I'm a little torn on this one because it's a solid love story and I really enjoyed the interactions between the main couple, but there are also very strong pester-the-woman-until-she-gives-in vibes. I appreciate that Brina was interested in Zane from the moment they met, but Zane's insistence on making her his despite her expressed desire to the contrary doesn't sit well with me.
I also found side characters to be a bit too one-dimensional. Just pieces put into play to move the main characters into action or exposition. It's a minor thing within the story, but I would have at least liked to delve deeper into why Zane's family are so awful to him. Despite the fact that it justifies his character's actions, I do not see how he could be so devoted to doing his best by them if they're always so dismissive and insulting.
In the end, despite all my complaints, it's a quick and entertaining read that would probably be best enjoyed without all the deep analysis I seemed intent on putting it through.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the early read!

Book 3 in the First Comes Love series and it's just as good as the other two books! This can be read as a stand alone, characters from the first two books make appearances in this book. Zane new to his earldom and doesn't know how a "respectable" man should act in the ton. He picks Brina as the person to help me and makes a huge bet at White's. Brina's not happy about it and counters his bet. Who will win? Well that's for you to decide when you read it! Great story!

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This book is hilarious. Zane has only met Brina once for five minutes, but he's intent on marrying her. First, the attraction between them is powerful. Second, her saintly reputation will convince his family that he intends to put aside his rakish ways and take his new role as earl seriously. Instead of courting her like a normal person and asking for her hand in due course, he places a wager in the betting book at White's. Only afterward does it occur to him to declare his intentions to the lady.

Brina has no desire to give up her chaste widowhood to become a wife again. True, she wants to smash her face—indeed, her whole body—into Zane's. But the loss of her husband five years earlier was too devastating to risk repeating. To put Zane in his place, she says she'll marry him only if he gives up gambling, drinking, swearing, and womanizing through the end of the season. Reluctantly, Zane agrees. Because marrying Brina is the one wager he's determined to win, no matter what the cost.

This novel comes alive from the very first page. It's brilliantly written, light-hearted and fun, yet deeply emotional. The plot never drags and the characters are delightful. This is my first book by this author, but it won't be my last.

My only disappointment with this book was the hero's favorable view of British expansion into Singapore. (At the time, Singapore was a Dutch colony, and the British sought control of the trade route between India and China.) It's one sentence out of the entire book, but it's culturally insensitive. I'm surprised the editor didn't catch it.

Overall, I loved this book. I look forward to going back and reading the first two books in the series.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

How to Train Your Earl
Book 3 and final book in the First Comes Love Series
Rating: 4 stars

How to Train Your Earl was a lovely story about two people who decide to outsmart each other by entering a wager. It took me by surprise that Zane was so open about the wager he had done at White's in regards to Brina. At first I was a little dismayed for what he had done, but as the story progressed I realized that Zane is a sweet and great guy. I loved how much he wanted to change for her, but yet kept surprising her with doing things that were not exactly following society rules. She always gave him a hard time, but in the end she enjoyed it a lot.
The romance was slow paced but I liked well it was done. As a reader I could see that each time they spent together their feelings began to change. Brina's past seemed to be an obstacle because of the loss she suffered but once she opened her heart to Zane it brought them closer together.

Great story and great ending to this series!

Brina Feld was a widow. Her aunt talked her into coming to this masquerade ball. Right now a drunk rake was chasing her down a hall. She found an unlocked room, dashed in, and locked it. When she turns there is a man tied to a chair. He asks her to release him. She walks around studying him and asking questions. He could be a thief or some other kind of disreputable man, She didn't want to let him go if he was. She found out he was o.k. and untied him to go save his cousin. A few months later they again meet but circumstances are different.
Zane Howard Veldon Dormer Browning, Eighth Earl of Blacknight, was a rake, gambler, and womanizer. He had just inherited his title and had to go back to England to accept it. His two uncles and his sister met him at his new house. The family is disturbed because they don't know what to expect. He has always been unreliable, is he going to continue that way? They have a lot of questions. He makes a wager that Mrs. Feld will agree to marry him at the end of the season.
This was an unusual story, it took some very interesting turns. She got very angry about it. She does not ever want to marry again. She enjoys her charitable work with the nuns and children. A very engaging tale, it is fun at times, heart-wrenching at others, and becomes a tear-jerker at the end.
It is a wonderful book and I think most anyone will love reading this amazing author. Great novel.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

