Eloisa James is always an utter delight for me; and this book is no different. I adore both Clara and Caelan and find them to be so much fun. The beginning of the novel was hands down one of my favorite and soooo original. The author did am excellent job in pacing and making characters that broke stereotypes and also made them feel real. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for providing me an ARC of this novel! All opinions are honest and my own.

Eloisa James has been writing bangers since 1999, and she still has the magic touch with her latest novel - Hardly a Gentleman!

This is the 2nd book in the Accidental Brides series - however each novel focuses on a different couple so they can be read out of order.

Eloisa has a way of writing characters that makes them unforgettable. I absolutely LOVED Caelan (who is just the right amount of protective and noble) and Clara (who is someone I think so many of us can relate to). I found myself rooting for them and giggling alongside them through the entire novel.

As someone who has been a connoisseur of historical romance for over 20 years (gosh that makes me sound old), it literally gives me so much joy when I stumble upon a new novel by a longtime favorite author and it DELIVERS in every single way that matters.

I devoured this in a day, and can’t wait for the next book in this series.

if this is your first Eloisa James book I am jealous, because she has an extensive backlist that you can now dive into.

PUB DATE: April 29, 2025

SUGGESTED SNACK PAIRING: pan fried trout in garlic

“Thankfully, the trout were cooked to crispy perfection. He dropped them onto a bed of wild garlic.”

Triggers: sexual content, sexual assault, death, grief

What a joyful book! I enjoyed every minute of the time I spent with Clara and Caelan and only wish the book was longer.
Clara’s sense of adventure pushes against her desire to win her mother’s approval. But when the latter desire is accepted as fruitless, off she goes in an unknown carriage to an unknown destination in Scotland. A total improbable plot that is totally believable on the page! Clara is such a delightful heroine, now one of my favorites written by Ms James. And Caelan’s willingness to do everything he’s directed to do by “Mrs Potts” is a joy to watch (read!). I had so much fun reading this book and strongly recommend it to all historical romance fans -not only to those who already revere the books of Eloisa James but to those who have yet to discover her.

Thank you to the publisher for a E-arc of this book! While the era may have been restrictive, Elosia often showcases independent, intelligent heroines who challenge societal norms. The heroes range from brooding dukes to roguish rakes, each with their own emotional depth. This book is no different. It was a delightful romp! Would read again and again.

I was extremely fortunate to receive an ARC via Netgalley of Hardly A Gentleman written by the one and only Eloisa James. This is the second book in The Accidental Brides series, and can definitely be read as a stand alone. I cannot say enough about this fantastic story. Two unconventional people, broken by society's norms, yet seemingly complementing each other. Caelan Eneas MacCrae, Laird of CaerLaven, a distraught widower, has left his castle to rot and ruin, supposedly because of his deep devotion to his deceased wife. Miss Clara Vetry, is escaping from her inevitable and unfortunate but well deserved self made lastest scandal in London, and sets out on her own to some part of Scotland. She is an avid reader, always reliving her novels in her mind and hoping for an adventure of her own. She ends up at Caelen's doorstep, pretending to be a housekeeper, not knowing what the future holds. What ensues is attraction, denial of feelings and seemingly more pretensions of devout devotion to undeserving family. I absolutely loved all the characters in this story. They are well portrayed and so beautifully written. This is a cannot put down til it's finished story. A Must Read!

Hardly a Gentleman
By Eloisa James
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The thing about ARCs, especially ones from authors in series you love, is that when they invariably meet (and exceed) your expectations, you have that much longer to wait until the *next* book. So it is with Hardly a Gentleman, book two in Eloisa James’s so-far excellent Accicental Brides series. The first book, Viscount in Love, was my first EJ book, and I was beyond delighted with the entire experience. The second book is no less wonderful.

Here we have a grumpy, widowed laird and a bright, quirky runaway lady posing (not very well) as his new housekeeper. The characters are charming, the banter is snappy, and the spice is spicing.

More than anything, I love that this book feels like everything historical romance is to me: a cozy, warm hug from a book. Hardly a Gentleman has all the coziness of finding family and finding a home…in the Scottish Highlands…in a crumbling castle.

I am now (*sigh*) settling in for the extra-long wait for the *next* book in the series. 💛

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC! I really enjoyed the simplicity of this story, and how whimsical Clara, our heroine, is as a person. It’s a cute story that has the Eloisa James charm, while also giving both the hero and heroine their own personalities and spunk.

