Name: Counting on a Countess (Shady Ladies of London, Book 2)
Rating: 3 (4 reviews)
ISBN: 9780008272630

Eva Leigh

‘Delightful banter and delicious passion...simply divine’, New York Times bestselling author Tessa Dare

Counting on a Countess (Shady Ladies of London, Book 2)

For a shameless libertine and a wily smuggler in the London Underground, marriage is more than convenience—it’s strategy . . . Christopher “Kit” Ellingsworth, war veteran and newly minted Earl of Blakemere, buries his demons under every sort of pleasure and vice. His scandalous ways have all but emptied his coffers . . . until a wealthy mentor leaves him a sizeable fortune. The only stipulation? He must marry within one month to inherit the money. Kit needs a bride and the bold, mysterious Miss Tamsyn Pearce seems perfect. Husband hunting isn’t Tamsyn’s top priority—she’s in London to sell her new shipment of illicit goods—but she’s desperate for funds to keep her smuggling operation afloat. When a handsome earl offers to wed her and send her back to Cornwall with a hefty allowance, Tamsyn agrees. After all, her secrets could land her in prison and an attentive, love-struck spouse could destroy everything. But when an unexpected proviso in the will grants Tamsyn control of the inheritance, their arrangement becomes anything but convenient. Now, Kit’s counting on his countess to make his wildest dreams a reality and he plans to convince her, one pleasurable seduction at a time.

The London Underground

Counting on a Countess

I read and adored Leigh's Last Chance Scoundrels series, so I wanted to dive into some of her other books, but sadly, they haven't been hitting the same. I never found myself interested in the plot or the characters. I didn't care for the relationship between Kit and Tamsyn because it felt fake. There wasn't a strong connection between them, so I didn't care. There are so many secrets between the two, and it led to a lot of messy situations. Overall, I found it be pretty lackluster.

Heather Harrington

b.andherbooks

In order to inherit the massive amount of money his friend and fellow Napoleonic War veteran left him, Christopher “Kit” Ellingsworth and recent Earl of Blakemere must wed. 

Within a month. Aghast he must put aside his libertine ways but also desperate to secure the money so he can fund his secret dream project, Kit luckily finds a most willing bride, one Miss Tamsyn Pearce. Tamsyn is also desperate to wed as she needs both money and a husband to ensure she can carry on with her illegal smuggling business, buy her crumbling family estate, and keep her Welsh townspeople fed and in work.

Quick marriage complete, they find out there is another stipulation in the will. Tamsyn, as Kit's new wife, has been given total control of the funds! Kit can't even buy his new wife a piece of jewelery without her written permission, throwing a huge wrench in his plans. 

It doesn't help Tamsyn is for all rights and purposes is a penny-pinching saver, so Kit believes he must seduce and make his wife fall in love with him before he can ask her to fund his project, a Pleasure Garden he is sure will help heal his broken spirit, so damaged after the horrors of the war he so recently fought.

Secrets, misunderstandings, and love lead to a lovely romance with a hard-won but totally fulfilling HEA. 

I especially enjoyed this tale because of the very dear way the love scenes were handled. Kit is very patient with Tamsyn, who comes to the marriage a virgin, and does not force her or coerce her into immediately consummating the marriage. He talks to Tamsyn, and they discuss their wants and desires. This leads to an excellent slow-burn seduction between both characters, and I ate up every minute of it...until a scene leading up them FINALLY boning that I felt was really bonkers! I'm assuming this scene is the set-up for the next story in this series. 
(view spoiler)[Kit and Tamsyn finally decide to have sex! Yes! Everything is going smoothly until Tamsyn again expresses nervousness. Instead of talking about things and slowing down a bit, Kit decides this moment would be an excellent time to take Tamsyn to a sex club with his buddy. Whut. So, virginal Tamsyn who was so nervous is taken to an exhibitionist spectacle which makes her super horny and they finally go home and bonk. I'm totally fine with this, it just seemed sudden and a little out of character for the way their relationship had progressed up to this point (hide spoiler)].

There are also fun secondary characters, especially Tamsyn's maid, and gosh darn I love Wales. I will definitely be reading the other books in this series!

Spoiler alert!!

Counting on a Countess (Shady Ladies of London, Book 2)

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