"Nice Earls Do" by Susanna Craig is a prequel novella that sets the stage for the Goode's Guide to Misconduct series. Widowed Lady Manwaring, Tabetha, posing as the expert "Mrs. Goode," finds herself crossing paths with the Earl of Bennett, who is actually her childhood friend Kit Killigrew, in turning his house into a home for his niece and nephew.

Craig's novella is a mainly a second chance romance, as Tabetha navigates her dual identity and fights her attraction to Kit. The pull between Tabetha and Kit is of a nostalgic nature, as they rekindle their friendship, and old feelings resurface. "Nice Earls Do" is a delightful introduction to what promises to be a fun series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and found it super sweet and cute until we got to the sex scene. It was incredibly abrupt (seeing as this is a novella) and didn't really add to the story. In fact I felt like it took away from the story because it took up valuable page time that could have been spent furthering the emotional connection between the characters. My reaction was a "what, ew" sort of reaction which is not what you want a sex scene to elicit. If it had been cut it would have easily been a 5 star novella for me. In fact it's one of the best romance novellas I've read.

That shouldn't surprise me, as I've loved Susanna Craig's previous work, but I feel like she's upped her game for this series.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Zebra Books for providing an early copy for review.

When I see a new release from Susanna Craig, I run to request it.

This one hit all the marks of a great romance just like all of her other books. Lovely characters, well planned plot and an HEA to tie it all nicely together with a bow.

Highly recommend!

I liked this story and all it's tropes - fake identity, childhood friends reunited and a good supporting cast of characters.

Nice Earls Do (Goode’s Guide to Misconduct #0.5). By Susanna Craig. 2022. Zebra (ARC eBook).

This second-chance romance swept me off my feet! I found the characters and plot engaging and a nice launching for a series. I look forward to seeing this cast again.

This is a lovely prequel to Ms. Craig's new series and sets the stage for the upcoming books. Kit has had some challenges and disappointments in his life, one of which was losing the woman he loves, without having the chance to actually tell her. Beth and Kit were childhood friends and fell for each other growing up, but circumstances pulled them apart and she ended up marrying another. She is now widowed and in a position to help her step-son out a bit of a jam. He has been publishing work as a decorator under the secret identity of Mrs. Goode, and now his publisher wants him to appear in person to help the Earl of Stalbridge, Kit, prepare a nursery for his unexpected wards. She warily agrees, and when she arrives, Kit cannot believe his eyes. Beth is the one that got away, and having her in his home now, he sees that as a second chance. Can he convince her they are meant to be together?
This was a well-written and entertaining story and it has gotten me excited to see what great stories the series will bring. I will definitely be looking forward to future installments!
Thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley for providing a complimentary copy. This is my voluntary and honest review.

I fell in love with Susanna Craig's writing in her "Love and Let Spy" series, and further fell in love with her writing with this novella that is an amazing preface to her newest series! Short, sweet, and full of fluff and second chances of love "Nice Earls Do" is a beautiful beginning for a new series, and I hope to see the return of these characters.

What a lovely prequel to the upcoming series! It was a treat to read a novella with mature characters and a beautiful mother-stepson relationship.

A great start to a new series by Susanna Craig. This was a short second chance romance that leaves you longing for more. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I really hope Oliver has his own book in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for review.

This introduction to Susanna Craig's new series may be a quick read (92 pages) but it brings all the emotional feels I expect from a full-length novel. There's a second-chance romance for Beth (the widowed Lady Manwaring) and Kit (Lord Stalbridge), new - and unexpected - professional opportunities for Beth and her stepson, Oliver, and a newly-formed family with two orphaned children. All things that pique my interest and touch my heart.

It takes skill to pull a reader in and then give them a full reading experience in only 92 pages. It's a skill that Craig has in spades. I really cared about these characters, and not only the two leads. I loved that Kit and Beth had life experience to bring to their adult second-chance romance and I loved that even with those twenty years apart, the yearning in Kit's heart had never lessened. I could feel each of his emotions with a visceral intensity. Oliver's secrets and family history about broke my heart but his relationship with Beth, and her steadfast support of him filled my heart. Kit's response to the unveiling of those secrets made me love him even more. And then there are the children, who arrive near the end of the story. Even with scant page time, Craig gives readers a clear picture of these two that stole my heart.

I won't give away any spoilers about what's to come for these - and more - characters. I'll only say that my interest has been captured and I have already pre-ordered the first full-length book in the series, The Lady Knows Best (April 25, 2023). The books will feature new heroes and heroines but I do hope we'll be treated to occasional glimpses of Kit, Beth, Oliver, and the children. I feel like they've become my friends and I am very much invested in their futures.

4.5 Stars

Advance copy received for fair and unbiased review

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Finding out that her stepson Oliver was the lauded Mrs Goode might've been a shock to Tabetha, Lady Manwaring, but she promised she would protect him from the moment they met. So when 'Mrs Goode' is needed by a bachelor gentleman to design a nursery for his orphaned niece and nephew, Tebetha decides she will pretend to be the lady, and Oliver will come along as her 'secretary'. Everything is perfect, until Tabetha sees the gentleman, and realises he is her childhood best friend, Kit Killigrew. Kit never forgot about his Beth, the woman he's always loved. Seeing her again after twenty years, now widowed, and he now an Earl, it's as if fate has played a hand. And he'll do whatever it takes to make sure he doesn't lose her once more.

I hadn't realised this was a novella/prequel to Susanna's new series when I first requested it, but it was a great introduction to the Goode's Guide to Misconduct series. Both Tabetha and Kit are in their 40's, and they are different people to the ones they once knew. Even so, the connection is still there, as are the feelings which once were simmering, and now are bubbling over. Yes, this book was very short, but seeing the way Tabetha and Kit came together, and embraced Edmund's children as their own, was lovely. I'm really excited to read this series, properly, and Nice Earls Do has definitely whet my appetite!

