Edward and Amelia is a sweet story full of mischief and joy, as well as scandal and pain. The storyline is well-written and very engaging. I loved the characters and their love story. They are my newest friends.

“Edward and Amelia” was a delightful tale of two people getting to know each other as they really are rather than how society speaks of them. A mishap leaves both of them exposed to society gossip, and Amelia’s father is quick to act: Edward must marry Amelia or suffer the consequences. When Edward agrees, Amelia is more than unhappy. Not only are her hopes for a marriage for love dashed, but her desire to love and be loved by her spouse now seem impossible. A rogue only wants his own way and leaves broken hearts behind. Determined to keep her distance, Amelia arms herself with cynicism and mistrust, ignoring compliments and working hard to keep a distance between them. Meanwhile, Edward is slowly falling in love and hoping Amelia will some day love him as well.

For both Amelia and Edward, pain from the past, mistrust gained from past wounds, and disbelief in the possibility of being loved for themselves make both their journeys to love difficult. They exemplify that life is messier than we except it to be, but the mess doesn’t always reflect who we really are.

An interesting, clean romance, with a satisfying and beautiful ending. Our hero and heroine learn to see past the wounds of the other and to love them as they are, becoming the best of friends and loving spouses in the process.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Karen Thornell for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Edward and Amelia.

Amelia Kennington is the daughter of a duke. She has two older sisters who leave her out of things and are generally mean to her.

Edward Drayton is the Earl of Norwich. He has gained a reputation as a rake. Tired of his reputation, he decides to give it up in search for a wife. Edward and Amelia meet in a scandalous way. He works out a deal with Amelia’s father for them to marry. Amelia is clearly not obsessed with the idea of marrying him, but she realizes her choices were also poor. She agrees to marry him.

I definitely enjoy enemies to lovers stories. I also love marriages of convenience. So I really enjoyed those plot points.

I loved Edward’s character. I thought he was fun and different. I loved that he was kind to Amelia, even when she was angry with him. He tried to make the situation more bearable and compromise with her. He seemed to be a generally positive person.

I really wanted to love Amelia, but I don’t think I understood her character as much. At times it seemed the other women were particularly horrible and judgmental just so Amelia could be seen as more beautiful, graceful and forgiving. For example, Miss Brooks was rude to her, but she didn’t really stand up for herself and she seemed like she believed what Miss Brooks said about Edward. I’m not sure why she wasn’t more forthright with her. There also wasn’t really a friend for Amelia. I thought she would have someone to confide in.

It was a little confusing why Amelia seemed jealous of Lady Anderson when she was supposed to be Edward’s mother’s age? Did she think she was a threat? At times, I found Amelia’s character slightly confusing. She was meant to be opinionated and obstinate, but it seemed like she didn’t know what she wanted half the time. It also seemed like she was too quick to believe what people said about her husband instead of just talking to him about it. The miscommunication went on for a little too long for me. It kind of bugged me she received all those letters from women and she didn’t ask Edward about them when he asked if something was wrong. I think he could’ve been more honest with her about his past, but at the same time, it’s his past. He created this reputation that wasn’t really bad.

It was good Amelia finally stood up to Edith. I just felt like Edward was doing most of the work and she didn’t go to him as easily. I thought they would be more equal in their affections. He thought of her as exceptionally talented at the pianoforte, beautiful and compassionate. He told her all of this. However, she may have felt things for him, but it wasn’t as apparent and she didn’t really tell him until the very end.

Overall, I liked the book. For the most part, it was fun to read. I mostly enjoyed Edward. I thought he was the most fleshed out character. It seemed a little like a Cinderella story with Amelia being Cinderella.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves regency romance.

1.5 Stars I'm sorry but I thought this book was maddening. The only likable characters are Edward and Amelia, but the amount of frustrating supporting characters who work endlessly to keep them apart is ridiculous. The sweet, private moments between our main couple are fleeting, while the rest of the story is filled with jealous sisters, meddling neighbors, interrupting servants, and vindictive exes. I had high hopes in the beginning, but there were so many obstacles that Edward and Amelia faced that by the time they did get together, I just didn't care anymore. Sorry, didn't like it one bit.

