Oh I just love this series. This two just sizzle off the page. Miles Winthrop, Earl Cross, is about as buttoned up and withdrawn as anyone I've ever read about. He hates the social scene and has few friends. We met him in the first story as Earl Melrose's friend. In this story he's retreated to his country estate, Steeple Cross, Oxfordshire determined to find a wife for his cousin and heir Lord Barnaby. To do so he's having a house party. Unfortunately it's raining buckets dampening both the gentleman's hunting and any outside entertainments for the guests.

Enter the uninvited Juliet Templeton, Lord Melrose's almost sister-in-law. She's the companion of the well loved Lady Fosberry who was invited to the party. Juliet was rescued by Miles when he and Barnaby stumble on the ladies' carriage about to fall off a cliff after skidding off the road in the storm. Upon returning home, Miles immediately tells her she's not welcome and to leave, but the weather makes it impossible. Scandal follows the Templeton's and chaos is Juliet's companion. Society won't forget the scandal of their Mother's running off with her lover years ago. The poor girls have to face the ugly side of gossip. When Juliet finds herself becoming a friend to Lady Cora Drummond, Miles decides to make her a deal. Miles wants Cora to be Barnaby's wife and Juliet finds herself in a place to help encourage the match. This brings Miles and Juliet conspirators and draws them together. It was so much fun watching these two fall in love.

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

An utterly charming, romantic tale! This story quite took my breath away. The stern, cold Lord Cross had never had love in his life, so it is easy to see how he could be blind to it. Living an orderly, lone lifestyle it would take a Lady of chaos to bring order to his heart. Juliet Templeton has always been a romantic, but after one too many scandals of gossip & lies, she has begun to lose faith in love. It would take a man unfamiliar with love to reignite the spark. Anna Bradley writes a love powerful enough to bring tears to your eyes. Two lonely people, learning they are indeed worthy of love. Obstacles abound as in any great romance, least of all being their own minds. They overcome this to build a strong stable foundation of love & trust. A simply beautiful story.

The heart wants what the heart wants and that is extremely evident in Miles and Juliet's romance. I thought this book was a charming blend of sweet, cute, fun and heartfelt. Juliet and Miles were polar opposites and that appealed to me greatly. Her optimism was the perfect foil for his grumpiness, and I thought that they had really good chemistry. That being said, I do wish there had been a bit more to their story because I feel some things would have been better if fleshed out more. Still, very enjoyable.

Miles holds a houseparty to find a bride for his cousin. He's shocked when Juliet arrives. He was ready to give her his heart until scandalous gossip linked her to another man. When she agrees to play matchmaker for his cousin, Miles lets her stay. Can Juliet convince him that she hasn't been untrue?

This book is laugh-out-loud funny. Miles and Juliet captured me right from the beginning. It's clear they belong together, even if he's sulky at first. This novella is a quick, enjoyable read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I ended up giving 4 stars to the first book in this series, although I leaned closer to 3 1/2. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book as much. Not Just Any Earl was predictable, but it was sweet. This has the trappings of romance, with sundry Romeo and Juliet references. I also have to mention it's definitely steamier than the first book. But I never sensed more than lust between the MC's.

(Possible trigger warning: attempted sexual assault involving the h and a villain.)

The details: Juliet is the outspoken member of the wayward Templeton family, and she's attracted negative gossip ever since her shy sister caught the eye of the most eligible bachelor of the ton. Juliet has erroneously been castigated as a temptress who really wanted the bachelor for herself, and her flirtation with Miles, the H, has been viewed as nothing but a ploy. Miles left London once the rumors started, believing Juliet to be exactly the scandal-maker the gossips claim. Juliet crashes Miles's house party through a strange turn of events (Miles saves her from a possibly deadly fall from a broken carriage, although this is treated with rather comical aplomb). He is immediately insistent that she leave, as many of his snobbish guests are perturbed by her presence. Then, however, his younger cousin becomes enamored of a young woman Juliet is friendly with. Miles requires that Juliet put her supposed matchmaking skills to use if she wants his help in quelling the nasty rumors about her.

