Hello,

Apologies for the late notice, but I have decided not to review this title.

While I am certain it's obvious by now, I wanted to also clear this off NetGalley, so it's not showing as open for either of us.

I look forward to continuing to work with you in 2023 and beyond.

Laura

Really loved this book!

It’s original, fresh and fun!

I really like how strong the heroine is in this story. The plot moves quickly and keeps the reader engaged.

If you love Regency romance, this one is not to be missed!

Bethany Bennett's Any Rogue Will Do was an unexpected favorite of mine, but sadly this one just didn't live up to my expectations. I ended up caring more about the side characters than the MCs.

Thanks to Forever and Netgalley for my copy to review.

Lovely romance and delightful, well-written characters make for an enjoyable read in this book! For all of my historical romance lovers and Bridgeton fans, this one is for you!

For fans of Bridgerton and Grace Burrowes, another author comes into the Regency Romance field. Bethany Bennett pens a wonderfully addictive and immersive read that ticks all the boxes that one expects in the regency genre.

Bethany has been a multiple time guest of the podcast. She is a bright new historical romance voice and I really love her writing.

There's a lot to love about the latest in Bennett's series, including a take on the heroine-disguising-herself-as-a-man trope that I really enjoyed the energy of (and that it wasn't some huge dramatic revelation when the truth played out, although I can't help but think there might have been a missed opportunity in exploring Phee's androgynous energy or preferences, or why Cal was drawn to her in a certain way even before he knew she was a woman). And for the most part, I really liked this one! There's a secondary character who initially presents as a little thorny, but then the work is done on-page to help her evolve (shortly before her own book, as it turns out, which I am REALLY intrigued by the premise of). The only aspect that fell a little short for me was the resolution of the external conflict with/threat of Phee's uncle, which climaxed in a way that gave the book a darker turn at around the 90% mark than I was expecting.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the second in the Misfits of Mayfair series, and I really enjoyed the first book, Any Rogue Will Do, so tore through this one with abandon.

Ophelia Hardwick has taken the place of her brother, who died in a tragic accident, and she has spent the better part of a decade pretending to be a man. She’s working as the land steward for the Earl of Carlyle and become a trusted advisor. But while Calvin (the Earl of Carlyle) seems completely oblivious, Ophelia (Adam) is forced to pretend she isn’t ridiculously attracted to him.

But when Ophelia is robbed and beat up, Calvin is looking after her and discovers her secret. Things start to shift between them, but matters get more and more complicated as their dynamic changes. Throw in a house party, meddling butlers, friends and family, matchmaking efforts, and Calvin’s sister who needs to find a husband or risk being saddled with an unpleasant match and you have one heck of a story. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time! So yeah, Bethany Bennett has done it again folks!

Bethany Bennett does it again! She takes your standard trope and flips it, twists it, and keeps the reader guessing until the end. Her take on the woman disguised as man felt fresh and lively. There were moments reading that I thought I knew where she was going with the story and she pleasantly surprised me with her direction. If you were a fan of her first novel, Any Rogue Will Do, you will want to read this book--not just because you'll recognize the characters you grew to love but because on its own, this book is a delight.

Short but sweet review as I don't want to give too much away. This book takes the 'woman disguised as a man' trope and runs off into the night, flipping tables, throwing out red herrings and basically having more fun with it than I've read in the past. The characters are fantastic, charming, and believable, and the amount of detail the author goes into, especially with the way Ophelia passes herself off in EVERY detail, it all just tickled me. You don't have to have read the first book to enjoy this one. Great banter, and a satisfying HEA.

This sophomore offering from Bethany Bennett has solidified her place on historical romance shelves. It touches on familiar tropes in new ways and hits the spot! A very satisfying read with a pants heroine who doesn’t play by the rules and the man who has to learn how to be a partner if they are to get their HEA. Highly recommend!

I read this book months and months ago and thought I had reviewed, but am now seeing that I never did! 2021 has been a ride!

I very much enjoyed West End Earl, I think even better than the first book in the series! Phee and Cal's romance was so charming, and it was lovely to see my favorite characters from Any Rogue Will Do🥰 I did feel like there was a bit in the middle that dragged just a ~teensy~ bit, but I was so enjoying the characters and the vibe that it didn't bother me too much, and it didn't take long to grip me once more. I look forward to Bethany's next book!

