The Earl Next Door (First Comes Love)

by Amelia Grey

[chymerra]

3.5 stars

I am going to do this review in a different style today. I am going to list the pros and cons (with explanations). I have done reviews like this in the past. I have found that I can get my thoughts across better this way. It is up in the air if this review style will become a permanent thing.

Pro’s of The Earl Next Door


1. It is set in Regency England. I am a massive fan of historical romances set in that period. I love being able to imagine going to balls, eating by candlelight, and being courted.

2. Adeline’s independence. What I liked is that the author chose to have her independence be true to the era. While she could do what she wanted, she still had to observe the tons’ social dictations.

3. Lyon. While he was a typical Regency romance hero, he did stand out to me. He had a strong moral code (which was explained in the book). As weird as this sounds, he also didn’t have a mistress. Usually, in these books, the male main character is ending a relationship with a mistress, or he is considering one. Not Lyon. It was refreshing to read.

4. Adeline and Lyon’s initial relationship. I loved it!!! From the minute he asked her if she was running a brothel, I knew this relationship was going to be a good one. She put Lyon in his place several times. My favorite one? Well, when she walked into his house, soaking wet, and proceeded to tell him and every other man there off. I slow clapped at the end of that scene.

Con’s of The Earl Next Door

1. Adeline’s backstory. While it wasn’t the most tragic one I have read, it struck a nerve with me. When everything was revealed, she put through a lot by her late husband. I could understand why she felt the way she felt later on in the book.

2. Lyon’s father. He grated on my nerves. Every single scene he was in, I wanted to erase him, he annoyed me that bad. For someone who has been married three times and was engaged to be married again, he didn’t have the right to push marriage on anyone.

3. Adeline and Lyon after they had sex. I did like that Adeline didn’t want to get married. I liked that she tried to keep it simple. I also liked that Lyon was the one pushing marriage. But, after the first few interchanges, I started to get annoyed.

4. The end of the book. I was underwhelmed by it. It was predictable. Everything that took place after Nora arrived at Adeline’s house I predicted. Even the epilogue I didn’t like.

Conclusion of The Earl Next Door

I started off liking The Earl Next Door. It was in my favorite romance era, Regency England. I enjoyed that the author chose to make Adeline as independent as she could for that era. I loved Lyon and thought his character was a refreshing change. Adeline and Lyon’s relationship, for the first half of the book, was excellent.

The book started going downhill for me after Lyon and Adeline had sex. Their relationship became a power struggle. He wanted to marry her, and she didn’t want too. I did wish that Adeline’s entire backstory was revealed earlier in the book. I could not stand Lyon’s father. The end of the book was disappointing to me. It became too predictable. Even the epilogue, which I enjoy, was “meh.” But, saying that, I do want to read book 2!!