This is the first book I've read by this author but it won't be the last.
This is a funny and witty book with a tendency for the absurd.
Edward and Diana are too funny and absurdly right for each other.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

I thoroughly enjoyed the idea of a friends-to-lovers, second chance romance between Edward and Diana. They were both very charming, although I do wish we could have received more scenes from when they were younger to truly understand the strength of their relationship. It was frequently mentioned how close they were as children but that was never actually demonstrated by e.g. incorporating flashbacks. I did, however, like the inclusion of well-written side characters like Diana's brother. I would recommend the book for anyone who wants a "light read" and a sweet, happy ending.

Compared to the previous book in the series, this one is quite disappointing.
It was a little bit hard to get into in the beginning, there were a lot of mundane day-to-day details mentioned, i was getting a little bit bored.
The storyline although well written, it was so unoriginal, the plot was such a cliche, which I'm not usually opposed to, but i was expecting more of the author to be honest.
The characters were okay, the main female was nice enough, but overly perfect in my opinion, the main male was so self-absorbed, he was unrespectful and gruff.
The ending was so... Childish?!
Overall, an okay read.
* I received an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review via netgalley and the publisher*

I found this to be an enjoyable novel. Veronica Crowe's tone is very quippy and witty which gave a delightful lighthearted humor to the over all story. Crowe's pace clipped along fairly quickly and her writing was very accessible. I found the characters and the situations to be interesting and fun. This is a second chance romance between our hero and heroine and they both spend most of the novel struggling inside themselves with if the other person truly loves them. Through some silly situations and charming meddling from a loving mother, these two are bound to find their happily ever after.

Diana, the heroine, is the toast of the ton and has been for seven years, but she refuses to entertain any suitors and instead has been focused on her investigation business and charity work. Diana is a hard worker and has a very smart mind and she refuses to give up the work she does for a husband, she has also been pining for Edward, the hero since he went away 7 years ago. Edward, has been hard at work running his family shipping business in America (because his aristocratic family knows that they need more sources of income than just managing the land they rent out) and working hard to grow into a strong and successful man that Diana can be proud of. From afar both Diana and Edward have been nursing their feelings and never truly expressing them to the other, so when they are reunited they both find themselves on uncertain footing with each other.

Crowe intermixes a bit of Diana's investigation work, which she originally started with Edward, through out the novel and I found this to be a bit of fun, I would have liked to perhaps see more of this or perhaps Edward joining her on a mission to show their relationship growing stronger. I did really enjoy their re=meeting and the situation that follows is absolutely delightful because we see Diana in an uncertain position and how Edward helps her and keeps her safe. Diana and Edward's relationship, while sweet, did feel to be lacking a bit for me, I felt like I was told they loved each other 9and had for many years) but I missed seeing more moments where they were in each other's company where their softness and love could have been explored. Their moment of fall out also felt a bit contrived and I don't think it played out the way I would have hoped or expected from a man who is so in love. The climax and resolution does have a bit of fun and scheming around it which really leaned into the over all tone of the story.

Overall, this was a funny and delightful read, it is the first Veronica Crowe novel I have read and I don't think it will be my last. This book has a charming epilogue that gives a glimpse into who the next novel in the series might be about and that definitely have me intrigued.

Edward Huntingdon, Earl of Calverston comes home after a 7-year absence in America with the intention of pursuing his first love. Lady Diana Radcliffe, his childhood friend, and first love is a diamond of the ton, owner of an investigation agency, and remarkably still single after all these years.

I loved how independent Lady Diana is. She's fierce and knows what she wants. Edward sort of breezes back in without ever really announcing his intentions so that adds a lot of tension. The thing I didn't love was their interactions. They were really immature in the way they spoke to each other. At first, I thought this was just the author's terrible attempt at dialogue but her previous books were great. It was kind of disappointing. They were both such strong characters but whenever they spoke, they devolved into children.

There's some steam but the characters never fully consummate their relationship on the page or off the page.

This was my first book by Veronica Crowe and the third in a series. I loved it and immediately went and read the previous books. The first book is the story of Edward's parents and Diana's parents. The second book is about their Uncle Allayne. The second book was the best in this series, in my opinion.

