I'm a sucker for a good Regency with a bit of steam. Girls Before Earls fits the bill nicely.

Growing up an orphan, Hazel Lively loved nothing so much as books and organization. Her dream was to follow in her mentor's steps and open a school for girls. Finally realizing that dream, she opens Bellehaven Academy, hoping that the wealthy families who spend their summers at the shore will entrust their daughters' educations to her. Her reputation is spotless, and she needs to keep it that way. She also needs to raise a great deal of money from sponsors so that she can also educate some less fortunate girls. Not a problem, until the Earl of Bladenton walks into her office.

Gabriel Beckett's niece has been kicked out of two boarding schools already, so when he hears of Bellehaven Academy, his relief knows no bounds. Bellehaven is far enough from London that he won't have his niece underfoot any longer, and it is in a small enough town that there are few ways she can get up to mischief. All he needs to do is convince the head mistress that she is the perfect candidate for her school - and, to grease the wheels, he offers a substantial sum of money, over and above his niece's tuition. What he's not prepared for is Miss Lively, who is not only far more beautiful than a spinster head mistress should ever be, but she also stubbornly insists that if his niece is to remain with her school, he must promise to visit her every two weeks.

The more time they spend together, the more passion flares. When that passion threatens both Hazel's school, and Blade's heart, can they find a way to be together, even though they come from two different worlds?

I loved Hazel's passion for "her girls". She wanted each of them to realize their own potential, even arranging internships where their gifts could shine. I loved that Blade was willing to overlook class lines and step boldly over them when he found the woman he wanted. All in all, a very satisfying read. I listened to this one, which was also fun.

This is the first book in the Rogues to Lovers series. What a series this is going to be!

It's a fun story with Hazel as our loveable heroine. Hazel puts so much love and care into the school and her girls at the school, so that was a wonderful dynamic to the story. I had a few issues with Blade and what was happening with his life away from Hazel and his niece, but the happily ever after came together at the end;

The tropes included in this story are Class Difference and Working Heroine.

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #GirlsBeforeEarls

This book was a fun historical romance. Love the school, the beach town, the whole guardian relationship. This book was perfect if you want a light historical romance.

I really enjoyed this book! I liked the relationship Hazel had with her girls, and how she really tried her best to do what was best for all the girls. I liked also Blade and how he really tried to eventually make his relationship with his niece work out! And also his heartbreak was so sad! It broke my heart! I'm glad that he was able to find healing and really learn to open his heart! I loved the romance between the characters, and I liked how Hazel and Blade had so much chemistry! Highly recommend this book!

Witty, heartfelt and emotional, Anna Bennett’s Girls Before Earls is historical romance gold!

Having endured the unimaginable loss of her parents at a tender age, Hazel Lively had found great solace in books after a formidable headmistress had taken her under her wing and given her a place at her school. Hazel had flourished under her teachers’ tutelage and vowed to one day have a school of her own. After a great deal of sacrifices, Hazel’s dream had finally come true having opened her own academy for young ladies in the coastal town of Bellehaven Bay. Unfortunately, Hazel had soon realized that one cannot run a school on dedication and a passion for learning and literature alone. With the school losing money and the number of enrollments at an all time low, Hazel is afraid that her cherished dream will come to a devastating end – until Gabriel Beckett, Earl of Bladenton, strides through her door and begs her to take his niece off his hands!

Experience had taught Blade that affairs of the heart were strictly not for him. Having had his heart completely and utterly crushed, Blade has decided on a marriage of convenience. His life is complicated enough as it is and the last thing he wants is to be saddled with a hellion for a niece who has been expelled from every single school in London. Blade is at the end of his tether and Bellehaven Academy is his very last resort – so why is the headmistress Hazel Lively giving him such a hard time and refusing to take on his niece despite of the vast sums of money he is throwing her way?

