An Inconvenient Earl
- Downloads：8274
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2024-01-05 07:22:38
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Julia London
- ISBN：B0CHJ44HM8
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Kate
，
The books says the same thing over and over again with no real development。 The protagonist tells a lie badly and then worries the rest of the book without actually doing anything。 Things are done to and for and around her but she mostly just worries and gets flustered。 Even in the conclusion， she is sent places and things are done for her。 The couple’s story telling habit felt stilted。 Perhaps it was the narrator？ But she is supposed to be charming and how she always cut short her stories or dr The books says the same thing over and over again with no real development。 The protagonist tells a lie badly and then worries the rest of the book without actually doing anything。 Things are done to and for and around her but she mostly just worries and gets flustered。 Even in the conclusion， she is sent places and things are done for her。 The couple’s story telling habit felt stilted。 Perhaps it was the narrator？ But she is supposed to be charming and how she always cut short her stories or dragged them on felt childish and desperate。 The premise was interesting but why didn’t she just forge a letter and discover he had died later？ Or use Luca to get out of her predicament？ 。。。more
Norah Gibbons
，
I received an ARC of an Inconvenient Earl by Julia London through NetGalley。 All opinions are my own。 This book is the fourth book in her delightful A Royal Match series and while there are characters from other the other books in this one it could be read as a standalone。 Emma Clark， Countess of Dearborn was thankful when her extremely nasty husband left to go exploring in Egypt。 Later when a messenger arrived to let her know that he had died of a fever in Egypt she felt relieved， but then the I received an ARC of an Inconvenient Earl by Julia London through NetGalley。 All opinions are my own。 This book is the fourth book in her delightful A Royal Match series and while there are characters from other the other books in this one it could be read as a standalone。 Emma Clark， Countess of Dearborn was thankful when her extremely nasty husband left to go exploring in Egypt。 Later when a messenger arrived to let her know that he had died of a fever in Egypt she felt relieved， but then the messenger dropped dead and she was the only one who knew that she was now a widow。 For the first time in her life she was free， if she let his family know that her husband was dead she would be both penniless and homeless。 Emma decided to continue on as if she was still waiting for her husband to come home and perhaps throw a few parties and make some improvements to the estate。 Luka Olivien， the Weslorian Earl of Marlaine was charged with returning some of the late Lord Dearborns effects to his family and is quite shocked to discover that they don't appear to know that he is dead。 He is bewitched and bewildered by the lovely countess who may be keeping secrets and she finds herself deeply attracted to this handsome stranger who is about to bring her world crashing down。 I enjoyed reading this book immensely and highly recommend it。 The other books in this series are also very enjoyable。 Steam level: Medium Publishing Date: December 26， 2023。 #NetGalley #HarlequinTradePublishing #CanaryStreetPress #AnInconvenientEarl #ARoyalMatchSeries #bookstagramer #bookstagram #historicalromance #historicalromanceseries 。。。more
Susan
，
Another great book in the Royal Match series by Julia London！ I felt for Emma doing what she had to do to take care of her life that she is finally living。 I never knew what she was going to come up with next。 Her interactions with the rest of the characters were so entertaining and I loved how Luka handled everything。 It was a great read！
Tiffany
，
I love the emotional aspect Julia London empathizes with within this book。 Throughout history， women have been property to men。 Our equalities and existence are far below money。 I love that she breaks away from the typical historical romance stereotype with no heroes that will save a woman， but she saves him in his stance。 Fantastic book and an absolute delight！
Karin
，
Royal Match Book Four。Spin-Off from Royal Wedding。Emma Clark has been alone for long enough to enjoy it。 When news of her husband's death reaches her， she cannot give up her freedom。 Luka Olivien travels from Egypt only to find that no one seems to know about Albert's death。 Impatient， but also intrigued by the Countess's ingenuity， Luka stays and allows Emma's ridiculous antics to continue until the house party she insists on throwing。 In that time， she spins tales of her life and Luka begins t Royal Match Book Four。Spin-Off from Royal Wedding。Emma Clark has been alone for long enough to enjoy it。 When news of her husband's death reaches her， she cannot give up her freedom。 Luka Olivien travels from Egypt only to find that no one seems to know about Albert's death。 Impatient， but also intrigued by the Countess's ingenuity， Luka stays and allows Emma's ridiculous antics to continue until the house party she insists on throwing。 In that time， she spins tales of her life and Luka begins to fall。If you're looking for a story of slow-burn romance with an historical twist， this is the book for you。Audio Review:Justin Hill is a steady， guiding voice who allows the story to unfold without excess embellishments。 He is the voice of this series and no other could do it justice。 。。。more
Rowena
，
