I am a big fan of Romance books and I found this one to be a very enjoyable read. I will be looking for more books from this author.

I had been looking forward to reading this one for a while and it did not disappoint!

Our main character Ophelia has been living as her dead twin brother Adam for many years to avoid being married off and waiting to claim an inheritance. She is working for Calvin as his steward, until Cal discovers her secret.

This book is so great! It totally gave me As You Like It and She’s the Man vibes!! As Bethany puts it - this book is the perfect woman wears the pant story! If you love a strong female protagonist - this one is definitely for you. I love the attraction Cal has to her and how it grows the more he gets to know the real Ophelia. This was a fun read!

Thank you so much to @readforeverpub and @netgalley for my copies of this book!

Great story with fun characters. Some of their actions annoyed me, but I was happy with the HFN ending. I wish the epilogue was more in the future 🙃

Full RTC

This was an enjoyable regency romance with a hidden identity and a friends to lovers (with a twist)vibe.

Phee/Adam was a badass who assumed her brother’s identity to avoid being sold off to marriage at a young age by her uncle Milton who is simply awful. In order to receive her inheritance and finally to be able to live as her true self she just has to keep up the charade for a bit longer.

Finding employment with Cal, an earl, the two develop a close friendship despite their different stations in life. When Cal finally discovers Phee’s secret, his instant acceptance made me love him even more than when he was only fretting over his sister and cleaning up his father’s gambling messes.

I wasn’t a huge fan of Emma but she did grow and her friendship blossoming with Phee really was my favorite part of the story.

If you enjoy regency romance with swoon worthy, progressive heroes and strong sassy women, this is one you won’t want to miss.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc. All opinions are my own.

There a number of things that I loved about this story. I will start by saying Phee and Cal were awesome. Their love story was very enchanting and heartwarming. There are a few things that was a little hard to get pass. I found the book could read more fluidly without the elegant/ flashy verbiage.
The book could be more of a page turner and read with an easy pace without the flamboyant wording. I notice that the book had a good length to it. I understand that the writer was trying to tie everything together in the end. But addressing each issue that was of no connection to Phee and Cal after realizing that they love one another could have been summed up in one chapter rather then five or six chapters. In the end the dragged out to the expected union of Phee and Cal.
I will also say that the writer did a great job of capturing my attention with the plot and drama of the story. The story was entertaining and very captivating. The story almost read like a movie.

Harlequin Junkie Top Pick!

West End Earl is the second book in the Misfits of Mayfair series but was good as a stand-alone. This is the first book I have read by this author, and I was intrigued by the blurb. The plot of the heroine dressing up as a male to hide from a hideous guardian can be tedious so I was not sure if it would work out. I was extremely surprised and WOW’d by how memorable it was.

Ophelia “Phee” took on the life of Adam, her twin brother when he died at the age of thirteen. She continued to live as Adam for eleven years without being discovered until one night she was robbed. She was close to reaching the age to receive her inheritance but until then she had to continue living as Adam. She dreamed of the day she could return to being a female again, but for her safety, she had to keep the ruse up. Calvin agreed to keep her secret when he discovered the truth however the attraction between them made it complicated.
Calvin, Earl of Carlyle, was the heir to the Marquess of Eastly who was always into trouble.

Calvin wanted to find his sister Emma a stable and reliable husband except for the attention she was receiving from scoundrels concerned him. Calvin had spent years cleaning up Eastly’s messes so Eastly’s wager of his hand for a horse did not surprise him. He plans a house party hoping Miss Cuthbert can find another man and free them from their father’s agreement. He kept dodging his father and the wedding plans hoping Miss Cuthbert would succeed.

I liked the originality of the identity switches for Phee, they were unique and worked well with the storyline. The book was well written, the pacing was perfect, and the characters were charming. Calvin hid his big heart behind humor and wanted to solve everyone’s problems. Once he discovered Phee’s secret he wanted to fix all her problems but lack of communication with her created problems. Phee was accustomed to relying on herself so trusting and sharing her secrets with Calvin was difficult. This was an amazing book, and I can’t wait for Emma’s story.

I enjoyed West End Earl and thought it was entertaining and unique. There was light drama and witty dialogue and I thought it was a good addition to the series.

Cal was everything in this. This guy could not catch a break with all the different things being thrown at him. I loved him dealing with his dramas and standing up for himself. Phee was something else. She was in a hard place, doing what she had to in order to survive. They are both in the middle of complicated situations but it was presented in an engaging way. I liked learning about her and Cal’s relationship and who Cal thought she was. There was a good build to him finding out the truth and I enjoyed that build. From there I liked their growing feelings, the flirting, and how Cal saw Phee in a new light, and how they tried to figure out their future path amidst the secrets.