”How to Train aYour Earl” is a nice addition to Amelia Grey’s series with Brina, who is determined to remain a widow, taking on the notorious Earl of Blacknight. He’s known for always behaving badly, she’s known as the prim and perfect widow. What happens when they clash and discover what’s beneath the surface?
I liked both characters, although Brina took a little more time for me. I wanted to know what was beneath the facade she showed the world sooner than Grey was ready to reveal it to us. Zane was especially charming as someone who never expected to be earl suddenly getting dropped into a role he doesn’t want, and that none of his family think he can do, yet still making the best of the situation. At times a little more repetitive than I thought it needed to be, and a little long to get to the extra conflict with their cousins, but overall this was a good book. Brina and Zane had good chemistry from the beginning and I liked how they brought out the best in each other

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

3.5 Stars

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary electronic copy of How to Train Your Earl by Amelia Grey. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this book prior to publication. My opinions are my own and nothing has influenced my rating.

How to Train Your Earl is set in Regency London, and it’s an opposite attracts romance. While the characters are likable, I struggled with the pacing of the tale. The opening scene was fantastic, so I had high hopes for this book, and the ending is satisfying, but it has a bit of a sagging middle.

Brina Feld is the heroine, and her character is very charitable. She does not want to remarry and for a good bit of the book, it’s kept a secret. When I learned what she was hiding, it was a bit of a disappointment. I have mixed feelings concerning her character. While her desire to help others, especially the young fatherless girl is admirable, it’s because she holds so much guilt. Not because she has a true giving heart.

Zane is the hero, and he’s the typical Regency wealthy aristocrat. He never expected to inherit the earldom, so he had lived a carefree existence. I do believe he accepted the responsibilities well, but his uncles were unreasonable. I like Zane a great deal.

Now about the romance. I did not sense any chemistry between Brina and Zane. They really didn’t seem to fit together. One of the aspects I love most in Regency romances is the sexual tension that builds between the couple. That is missing in this tale.

If you enjoy historical romances on the mild side and engaging characters and an intriguing plot, then How to Train Your Earl may be an excellent choice for you. While I didn’t fall in love with this novel, I have enjoyed other books by Ms. Grey, including Gone with the Rogue which I adored, so I will certainly look at future books by Ms. Grey. Happy reading!

How T0 Train Your Earl by Amelia Grey (First Comes Love #3) 3 stars

Brina Feld, meets Zane, the Earl of Blacknight under highly unusual circumstances at a masquerade ball in Paris. Zane doesn't know who Brina is (she's masked) but finds out when he spots her on a London street and asks his uncles who she is. Brina is a virtuous widow who normally would give the black sheep of the Blacknight family the time of day, In order to get her attention, Zane lays a wager that she will marry him at the end of the season. This starts a book filled with heavy flirting, frank conversations, and strategic maneuvers Will Brina marry Zane, this is romance so there is a HEA, but how they get there is the fun.

This is the last book in the trilogy and it was not my favorite. It was a nice predictable read with few surprises. I look forward to future books by Ms. Grey.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Paperbacks for this ARC.

I loved this romance! The premise of the First Comes Love series was a sweet one bringing three widows together through the loss and grief of losing their husbands due to a shipwreck. How to Train Your Earl is the final in the series. Each could be a stand-alone, but I enjoyed reading them in succession.

