Such a good book! Romance, intrigue a truly delightful story! I have to go back and read the first two in the series to catch up!

Captain Charles Wyvern is haunted by the ghost of his subordinate, Major Richardson, the man who saved his life and was mortally wounded while doing it. Duty compels Charles to deliver the news to Rich’s fiancée Sophie a lady he has had the privilege of coming to know by reading her letters aloud to the dying Major. Upon his arrival in London, he discovers (in true Erica Vetsch fashion) that due to the death of a distant relative, he is now the Earl of Rothwell. The title comes with its own burdens, including a manor house with retainers and three orphan girls who need his care. Obsessed with his own desire to return to the sea, Charles initially refuses to embrace his new role, searching only for a way out of this imbroglio and a way back onto the ocean.

Despite her sadness, Sophie’s fondness for Rich and her sense of kindness and duty lead her to continue caring for Rich’s mother “Mamie,” whose wits are beginning to wander. When she accepts Charles’ offer to escort them to a seaside resort, she realizes the pickle in which Charles has been placed. Sophie cannot help taking the orphan girls under her wing, and when Charles proposes a business arrangement disguised as a marriage, Sophie agrees to it.

Rich’s ghost and Charles’ own seafaring ambitions seem to stand in the way of any true romance, but events conspire to force the new couple to grow closer together. When Charles begins to uncover some nefarious dealings on the Rothwell estate, he himself is accused of smuggling and thrown in jail. Sophie must find a way to save her husband from false accusations and perhaps change this marriage of convenience into something more lasting.

This novel rounds out the Serendipity and Secrets series, with Sophie being the determined sister of Marcus Haverley, the gentleman spy from the previous book. It explores a second chance at love as Sophie grieves the death of one man and gradually has her heart healed and transformed to love another. Charles was not my favorite hero, and I found him irritating through most of the book. Both his continual guilt over Rich’s death and his determination to abandon Sophie after their marriage grated on me. Despite this, it was fun to see the finale of the character arcs in the series, and for those who enjoy a fanciful Regency romance with tropes galore, this book will fit the bill nicely.

I am a sucker for marriages of convenience and The Indebted Earl handles the trope beautifully, with just enough angst to appeal to readers without dragging the plot along. I'll admit that I wasn't sure how I would feel about the pairing of Charles and Sophie--there was so much history and grief between them. But I shouldn't have worried at all. Vetsch had me rooting for the couple in no time!

From dear, sweet Mamie to the adorable little Betsy, readers are in for a treat with this cast of characters. It's impossible to read about them and not fall in love with them. Even with feisty Thea and boy-crazed Penny! And beneath the burgeoning romance is a mystery that will leave readers flipping pages, eager to solve the puzzle.

Fans of the Serendipity & Secrets series will enjoy this latest addition, and those who aren't familiar with the series but still enjoy Regency romances will find this read delightful. I highly recommend.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All expressed opinions belong to me.

The Serendipity and Secrets series has overall been a fantastic one and it comes to a delightful end with The Indebted Earl. Charles returns after being injured in war to make amends to Sophie, who had been engaged to a man for whose death he feels is his fault. Sophie is at first devastated and outraged by this news but eventually agrees to be cordial with Charles as he offers to take Sophie and her deceased fiancee's mother to the shore. Once there, he proposes...but just for a marriage of convenience. He intends to return to sea as soon as possible. To her surprise, Sophie agrees.

Marriage of convenience stories are among my favorites. Since they're already married, they spend a ton of time in the home together, even if they don't share a bed until later. With all that time, it's absolutely adorable to watch them slowly fall for each other as they learn more and grow closer. Is that what will happen with Sophie and Charles? Well I guess you'll have to find out! But, it's not all fun and games. The villagers living near their new estate seem to be hiding some secrets, which leads to some major trouble for Charles.

The characters in this entire series have just been all around fun and easy to connect with. You seem some of the same characters throughout but each book definitely focuses on the main couple with the other characters providing supporting roles. While they can be read as standalones, I highly encourage reading the whole series. As a side note, I really enjoyed getting to see Marcus really settle into the role as Duke of Haverly after he was so opposed to it in the previous book, which focused on his own marriage of convenience.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and I'm leaving an honest and voluntary review.

