I received a copy from NetGalley and this is my freely given review.

I really am not sure what to think about this story. There were aspects to it that greatly appealed to me; the plucky bluestocking heroine with the strong sense of independence and pride, hiding a soft heart; plucky misfits trying to find their way in the world; an emotionally distant, but tortured hero. A bit of a Cinderella story.

I found the writing and the ultimate storyline to be a bit jumpy and erratic, and that was a bit of a detraction from my enjoyment of the story. But ultimately, I did find myself enjoying the development of the relationships in the story.

It starts out with the heroine, Hazel, and how she became suddenly an orphan, losing both her parents suddenly at an extremely young age. She comes from very humble origins, and no one willing to take her in. But her parents were aware that she is quite intelligent and were working towards saving for her education and one of the neighbours knew this and brought her to a school to try to get her in. Initially, she was rejected, but then the headmistress changes her mind.

Race forward many years, and Hazel has moved to Bellehaven, and starts her own academy, after being a student and then a teacher at the previous academy, which closed down. She brought with her two charges who are also orphans, and was working hard to establish and grow her school. It is more than a finishing school; she seems to have some rather radical, bluestocking leanings, and likely remembering her own beginnings, wants to offer the opportunity for learning to girls of all statuses, and quite a varied education, beyond watercolours, music, dancing, and etiquette. But she knows that to be financially viable, her reputation must be clean, and she would need rich, paying patrons.

Enter Blade, the Earl of Bladenton, who became the guardian to 15 year old Kitty, when his younger brother and sister in law died in a carriage accident 8 months prior. He was estranged from them, and did not even know he had a niece, let alone what to do with a 15 year old girl. Needless to say, he screwed it up, sending the girl to boarding schools, where she acted out and managed to get herself kicked out of three of them. Go figure; her world is turned upside down, she lost both her parents, her home, and is now thrust into the guardianship of a man she does not know, and does not want her - what 15 year old would not act out, not knowing how to manage their own emotions and grief?

Anyways, he comes upon Bellehaven, and Hazel in his search for another place to dump his niece. Hazel does not want to or have the facilities to run her academy as a live in facility, and other than her two charges from the previous school, her students live in town, and initially refuses Kitty if the Earl was not living in town. But he offers 3x the tuition, and she does need the money and realizes that having the ward of an Earl will raise her worth in the eyes of others too, so she agrees, but makes a bargain with him that he would have to visit with his niece at least once every 2 weeks, realizing that Kitty needs to have a sense of being wanted and having family.

Anyways, he agrees, and over the course of his visits, he develops more of a relationship with his niece, but also Hazel and Blade develop a growing attraction and relationship with each other.

What I found enjoyable about the story was the way the loneliness and loss experienced by Hazel was written about, and how it shaped her, and drove her to develop the relationships with the other girls, and to recognize what Kitty needed. It showed great empathy, warmth, and her desire to make a family with those other orphaned girls really endeared her to me.

But I felt that the story of Blade's past, his estrangement from his family, and how it lead to his current relationships was quite quickly glossed over and not given a lot of import other than that his past deeply affected him and shaped his feelings about relationships.

Generally, I started out not being sure if I was going to enjoy this story or not, but did end up being drawn in by the story and liking it in general, especially the development of the relationships between secondary characters. But then, while the HEA was satisfactory, I was still left with a sense of things unfinished.

So a 3 out of 5 stars for me.

This was rather sweet. I liked the plucky heroine who somehow went from being a penniless teacher to having enough money to open a small girls school in a lovely Regency era beach community. Along comes a sexy early who must find a place to enroll the niece he has suddenly become the guardian for. He doesn’t think he is capable of love, but he’s attracted to our plucky, wise, and kind heroine. Of course he is.

We never see any discussion of the vast differences in their class and backgrounds, but I was willing to suspend that disbelief because I enjoyed reading about her school and students.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

A thoroughly entertaining story!

This is the first novel of Ms Bennett's I've read, and I was pleasantly surprised with the (mostly) engaging storyline. Blade and Hazel's characterisation seemed believable for the most part, and although this historical novel occurs in the era of "prim and proper", I feel the author did well to portray the inner turmoil and attraction, particularly on Hazel's behalf. As a warm-blooded female, I understand the attraction and temptation of an irresistible gentlemen. 😉

Note to readers: there is a little course language sprinkled throughout the book, and a couple of f-bombs near the end, plus open-door scenes between the Hero and Heroine.

