Zane Browning was never meant to be the Earl of Blacknight. Now his family is imploring him to rehabilitate his less-than-proper reputation, find a respectable wife, and sire an heir. The only woman he wants is Mrs Brina Feld, a virtuous widow with whom he had an unlikely encounter. Zane places a bet that he can win the beautiful widow by season's end, but Brina has a wager of her own: no gambling, no drinking, no cursing. and no women! Who will win their war of wills?

This is the third book in the First Comes Love series, which focuses on three heroines whose first husbands were killed on a sinking ship. The books can stand alone, but the previous couples make appearances.

I like how this book started, with Zane and Brina "meeting" under less than ideal circumstances. Sometimes I struggle with heroes who won't take no for an answer, but this book hooked me from the start and did a good job of keeping me engaged throughout. Zane and Brina were a lot of fun and I enjoyed their evolution. My only complaint is that there wasn't much intimacy after all the build up, and that's a letdown.

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Widow, Reform a Rake, Marriage Wager

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #HowToTrainYourEarl #NetGalley

This is an very good read. The author has done a good job with the story line and character s Zane and Brina. Zane has become the one thing he never wanted to be an Earl. He is thought of as the black sheep of the family. He meets hi heroin when he was in Paris with his cousin whom has run off to marry a unstable women. Brina is a widow and is trying to escape an unwanted suitor at a ball she is attending with her Aunt in Paris, so to escape him she ducks into a room and finds a man tied to a chair (Zane). He begs he to help him and when she does he leaves her with a searing kiss she will not for or him either. Once Zane is back in London his Uncles find him at a club gambling and inform him he must marry which he is dead set against until he steps outside with his uncles and sees the woman who helped him and knows she is the one. But he has to when a bet with her to when her hand.

This was a fun read. I received this book for an honest review from Netgalley.

"How to Train Your Earl’ by Amelia Grey
A Fun Page-Turner Regency Romance
Please note that although this is the 3rd book in the 'First Comes Love' trilogy; it can be read as a stand alone and you will not be lost. Maybe you'll choose to read books 1 and 2 (again?), they were good reads, too! (I went back and checked my story log.)
Meanwhile back to this story. Yes, I really liked this story. A fun contest between past and future involving love, fear, & habits. Can/will love conquer fear and habit? You know how you want the story to end, but will it end your way? Life is a gamble. Happy Reading ! !

Historical romance,part of a series but can be read in it's own. Good characters and an interesting storyline make this an above average story.

The third in a series that can be read as a stand-alone we follow Brina as she navigated life after the death of her husband in a seafaring accident years ago. She is a well respected widow that enjoys running her school for girls as well as helping the local nunnery with their charitable works. After a run in with Zane, the new Earl of Blacknight, at a masked ball feelings long thought gone arise. Zane promises to mend his rakish ways in a bet to win her hand in marriage.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I was so hoping that Brina would find her happily ever after as she was so lost and unsure of her place in the world after the loss of her husband. Zane struggles to find his place within his family and in his mew unexpected role as head of the family. Together they help each other overcome obstacles and find solace in each other’s company. What a delightful ending to a wonderful series.

Amelia Grey has done wonders with these three women. Brina Feld was so sure she would never find love again. Zane knew he wanted no one but her. By agreeing to her terms of courtship she was determined he wouldn't stay the course. He was more determined than ever to prove himself worthy of her. I loved everything about this story and the way Brina slowly fell in love and found herself again.

How to Train Your Earl by Amelia Grey is the third and final book in her First Comes Love series. This was a delightful, yet thought-provoking read. I loved the back and forth between the widow Brina Field and the unexpectedly Earl of Blacknight, Zane Blacknight. The wager Zane placed at White's to get Brina's attention was outrageous. It made for an exciting, fun storyline though.

Ms Grey introduced the practice of crimping, forcing able-bodied young men onto ships or into the military through indebtedness, trickery and such things into her story. Unbelievably in Regency England it was legal. I can't imagine losing a loved one to crimping.

I liked the two main characters Brina and Zane and also enjoyed seeing the main characters from the first two book in the series in this book too.

I received an ARC from St. Martin's Press in exchange for a honest review.

Amelia Grey creates wonderful characters. Brina captured my interest in a previous book in the First Comes Love series. Zane is a fantastic fallen rogue, fallen in love that is. I did not anticipate the wonderful ending that Ms. Grey conceived! It was a pleasure to read this book and I recommend it.

I received an advance reader copy through NetGalley. These are my opinions, voluntarily given.