The Indebted Earl by Erica Vetsch is the third book in the Serendipity & Secrets series. I am a new fan of Eric and I absolutely love this series. The story is heartbreaking at times and beautiful as you see these two sad individuals find love.
Captain Charles felt responsible for his friend’s death and visits his friend’s fiancé. Charles is dealing with his own war wounds and doesn’t know what to do with himself. He wants to go back and to sea.
Sophie is devastated by the news and is committed to taking care of the lady that would have been her mother in law. They end up traveling with Charles to his new estate. The romance was slower than some romances but it kept me entertained with the secondary characters when we were not developing the romance. Erica is a new go to author for me.

I received this book from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.

Sophie was introduced as Marcus's sister in The Gentleman Spy. She was so exuberant, and I liked her instantly. I didn't really expect to get her story because she was already engaged and in love and because she was only present in one scene. But I was excited to find out she would be the main female character of The Indebted Earl. However, Sophie's exuberance has dimmed. She is much changed due to her fiance's death. She's become somber in the wake of her tragedy and continuing to help her fiance's mother who is in the early stages of dementia or Alzheimer's.

Charles was Rich's Captain and friend. They were injured at the same time and side by side in the hospital in Portugal. While Charles healed, Rich did not. And on his death bed, Rich asked Charles to take care of Sophie. Charles has been enamored by Sophie through the letters she sent to Rich before and after his injury. But he finds that he admires her even more in person.

Charles and Sophie agree to a marriage of convenience, a business arrangement really. And while I've read marriage of convenience books in the past, Charles and Sophie's marriage really seemed to lack much emotion. While Charles has always admired her and had affection for her from the start of their marriage, Sophie's feelings were slower to develop. She didn't even have the apprehension that most other brides in marriage-of-convenience situations had. I think that is what was really lacking for me. Most brides in these situations have hope of developing a good relationship with their husbands over time, Sophie went into the marriage thankful for the lack of emotion between them. It was a slow-developing relationship and while I read the book quickly, the story wasn't fully driven by the potential of the romance as I prefer.

Favorite quotes:
-No one had told her that grief was so exhausting. Her body felt battered and her mind drained before she even got out of bed in the morning.

-"Duties are not burdens when they are performed out of love.”

I enjoyed The Indebted Earl . It wasn't a typical love story. I still enjoyed it even if I wasn't driven to a frenzy to find out what was going to happen next. I actually enjoyed the mystery where I sometimes find that aspect can get in the way of my feelings toward the book. I loved the orphan girls that Charles and Sophie took in. Each girl had a lot of personality and I wouldn't mind reading about each one in time. Although, I think Cilla might be the leading lady of the next story. The Indebted Earl gets 3.5 Stars. Have you read The Indebted Earl ? What did you think? Let me know!

This is the third book in the series, and after reading the first two books, I’ve really been looking forward to reading this one. I’m a big fan of Regency historical fiction, and while romance is fine, I like mysteries much better. So I like that this whole series has mystery and intrigue. Charles and Sophia are lovely characters and I enjoyed and their admiration and love for each other grew as the story progressed. One of my favorite aspects of trilogies is that we get to see minor characters from the previous books come into their own when they get their own story.

I absolutely loved this series and Erica Vetsch has become a must-read author!

I loved this story. It was hard to read the last page, because I didn’t want to leave these characters behind.

Captain Charles Wyvern is a upstanding person and naval officer, whose greatest desire is to regain his position during peacetime as the captain of a ship. However, he unexpectedly gains the title of an Earl with a large estate to manage. Sophie is grieving the wartime death of her fiancé. Even though she’s the sister of a Duke and could live in luxury, she wants nothing more than to live in Primrose Cottage and resume taking care of her fiancé’s mother, Mamie. Three young girls- Penny, Betsy, and Thea—suddenly find themselves without a parent or guardian. Captain Wyvern and Sophie decide on a marriage of convenience, and Mamie, Penny, Betsy, and Thea become their ready-made family. But there’s trouble heading their way, and Charles and Sophie will both have to face danger to keep their family together.