Definitely recommend!

Eloisa James has done it again with "Hardly a Gentleman", a captivating novel that continues to showcase her talent for crafting compelling characters and heartfelt stories. As a longtime fan, ever since I first picked up "Wilde in Love", I've been drawn to James's ability to infuse her narratives with empathy, particularly towards strong women and complex men who are far from the typical prince on a steed. Instead, her characters carry emotional baggage and live with genuine depth.

In this latest novel, James introduces us to characters who are beautifully flawed yet utterly relatable. The storyline delicately navigates the complexities of emotional growth and healing, portraying a woman who becomes the guiding light for a man grappling with his past. Without giving too much away, "Hardly a Gentleman" is a testament to James's skill in weaving together romance, wit, and profound emotional journeys.

All I can say is wow. Eloisa James, please keep writing. Your ability to blend romance with poignant character development is unmatched. "Hardly a Gentleman" has left me yearning for more, and I eagerly await your next masterpiece. Love, love, love it all!

Fleeing from London, Clara finds herself masquerading as a housekeeper in the wilds of Scotland. When the truth comes to light she has no other option than to marry the laird, Caelan. It is, after all, a new book for the Accidental Brides series. I love that forced proximity trope! But don’t worry if you’ve not read the other book in the series; this can easily be read as a standalone.

As always, Ms. James’ novels make you laugh out loud all the while the romance reels you in. Caelan is a beautiful rugged beast of a man. After losing his wife he fishes for his supper not even caring to wear clothes. He can’t keep housekeepers and maids, not becuase he’s abusive, it’s becuase he just doesn’t care to keep everything together. He eats what he catches off battered pewter plates. Not so clean pewter plates at that. But he’s a fair and decent laird. Is everything falling apart because he misses his wife so? I bet Clara will find out once she sets him to rights!

Not a book you want to miss. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The start of this book had me absolutely dying laughing. The absurd situations and funny dialogue had the classic Eloisa James humor. Even in the very icky situation of Clara being assaulted by the Prince (this happens right at the start of the novel so not really a spoiler), it's handled in such a unique and careful way. While no one is sympathetic for Clara (at least in London), you as the reader are and are immediately endeared to this poor girl. If you hadn't already fallen in love with her and her silly animal-themed reticules in the last book of the series, then you most definitely will within the first two chapters of this one.

The theme of this series is fun, I'm so here for men who grovel for their women and fall head over heels for the overlooked wallflowers. And Caelan is such a swoonworthy hero, that you know instantly he's going to be what Clara needs. I loved how immediately comfortable Clara and Caelan were with each other. Especially because they share that's not typical for them. They're instantly easy report adds to their romance and also adds believability to the fact that Caelan who's been widowed two years is insta-falling for Clara.

This author nails side-characters and creating such dynamic relationships and found families. Clara, who's mother is a monster, is immediately "taken in" by the hilarious and fatherly Mr. Cobbledick. He's so sweet and paternal, and when his actual daughter shows up it's even more special how seamlessly Clara fits with this loving family. She's such a deserving character, and I'm glad she not only got her hot Scot but also this found family.

I loved this book way more than I was expecting based on what I knew going in (and my feelings on the first of the Accidental Brides series). Both characters were instantly lovable and their chemistry was apparent right from the start. While I typically don't love the widower trope when it harps too much on his past wife and passed feelings. I was pleasantly surprised about the way it was handled in this book. Like most Eloisa James books, this is a bit silly, a bit steamy, and whole ton romantic! I've already preordered my copy, and can't wait to reread- because it's one of those that's worth a reread!

This is the second book in the Accidental Brides series. I was engaged and rooting for Caelan and Clara from the very beginning. This story was touching, sweet and sexy. The humor kept it light despite the characters having dealt with trauma in the past.

Clara is truly hot and bothered by Caelan. Her first glimpse of him is naked in a stream. Hardly a Gentleman, is very humorous and sexy. Clara has a way with words and she puts her words to the test after their marriage in a very funny way.

Though the plot of this novel heavily features grief and mourning, it is at its core a pretty light and fluffy read (there's even a fluffy chicken). Clara Vetry is not having a good Season. She has attracted the salacious attention of the Prince Regent, which leaves her marriage prospects low. After a disastrous episode involving a mouse-shaped reticule, pigeon droppings, and a literal ripped bodice, Clara heads north to Scotland with a carriage full of books and a dowry she plans to use to set up a new life. Enter a laird who fly fishes naked, and things get interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, though it suffers some from the whole "just talk to each other!" issue, especially around the topic of Caelan's feelings for his former wife. A fun read for those looking for a bit of escapism.