An Inconvenient Earl is the 4th standalone story in Julia London’s Royal Match series。 Luka Olivien， a Weslorian Earl of Marlaine and childhood friend of Queen Justine of Wesloria from the 1st Royal Match series， Last Duke Standing， was charged with returning the pocket watch of the late Earl of Dearborne to the Countess of Dearborne， Emma Clark。 Yet， everyone including Emma seemed to be unaware of the Earl of Dearborne’s death。 A task that Luka expected to take a day or two took much longer tha An Inconvenient Earl is the 4th standalone story in Julia London’s Royal Match series。 Luka Olivien， a Weslorian Earl of Marlaine and childhood friend of Queen Justine of Wesloria from the 1st Royal Match series， Last Duke Standing， was charged with returning the pocket watch of the late Earl of Dearborne to the Countess of Dearborne， Emma Clark。 Yet， everyone including Emma seemed to be unaware of the Earl of Dearborne’s death。 A task that Luka expected to take a day or two took much longer than that - finding himself puzzled yet tillitated and tantalized by the Emma and the happenings at Butterhill Hall。There are familiar characters from earlier Royal Match series such as， Beck Hawke， Earl of Iddesleigh， and his family， Lady Lila Aleksander， Donovan Princess Amelia， Lord Marley， Lady Caroline and Prince Leopold Chartier。#AnInconvenientEarl #NetGalley 。。。more
Sue Gosland
，
This book was such a blast！！ A young Countess finds out her poor excuse for a husband has died in Egypt。 She says nothing to anyone， as she knows her sister-in-law will have her immediately thrown out of the manor and she has no where else to go。 So she continues on as if he's still alive， and begins to really enjoy her life。 Into her life comes Luka Olivien， who is the Westlorian Earl of Marlaine， who was given Emma's late husband's watch。 Things get really messy at this point， as the two are v This book was such a blast！！ A young Countess finds out her poor excuse for a husband has died in Egypt。 She says nothing to anyone， as she knows her sister-in-law will have her immediately thrown out of the manor and she has no where else to go。 So she continues on as if he's still alive， and begins to really enjoy her life。 Into her life comes Luka Olivien， who is the Westlorian Earl of Marlaine， who was given Emma's late husband's watch。 Things get really messy at this point， as the two are very attracted to each other。 They know Emma is a widow， but no one else does！ How long will they be able to hide their feelings？ How long will Luka be able to delay going home before he gets into trouble？I loved this book， as I love all of Julia London's books！ 。。。more
Carla
，
Emma Clark， The Countess of Dearborn has been happily living and running the family estate in the absence of her husband Albert。 He was a terrible husband and when Emma was unable to bear him a child， he left to go on an expedition in Egypt。 He has been gone for over a year and people are beginning to suspect that he is dead。 If he is dead， Adele， her sister-in-law， is ready to kick her out of the family home， Butterhill Hall， and move herself and her younger brother， the new Earl， in。 When Luka Emma Clark， The Countess of Dearborn has been happily living and running the family estate in the absence of her husband Albert。 He was a terrible husband and when Emma was unable to bear him a child， he left to go on an expedition in Egypt。 He has been gone for over a year and people are beginning to suspect that he is dead。 If he is dead， Adele， her sister-in-law， is ready to kick her out of the family home， Butterhill Hall， and move herself and her younger brother， the new Earl， in。 When Luka Olivien， the Weslorian Earl of Marlaine， arrives a year later from Egypt to return her husband's pocket watch， he begins to suspect that she knows her husband is dead， but is pretending otherwise。 He is attracted to this smart and vulnerable woman and begins to play along。 Can she continue with her charade and remain at Butterhill Hall， or will she tell the truth so she and Luka can have a real and open relationship？ Meanwhile Luka has his own problems back in Westloria involving his father and his openly hostile and disgruntled feelings about the Queen。 He is being called home by the Queen， his childhood friend， to come home and help quash any possibility of a rebellion。I enjoyed this historical romance with both lovely and villainous characters。 Emma is a well developed character， who is smart and take-charge。 She is caring and does what she can for her young brother-in-law who is under the thumb of his older sister。 She has actually earned money and the estate is profitable， much more than other estates at the time。 She is loving her independence and the opportunity to show that women do have brains。 As the story proceeds we see Emma's frivolous side as she plans a summer party in honor of Luka， the Earl of Marlaine。 We see her working with others and how they want to please her。 Luka is also caring， helpful and fun and I enjoyed seeing them develop a deeper relationship。 Several of the secondary characters had me smiling， especially Feeney， her butler， or should I say Albert's butler。 He goes about his duties she assigns him begrudgingly， but actually enjoys her and seeing all that she accomplished。 Her sister is her best friend and confidante， but she is upset with her keeping secrets as well。 Overall， this is a fun romp， not high on substance， but enjoyable and I couldn't help rooting for Emma and Luka。 。。。more
Kerry Croucier
，
