This is the first book in the Forgotten Flowers of Flanders series that I have read. The book is set in the late 1400's which I found quite interesting since it is not your typical setting for a historical romance. There were a lot of historical details and the romance was nice.

The Breakable Earl

He thought he could break; was there a cure for what ailed him? Could love be the answer? Lijsbet and Davion had an interesting tale. They started out at odds, but then, they fell in love. However, he did not think he had what it took to engage in romance. He thought he was made of glass. If he made the wrong move, he might shatter. This was an interesting story. I enjoyed finding out about glass delusion. Even though the story dragged for me at times, I enjoyed finding out how Lijsbet and Davion would overcome their challenges.

The Earl and the Lily is book three in Everley Gregg’s Forgotten Flowers of Flanders Series And I am happy to report the series maintained its excellence all the way through. Something I love about this series is it’s not set in Regency England which is a nice change for historical romances. The setting is Coudenburg Castle, Brussels 1449, and the heroine is yet another of Duke Phillip’s illegitimate daughters, Lijsbet Lambert. Our hero is Earl Davion Price who leaves his homeland for Burgundy, charged with running the duke’s expanding library. Having lived a sheltered and privileged childhood, he was so caught up in his studies at university, he never thought to pursue a woman. But the Lijsbet ignites a fire in his soul—and his body. But Davion carries a volatile secret: a condition binds him. The earl suffers from glass delusion, the belief that at any moment he could shatter—literally.

As usual when I run across new things in a historical novel I find myself researching said topic, in this case - glass delusion- a prominent medieval psychiatric disorder which mainly impacted the nobles and aristocrats. One notable person in history who suffered from Glass Delusion was King Charles VI (1368–1422) who ascended the throne of France at the age of 11 and he also suffered a complete psychotic break in 1392. I also found it interesting that Scholars at the time attributed glass delusion the now discredited diagnosis of melancholy—a kind of noble depression, often linked to aristocracy and genius. In the case of royals, contemporary psychologists speculate that believing one was glass could have been a way of expressing how vulnerable, fragile and exposed they felt in their public positions. It was a way of expressing humanity, sensitivity and perhaps a desire to be left alone.

I love that the author included this disorder in the story — and Davion Price would have been a classic example of a person who had a higher chance of developing the disorder. Adding this extra layer to the story made Davion more human than fairytale.


Next I found myself researching a manuscript illuminator which was what the heroine, Lijsbet, was passionate about and very good at the work. The process of illuminating a manuscript included the adding of colorful lettering, illustrations that were added after the manuscript was handwritten, and the adding of gold leaf or ground gold to the manuscript. This process was initially performed by monks however in the Middle Ages women often took on the process as well.

Beyond the interesting details that I researched— I was impressed with the romantic aspect of the story. The H/h really had to work for their HEA and there were times during the story I wasn’t sure how the author would get them there. Never fear the HEA was obtained 😉

I highly recommend this book—it is very interesting and is a heartwarming romance as well!!

5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 4 Flames 🔥🔥🔥🔥

The Earl and the Lily by Everly Gregg is another in the Forgotten Flowers of Flanders series, each about a daughter of Duke Phillip of Burgundy. It was the mission of his wife, Isabella, to bring all his daughters home. Despite what their lives were now, she felt he had a responsibility to them. He had left many women with unborn babies when he took his leave. Lijsbet Lambert was a miniaturist, working in a scriptorium. For the past few years she had been the mistress of the master, Rogier of Tournai, but his interest had waned without ever marrying her and she was anxious to be off. She told no on where she was going or why. Once there is had a peaceful few months until the Duke hired a curator: Lord Davion Price, the Earl of Pembroke. He was not pleasant. She was not happy. She was less happy when Duchess Isabella determined to sent her to Leuven to a beguinage there called Groot Begijnhof. There lived a group of religious women, not consecrated, who were experts in her art. Lord Price was to go along as chaperone.

Many things happened on the journey and during the time they spent in Leuven. Nearly all of it unexpected. One of the men living in the artists' hotel where Davion was staying had taken an unhealthy interest in Lily (Lijsbet) for one . . . that had to be dealt with. Davion had a "condition" which turned out to be a mental illness stemming from when he was five years old. Very interesting, The Duchess had arranged for him to see a doctor there, hoping for a cure. The sisters turned out to be wonderful and just as talented as she's been led to believe. There was so much information about the Middle Ages in this book, it almost overpowered the story. It certainly made the plot more interesting. It was slow going in some parts, but over all it was excellent. A lack of communication nearly scuttled the romance between the two, but that worked itself out as well. It was an interesting read.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Earl and the Lily by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #netgalley #dragonblade #everlygregg #theearlandthelily

I really enjoyed reading this historically fascinating romance. I am a history buff and loved that aspect of the story. The characters were relatable and the story interesting and well-written. Will definitely recommend.
Thank you Everley Gregg, Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

Coudenburg Castle, Brussels 1449

An intriguing and enlightening tale that brings an interesting time in history alive, and a profession that captivated my attention.

Lijsbet is another of the offspring of King Philip and is brought to the Burgundian Court by his wife Lady Lambert. She had learned her training to be an illuminator under the Master of Tournai, who in the end no longer wanted her for work or otherwise.

A new overseer, Lord Davion, had been brought in the manage all the workers, including Lijsbet, who felt her ownership had only changed hands and she felt despondent.

Davion was a very interesting character, having a condition that was very unexpected but worked well into the storyline.

A winding journey to love that will keep you entranced as to what will happen and being immersed in history along the way!

Apart from the gentle romance that simmered throughout this novel, I was captivated by the insights into the history and background of the Duke of Burgundy's court. I found this novel extremely interesting, especially the processes in creating and illustrating manuscripts. In an era where very little was known about psychological disorders, I felt for Davion Price and the difficulties he experienced. When it comes to the effect of blocked memories, nothing has changed much over the centuries, and as with Davian, it is only when those memories surface that his healing can begin. Lijsbet's artistry is fascinating and I loved the detail that was portrayed, as well as life in the beguinage, something I knew nothing about, thus making me turn once again to Google. Dealing with guilt and the pain of the past, Lijsbet is forced to face up to her mistakes when her nemesis appears on the horizon once again. For a while, I thought Lijsbet and Davion's romance was a lost cause, but love always finds a way. I received a copy of this novel as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

This is book 3 in the Forgotten Flowersof Flanders series. The series centers around the illegitimate daughters of Duke Phillip III of Burgundy and his Duchess, Isabella. This book focuses on Lijsbet, who moves to the Duke’s castle to work as a manuscript illuminator. Lijsbet moves once she realizes that her former boss and lover was not going to marry her after years of promises. After coming to the castle, she meets her new overseer. He is a much younger English earl named Davion. Davion suffers from an affliction called glass delusion, where he believes that he can physically shatter like glass.

This is not only the first book that I’ve read by Everly Gregg, but also the first romance novel set in the Middle Ages. I am definitely going to read the other books in this series. I was fascinated to learn about glass delusion. It is a real condition. It was also interesting to read about how mental health was handled back in the middle ages.

The story was a very sweet and emotional romance. Both characters were able to work towards healing each other of past trauma through love. I often see people request less steamy romance novels and this book is relatively chaste. There are physical relations between the characters, but the scenes are not very graphic.

The series is available through a Kindle Unlimited subscription. I was invited to read an ARC of The Earl and the Lily by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #theearlandthelily