NB I received an ARC of this novel.

This was a new to me author. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc of this book.

We have Hazel. A former student not headmistress of her own school. Lord Bladendon enrolls his niece Kitty into the school. Through various mishaps and chance meetings Hazel and Blade fall in love. The end.

While this book had its entertaining moments it just wasn’t very original. I liked it but didn’t love it. These characters aren’t very deep and nothing about them stands outs and shouts believe in me, remember me. Hazel is also super unrealistic to the time period. First, her headmistress owned her own business then Hazel did when back then that was against the law unless married. Not sure how they did that. Second, Hazel goes from an innocent spinster to super confidently sexual in a matter of pages going to far as to initiate sex, like excuse me, and she’d written a book about her sexual experiences.

Overall, if you just need a quick, easy time filler and are an avid romance reader pick it up. If not steer clear!

The story of Blade and Hazel is told very well. I sighed at the romance of it. I loved Hazel and the supporting cast and I thought the story was extremely well paced.

One part that really stood out to me was that the story took place outside London. In fact, I thought the scenes set in London were the weakest part of the narrative and distracted from what was, at heart, a small town historical romance.

I loved Hazel’s desire to create a family with her school and thought that could have been emphasized even more. When the girls made her gown, it might have been the loveliest moment of the novel.

But I have to touch on something that was a problem for me. Blade had a commitment to another woman and he kept that commitment all through the book even as he pursued a serious relationship with Hazel.

I felt Blade was too passive in extricating himself from his previous relationship. He acted like a fly helpless in her spider’s web instead of a man with considerable power. He also publicly humiliated his former girlfriend which was the one thing she asked him not to do.

Because of my issues with Blade, this book went from a four star to a three star read for me. I enjoyed it immensely and readers who have fewer issues with…multiple commitments will, I think, love this novel.

I thank the publishers and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

This was a traditional, trope-filled fast reading, a book that hits the right notes for historical romance lovers. Just a tad too "sexy" for my taste, but I know that others will love this about this book.

We have the mentally tortured hero.

We have a hero that will eventually make the obvious choice.

We have the ambitious and miss understood heroine.

We have a dislikable youngster that changes.

We have lovable youngsters.

And we also have a bitchy female tertiary character.

So, all in all, as I said, this book hits all the notes of an erotica romance.

*ARC supplied by the publisher.

This was just a sweet quiet love story. There was no angst, but I enjoyed it for what it was. Hazel has been through a lot and opening up a school for girls has been her life long dream. Enter Blade and his niece. Blade convinces Hazel to take in his niece, who has been kicked out of two schools already. Hazel has only one condition, that Blade visits his niece every two weeks. Blade and Hazel end up spending more time together the more he visits, and romance soon blossoms between them.

I enjoyed their romance, I liked all the characters, and I really liked the some of the funny moments that happened. I thought the setting was perfect for this story. Different than being set in London. Just a sweet loving story.

“The oldest scars are where the deepest pain lingers…Thank you for not giving up on me. Even when I’d given up on myself.”

After the death of her parents, Hazel Lively has built a wall around her heart. Never letting anyone too close and finding comfort in her love of reading. Determined to help other young girls achieve their dreams regardless of their place in society, Hazel opens a school where all are welcome—the Bellehaven Academy. It is Hazel’s hope that if she can get an influential member of society to enroll their daughter, word of mouth will quickly spread, and she will have all the necessary funds and security to keep allowing her to teach even those who may be orphaned or have no means to pay for an education. She never dreamed that person would be the very handsome Earl of Bladenton. As Hazel helps heal the rift between Blade and his niece Kitty, she realizes that her own soul has taken solace in feeling part of a family…even if she knows a future with the Earl is never meant to be…

Gabriel Beckett, Earl of Bladenton, is at the end of his patience with his niece, Kitty. After the passing of her parents, he has been named as her guardian. But this wildcat has already been kicked out of other schools, and Blade is determined to do whatever it takes to get Kitty enrolled in the Bellehaven Academy. What he didn’t count on was the very orderly headmistress with the sultry eyes making him forget all his plans of marrying out of necessity and never giving his heart to another. Has he finally found the one that can look past his flaws…the one that will show him how to love again?