Julia London always writes fun historical romances with characters you fall in love with and root for to have their HEA。 AN INCONVENIENT EARL is no exception。 Part of her A Royal Match series， AN INCONVENIENT EARL focuses on Emma Clark and Luka Olivien with a cast of fun and interesting secondary characters with visits by characters from past novels。Emma Clark thought her marriage was a love match only to realize that her husband was cruel and abusive。 When he abruptly decided to go abroad， she Julia London always writes fun historical romances with characters you fall in love with and root for to have their HEA。 AN INCONVENIENT EARL is no exception。 Part of her A Royal Match series， AN INCONVENIENT EARL focuses on Emma Clark and Luka Olivien with a cast of fun and interesting secondary characters with visits by characters from past novels。Emma Clark thought her marriage was a love match only to realize that her husband was cruel and abusive。 When he abruptly decided to go abroad， she was finally able to breathe and be herself， making improvements on the estate。 When a stranger comes to deliver bad news and promptly dies， she makes the rash decision to keep the news to herself， at least until she figures out what to do next。 She’d almost forgotten about it until another stranger appears who wants to confirm that she knows of her husband’s demise。 Luka couldn’t figure out what Emma knew。 First she’s avoiding him， next she’s telling him stories。 Somewhere along the way these two start to fall for each other。 What will happen when the truth comes out？ Then there is Luka’s own problems at home。 Could there be a future for these two？Emma was such a fun character。 She’s gotten herself into a mess but the more you learn， the more you start to see why she ended up where she did。 As Luka gets to know her， he finds himself drawn into her life and helping her， as he falls for her。 I love how she wins over everyone （but her sister-in-law）。 It was also nice to see characters from previous novels， especially Beck and Donovan。 Though it’s part of a series， it can be read as a standalone novel。London has written another novel full of humorous characters and their interactions。 It will keep you entertained from beginning to end。 AN INCONVENIENT EARL is an entertaining way to spend an afternoon。Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the novel。 All opinions are my own and freely given。#ANINCONVENIENTEARL #AROYALMATCH #JULIALONDON #HARLEQUINTRADEPUBLISHIN #CANARYSTREETPRESS #HISTORICALROMANCE 。。。more
Eileen
，
An Inconvenient Earl by Julia London， book four in her Royal Match series， is a wonderful， enjoyable， charming， humorous， comedy of errors， tale of avoidance。 Emma Clark， Lady Dearborn， finds herself in quite the predicament when her not-so-nice husband abandons her to go on an expedition to Egypt; leaving her home to manage the estate and his siblings， his unpleasant sister and sweet young brother， in his absence。 Emma is quite good at keeping her husband Albert’s estate in excellent working or An Inconvenient Earl by Julia London， book four in her Royal Match series， is a wonderful， enjoyable， charming， humorous， comedy of errors， tale of avoidance。 Emma Clark， Lady Dearborn， finds herself in quite the predicament when her not-so-nice husband abandons her to go on an expedition to Egypt; leaving her home to manage the estate and his siblings， his unpleasant sister and sweet young brother， in his absence。 Emma is quite good at keeping her husband Albert’s estate in excellent working order while he is gone。 She is the only person to know of the death of her abusive husband while he was abroad; finding herself free for the first time in her life and is reluctant to give up the chance to enjoy some time before coming clean to the rest of the family about her new status。 She is enjoying the time without her overbearing and inadequate husband telling her what to do。 When a Westlorian Earl named Luka Olivien arrives on her doorstep， to return her husband’s pocket watch to her， all of the freedom she has gained is threatened。 It was obvious that these two belonged together but with the small lie Emma created about her husband growing larger by the minute， it was unsure if they would be able to get a happy ending。 Ms。 London wrote a compelling story， except it started off a bit slow for me; with Emma coming across as being slow， ordinary， and unremarkable。 As the story progressed: more and more was revealed about her; especially how intelligent she was。 Luka was an amazing character: intelligent， caring， and charming。 This story is shines a critical light on societal prejudices of the time。 I highly recommend An Inconvenient Earl to other readers。I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book。 。。。more
Sarah
，
Here we find the last in the Royal Match Series， and boy will I miss this group of characters - probably enough to reread！ Julia London has ended this group on the top of her game， as this was my favorite of the series。 The madcap， fast paced， laugh out loud experience of this book was so well done for me， I feel I could read it again and find things I missed the first time around。 Emma's husband Albert， Earl of Dearborn has died。 But far from being bad news， Emma finds freedom from her abusive Here we find the last in the Royal Match Series， and boy will I miss this group of characters - probably enough to reread！ Julia London has ended this group on the top of her game， as this was my favorite of the series。 The madcap， fast paced， laugh out loud experience of this book was so well done for me， I feel I could read it again and find things I missed the first time around。 Emma's husband Albert， Earl of Dearborn has died。 But far from being bad news， Emma finds freedom from her abusive not-so-dearly departed husband。 Through a surprising coincidence， the man of affairs who has come to tell her that Albert is dead， drops dead himself。 All before he can share his message with the rest of the household。Knowing that she will be thrown out by her sister-in-law who adored Albert， she had to think fast and kept that small inconsequential fact a secret。 Almost a year passes for this household were Emma comes into her own， bringing the estate back to fruition in order to pass along a true legacy to the next in line， her brother-in-law， Andrew。Things take a hard turn however when Luka Olivien（Westlorian Comte ve Marlaine， son of the Duke of Astasia） shows up， returning a watch to the family of Albert， a man he knows to have died。 