There’s a bit happening all throughout this storyline, including a series of events that I did not see coming. If you have read the other two books in this series, you’ll recognize some of the characters from those books who make significant appearances in this one. The characters are compelling and the storyline is intriguing. This three book series is one that I’ll be reading again.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I was late to the Erica Vetsch party but I’m fully on board now and anxious to read each book that releases! This series has been absolutely amazing and I love them all.
This one got off to a little bit of a slower start but it didn’t really bother me and I was enjoying the story from the outset.
We knew Sophie a bit from the previous book so I’d already come to like her character but she endeared herself even more when she got to be the heroine of her own story. I loved the selfless way she cared for Mamie and the way she wasn’t afraid of hard work despite the fact that as the daughter of a duke she had every right to consider herself above such things. She loved deeply but she also handled the losses she faced with a grace that I found truly admirable. And her ability to adapt to the curve balls life threw was definitely impressive.
Charles had me from the start. The guilt and pain he faced from his friend’s death broke my heart and I just wanted someone to give him a hug. He had a stoic quality about him, born from living almost his entire life at sea, but I loved watching it crumble bit by bit as Sophie and the girls wormed their way into his heart. He was very dedicated and loyal and I was so happy that he found someone who could match him in those traits.
The romance was more of a slow burn since they had to contend with the fact that her fiancé had died while protecting him, but I loved them together and felt they complimented each other well. I was more than a little happy when they finally admitted their feelings!
Mamie was a sweet addition to the story with her kind grandmotherly ways and the three girls that burst onto the scene midway were definitely entertaining! It was also fun to have Marcus and Charlotte from The Gentleman Spy make some appearances!
All in all this was a wonderful read that I enjoyed throughout! I can’t wait to see what the author has planned next!

Loved it! I've been really enjoying this series. I loved how perfectly Charles and Sophia were for each other and how they grew to love each other. Moreover, I loved the children, how they challenged the adults and brought the best out of them. And how, through highs and low they become family.

The Indebted Earl is the third book in the Serendipity & Secrets series by Erica Vetsch, but can be read as a standalone. I personally had not yet read the previous books in the series, and while I wonder if I might have appreciated the story as a whole more had I read the previous books, I didn't feel like I was lost anyway.

While I enjoyed this story in the end, I must say that it did take me a bit to get into. Again, I do wonder if this might have been better had I read the previous books. That said, it was still a good story... I enjoyed getting to know the characters and found them to be very well written to draw me in to these characters' lives. It was a good blend of romance, with some adventure and suspense for good measure.

Overall, this was a good read and one that fans of historical romance are sure to enjoy.


**I received a complimentary copy of this book for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

I really like this author, her stories are so fun to read! This story proved to be amazing as well! Loved it! #netgalley #theindebtedearl

I have loved this whole series but I must say Charles & Sophia’s story has become my favorite. It is a dual perspective and marriage of convenience tale.
The grief/heartache they both went through that drew them together was so sweet and tender.
Charles is the most loyal of friends and Sophia is determined and headstrong.
I loved the makeshift family they become with Charles 3 wards. The 3 girls characters were a delight to the story.
There is sweet romance, family drama, and mystery woven throughout this whole charming story.
Thanks to Netgalley for sending me a copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed the Indebted Earl very much. It takes place during the Regency era. Its not your typical regency romance. While it has romance, it does have a thread of mystery throughout the story. The story itself is in Devon at a manor house and in the Village nearby I could picture the area well. Having a bit of a mystery throughout really made this story interesting and I wanted to find out what happened.
I thought Erica Vetsch did a great job creating believable characters and bringing them to life. I especially liked Charles and Sophie. It was fun to watch them interact. The girls were adorable as well. Full of personality.

Erica Vetsch does a wonderful job bringing this story to life and creating a world you want to escape to. I look forward to reading more books by her.

I recommend this book to my family and friends.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

The Indebted Earl by Erica Vetsch is the third book in her Serendipity and Secrets series. Lady Sophia Haverly, sister of the Duke of Haverly who we first meet in The Lost Lieutenant, receives devastating news, which turns her world upside.

Captain Charles Wyvern simply wants to be at sea, but the end of the war, his family’s ignoble past, and the death of his uncle conspire against that plan. What he can do, however, is fulfill the wish of a dying soldier. The man who saved his life.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in this series, especially The Gentleman Spy (review coming soon). The Indebted Earl had less danger and adventure to it than the past two books, at least until the two-thirds mark when the intrigue picks up and I didn’t want to put the book down.

I think fans of more typical Regency Romance will especially enjoy this story since it follows those lines more than the rest of the series. It also means you don’t have to read the first two books in order to enjoy The Indebted Earl. Although, the third book does contain major spoilers for the first two books, especially The Lost Lieutenant.