When Hazel finally relents, her agreement hinges on one startling condition: every fortnight Blade has to come to the school to spend time with his ward. Blade had thought that he could leave his niece at Bellehaven Academy and barely see her from one term to the next, but as he is absolutely desperate, he finds himself with no other choice but to agree to Hazel’s demands. However, little did Blade realise that his niece’s new school will not only help to bring him closer to his ward, but it will also help to bring down the defenses he had built around his heart.

The more time Blade spends in Bellehaven Bay, the more he finds himself falling in love with Hazel – and it seems that the redoubtable headmistress reciprocates his feelings for her. As their attraction to one another intensifies, Blade and Hazel find themselves torn between duty and desire. Will they allow their fears and responsibilities to get in the way of their future? Or will their love manage to triumph against all the obstacles standing in their way?

Anna Bennett’s Girls Before Earls is historical romance at its enchanting best. I absolutely adored this poignant, uplifting and spellbinding romantic tale that sparkles with plenty of charm, wit and humor.

Hazel and Blade are two fantastic characters I fell in love with from the moment they first appeared on the page. Hazel was a strong, resilient and kind-hearted heroine readers will root for and Blade was a dashing, honorable and gorgeous hero I couldn’t help but swoon over.

Anna Bennett is such a gifted writer and with Girls Before Earls, she has written a stellar historical romance that belongs on everybody’s keeper shelf!

4* (rounded from 3.5)


An Education in Love for the Earl


Hazel Lively has made her way, after a tough life, to become headmistress of her own school in the delightful seaside town of Bellehaven.   All she wants is a chance to establish and expand her Academy, and give girls like her a place of security, stability and family.  What she doesn't want is an Earl who's handsome, elegant, adorable yet awkward at times, and resolutely sworn off love and family.  


I really liked Hazel - her backstory, bravery, courage, determination and joy in what she had achieved with her life.  This was a light hearted historical RomCom type story where, as they remark at one point, Hazel and Beck repeatedly say goodbye to each other, but a leaky rowboat, recalcitrant niece, errant cricket ball, regatta exploits and many other events conspire to repeatedly bring them back together.  For someone convinced he will not let anyone become close to him, Beck is remarkably persistent in his pursuit and frustratingly deaf to what his emotions are telling him, whilst Hazel also needs to learn not to be as closed off as she has become in order to survive.  However, despite their decisions and intentions, romantic schoolgirls will intervene……  


This was an engaging light easy read although I felt that with Hazel's character and story she seemed to succumb incredibly quickly to temptation and risky behaviours that didn't seem to match her professed desires for the school and its reputation, the doctor's interest wasn't really used to its full potential, and I'm not sure if the intention is to set more stories in and around Bellehaven or if some remarks or references were loose ends (a phrase that was used incorrectly in the book itself).  Overall, enjoyable but I felt it could have benefitted from some tighter editing.


I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

Girls Before Earls
A Rogues to Lovers Novel
by Anna Bennett

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

This book was so fun and unique. This is a historical romance that takes place mostly away from London, in a seaside town which lends a unique charm to the scenery. This is the first time I’ve read a book where the heroine was a headmistress of a girls school but what a great plot base to jump from. Hazel is such a fully demential determined lady trying to creat a family for girls that are missing theirs much as she missed hers after losing them. The earls niece and other school girls and towns people lend to the color and depth of the story and the growth that takes place is wonderful. I admire Hazels standing up for one of her students to the girls mother when her mother seems only to value making an appropriate marriage match but the girl is truly interested in learning. Overall this was a very touching book and a satisfying read. I would love to see some of these characters again to see how they go on from here.
Trigger warnings, parent death, sibling death, past love betrayal. Open door. Significant amount of steam.
5/5

Girls Before Earls by @annabennettbooks

Hazel Lively’s dream to run a school for girls like the one that saved her, is finally happening…if only she could actually find some more girls to enroll. Enter Blade, Lord Bladenton, to the “rescue” with his niece Kitty. Kitty has been kicked out of a few finishing schools and Blade is at his wits end. In order to take on the rambunctious Kitty, Hazel makes a deal with Blade that he must visit Kitty every fortnight. Soon it’s not just Kitty that Blade wants to see, and as he and Hazel grow closer, he soon must decide what her really wants in life: a loveless marriage or a future with Hazel.