Placing Emma， a free spirit， in a percarious position of having to not only keep her plans in place but avoid talking about Albert and hearing the news officially from Luka， but also finishing her plans for the estate and throwing one last ball and house party。 Luka was amazing， a gorgeous， kind man who manages to see the kind of woman Emma is without holding it against her that she was avoiding the death of her husband， and I think， frankly wanting to let this farce play out！There are some deeper levels here with his own storyline unfolding， but I really really loved the lengths Emma went to to avoid learning the information she already knew and completing her plans as best she could。 It got a little heavy handed in her avoidance， but really it fit well within the story。 Julia London did another fabulous job。 All of her books are great reads， but this one really stuck out for me as Iaughed out loud and couldn't wait to turn the page in some places。 Very well done！All opinions are my own and freely given。 。。。more
Elaine
，
She's a countess whose husband left to exploreShe was happy he left， he'd not abuse her any more。But when she'd learnt he'd passed awayShe decided she'd no need to say！So begins her adventuresome daysWith parties， business and changing ways。She's determined to do her best for the estateKnowing once his death is known she'll have to vacate。When someone else turns up who knows of his demiseShe's scared she'll be caught out because of her lies。She tries to avoid having conversations with the manAs She's a countess whose husband left to exploreShe was happy he left， he'd not abuse her any more。But when she'd learnt he'd passed awayShe decided she'd no need to say！So begins her adventuresome daysWith parties， business and changing ways。She's determined to do her best for the estateKnowing once his death is known she'll have to vacate。When someone else turns up who knows of his demiseShe's scared she'll be caught out because of her lies。She tries to avoid having conversations with the manAs acknowledging the truth could ruin her plan！Get ready for family drama and lots more to surpriseAs romance blossoms despite the lies。He's also facing family problems， too，And is being torn about just what to do！A very different historical romance， such a fun read，With a belligerent in-law determined to succeed。There's mischief， treason， plots and schemesAs the Countess of Dearborn tries to follow her dreams。For my complementary copy， I say thank you，As I share with you this， my honest review。 。。。more
Miriam
，
I requested an ARC of this book， and all opinions are my own。This book left me conflicted - initially， the FMC came across as a selfish nitwit and the MMC seemed wishy-washy and just a touch naive。 Both changed throughout the course of the book， but I can't decide if the changes were enough to make up for a lackluster start。 Emma Clark is the Countess of Dearborn， and her husband has been gone over a year on expedition。 Their marriage was one of convenience so Emma was happy to be left alone at I requested an ARC of this book， and all opinions are my own。This book left me conflicted - initially， the FMC came across as a selfish nitwit and the MMC seemed wishy-washy and just a touch naive。 Both changed throughout the course of the book， but I can't decide if the changes were enough to make up for a lackluster start。 Emma Clark is the Countess of Dearborn， and her husband has been gone over a year on expedition。 Their marriage was one of convenience so Emma was happy to be left alone at first。 When news of his death in Egypt reaches her and the messenger himself dies before her， she decides to hold off letting the world know she is now a widow。 That lasts many months， until Luka Olivien， the Weslorian Earl of Marlaine， comes to give Emma her dead husband's watch。 She does everything she can to stop him from saying the dreaded words that will bring her freedom to an end。 They end up falling in love， and at a certain point you do sort-of root for them but it's really hard to get that invested。 There's a side-plot involving Luka's father and a rebellion in Wesloria that I feel was either added for no reason， or was just tied up in a neat bow because of deadline issues - the whole thing felt forced to me。I am sad that this book did not live up to expectations as the first three were fun and very enjoyable。 I am sure there's an audience for this book - it's just not me。 。。。more
Andrea Wenger
，
After her husband the earl dies on an expedition， Emma pretends he’s still alive。 If his family learns the truth， they’ll throw her out of her home and leave her destitute。 Then Luka， a Weslorian count， arrives to return her late husband’s pocket watch found in Egypt。 Intrigued by her charade and her vulnerability， Luka finds himself entangled with the mysterious countess and her secrets。This Victorian romp is a fun novel with whimsical characters。 It’s sensual and a little poignant with underst After her husband the earl dies on an expedition， Emma pretends he’s still alive。 If his family learns the truth， they’ll throw her out of her home and leave her destitute。 Then Luka， a Weslorian count， arrives to return her late husband’s pocket watch found in Egypt。 Intrigued by her charade and her vulnerability， Luka finds himself entangled with the mysterious countess and her secrets。This Victorian romp is a fun novel with whimsical characters。 It’s sensual and a little poignant with understated emotion。Thanks， NetGalley， for the ARC I received。 This is my honest and voluntary review。 。。。more
Winniekowalskiyahoo。Com
，