Received a free ARC for honest review. Eloisa James never disappoints. Hardly a Gentleman had all the feels and left you rooting for HEA.

But is she a lady?

I enjoyed Hardly a Gentleman way more than Viscount in Love. Hardly a Gentleman was a fun, spicy and satisfying read.
Clara, through no fault of her own, is sent away by her mother, who washes her hands of her. At 25, she had caught the fancy of Prinny for years and paid for it publicly. It seems Clara's bosoms cannot be contained in most of this book. She takes her own destiny into her own hands and has the funds to do as she likes. Clara ends up in Scotland as a housekeeper, which nobody buys for a second. She cannot even take care of her own hair. But she's fanciful, loves to read and wants a castle filled with books. Caelan, a 27 year old widower and laird has a castle, albeit a filthy, dirty castle and books. He's also naked a lot in this book, as he's naked when he and Clara meet when he's fishing in the nude.

These two are friends, they are comfortable with each other and certainly madly attracted to each other. They get on well, love to read, love books and he does have said castle. I'm not sure the castle got so filthy in the two years Caelan has been widowed, or how they magically cleaned it in three days. But the book has an entertaining cast of characters, a lot of nudity (I guess its Scotland, but it does seem cold in April). and the story moves a fast clip.
Recommend.

Miss Clara Vetry has failed, after several seasons in London, to procure a husband, and in fact finds herself likely to never find a suitable husband after an altercation with the Prince of Wales at a ball. Her mother sends her away to Scotland to live with her elderly aunt and former nanny, but at the prospect of a future moldering away with women she barely remembers, Clara seizes the opportunity for adventure and jumps in a carriage meant for the new housekeeper of Castle CaerLaven. At the Castle, the Laird Caelan is used to his solitude after losing his wife of two years to a sudden fever, but has left the castle to ruin and rot, barely retaining any staff. When Clara arrives, the sparks fly, and together they put the castle to rights, and find themselves instantly attracted to each other as well.
This book was a fun entry in the newest series, Accidental Brides, by Eloisa James. It's no secret that I absolutely adore this author and have read every book she's published, so it was an easy 4-star rating for me. That said, while the chemistry and comedy were strong, and as usual, the witty conversation was not lacking, the overall plot of this book felt very thinly drawn. No one really believes that Clara is a housekeeper, at any moment in the book, so the premise of a forced marriage also felt like a stretch. The conflict in the way of their Happily Ever After also felt like it wasn't truly an obstacle. Of course, I still greatly enjoyed this book, and neither negative point mentioned took away from that. I would absolutely recommend this to readers who know and love Eloisa James.
Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

Hardly A Gentleman by Eloisa James is the story of Clara and Caelan; he’s the laird in the Scottish Highlands and she’s a wealthy socialite running from disaster. Their paths cross when she jumps into a hired carriage who is transporting a housekeeper from England to Scotland and is delivered to his doorstep where she poses as the housekeeper and decides to make a new life for herself.

This is not the first book I have read by Eloisa James, and it won’t be my last. I loved their story! The juxtaposition of main characters held my interest the entire story and the banter between Clara and Caelan made me smile as I devoured their adventures. The cast of characters will tug on anyone’s heartstrings and I was eagerly awaiting to learn more about them. There is a depth to the story that will resonate with so many people who can empathize with the range of emotions that can be felt while exploring new life with Clara in an unknown place that slowly becomes home. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a bittersweet story full of love, loss, ghostly memories, and a beautifully found family. Thank you NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

5 *****

I almost never read a book straight through in one sitting, but I did this one, with truly no awareness of time passing. I was completely caught up in the story.

Hardly A Gentleman is a historical romance in which our heroine runs away from a truly embarrassing incident during “the season” in London and manages to take a housekeeper position in Scotland (temporarily hiding her identity).

There are misunderstandings, and finding things in common; and mutual respect for each other’s capabilities, and intelligence, and substance. The characters are well introduced and then revealed over the course of the story. Their attraction and relationship develops naturally.

I’m already a fan of Eloisa James’ books and yet they never feel repetitive. Her characters are very clearly drawn individuals, often a bit different or outside the norm for their time and place.

If you’re already a fan, you’ll be very happy this latest release lives up to the high standards you expect from this author. If she is a new-to-you author, congratulations! She has a great backlist of other books for you to devour!

