BOOK TOUR & REVIEW: To Entice An Earl

To Entice an Earl
Author:  Naomi Boom

Genre: Regency Romance

Blurb:

Miss Alexandra Farris lost her heart to her older brother's friend, Lord Maxon Collins, long, long ago. Despite her girlhood attempts to win him, he never noticed her. Now that her first season is underway, she understands why. He prefers willowy blondes, not curvaceous maidens with darker coloring like herself. Rather than wallow in self-pity, she forgets love and focuses on something more attainable—an advantageous match

Lord Collins is plagued by an uncomfortable feeling whenever he goes near Miss Farris. One of annoyance. And yet, he can’t seem to stop thinking of her, touching her, kissing her...He must act in her brother’s stead, which means he has to approve her suitor and ensure her safety. Unfortunately, he can’t seem to find a worthy gentleman.

Wedding her off should be a simple task, but not if he can’t let her go.

Buy Links:  Amazon US  |  B&N

Excerpt

She inhaled and stepped up to him. He was so tall, at least five inches taller than her, yet she would not allow him to intimidate her, not this gentleman she used to pester as a little girl. She peered up at him and planted her fists on her hips. “You cannot possibly imagine I would listen to you, can you?”

His eyes narrowed, and he straightened from his position against the wall which brought him that much closer to her. “I don’t only imagine. I know you will listen to me. You have no other options.”

“Of course I do.”

“No, you do not.”

Their gazes locked, and everything around Alexa faded away, except for the brilliant blue eyes which held her riveted in place. She brought her palm to her

chest to make sure her heart still beat.

It did, just barely.

She finally broke away and whispered, “I have not given him a response yet.”

His responding smile lacked warmth, and he appeared to gloat as he said, “Excellent. I never have liked Lord Edwin and cannot fathom why you do.”

“I happen to be very much in love with him.” She colored. She had just told Lord Collins she loved Lord Edwin. Where was her fan when she needed it most? Next to Miss Cannis where she had forgotten it. And now, she had to endure a most frustrating conversation where she admitted a falsehood. Not a simple falsehood, either. One which competed with the largest untruths of her life.

Her rushed denial teetered on her lips as a stronger gust of wind tore through her hair, causing several more strands to dislodge. She muttered a curse and reached

up to repair the damage the wind had made.

His large, warm hand shot out and stopped her. The humid night air could not compare to the warmth of his hand on hers, nor could it compete with the spasmodic tingles breaking out throughout her body.

The contact was too unexpected.

Too intimate.

Too much.

She darted a hesitant glance his way where he quickly masked a warm look and took a step away from her. “Leave your hair.”

She swayed from the loss of his touch and the lack of warmth in his tone.

“Are you quite all right?” he asked with a sneer, as if to erase all touches of warmth with harshness. It hadn’t worked, though. She knew better.

Whatever strange demon had overtaken him tonight was not normal and was, quite frankly, vexing to deal with. “I see you can choose to employ good manners when you wish.”

His countenance darkened and he lifted a brow. “You evidently are just fine.”

Author

Author Links:

Website  |  Facebook

The Wild Rose Press

Twitter  | Goodreads

Naomi Boom never expected to love writing. Her inspiration struck while searching for the perfect historical romance novel to read. Nothing sounded appealing, so she decided to write her own. That one novel has morphed into a series, and hopefully many, many more.

She resides in her home state of South Dakota with her husband and toddler. Her dream is to someday find an acreage where she can raise chickens and, naturally, continue her writing.

Blog Topic

I see from your site that you are well traveled.  I only wish I have traveled and seen as much.  I noted that the book "Ten Things I love About You" by Julia Quinn seems to have started your path towards writing historical romance.  I am a huge fan of Julia Quinn and was wondering what it was about that specific book that so sparked your love for Regency?  And in turn, what do you believe, in your writing would inspire that same spark in readers like me?

Julia Quinn. She holds a special place in my heart. Before my sister forced me to read Ten Things I Love About You, I read fantasy novels. Before that, science fiction. Before that, westerns. Before that… you get the picture. I have read a wide variety of fiction but somehow, Regency romances stand out. I fell for them, most likely because of all the dashing heroes, actual ladies for heroines, and wit. 

But let’s back-track a moment. In 2011, I had just finished reading Laurell K. Hamilton’s Merry Gentry series when my sister handed me a copy of Ten Things I Love About You. I scoffed. The novel screamed girly and sweet. I was in the military and didn’t really fit that demographic. Turns out, it was definitely girly.

