This Earl of Mine (Bow Street Bachelors, #1)

by Kate Bateman

Shipping heiress Georgiana Caversteed is done with men who covet her purse more than her person. Even worse than the ton’s lecherous fortune hunters, however, is the cruel cousin determined to force Georgie into marriage. If only she could find a way to be . . . widowed? Georgie hatches a madcap scheme to wed a condemned criminal before he’s set to be executed. What could possibly go wrong?

Benedict William Henry Wylde, scapegrace second son of the late Earl of Morcott and well-known rake, is in Newgate prison undercover, working for Bow Street. Georgie doesn’t realize who he is when she marries him - and she most certainly never expects to bump into her very-much-alive, and very handsome, husband of convenience at a society gathering weeks later. Soon Wylde finds himself courting his own wife, hoping to win her heart since he already has her hand. But how can this seductive rogue convince brazen, beautiful Georgie that he wants to be together... until actual death do they part?

• ISBN13: 9781250305954
• Publish Date: 1 November 2019 (first published 29 October 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 5 April 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: St Martin's Press
• Imprint: St. Martin's Paperbacks
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• URL: http://melia.co.uk/page/detail/?k=9781250305954

Reviews

[EBookObsessed]

A nice romance.

Georgiana is a woman with a brain and a fortune. Her father left his shipping business to her and she has turned it into an empire. But even a woman with a brain can't escape the laws of her time which say that her fortune would become the property of her husband. Georgie had her lawyers draft an agreement allowing her to keep her business and her fortune but shockingly none of those suitors desperate for her love seem to be willing to sign it.   When Georgie narrowly misses an attempt at a scandal which would have forced her to marry the golddigger to avoid being ostracized and her mother and younger sister with her, Georgie decides to take her future into her own hands. She has decided that she would marry a criminal doomed to the gallows. He would make her a quick widow and she would offer his family compensation for the marriage. Georgie would simply tell everyone that her husband was a sailor on one her ships who was currently out of the country, and Georgiana would be able to go about her life without the rogues trying to steal her fortune.

It was a good plan until the man she was supposed to marry died before he could be executed and with no other  prisoners waiting to be executed, she marries a man doomed to be shipped off to the wilds of Australia. Since many men never even survive the trip over, she might still become a widow but at the very least, she would never see her husband again. That would have been a great alternate plan but as fate would have it, her prisoner was actually undercover in the prison trying to get information from one of the inmates.

Ben Wylde as the second son of an Earl who misspent the family's money and he is trying to help his brother, the new Earl, payoff their father's debt with an actual job. He has taken up with Bow Street as an investigator. He was given no choice in marrying Georgie, not without blowing his cover. He sent the money to his brother to help with the debts but didn't really think too much about what to do about the marriage until he see his wife across the ballroom.

Since neither Ben nor Georgie can think of a valid reason to annul the marriage, they decide that they need to court through the season so they can fall in love and marry (since no one knows about her prison marriage but the man who tried to trap her into marriage). They figure once they fulfill their marriage obligation to each other then they will go their separate ways.

Of course the more they get to know each other, the more they find they like each other, including their decision to have sex since heck, they are actually married and why not have one fling with your spouse before going your separate ways, especially since Georgie was planning to take a lover now that she was a married woman with an absentee husband. Why not make that lover your actual husband?

Georgie and Ben are cute together.  He is very playful with her which is nice for Georgie since she is always so serious.   They made a very complimentary couple and we see them get to know each other and fall in love.   Georgie does help in his investigation since ships and sailing come into play and Ben knows nothing about that but of course, Georgie does. While there was nothing overly exciting about their story, it was enough to keep me reading and mostly it was a nice romance.

Received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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[kimbacaffeinate]

Georgiana is the eldest Caversteed daughter. Her father made their family’s wealth in shipping and left the bulk of it for Georgiana to manage. Every man who has asked for her hand has bulked or declined after reading the terms of her marriage contract. It seems they were only interested in her coiffeurs. When her cousin tries to force himself on her, she takes matters into her own hand. She’ll marry a condemned prisoner and be a happy, wealthy widow….. only the man she marries is working undercover for Bow Street, and a second son. Oh, my…. I laughed, swooned and became completely caught up in this tale.

Bateman did a fine job of sharing the Bow Street Bachelors stories, particularly that of notorious rogue Benedict Wylde. Benedict is penniless and trying to help his brother restore their families’ coiffures. How does a penniless rogue convince an heiress he cares about her and not her assets?

Georgiana is headstrong, fearless and knowledgeable when it comes to finances, business, and the shipyard, but she knows nothing about men and love. Seeing these two work out an arrangement, grow close and ultimately fall for one another was delightful.

Bateman brought heat, tender moments, character growth and tugged at my heartstrings. The relationship felt genuine and I couldn’t help but wish for a happily ever after.

Secondary characters from Georgiana’s sister, her admirer and his poetry added interest. Even the cheeky informant added to the tale and left me grinning. We got to meet the other bachelors and I confess I am looking forward to their stories.

