Kelly Bowen

THE EARL DOTH PROTEST . . . For businessman Heath Hextall, inheriting an earldom has been a damnable nuisance. The answer: find a well-bred, biddable woman to keep his life in order and observe the required social niceties. But it's always been clear that Lady Josephine Somerhall is not that woman. Once a shy slip of a girl, Joss is now brilliant, beautiful chaos in a ball gown. . . . BUT THE LADY KNOWS BEST In her heart, Joss has always loved Heath, the one person she's always been able to count on. That doesn't mean she wants to marry him though. Without a husband, Joss can do as she pleases-and now, it pleases her to solve the mystery of an encoded file given to Heath by a dying man. It's put Heath in peril once, and Joss won't let that happen again. She'll do what she must to ensure the earl's safety. And to remind him that what she lacks in convention, she makes up for in passion.

You're the Earl That I Want

Sonia Grgas

Lover of Romance 

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
  


 
 
  
    Summary 
  
 
Heath Hextall considers being an Earl a pain and a bother and he would much prefer working on his business than dealing with members of the Ton. All he needs now is an amiable wife to take care of his domestic matters so that he can focus on his shipyard and his business affairs. Even though he is attempting to court a lovely and biddable but intelligent woman, except there is one problem: he can't stop thinking about one woman, Lady Josephine Somerhall. But Joss is not just any woman, she was a girl who played with him and her brother when they were kids and then she vanished one day, known to be a traveler and studying abroad. Now she has returned and has not changed one bit. Still wild and sassy smart, and keeping him on his toes. But suddenly Joss and Heath and brought into a mystery and a danger, when Heath's friend is killed with secret papers, enemies that are looking for what they know, secrets of the Templar and soon Joss and Heath will be in danger of their lives if they don't get down to the secret, that could lead to Bonaparte returning to France and taking over once again...
 
  
    The Hero 
  
 
Heath Hextall made a name for himself, he built up a ship yard business, loves his travels especially going back and forth between American and England. But when he became an Earl, his life changed, and he is struggling to maintain a balance of his responsibilities. Heath's household is falling apart, and he has decided what he needs is a wife to take care of the matters between butlers and maids so he doesn't have to. Heath is content with marrying a nice and lovely wife, one that he can be content with and won't drive him crazy like Lady Josephine. But Joss is the one woman he is constantly thinking about and can't stop thinking about. Heath was a great hero, at first he is a bit arrogant and conceited, but honorable and hard working. He isn't ashamed of what he has become or what he has built for himself, even though members of his class are very disapproving of it. He is protective of Joss which I loved, and I adored how he handles her at times.
 
  
    The Heroine 
  
 
Lady Josephine Somerhall has always cared for Heath ever since they were kids. She chased Heath and her brother around, always wanting to prove herself to this boy that won her heart, even if he didn't know the different between a frog and a toad. Then a situation developed with her father, and for her own safety and well being she was sent away from the home she loved and the boy she couldn't get enough of.
"Then what the hell were you doing in my bed?"

"That is.."

He closed the distance between them in three steps. He reached down and tipped her chin up, forcing her eyes back to his. The dark desire he saw reflected in her gaze nearly undid him right there.

"I wanted.."

He dropped to a knee in front of her, his eyes level with her own. "What? You wanted what, Joss?"

"I wanted to feel what it would be like. To belong to you."
She has traveled many parts of the world and has become a highly educated woman with a spirited nature that has developed over the years. Now she works with her mother to help those unfortunate women who need aid from abusive situations. Josephine isn't your average heroine and I had quite a fun time with her character. She is passionate, fierce in her desires to help others, creative and cunning, loved the way her mind worked. I love how crafty she is and the way she handles any situation no matter how dangerous.
 
  
    Plot and Story Line 
  
 
You're The Earl I Want is a story that I immediately liked. Kelly Bowen has a talented way of creative beautiful stories that make this era come alive for me that not many authors can do for me. Every book I have read from this series just makes me yearn for more from this author. I love how each story has a unique situation with a level of intrigue and danger to it that mixes so well with the love story that she evenly balances out. In You're The Earl I Want we see a childhood sweethearts trope come alive. Both Heath and Joss have cared for each other. Joss knows exactly who she wants and its always been Heath. Heath, however, has always liked her, but he doesn't fully realize it until Joss comes back into his life.
I've been spending too much time looking for other things I thought I wanted. Things I thought were the right things and would make me happy. But they didn't. They never could. I want you, Josephine Somerhall. On whatever terms you wish. It's only ever been you.
Even though Joss has never really desired marriage, there is one person she wants more than anything...Heath. This was a unique set up because at the beginning we see how against marriage Joss is because Heath doesn't really see her as a potential wife and she KNOWS it. She isn't exactly biddable or passive. Quite the exact opposite. Joss is spirited and lively and brings passion to Heath. These two are brought into a world of mystery and danger. They need each other and start to work with each other to discover what is really going on and get to the bottom of this mystery that ended up with the death of one of Heath's friends. There were so many aspects of this book that I fell in love with but one of my favorites was seeing Heath and Joss reconnect with each other and discover a passion they have for each other. And honestly I love espionage in a romance, and Bowen's handles this aspect beautifully. It is a focus of the story, but it balances evenly with the love story that develops between Heath and Joss. We also see a small side plot of Heath's right-hand man. We also see how desperate certain supporters of Bonaparte were to bring him back to power after he was exiled. Interesting plot twist and loved the historical relevance come into play into this story. This was a story that is a must for historical lover, sweet and exciting.
I want you all the time, Josephine Somehall," he growled. "I want you from the second I wake up until the moment I work myself into a exhausted stupor that allows me to find sleep. I want you like this, naked and hot and sweaty, every time you're near me. every time you touch me. Every time you look at me. If I didn't have you, I would have lost my mind.
 
  
    The Cover 
  
 
Such a lovely cover here. I love her peach dress with the yellow ribbon and holding a rose. Her expression is so mischievous and playful, and full of secrets. And I like the contrasts of the blue and green staircase in the background. This is definitely my favorite cover so far in this series.

  
    Overall View 
  
  

You're The Earl I Want is a story that is a delightful romp with a dose of danger, hint of sensuality, a smidgen of mystery and quite a lot of rediscovering a love that has always existed between these two!! A STORY TO CRAVE!


  
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You're the Earl That I Want

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