This isn’t my usual tyre of read at all, but I have to say I really enjoyed it.
Amelia is a young woman, strong but scarred and bullied but her family and who finds herself in a compromising position and forced to marry Edward.
The world of regency london and it’s ‘ton’ is well evoked and the banter between Edward and Amelia is very funny, as are Edwards attempts to understand and woo his wife. It’s all very light hearted and sweet - there is no sex in the book, nothing more than a kiss and lingering looks - which I enjoyed.
A fun summers read.

Wow! What a story! It was just full of all the wonderful things one wants in a marriage of convenience/ forced marriage- A trope I will never get tired of. Especially when it has an enemies to lovers feel thanks to the forced marriage aspect..and Edwards reputation.
Edward Edward Edward. If anyone deserves their name being said thrice, it is him. He is the epitome of a man who doesn’t know how to communicate the things that NEED to be said. And just let’s people believe whatever comes to mind.
Now how exactly is a man reputed to be a rake, with poor communication skills and suddenly married to a stranger going to fair?! I imagine you can guess.
Amelia is a gem. Truly one of the sweetest, good hearted women there is. And she is now married to a man with quite the reputation.
I absolutely loved Edward and Amelia. Their interactions, banter, her fiery wit and his ridiculous pet names. My goodness, I couldn’t put this book down. I needed to know everything, and I promise you will too. There is so much mystery to both Edward and Amelia, and it was so much fun getting to know each of them throughout the story.

I must say, I thought the author did a fantastic job in portraying characters who are a bit more introverted. Society outings, even a walk in Hyde park meant having to stop and speak to anyone of their acquaintance they came across. That sounds like torture to me!! London sounds exhausting! I hadn’t fully considered how much socializing a London season would have been, and can completely understand those who chose to stay in the country!

There is of course a fun little appearance of Kate and James Fenwick (Earl of Bowcott) as well!! If you read To Marry an Earl, you’ll know who they are!

I very very much recommend giving this wonderful book a read! This author has very quickly become a must read for me. I love the unique stories and adorable relationships. Everything is written so beautifully and the story had me hooked right from the start. You will love Edward & Amelia!


Thankyou NetGalley and Covenant Communications for the complimentary electronic copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Content: clean
Romance: kissing
Violence: a punch thrown (well deserved though)
Language: none

Edward has left a string of "ruined" women behind him. Amelia is simply looking for some peace and a moment to recover from an encounter with 2 sisters who seem to have some straight from a Cinderella story. When Edward and Amelia bump into each other (quite literally), the outcome is their lives are no longer their own, but knotted together.

Amelia had my heart from the get go. She was aware of others and clearly a kind-hearted soul. She also had so much fire and spunk that she was burying under a façade. Edward, he had to grow on me. He thought he knew so many things - and yet he knew so little! I cringed so many times! Deep down though, Edward wants to care for others and to be someone other than who his reputation has determined him to be. And that, my friends, makes all the difference!

This story filled me up! It was so wonderful to see these 2 wrestle with their pasts, present, each other, feelings, events, the villain! Their character development is so satisfying! This is my favorite of Karen's books so far!

I love the forced marriage trope and this was a cute one!
I received an ARC from NetGalley but it has in no way affected my review.

I loved forced proximity books because I automatically am rooting for the two main characters to get their HEA. I so enjoyed getting to know Edward and Amelia and the dual POV (third person) is probably my favorite narration style. This book just checked a lot of boxes for me. Plus, it is Regency! This book is filled with misunderstandings, London ton society, awesome older ladies that interfere in the best ways, insecurities, family lies, family loyalty, swoony kisses and much more. I am excited for the next in the series!

Thank you NetGalley and Covenant Communications for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 4 Stars
Name: Edward and Amelia
Publication Date: 6/6/22
Number of Pages: 320

Lady Amelia Kennington does not want to marry let alone participate in the upcoming Season. As a duke’s daughter she must and bear the criticism of her two sisters. Safe in the confines of the country, she was content with her life and situation. Now being thrust into London, a place that is so unfamiliar to her, she is slowly trying to come to terms with the way things are done…and at the scrutiny of her sisters. She is not happy about her prospect of marriage as she harbors a secret where no man may want her as his bride.

