The Portrait of Lady Wycliff

A classic romance embedded with a slice of intrigue, that created a bond between Harry and Louisa, one in which he is on a path in search of a devious, mean-spirited, and dangerous recluse, in the hopes of retrieving his family heirloom. She is trying to secure financial security for her sister and herself, Who was on the verge of being bartered off to the most decrepit of individuals for the sake of money, just like what had happened to her. A timeless innocence interwoven and malign with the greed of unscrupulous and vindictive men. This path would put their brewing relationship to the test, and their lives in jeopardy with death hanging over their heads.

Harry, Earl of Wycliff, is not only seeking to reclaim his family home and its lost possessions, he especially needs to find a portrait of his deceased mother. He wins the current resident, the widow Mrs. Phillips over in order to persuade her into helping him. So, not only are his intentions less than honorable, she has her secrets as well. Although a quick read, it was rather staid. This is the first of three books in the Lords of Eton series.

Many thanks to Laurie White and NetGalley for this ARC to review.

A classic historical romance with likeable characters and an entertaining plot.
The downside was that everything happened at the end of the book and some part were a bit slow.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley

For the past decade Harry, the Earl of Wycliff, has worked feverishly to reclaim all that his father had lost. He still has to buy back the London townhouse where there was a Gainsborough portrait of his beloved mother. However the impossibly young, stunningly beautiful widow Louisa Phillips now lives in the house.
Louisa is opinionated & fights for a number of causes, Harry is desperately trying to restore his family fortunes & thinks ‘a lord’ is behind his father’s misfortunes. I struggled at the beginning to like both Harry & Louisa, he lied to win Louisa’s help & she hates men after a disastrous marriage. The pace does lag to begin with but gradually increases as they set out to find the portrait. I also gradually liked Harry & Louisa more & by the end of the book they had certainly grown on me. It was an enjoyable read with an adventure & a secondary romance, I look forward to more in the series as Sinjin & Alex deserve their HEAs

My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Publisher's Description:

For the past decade Harry, the Earl of Wycliff, has worked feverishly to reclaim all that his father had lost. Only one item remains elusive: the Gainsborough portrait of his beloved mother. And the impossibly young, stunningly beautiful widow Louisa Phillips holds the key to finding it. If only he can persuade her to help him . . .

My Thoughts:

I love Cheryl Bolen's writing style. This book, however was a bit of an exception. I liked the book with it's danger and mystery but could not love it. It took me longer than usual to wade my way through it. I was excited to start reading and breezed through the first few chapters then found myself bogged down.
I did eventually finish reading it but had to force my way through the middle chapters. The ending chapters are once again as exciting as the beginning.
I gave this book 3.5 of 5.0 stars for storyline and character development and a sensual rating of 2.5 of 5.0 flames. The sensuality is mild and almost non existent in this mysterious sort of story.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley to read and review.
This in no way affected my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

I received an ARC of this book to read from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. The Portrait of Lady Wycliff is the first book in Cheryl Bolen’s new series The Lords of Eton about 3 aristocratic young men who were best friends at Eton and their continuing friendship and adventures. Harold Blassingame the seventh Earl of Wycliff has spent the last several years as privateer in order to recover all that was lost by his fathers gambling. Successful in his endeavours he needs only to reclaim Wycliff House in Grosvenor Square. He discovers to his dismay the the widow of the man who won it from his father does not own the house, that it belongs to a mysterious lord who it appears engineered his fathers downfall. Louisa Phillips is concerned to discover that her hated late husband has left her nothing and since she is the only one who can recognize the mystery lord she joins forces with Harry, Lord Wycliff and they set off on a journey to Cornwall to solve the mystery and find his mother’s missing portrait. A very enjoyable read, not steamy at all. Publishing Date May 15, 2018 #ThePortraitOfLadyWycliff. #NetGalley

Eton - 1804

Harold (Harry) Blassingame, now the Earl of Wycliff, had once been eagerly looking forward to returning to Cartmoor Hall at the end of the term. He and parents used to have great fun together. Now at age 18, he will be leaving Eton but not for Cartmoor. His parents have both passed away and now due to a lack of funds, the Hall is being let to others. Before leaving Eton, Harry and two of his friends have one last get together to discuss what they will be doing in the future. Harry says he plans to go to sea as a type of pirate and make his fortune.

London - 1812

Back in England, Harry is now a wealthy man. He wants to get back what was once his home in London. But it is occupied by a young and very beautiful widow, Louisa Phillips. Married off to an old and mean old man, Louisa is happy that he is now dead. However, she has been left with very little money and certainly not enough to care for herself and her younger sister, Ellie. Louisa and Ellie have strong political views and believe that people should be equal.

As Harry and Louisa get to know one another, they are trying to discover who now owns the home that Harry lived in. It is all quite a mystery and they find themselves off on a quest to find out who this person is.