All the characters from 1 and 2 make an appearance in this book and I didn't get a lot of the inside jokes until I read the first two books. The butlers in all three households are cousins and the families often use that to create a spy network amongst the households. It's not fully explained in this book but when you read the other two books, it becomes clearer. Edward's mom intervenes with the lovers and sends bonbons to the other households to keep track of Diana's and Edward's courtship and conflicts.

Also, you see a lot more of Lady Diana and her investigation agency in book 2. To me, the three books could have been one giant book and for maximum enjoyment, I recommend reading all three together. I read the series backward so sort of picked up everything in reverse. Crowe's storytelling shows a lot of promise, there's some hesitation with regards to steam and intimacy but I am sure she will continue to improve upon that.

After making a name for himself in America, Edward, the Earl of Calverston has returned home and is eager to see if his childhood friend Diana is still available. Diana, known for years as the Diamond of the Ton, has many admirers, but she is interested in none. She has a job that she loves and fears losing her independence. Plus, she has never stopped loving Edward. When Edward returns, all of the old feelings come to the surface. However, he rejected Diana more than once when they were younger. Can she really open her heart to him again and risk rejection? Plus, her parents promised her to someone else. Will Edward’s feelings change when he realizes her conundrum?

The chemistry between Edward and Diana is palpable, and their romance is totally swoon-worthy. I love their story – how they started as the best of friends in childhood, how they realized early on that they loved each other, how they spent years apart mooning for each other, never forgetting the wonderful bond and the feelings they had for each other, and how they reconnect as adults. Their banter is excellent, and you can tell how strongly they feel about each other in every interaction. Theirs is an epic love story bound by friendship and family, which is fantastic.

When Edward and Diana see each other again after so many years apart, they each realize that the other has changed. They are no longer children or young adults, and their lives have changed with their maturation. However, this doesn’t change the long-standing feelings they have for one another. Of course, finding their way back to each other proves difficult, angst-filled, and tumultuous.

One of my favorite characters, other than Edward and Diana, is Edward’s mother. She is a force to be reckoned with, and her love for her son knows no bounds. She is a very perceptive woman who realizes that her son has always loved Diana and knows that he went to America to prove he was worthy of Diana’s love. Edward’s mother, Diana’s brother, and many other members of Edward’s family, show how strong their family bonds are throughout the story. They often support and help each other in subtle and overt ways.

Diana’s brother and his friends are other fun characters that add a bit of levity to the story. It seems as if everyone knows that Diana and Edward are in love with each other except for Diana and Edward, and it’s fun to see how the characters do little things to encourage this romance. Diana and Edward are lucky to have such loyal and caring friends and family, even if they’re both a bit too stubborn to realize it at times.

I was so intrigued by Diana’s career as an investigator and wished this aspect of her life were explored a bit more. She is so independent and is steadfast in her determination to keep her job and contribute to society in a variety of ways, but the story doesn’t really delve far into this part of her life. There were also some scenes that felt a little long, and there were times when Edward and Diana’s decisions and actions frustrated me. However, their love story was fantastic and chemistry-laden, which I loved. Thanks so much to NetGalley, Dragonblade Publishing, and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

First of all what a beautifull cover . This is a story about two people who knew each other from when they were young . They both were secretly in love with each other but they never confess their feelings . After 7 years in America he returns to England and he has the chance to win her . At 26 her parents demand that she was to marry a heir to a Dukedom and she has to obey . What will happen when the man who is her real love came back to her life ?
I received this book from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to Dragonblade Publishing for providing me this arc via Netgalley!
This book was, in my opinion, flawed in various aspects:
- The transitions between scenes were confusing at times
- The beginning was not great. There were too many names, information and different timelines, which were not always clear.
- The drunken scene was extremely annoying. Why did she start pronouncing all of the "s" as "sh"??
- This is practically a childhood friends second chance romance, which has so much potential for angst and groveling, but it didn't deliver. Why didn't they circle around each other for a while after he came back to London? That would have been much mofe satisfying than the kiss and proposal that happened instantly.
- Diana's work as a "detective" was supposed to enrich her character but didn't. It felt very detached from her and from the plot in general.
Overall, not a horrible book but it didn't captivate me. Would not reread or recommend.