The Earl/Zane is so laughable at times, especially when he is tied to a chair and Brina refuses to release him until she determines he is not a danger to herself or anyone else! Once he recognized her in London, the battle was on! Zane tells Brina he is going to marry her. She challenges him publicly against the marriage. Everyone in London seems to have a stake or bet on the results of the bet/challenge.

Their courtship is adorable as Zane does everything to meet her challenge. Yet, Brina has her own secret of why she does not want to marry again. Add in the underlying concern over their cousins, who are spending time together, becomes real as the two male cousins seem to get into trouble together. Then, the resulting love affair between Zane and Brina is overshadowed by their cousins’ difficulties causing a huge rift. But, the HEA is adorable.

I fell in love with the cover of their book but really really struggled with the story. I could not for the life of me get into it. I honestly read the first 30% and then skimmed the rest because I could not force myself to care enough about the story to give it 3 hours of my life. This was my first Amelia Grey so I don’t know if her writing style just didn’t fit me or if it was just this book. Looking at Goodreads I am clearly in the minority of readers.

In the chunk of the book I read, it managed to commit several of my book pet peeves. 1) It literally start with Brina being chased by a drunk guy, which to come comes across as lazy writing trying to make the book seem exciting. 2) The hero is named Zane which is not historically accurate and pulled me out of the story each time I read his name. If Zane had been a nickname it would have been fine, but nope that was his real given name. 3) The book did more telling then showing. I absolutely hate when books tell rather than show, once again, it’s lazy writing. 4) The hero fell into instant lust and then ruthlessly pursued the heroine with no respect for her boundaries. I felt like he had to wear her down to agree to be courted which she was not ready for. Consent isn’t limited to sex, it needs to exist in all aspects of courtship.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Since a tragic shipwreck left Brina Feld a grieving widow, she has dedicated herself to the service of others and has been determined never to remarry. But when the new Earl of Blacknight arrives in Town, he shatters her peace and stirs feelings she never thought to experience again. She knows any contact with him will threaten the walls she’s built around her heart.

Zane Browning, the Earl of Blacknight, was meant to live a life of carefree enjoyment until tragedy saddled him with the responsibility of the earldom. His occupation as a master gamester must now be set aside and he knows the perfect proper lady to help him adjust his behavior to meet high society’s standards. Unfortunately, his method of getting her attention was to very improperly place a bet at White’s that he would secure her agreement to marry him by the end of the season. She’s determined to outwit him and remain single with a counter bet of her own, but he’s equally determined to prove himself to her.

I enjoy a good reformed rake story and had high hopes for this one but sadly it just didn’t quite reach them for me. Zane had potential to be a very charming former rake and exhibited excellent devotion to his heroine. Unfortunately, he sometimes seemed too weak for me and I kept wanting him to finally stand up to his selfish, nosy family, especially as they kept up with the unwarranted derision against him, yet he never really did. Beyond that, Brina was never likable for me. She was rather too sanctimonious in the previous books and that continued here. She butted into others’ affairs to avoid dealing with her own issues while convincing herself she was helping even when that wasn’t always a case, all the while ignoring those who might actually need her. She came off as not that bright to me and there was all this build up as to the reasons, she felt she must atone and how she is really a terrible person, and that revelation was just very anticlimactic for me. Her behavior was disproportionate to this supposed offense and helped seal my dislike of her. Her lack of faith in Zane and her unwillingness to listen to him, especially after he listened to her, were the icing on the cake. He deserved an apology from her, which he never got, and I think that was a missed opportunity to show her character development from holding herself to a miserably impossible standard to finding herself and love again. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, and she was always this untouchable paragon harping on about propriety in ways that I found repetitive and tedious, while not giving Zane any credit for the progress he made or the fact that he’d had his life upended. Their time getting to know one another was mostly just Brina criticizing Zane and she still had no faith in him even after he’d proven himself to her. There was a promising slow burn here that sadly only led to one vague and lackluster love scene that left me wondering if it had even really happened at all and which didn’t really register as sensual to me. Beyond the characters, pacing was also an issue for me here. The first half or more of the book went by very slowly and failed to hold my attention. Though some intrigue was established, it’s culmination at the end was handled very rapidly and tied up too quickly to be thoroughly satisfying, especially given the way it affected other aspects of the plot. While I didn’t dislike these two as a couple, I didn’t find myself all that charmed by either character and I wanted Zane to get more recognition for actually being a good man and that never really happened. I’ll read other books from this author, but this one didn’t quite work for me.

