I could not get into this book. I think it has a great premise and so many fun ideas behind it, but it wasn’t for me. I’m a major mood reader so I think I will have to try again at a later date. If you love rakish MMCs and gorgeous women they can’t help but improve for, this one is for you. I’ll be picking this one up at a later date when I’m properly in the mood.

I read this in snatches over the course of a year, put it down for 2.5 years, and picked it back up again a couple of months ago because I just couldn't get it out of my head. Given that, you'd expect I'd have to reread some of it or even start over, but I was able to just pick it up and keep on. This truly was an open tab in the browser of my brain that whole time.

Anyway, this is my second Amelia Grey read and my favorite. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that the conflicts in this series are not just silly miscommunication blown out of proportion - they're mostly external. As someone who's not a fan of *angst* it's wonderful.

They're full characters, there's a secondary plot line, we've got folks developing overtime and everything. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review is of the published version.

Loved the first two books and this one as well. Brina and Zane is story is captivating, page turning and a lovely read.

Highly Recommend it to all readers.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋
Intimate Scene Length: 🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Scenes): 🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? slow to medium
When mains are first on page together: immediately
Cliffhanger: no, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes (I believe a month or so in the future?)

Should I read in order?
I read this one alone and thought it was fine to pick up like that. The heroines from books 1 and 2 are this heroine’s friends and they have some page time but nothing major.

Basic plot:
Brina has sworn off marriage forever – so she has no idea why Zane would make a bet that he would marry her before Season’s end.

Give this a try if you want:
- Regency (my assumption)
- widow heroine (she’s been widowed for 5 years)
- the meet cute includes the heroine coming across the tied to a chair Earl…
- heroine started a charity school
- hero pursues
- hero wants the heroine to turn him respectable so he can be worthy of his new title
- reform the rake
- low steam – a few kisses and one very vague scene that’s a few sentences long

Ages:
- Hero is 30, heroine is 24

My thoughts:
I struggled a bit in the beginning of this one. It had some things I love, like reforming a rake and hero pursues the heroine. But I also kept waiting for more to happen between them and wanted a bit better build up.

I ended up really adoring one scene where they are in a carriage (or phaeton? Curricle? Something fast….) and they are trying to lose someone following them. The hero tells the heroine to grab onto the waist of his pants and hold on for dear life and I don’t know it was just the cutest scene. I just loved it. It was fun and sweet and such a good tension builder and a bit silly. It made me up my rating a bit.

The steam was such a let down. It’s only a few sentences long with no details in any way. And I feel like Grey really shouldn’t have the covers she has because they always grab my attention but also kind of imply there’s going to actually be SOME action in the book. Yes this isn’t closed door - there is technically a partially open door scene but not something we need to see shirtless men on her covers 😆 Everyone should be buttoned up real tight…

So, overall kind of cute. I did get pretty frustrated with the heroine at the end though.

Zane was never meant to be an Earl and his life was filled with every temptation that took him down the dark path of destruction. Brian would be exactly what he needs to smooth out the rough edges that consume him.

I found enjoyment in this book, although it didn't top my list of favorite historical romances. The premise intrigued me, and I believe it was well-executed. The romantic relationship was satisfying, with great chemistry and engaging banter between the characters. The competitive dynamic added an extra layer of interest. However, I must note that the initial pace was slower than I prefer, taking some time for me to fully invest in the storyline. It's worth mentioning that this is a clean romance, so if you're a fan of spicier narratives, be aware that it doesn't fall into that category. While I generally lean towards steamier romances, I still enjoyed this book. Although not a top favorite, it was an enjoyable read, prompting me to explore the previous books in the series and delve into more of Amelia Grey's works. I highly recommend it for a light and entertaining experience.you

I have tried twice to read this, and while I got further this time than a year ago, I cannot bring myself to continue. I cannot identify anything wrong with the writing, per se. The words appear to flow together in an acceptable way, but they aren't evoking any feeling. The characters feel lifeless and bland. While there's hint of a "big dark secret" in Brina's past, I just get a sense that it is a "big dark secret" only in her mind. While I expect a certain level of sameness in historical romance, as it is supposed to follow a certain formula, this just feels a little too cookie-cutter. I'm honestly just bored and I feel no compulsion to carry on.

This book can be read as a standalone although, it is the 3rd book. This book is about Brina and Zane and their chance at love. Brina is a widow and Zane is a Rake who didn't want to become an Earl and is avoiding society's strict rules. This book carries a strong story line with believable situations. The characters were enjoyable and they were strong but to be honest I especially liked Zane's person quite a bit more. Zane has honest opinions of himself and he lives on his own terms.

While Brina plans to live as a widow for the rest of her life, Zanes goes in pursuit of her. He doesn't back away easy.