That being said, I had some issues. Cal learning that Phee was a woman was very anticlimactic. Her pretending to be a man is a huge secret and that reveal fell flat for me. I felt there were several missed opportunities when Phee shares this with others as well. I was expecting more since her hidden identity was such a big element of the story. There were good secondary characters involved and I liked seeing Lottie and Ethan again, but they felt forced into scenes at times. I wasn't a fan of Cal’s sister Emma at all, she seemed over the top to me. I liked the friendship that Emma and Phee eventually formed, though there were certain parts where I wasn't sure if it was awesome or ridiculous. I thought this was a good historical romance, though, at times, it didn't feel like I was reading historical with some of the descriptions and word choices, it felt more modern.

I feel really torn because I liked all the fun scenes and dialogue and thought there was a good build to Cal and Phee coming together but I had some issues that I just couldn’t let go of. Maybe those things won’t bother others but they got under my skin. Overall, I liked the story and I am curious about Emma so I plan on continuing with the series.

Bethany Bennett is quickly becoming one of my fave historical romance authors and I can't wait for more from her in this series! As soon as I could grab this title I did and it didn't disappoint. I was incredibly excited to get Cal's story and I was incredibly excited that we were getting the love interest who pretends to be a man. That said I did feel like it was a bit unbelievable that Cal and "Adam" were as close as they were for him not to take notice of her.

Though Emma was a bit of a pill in this story, I'm excited to see what kind of story Bennett creates for her in the next in the series!

Thank you so much for an early copy!

Any doubts about promptly reading the second book in Bethany Bennett’s debut “Misfits of Mayfair” series was erased when I first set eyes on the gorgeous cover. My interest was further piqued with the promise of a main character with a secret identity.

To avoid the machinations and abuse of her evil uncle, Ophelia lives under the assumed identity of her deceased twin brother, Adam. For the last two years, Adam has worked for Cal, the Earl of Carlyle — ultimately becoming one of Cal’s close friends and confidantes.

This story has pining, friends-to-lovers, a satisfactory grovel and so much more. I really enjoyed it.

Thanks to @Netgalley for the ARC!

Bethany Bennett is officially an auto-buy author for me. I fell in love with her writing style, wit, and charm, in Any Rogue Will Do, and fell even harder in West End Earl. Cal and Phee were unique, they were strong, and they were genuine characters that you wanted to succeed, both together and just as their own people. The story was adventurous without being far fetched, the characters were well developed and layered, and it was absolutely delightfully sweet and steamy. I gobbled this story up in less than a day because I just couldn’t put it down, and loved reading through the cute moments when Cal realized exactly who his best friend was. It was charming and heart-squeezing, and Cal and Phee (and the rest of the crew!) were just so darn fun. An excellent sophomore release from Bennett, and I can’t wait for the next one.

Many thanks to Forever Publishing for my review copy!

Secret identities, boys who are girls, friends becoming lovers; this book was a tour de force!

Calvin, the Earl of Carlyle has become dependant on his land steward and friend, Adam Hadriwck. These two are inseperabale, so of course when Adam gets attacked after a night out with the Earl and his friends, Calvin is the first to arrive and help him recover… only to discover after 2 years of friendship and working together that Adam is not a he, but a she… and now that he’s looking, what a she she is!

Ophelia has been masquerading as deceased twin, Adam for 11 years. She is so close to reaching her majority and finally getting her inheritance and being rid of her reprehensible uncle forever… too bad that Calvin has discovered her true self and now all her lusty thoughts are becoming a reality as they explore their attraction!

Oh my! I haven’t read a good gender surprise like this in a ling time! I loved how Calvin respects her choices after discovery and they are able to act on their interest on each other. Calvin was my kind of hero. I am a sucker for a fixer and as he tries to fix all his families problems, only ends up making ones for himself! Ophelia’s strength and determination was not to be missed! She wowed me in her perseverance and her willingness to do what needs to be done… even when it wasn’t easy.

This had everything I’m looking for in a good historical romance!

West End Earl by Bethany Bennett is scheduled to release June 29th, 2021.

Thanks so much to Forever Romance and Grand Central Publishing for gifting me with my review copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#WestEndEarl #BethanyBennett #pinkcowlandreads

Second book in the author's first series! I enjoyed it a lot, but not as much as book 1.