I read many books since I retired and have read all of Julia London’s books。 I was not a fan of this book。 I was given an ARC copy。 The plot is very different。 The main character – Emma， Countess of Dearborn endures a bad marriage until her husband leaves the country。 While gone， he dies。 The person sent to give this news to Emma dies IMMEDIATELY after giving her the news。 Emma keeps the secret to herself， having parties， etc。 She does manage to learn how to manage the estate and turn it around I read many books since I retired and have read all of Julia London’s books。 I was not a fan of this book。 I was given an ARC copy。 The plot is very different。 The main character – Emma， Countess of Dearborn endures a bad marriage until her husband leaves the country。 While gone， he dies。 The person sent to give this news to Emma dies IMMEDIATELY after giving her the news。 Emma keeps the secret to herself， having parties， etc。 She does manage to learn how to manage the estate and turn it around from the mess her husband left behind。I understand the desire for freedom in your life and applaud her growth， but I found the level of deceit to be disturbing。 The book deals with another person coming to her that knows about her husband’s death。 It is interesting to see how everything plays out， but I just never could find myself “liking” Emma。 I have dealt with the problems a woman sees in a man’s world， but I could never do the things that she did so couldn’t identify with the main character。 。。。more
Lisa C
，
Lovely story of Emma Clark， Countess of Dearborn and Luka Olivien， the Weslorian Earl of Marlaine。 Brought together under strange circumstances - she's been pretending her dead husband is still alive and he's come to give her one of her husband's belongings from his trip abroad。 Enjoyed these characters and how they bantered back and forth to ignore the truths of their lives。 Also enjoyed wondering if they were ever going to come to a HEA， and how that would play out。 Lovely story of Emma Clark， Countess of Dearborn and Luka Olivien， the Weslorian Earl of Marlaine。 Brought together under strange circumstances - she's been pretending her dead husband is still alive and he's come to give her one of her husband's belongings from his trip abroad。 Enjoyed these characters and how they bantered back and forth to ignore the truths of their lives。 Also enjoyed wondering if they were ever going to come to a HEA， and how that would play out。 。。。more
Barb Lie
，
An Inconvenient Earl by Julia London is the 4th book in her A Royal Match series。 We meet our heroine， Emma Clark （Lady Dearborn）， who has not seen her husband for over a year， with him on an expedition in Egypt。 Emma is content since he was nasty and abusive， and she is not missing him at all; as she manages the estate。 Her sister-in-law， Adele who is also nasty， lives with her young son in the Guest House。 One day， someone arrives from Egypt， to tell Emma that her husband is dead due to yellow An Inconvenient Earl by Julia London is the 4th book in her A Royal Match series。 We meet our heroine， Emma Clark （Lady Dearborn）， who has not seen her husband for over a year， with him on an expedition in Egypt。 Emma is content since he was nasty and abusive， and she is not missing him at all; as she manages the estate。 Her sister-in-law， Adele who is also nasty， lives with her young son in the Guest House。 One day， someone arrives from Egypt， to tell Emma that her husband is dead due to yellow fever。; but before he could explain， the man drops dead on the floor。 Emma is beside herself， knowing Adele will throw her out of her home， as her young son is the heir apparent。 Emma decides to pretend that the dead man was only here to give updates on her husband and plans to keep the secret of his death to herself。 Emma continually pretends to Adele that Albert is enjoying his adventures， always getting out of any possible situations。 She is also very good at keeping the estate in good condition， but she also loves throwing parties。Luka Olivien， the Earl of Wesloria， arrives from Egypt to present Emma a watch from her husband， ready to reveal his death。 Emma quickly changes the subject， which she is very good at， and tells Luka to stay at the estate， until she can throw a party for Albert’s friend。 Luka is shocked， and he tries to tell Emma many times about her deceased husband， but she manages to avoid it。 In a short time， both Emma and Luka find themselves attracted to each other; with Luka slowly falling hard for her， and keeping the secret for a while， as he gets to know her better。It was a slow burn romance between Emma and Luka， as they did make a great couple， with Luka coming for her closer to the end。 I wasn’t crazy about Emma early on， but mid-way I began to like her， especially her relationship with Luka。 She is a bit flighty with having so many parties， and telling so many different stories， to hide the truth about her deceased husband; but she still managed to keep the estate profitable。 Emma will get help from the series regular matchmaker， to reveal the truths， and find a place to move on; until Luka arrives。 An Inconvenient Earl was intriguing， witty， entertaining romantic story， with a very good epilogue at the end。 BarbThe Reading Cafe 。。。more
Michelle the Romance Witch
，
