Eliza Pierce is beginning to enjoy the bit of freedom that comes with being that young widow of a soldier, as well as the financial success of Elegant Occasions, the party planning business she started with her two sisters. When Nathaniel Stanton, the Earl of Foxstead, her late husband’s best friend, hires her to help him bring another young military widow out into society, Eliza questions his motives. She’s suspicious of who the woman and her adorable young son really are, and of why Nathaniel keeps singling out Eliza herself.

Nathaniel’s family is complicated and makes marriage a difficult proposition for him, so his undeniable attraction to his best friend’s widow is inconvenient to say the least. Flagging under the weight of secrets from his family and his former commanding officer, Nathaniel sets aside his own feelings to do his duty, even though it means being tempted to break his own rules each time he encounters Eliza. He can’t help but want a future with her but fears she’ll never want him once she knows all his truths.

I seem to be saying this a lot lately, but I wanted to like this one much more than I did. It was fine, but not all that memorable for me and the heroine grew rather irritating after a while. To be fair, Eliza was incredibly judgmental from the start and her sisters, Verity and Diana didn’t come off all that well either; what was meant to be a charming interplay between the sisters was just a rather annoying distraction to me. Eliza’s insistence on believing Jocelin must be Nathaniel’s mistress or basically so was just crass and did not reflect well on Eliza. I found her to be too snappish with Nathaniel and too quick to accuse him of still being a rake despite his having given her every reason to believe he had changed. Eliza just kept bringing up old issues and refusing to let them go, a stubbornness that was just unnecessary and impeded the relationship development between herself and Nathaniel.

I’m not a fan of the secret-keeping trope in general because I spent the entire book knowing it would cause a rift because Eliza had made it very clear to Nathaniel that she wasn’t interested in listening to him. The whole secret-revelation-rift could’ve been avoided if she’d been more open and less judgmental from the start. Instead, Eliza was consistently mean to Nathaniel, even telling him at one point that she wouldn’t let him spoil a day by being him. Excuse me, what. I would loathe a hero for saying this to a heroine, so it goes both ways here as yet another facet that, for me, reflected poorly on Eliza. Also, she knew her husband was a liar and yet was quick to believe every foul thing he ever told her about Nathaniel. She made tons of excuses for not trusting Nathaniel, but none of them quite washed for me. Yes, he had secrets, but they weren’t truly his and it seemed very unfair for her to hold them against him, even for a short time. Later, Eliza claims to have spent all this time with Nathaniel and forgotten about her sisters, but they literally shared one afternoon, one dinner, and one night together, so once again, another Eliza complaint that didn’t wash. Her jealousy over his ward also grew old and just seemed petty after a while. There just wasn't sufficient relationship development for me and it seemed that Eliza’s character could basically be boiled down to jealousy and making assumptions.

I was also annoyed by Verity’s belittling of Eliza for no reason and happy to see Eliza stand up for herself against that behavior eventually. This makes me a bit nervous for Verity’s book but also gives me some hope, though thus far this series hasn’t been one I’ve loved the way I usually do with this author. None of the sisters’ behavior reflected all that well on any of them in this book but the drama and twists embedded in this premise were enjoyable, just not what I’d hoped because I didn’t click with this heroine. I’m sure most readers won’t have the issues that I did with Eliza and will love this one, and while it wasn’t all that I’d hoped for, I will look forward to the next book from a much-loved author.

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

It's Eliza's turn in the Designing Debutantes series. The widow and oldest sister can't help but be drawn to the friend of her late husband, Nathaniel, Lord Foxstead. Eliza is determined not to marry again after being disappointed in love the first time around. Nathaniel is trying his best to resist her after he hires Elegant Occasions to sponsor his ward. They both fail in their efforts to resist their attraction.

This was a truly lovely story. I enjoyed it very much and am looking forward to Verity's book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Eliza Pierce is a widow. She runs Elegant Occasions with her two sisters. Eliza is the eldest. She had no plans to remarry. Thee sisters started Elegant Occasions after their parent’s scandal.

