A Lady Would Know Better by Emma Theriault delivered a historical romance filled with mystery, family and Jane Austen vibes. Find out what happens when the Earl of Belhaven finds a woman in the snow, unconscious and nearly frozen, who whispers, “don’t let them get me.”

I was in the mood for a light historical romance when A Lady Would Know Better came across my desk. I was intrigued by the thought of what would an Earl do when he finds a woman half-frozen, who suffers from amnesia?

Jasper, the Earl of Belhaven, has his hands full. A recent plague robbed him of his parents, his fiancée and his older brother. He now finds himself the Earl and responsible for his sisters and the lands they keep. It has only been a year and the holidays are upon them.

When Jasper finds the lady, for she appears to be a lady with delicate hands and dress, she is injured from what appears to be a fall from a horse. Before she loses consciousness, she says, “Don’t let them get me.” He fetches the local doctor, and his sisters fuss over the stranger. He’s unsure what to do and naturally his sisters want to keep her.

The tale that unfolds has us gathered in the Belhaven manor as the family faces their first holidays without the loved ones they lost. The young woman, while recovered, doesn’t even know her name and they call her Jane.

The story unfolds slowly, but I enjoyed getting to know the sisters and the interactions between Jane and Jasper. I loved the sisters, particularly the youngest. The family teasing and affection for one another felt genuine, and it was heartwarming to witness. These are good people who care for their tenants. The oldest sister invites Jasper’s friends for a small gathering, and they find themselves with a houseful. It pushes Jasper to face the death of his love, parents, and brother. The story is as much about healing as it is about the mystery of Jane and the slow burning romance.

Jasper is drawn to her, but also keeps putting his foot directly in his mouth. It was delightful to watch. Jane was demure yet spirited and I like her, even if both she and Jasper got in their own way.

A local ball gives Jane answers, but are the memories told to her truth? The author weaves in suspense, touches on some atrocities women faced and created the circumferences for Jasper to find himself and claim what he wants. Admittedly, I was mad at Jasper at this moment, but I believe his action where how gentlemen behaved.

Fans of Jane Austen, family sagas, romance, and a touch of mystery will enjoy A Lady Would Know Better.

Amnesia in Victorian times...

I really liked Jasper and Jane. Jasper is the unexpected Earl of Bellhaven. He was the spare and thoroughly enjoyed being a vice chasing, pleasure seeker. However, his life of leisure was abruptly changed after scarlet fever took the lives of Annabelle, who he loved and those of his parents and older brother. His parents had a lot of children, as Jasper is now the guardian to his three younger sisters and a younger brother. He is struggling as the earl and is miserly with his emotions, since he doesn't have more to spare.

Jane is witty, is found wounded in the snow and brought to the Maycott's manor to recover. She wakes up not knowing who she is, adrift. Jasper is skeptical of her, as is his aunt. His family is charming and funny.
The books is engaging and both Jasper and Jane have their own arcs.
Recommend.

Good book. Has romance and a mystery. A woman is found in the snow injured and has amnesia, and the Earl of Belhaven rescues her. A must read!

As soon as I read the first chapter, I preordered this book that blends humor, romance, and history so expertly!

I received an eARC for this book from Entangled Publishing and I loved this book! I love regency romances and this book had everything you wanted but was such a breath of fresh air. The amnesia trope is not one you see often in regency books (I’ve only seen it once) and adds such a different take. The miscommunication between Jasper and “Jane” is just perfect and never gets annoying. Their strong pull makes you root for them so hard and the spice was the perfect amount and just amazing for their love. I highly recommend this if you’re looking for an open door regency romance that has standout qualities.

The Earl of Belhaven finds a woman in the snow who can’t remember a thing, but her semi-conscious warning “Don’t let them get me,” drives him to keep her safe at all costs.

I LOVE a good regency romance, and this was such a unique one for me with so much angst! The earl and “Jane” are drawn to each other, but without knowing her background how could they ever be together? 💔

The mystery of what happened to her is riveting, and I loved the Earl’s simultaneous want to help her and keep her with him. 🔎

“Jane” herself is a fantastic character, even without remembering who she is. She’s so strong and spirited, kind and quick-witted, even while going through such a trying time.

Lovers of regency romance, definitely give this one a try! You’ll swoon while trying to solve the mystery. 🕵️‍♀️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the copy.

Did they just meet two days ago and are now confessing they love each other? Yes. Do I hate instalove? Yes. Do I mind it here? Absolutely not.

Historical romance never fails to deliver on the best romantic tension, and Theriault's debut is no exception. In no other genre do I squeal and kick my feet over hand grazes and lingering looks. There was a Mr. Darcy hand flex moment and I had to put the book down. The writing can be a little too formal at times, but I was so invested in these two idiots that it didn't bother me. I have my guesses for who the next books will be about (one of which was already confirmed) and I am buckled in and ready for more from this author!

