Review: The Unwilling Earl - A Recency Romance
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 1, 2014
Audrey Harrison writes good Recency Romances.  Her heroines are strong and fairly independent women for the Times.  Penelope Hall is one of those young women.  Her father wanted her to marry the old Earl.  She was a good friend of the Earl but did not wish to marry him as he was more like a nonjudgemental father to her.  She had permission to walk on his land as though it were her father's.  She loved to be outdoors.When the old Earl was killed in an accident, she grieved for her friend though her father seemed only sad that she did not inherit from him.  The new Earl and his friend stumbled upon her in the woods, or their horses almost stumbled on her.  Both men joined in the entertainments of the small community.  Penny's father preferred the son of a baron to the new Earl as the Earl was a businessman rather than being expected to inherit as he did when a cousin died.  When he was young and went off to school, some aristocrats beat him almost to death and only his friend, Freddie saved him from death.  They were friends ever after and Freddy invested in whatever Daniel did and grew his money.  The Earl was immediately struck by the beauty and personality of Penelope.  There were problems from cicada though.  First, one who had been rejected by her father without her knowledge was always very critical of Penny.  He repeated something Mr Hall said when drunk and implied that Penny felt the same and would try to compromise the Earl.  This was after he had proposed but before he spoke to her father.  That ended the engagement.  He realized he acted too hastily but she left the area to visit a sister.  There a vicar, the usual 2nd son, pursued her.  He was one who took part in beating Daniel and wished he had died.  Anyone who worked for money was not in his class, he felt.  He was determined that Penny would not marry the Earl.  I recommend this book as it is interesting and intriguing.  A good read.