Nathaniel Stanton, the Earl of Foxstead, was a good friend of Eliza’s husband. They went to war together. He hires Elegant Occasions to find a husband for Jocelin March who is a widow with a young son. Nathaniel was asked by his General, Jocelin’s father, to look after her before he died during the war. There is a mysterious relationship between Nathaniel and Jocelin. Is she his former mistress? Is the child his? Why is he so devoted and concerned for Jocelin?

Nathaniel has not seen Eliza in about a year. He has forgotten how beautiful she is. She takes his breath away. He is bewitched by her smiles and just being in her company. He cannot stay away from Eliza. Unfortunately he has a secret that could destroy Eliza. He must stay away from Eliza. He feels he does not deserve her.

Eliza cannot resist the pull she has toward Nathaniel. They both try to fight the attraction they have for each other. They cannot resist. They have great chemistry together. Watching them fall in love was enjoyable. Nathaniel is adorable in his pursuit of Eliza. Their passion is hot and consuming. It devours them. They have some steamy scenes together.

Nathaniel is a former rake. Can Eliza trust his feelings for her? Will his secret destroy the budding relationship they have? Can their love overcome all obstacles? Their back and forth banter was adorable. The author had you rooting for the couple and hoping they will be together.

This is the second book in the Designing Debutantes series. I enjoyed this sweet romance. The book flowed and kept you turning the pages. The author weaves a story that captures you from the beginning. There is a mysterious man that has been at all their functions that Verity sees but she cannot find him to speak to him. Who is this man? Verity wants to know! I cannot wait for Verity’s story in book three to find out who is this mysterious man. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Reviews also left with Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks.

A widow with no intention to marry again is knocked off her feet by her attraction to her late husband’s best friend in What Happens in the Ballroom. Sabrina Jeffries’s second Designing Debutantes book sees Eliza Pierce meet her match in an earl who isn’t as rakish as his reputation suggests.

Nathaniel Stanton, Earl of Foxstead, is a man with many secrets, one of which has brought him to Eliza’s door. He made a promise to help launch Mrs. Jocelin March into society and help her find a husband, so he engages the help of Eliza and her sisters to do so. The attraction Nathaniel has always felt for Eliza comes rearing back the minute he sees her. And Eliza, no blushing debutante, isn’t afraid of the pull between them. But having survived a bad marriage, Eliza has no desire to wed again. And even if she did, she can tell Nathaniel is hiding something and that’s enough to warn her off. As attraction becomes more, Eliza’s hesitance and Nathaniel’s secrets threaten to derail their burgeoning relationship.

It's easy to fall into What Happens in the Ballroom. Eliza and Nathaniel are likeable protagonists, they have solid chemistry, and Jeffries’s writing is wholly entertaining. I enjoyed being swept away by their romance which had a good mix of humor, heat, and heart. While there are emotional moments and lessons to be learned by the characters for them to get their happily ever after, it’s not a wildly dramatic book, which was nice. It may sound tame, but I just plain liked this story. It was sweet and fun and I’m very much looking forward to seeing Verity Harper get her book.

Eliza and her sisters, Diana and Verity have another young woman to introduce into society through their business. Nathan, Lord Foxstead has hired his friend Samuels' widow and her sisters to bring out his ward. His secrets may get in the way of a happily ever after with Eliza. Excellent follow up to Diana's story in the first book. Looking forward to Verity's story next and finding out who the mystery man is.

What a good read from Jeffries! I really liked these characters and the plot of this book. Secrets always get in you in trouble but I didn't expect that one! Always looking to reading more from this talented storyteller. Wish we didn't have to wait so long!!

I really enjoyed Eliza and Nathaniel's story! It was fun watching these two find their HEA, they sure fought it the whole time, LOL!

I will try to not spoil the plot because the less i knew the more i enjoyed.

But i will say that Eliza has my heart and the fact that she got her happy ending had me so happy. The chemistry between them is just so good.

Young military widow Eliza and her sisters run Elegant Occasions, an event planning business, in Regency London. When her late husband's best friend approaches her to help bring his ward into society and find her a match, Eliza reluctantly agrees. But the more time she spends with Nathaniel, the more questions she has about the young widow. Is she Nathaniel's mistress? Is her toddler son actually his? Is Nathaniel the blackguard her husband always led her to believe, or is he really a decent man who just wants the best for the women in his life? And why can't she stop thinking about kissing him?