I really enjoyed Jasper and Jane/Hetty’s story.

Jane/Hetty was so well written. She tried so many things to see if she could remember anything about her or why she appeared to be on the run. I really would have loved more scenes with Hetty and her sword.

Jasper is your typical lord. He was dealing with grief and shut everyone out but he also came across as he just knew better at times.

I hope all of his siblings get their own books.

Thank you @entangled_publishing for the ARC.

I have stayed away from historical romance for a minute,but when I had the opportunity to advance read this book, I took a chance.

I am glad I did! 💙

From the premise,to world building and secondary characters,to Jasper and "Jane" grumpy to sunshine,it had all the quality "ingredients" that make a good romance novel click for me.

Although the pace was a bit slow for my liking, I was invested and really wanted to know what was in store fir these characters.

I also love discovering new authors and Emma Theriault is a new to me author,so double win!

When I found out, there's a second book coming, I was thrilled! 🥳

I am definitely looking forward to it!

Thanks Entangled Publishing! 💖

I wanted to love this Regency Era romance with an interesting amnesia trope. BUT unfortunately I found it exhaustingly long and repetitive, and even when the plot picks up, I feel like it leaves a lot to be desired in how it all plays out.

First, my general thoughts
- It feels repetitive to hear the same interactions from both Jane and Jasper back to back, its just them pining for each other. This happened a lot during the duration of the book, they would be having a conversation or experiencing some sort of attraction or emotion, and then the next chapter would rehash exactly what I just read about in the previous chapter, except from the other POV. But they have the exact same thoughts and attraction so it was just VERY repetitive.
- Maybe I am not a regency romance girlie, but the constant back and forth of what is right and proper across every single chapter was exhausting.
- “Stern bastard” was used to describe Jasper so many times I felt like we needed to have at least a little variety in his description...
- The story wasn’t really picking up until the last 20% and even the excitement was not enough to bury the inconsistencies and relative plot weaknesses...

Jasper, der neue Earl of Belhaven, und seine Geschwister haben ein schweres Jahr hinter sich. Als sie am Geburtstag ihrer verstorbenen Mutter eine verletzte, bewusstlose Frau im Schnee finden, ändert sich alles. Bevor sie erneut das Bewusstsein verliert, warnt sie, dass sie in Gefahr ist. Doch als sie erwacht, hat sie ihr Gedächtnis verloren – die Familie nennt sie „Jane“ und nimmt sie bei sich auf.

Ein Großteil der Geschichte dreht sich um das Rätsel um Janes Identität, während sie der Familie hilft, ihre eigene Trauer zu verarbeiten. Zwischen ihr und Jasper knistert es von Anfang an, doch gesellschaftliche Konventionen und die Ungewissheit über ihre Vergangenheit stehen im Weg.

Mich hat vor allem die spannende Auflösung um Jane gefesselt. Die langsame, gefühlvolle Romanze hat perfekt zum Ton der Geschichte gepasst, und die Nebenfiguren bieten jede Menge Potenzial für weitere Bücher. Ich bin gespannt, was als Nächstes kommt!

A historic romantic mystery - seems like a perfect set up for a book. It almost was. I was entertained and enjoyed the book, however, I felt like some scenes were too long and the book could have been shorter. Some of the banter between Jasper and Jane seemed to be repeated throughout the book and could have easily been wrapped up sooner.

i’ve been loving the amnesia trope so much lately and it was done so well in this story! jasper and jane’s romance was so sweet. jasper had seen his share of tragedy so naturally he was closed off and broody. the only thing jane knew about herself was that she felt a sense of loss. i love how they bonded over shared grief and pride and prejudice!

jasper’s family was so much fun. i hope they all get their own stories. aunt adelaide was a hoot. i was unsure of her in the beginning, but she really came through in the end! it’s hard to talk more about this book without giving anything away. the mystery behind who jane was kept me turning the pages. i had a feeling about what she was going through prior to losing her memory, but finding out the truth…GASP! i really loved how everything worked out in the end!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
content: one open door

thank you to entangled publishing for a gifted copy. my thoughts are my own.

FIVE STARS, FIVE STARS!!!

I was lucky enough to snag an ARC copy of this swooney, regency romance. I must admit I think this book was made for me. I love, love the "amnesia trope" in any story, and A LADY WOULD KNOW BETTER has it in its premise!!! Like GAHHH GIVE IT TO ME! I didn't know I needed a historical romance with the amnesia trope until I saw the pitch for this book. And did it DELIVER!

Also, I am a sucker for this time period, so it really does have that "made for me" spark. Especially since Theriault doesn't just set the book in Regency England but transports you there from the prose to intricate worldbuilding details. I love a good historical romance that you can tell so much research went into *Chef's kiss* I felt like I was there giving Jasper a run for his money (and don't let me start on Jasper). He's perfect for the Darcy lover (and definitely would hand flex over Jane).