3.5 STARS

Brina Feld lost her husband five years ago to a sea tragedy. Her husband was labeled a hero for helping to save many passengers on the Salty Dove before becoming lost at sea. Brina now devotes her life to helping those less fortunate including the other widows and orphans from the same event. She is determined never to remarry and risk her heart in such a way again. When on a whim, she puts away her widow’s weeds and dons a pink ball gown for a masked ball in Paris, Brina comes upon the wild and rakish Lord Blacknight in a precarious position who needs her help.

Zane, Earl of Blacknight, has newly been pushed into a role he never desired nor expected ever to inherent. Zane’s raison d’etre is wine, women, and gambling. As a renown gamester, he is famed in gaming halls far and wide. Zane must change his rakish ways because many relatives and hangers on depend on the unsuitable Earl. When Zane encounters Brina in England, he determines she must help him learn the proper ways and behavior of his status. Brina is pushed into the position when Zane places a scandalous bet that has the ton buzzing which will culminate in their marriage should she lose. Brina’s terms for tutoring Zane, are quite strong: no gambling, no swearing, no drinking and most especially, no women.

Zane has a very long way to go in order to become a proper Earl continually pushing the limits with Brina. She sees no goal to be met in giving up her way of charity and devotion to the poor. Zane’s behavior is the antitheses of that life. She agrees to the bargain believing such a prodigal, who had been wasting his very privileged life, could never live up to the strict terms. While Brina is very attracted to Zane, she does not want to become entangled in a love match again.

These characters were so vastly different in temperament and values that putting the together stretches the imagination. Zane is certainly a product of his time where wealthy men of the ton were often profligate wastes of space so the idea of one having to reform has merit; however, their romance didn’t quite work for me. Brina is certainly a much more admirable character which casts Zane’s personality and lifestyle in relief even further. This story is the third in the series, First Comes Love, but can be read as a standalone.

How to Train Your Earl by Amelia Grey is a must read! This book grabbed me from the very first pages and I could not put it down!

The story begins with Brina Feld at a masquerade ball hiding from the unwanted attentions of a drunk only to find a man, Zane, the Earl of Blacknight, tied to a chair and begging for her to release him. Sparks fly. Especially after he kisses her and leaves. When they meet again, Zane is determined to change his rakish ways and Brina is the only lady who can help. Zane places a wager to get Brina to marry him. Will she play along or refuse him all together?

Thank You NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great Characters. Exciting plot. Cute historical romance between Brina and Zane.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Wonderful story development, rich characters, and a plot that hooks you and never lets you go. I love it when I can immerse myself within a book and just forget about real life for awhile and “become” a part of the story. This book totally delivered!

How to Train Your Earl is an interesting take. The characters will win you over. You'll learn why the lady and the earl didn't think they would want to change their lifes by marrying

**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.””**
The premise of this book sounded so interesting. Initially the characters were great but throughout the story, they lost steam.
I had trouble staying interested in this book and I did not believe the characters chemistry.
The writing was okay but this book was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and ST Martins Press for the ARC to read and review.

This book has a great premise, but I just wasn't interested in finishing it.
Read it for yourself, though. Lots of books are hit and miss for me right now.


From Publisher:
Brina Feld has settled into a life devoted to helping others since the sinking of the Salty Dove left her widowed. She has no need for a man in her contented life. But when the notorious and handsome Lord Blacknight returns and awakens her desires, her peace and serenity vanish. If she agrees to an alliance with him, she knows she will have to battle her heart to keep from being snared under his spell.

Zane, the Earl of Blacknight, was never supposed to inherit the earldom, so he didn’t much care to lead a respectable life before then. Fistfights, card games, and drinking are the order of the day. Now he’s determined to change his rakish ways and he knows the proper lady who can help him. There’s just one problem: He's already bet he’ll win her hand before the Season is over. With her resolve to out-scheme him, how can he show her that his love is true?