Beverley A. Crick was delightful as the narrator. I thought she did a fine job with all of the voices, but really captured Georgiana. This was my first time with her and will look for other works she has narrated. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[Lynn]

This is my first Kate Bateman novel and it's fabulous.

Georgiana Caversteed needs a husband to prevent her greedy cousin from snatching her inheritance away from her. Therefore, she hatches a plan which involves marrying a convict destined for the gallows at Newgate prison. However, the man she never expected to see again after her marriage isn't executed… he's very much alive, as is the memory of the kiss they shared to seal their devious contract.

I love the refreshing originality of the plot, it's unlike anything I've read previously. I devoured it in one sitting because I couldn't tear myself away. Georgiana is a strong and determined heroine, even though her idea to foil her cousin wasn't her finest hour. Benedict Wylde is a fine specimen of a hero and proves to be an honourable gentleman. His background suggests he'll try to outwit his newly acquired wife, but instead, he supports and respects her in her capacity as a business owner. Together, they make an exciting and intriguing couple.

In some way, what's possible for a woman to achieve nowadays compared to the nineteenth century differs greatly and I wonder if Georgiana achievements could be possible? Yet, I respect the author's vision for her leading lady because it created such an exhilarating story.

Now, I'm patiently waiting for the next instalment of this wonderful new series but meanwhile, I'll pick up some of the author's other works.

***arc generously received courtesy of St Martin's Paperbacks via NetGalley***

[chymerra]

I knew I was going to like This Earl of Mine after I read the first chapter. Any book that has me giggling the first chapter is a keeper. By the end of the second chapter, I was laughing out loud, and the book got better after that.

The plotline of This Earl of Mine was fast. After Georgie and Ben see each other at the party, the book takes off. There is no lag. There are no dropped storylines. The flow of the book was terrific. It was written in a way that made me feel that the characters were genuine.

I loved Georgie. Plain and simple, she was a boss. All she wanted was to be left alone and run her shipping business. But, this was Regency England and men ruled. She needed the protection of a husband to keep her business. And with her nasty cousin Josiah trying to compromise her, she decided to get married on her terms. Of course, she didn’t think she would ever see her husband again. So when she saw Ben at a gathering, she was astounded. She did handle everything with grace and a sense of humor. I liked the solution that she came up with. It made sense, and that scene when they were talking about annulment had me dying laughing.

I loved Ben as much as I loved Georgie. He didn’t have a choice in marrying her. She intrigued him, and he made it a point to bump into her at that party. I loved how he kept calling her Mrs. Wylde. He also rescued her on more than one occasion. I believe he fell for her before she fell for him.

Ben and Georgie had an immediate sexual attraction to each other. That sexual attraction kept building until an explosive kiss in a submarine (yes, a submarine!!). The author did a great job of building up that sexual attraction after each encounter. When Ben and Georgie finally had sex, it was terrific. What impressed me is that each sex scene afterward was just as amazing as the first one.

I was “eh” with Juliet and Simon’s plotline. It fell flat for me. I did appreciate how awful Simon’s poetry was, but other than that, bleh.

The plotline with Ben, Seb, and Alex and the Bow Street Runners were interesting. I liked how the author integrated that plotline in with Ben and Georgie’s plotline. I loved reading about the investigation and the clues that took both Ben and Georgie to figure out. Of course, Seb and Alex fascinated me too.

The Josiah plotline did surprise me. I should have seen what happened coming. I do think that Josiah got his just deserts too.

The end of This Earl of Mine was perfect. I loved how Ben and Georgie got their happily ever after. I was wondering how the Earl in the title was going to come into play (Ben was the “spare” and had no money). The way the author chose to write it in was excellent!!! I loved it. I cannot wait to read Alex’s story.

[Lindsey Gray]

While on a mission for Bow Street, Benedict is somewhat forced to marry heiress, Georgiana Caversteed. Georgie just wants a husband in name only to save her from her lecherous cousin, Josiah. When Benedict and Georgie see each other across a crowded ballroom, the gameplan is demolished.

I was so excited to dig into another Kate Bateman novel! She did not disappoint me with the sweeping romance between Ben and Georgie. I love how she flipped the script with a wealthy woman and a penniless, yet valiant young man.

Of course, there is the dastardly villain to contend with on the pair’s road to wedded bliss. Cousin Josiah is about as disgusting as any money-grabber could be. He never fathomed that Georgie would do something so devious as to sneak out and marry another. His plan to hold all of the Caversteed fortunes is halted, but not forgotten.

As Georgie and Ben get to know one another, the desire for a true marriage becomes almost overwhelming. With a lovestruck younger sister, a hellish cousin, and a rake of a husband, Georgie has her hands full all while trying to run a shipping empire. While Ben initially thinks the best way to proceed is divorce, the determined and kind Georgie turns his entire belief system upside down.

While Bateman wove her love story, she kept me guessing at every turn. I hope she has even more love and secrets to share as the series continues.

I received This Earl of Mine for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.