This is a story about an older couple where the hero was in love with the heroine back in the day, but couldn't do anything about her marrying another. Now widowed, she happens upon him and they end up together in a nice tidy short story.

In general, I do not prefer novellas (not sure if this is technically one, but it felt very short) as I like to see more background and character development. There was nothing wrong with the story, but I didn't find anything that felt new or different, or really excited me about it either.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange from my honest review. All opinions are my own.

A second chance romance can bring tears with a happy ending. Kit Killigrew, Lord Stalbridge, has been the Earl for four years. He spends his time working to keep the estate in the black. The children of his late brother are on their way from Italy. The nursery needs help from Mrs. Goode. For twenty-one years and seven months, Kit has lived without the woman he loves. Two children and Mrs. Goode bring her back into his life. A little steam.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Historical romance. Regency England. Prequel novella to the Goode's Guide to Misconduct series. An earl who is fairly new to the title has found out that his brother and sister-in-law died in Italy and his niece and nephew will now be his wards. His housekeeper recruits the famous housekeeping guide writer Mrs. Goode to come assist. However, we find out early on that Mrs. Goode is a pen name for a young viscount who should not be interested in housekeeping pursuits and his widowed stepmother decides to volunteer herself as Mrs. Goode to maintain the viscount’s cover. Well… turns out the earl and the widow were childhood friends who meet again and have another opportunity for love. This was a super quick novella to read and introduces the premise of Mrs. Goode’s guides. It was lovely to read about a couple in their 40s finding their chance at love.

A new series for Susanna Craig. I have enjoyed her previous books. This prequel was a short but it did lay the groundwork for the new series. I wish it would have been longer to truly see the relationship between the characters build. I felt it was too rushed.

Engaging and uplifting with a delightful touch of heat and humour packed in as a well meaning game of masquerade ignites a sweet burn of sexual tension and longing desire between two, who were always destined to be so much more that childhood bestfriends.
A very well crafted, six chapter long, prelude that centres around an absorbing second chance at love romance while encapsulating the sense of family so beautifully. Never once feeling rushed as it flowed fluently and portrayed the time, place, scenario and background, for where this new exciting series will go, in such an absorbing way.
The cautious and extremely caring Kit unexpectedly reunites with his first and only love, the quietly rebellious, resilient and resourceful, Beth, after missing his chance to declare his feelings to her over twenty years ago. As he desperately needs the help of domestic guru, Mrs Goode to ready the nursery for the arrival of his niece and nephew.
This Instantly grabbed my attention, pulled me in to the intrigue and well meaning deception and really made me care about the colourful deep characters it depicted.
I can't wait for the mischief to begin; eagerly looking forward to book one!

This novella is a sweet prequel to Susanna Craig’s latest series Goode’s Guide to Misconduct. #NiceEarlsDo provides an introduction to the woman who conceived the idea for a new kind of magazine for young ladies and acts as its publisher and editor. It’s a story about a second-chance romance among childhood friends – Tabetha, now the widowed Lady Manwaring; and Kit, now Lord Stalbridge, formerly the son of the steward on Tabetha’s father’s estate -- unexpectedly reunited after 20 years, under unusual circumstances.

The quick pace of Tabetha’s and Kit’s relationship is more credible given their past friendship, and as usual with Susanna Craig’s work, the writing is a cut above.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks for the ARC!

Nice Earls Do is a prequel to the ‘Mrs Goode’s Guide to Misconduct’ series. Mrs Goode is an expert in domestic matters, so when the Earl of Bennett becomes guardian of his orphaned niece and nephew, his housekeeper writes to Mrs Goode’s publisher for help. What nobody knows, is that Mrs Goode’s guide is actually written by a man, who has good taste in decorating a house, etc. Of course nobody can know, so his widowed stepmother Beth agrees to accompany him and pose as Mrs Goode. But what Beth doesn’t know, is that the earl is actually her childhood friend, who was crushed when her father married her off to the awful lord Manwaring. So both Kit and Beth are in for a surprise when they meet again. They quickly reconnect and have their HEA, after deciding to start a magazine for young girls, on how not to behave. And that’s the start of the series.
I liked the little story. It was a very short and quick read, the main characters reconnected quickly, no time was wasted but they soon talked things over. Oliver, the stepson, was a decisive and very creative person. I wonder if he’ll return in the series. Kit has loved Beth his entire life, and Beth has tried to protect Oliver from an abusive father. She clearly longed to write this magazine so I’m sure we will see her back in the series. I am curious about the series and am eager to see what happens next.
I received and reviewed an advanced copy of this book and I am grateful for this opportunity. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Nice Earls Do by Susanna Craig

This Regency romance novella is the prequel to new series, Goode's Guide to Misconduct. It provides the background to the setting up of Goode's Guide.

Kit, Lord Stallbridge, a bachelor, has to set up a nursery for his brother’s orphaned children, so his housekeeper contacts Mrs Goode, of the “Guide to Housekeeping” for advice. Tabetha, the pseudo Mrs Goode, widowed after twenty unhappy years of marriage, arrives at Kit’s estate with her male secretary, Oliver, in order to oversee the nursery renovations. She is shocked to find that Kit is an old friend, the man she would have married had her father not forced her to marry nasty Lord Manwaring.

The novella is too short to establish any depth of character for Kit, Tabetha and Oliver or to give more than an inkling of their back stories, but all three are kind, generous people who deserve a happy ending. A cheerful, angst-free read.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

A great, quick read to introduce us to Craig's newest series. I can't wait to read more stories in the series!