I loved this book! It was funny and swoon worthy and I admit, I cried a little at the sweetness of some of the moments. This was my first Anna Bennett book, it will not be my last.

*thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

GIRLS BEFORE EARLS - Anna Bennett

#1 in the Rogues to Lovers Regency Romance series

Plot - 4 stars - Blade unexpectedly has his niece as his ward, and she's a handful. After she is expelled from a couple of London schools, he brings her to Hazel's school outside of London. Hazel, though, likes to look at the child as a whole, so she requires that Blade visit Kitty every other week to build their relationship. But Hazel might have an ulterior motive for the visits since she's unaccountably attracted to Blade.

Writing - 4 stars - Bennett is a favorite of mine because she creates such delightful characters and builds a story so quickly, drawing me in from the first page. This book is no exception.

Characters - 4 stars - Hazel is a proper headmistress of her own school, determined to build it into a successful enterprise. She's strong and intelligent and very appealing as a pleasant but somewhat closed-off woman. The school provides her with a sense of belonging, almost like a family. Blade, a typical aristocrat, wants to drop off his niece and run. But as he gets to know Hazel, he discovers that he longs for her warmth to overcome the sadness of his previous relationships. It's sweet to watch them changing and growing as a result of their meeting. Secondary characters of Penelope (the wicked almost-stepmother), Kitty (the misbehaving niece), the other girls at the school, and Poppy (a local woman who befriends them) all add color and interest to the story.

Title - 4 stars - This is a cute title describing Hazel's philosophy of choosing her school above a relationship with Blade, but with a modern twist.

Cover - 4 stars - A beautiful dress, but draped in a different, more adventurous way from the usual Regency style.

Overall - 4 stars - This is a wonderful start to a new Bennett series and seems destined to be another winner. The characters are very attractive and approachable despite their differences. As is usual with Bennett characters, their beliefs and desires match well, despite their surface differences. I definitely found myself rooting for their romance and hoping for that happily ever after.

I love a romance novel when you are immediately rooting for, not only the main characters to get a fairytale ending, but the supporting characters as well.
It was a story of broken and lonely people creating a family of their own. Yes, it had a bit of a Hallmark movie feel to it but sometimes a feel good story is absolutely needed.
Blade and Hazel were delightful and I can't wait to catch up with them as the series continues!

I absolutely loved this historical romance! The MC's are so well written and really drive the story forward.

I love me some historical romance. Really enjoy it. And I love a slow burn story.

For some reason this only barely caught me. I mean.. it was fun, but also a bit lackluster. I was invested enough to keep going, but not one I would recommend all the time. But also not one to rant over how bad/annoying/frustrating it was.

Normally, I am a fan of this author. I enjoy the way they bring their stories to life; the way the characters draw me in and keep me entertained. Sadly, however, this particular story was a struggle to get through for a lot of reasons.

To begin with, I never really bought into the romance between Blade and Hazel. It seemed more a case of he was an attractive male who showed just a slight interest in her. A few carefully placed words and she threw caution to the wind and allowed him to kiss her in her office where anyone could have seen them compromising not only her reputation, but her school as well. In fact, more than once does Hazel put herself in compromising positions with Blade because of their "attraction".

While this normally wouldn't be a turn-off, the constant back and forth and internal whining of these characters was. It was tiring how they would go from seeing each other and being infatuated to vocalizing all the reasons a marriage between them couldn't happen, to missing each other, and over and over throughout the entire book.

Then you add in not only the lukewarm drama of one mother who goes back and forth on wanting to remove her daughter from Hazel's school (which would be a huge loss), but also the wasted opportunity of Blade's actual fiance (although it's more of an agreed-upon business transaction and less of a marriage), this story manages to somehow not only become more tedious, but leave the reader with more questions than answers.