How To Train Your Earl
by Amelia Grey
Rating: 4-stars
I enjoyed this story by Ms. Grey, the first novel of hers I have read (and not the last as I now intend to read several more of her novels, especially the two before this one in the series).
Brina is a likable and relatable character. Her husband, who she loved, dies saving others in a shipwreck and while everyone sees her as a perfect widow, she has extreme feelings of anger and sadness. We meet her after she has put herself back together and is trying to live a life above reproach. She has vowed never to remarry or love another man as she cannot bear the thought of going through the pain of losing another love.
Zane just wants to play cards and live his life on his terms. When he suddenly becomes the Earl of Blacknight, he is less than enthused to take on the role. His family is meddlesome to say the least, but they have one thing they agree on: he should get married. They do not have a problem with who he wants to marry, but do not believe he can get her to marry him because she is quite respectable and has indicated no interest in remarrying, whereas Zane is something of a rake.
There is good chemistry between the two leads; however, this book glossed over the sexy scenes which makes me wonder, why put them in if you are going to just gloss over them? I know not everyone wants an erotic novel, but do not build up to something to then describe it in a paragraph and move on.
Also, I wondered if there was going to be some nefarious plot as the three heirs in front of Zane happened to die in the same carriage accident. This screamed “major plot point” to me, but Ms. Grey did not pursue it (not to mention Zane has someone following him for a large portion of the story line). I am not sure if this would have added to the story in its current form, but could have been an alternate focus perhaps.
I enjoyed this read and have added Ms. Grey to my list of authors to watch for new material (not to mention to work through her backlist). If you are looking for an enjoyable, not too angsty romance, look no further.
I received a free advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is the first book I read by this author. I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the plot and characters, though Zane is a bit annoying. I didn't understand why he made the bet to marry her. It doesn't make sense to me. It was entertaining though.

I'll begin by saying that I really like the cover of this book, though it is a bit misleading: it suggests a certain amount of heat in the book when there is practically none. I would classify this book as a "sweet"/closed-door romance, which I don't like. Besides, it's so boring. So incredibly dull, especially after the 50% mark. The characters lack any real depth and their motivations are either unexplained by any convincing argument or just silly. The side character's story involving gambling felt contrived and forced. Zane's family was so annoying too.
It's better than the other ones in the series, but that's not saying much. It's a shame because the first few chapters were interesting.
1.5 stars, rounded down because I feel like I wasted my time.

"How To Train Your Earl" was a fun story. Zane Browning is a notorious rake and the black sheep of the family. He would gladly continue his life of drinking, gambling, carousing with women, and ignoring "Society" protocols. However, the Earl of Blacknight and the next two heirs died in an accident, leaving Zane as the Earl of Blacknight, a role he never expected or wanted to have. His family is very concerned about his ability to fill the role of Earl, especially as to how it will affect their circumstances and the lifestyles to which they are accustomed. His uncles and sisters are pushing him to get married, in the hopes that marriage will force him to settle down and be more responsible.

Brina Feld is a confirmed widow. Her husband died in a shipwreck five years ago, sacrificing his life to save others, and the loss was so great that she never wants to risk experiencing another loss such as that. Brina is happy with her life assisting the Sisters at the local abbey and helping fund a school for the sisters and daughters of the men who lost their lives in the shipwreck and who did not have the benefit of Society wealth and influence to ensure a quality education and occupation.

Brina and Zane had a brief but intense chance meeting in Paris, though it was at a masquerade ball, so they did not know the identity of the other. Back in London, Zane sees Brina out walking with her students, recognizes her, and asks his uncles her identity. They quickly inform him that Brina Feld is not an option -- men much better than him had failed in their efforts to court her.

Zane decides Brina would be the perfect choice to marry and to teach him to be respectable. To get her attention, he places a bet at a gentleman's club that by the end of the Season, Brina Feld will accept his proposal of marriage. He then proceeds to go to Brina's home, introduce himself, and inform her of the wager. Brina is incensed at his outrageous behavior and wants nothing to do with his plan. However, he continues his pursuit, and while dancing at a Society ball, Brina impulsively makes a counter-wager, and as Zane accepts one condition, she adds more until finally Zane has agreed that for the next four weeks (until the Season is over), he cannot drink, gamble, swear, or be intimate with a woman and if he fails, he has to publicly apologize for his wager. No one, least of all Brina, thinks Zane has any chance of winning the wager, with many people actively betting against Zane.

Of course, Brina has to spend time with Zane in order to teach him how to be respectable, which brings them into more frequent contact than she intended or wanted (especially as there is a definite attraction between them that Brina cannot allow to develop further). The interaction between Brina and Zane is quite enjoyable, especially as Zane often confounds Brina, doing things he knows are improper but also showing her an unexpected degree of caring, interest in what is important to her, and insight into her wants and needs. In their private moments, and sometimes in not so private moments, Brina shows a boldness that surprises her. She also comes to regret the most impulsive condition she placed on Zane.

It is inevitable that something will happen to force Zane to violate the terms of the wager, and that somehow this violation will be overlooked or gotten around. The author was creative in how she went about setting up the forced violation and how she crafted the happily ever after. A book well worth reading.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This book was so entertaining. I was drawn into the story from the beginning and was involved until the end. The characters were complex and interesting. I found the story to be well paced and engrossing throughout the whole book. I was invested in the couple throughout the book and felt all the emotions through both the highs and lows of the story. If you want an entertaining and well written book this is it for you.