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

You could say Zane, Lord of Blacknight, and Brian, a widow, meet cute but that's not exactly how it happened. A widow, she was on a rare and sort of secret night out in Paris when she was forced to flee a very grabby lord and stumbled over the bound and gagged Zane, who thanked her with a kiss! Now, he's got both a bet and a heart to win. He wasn't expecting to become an earl and he needs schooling on the niceties of society, which Brina provides for him. You know these two will eventually become more than student and pupil but there's some rough rough spots. He must deal with his family and obligations and Brina, well, she's still thinking about her deceased husband. These are two good characters and there's some humor here which is, of course, always welcome. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A fun read.

How to Train Your Earl is the third and final (noooooooooo!) book in Amelia Grey's delightful First Comes Love series. I loved the first book and enjoyed the second, and I have been looking forward to Brina's story most of all. It was definitely worth the wait! This story stands alone, so don't fret if you haven't read the first two yet. I guarantee you'll want to, though.

Brina Feld lost her husband when his ship the Salty Dove went down. Since then, she has spent her life helping others in need. Attending a masquerade party in Paris with her aunt, while ducking into a room to escape a drunken pursuer, she comes across a handsome man bound in a chair. She assists him, and his thank-you kiss makes her burn, for the first time since she lost her husband. Who was this man? She discovers he is Zane Browning, the Earl of Blacknight. Zane never expected to become the earl; his life beforehand consisted of gambling, drinking and women. But when he sees Brina again, he knows he wants to make her his. He also desires her help in mending his rakish ways. He boldly places a bet that he will win her hand at the end of the Season. However, she turns the tables on him and states in public that she will marry him if he abstains from all his vices until the end of the Season. This is going to be fun!

This was a perfect ending to this delightful series! It sounds like a fun, breezy story, and it was...however, it ended up being quite deep and touching, too. I adored Zane and Brina as a couple. Zane was used to living his life exactly as he wanted, and becoming earl took him totally by surprise. He did want to do right for his family and the earldom, but it was a struggle, dealing with his overly helpful uncles. They wanted Zane to find a helpful woman, so Zane decided that Brina was that woman, especially since he deeply desired her. Brina was content with her life and would have been happy to continue down that road, until she met Zane. She had a secret regarding her past, one she didn't even share with her two dearest friends. But she was able to let go of the past because of Zane. She began to see more in her future than simply service. When it began to appear they could never have the life together they both wanted and needed, it was breaking my heart. But Amelia Grey gave them the HEA they (and WE!) so richly deserved. I can't wait to see what she cooks up for us next.

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 are entirely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the chance to read an early copy of this book!

This is a charming historical that's very easy to relax into. It's low-angst and pretty low-heat (some kissing and one short bedroom scene--I literally did a double-take and flipped back because it was way shorter than what I'm used to). While it is the last book in a series (as I deduced by the presence of our heroine's two married friends), it does stand alone easily. In sum, it is a nice book.

I particularly appreciated that the title actually works! Our hero Zane is a rake and black sheep who unexpectedly becomes an earl after a number of family members die, and our heroine Brina bets him that he cannot give up drink, gambling, and women for the rest of the season--thus, she trains him to be respectable. I kept expecting more angst, but Zane is pretty game--we don't see him with any women on the page even in the prologue, and he stops both drinking and gambling pretty easily, where I thought we might be going down an addiction storyline. And as much as he thinks of himself as a black sheep, his remaining family members are more nagging than despairing. Low-angst worked very well for my brain, but I could see other readers wanting way more drama.