However, even though I wasn't a fan of this story, I am sure it will still appeal to others, and it will not keep me from reading more from this author in the future.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

A sweet enjoyable slow-burn romance.
I liked Blade and you could instantly feel the chemistry between Hazel and him. Despite having so much going on in his life that he is trying to keep together, he came off being a true hero and one that any lady would swoon over. Just took him soooo long to realize that Hazel was meant to be.
Hazel took me a while to like, I didn't understand her rigidness which came off at times haughty when that was not her background at all. I liked that she was willing to help Kitty who transformed by the end of the book.
The suspense was driven from an unlikely villain and made the tension in this so very good. And the girls at the school provide distraction and some cute scenes.
What I didn't care for were all the misunderstandings and denials which I felt weren't really justified and went on far too long in the novel. While the story read well with not many lags, I did feel it could have been more succinct in many of the scenes and not so dragged out.

Overall I enjoyed this book but it didn't keep me riveted. It is nothing that I haven't read before as far as storyline and troupes but it is written very well and Anna Bennett is a fantastic author whose books I have liked very much in the past. It is a book with sweet romance, slow burn, on-screen kisses, and a book I would recommend.
I received an advanced copy in exchange for my review.

I have mentioned this a few times in several reviews, but I love historical romance. More precisely, I love Regency/Victorian era romances. But lately, I have been going through somewhat of a slump when reading historical romances. So, when SMP requested that I review Girls Before Earls, I jumped on it. Add to my excitement that Anna Bennett wrote the book, and it was an immediate yes for me.

Girls Before Earls had an exciting plotline. Hazel is the headmistress of an up-and-coming boarding school. She needs students to build the school’s reputation, and having the niece of an earl would be just what she needed to get the school off the ground. But, what Hazel wasn’t expecting was that Kitty would be a handful. She also didn’t expect what a distraction Blade would be.

On the other hand, Blade is at his wit’s end with trying to keep Kitty in a boarding school. Bribing Hazel to keep her seemed like the only thing left to do. What Blade didn’t expect was falling for Hazel. But he can’t be with her, no matter how he feels about her. Will Hazel and Blade overcome the odds and be together? Or will they forever be destined apart?

I enjoyed reading Girls Before Earls. It was a fast-paced read that kept me glued to the pages. I needed to know what would happen to various characters in the book. There was a slight lag, but it didn’t take away from how much I liked it.

I wasn’t a big fan of Hazel at the start of the book. But the more I saw her interaction with the girls, the townspeople, and Blade, the more I liked her. I will say that her character growth was good. She went from being this pleasant but rigid woman to a softer woman willing to take risks.

I loved Blade, but I didn’t understand why his backstory was dragged out for so long. I did figure out why he refused to get romantically entangled and why he cut his brother out of his life reasonably early in the book. But to stretch it out for a little over half the book? Nope, that was way too long. But, saying that, he was a good person. He exhausted everything to keep Kitty in good board schools. He was honest with his feelings for Hazel right from the beginning, and he refused to let her push him away. I enjoyed his character a lot, and his character growth was right up there with Hazel’s.

I pitied Kitty. She had lost her parents, was uprooted from the only house she knew, and was forced to live with an uncle that didn’t know she existed until her parents’ deaths. No wonder she rebelled and was a little twit. She was lashing out. Thankfully, Hazel understood that and allowed Kitty to grieve but at the same time provided structure. Kitty had the most character growth out of all the characters. I loved seeing her transformation!!!

The romance angle of Girls Before Earls was well written. It was also a slow burn. Hazel and Blade were allowed to develop their relationship over a few months. They were friends before anything happened. Of course, that made the romance so much sweeter to me.

The secondary characters made the book. But the one that caught my attention was Lady Penelope. She did come across as a villain, but there was just something about her that caught my attention. I hope that she gets her book, and I can learn her backstory!!

The end of Girls Before Earls was your typical romance ending. It left me feeling happy and looking forward to the other books.

I would recommend Girls Before Earls to anyone over 21. There is mild violence and mild sexual situations.