Another satisfying entry in Jeffries' Designing Debutantes series. I'm looking forward to sister Verity's book next!

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

I love a historical romance with a widowed FMC - This always gives the story a deeper element because it takes away the blushing girl aspect.

Eliza and her sisters have opened a business helping women secure a match in society. Eliza has to venture down this path when her husband dies and left her with nothing

In walks in Nate has a young widowed woman with him and is asking for help. Nate is also a good friend of her late husband

As sparks start to ignite - Eliza is up for an affair but isn't willing to be married again. Meanwhile, Nate has secrets he doesn't want to uncover and one of them being that he has always wanted Eliza

I enjoyed this one and the mystery of it as well. Nate and Eliza were able to be open with each other regarding their desires and I found that refreshing. The supporting characters were perfect for the story and I hope to see them in their romances in the future

a recommendation from me for sure

Sabrina Jeffries does it again. How can an you not fall in love with this story. With characters that you will instanly fall in love with. This is a happily ever after you can't wait to unfold. A story of unexpected twists & tons of hidden secrets this story will keep you on the edge of
your seat. Then you add in wonderful romance that will melt your heart. This was a book that I couldn't put down. I highly recommend it for those historical romance lovers who want an intriguing story full of romance, it's perfect.

This second installment in Sabrina Jeffries' Designing Debutants is romantic, heart felt and such and interesting edition to this series. I was charmed by the first novel and I have been utterly taken with the second. I found Sabrina Jeffries' writing to have such a charm and ease to it, quickly drawing me into the story and keeping me invested with interesting and well rounded characters and charming plots. Jeffries' style of storytelling is accessible, well paced and has an elegant grace that works beautifully within a period setting while still being very conversational and engaging. This book can easily be read as a standalone, but is perfectly delightful within reading order. If you have never picked up a Sabrina Jeffries, you absolutely must, she is definitely a gem in the historical romance genre that was a large backlist to continue to explore and is still churning out wonderful additions to the genre!

This novel is really beautifully balanced between the budding romance, character development and subtle plot. I adored our heroine, Eliza, she is kind and hard working and she has a really beautiful and open heart. The hero, Nathaniel is also such a strong and caring gentleman, his actions are driven by the love and respect he has for the people around him, which I absolutely love. I love that this romance has a touch of the forbidden woven into it, Nathaniel is Eliza's late husband's best friend, he also has some family secrets he believes make him un-marriageable. Jeffries beautiful builds their relationship through subtle temptation, their is a deep understanding between these two that grows and gets explored through their trust with each other and the physical side of their relationship. Jeffries does such a lovely job crafting the temptation and chemistry and escalating it into a physical exploration that is sensual, romantic and sexy. While there is a driving plot, the true heart and growth of this story is between Eliza and Nathaniel, they are the heart and soul and perfect stunning. These two find hope, happiness and the joy of a different future than they initially expected.

Definitely pick this novel up! I absolutely adored it, I was swept up into this romance and was so charmed by their story. Sabrina Jeffries is a must read historical romance author and this book is a fantastic place to start if you have not had the joy of reading her before.

What Happens in the Ballroom by Sabrina Jeffries
2nd book in the Designing Debutants series. Historical romance. Can be read as a stand-alone.
Widow Eliza Pierce helps run Elegant Occasions. Nathaniel Stanton, the Earl of Foxstead, goes to Elegant Occasions to find a husband in society for a young military widow. The two are attracted to each other but secrets can cause misunderstandings.

This couple has sparks! He’s trying to help at a cost to himself and does it unselfishly. The carriage ride was amusingly frisky. The added depth of a storyline beyond the ton and balls and debutantes was refreshing.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

❤️❤️❤️❤️ out of 5
Sabrina Jeffries is one of the authors that pulled me into historical romance and she hasn’t lost her touch! The characters were engaging, the romance pulled me in and I didn’t want it to end.

Our heroine and her sisters are hired by our hero to introduce his ward into society to find her a match. Both our hero and heroine have history with our hero being best friends with our heroine’s dead husband. Now they are spending a lot of time together and they both want each other…. Bad.