For two years, Adam has been one of Cal's closest friends and also his land steward. When Adam is beaten by thugs, Cal discovers Adam is actually Ophelia...Phee. How could he not have realized it before? Phee says people see what you want them to see. She has been living as her deceased twin brother to hide from her sadistic uncle for 11 years. After an accident, with the help of the village vicar, Adam was buried with Ophelia's name on the headstone. Now, Cal can't stop thinking about her and they fall in love. This is usually the end of the story but not is this case. Cal's role in the family has always been the enabler, the fixer. He has always cleaned up after his irresponsible father's messes. Scandals, illegitimate children, gambling debts. This time his father has gone too far but Cal, as usual, to the detriment of his own life, thinks it's his job to fix it. Meanwhile, Phee's uncle is trying to kill her (or rather Adam) before she turns 25 and receives her inheritance. It's not very often the Hero is not a rogue or a rake, just a nice guy trying to do better. Phee is a strong character who knows she can take care of herself if she needs to. I do wonder how a 13-year-old girl could hide this fact at a boys boarding school but I'll let that go! This was a very emotional and powerful story.

I love Bethany Bennett's writing! Her historicals feel so modern, in the very best way. You can tell she's also a romance reader bc she covers all the things that you think "but what if? but why?" when you're reading a historical romance. My only criticism of this one is that it felt more difficult to totally "buy" the premise, than her first book in the series.

I love this author! And this book was my absolute favorite of the series so far! The story is so fun & unique! Ophelia and Calvin are great characters! Ophelia aka Phee aka Adam is our heroine in disguise! She’s been hiding as a steward for 10 years working for Calvin. Calvin is an Earl who’s been focused on finding an husband for his sister….though it hasn’t panned out yet. He feels like he’s always cleaning up others messes. These two are actually friends before Calvin finds out the truth about Adam….he rescues her during an attack. Once the truth is out, Cal starts to lust after Phee. The attraction and chemistry is real between them! They have to be careful though, as Phee has something she’s hiding from. Phee is so strong but struggles knowing how to act like a lady. I love that Cal is actually a beta hero(let’s see more of this)! I think I fell for him myself! The story was just amazingly wonderful! I could t get enough of these two! It was just a joy to watch them fall in love & find themselves! I’m looking forward to the next book in the series & hope it’s Cal’s sister time to shine(and love)! Highly recommend this book book/series!

Bethany Bennett is the newest auto-buy author for me. I freaking adored Calvin and Ophelia. This is one of the best historical romances I've read and I highly recommend it.

West End Earl is the second book in Bethany Bennet’s series Misfits of Mayfair, picking up a few months after the events of Any Rogue Will Do.

The book follows Calvin, the Earl of Carlyle, as he discovers the secret his friend and land steward Adam Hardwick has been keeping from him. Ophelia Hardwick has spent the last ten years masquerading as a man to protect herself from her uncle. As the land steward for the Earl of Carlyle, she’s found safety and freedom. Ophelia’s situation would be perfect—if only she wasn’t hopelessly attracted to her employer. When secrets are exposed, mistakes made, and attractions acted upon, the story takes a lot of twists and turns. Although this is considered a sequel, much like other historical romance series, you do not need to read the previous book to understand the events of this one.

Right off the bat, the attraction between our two main characters was off the charts. Ophelia has been attracted to her employer ever since she met him, and while Calvin has been only seeing her as a friend, everything changes once he learns her secret. I loved the fact that he was so accepting of her and that knowing her secret immediately changed their chemistry from friends to lovers. I wasn’t expecting the romance to start so early in the book, since I’m a big fan of slow-burn, yearning-filled romances, but I can appreciate a fast-paced romance when done right. Bethany Bennet successfully makes Ophelia’s and Calvin’s chemistry good enough to last the entire 400 pages without feeling tiring or repetitive.

I also enjoyed the new side characters introduced in this installment, especially Calvin’s sister, Emma. I thought her storyline was surprising and I am excited to see how her own love story will unfold in the next book of the series. Her friendship with Ophelia is one of camaraderie and trust. Seeing them interact was always fun and endearing.

The only reason this wasn’t a five-star read for me was the conflict and resolution of the plot. I’m no stranger to the “miscommunication” trope, but in the case of this book, it felt very out of place and unnecessary. To me, it felt like it happened out of nowhere, and did not feel like we were being led to it by the author. Because of this, I lost interest in the romance after the resolution and was ready to finish the story by that time.

Regardless, I do recommend this book and the series since I enjoyed the relationships being built and can recognize Bethany Bennet’s talent in crafting them. I can’t wait to see what she does with Emma’s story and the no doubt amazing romance she will give her (it’s what Emma deserves!).

This is second book in the Misfits of Mayfair series. It can be read as a stand alone. It was an absolutely awesome story and I adored every moment of it. In this story we meet, Ophelia or Phee who has been living as her dead brothers' identity to escape her guardian until she can get her brothers' inheritance. She has been employed by Cal, who is an Earl for the last 2 years as his steward. They have formed a deep friendship, and Phee has a huge crush on Cal. When Cal discovers he is a she well thats when this book became so much fun. I loved every second of it.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, I could get into this historical romance. The beginning is incredibly slow and the characters bland.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love historical romance novels and I read tons of them. This one was pretty good, but not amazing. There were a few places where it didn't hold my attention very well, but overall was a decent book.