Also, IT'S THE FIRST IN A SERIES!!!! THANK GOD!!!!! HALLELUJAH PUBLISHING GODS!!

Feminist Regency Romance.

This is my first time reading an amnesia trope and I surprisingly enjoyed it.

Jasper, a second son, is now the Earl after the passing of his parents, oldest brother, and fiancé. A challenge he doesn’t feel capable of shouldering. On the way to visit their grave he comes across an injured woman in the middle of a snow storm. Upon her waking they discover all of her memories are gone. Now faced with a holiday season of surprise Jasper must decided how to navigate his grief and future. “Jane” is embraced by his family as she endeavors to ascertain her true identity.

A Lady Would Know Better is full of a well developed cast of characters and heartwarming moments. I appreciate the focus on love, grief, and found family.

Emma Theriault captured the struggle of women and their vulnerability to the whims of men by highlighting the ease in which women could be silenced.

A great read for fans of Evie Dunmore or Celeste Connally.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for providing an ARC via NetGalley.

This was such a fantastic story! Jane and Jasper’s arc from strangers to lovers was beautifully done, especially with Jasper’s initial distrust of her. I loved all the side characters, and I can’t wait to see what Theriault comes up with next.

i really love regency-era books, and this is the first one I've read that also has the amnesia trope! It is a very tricky trope to do in any genre, but I feel like it is even more difficult to do it for a regency novel. But I genuinely feel like the trope was done very well in this book. After the fall, she knows nothing about her life. However, she does have knowledge of certain feelings like grief, but she doesn't know why she has them. She also does have some general knowledge of books and culture, but she doesn't know why she knows them either. <spoiler>I really appreciated the fact that she never truly got her memory back completely. She gradually gets more memories as time goes on. There is more memories unlocked when she finally sees one of her family members and finds out who she is, but she doesn't get all of her memories back. I really appreciated the fact that the author made an Ah-Ha moment without making the character get all of her memories back. I feel like this made the situation more realistic. </spoiler>

I do really love 'Jane' and Jasper's relationship throughout the book. There is a bit of an instant connection between the two of them, but they (mostly Jasper) try to deny it until they finally come to their senses. I loved the fact that they were two broken people who healed each other.

Thank you to the Entangled team for the ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed A Lady Would Know Better.

The plot of this book is very creative and fun. The main female character lost her memory, and falls into the hands of a handsome, single English lord. Lucky her! He takes great care of her, and while he is in the middle of his grief, he gets romantic feelings for the female main character who can't even remember her name. The story is a page-turner and the pacing is really well done while the characters try to figure out who the mystery woman might be. It is easy to root for the main characters, especially give the topics of loss that emerge in the story.

The writing and voice of this story was really enjoyable. I think the author is quite talented. The writing was very easy to read, and I think any romance lovers would really enjoy this book. I did want to point out that there is one spicy scene at the end. I am not a spicy reader, and skip over those scenes. If you're like me, you can skip the scene since it is at the end.

Overall, I really enjoyed the plot! The ending was very sweet and this standalone book was a wonderful story. But it would be nice if there was a follow up book! I wish the best to the author, publisher, and the entire team at Entangled.

“A Lady Would Know Better” by Emma Theriault is a delightful and utterly charming historical romance that effortlessly blends wit, heart, and an engaging plot. From the very first page, Theriault pulls you into a world of societal expectations, hidden desires, and characters who challenge the norms of their time.

The story centers around two strong-willed protagonists, whose chemistry is undeniable and whose personal growth is just as captivating as their romance. The witty banter between them is a highlight, full of sharp humor and clever repartee that keeps the reader both entertained and invested. Theriault’s writing is crisp and full of emotion, effortlessly moving between moments of tension and tenderness.

What makes “A Lady Would Know Better” stand out is how Theriault weaves in deeper themes like self-discovery and the quest for independence. The heroine, in particular, is wonderfully complex, breaking free from the rigid constraints placed upon her and proving that a lady can indeed know better than to simply conform to society’s expectations.

The historical setting is richly drawn, with vivid descriptions that transport you straight to the world of the upper echelons of society, while also giving a voice to those who might otherwise be silenced. It’s a perfect balance of romance and social commentary, all wrapped in an intriguing and immersive narrative.

If you’re a fan of historical romance with a strong, relatable heroine and a love story full of heart, “A Lady Would Know Better” is a must-read. Theriault has crafted a captivating tale that will keep you turning pages long into the night. Highly recommended!

Thank you Entangled for giving me the opportunity to read this one before its release!

What happens when the new Earl finds a woman on the lawn but she has no idea who she is?! And that my friends is where the story begins.

I should also mention that Jasper and his siblings have been grieving the loss of their mother for quite sometime when Jane quite literally appears.

This is a cute story that follows Jane as she builds relationships with all of the characters, including Jasper. Throw in a touch of romance, comedy, and mystery and this makes for a fun historical fiction!