I have to preface this review by saying that I have been a devoted fan of all of Julia London’s historical romance novels since the very first one that I picked up years ago and I despite not being a fan of her contemporary novels I have never let them color my devotion to her historical work。 That said I really just could not get into this story until about the last five chapters and I was very sad about that。 Emma Clark’s ass of a husband has finally done her the favor of dropping dead while o I have to preface this review by saying that I have been a devoted fan of all of Julia London’s historical romance novels since the very first one that I picked up years ago and I despite not being a fan of her contemporary novels I have never let them color my devotion to her historical work。 That said I really just could not get into this story until about the last five chapters and I was very sad about that。 Emma Clark’s ass of a husband has finally done her the favor of dropping dead while on expedition in Egypt and she is able to live her life freely and enjoy herself for once。 But when the handsome Luke Olivien， Earl of Marlaine in Wesloria， arrives intent on sharing the news of her husband’s death and passing on an heirloom before returning onto his travels， Emma is just as determined to put him off。 Soon the two of them are involved in a long （and drawn out） game of cat-and-mouse that soon turns to something much more as they spend time together。 As the couple begin to develop feeling for one another， their game begins to have much further-reaching consequences as Emma and Luka both realize they can’t live in their bubble forever and time must go forward， and they might not be able to do so together。 While the premise of this story is one that could have made for an interesting novella， the length of the story just made the story entirely too drawn out and boring in the middle for my tastes。 I liked Luka very much， despite him being a bit too led by his intrigue with Emma at times， but otherwise he was a strong， sweet， and interesting character。 Emma was another story; I understand she had it hard with her husband in the beginning and needed to live it up a little bit， but honestly she began to be a little bit too frivolous and vapid for me during the middle of the story。 I wanted to push her to just grow the hell up and realize there were more important things in the world she should be focusing on， so I was glad that she finally did that in the last 5 or 6 chapters when she was forced out of her little world of insignificant to face the challenges so many others have to face。 I think I could have really enjoyed this story had it been about 10-15 chapters shorter with those removed from the middle， but other than that， Luka was a great character， it was nice to see so many of the previous couples that are from the interwoven series that le to this one， and when Emma finally came to her senses she was a pretty decent character too。 I am not sure if this series is to continue but hopefully if it does， the next couple will either have a shorter story， or one with a deeper more developed plot line。 I hope others find more entertainment with the story， but it definitely wasn’t for me。 Still well written and enjoyable， but not up to my usual expectations of a London historical romance。 。。。more
Annarella
，
I love Julia London's historical romance as they're always a lot of fun to read and the story are well plotted。I love the humour and the spunky heroines。This one was entertaining， I rooted for Emma and hope for a HEA。 The plot kept me reading and I enjoyed the setting and the charactersHighly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC， all opinions are mine I love Julia London's historical romance as they're always a lot of fun to read and the story are well plotted。I love the humour and the spunky heroines。This one was entertaining， I rooted for Emma and hope for a HEA。 The plot kept me reading and I enjoyed the setting and the charactersHighly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
M。 K。 French
，
Emma Clark's husband left on an expedition over a year ago， and people are starting to assume that the Earl of Dearborn is dead。 This doesn't suit her at all， as his family will swoop in and kick her out if he's declared dead。 The Earl of Marlaine has traveled to England from Egypt to give the countess her dead husband's watch， and feels there's more to her than her party girl exterior。 He is then drawn into her ruse。While we have references to Wesloria and characters from prior books Julia Lond Emma Clark's husband left on an expedition over a year ago， and people are starting to assume that the Earl of Dearborn is dead。 This doesn't suit her at all， as his family will swoop in and kick her out if he's declared dead。 The Earl of Marlaine has traveled to England from Egypt to give the countess her dead husband's watch， and feels there's more to her than her party girl exterior。 He is then drawn into her ruse。While we have references to Wesloria and characters from prior books Julia London has written， it's not necessary to have read them first。 This is Emma's and Luka's story， focusing on their emotions and the effort of hiding the truth。 Emma is flighty and ditzy， though some of that is forced to distract Luka from telling her that her husband is dead。 She isn't heartless， but with the freedom of living without a cruel and controlling man， she fell into the deceit and didn't want it to end。 Luka was fascinated by and attracted to Emma， so he went along with it and fell in love。 They love each other， which is easily obvious to everyone else。 The big conflict between them is the truth and the discord in Wesloria that Luka tried to ignore so he could stay with Emma。 The two eventually get their happily ever after， but it's a comedy of errors along the way。 。。。more
eyes。2c
，