The upshot? Miles spends the first half of the book ordering Juliet around and being judgmental and all around unpleasant. It's sadly ironic that he has no problem standing up for his roguish cousin, but demonizes her based on her undeserved reputation. He doesn't deign to initiate a mature conversation with her about her side of the London fiasco, so she's forced repeatedly to stand up for herself.

Juliet was so endearingly saucy in the previous book but is more often gloomy and introspective here. I typically enjoy the "grumpy guy vs. sunshine heroine" trope, but I was hoping for more warmth and acknowledgement of her good qualities from Miles, especially before they became physical. It just didn't seem as if there was enough time for a believable friendship to develop before he was trying to sleep with her, and their banter seemed forced.

Toward the end, there's an emphasis on the idea that Juliet has seen the real Miles, that she's broken through his facade and found the kind, funny man inside. I kept thinking maybe I'd missed those chapters. There are touches of humor, mostly coming from Miles's cousin and Juliet's friend. Both are likable characters whose HEA will most certainly be the focus of the next book. The scene where Juliet rearranges a few books in the library is cute. But as soon as an emotional scene occurs between H/h, the plot starts rushing toward a conclusion. SPOILERS AHEAD..................................................................................Juliet is isolated and attacked; Miles punches out Juliet's assailant, but because it's dark and/or Miles is drunk, he doesn't remember her assault. For his part, her assailant doesn't appear to know Miles punched him and he's seemingly undeterred in his pursuit of Juliet. Miles threatens him. Not long after, Miles tracks Juliet down, there's a rather awkward ode to Romeo and Juliet, and the two hit the sheets.

Phew!

Enemies to lovers is hard to pull off in the novella format, and this book underlines why. So much of the beginning focuses on the setup, with Juliet ruminating and being humiliated and Miles snarling at her, that little time is left for their love to develop. The epilogue is cute, but there's so much focus on Miles's emotional happiness that I wanted some closure on what poor Juliet had been through. I at least wanted a satisfying scene in a public setting in which some of the nasty gossips were put in their place.

Anna Bradley's Virgin series is terrific, and I wish this one worked for me as well. I'm hoping that the next book can help the series gain more traction.

I read an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my voluntary review. Opinions are my own. Reviews left on Goodreads, Bookbub, and Amazon as of 6/3/22.

3.75 Stars
Juliet Templeton didn’t embark on a risky London season in search of a fairy-tale. But when her quest to find a dull, respectable husband leads her to grumpy, maddening, brilliant Lord Cross, her foolish heart overrules her head, and insists on beating for him alone. Flirtatious, witty Juliet Templeton is the last lady Miles Winthrop should have trusted with his heart, and the only lady he ever has. He leaves for the country to escape her tempting lips and teasing eyes, vowing to forget her. But when Juliet turns up at his house party in the wake of a disastrous ton scandal, he discovers he’s still a captive to his deep desire for the bold, audacious beauty.
Juliet is the second of five Templeton sisters to find love. A well written engaging read which flowed well. I really liked both Miles & Juliet but felt that whilst there was chemistry between them it didn’t sizzle & their feelings seemed to go from avoidance to declaring themselves. It was a quick read & I wished it could have been longer so that the romance could have been developed more
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Odd Earl Out is a very sweet, heart-warming romance that draws you in and doesn't let go. Characters are captivating and soul deep, story line is clear and easy to follow. Nice book.

Their turn...

This is a novella length read about Juliet and Miles. They already know each other and their story has been set up in other books (it helps to know that going in).
I enjoyed their second chance at a house party read.
Recommend.

A wonderful journey to love, wound around a mystery that will keep you turning the pages. What else could you hope for?

She had to find her friend's son and hoped that the Maidens of Mayhem could lend a hand. Navigating the streets of London was a danger in itself, but she luckily finds a man who may be able to help her, if she can trust him.

He knows he can help her and try to keep her safe. The only problem is he never expected such an attraction and he knew he was not of her class.

Simply delightful and cannot wait for more!