Edward Dayton, the Earl of Norwich is very well-known to the ton. He is viewed as a despicable rake who leaves a trail of women wherever he goes and is considered a decorated rake at that. However, this Season he is bent on changing himself among his peers and changing what they think of him…hoping to find a wife to go along with the change.

Unfamiliar with London, Amelia embarks on an adventure that leaves her falling in a Serpentine, drenching wet and in the arms of Edward. A scandal is inevitable and she is forced to marry Edward at the insistence of her father, who is an unrelenting opponent to every objection the two throws at him to call of the marriage…but her father feels he is doing this for her best interest and Edward sees this to avoid the likes of unscrupulous women trying to trap him for his title and money.

What an angsty story between Edward and Amelia. I enjoyed the banter but the length Edward went through to garner the trust and love of Amelia. There were minor characters who were a very delightful addition to the story…the two Dowagers who were protectors of Edward as he coasted along in Society. There was empathy for Amelia who I believe felt like an outcast at times. She believed that no man would want her because of her childhood tragedy that has been her secret since her childhood, an older sister, Edith who throws her faults and tragedy in her face at every turn, and a father who didn’t understand her or her situation. Oh, I had so much dislike for Edith, who was just cruel and ugly throughout the story. Her dislike of Amelia was so prevalent and then there was her other sister, Henrietta who was a bit lukewarm towards Amelia but had a redeeming character in the end.

A clean regency historical romance where both Amelia and Edward slowly find trust in communicating their secrets that have ruled their lives and trust in one another to a relationship of love, despite the gossip, secrets they held from one another, and family and outside jealousy. This was such an enjoyable story by Karen Thornhill, new author to this reader. This was a well-written story with a nice HEA. Although I like a bit of heat in my HRs, this was one that really didn’t need it. Very enjoyable and look forward to reading more by this author. Recommend the read.

A unique story of a Duke’s youngest daughter Amelia, in London for her first season, and an Earl with a horrible reputation as a rake, Through a series of events are caught in a compromising situation. Her father, with all his ducal power, makes them wed immediately. The question is when many other debutantes have put Edward in compromising positions, he flat refused to marry them. Why was he willing to marry Amelia? And why is Amelia so set against him? This an engaging story of two people with different goals/expectations of this marriage. The ups and downs of a relationship where neither knows what to do and have their own demons. I enjoyed this book a lot and really liked both main characters. I thought about it when I wasn’t reading, anxious to get back to reading. It will be one I read multiple times.

Absolutely loved the story and the incredible character development! I enjoyed Edward and Amelia’s story and how it all came around. Was very enjoyable and I don’t think I would change anything (which is quite rare)!

This is an arranged marriage story. Both of these characters have experienced some form of abuse. They are running from their situations, but can they be happy together.
Edward is a neat character. There is a lot of depth to him that he hides from society. Amelia has felt lost and alone since her mother died. She also has an abusive sister who has made her feel as important as dirt. But she too has spark and fire below the surface, and a desire to love and be loved.
This is the second novel I have read from this author. I have been very impressed. Her characters are multi-layered and have gumption hiding below the surface! I am hoping the next book might be about Mr. Weston, I think it would be fun to hear his story.

I enjoyed reading about Edward especially after he is made to be the bad guy in the last book. It was nice to get to know and understand him better. I liked Amelia and how kind she was but I became frustrated when she allowed her sister’s bullying. I couldn’t believe that her other family members did not see it snd try to stop it. Overall I thought it was a good book that pulled me into the story and Kroger me invested until the end.

Edward and Amelia was a fun read! I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical romance novels.

Edward and Amelia are strangers found in an awkward situation, and they are forced to marry. Their marriage is fraught with misunderstandings and preconceived notions. For me, a lot of the character's problems within their marriage could have been solved with real, honest conversation. They avoided topics in fear that the other would judge them or think less of them, and their personalities were developed in such a way that made these fears believable. However, I do think there were times both acted immaturely and the problems could have been solved through conversation, which is one of my lesser favorite plot devices. Even with that criticism, I did enjoy this book and the characters. I enjoyed watching them overcome their obstacles and grow together.