Ophelia Hardwick has spent the last 11 years disguised as her twin brother, Adam. After his untimely death when they were young teens, she impersonated him to escape the fate her uncle had planned for her. She returned to boarding school in Adam's place, and then moved to London. She's now a land steward for the Earl of Carlyle, who is kind, and gorgeous, and she does everything she can not to let her attraction to him show. They've become good friends, and Phee values him so much. But, as her 25th birthday nears, and she'll come into the inheritance her uncle has been controlling since her parents death, she discovers a dastardly plot by her uncle to see Adam dead. She doesn't see how she can handle it all herself, so for the first time in over a decade, she has to trust someone else.

Calvin, the Earl of Carlyle, is in charge of his sister's debut season, and he hopes to have her married off soon. Adam has been helping him, and he appreciates the friendly relationship they have, though they are employer/employee. But, with his sister Emma making terrible choices, his idiot father gambling away all their funds, and Adam's secrets coming to light, Cal is determined to keep the people he loves safe. He doesn't expect his rapidly growing attraction to Phee to cause even more issues. Now it's just one more secret he has to keep.

Cal and Phee had a wonderful friendship, and out of that sprang some epic chemistry, once everyone was being honest with each other. I really loved their connection, and how easily they fell into new roles. But, they both had demons yet to slay, and they hurt each other so much figuring it all out. But they were obviously made for each other.

Cal's father was a selfish jerk, and to be honest, so was his sister Emma for most of the story. They each made terrible choices, that impacted Cal's life in big ways. Kingston, Cal's valet, was a delight however, and he was always on the couple's side. We also got to see quite a bit of Ethan and Lottie from book 1 here, which was a lot of fun for me because I love them so much. They are both great friends to Cal, and Lottie especially wasn't afraid to tell him when he needed to figure his stuff out!

There were a few things that didn't really work for me here, and most had to do with Cal and Phee's separation: both the length of it, and Cal's lack of action for most of that time. Also, the dispatching of the villain seemed a bit too easy for me in the end. But, these didn't affect my ultimate enjoyment of the book. I loved Cal and Phee together, and I was happy with the end results.

I'm definitely interested in reading more in this series!

3.5 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This was a fun and flirty historical fiction romance set in London.

Ophelia is an orphan whose twin died when they were young. Escaping a cruel and uncaring uncle, she has masqueraded as her twin brother for the last 10 years. She only needs to last until the end of the year, when she will finally be old enough to come into her inheritance and be free to leave London and finally be herself again, a young woman. She works as a land agent for the Earl of Carlyle. It's the perfect job for her, except for the fact where she's hopelessly attracted to him.

Meanwhile the Earl is determined to make a good match for his teenage sister making her debut into society, despite her wild and wicked ways. When he eventually discovers that his land agent "Abel" is really Ophelia, his attraction sparks and he takes her under his protection to save her from the uncle intent on killing her before she inherits.

This was a fluffy, flirty romance that was fun to read. The plot wasn't too in-depth and was pretty formulaic, but I still enjoyed it as a good, escapist read.

I received complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Forever. All opinions are my own.

A stellar second entry in this series. Bennett gives us wonderful characters, a twisty plot, plenty of steam, and lots and lots of heart. Watching Cal and Phee take their friendship in a new direction is delightful, especially with the way they ultimately grow to become a family, including their relationships with Cal's sister Emma. As a demisexual reader, I felt that Cal gave off a strong demisexual vibe, and I think he could still easily have fallen for Phee had she been Adam for real. The friendship very much led to the love for both halves of this couple, and really forms the basis of both some of their problems and their ultimate HEA.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. West End Earl by Bethany Bennett is the second book in her debut series Misfits of Mayfair. To say that Calvin Earl of Carlyle is shocked to discover that his secretary and best friend Adam Hardwick is actually Ophelia Hardwick would be putting it mildly. Phee exchanged her identities with her twin brother when he died tragically at age thirteen to escape being forced into marriage by her nasty uncle. Cal comes to her rescue when she is attacked by thugs hired by her uncle who's intentions have become murderous now that Phee is about to come into her inheritance. The story is a fresh take on the friends-to-lovers trope, and I enjoyed reading this book very much. Its twists and turns kept me eagerly turning the pages to see what would happen next. Steam Level: Medium. Published: June 29, 2021. #WestEndEarl #BethanyBennett #ForeverGrandCentralPublishing #NetGalley #HistoricalRomance #HistoricalRomanceSeries #bookstagram #bookstagrammer

I absolutely LOVED this book! It's definitely on my list of BEST 2021 HISTORICAL ROMANCES! The plot was clever and well thought out, the characters brilliantly crafted and so thoroughly interesting they drew me in from the start and made me want to know more about them.
Now, it's very hard for me to write a review about this story without any spoilers, so I will refrain from mentioning the plot at all. What I will say is this: if you have read the prequel (Any Rogue Will Do), my recommendation to you is to do as I did, which is to read West End Earl without reading the blurb. Go in blind and I promise, you will be rewarded when your jaw drops open in chapter two!
If you have not read Any Rogue Will Do, I advise you to do so first since that book will increase your appreciation of this one by leaps and bounds. That being said, West End Earl can be read as a standalone novel - the story is easy to follow without prior knowledge of the previous book.
I'll also add that this is a wonderful rags to riches employer/employee romance with many twists and turns throughout. It will keep you guessing and the pages turning until the very end. Highly recommended!!!