Oh dear reader how I absolutely adored Hazel and Blade’s story! So sweet…so smexxy…so fairytale like that you will want to savor each page and never get to the end. Loved and highly recommend! Wish I could give more than 5 stars!



**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a decent historical romance. I liked Hazel's determination to save her school and house more girls in need. While the hero could have used a bit more drive and spunk, he was loyal to Hazel and that's what counts.

Hazel and Blade think they know just what they want out of life and what their future holds for them. Until they meet and with the help of some girls their lives have taken on a whole new look. Sweet romance with lovely characters.

The banter is fun, and the setup is unique. I didn't feel like I connected with the falling in love portion. It seemed to be insta-lust, into a relationship. That he is still technically involved with someone else throughout most of the book ruined the believability for me. Oh well. Better luck next book.

Obviously, I was entertained enough by this story that I was able to breeze through it in a day, however by the time I got to the end I was left feeling a bit "meh". It was enjoyable, but overall just found it to be okay, largely because I never felt very invested in the characters and their love story.

They had some fun, quick banter back and forth and great chemistry, but the overall pacing felt a bit off for their relationship. Also, while I understood the storyline of Blade pursuing another woman as his fiancé, I personally didn't care for how long into the story it lasted. I think if the book had been a bit longer, giving things more time to be fleshed out and to develop a bit more, I would have liked it more.

Hazel Lively may be one of my favorite Regency-era heroines EVER! Orphaned as a young girl, she uses her own hardships and experiences to create a school, and family, for other young women.

Honestly, I loved her & her interactions with her students more than I liked the romance in this book. Yeah yeah the earl --- but its WOMEN in this book and their relationships as they learn to rely on one another in this book that made it such an enjoyable read for me.

Hazel has opened a fledgling school for girls in a seaside resort town. She's in desperate need of new students to keep her school open. She's taken in two orphans like her and needs students with parents who can pay tuition. As headmistress and teacher of deportment, she needs an impeccable reputation. Blade, an Earl, appears with his 15-year-old recently orphaned niece, Kitty. She has been kicked out of two other schools and he's desperate to enroll her. He'll pay three times the tuition if only Hazel will take her. A deal is made wherein Blade must visit Kitty every two weeks so she feels she has family. I really enjoyed Hazel. She only wants love and family the complete opposite of Blade. She has a big heart and family to her are her girls and friends. Blade was hurt in the past and doesn't want to love anyone. He's almost engaged in a businesslike arrangement to the horrid Lady Penelope. Hazel and Blade get together and break up so many times it's even mentioned in the book how their relationship is a series of goodbyes. This does drag things down a bit. Blade even asks her to marry him at one point with no mention of love and how he doesn't want children but if it happens they wouldn't want for anything. When Hazel refuses, she loves him and wants that in return, he says he'll move on to Penelope...she's his next best option! He lost me a little there. The setting by the ocean and the activities of the town are delightful. There are hints of future books, Kitty and the architect's grandson, I'm hoping for Poppy and the Doctor, and Penelope? Something made her this way.

Hazel Lively has overcome her orphaned childhood, establishing Bellehaven Academy for Young Girls. When Gabriel Beckett, Earl of Bladenton arrives at her school with his recalcitrant niece Kitty in tow, he’s obviously trouble and so is his niece. While she has forsaken emotions for intellect, Hazel has a soft heart for young girls in need of a home. Despite that, she’s not about to let the Earl abandon his niece so he can go about his rakish business. Blade makes a deal with the intriguing, yet buttoned up Miss Lively that he’ll support the school if she takes Kitty on as a pupil. Hazel agrees, as long as he comes to see his niece fortnightly. While forging a relationship between estranged uncle and niece, can the schoolmistress and the Earl teach each other lessons in love?