This is the start of a new series.
Hazel Lively did not have the perfect childhood and made it her lifelong promise to herself she would help all the lessfortunate. In order to do this she needs the wealthy people to send their girls to her school.
Gabriel Bleckett (Blade) inherits hos niece and needs a place to send her. He finds one all right in Miss Lively's school.

He makes her a deal she can't refuse. She puts terms on the deal. THis back and forth behavior can leave to disaster or to love.

This was a well written book that really sucked me in. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series

4.5 stars - Girls Before Earls is an engaging historical romance! I especially enjoyed this one because the heroine is the sort of school mistress every young women should have. She is kind-hearted, values experiential learning and fights for every student, as though they are her own. The hero is special because he’s a man of honor (honoring his word, that is), even to his detriment. He’s had his heart broken before, and he’s love-shy. Thankfully, each encounter with the heroine slays his defenses at little more each time. Watching them fight, falter, and fall headlong into love was a real treat.

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

Orphaned at a young age, Hazel Lively learned to cope by seeking refuge in books and keeping her feelings hidden beneath a tough exterior. Now she has opened the school she always dreamed of in a picturesque seaside resort town in the hopes that well-to-do families who spend their summers there will entrust her with the education of their daughters. The more wealthy patrons she attracts, the more orphans she’ll be able to take in. Hazel just has to keep her reputation pristine and work on raising those funds, which should all be doable, if she could stop thinking about the all too handsome earl who has just enrolled his niece at her school.

Gabriel Beckett, the Earl of Bladenton, is looking for a place for his teenage niece since she’s already been expelled from two boarding schools and is very near to frightening away the lady he is trying to court. Blade hopes to enroll his niece at Bellehaven Academy and head back to London. He just has to charm the mistress into taking her on.

With the earl agreeing to pay a much larger than usual sum for tuition, Hazel can hardly decline to accept his niece, but she stipulates that he must come to visit the girl every other week. Blade quickly comes to realize that Hazel hides quite a lot beneath her buttoned-up persona and their verbal bantering leads to an undeniable flirtation that soon blooms into something much more serious. But when their passion becomes a threat to Hazel’s school and Blade’s fragile heart, it seems they will be forced to go their separate ways.

This book was unexpectedly fun for me. Yes, there was a bit of angst and a very convincing villain, but it was glaringly obvious that Blade and Hazel were meant to be together, and nothing was going to keep that from happening. I loved that both Blade and Hazel had issues to work through and underwent a good amount of character development that ultimately brought them together. They were both leery of being hurt but in the end they each wanted the same thing. I really enjoyed how they healed each other and how each worked toward the happiness of the other. I loved that Hazel wanted love and a family and refused to settle for anything less, but I especially loved that she had the courage to be open about that with Blade and to show him that he wasn’t as damaged as he’d thought and was indeed capable of love himself. Sure, both Blade and Hazel got in the way of their own happiness a time or two, but for some reason I was willing to forgive them for it, probably thanks to the maturity of their dealings with each other and that surety I kept feeling that they absolutely had to wind up together. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and its setting, and I’m looking forward to more installments in this series.

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

I really enjoyed this book by Anna Bennett and it actually prompted me to go and get her backlist!

Hazel is the heroine and I loved her. She is smart, caring, and willing to do whatever it takes to protect the girls in her school. When she meets Gabriel, she isn't swayed in anyway to bend to his wants and by standing up to him, she forces him to realize things he most definitely didn't want to.

Gabriel is the hero and since becoming responsible for his teenaged niece, he has had nothing but headaches. When trying to enroll her into Hazel's school, he thinks by using his well known charm he will get what he wants but Hazel isn't bending. She will accept his niece only if he commits to coming to visit her every other week.

Ultimately they come to an agreement and Gabriel keeps up his end of the bargain. As these two characters become more drawn to one another, they begin to realize they are going to need to figure out what is truly important to them and what they are willing to sacrifice. I loved how these two came together and of course, there is an antagonist who I disliked greatly.

If you're looking for a new historical romance with well-developed characters and a good story that will keep you turning the pages, definitely pick this one up!

I really enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting. The book had a lot of humor, heart and a lot of chemistry.