A sparkling ride！What an untidy， meandering， convoluted， and strangely joyous tale！Emma Clark’s abusive husband Albert， the Earl of Dearborn had decamped to Africa， leaving Emma to wander Butterhill Hall and manage the estate alone。Months later a man turns up to give Emma the news Albert has died in Cairo from yellow fever。 Said gentleman then promptly has some sort of attack and dies on Emma’s receiving room floor。Emma’s stunned。 What to do？ She knows her sister-in-law Adele， will toss Emma out A sparkling ride！What an untidy， meandering， convoluted， and strangely joyous tale！Emma Clark’s abusive husband Albert， the Earl of Dearborn had decamped to Africa， leaving Emma to wander Butterhill Hall and manage the estate alone。Months later a man turns up to give Emma the news Albert has died in Cairo from yellow fever。 Said gentleman then promptly has some sort of attack and dies on Emma’s receiving room floor。Emma’s stunned。 What to do？ She knows her sister-in-law Adele， will toss Emma out of Butterhill Hall when she learns of Albert’s death， so Emma says nothing。 Almost a year is gone when Luke Olivien， the Weslorian Comte ve Marlaine， son of the Duke of Astasia， turns up to deliver Albert’s pocket watch to Emma。 Luka is an anthropologist。 He’s been travelling with Bedouin tribes studying their migratory habits and trade routes。Emma does all she can to avoid having Luka tell her that Albert is dead。 She ignores him， flees from him， changes the topic。 Finally， like Scheherazade， she spins tales to prevent him from telling her。Luka is fascinated by this charming， free spirit。 He enters into this strange game of catch can。Emma is drawn by Luke’s care， his gorgeousness and kind heart The story floats on through the dawdling， halcyon days of summer， enlivened by Emma’s madcap actions， as she frantically tries to bring to fruition all the changes she’s made to the estate。 She wants to leave it flourishing for her young brother-in-law and heir， Andrew。 Emma knows that Adele will want to destroy her changes， sending the estate back to it’s poorer state。 To Adele her brother Albert could do no wrong—but he did。Emma also knows she will be banished from Butterhill Hall， thrown out！In one crazy moment， Emma decides to throw a house party and ball in honour of Luka。 Her last hoorah before the truth is revealed。 （I must admit to feeling a pang of dismay for her long suffering and stoic butler， Feeney。）Will Emma ever acknowledge her husband is dead？ And what of Luka who learns that his father has been arrested for treason in Wesloria and that he’s also a suspect。The foolish bravery of Emma is both troubling and magnificent。 The acceptance by Luka of who Emma is， is wonderfully romantic！A Harlequin Trade ARC via NetGalley。 Many thanks to the author and publisher。（Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。） 。。。more
Nise'
，
Emma's husband has been gone on an expedition for a long while， she enjoys her freedom and does not miss him。 When the man bringing the news of her husband's demise drops dead practically at her doorstep Emma decides to keep the news to herself for as long as she can。 A mysterious stranger arrives and she has to be creative to keep anyone from finding out what news he may be bringing。 Luka is intrigued by Emma and wonders what she is doing and how long she can do it。 An urgent plea arrives for h Emma's husband has been gone on an expedition for a long while， she enjoys her freedom and does not miss him。 When the man bringing the news of her husband's demise drops dead practically at her doorstep Emma decides to keep the news to herself for as long as she can。 A mysterious stranger arrives and she has to be creative to keep anyone from finding out what news he may be bringing。 Luka is intrigued by Emma and wonders what she is doing and how long she can do it。 An urgent plea arrives for him and he must return to his homeland。 Both have decisions to make about the truth and each other。 What will they decide？ 。。。more
May
，
Emma's husband left on an expedition and she is more than happy to be the head of the household。 After more than a year， people are beginning to suspect that he may be dead。 Luke travels all the way from Egypt to tell her that her husband is dead。。。。It's a fun book。 It's a fun series actually。 Love the reappearance of Lila and other familiar characters。 Luka is terrific。 I feel bad for Emma and all that she has to go through。 Yes， she isn't the most honest character and people will probably judg Emma's husband left on an expedition and she is more than happy to be the head of the household。 After more than a year， people are beginning to suspect that he may be dead。 Luke travels all the way from Egypt to tell her that her husband is dead。。。。It's a fun book。 It's a fun series actually。 Love the reappearance of Lila and other familiar characters。 Luka is terrific。 I feel bad for Emma and all that she has to go through。 Yes， she isn't the most honest character and people will probably judge her harshly for it。 But she's very clever and smart and life isn't easy for a woman back then。。。Thanks to the publisher for the arc。 。。。more
Sarah Bickings
，
I overall really liked An Inconvenient Earl。 I read it as a standalone but characters from the previous novels in the series pop up， so it would probably be better to read those first （though not necessary）。 The female lead- Emma， well， she was ALOT。 Off putting a times， but overall， I found she improved as the novel went on。 I did love Luka。 This was a fun read， one that can easily pass an afternoon away。 Thanks to #NetGalley and #Harlequin Trade Publishing， Canary Street Press for the ARC。
Cheryl
，
3。5 starsThis started very well but unfortunately the pace slowed in the middle， however from 60% it became really engaging and it grabbed my interest。 I didn’t know what to make of the character of Emma， Lady Dearborn。 To a certain extent， I could understand the reason why she withheld the truth but all the stories she told and her evasive actions would have really annoyed me， so how Luka put up with it was beyond me。 Luka had problems of his own and the situation with Emma didn’t help。 There i 3。5 starsThis started very well but unfortunately the pace slowed in the middle， however from 60% it became really engaging and it grabbed my interest。 I didn’t know what to make of the character of Emma， Lady Dearborn。 To a certain extent， I could understand the reason why she withheld the truth but all the stories she told and her evasive actions would have really annoyed me， so how Luka put up with it was beyond me。 Luka had problems of his own and the situation with Emma didn’t help。 There is a romance and some passionate scenes and a happy ending。 I have enjoyed this series but this wasn’t quite up to the standard of the other books。 I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
PlotTrysts
，
A fun historical romance that felt at times like a bonkers throwback to classic HR。 Emma is a countess whose husband up and left her to "adventure" in Egypt。 As the book opens， a man of affairs tells Emma her husband is dead 。。。 and then keels over。 The means Emma is the only person who knows she's a widow。 She finds a newfound freedom in managing the estate the way she's always wanted to， and in throwing the most lavish parties Society has ever seen。 But then， Luka Olivien， nobility from a smal A fun historical romance that felt at times like a bonkers throwback to classic HR。 Emma is a countess whose husband up and left her to "adventure" in Egypt。 As the book opens， a man of affairs tells Emma her husband is dead 。。。 and then keels over。 The means Emma is the only person who knows she's a widow。 She finds a newfound freedom in managing the estate the way she's always wanted to， and in throwing the most lavish parties Society has ever seen。 But then， Luka Olivien， nobility from a small Central European principality （again with the HR throwback feel） shows up。 He ALSO knows that the earl is dead， but he is intrigued by Emma and how tenaciously she's holding onto her secret。 For the most part， the book treats Emma's situation as a farce。 Towards the end， London attempts to pull on our heartstrings， but I'd have preferred a sillier ending rather than the serious turn。 That said， it's very fun， and honestly， "fun" is one of the highest compliments I can pay to a historical romance。This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel。 。。。more
Alisa
，
Great story！ The characters were well-developed and showed growth as the story progressed。 Luka and Emma were funny and interesting。 Emma wove some crazy tales， and Luka got caught up， and love is all she wrote。 Under the craziest circumstances， the story unfolded and went from crazy to sweet to hot and stayed entertaining。 I lived interacting with the characters from the previous books in the series。 The connections and ongoing story just felt complete。 Really enjoyed this one。
Quinn Fforde
，
Luka and Emma are a very good couple together。 They are drawn toward each other at the worst possible time， but they could end up as each other's salvation。 It's just going to be a complicated road to that place。Emma is an effervescent character， and the choices she makes in her situation are plausible。 It is easy to see how she ended up in a tough situation。 I can see why she decided to delay Luka's departure， and some of that was very funny。 But her delaying tactics and her sister-in-law's ins Luka and Emma are a very good couple together。 They are drawn toward each other at the worst possible time， but they could end up as each other's salvation。 It's just going to be a complicated road to that place。Emma is an effervescent character， and the choices she makes in her situation are plausible。 It is easy to see how she ended up in a tough situation。 I can see why she decided to delay Luka's departure， and some of that was very funny。 But her delaying tactics and her sister-in-law's insistence on asking the same three questions repeatedly bogged the novel down。 I got a little confused at a couple of points about why certain things were happening。 In the middle of that， Emma and Luka begin to develop a real relationship that is very lovely。 They are a truly good pair when they are at peace。 The epilogue is excellent， and everything is explained well and tied up nicely。 。。。more
Rosie Trzewik
，
A tale of avoidance。 Emma Clark， Lady Dearborn is relieved that her abusive husband has left to go on an expedition to Egypt。 As months pass Emma can breathe again and slowly lets her true self experience life。 When a stranger comes with news of her husband demise， dying of yellow fever and was buried immediately to avoid spreading of the disease。 She is in shocked and then Mr。 Duffy dies in front of her。 With all the confusion of Mr。 Duffy’s death， she hadn’t told a soul of her husband death。 N A tale of avoidance。 Emma Clark， Lady Dearborn is relieved that her abusive husband has left to go on an expedition to Egypt。 As months pass Emma can breathe again and slowly lets her true self experience life。 When a stranger comes with news of her husband demise， dying of yellow fever and was buried immediately to avoid spreading of the disease。 She is in shocked and then Mr。 Duffy dies in front of her。 With all the confusion of Mr。 Duffy’s death， she hadn’t told a soul of her husband death。 Now fearing what will become of her。 Will the future Earl on behest of his sister have her removed from her beloved Butterfield Hall？ She decides to withhold the information of her husband’s death。 Now months have past and Lady Dearborn is known as the premier party thrower。 Her sister-in-law is beyond vexed with Emma’s antics and demands news of her brother’s return。Luka Olivier， the Weslorian Earl of Marlaine， who also happens to be in Egypt but returning home via England to meet with a professor in regards to a book he is writing。 Was asked to return a pocket watch to the widow， Lady Dearborn， but once there he is confused。 Why is she acting as if her husband isn’t dead？ Doesn’t she know？ She must， Mr。 Duffy was to have told her。 As an anthropologist he is curious as to why。 And the woman does everything possible to avoid the topic。The avoidance by Emma seemed to drag on a little too long。 Was glad when towards the end familiar characters returned， including matchmaker Lila。 Even though she wasn’t matchmaking she was involved and helped the MC find their almost impossible HEA。 Thank you NetGalley for this eARC。 I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story。 #NetGalley #AnInconvenientEarl #JuliaLondon 。。。more
Dottie Legatos
，