Hm. Eloisa. Hm. While I did enjoy this book, EJ holds a very special place in my heart and I really truly enjoy most things she writes, this book was a bit…odd…

So our MMC is a widower. So sad. And he’s a Scottish laird. There’s not a whole lot of Scottish language in here that I missed, I do love a Scottish brogue, and wished that he’d said more Highlander things. But anyway, our Scottish laird just can’t seem to get his village or his MIL to accept that he’s not truly mourning his wife anymore. It’s been two years, he’s not interested in remarrying but he’s also not throwing himself on his wife’s grave (that was an accident and misunderstanding.)

The FMC has been groped and is now fleeing scandal from London and of course she gets on a carriage headed for Scotland to become a maid but also she’s never cleaned anything in her life and we spend a heckuvalot of book space on her developing a friendship with the guy driving her there. Why? Idk. It just happens.

So our laird obvs is fishing naked when they first meet, obvs, and then a lot of cleaning happens. I mean a lot. And there is a lot of conversations about MMC’s dead wife. I mean, dear God. Why. Why is she mentioned so freaking much?

And that’s the book. I mean basically that’s it. It’s a lot of cleaning and a lot of dead wife talk. I could’ve done with substantially less wife talk and cleaning and it would’ve been five stars. But also there is some falling in love that happens added onto the dead wife talk. Which is nice, I did enjoy that. But I mean. STFU about this other lady pluuuhhlleeeeezzz.

I really enjoy Eloisa James. Her heroes are instalove studs. I mean, MMC is like “I’ll never marry,” takes one look at our FMC and is like “Jk, I want that one.” These are the vibes EJ brings to every romance book party and ya know what? I dig it. I love it. Even though Clara (name finally remembered!!) is pretty annoying when she refuses Caelen (MMC). Like, girl, why wouldn’t you want the protection of this dude? Don’t be stupid.

Thanks for the arc, Avon, always appreciate it. And thanks EJ, love you, girl. Even through dead wives and mold clean ups.

Some of the signature Eloisa James charm is still there, and there’s an undeniable chemistry and some fun banter between the couple, but the plot and pacing just didn’t hit quite right for me.

It starts off strong, with both our hero and heroine appearing very likable and sympathetic. The heroine’s impulsive decision to get into a different carriage and become a housekeeper is not THAT implausible by romance novel standards, and can be seen as highlighting her naïveté. My opinion of her decreased a bit with seeing her make such a stupid dangerous decision, but I’m willing to go with it for plot purposes.

The meet-cute scene was good, although the love story veered a little too close to insta-love for my taste. But after that it started to go off the rails a bit. At first, I thought the conflict was that she’s supposed to be a housekeeper, but knows very little about cleaning. But that doesn’t really last - the laird is entertained by her ruse instead of irritated, confused, or suspicious. I still don’t know what to make of that - on one hand, that was kind of a refreshing surprise that the story wasn’t proceeding how I expected. On the other hand, I felt a bit let down and confused that the central conflict was basically gone.

After it’s clear he doesn’t care that she isn’t a housekeeper, it felt like the story lacked tension or a clear direction. The “new” main conflict appears to be the misunderstanding that he was madly in love with his late wife and is still grieving her. His mother-in-law is set up in a way where I thought she would be a bigger source of conflict in this regard - at first I thought she would be opposed to the laird remarrying. But then the story kind of backs away from this conflict, and literally the only thing causing problems between the two of them is his inability to convey that his first marriage was not ideal and that he was not prostrate with grief. This kind of felt like a weak conflict to me - it’s one of the frustrating kinds where one good conversation between the two can clear it up. And they do have that conversation at the end, it’s just a little late in the story. Before that, there’s a sudden life-or-death scenario that forces feelings into the open. That’s a trope I usually enjoy, and I did like parts of it here, but at the same time it also felt like it came out of nowhere.

Also, I found it a bit confusing that some chapters began with an indication of the date or timing, but others didn’t. And the sheer speed at which everything happens according to these dates is a bit much. They meet on April 19, are married by April 23, and resolve the main story in the next week or so (with an epilogue set a few years later). It didn’t feel like the story really needed to be that rushed.

Still, the side characters are quite entertaining, the banter and chemistry is there for the most part (although I’ve seen better from Eloisa James), and the story is overall entertaining enough. Fans of Eloisa James will still probably like this new entry.