Girls Before Earls is an enchanting Regency historical romance. Hazel and Blade have fantastic chemistry. Along with their simmering attraction, there’s genuine emotional connection between the pair. Each has loss in their pasts and a wariness to open their hearts, and as the book progresses, they grow to respect, like, and fall for each other, realizing they can risk trusting their hearts to each other. Hazel is intelligent, hardworking, and refreshingly passionate beneath her intellectual, controlled mien. Blade is sexy, charming, funny, and genuinely kind. While his painful past has made him guarded, he has a very generous heart. They are clearly made to be together. The young girls’ antics are a wonderful addition to the central love story. Girls Before Earls is a thoroughly enjoyable read.

This was a charming story about a headmistress and an earl that are both closed off from emotion. I enjoyed watching them learn to open up to each other and those they care about. The story had heart and humor and a bit of heat, as well.

Miss Hazel Lively is establishing a school for girls when Blade, The Earl of Beckett, brings his orphaned niece who is also his ward to her school.

This is a touching, funny. delightful romance.

I received an advance reader copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own,

Girls Before Earls isn’t one of Bennett’s best. I’ve enjoyed past stories from her because she’s done a great job of pairing protagonists and creating a scenario that brings them together. Technically she does all of those things with Hazel and Blade, with Blade perfectly ready to deliver his niece Kitty to the finishing school that Hazel is trying to get off the ground before bolting back to London to snare himself a proper fiancée. But it never really feels like the reader gets to experience the pair falling for each other, they’re just suddenly in a discreet relationship. Hazel, Blade and Kitty are given great backstories, but those aren’t ever really explored or built into a foundation for each character’s personality, which is disappointing. Since there isn’t a gradual development or much of a backstory it’s hard to believe an earl would snub society expectations and be in a relationship with a headmistress with limited funds and no family to speak of, making it feel more implausible. The story wasn’t bad, but in a romance novel I expect to experience the emotions along with the characters, and here I felt like an outside observer with limited information.

I have never read a book by Anna Bennett before this book, and it is a travesty. Girls Before Earls is a complete delight that pushes past some of the boundaries of a typical historical romance towards something steamier and wholly heartwarming at the same time. The story was captivating and it took me less than a day to read--I didn’t want to put it down!

Loves:
-Kitty was probably my favorite character in the entire novel. I loved watching her interactions with her uncle and Hazel throughout the book. I was truly rooting for her the entire time. Kitty brought out the best parts of Hazel and Blade, which helped create the emotional depth to the novel.
-Hazel was a great lead for the novel. From the opening lines of the book all the way to the end she kept steadfast in her wants and in her character. I loved that she was so dedicated to education and kept fighting for the girls throughout the entire time. I’ll also say that her support with Blade was a highlight of the book! Enjoyed all of those moments of vulnerability! Also that steam was great and a little unexpected--awesome!!
-The writing style was superb. Bennett sucked you in and kept you engulfed in the story. She would put in an additional plot line just when things seemed to slow down, so there was no slump in any part of the book. I am now going back through and putting her other books on my TBR because it is a shame to not read them!

Meh:
-I wanted more from Hazel with Blade. Sure she wanted love and put it out there but she never specifically stated why or went through her story with him. I felt like this was a huge piece of their relationship that was missing and the story would have been better off with it. And going off of that, more moments of their relationship developing and some more pining would have just taken this book to the next level for me.

Long story short, I recommend this book to any historical romance reader! It hits all of the notes with its tender and steamier moments. The development of the characters was phenomenal, which is what really made this book shine. I would also recommend this book even to contemporary romance readers because it’s one of those books that plays with the constraints of history, but doesn’t adhere to them. It is definitely a more modern version of historical romance. Definitely pick this up!!

This is an excellent, multi-faceted story that offers more than a typical romance, The characters are well-developed and likable, so it's easy to care about their happiness. While the relationship between Hazel and Blade is spicy and intriguing, I found learning about her school, and her relationship with her students, just as compelling to read. I loved that Hazel was a strong, independent, educated, and principled woman--she was definitely worth admiring!

There's lots of warmth here and some nice moments of humor too. The steam between Hazel and Blade is natural and authentic, and I really enjoyed that they were both mature adults about it while still maintaining quite a spark. Pick this up for a smart, fun, and very enjoyable read!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!