Sophia is a wonderful character and I wish we could have seen more of her brother (he’s my favorite character in the series). Charles was more challenging to get to know, but likable nonetheless. And the supporting cast is a fun collection of unique individuals.

If you love Regency Romance, definitely give this one a read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from JustRead Tours. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC guidelines.

Erica Vetsch has once again penned a spellbinding Regency tale with her newest book, The Indebted Earl, starring Captain Charles Wyvern and Lady Sophia Haverly. Charles has had his life upended with his war injury, the death of his friend, his obligation to his friend’s fiancée, and the shock of becoming the Earl of Rothwell. He has inherited a neglected estate and three orphaned girls. No wonder he’s in a dither.

Charles is a fantastic hero—honorable, noble, and brave. Sophie is sweet, compassionate, and capable. I enjoyed the interaction and the slowly building respect and admiration between the two. The characters are all well-crafted and engaging, and it was fun to see people from the previous two books in the series pop up in this one. Although this is the third book in the series, it can easily be read alone.

Vetsch has become a strong and delightful voice in historical fiction with her well-researched stories and delicious characters. I’m looking forward to more of her amazing books in the future. This series is bound for my keeper shelf.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Kregel Publishers. All opinions are my own.

The Indebted Earl by Erica Vetsch

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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Story Notes

The final installment of the Serendipity and Secrets series is one that will keep you guessing and hoping for the perfect happy ending for everyone.

Given this is the third story in the series, I was excited to see what Ms. Vetsch would do with the stoic but kindhearted Captain Wyvern. He's been a good minor character throughout the other books and I hoped he would get a good story and romance of his own to bring him the happiness he deserves. Having finally returned to England after losing his best friend and recovering from devastating wounds in the first Napoleonic war, Charles is at bit at odds with what he is to do now. The end of the war brought about the end of so many ships of war and the discharge of many sailors and naval captains. For a man who has known no other way of life, this is incredibly hard on Charles to accept. But he has a duty to perform as promised to his deceased friend and thus he sets off to see it done. He knew that his friend's fiance was a beautiful and vivacious woman but he did not expect her to be as gracious as Lady Sophia Haverly turns out to be. Knowing the debt he owes, Charles finds himself offering friendship and help when Sophia and her almost-mother-in-law are thrown from their home by inheriting relatives. And when they decide to head for the coast for a few months, Charles cannot help offering to escort them. Their arrival at his home in Gateshead along the route halts any thought of continuing further on their journey and sets about a series of events that will turn Charles and Sophia's lives upside down. What began as a way to pay back a debt becomes the start of a love story that will be both hard fought for and hard won. I loved the pacing of this story and the mysteries that were included along the way. It carried all the much loved elements of the "regency" era while also bringing some more real and softer elements in. Sophia was a tough but gentle lady, caring for those around her with joy and no resentment. She loved finding solutions and finding ways to help others be and do better. Her more carefree attitudes gave Charles a much needed push to be more open and less stoic. He finds himself making different plans and dreaming of a family of his own for the first time in his life. Their sweet love story was a beautiful thing to watch grow and I loved the ending of the story so very much. I will certainly be recommending this story to others in the hope that they will enjoy it as well. Looking forward to what comes next from Ms. Vetsch.

I received this temporary complimentary E-book from Kregal Publications via NetGalley in order to provide a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

Like many others I have been waiting for Erica Vetsch’s third book in the Serendipity & Secrets series, The Indebted Earl. I am pleased to say that my waiting was not in vain and the book is amazing! The story of Lady Sophia Haverly and Captain Charles Malvern is all that a Regency novel should be. They both meet under unusual circumstances after the passing of Lady Haverly’s fiancé, Lord Richardson. Captain Malvern comes to pay his condolences and ends up taking Lady Haverly and her companion to Devon to his new estate where he is now an Earl. The story is pure Regency with assemblies, romance, wonderful dialogue, a marriage of convenience, smuggling, a setting on the coast of England, and wards that appear out of nowhere. Truly a delight!