This book is lighthearted and while there is definitely some angst it doesn’t lose its light tone. The chemistry between the hero and heroine was great, and that carriage scene 🔥🔥🔥. I somehow haven’t read the book before this but I will rectify that immediately!

Nathaniel Stanton, the Earl of Foxstead, has returned to London after selling his commission and taking up the reins of earl. He seeks help from the Harper sisters to find a husband for his widowed ward and a father for her son. He also wants to pursue his infatuation of Eliza Pierce, the widow of his friend and the oldest Harper sister. But Nat is carrying a lot of secrets that interfer with his affair with Eliza. If he is willing to tell all, he may have a chance for more with Eliza as his wife. A few moments of humor, especially a play on words. Verbal sparring between sisters with one that's pregnant. Heated encounters not just in the bedroom. I may have not been glued to the pages, but it's a very entertaining book. My guess is the identity of the Phantom Fellow will be in the next book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

An Earl for Eliza
5 Stars

This is the second book in Jeffries’ Designing Debutantes series focussing on three sisters who open an agency to help young debutantes make their debuts into society. We had middle sister, Diana’s story in A Duke for Diana and now we have the story of oldest sister Eliza (which was originally to be titled An Earl for Eliza). As to whether the stories stand alone - in terms of the romance, absolutely, yes. However there were characters mentioned, and discussions of things that had happened in the first book that weren’t re-explained. Having said that, I have read the first book and I couldn’t remember some of the things I was expected to remember.

Eliza Pierce is a young widow whose marriage has put her off men for good. Well, except for her husband’s best friend, Nathaniel Stanton, the Earl of Foxstead - the last man she should really fall for, and not just because he’s the biggest rogue that ever lived. I liked Eliza as a heroine and it’s always fun to have a widow as a heroine as they definitely were able to have the most fun of all women of the Regency. Eliza’s plans to have an affair with Nathaniel were totally understandable - as was her failure at keeping herself from falling in love.

I had a bit more trouble figuring out Nathaniel’s motivations. At times he seemed to be following his lust in wanting only an affair with Eliza. At other times, I wondered whether he had some sort of unrequited love for Eliza even before she had been married. I think I would have been happier if that angle had been pursued. Nathanial also had a whole host of secrets which were ultimately the reason for the conflict between our couple. These weren’t too egregious although I admit to getting myself all confused when things were came out.

With Eliza being a widow, there were many more possibilities for Nathaniel and Eliza to be together. We still got some nice teasing and building of the sexual tension before their first encounter - in a carriage in a carriage house - oh my! It was fun and sexy, and I liked our pair as a couple both in and outside the bedroom - or the carriage house!

Sabrina Jeffries always manages to suck me into the lives of her characters and the dazzling world of Regency England. She weaves her words so seamlessly that you don’t even realise that you’ve fallen in love with the characters and have such rich detail of the world around them as they themselves fall in love. She’s one of, if not my favourite Regency romance authors and I’m always delighted to read a book of hers. While this book might not be my favourite of hers, and it also has one or two niggles, it still entertained me and I was always happy to pick it up and read just a bit more. And now I can’t wait to read Verity’s story - presumably with the dastardly Phantom Fellow that’s been following her around for two whole books now. But for Eliza’s story, still a solid 5 stars and a recommended read if you enjoy rich, detailed Regency romances.

What do you get when you pair a secret-hating heroine with a hero who has more big secrets than you can count? You get an excellently written, well-paced story that is filled with characters that are both likable and relatable. I thought Geoffrey from the first book had a lot of secrets, but his can’t hold a candle to Nathaniel’s – especially for life-altering consequences should they be revealed.

Mrs. Eliza Pierce is – the disowned daughter of an earl, a widow, a loving sister, an owner of Elegant Occasions, and a despiser of secrets and deceit. Yes, she despises secrets and deceit because they were constantly present during her marriage. When her husband was killed died during battle, she mourned who she thought he was when she married him, but not who she found him really to be. She wasn’t provided for after his death and only had a home because her grandmother left it to her, so she started Elegant Occasions to provide for herself and her sisters. When Nathaniel Stanton, Earl of Foxstead wants to hire Elegant Occasions to bring-out his ward who is also a war widow, Eliza senses he isn’t sharing everything she needs to know – and she doesn’t like it. Is Jocelin really Nathaniel’s mistress and not his ward? Is James(Jimmy) actually Nathaniel’s son? He certainly seems inordinately attached to Jocelin and Jimmy – and they to him. If she is his mistress and Elegant Occasions sponsors her, it will ruin their reputation and livelihood.