I love Anna Bradley and her writing. But this book was not one of my favorites. I just didn't feel the spark or connection between Juliette and Miles. I struggled at the beginning to get thru it. It did get better as the story went on. But just not one of my favorites.
3⭐⭐⭐
I want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

This is the second book in the Games Earl's Play series by Anna Bradley and it is quick paced, low angst, country house party romance between a scandalous heroine and a hero who does not think he should ever get married. This is the first book I have read by Anna Bradley, and I found her writing to be easy to read, quickly paced and a simple and sweet romance. This novel does start out with a bang (a carriage accident involving our heroine and a quick rescue by our hero), but it also feels build off of previous knowledge that would have been gained through the first book in the series. While I feel like if I had read the first book, I might have had a bit more depth of understanding when it came to our heroine and her scandalous situation and why the hero is a bit contemptuous to her in the beginning, I was still able to string together enough to enjoy this sweet love story.

I always enjoy a country house party as the backdrop to a romance, so really enjoyed this a the location for Juliet and Miles to reunite and truly see each other. This is a short and quick read, that can easily be consumed in one sitting. Overall it was enjoyable while I was reading it, but will not be a romance that lives with me long. Because of the length of the novel the relationship and characters felt a little more surface level to me so I was not fulling invested in their relationship and even though there were some steamy kisses and touches, I did not feel a strong depth of chemistry to leave me longing for their HEA. I think Anna Bradley's writing is sweet and accessible, I am do look forward to exploring more of her work, but overall this was just a little bit lacking for me in the building of the romance between Juliet and Miles. I will say that after reading the synopsis for the first novel I am interest in exploring that work as well as seeing where this story goes, because it appears that all the books in the series will deal with these five sisters whose parents have left their family name stamped with scandal.

Overall if you are looking for a quick easy read to consume quickly this is something worth exploring. I am curious to see how other works by Anna Bradley sit with me and curious to see all the sisters find their HEAs. Probably a 3.5 star that I am rounding up to 4.

The rain seems to never stop in this Grumpy/Sunshine pairing!

Juliet is trying to preempt yet another scandal by tagging along for a house party at Steeple Cross, home to the insufferably grumpy Miles, Earl of Cross. Miles is trying to get his cousin and heir married off to secure the succession without Miles himself having to get married. The last person he wants to see is Juliet, the one woman he can't get out of his mind and who threatens his well-ordered plans to live a secluded life.

Juliet and Miles are very well matched in this delightful story. Their banter is both lively and heartbreakingly honest. I loved the way the author had them debate the contents and intents of Shakespeare as a way of exploring their feelings for each other. I also loved how these two were undeniably drawn toward each other, despite all their efforts to stay apart.

The timeline runs a bit alongside that of the first book. While this is a standalone romance, because so much of what throws these two together started with Emmeline's story, I highly recommend reading that one first. I adored Juliet's friendship with Lady Cora and the motherly care she received from Lady Fosberry, and I hope we'll see more of both of them in subsequent books.

There are three more Templeton sisters, and I hope to read about each of them in upcoming books. I love this author's writing style and highly recommend this series. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

GREAT FEMALE LEAD, LESS THAN SATISFACOTRY ROMANCE

I instantly fell in love with the female lead, Juliet. I just wish that her great romance had been allowed a bit more time to blossom. But I guess that's what you get with a novel of this length 🤷‍♀️

👍 What I Liked 👍

Juliet: From the moment Juliet made her first appearance on the page I knew I was going to adore her. Juliet was theatrical, dramatic and super lovable and charming. The fact that it was precisely these things that made Miles hesitant about her was just icing on top. I liked how she was able to loosen him up.

👎 What I Disliked 👎

Romance: Sadly, probably because of the length of this book, I did feel like the romance was a tad bit rushed. Juliet and Miles had prior knowledge of each other from the previous book in this series, and it's made clear pretty quickly that there was some unfinished business between them. They were not on the best of terms. But that soon changes. Too soon for my taste. I would have loved for their relationship to have been explored further and to see more friendship and courtship before they finally fell in love.

When last we left Miles and Juliet….so begins the next story in this series. Even though this is a standalone book I think it would be better read in order (there is only one book before this one) to really enjoy the nuances of the enemies-to-lovers story of Miles and Juliet. I love a good snarky hero/heroine book. It makes it so fun to see how they have that “aha” moment of falling in love. A wonderful story. I just wish it has been longer.

