On the cusp of her maturity, Emma St. James faces a problem. Namely her stepbrother who offers her two equally untenable choices: marry him or sign over her inheritance to him. Ugh! If she doesn't, her stepbrother will have her declared insane and committed to an asylum. Emma decides to take the third option, arrange a marriage with the American grandson of an earl. All she has to do is get to Portsmouth, which considering it's January is a bit of a problem.

Privateer, Captain Robert Ashton, the Earl of Darington, also known as "Dare" has just scored the prize of his life. Enough treasure to fully restore his plundered family wealth. Now that that hurdle has been overcome, he just needs to find an appropriate wife. Unfortunately, his reputation as the "Pirate Earl" means that protective mamas won't let their daughters marry him. Worse, it seems that someone is out to get him. First, kidnapping his sister. And then shooting him.

Thankfully, he runs into a stranded Emma who capably nurses him back to health. And he finds that he's not able to resist her. He wants Emma to be his wife. Too bad she's already made other arrangements.

I waffled for a long time on what to give this story. And this is one of those times where I wish the half star system existed on places like Amazon and Goodreads. But I liked the premise of this story, for the most part. I liked the action and the chase of our leads having to outrun both Emma's family and Dare's pursuers. I liked the characters sometimes.

What I didn't like was that this book seemed massively miscategorized and mislabeled. I expected to get a rip-roaring pirate/privateer romance a la Rebecca Brandewyne or Johanna Lindsay. The blurb seemed to imply that. The listed categories implied that. What I got was an inspirational Christian romance complete with Bible verses dropped into the middle of the prose wholesale without any seeming rhyme or reason. It was jarring.

Now I don't mind a good inspirational romance, if I know that's what I'm signing up for. Heck, I used to work as an editor for a Christian publishing house back in the day, and I still edit Christian romance regularly. But even the use of the Bible verses wasn't handled well. It was a fourth wall break. Additionally, many of the "steamy" scenes were too steamy for most of the Inspirational Christian Romance audience. It was incongruous.

I also didn't like the historical inaccuracies. I wish authors or more likely Editors would use sites like etymology online or Google's ngram viewer. Take the word "pants' for instance. It didn't enter the English language until around 1840. Short pants (meaning underwear) came later -- around 1860. Panties (as a derogatory for men's underwear) entered shortly after Pants did. I don't want read about "short pants" in Regencies. If it's one thing I've learned from being an editor don't mess up the following in historicals: food, clothing, where/how people use the bathroom, modes of address, and military/naval terminology. The author did all of that.

I also had trouble reading a lot of this because I couldn't connect with the characters and I found them boring. That and at about the 15% mark I started counting the Deus ex Machinas -- aka the coincidences. There's a lot. Enough that I noticed them and started to get annoyed at them by the 29% mark.

But I didn't hate this story. I probably would have rated it higher had it been categorized correctly. But as it stands I can only give this:

2 1/2 stars -- rounded up to three.

(I received an ARC through NetGalley)

Captain Robert Ashton, Earl of Darington, knows finding a bride in London will not be easy—not since he has been notoriously dubbed as the "Pirate Earl". What he didn't expect was to get abducted—and to have his escape go horribly awry when an innocent lady gets caught in the crossfire. Amateur physician Emma St. James is on her way to meet her betrothed when she is rescued by an injured gentleman. Despite her shock after discovering he is the Pirate Earl, Emma feels drawn to the man who saved her life. Duty forces them apart, but when they meet again on the high seas, Darington will risk all—his fortune, his name, and even his life to keep her safe.
This was a pretty good story. It was pretty clean-cut with a Christian undertone, which didn’t bother me a bit. The story had my attention throughout so i honestly didn’t notice the lack of sexy time. I highly recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book 2 in a series by Amanda Forester. I have to say that I enjoyed it a great deal. Dare finds love in an unusual way and I loved the read. Looking forward to more by this author.

My first book by Amanda Forester and I was so excited to get into it! What really gave this book the extra star for me were our two main characters, Emma and Dare. Emma becomes wealthy after the death of her father and has to run away from her mother and step-brother, who want to force her into an arranged marriage to take her inheritance. As she is running away to America, she meets Dare, who is also in a similar situation running away from people. They join forces and also begin to fall in love. Dare was just so sweet and it seemed as if he was in love with Emma the entire book, however, he did not want to put her in harm's way, so he suppressed his feelings.

The only thing that fell flat for me was the plot, I became very bored with it, but the characters kept me rooting for them the whole time!

I wasn't really very impressed with this book. The characters didn't seem very real to me and some of the dialog was a little bit unrealistic, too. I won't give up on this author, though. I feel like she can (and will/has) probably do better storytelling.

