Waiting For an Earl Like You: A Masters of Seduction Novel (Masters of Seduction, #3)

by Alexandra Hawkins

Justin Reeve Netherwood, Earl of Kempthorn - better known to his friends as simply Thorn has failed for years to understand what his twin brother sees in their bothersome next-door neighbor. Miss Olivia Lydall is young, reckless, and most likely much too smitten with his brother. So when Olivia mistakenly asks Thorn to help her get the attention of a gentleman, Thorn readily agrees. What's the harm in steering Olivia away from his brother...even while she thinks it's his brother she's getting help from all along? It's a good plan, except Thorn doesn't remember her being quite this charming, or quite this beautiful. But how can he claim a lady's heart when what they have is built on deceit? Olivia has always thanked her lucky stars she found a friend in her next door neighbour even though his dour twin brother is the very epitome of a tiresome bore. But when her plan to land a certain gent with the help of her friend leads her to fall for him instead, Olivia is in new territory. All of a sudden, there's something about him that makes her want to succumb to him, give in to the passion he inspires within her. It's almost as if she's fallen in love with a completely new person...but how could it be true?

• ISBN10: 1250771218
• ISBN13: 9781250771216
• Publish Date: 3 January 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: St. Martin's Griffin
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[Cocktails and Books]

Alexandra Hawkins always provides guilty pleasure historical romances. The heroes are generally wicked and the heroines headstrong to stand up to that wicked hero. This book was no exception. The interactions between Thorn and Olivia were delightful. I couldn't wait for the next interaction because they completely threw each other off-kilter. And let's not talk about the sexual chemistry between these two. Even when they were arguing it was off the charts. But it wasn't the H/h that made this a 4 star instead of a 5 star review. It was the sudden disappearance of Thorn's twin, Gideon, and the ending.

I adored this book right up until the last page. I had questions about what was going on with Gideon, but I could overlook those as we made our way to Thorn and Olivia's HEA. The ending did me in. It was kind of abrupt. Olivia and Thorn make-up, she asks when they are going to wed and he says when he finds Gideon. No one had been worried about Gideon before and his disappearance shouldn't impact you getting off the grass and at least get closure with Olivia's father. It was kind of "Hey, he already agreed and after all that's happened we're just going to do our own thing." Given the events that had just happened, I would have liked the closure with her father...even if we weren't getting their wedding at the end.

All that being said, if you are a lover of historical romances you must pick this book up. The banter and chemistry with these two characters more than make up for my dislike of the last page.

[stacey_is_sassy]

I think this is the first book I’ve wished I didn’t have the hero's POV.

***3.5 Stars***

I’ll start off by saying that I liked Waiting For an Earl Like You. Yes, there were parts that drove me bonkers and had me rolling my eyes but there were more times than not that I enjoyed the journey.

I’d have to say that my biggest complaint was getting to see the working mind of the hero. We get a glimpse of the hero and other titled gentleman acting like scoundrels and recounts of some of their previous mischief. I’m not sure about other readers but I am guilty of reading a story only from the heroine’s point of view and wishing for the hero’s as well. In this case, I wish I was spared from most of it. I didn’t want to hear about his feelings towards his past conquests or how his deprived mind worked.

If this had been a Contemporary Romance, I probably would have had fewer qualms about it. Because it was a historical romance, I have an expectation of being spared from the details of the heroes past. Maybe this has something to do with the time the story was set. I suppose you could say that I expected the same courtesy and respect that a lady of that time should/would be given. There is a wee chance I’m living TOO vicariously through the heroines I read about.

Olivia has lived next door to twins Justin and Gideon all her life. Justin, being the eldest is the heir and Gideon the spare. Justin Netherwood, Earl of Kempthorn, also known as Thorn takes his position very seriously. When they were children growing up, Justin thought Olivia and Gideon were silly and immature. He didn’t play with them but also resented the fun they had with each other. As time went on Olivia and Gideon formed a close friendship. This friendship lasted many years including the time Gideon left his family to create his own fortune. When Gideon returns, Thorn finds that their closeness (as twins) had been damaged but Olivia and Gideon’s closeness seems as strong as ever.

They plan to marry her off. Olivia’s father has been widowed for many years but has recently started a relationship with the Countess of Grisdale. It looks like there will be a betrothal soon and the Countess has serious plans to remove Olivia from the household so she can take over running it. The Countess goes out of her way to belittle Olivia and find fault in her actions and speech, but not in front of her father. Olivia holds her tongue, not wanting to upset her father. She also promises to try and act with decorum and dignity…but falling in the lake at a garden party is definitely not the way to go.

Thorn believes that Olivia has plans to trap Gideon into marriage. He must use every trick in the book to lure Olivia away…even if it means compromising her.

As I mentioned above, I enjoyed a lot of Waiting For an Earl Like You. There were times that Thorn seemed a little mean and judgemental. He uses his stiff upper lip and lordly manners to keep both Olivia and Gideon on the straight and narrow. There are definitely unresolved issues between Thorn and Gideon and I get the feeling that Gideon has a BIG secret he is keeping from his family. Thorn definitely convinced me that he lusted after Olivia, but he sometimes acted in a thoughtless way that frustrated me.

Now, Olivia, for the most part, was witty and charming but towards the end, acted like a ninny. Naïve is being too generous towards her actions. Sure, sure, I believe she can lose her senses after a steamy kiss but she definitely turns hot and cold towards Thorn on a whim. I was never really convinced that she was feeling love or plain old lust towards Thorn.

In the end, it was a pleasant tale about love that started with a little girl who followed around two brothers who took the time to include her. I read this story in one day and it kept my interest from start to finish. I would recommend Waiting For an Earl Like You to readers of historical romance who don’t mind hearing about a rake, his mates and their lives of debauchery..until they find their ONE.




I’m an Aussie chick who loves to read and review romance, drink coffee, be a Style Setter and stalk David Gandy. To see more of my reviews, fashion, food and pervathons -