At the beginning of this book, I was a bit bored as there seems to be too much political dialogue that I simply did not care for. But, I stuck it out and the story got better. As with all of Cheryl Bolen’s books, this book is clean with very little sexual innuendo scenes.

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

A classic tale of something lost and something found which will bring our hero and heroine together. Louisa Phillips has lost her husband and as is the case sometimes, she finds herself left with little to nothing to live on and does not really know who owns the property she resides in. The house she inhabits was once owned by the family of Lord Harry Wycliff, but was lost by his parents along with a lot of other family property. Harry is determined to regain by fair or foul means all that was gambled away and restore his family name. As they meet, Harry is captivated by Louisa and tries to balance his attraction to her with his desire for her property. Louisa's sister Elle has also had a very hard time of it and they both just want security. Thus begins a search to find the answers to secrets held by her deceased husband and trying to unlock the mystery of who owns the home A little suspense, adventure and intrigue leads them on a journey to find the answers they seek. Can they uncover the truth as well as form a bond between them? An entertaining story that will keep you turning the pages.

The Portrait of Lady Wycliff by Cheryl Bolen
Louisa Phillips has lost her husband and she finds out she has very little money, clothes and jewelry and no home at all. She learns of her living situation and her late husbands relationships with others that she doesn't know their names.
Lord Harry Wycliff just wants to buy back the house he had grown up with but nobody will divulge the information as to who really owns it. He wants to get everything back that his family had lost: paintings and other articles.
Louisa and her sister Elle have been out walking with the lord and his cousin, Edward.
The Lord and her speak of writings that she mentioned and they discuss them. Lot of politic views then private matters.
The Lord wants to get the information and is willing to pay her. She has been writing secretly for money about the rights of others.
Harry wants to not only find the benefactor and set Louisa up in a small house as her husband had swindled her out of everything and take his fathers seat in Parliament.
They come up with a list of Lords and set out traveling to visit each til they find the benefactor.
Some of their secrets are divulged as they travel. Mishap down a cliff and infection as time goes on...loved hearing of the Cornwall landscape.
Love castle detailed descriptions. They are from different classes and will never be together.
It's amazing how the women help. They are full of surprises!
Love the action, adventure, mystery and clues that lead them all to get the answers they seek. Travel and a bit of romance are also welcome.
Love that the three men series will continue in the next book. An excerpt is enclosed. Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.

Harry Blassingame, Earl of Wycliff, is trying to buy back his home in London and his mother’s portrait. This brings him in touch with the present occupier, Louisa Phillips. Unfortunately Louisa isn’t the owner but is able to identify him. Harry’s quest to find him takes them on a trek to Cornwall. Harry is attracted to Louisa but fakes an interest in her blue stocking readings to get her to assist him. Louisa is an intelligent woman who has a mistrust of men, not surprising given her background. They do have an attraction for each other but they each have their own secrets. The pace does slow during their journey but then has plenty of action during the end. This was an entertaining read. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Portrait of Lady Wycliff by Cheryl Bolyn is the first in the Lords of Eton series. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the rest of the series. I received and ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and am giving my honest review.

Harry, the Earl Of Wycliff has been earning money to get back what his father gambled away and lost. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants, even if it means lying to Louisa Phillips a widow, to get it.

Louisa Phillips is strong and opinionated. She was sold to her husband who was not a nice man. When he died, he left her with nothing. Not even the house she lived. Based on her past experiences, she is not fond of men.

Harry and Louisa must work together to find the elusive benefactor and reclaim some of Harry's family possessions.

As the story goes, you can see how the couple grows and learn from each other. The best part of the book I thought was the bad dash across England to find the elusive benefactor. All in all, I loved this story and highly recommend it.

Harry, Lord Wycliff lost everything when his father gambled away their estate and died along with his mother not long after of grief. For 10 years he worked earn the money to buy back the estate and reclaim his property including a portrait of his mother. Louisa Phillips, a bluestocking, reformist, and widow of the man who won his father’s estate resides at his London property and he wants to buy it back along with the portrait. But the portrait is gone and Louisa discovers her husband did not own the property and he left her with little money. She agrees in return for financial security to travel with to Harry to Cornwall to find the portrait and the property owner. Along the way there are near death experiences, imprisonments, crazy lords, and other mad cap adventures. Nice Regency romance with plenty of humor and drama.

Lord Wycliff lost everything to someone who meant for his family to have nothing. As soon as he gets out of school, he seems to find his fortune so he can buy his family's home and all the possessions back. Especially a portrait of his mother. Louisa, who is widowed, now lives in Wycliff house. He seeks to buy the house but someone else owns it and he has to find them as Louisa doesn't know it is. Louisa is a very well read woman, interested in politics and she has a secret. When Louisa and Lord Wycliff set out to find the person who owns the house and portrait, they pretend to be husband and wife. I loved this book. It was full of adventures, secrets and falling in love. I love Cheryl Bolen. She delivers a great book every time. I received this book from Net Galley for an honest review and no compensation.