Nathaniel is a man of secrets. Those secrets, if revealed, could ruin the lives of a great many people – people he cares about. He’s fabricated a stack of lies and half-truths to explain so many things that it is nearly impossible not to slip up. Many of those secrets revolve around his commanding officer, the best man he’s ever met, Major General James Anson – who died in the same battle as Eliza’s husband. The General tasked Nathaniel with the guardianship of his daughter, Jocelin, and Nathaniel will honor that pledge no matter the cost. Nathaniel will also keep General Anson’s other secrets as well – no matter the cost – and the cost might just be his future happiness.

There is a long-time attraction between Nathaniel and Eliza and now that she is a widow, that attraction blooms into – lust definitely – but maybe more? It doesn’t matter because she doesn’t trust him – or any other man – and never plans to remarry. He doesn’t plan to marry either – at least not until he has to – and at least not until long after Jocelin and Jimmy are settled. Can Nathaniel come to trust Eliza enough to tell her his secrets? How can he profess to love her if he doesn’t trust her? Can Eliza come to trust Nathaniel if he can’t/won’t share his secrets? You’ll just have to read this lovely book to find the answers.

There is so much to enjoy in this book – a delightful 3-year-old boy, wonderful visits with Diana and Geoffrey from the first book, two romances, and mysterious appearances by a Fantom Fellow. Could the Fantom Fellow be the match for Verity in the next book? She is certainly intrigued by him. While this book is part of a series, it holds up well as a standalone. However, the origins of Elegant Occasions and how three aristocratic sisters came together to start the business are excellently told in the first book.

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

London - 1812

Nathaniel Stanton, the Earl of Foxstead, age 30, has contacted Mrs. Eliza Pierce. She is the widow of his old friend, Samuel, who was killed in the war where they fought together. Nathaniel is now the guardian of Mrs. Jocelin March, 20, and mother to 2-year-old, James. He needs to find a proper husband for Jocelin.

Eliza and her two sisters, Verity and Diana, run Elegant Occasions which helps people throw a successful social event. Nathanial hopes that the sisters can put together social events to introduce Jocelin to some eligible men. What Eliza sees when introduced to the young lady is that she is clearly attracted to Nathanial. Therefore, the sisters think it would be better if Nathaniel not attend any of the events they hold for Jocelin so she doesn’t express her attraction to him.

Nathaniel has always been drawn to Eliza and is ready to express his desire for her. She feels the same way. They kiss and Jocelin sees them which they hope will help the young woman realize that a relationship with him is impossible.

The plot here is quite involved and takes a lot of concentration to keep up with it. At times I felt it was a bit convoluted which I didn’t like. However, as I have read another book in this series, I had an idea of the characters. I am looking forward to Verity’s story, especially now that I have a feel for what all is happening.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Loved the characters and setting of this one. Romantic and fun! Sabrina Jeffries does great mystery elements and always has great banter. Will definitely read more by this author.

thank you to net galley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Eliza is a widow who runs an event planning business with her sisters but helps debutants and men looking for wives as part of the service. Her husband died in the war on the Peninsula and was a gaslighting gambler. It has taken time and effort for Eliza to become the self-assured businesswoman she is now, and marriage would only ruin this, right?

Nathanial is the Earl of Foxstead and is the guardian of the delightful widow Mrs March and young Jimmy. He is a war hero and reformed rake. Nathanial has his heart set on getting Mrs March wed to repay Mrs March's father, general Anston, whom he owes so much since the war. However, after seeing Eliza again, he realises Eliza's husband may not have been telling the truth about her.

Will Mrs March get married again? Will it be to Nathanial? Will a secret tryst be enough for Nathanial and Eliza? What happens in the carriage and what are all these secrets??

Another cracking story from Sabrina Jefferies. This one was fun with just a couple of spice scenes to keep me interested. I loved the growth of both characters and look forward to reading Verity's story soon.