The book is well written although can be slow in some parts. I'm giving a 3.5 rounding to 4.

This is my first time reading one of Amelia Grey's books, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew I liked the cover and the premise of this book sounded interesting from what I read in the synopsis. However, I just felt like something was lacking. I couldn't get behind the Zane's, the Earl of Blacknight, motivations and was exasperated with how long it seemingly took for things in the story to actually progress, the story felt too slow to be fully captivating and intriguing. With that being said, I would definitely pick up another work of Grey's as I saw the potential behind this book (the covers are a nice added bonus of course).

3.5 stars
Dragged a little, the ending felt a little rushed...but otherwise was a really beautiful and engaging tale where one got to see the characters as people and they were the focus, everything else happening around them to fill up their world, but it felt like we (the reader) were with them right along throughout. That's not a sensation I manage to get from many books, so to find this here was really lovely and thus made this a very engaging read

Emotionally thrilling, action packed, sweetly sexy and engaging journey filled with interesting charters, witty banter, heart racing twists and undeniable passion.... a thrilling read from beginning to end. Really enjoyed this edge of your seat emotional roller coaster.

Fun book, fast read, great characters. Amelia Gray is one of my favorite writers, so definitely recommend!!

This is the final book in the First Comes Love trilogy. The trilogy follows three widows who create a school for girls as a way to channel their shared grief of losing their husbands in a tragic shipwreck.

Mrs. Brina Feld loved her husband and continues to wear half-mourning. She has sworn off marriage. On a whim, she visits an aunt in Paris who encourages her to go to a masquerade ball. While there, she meets a man, tied to a chair. She releases him, and he thanks her with a kiss.

Zane Browning, 8th Early of Blacknight, never wanted or even thought he would be Earl. Recently returned home after enjoying time in Paris and beyond, Blacknight has more family and responsibilities than he knows what to do with. His two uncles tell him he should marry, and that's when he see Brina Feld leading a group of girls to the school. He decides she is the only one for him. He remembers their kiss and recognizes her eyes. But how to get the lady's attention? By placing a bet at White's that she will accept his proposal, of course!

Brina is not impressed or pleased. To stop the nonsense, she and Blacknight come to a truce. If she reforms him, then she agrees to marry him. If not, then he apologizes in public to her.

This novel has opposites attract and proximity tropes. The hero is instantly smitten with the heroine, and it is a merry chase.

I love how this book grows the heroine and allows her space to truly release her grieve and remember who she really is (without it being all about the guy). The hero is a rake and gambler, and that's a very important plot point. Choices must be made on both sides on how their story ends.

The steamy scenes are yummy and enjoyable. I relished re-reading this book recently. Enjoy Zane and Brina's story. Well done, Amelia Grey! Looking forward to the next series.

Would recommend it, it was addicting! I couldn't put the book down, so many scenes. AH! If only I could throw myself into the book.

This was super fun! I am a huge fan of the genre so this was refreshing and very entertaining. Loved it!

I'm trying to get a little historical romance in my diet and this looked like a very interesting enemies to lovers romances I could get into. Brina is a widow who runs a school for orphans of the same ship-sinking that stole her husband from her. Zane is a regular Rake who never expected to actually become Earl, so he's very good at drinking, carousing and gambling, but not as good at running an estate, He realizes that the woman he kissed once many years ago is Mrs. Feld, Brina herself. He sets out to conquer her, making a very public bet that he would have her acquiescence before the end of the last ball of the season.

The novel starts off adorably, with delightful hijinks and banter. Zane is smitten right away by Brina and is determined to win her, wearing her down until she could be persuaded to marry him. Brina takes a bit longer, since she is still mourning her husband and the public nature of the bet, as well as Zane's reputation makes her doubt his sincerity and good intentions.

The book is part of a series, but I have not read the previous ones. It did not interfere with my ability to enjoy this novel as a standalone, but I suspect I would have gotten more out of it had I read the previous books. A fun, easy read!

Disculpenme, no son ustedes, soy yo, y la cuarentena me cambió mucho los gustos lectores, antes disfrutaba este tipo de libros ahora le busco el pelo al huevo.

Loved it. I’m a huge fan of historical romance books and when my moods strike I’m all about it. So this book definitely hit all the marks for me and my cravings. Beautiful written , great characters and steamy scenes that made my kindle heat in no time. Loved that
Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

Was not able to read the entirety of the book and cannot give an accurate or overall rating/review . As a librarian for a big library system, we most likely have a copy of this item. I will look forward to reading it in future since I am sure I will.

I really loved Amelia Grey's wriiting. I think she is becoming a go to historical romance author that I can recommend for those new to the genre.