I Love the Earl [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

I truly enjoyed the book, the plot was a bit predictable but even so it had me laughing and intrigued non the less.
The Heroine is a 30 year old spinter that recently had the "luck" of having her brother become a Duke. Her brother settles an exuberant dowry on her making her a heiress an obviously the desired wife of any penniless men. The hero is of course one of the penniless man in pursuit but boy is he charming, sexy and just down right lovable. The brother of course dosn't want a fortun hunter for his sister and there comes the conflict...The premise of the book is not unusual but the dialogs are fun and you get to feel the story and the romance in it, which is what I most enjoy in a book. So yes I would recommend it for an afternoon read. Note: this is not a full length novel (11 chapters) it took me about 3 to 4 hours to read...

You know what I loved about this book? I never had to forgive the hero or the heroine for being an idiot. Not once did they betray each other. Not once did they fail to forgive a shortcoming. There was no subterfuge, no great misunderstanding. It's just a story of a man, trying to win a woman's heart --and succeeding.

Margaret is firmly on the shelf at 30 when her brother inherits a Dukedom. He decides to share his good fortune with his sister, offering a sizable dowry for her to finally snag a husband. That money is just what Rhys needs. But when he meets Margaret, he is taken with her quick wit and strong will... and he knows they would be a perfect fit.

Margaret wants a man to love her for more than the money her brother is offering. And Rhys' financial problems are no secret, so it takes some time before she is assured of his affections. But the sexual tension is good and when they finally come together, it's great. There are a few foils for the couple along the way, but they're all external. It's a short read... only a little over 100 pages... but a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. 4 stars.

Margaret de Lacey has accepted her modest life as a spinster after realizing she is handsome and not terribly beautiful with no huge dowry to help tempt a man from all the other bevy of beauties. When her brother unexpectedly inherits the dukedom of Durham, both of their lives are drastically changed. Her brother, Francis, settles the huge sum of forty thousand pounds for her dowry with the hopes of Margaret finally finding her own happiness. Naturally, all the broke, down on their luck, titled gentleman start calling on her but Margaret only wants to marry for love, for herself, not for money.

Rhys Corwen, Earl of Dowling, is one such man very much down on his luck. His father gambled away his fortune and now his home in literally falling down around him and after a bad flood involving his sheep, he is just steps from ruination. His delightful friend, Clyve, helpfully provides a list of wealthy ladies and together they set out to met these ladies and see if any will do as a bride. Margarets name is the highest on the list, of course, with her huge dowry and when he finally makes her acquaintance, well that encounter will have you laughing for sure! Rhys quickly realizes that Margaret isn't a beautiful, biddable girl, rather she is a woman of passion and spirit with a sharp, bold wit about her. And he knows she is the one he wants...forever.

Margaret wants nothing to do with money hungry gentleman but she just can't shake Rhys from her mind. Rhys keeps showing up at events that Margaret is at and always finding a chance to talk to her for a moment and when they finally sneak off into a garden for a moment, they have one of my favorite moments.

"How many kisses?" he murmured.
"Just one will do" ...
"How long a kiss?" He brushed his lips against the corner of her mouth.
"How long do you need" She swayed against him...
"To kiss you properly?" He smiled. "A lifetime Maggie." Sigh!

For my first Caroline Linden story, this was an excellent start. It is just a wonderful romance about Rhys and Maggie (as he calls her). There are some good supporting characters in his friend Clyve, and Maggies new friend Clarissa. There was a small hiccup at the end of the book involving Francis and Rhys but I was very happy with the way that played out. It really brought a big smile to my face and made my heart sigh a bit. My only small complaint is, as it always seems to be with novellas, is I wanted a bit more. I would have liked to have seem a bit more of Rhys and Maggies courtship and some more snappy encounters. Overall though, this is a wonderful romance novella. Enjoyable characters, main and secondary, great dialogue and some heat help move this story from start to finish very well. I know I have very happy to have the start of Ms Lindens new trilogy (of which this story is a prequel for) ready to go! I hope to see more of this great couple and how the secret of Francis changes his sons' lives! 4 solid stars