The upright son was a enjoyable and intriguing tale with plenty of historical tidbits.. The banter and friendship that developed between Dalia and David was entertaining to watch grow with each chapter. I loved that Dalia was witty and could hold her own through the story.

The subplots of the political unrest happening at the time was well paced and added to the story. The cast of characters was also rich and featured many characters from previous books in the series. For that reason I would recommend reading the first books, as the side characters (many being related to David) are referenced and will help to fill in David’s backstory and understand his character a bit more and the family dynamic more.

While romance novels all vary in heat levels, I prefer my novels to be without explicit scenes.. there are a few more heated kisses that turn to more In this story. But I found those scenes could be easily skipped for a modified clean read, and that choice did not effect the story itself.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgallery for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review! Although an ARC was provided to me, all opinions and thoughts are my own.

This was an absolutely engaging story! I loved how the auth brought out the true history within the story. David’s growth from a hard man to a loving one is wonderfully written here and Delia’s standing up for herself was a great addition! Would have loved to seen Awbry’s face when the event took place! I loved the kids and how the author weaved parenting issues into the tale. This was a Fabulous read,

While I am sad to say goodbye to Ashmead, I am happy to witness all the awful Earl’s children find their HEA.

Clarion as the rightful heir is the one who bore the brunt of his sire’s pettiness, left with a falling apart estate and near to no funds to put it to right, but with time and careful management, he has been able to overcome his genitor’s meanness.
But struggling to manage his estate plus his calling to put his country on the right path did not help to loosen the restricted fellow from the wall he has carefully built around himself. Uptight he appears to others, upright he is because he had known nothing else, his short lived experience with love did not last enough to free himself from his overbearing kin’s shackles.
So while he loves his children, he feels often lost of how to react to their demands, to measure the weight of his decisions.

Delia did her duty to her family, helping them to reach a world rather closed to them, wealthy but coming from trade. But now widowed, she wants to enjoy the freedom that comes with her single state.
Away from her arrogant and domineering in-laws, and ambitious brother. Why she sought respite in the countryside, away from the unrest of the era and the filth of the cities.
Like her children, town-raised, she discovers the charms of the outdoors and liveliness of the rural life.
When her children form a lasting relationship with her neighbor and landlord’s offsprings, she first struggles with what she thought at first as haughtiness but is merely awkwardness and reserve among people. Yet as time passes, bad and good impressions lead to a friendship of sort and political scheming bring them even closer but what of their woo to never remarry even more when many point out Delia’s failings for some and David’s very specific portrait of the perfect spouse he may need to acquire soon.

I loved how the tension was build up through first their children’s interactions then their collaboration to help David reaches his goal. While they fight the pull they feel toward one another, they are inextricably drawn to the other, unable to break this attraction, their chemistry stronger than others’ reasons.
5 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 sensuous kisses

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

Regency 1819

Full of history and the artful writing of this author, be immersed into the final installment of this wonderful series!

David, the true legitimate son of the Earl of Clarion, had been treated abysmally by his father, who had left all of his unentailed property and monies to his plethora of illegitimate children, when David defied him.

Finally getting on his feet, he never expected to meet Lady Delia Fitzwallace, a widow with three children, who was renting his dower house. An unexpected, mostly wet, entertaining meeting, had him thinking she was a local woman!

Neither had wanted to marry, but sometimes fate steps in, bringing two matched people together and there is no going back!

This has been such a special series and to know it will continue with a spin off, only makes me smile more!! Not to be missed!

David, the very proper Earl of Clarion inherited a crippled estate and dependents after his father left everything, which was entailed to his illegitimate children. So David’s the one left to pick up the pieces while caring for others—his children, his tenants, and the people of Ashmead. Now that the estate has been put to right, he is free to pursue his political ambitions. But loneliness weighs him down. Then he meets his new neighbour. Happily widowed Lady Delia Fitzwallace revels in her newly rented cottage, surrounded by flowers and the wonder of nature, thrilled to free her three rambunctious children from the city of Bristol and let them enjoy the countryside to the fullest. Then she meets her upright neighbour.
This is the fourth & final book in the series but there is going to be a spin off series. Whilst this book could be read on its own to fully appreciate it I’d recommend reading the rest of the series. I loved both David & Delia talk about chalk & cheese! Or at least they first seem to be from different ends of the spectrum until we get to really know David & realise what a lovely man he is. The pair are attracted to each other from their meeting by the stream but lock horns over their children who are delightful. I loved how David gradually came off his high horse & began to show the affection he felt for Ed & Marj. I also loved how characters from previous books made appearances. The characters are wonderfully portrayed & have depth, I was also intrigued by Delia’s brother Jeffrey & look forward to his story where I hope he gives a certain Duke his comeuppance
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

4.5 stars

I'm enjoying this series. We have now come to David, the Earl who has seemed a bit dull and repressed in other books, the cover, I think, shows this well. Our heroine has children and is leasing David's dower house. At the start he is astonished at her casual child rearing ways but soon as his own children take to her he relaxes and starts to value her opinions.