I also liked our heroine, whose conflict is largely around being widowed fairly early in her marriage and the emotions that come with potentially entering a relationship with someone new. She only makes the bet because she never believes he can actually do it, and he keeps surprising her, which was just a nice change of pace.

This is an easy read that stands out from the angstier trend I've seen in historicals lately, and I had a nice time reading it, but I have a feeling it will slip from my mind pretty quickly. It will work well if you're looking for a light read.

This was a fun read. I found the pacing of this book to be the biggest issue for me. I feel like the parts that I wanted to go more slowly were the parts that were rushed, and the parts that I wouldn't have minded if they were rushed were the parts that went on longer. Maybe I just went in with different expectations, I don't know. I just know that I wanted a little more romance, a little less plot.

This was generally a fun, enjoyable historical romance. There are many others out there like it, and this is the third in a series. I did not read the first two and reading it as a stand-alone wasn’t a problem.
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I liked the premise of this one despite it being a bit predictable. Brina is a widow and has no plans to remarry. When she accidentally meets the Earl of Blacknight, she’s a bit off her guard. The Earl places a bet about where their “relationship” will go by the end of the Season and she gives him a bunch of rules she’s sure he won’t follow. And that’s what I love - that push and pull, the banter.
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Overall, a fun enjoyable read. It would be a good low-key book to take on vacation.
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I’ve voluntarily read this book and the review expresses my own personal opinions. Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the opportunity!

Will she let love retenter her life ...

I wondered a lot about the melancholic Brina in the previous book. I was a bit afraid she would be too demure and meek.
So what a surprise to see her take up the gauntlet thrown at her by Zane ill advised wager.

Their first encounter sets the pace of their relationship, Brina is a reserved woman whose trust is to be won, when Zane is all swagger and game but has to convince her he won’t betray her confidence.
And she plays hard to be won, very determined to see him fail. Not because she dislikes him but because she can’t stand the idea to love again and the hurt that comes with.
She has finally found her rhythm and settled in a life she believes will fulfill all her needs.
Until meeting Zane shows her she has let part of herself go to sleep, and with the right man...
Why she is afraid of him, of herself. She thought she has said goodbye to some of her dreams when she reawakened from her long sorrowful sleep, eaten by her guilt and flaws. She refuses to envisage following the same path again.

Zane, how I loved him.
He has drawn a map for his life until a dramatic accident turned everything down, making him the black sheep of the family its head.
And whatever he wants others to believe about him, he knows the rules, he just does not want to follow them. So upon seing Brina again, he decides to throw caution to the wind and go after this woman who has enthralled him. All the while dealing with his new role.

His talents to play game offer him a different perspective, he sees past people’s facade. Why he is so receptive to Brina’s resistance but also her willingness to unleash her passion as long as there is no obligation at the end. And he only plays to win so while he will follows her to the end of the world, he has to prove her he is to be rely on. His enterprise of seduction is to shun the rules to reignite the spark he has seen lurking in the depths of her soul.
From the moment he decided she would be his duchess, his steps never falter, he will not miss his chance by failing, as his victory is more important than any wager, it is his heart which hangs in the balance.
It is one small victory at a time but will it be enough in the long run when she is so set on her path, scared to open up again her soul to someone else. To give again the power to another to crush her.
A beautiful tale of healing and trusting all in the name of love.
5 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 onscreen soft lovemaking scenes

I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher St Martin’s Paperbacks, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

This is the first book of Amelia Grey’s I’ve ever read so I didn’t have expectations at all. To sum up, I had a lot of fun reading Zane’s and Brina’s story.

The story starts in Paris. There is a masquerade ball that Mrs. Brina Felt a widow of five years attends. She’s prim and proper and she’s still devoted to her husband’s memory, she wouldn’t do anything like this, attending a masquerade in a very bright pink gown, had she been in London. But she’s in Paris, nobody knows her and she’s wearing a mask so, what could possibly go wrong? Everything, because when a drunken man chases her she hides in a room only to find herself in the company of a very handsome and very rakish-looking man, in a state of dishevelement… tied to a chair. The man tells her a story that could or couldn’t be true, she unties him and he, all of a sudden, embraces her, kisses her hard and then flies.