I received this book in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a regency era historical fiction that was a sweet and clean romance. Edward and Amelia are forced to marry and eventually fall in love despite not choosing each other initially. There were a lot of extras in this story .....a wicked sister, scars, hiding behind untruths, etc. I liked the interactions between Edward and Amelia but felt like they were too few for the level and timing of love experience. The story also seemed to be very drawn out in places. Overall a good read and would read more by this author.

Thanks to Netgalley for the copy!

But the real problem was not so much her feelings as his own, because Edward was coming to realize that despite popular opinion, he did have a heart. And he was fairly certain it no longer belonged to him.

What did I feel reading through this book? Downright rage! I hated how small Amelia felt. I hated Edith that I would personally beat the shit out of her snake-ass. I hated Edward for not confessing earlier, what a fool! All the time, I was screaming silently. It's utter madness but I liked that this book made me feel all that. Maybe, I cried a bit too, just maybe. While it did not have much "steam" like the typical hr book, I'll take and live for every crumb of affection shown! Amelia and Edward's feelings are as pure as it can be! Karen Thornell is a new favorite!

"Edward and Amelia" is a romance set in 1813 in England. It wasn't realistic historically nor did the characters act realistically. For example, even though it hadn't worked for any woman before them, woman after woman kept trying to trap Edward into marriage by getting in compromising situations with him only to have their reputations ruined. The eldest sister declared she wanted to marry a man with a high title but then actively worked to ruin the chances of happiness not only for her sisters but for herself by spreading scandalous rumors that would reflect poorly on her family. The friend who helped start the rumors clung to Edward at a public ball while flirting with him yet somehow everyone felt this shamed Amelia and gossiped about her instead of the flirt. These characters' actions made no sense.

Actually, the story didn't start off too bad. Edward didn't listen well because he was certain he knew what women liked. When Amelia said she didn't want to plan a dinner party, he basically told her that of course she would enjoy it and made her do it. When Amelia told him that she didn't like flattery, he eventually listened. Amelia refused to believe anyone would desire her because of her scars and because her family treated her so poorly. Edward slowly started to listen and open up.

But things got more and more absurd and nonsensical in order to keep them apart. Women kept visiting Edward in the evenings, but he didn't explain who they were or introduce them. Edward kept complimenting every woman he encountered (in front of his wife!) in an attempt to make them leave him alone. He wrote to the women that he'd ruined to apologize and left their letters on his desk where Amelia saw that he was still writing to these women. After weeks of marriage, Amelia received dozens of letters from "women ruined by Edward" within a few hours and yet she didn't suspect that they weren't genuine. She literally refused to listen to her husband try to explain the truth behind his reputation. The author's efforts to keep them apart due to misunderstandings just became absurd. Frustratingly absurd. Not a satisfying read.

There was no sex or bad language.

Marriage of convenience always draws me in, but the sweet romance and lovable characters in this book kept me fully entertained. I loved that both the main characters had their secrets—it created the perfect tension without being annoying. And honestly, the guy MC was such a cinnamon roll. I loved all of his POV chapters and his intent on being the best husband. If nothing else, read this one for the cinnamon roll.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4
Plot/Movement: 4
Character Development: 5
Overall: 4

Thank you, Covenant Communications, for the ARC!

This was a very delightful Regency romance from Karen Thornell! Edward and Amelia are forced into a marriage after a little accident gets them caught in a scandalous situation. It was so fun to watch the two get to know each other and slowly realize that they've fallen in love with each other! Edward has a reputation as a complete rake, but he is actually one of my favorite types of Regency characters - the "fake rake!"

They both are so hesitant to share their secrets and their pasts, and when they finally do it's almost anticlimactic. But the story moved along at a great pace and the characters developed both individually and together as a couple. I couldn't put this book down!

Thank you to NetGalley, Covenant Communications, and Karen Thornell for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinions!