This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Reviewed by Jennifer Joyce
Lady Philippa Marbury – or Pippa as she prefers to be called – is about to be married to an Earl, a convenient match of equals rather than the result of passion or love. Her betrothed is a good man, even if he is a little dull and doesn’t seem very interested in his bride-to-be. Pippa has little reservation about marrying him, her only concern is the mechanics of marriage. Pippa is a woman of science and she knows the basics of sex and procreation through reading books, but she is determined to learn the more intricate details before she makes her vows.
Cross is the owner of a London casino and is used to dealing with gamblers and prostitutes, so it’s a shock when Lady Philippa arrives in his office asking for his help. Pippa has always been viewed as the odd member of the Marbury family, more interested in her plants and science than attending tea with the other ladies. Cross doesn’t find her odd, he finds Pippa fascinating – as well as frustrating. When Pippa asks for his assistance in widening her knowledge of sex, Cross cannot possibly comply. But as well as being odd, Pippa is also a very determined young woman and will stop at nothing to get her own way.
At first I wasn’t at all convinced I was going to enjoy One Good Earl Deserves a Lover. They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but I did worse than that – I judged this book by its title. I thought One Good Earl Deserves a Lover sounded beyond cheesy and I was more than a little dismissive. I was wrong to judge. Very. As soon as I started reading the book, I was drawn towards Cross and the past he concealed from everybody and I found Pippa so endearing; smart and knowledgeable in some ways yet extremely naïve in others. I absolutely loved the way Pippa and Cross interacted, frustrating each other as Pippa pushes Cross into her plans and Cross does his best to deter her. The tension and attraction builds each time they meet and I was willing them to admit their feelings for one another before it was too late.
One Good Earl Deserves a Lover is an entertaining read that is touching at times and quite steamy at others with some dark and dangerous moments too.
8/10
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