Bonnie's Reviews > The Earl's Tempting Proposal

Thanks to BookSprout for a copy of this novel and this is my freely given opinion.

This is the second book I am reading from this author and the first fully historical romance, and start of a new series. The first was a time travel story, Time to Love the Duke.

This story is set during the Victorian period and in the opening scene, Colin Knightsbridge, the only son of the Earl of Hartfield, is a young frightened boy being abused and beaten by a gang of bullies at Eton College. He is different because of his abnormal back, and forced to wear a brace, which makes him a target for the other youths. After their attack, Colin has had enough. Despite making one friend in those last moments, he quits Eton and returns home. His parents relationship breaks down, in their disagreement on how to raise Colin, and they divorce, with Colin's mother leaving and taking Colin with her.

Twenty years pass by, and Colin has grown up estranged from his father, not hearing from him. He has made a life for himself, independently wealthy thanks to his mother's merchant family background and her own personal business savvy, which she passed onto Colin. He has become friends with a master in Kung Fu, Wang, who has taught him martial arts and other ways of coping with his spinal deformity. He has also gained a career as a physician and surgeon, financing a hospital in New York, when he learns that his father has passed away, and he has become the new Earl, with the added responsibility of his stepmother and half-sister. This is an unwanted burden and he takes his time returning to England to take up the Earldom.

At Hartfield Park, the home estate of the Earl, the widowed Countess lives with her companion, a penniless widow by the name of Abigail. She is the daughter of a marquess, but estranged from her own family, and living for the past several years at Hartfield. She remembers the young Colin as a kind boy before he left the estate, but after 20 years, has no idea what to expect, and they are fearful of how he would treat the stepmother and sister he does not know, but who have become like family to Abigail. Abigail has built quite a deep relationship with Hartfield and it's tenants, since Esther has been disabled after a carriage accident, taking over Esther's duties and helping the tenants as much as she could while the Earl remains missing. Unfortunately things are not running smoothly at Hartfield, as the steward is outright neglecting and defrauding the estate.

When Colin returns to Hartfield, he reunites with Abigail, and they work together to get rid of the corrupt steward and set things right, with Abigail acting as Colin's liaison. They forge a friendship, and Colin poses a proposition to Abigail, that she marry him and take over the role of countess to help run the estate/Earldom, oversee launching Elizabeth as a debutante, and provide him with an heir - a marriage of convenience.

As their proceed as husband and wife they marriage is challenged by many things. Abigail is very closemouthed about her previous marriage, but it was evident that her husband was abusive, and used Abigails sexuality and passion against her. She is traumatized by her previous experiences and fearful of Colin becoming like her dead husband. Colin is likewise traumatized by his own childhood and fearful of being vulnerable and undesirable to his wife, hiding himself from her and thinking her reactions to his overtures are a reaction to his deformities. Despite posing their union as a marriage of convenience, both Abigail and Colin are falling in love with each other, but fearful of exposing their vulnerable hearts to each other. Because of their poor communication, personal fears, and misunderstandings, their relationship breaks down, and they grow further and further apart.

On top of their personal problems, people from their past are adding to their stress, including one of Colin's school bullies, and they have also been the target for someone seeking to harm or kill them.

Other than some occasional anachronisms, I really enjoyed this story of two people with deep hurts and insecurities finding a second chance at love, passion, and family with each other. This was a steamy explicit romance with open door sex scenes also. Both Abigail and Colin are characters that I found well developed, that I liked and felt connected to. Colin was so caught up in his own fears and insecurities he either did not see or misinterpreted Abigail's signs until he almost lost her. I quite liked their secondary relationships too, with there being strong hints of a very intriguing future story about his friend, Gabriel. I quite liked Esther and Wang as well, but wish there was more to their story considering how it ended. Unless that will be fleshed out separately as well.

4.25 stars out of 5