She is unwilling to remarry as she's an heiress, though the money comes from trade and equally is unwilling to put her and her children's future in the power of a man, She tolerates her brother's well intentioned interventions. We are introduced to him and his business partner so that should be a great related series.

Not all that much passion but I enjoyed the story and there is links to the politics of the time with the tragedy of Peterloo.. It was lovely to see the characters from other books.

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

This was a delightfully delivered, well-paced ending to the Ashmead Heirs series. We got lovely visits with the Caulfield and Benson families who are twined together like pretzels. They are a wonderful lot and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each of them through their books. Now, finally, I have come to know and love David Caulfield, and not only is he a handsome fellow, but he is also a handsome person inside as well. He is everything his reprobate of a father was not and I loved getting to see his HEA. I wouldn’t say you would have to read all the books in the series to enjoy this one, but I think you’d need to read at least the first one to truly understand the family dynamic.

If you want to read this book without reading the others, I’ll tell you just a small bit of the series background. The previous Earl, David’s father, was a worthless excuse for a human being. He mistreated his children, didn’t care for his tenants or his estates, he didn’t care at all for his wife (I don’t blame him for that) and sired illegitimate children all over the place. When David defied him and married the woman he wanted to marry and he also challenged his father about the illegitimate children, the old Earl changed his will. He was a vengeful old reprobate. He left ALL of the unentailed properties and monies to those illegitimate children – and nothing to David or his sister. The previous books dealt with three of those illegitimate children, their inheritances, and their HEAs.

David and his land steward, Eli Benson, are finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel. All of the demands of his fathers will have been met and they are working to make the estates profitable again. David’s true love is England, his lands, and his tenants and he spends all of his time in London working in the House of Lords to make things better – to right wrongs. Some are wanting him to become Home Secretary – and – he wants that too. At least he does until he learns he’s going to have to do more socializing and host a house party for all those political wags. David is somewhat socially stiff and uncertain and he certainly doesn’t want to be pursued by marriage-minded mamas hoping to corral him into marriage with their insipid daughters.

Lady Delia Fitzwallace is a widow with three children. Her family is the owner of Graham Shipping and she was married off to the fourth son of a Duke. Now her husband is dead, her father-in-law is a nightmare, and she is finally free to live in the country. She’s never lived in the country, but she just knows it is the right place for her and her children. She always wanted a beautiful garden and now she has that in the dower house she’s leased from the estate of the Earl of Clarion. Bliss – sheer bliss!

Neither David nor Delia plan to remarry, but each is attracted to the other. Their first meeting was so entertaining. Delia and her children were at the stream collecting frog eggs – she fell in – and just as she was coming up out of the stream, David rode up on his horse. He thought she was a local farm wife and took exception to her and her children being on his land – only – he found out she was his tenant at the dowager house. Oops! This hoyden was a lady? No way!

This was a very nicely done feel-good story that perfectly wrapped up the series. I am so very glad I got to read it - and could happily read it again. Another good thing I learned is that this author has contracted for another series that will feature characters we met in this series. I’ll definitely be looking forward to reading the Entitled Gentlemen series featuring Madelyn’s (The Defiant Daughter) two step-sons and Jeffrey Graham (Delia’s brother) whom we met in this book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book. I have enjoyed this entire series and I hope that perhaps a few side characters may get their own books. David, in previous books, was very uptight because he felt it his duty as an Earl and for his political ambitious. Meeting Delia was a shock because she was the opposite he expected a lady to be. I must say, Delia was exactly what David needed. Together with their children, they made an interesting story. Caroline Warfield did an excellent job tying actual history into the story. The history is interesting and pertains well to the story. This book was good enough that I read it with just a few short breaks.
Caroline if you read this, I would really like Grahm and Barnabas to have their own books.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for an honest review.