Lord Harry Wycliff has spent years trying to recover everything his father lost (everything the family had). His goal in this story is to purchase the family’s London home from its current owner. Louisa Phillips is a young widow, left with almost nothing, and a bluestocking with radical political views. She lives in the house. The two of them discover that she can’t sell him the house because she doesn’t own it. They strike out together to find the mysterious lord who holds the house. During their search, they fall in love. This will not, however, be an easy and immediate happily ever after. Mistrust and secrets between the two could seriously hinder their chance for happiness.

The Portrait of Lady Wycliff is a wonderful introduction to a new series, The Lords of Eton (who are also introduced in this story). Both the hero and heroine possess strength and a determination to overcome the hardships handed to them in life. The complex plot is full of mystery, danger, secrecy (with a little dishonesty on the part of the hero), romance, and a dose of humor. The secondary love story between Louisa’s sister and Harry’s cousin is sweet and helps bridge the divide between them. This is a good first story that leads me to believe the new series will be an interesting one.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

This is the first in this new series, and is the story of Harry, the Earl of Wycliff and Louisa Phillips.
For the past decade Harry has been working to reclaim all that his father had lost. The last item he needs is a London townhouse where there is a Gainsborough portrait of his beloved mother. However, a recently widowed Louisa is occupying the house and the portrait is gone. These two agree to work together to solve the mystery as there is a benefit to both of them. However neither has been completely honest.

I really struggled with this one. The beginning is terribly slow, which is made worse as you don't really connect with either character.

The last third of the story is where all the action is, and I unfortunately never really bought in to the love story. There is one scene where they declare their feelings and the dialogue was so sappy I actually groaned.

I'd give it 2.5 stars

Cheryl has done it again. Harry and Louisa are such interesting people. The plot evolves around Harry's need to get his family home back. Louisa helps him. Great supporting cast too. Can't wait for the next story in this series.

Great story! I've read a couple books from this author in the past and this book did not disappoint! Characters were loveable and beautifully written

I've read and loved a couple of books by Cheryl Bolen up to now but somehow I couldn't get into this one. I started it, put it away, restarted, ...it went on and on and when I read it, it felt like it went on for ages.
I can't even say why I couldn't get into it but somehow neither the characters nor the story got me.

Sure, I understood that Harry, Lord Wycliff wanted to buy back everything that his father had lost and that it was in Louisa's interest to help him find the owner of the estate but I couldn't feel it. Okay, sure, Louisa's need was obvious as she needed the money to live after having been left with nothing when her husband died.

The pace was rather slow and even though there were times when a lot happened and things got messy and adventurous - somehow it still felt rather slow.
This book and I were not meant to be, I might try to read it again though and I'll definitely read other books by the author because I know that I loved the other books by her that I've read.

Harry Blassingame, the Earl of Wycliff has spent the last eight years restoring the family fortunes lost by his late father, now next on his list is the London house on Grosvenor Square, now in the possession of a young widow, Louisa Phillips. She discovers to her great distress, she can’t sell the house to Harry because she doesn’t own it. Louisa stresses what will she and her younger sister Ellie do, they’ll soon have no place to live. Harry and Louisa set out to discover the identity of the shadowy “benefactor” who actually owns the house. There is a captivating mystery surrounding this romance story with twist and turns to keep the reader’s attention until the end. This is my honest opinions after I voluntarily read a copy of this book that was provided to me with no requirements for a review.

Determined protagonists!

Blue stockings, reformed pirate lords, a mislaid valuable portrait, carriage journeys across the wilds of Cornwall, all make for an exciting time. Unfortunately the whole picture just didn't quite unfold as one would hope. Still I did enjoy Louisa Phillips and the very focused Earl of Wycliff's story.

A NetGalley ARC

Lord Wycliff is determined to recover all of the things belonging to his mother that his father lost – houses, property, and most especially, his mother’s portrait. Having earned great wealth during his years as a pirate, he is well on the way to meeting his goal. Next on his list is the family’s London townhouse, now occupied by young widow Louisa Phillips. Louisa is a fan of philosopher and social reformer Jeremy Bentham. She distrusts men, having been sold by her father at age fifteen into a loveless marriage to an older man and then left penniless upon his death. When Lord Wycliff offers her a cottage and an annuity for life in return for her assistance in his quest, the two embark on an adventure to the Cornish coast in search of a villain. The story of their developing relationship is sweetly and engagingly told, as is a secondary romance that develops between Wycliff’s cousin and Louisa’s younger sister. Occasionally, the dialogue becomes a bit overblown, particularly near the end of the story, and the villain is a somewhat unbelievable, but the main characters are fully imagined and their motivations well portrayed.

A physical and emotional journey for two people who thought they knew their own minds. You never know what more you can feel. It's a well written Historical Romance with great characters. I enjoyed reading this story.