems Frances’ romance. I loved how Frances and Lucas ‘met’ in the library while he was completing footman’s duties. This time allowed them to get to know each other in a different kind of way.

Albina, Frances’ maid, was a bit sneaky. Or, was she just jealous? I do not think I would have been quite so forgiving. But that kindness seems to be part of Frances’ nature.

I am looking forward to reading the other two books in the trilogy!