He’s the very same man that, after seeing her in London and learning her name, goes straight to White’s and offers a wager: that he would marry her at midnight at the last ball of the Season, that’s 4 weeks of courtship. She knows now that he his the new Earl of Blacknight, a man named Zane Browning and she knows that he his the man who kissed her in Paris nearly two months before. So trying to gather her dignity, she agrees on several conditions:

No gambling
No drinking
No swearing or cursing
No women

Kisses, after a little negotiation, are allowed, for one can’t go about not kissing ladies’ hands on meeting them. But she didn’t foresee that that would include passionate kisses.

This book was so much fun it felt like witnessing a game. They bet on their hearts even if Brina despises gambling, or better said, not being able to live without. And Zane is stubbornly set on proving her wrong. Also the book was supposed to have Brina teaching Zane how to behave as an earl because he’s new to the role and he barely knows how to be proper or how to follow the rules of society. But in the end we get very little of that, actually what we get is Brina and Zane teaching each other to deal with whatever situation they are in and they’re not very rigid about propriety. No, we have Zane’s uncles for that (they’re great).

There are two main subjects aside from the love story. One of them is dealing with grief and anger after a very traumatic loss (Brina’s husband had died saving other people in a shipwreck). The second one is about gambling and addiction, both giving up on it and dealing with a relative who can’t, doesn’t want or doesn’t know how to give it up and when. How easy is to fall prey to temptations like gambling and how hard it is to stop. And both of the subjects are very well portrayed and handled, Amelia Grey has done her research.

What I didn’t like was how she wrote the passion scene. All of the kisses were incredibly well written. They were hot, passionate, sweet and spicy or everything at once. But I had to read the “is this a bed scene?” scene twice to realize that it was indeed the scene. Now, when the romance is a good one, and this one was, I don’t care for it to have bed scenes, I can go without. And I don’t like when a bed scene is too crude. It is difficult to write a bed scene properly, and I can understand when a writer isn’t comfortable with these scenes, there is an audience for that kind of books, it’s fine. But when a bed scene is written in half measures, and I mean, when the characters are quite passionate and the environment feels hot, and then… that’s it, and the reader needs to read twice… that’s bad. Write bed scenes or don’t, but should never mislead your readers. That’s simply not done. It doesn’t work for me and it kind of angers me.

Also I would have liked that Brina trusted Zane a little bit more by the ending, she should have listened to him. But I can deal with that just fine.

It could have been an amazing story. As it is, I’m happy because it was good, it was interesting, it was somewhat exciting. It was just not amazing.

4 1/2 stars...

This was my favorite book out of the three in the First Comes Love series. Brina and Zane were such a sweet couple. At first glance, they were total opposites, but gradually found that they were more compatible than anyone would have expected.

After seeing the lives of all three ladies evolve throughout this series, I really wanted to see Brina find her HEA. She'd been through a great deal after losing her husband to the Salty Dove shipwreck. The fact that he was rescuing others when he lost his own life only served to break her heart more. She was determined to never love or marry again. Then Zane comes along with a proposition that she's shocked by but yet can't walk away from.

I really enjoyed their banter. In addition, I loved that even though Zane thought he was pushing Brina's "buttons," she managed to turn the tables on him and take the upper hand. She was no "shrinking violet" and it was wonderful to see. There were a few side characters that I could have done with a little less of...primarily Zane's uncles. I found them to be overly irritating. I expected for the intense oversight to lead to another subplot but it really didn't. Therefore, it felt a little unnecessary.

However, as I said, this was my favorite book in the series. I really connected to Brina and Zane and loved seeing their relationship develop. They were both deserving of happiness.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Amelia gray is another fabulous author that is on my go to regency romance shelf. Great book, loved the characters !