I read Bethany Bennett's West End Earl last week and it utterly enchanted me. It's the second in the Misfits of Mayfair series, but the first I've read. Ophelia "Phee" Hardwick is living disguised as her late twin brother until she can inherit the money her parents left her from her villainous uncle. When her uncle finds her, her best friend Calvin, Earl of Carlyle, steps in to help.

One of my favorite things about this book was how queer-friendly it felt—especially since not all books featuring this trope touch on it. There were acknowledgments of queer people finding love and happiness together at the time, there were moments when friends or servants thought the hero was engaged in a relationship with a man and there wasn't any homophobia, and as Phee starts to be able to present herself the way she chooses, we see her get to pick and choose elements that fit for her regardless of gender. We see through Phee how performative gender can be, and what it feels like when what you're told to do or wear doesn't feel right.

Readers who enjoy friends-to-lovers will want to put Bethany Bennett's West End Earl at the top of their TBR. Bennett centers the friendship between these two characters so strongly that you feel as though Calvin has been unknowingly falling for Phee all along—not simply after he's realized she's a woman. In true friends-to-lovers fashion, the reveal feels as though he's finally seeing her clearly for the first time and appreciating all that he missed before. It's a romance where you truly believe the leads are each other's best friend in the entire world, and I loved how that aspect of their relationship was given as much weight and significance as the romantic and sexual aspects.

Like its yellow cover, this book just felt like a beam of light and joy as I read it. I cannot wait to go back and read the first book in the series, Any Rogue Will Do.

London - 1820

Calvin, (Cal) the Earl of Carlyle, is watching over his sister, Emma, 18, at Almacks. He does not like how the men are leering at the young ladies who are all looking for husbands. Cal’s friend, Adam Hardwick, whom he has nicknamed Puppy, is attending as well. He works as a steward for Cal. Cal offers him 100 pounds to marry Emma, but he must never touch her. Adam declines. Secretly, Adam is Ophelia (Phee) who dresses like a man. She is hiding from her uncle’s wrath. Phee and Adam were twins. When Adam died, the vicar declared it was Phee who has passed. When Phee turns 25, she can claim her inheritance from her wicked uncle. Then, she can move away and become a woman again.

Adam usually feels safe on the streets dressed in his disguise, but one night he is attacked and injured by hooligans. That’s when Cal demands that he stay in his home instead of the little hovel he’s in. Then they head out of town to Cal’s residence for a house party.

This is an OK story. Cal and Adam (Phee) are nice people and hopefully they will be happy together. There are some things that didn’t work for me. How can Cal immediately “see” Phee as a woman only after he finds out the truth from her? Then, he’s immediately drawn to her as a woman. Did he not see many other clues over the time they were together as Cal and Adam? That’s too trite. I think this could also have been shortened quite significantly.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

West End Earl by Bethany Bennett is my favorite historical of 2021. What a delight! It was even more enjoyable than the first, which was stellar itself. Shakespeare nerds like me will be so happy to find a "pants" trope in this novel!

Calvin, Earl of Carlyle is a handsome bachelor who has built his fortune. He cleans up after his father’s mistakes and cares for his sister, Emma. He is giving his sister her first season. Calvin is very likable and smart. By his side is his land steward, Adam Hardwick. Adam is carrying secrets, a tragic past and becomes a target. People see what the are meant to see. Adam is actually his twin sister, Ophelia (Phee).

I love how the plot flows from a slow build to a mystery and plot we have to untangle. The romance is beautiful with a side of danger. I can’t recommend it enough.


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

She's been living as her twin, Adam.

Ophelia is Adam, she's assumed the identity of her deceased twin for eleven years, hiding form her uncle.
As Adam, she is friends and land steward to Calvin, who is trying to successfully marry off his sister.
It's been a while since I've read a book where the girl is a guy. But this one was well done, she had the right motivation and committed to being her twin, Adam.

Calvin is the typical over protective brother. I found I was surprised he failed to notice Ophelia was Adam, but it works, because she is Adam. Calvin is atoning for the sins of his father (he got around and has many by-blows in society).

I liked the complex, well thought out and crafted characters. Fresh and engaging.
Recommend.