I found this a bit flat and confusing. I hadn't read the first book and it seemed you had to otherwise nothing mad sense or was explained very well. The character's seemed a bit 2 dimensional and I never really felt any emotion from them they seemed more in lust than love. Not my favourite from this author. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Oh, this story is so steamy and sexy!! I loved it!
Flirtatious, witty Juliet Templeton is the last lady Miles Winthrop should have trusted with his heart, and the only lady he ever has. He leaves for the country to escape her tempting lips and teasing eyes, vowing to forget her. But when Juliet turns up at his house party in the wake of a disastrous ton scandal, he discovers he’s still a captive to his deep desire for the bold, audacious beauty.
The passion that began in London soon flares to life again, sparking a battle of wits and wills that has them balanced on the brink of heartbreak, or happily-ever-after. Will their dangerous game of seduction end in ruin, or will two people who were never meant to be together, find they can’t bear to be apart?
This love story is short, easy to read and engaging. Miles is stiff and overwhelming. He’s been lonely most of his life and he’s convince he should stay that way. Juliet is sweet and full of life. She has this big heart that makes you want to be her best friend. The attraction between them is right on the pages and the sexy times are really nice written. The dialogs are smart, witty and meaningful. I loved the side characters and now I need their stories!!
I absolutely love this book and read it in one sitting.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Templeton sisters have scandal attached to their name after their mother ran off with her lover. Juliet Templeton met Miles, Lord Cross in London, but he left when scandal was again attached to her name. Lady Fosberry and Juliet are on their way to a house party hosted by Miles at Steeple Cross in Oxfordshire. Unfortunately rain and a carriage accident happens before they get there. Rescued by Miles and his cousin Barnaby, Juliet soon finds out she was not invited. Even though Miles tells her to leave, he realizes it is a mistake. Between discussions of Romeo and Juliet, Juliet recognizes the real man and tries to convince him to let go of his past. To win the woman he loves, a red waistcoat and Shakespeare lead the way. The second book in the series.
Heat level 4 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Will he really seek for a life of loneliness and seclusion …

Until now I have liked everyone of the author’s books, but this one did not work for me.
Be forewarned, it is best to read the first book to understand more quickly the ins and outs of the heroine’s background.
After, I do not know why, but I was quite upset with the hero, well with some reasons I think.
He kind of “rescues” the heroine, then because he is too bewitched by her charm, he orders her to leave his household, seing in her the sins of her mother.
Only to beg her a few hours later to stay to help him on his project of marrying of his cousin.
So I did not really grasp why the hero was rejecting so completely the idea of marriage, even more after he has met a woman who intrigues him. He was raised in a cold household, and like solitude, and …?
Juliet knows she is tainted by her mother’s flight with her lover, plus she needs to distance herself from a certain man (hero from the first book, in love with her sister) to decrease the gossips about them as an item. And as she believes she has made a friend of Cross, she thought she could crash in his party through her benefactress.

Their relationship is one of “I love you, I hate you”, playing hot and cold until they have to choose what they really want.
3 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 onscreen lovemaking scene

I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

Juliet Templeton is facing ruining in London and seems to find herself in a similar situation when she is in danger of being asked to leave the part of Mile Winthrop. Yet when Miles agrees to let her stay if she will help his cousin win the heart of a young, Juliet agrees, in part because she her foolish heart overrules her head when it comes to him. Miles can’t keep himself away from Juliet, despite leaving London in the first place to escape her beautiful presence. What was a battle in London, soon reignites in the country with both finding themselves unwilling to walk away from their feeling for each other.
Both Miles and Juliet are two great characters but at times, Miles frustrated me with his attitude and behaviour towards Juliet. Her patience in dealing with him showed her feelings for him but left me shaking my head in bewilderment. The secondary characters added an extra layer to this story, making the house party all the more enjoyable/
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and Oliver Heber Books. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Odd Earl Out by Anna Bradley is the second book in the Games Earls Play series. Juliet Templeton wanted to find a dull, respectable husband during her London season. She did not expect to fall for Miles Winthrop. Miles is hosting a house party in the country. When Juliet shows up after a big scandal involved her during her season, he realizes he still feels deeply for her.

This is a quick read. I liked Miles and Juliet together. I do wish I’d read the first book, though, as I feel I missed a lot.