And I loved it.

Ten Things I Love About You fascinated me. Sebastian Grey, the Hero, was a rake, which made little sense to me since I was unfamiliar with the term. Then, there was the whole idea that Miss Annabel Winslow, the heroine, couldn’t be alone with a gentleman unless she wished to face ruination. Again, didn’t get it. But what I did get was Julia Quinn’s superb writing, the humor she instills in even the most common of scenes, and the witty repertoire between characters.

I don’t want to go into the specifics of Ten Things I Love About You too much, but I will tell say I re-read the novel before writing this post. I still love it. I can see why I fell for Regency romances. The stories are like fairy tales. Most of the time, the heroes are heroic and the heroines are worth saving.

This post seems to keep growing, so pardon me if I am writing too much. But, I have another part of the question to answer so I will try to keep it brief.

Would To Entice an Earl spark a love for Regency? Too many factors exist to say for certain, but what I can say is To Entice an Earl is emotionally gripping; every time I read it I get hooked, and I’ve read it countless times. The hero and heroine engage in some delightful dialogue, and I simply love the ending; it feels like one of those blissfully happy endings that leave me almost giddy. But everything I say is extremely biased, so there is only one way to find out. Give it a try and read it.

My  Review ⭐⭐⭐(3.5  Stars)

Alexa Farris has known Lord Collins since she was five years old and has been in love with him since she was fourteen.    She waited for him to notice her, but he never did.  He treated her only with sisterly affection.  Now although she still harbours an unrequited love for Maxon, Lord Collins, she awaits the proposal of another man, Lord Edwin.  Edwin demands perfection of himself and everything and everyone around him.  Alexa is no exception.  He criticizes her hair and gives her cream for her freckles!  Since Alexa cannot marry for love, she believes that Lord Edwin is as good as anyone else to marry.  After all, he has a good pedigree and good looks!

As their courtship continues, Lord Maxon returns from London where he went to mend his broken heart.  He is no longer the carefree man she knew.  He is hardened and bitter after having his heart broken by the woman he loved. He now lets Alexa know that although she got approval from her brother to marry Lord Edwin, his approval means naught because Gavin has left him in charge of her care.  He does not like Lord Edwin Rudgers and tells her so.

From this disagreement, Alexa sets out to prove she loves Lord Edwin (even though she doesn’t) so that she may spend more time with Maxon.  Lord Maxon on the other hand sets out to try and separate the couple.  He believes his motives stem from the fact that Alexa deserves better than Lord Edwin.  However, unbeknownst to him at this time, he wants Alexa.

The more time they spend together, the more Maxon starts to notice her.  Her curves, her smile and he wonders why he has never seen her in that light before.  Will Alexa take her ruse to far and marry Lord Edwin just to spite Maxon?

This is a sweet read.  I enjoyed reading this book despite my preference for angst and love scenes.  There are many misunderstandings and untold feelings that are the cause of the strife.  Both characters fear rejection.  Alexa, because she does not believe Maxon likes her type and Maxon, because he has had his heart broken before.

The dialogue between the two main characters was enjoyable.  They tease each other unmercifully and try to one up each other.  The romance is a bit slow to build up, for me but I found it realistic and refreshing.  Maxon does not just suddenly love her after being gone and not noticing her.  It is a gradual build up with time spent together.

Alexa is a strong character and really knows what she wants.  It’s if she will be ever able to attain it that is the problem.  She is ready to accept a man she does not love until she realizes his true colors.  Alexa also brings a lightness to Lord Collins that he has not felt in years.  She changes him just by being herself.

Lord Maxon Collins comes off as hardened and bitter but, he truly likes Alexa and wants what’s best for her.  He tries underhanded but somewhat honest things to try and bring Alexa to her senses.  Once he realizes what Alexa means to him, he is upfront and honest.

I find the story line was ended a little too abruptly between Lord Edwin Rudgers and Alexa.  We hear nothing more of him despite his absolute want to marry her throughout the book.

Overall an enjoyable read.

Please note that although I gave this book 3.5 Stars, this has more to do with my preference for angst and sensuality.  I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a clean well-written historical romance.

Giveaway!
Naomi Boom will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.  I encourage all of you to follow the tour and comment; the more you comment and interact, the better your chances of winning.   You will also find more reviews, teasers, spotlights and excerpts.  The tour dates can be found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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