Erica Vetsch is now one of my new go to authors for a wonderful Regency read. She has all I love in a Regency novel and talks about God’s Sovereignty in a beautiful and meaningful way. Lady Sophia spoke the questions on my heart lately and ministered to my heart. Truly an inspiring Regency read. I recommend it.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion

The Indebted Earl is the third book in the Serendipity & Secrets series by Erica Vetsch. I enjoyed the first book The Lost Lieutenant and I loved the second book The Gentleman Spy and this third one was the best out of all three for me. Such a great story! The books are all stand-alone so you can enjoy them in whatever order you read them.

This engaging historical romance features Lady Sophia Haverly, the sister of Marcus, the main character from the second book, who makes a short appearance in this one too. Sophia's fiancé Rich dies overseas of battle wounds. His naval captain and friend, Charles Wyvern, returns to England after the war ends and visits Sophia to fulfill his promise to Rich that he would take care of her and his mother. Charles unexpectedly inherits an earldom and becomes guardian to three young girls. Sophie and Charles agree to a marriage of convenience and their life suddenly becomes filled with so much possibility.

I loved the premise of this story that had not one dull moment in it. Vetsch does such an amazing job bringing both the main characters and the secondary characters of the girls and Mamie, the mother-in-law to life. Such good character development, with bits of humor interspersed throughout. The characters are realistic, flawed, and grow with the arc of the story. I was touched by several scenes in this book.

Vetsch writes very well with a good knowledge of the era and its language. The story moved along at a good pace and I could not help but want to read it quickly. I enjoyed it thoroughly from beginning to end.

A feel-good marriage of convenience tale that is sure to please fans of historical romance with a touch of Christian elements. I'm a fan of Erica Vetsch and eagerly look forward to her next book!

Alert: I found that there were some very minor spoilers in the book's summary. While not inappropriate, the details shared could easily go unknown to the reader and abstaining from them could enhance the enjoyment of the story. If you would like to take that course of action, my review will offer fewer specific details.

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The Indebted Earl is the concluding volume in the Serendipity & Secrets trilogy by Erica Vetsch. Like the preceding titles The Lost Lieutenant and The Gentleman Spy, this final tale is one of adventure, romance, and unexpected entitlement. As implied above, I hesitate to offer too many details about the overall storyline. For my part, I began reading the novel with very little knowledge of what lay ahead. My enjoyment of The Lost Lieutenant and The Gentleman Spy was strong enough that I agreed to read and review this novel solely based on my experience with those earlier titles. The assumption was made that The Indebted Earl would be a good match for me. Fortunately, that small gamble paid off.

Similar to the main male character Evan in The Lost Lieutenant, Captain Charles Wyvern is the lead here. He too is returning to his home country from war, although he does not struggle with memory issues as Evan did. He does carry an emotional burden however, and he works through that encumbrance through most of the story. The debt he feels that he must discharge is related to Lady Sophia Haverly, sister of Marcus Haverly from The Gentleman Spy. When they meet she is grieving the loss of her fiancé, the man who saved Charles’ life in battle, Major Richardson.

While paying a visit to Sophie (in part to deliver the deceased Major’s sea chest of belongings), events begin to transpire which rapidly change the lives of the characters. This leads to major life choice decisions emerging on a fairly regular basis. Both Charles and Sophie find themselves in positions they never expected to hold, with their hearts pulled in multiple directions simultaneously.

In the latter portion of the novel, a feeling of uncertainly and subterfuge begins to emerge. Questionable details in the lives and manners of particular characters lead the narrative into an area of intrigue that I did not expect. The story builds to an exciting climatic scene at sea that was positively riveting. Captain Wyvern at the helm made for very compelling reading, and a quiet scene after that perilous episode truly brought tears to my eyes.

Erica Vetsch has produced a fine trio of family-friendly novels in her Serendipity & Secrets series. Not only in The Indebted Earl, but in all three titles she has brought to her readers compelling characters, exciting adventure and intrigue, as well as sweet romance. While these works do have Christian themes that emerge from time to time, discussions of faith are not heavy-handed and involve issues that believers face on a regular basis. Many of us sometimes find ourselves in challenging situations, wondering what God must be up to in our crazy lives. We face murky seas in life, and we ask God for direction, for a heading on our journey. We laugh, we fall in love, but we also face unexpected storms that can test our faith but also prove our mettle. Charles and Sophia are on a similar journey in The Indebted Earl, and it was a pleasure to follow along that odyssey with them. Congratulations to Erica Vetsch, and I am pleased to recommend this series to anyone.