Earl Interrupted is second in Amanda Forester ‘s The Daring Marriages series but reads perfectly as a stand-alone. The Earl aka Dare is a privateer, not be confused with a pirate. He does this line of work because he and his twin sister Lady Katherine became orphaned at a young age and someone stole their family’s wealth. Dare has become wealthy through privateering and now wants to find a wife.

Enter Emma St. James, who learned medicine through her father who was a physician. Now that Emma is about to turn 18, the wealth her dad left her will become her own.


She’s been living with her step-brother and step-mother since his death. Turns out the step-mom and step-brother have plans on taking Emma’s inheritance by making her marry her step-brother. Emma refuses and they resort to plan B, send her to the insane asylum and take her inheritance anyway. So Emma runs away to America to marry a man she has never even met, which is better than marrying her step-brother or being committed. On her trip, she meets Dare. He has been shot after stopping his sister’s kidnappers and he helps Emma as well. Given what Emma learned from her father she is able to save him. Dare is in love at first sight. There are people now after these two since Dare saved his sister plus Emma. And Emma is on the run from her step-brother. As these two are involved in a cat and mouse chase, love begins to blossom on the high seas of course.

This was fun historical romance and Emma and Dare were a cute couple. I enjoyed it. Dare right off the bat wants to marry Emma but he also doesn’t want her in any danger since people are out to kill him. So he is torn. He is nervous around her and struggles to find the right words which I thought was endearing. Emma is shy and innocent since she lived the sheltered life, but she is smart and brave and I liked that she’s pretty much a doctor.

"Dare stared at her with his dark eyes, full of an emotion that was hard to name.”-Earl Interrupted

This is my first Amanda Forester book. I find her writing easy to get into, and I'll definitely be checking out her other works. While I wasn't too crazy about the plot, I enjoyed reading about Dare and Emma a lot. Emma especially is a ray of sunshine. She's so full of hope and courage despite of the unfortunate things that happened to her, and I love her a lot for that. I love the character banter in this book. Dare and Emma's unusual wedding is my favourite thing in this book.

I wish I was more emotionally invested in this story, nevertheless I was fully entertained.

I'm not as into historical romance as I used to be but this book reminded me why I like the genre so much!

~~Reviewed by Amy~~

I fell in love with this series from the first book. I adored the tough, smart, and loyal Lady Kate. Knowing what she and her twin brother, Robert, endured as children made me want to see them both find happiness. I was anxious for Robert’s story. Especially so because Robert was known as the Pirate Earl. Who doesn’t love a good pirate romance? All that danger, swashbuckling, and romancing on the high seas! And I was not disappointed. There are so many threads woven into this story creating an exciting tale of betrayal, revenge, and love. And there’s even a sunken treasure involved!

Robert Ashton, Earl of Darington and his twin sister, Lady Katherine, were essentially orphaned and briefly sent to debtor’s prison at age 12. An unknown enemy had stolen everything from them and so Robert, Dare, had taken to the high seas to restore the family coffers. He’d become a feared privateer. Somber and steady, and never failing to take his prize. He loved the sea. But it was time to find a wife. Dare found the high seas less treacherous than society but knew, as Earl of Darington, he had no choice.

Emma St. James had enjoyed her life making rounds with and assisting her father, a doctor and surgeon. After his death, Emma lived with her step mother and step brother who served as trustees of her father’s, and now her, estate. Emma would soon come into her majority, inheriting everything. But it seemed her step mother and step brother had plans for her. Plans that involved Emma marrying her horrid step brother. Plans Emma wanted no part of. When Emma refused, her step brother began efforts to have her committed. Knowing women had no power in a man’s world, Emma planned to flee and marry a man she’d never met.

And that’s where the adventure began. When Dare’s sister, Kate, was kidnapped, Dare chased after them. Circumstances threw Emma and Dare together and Dare, though injured, saved Emma’s life. But the danger only escalated. It seemed Dare and Emma were both being pursued by nefarious forces. So Dare and Emma find themselves traveling through England and onto the high seas. Trying to evade one danger while pursuing another. All the while their attraction to one another is growing. Neither knew what to call the strange sensations they felt around each other but they were willing to risk anything to explore it further.

This story was a non-stop, action-packed adventure. I loved Dare and Emma. They were the perfect match for one another. Emma was tough, brave, and resourceful. She’d assisted her father growing up and was an excellent doctor. She was able to stay in control in situations that would cower most men. She was an innocent though. She’d been more or less isolated growing up since her step mother wanted to ensure she didn’t marry. Her attraction to and feelings for Dare confused her at times. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the thoughts that went through her head when she’d admire Dare’s physique. I loved her optimism too. She chose to see each obstacle as a chance for adventure. “Real life adventures were much more uncomfortable and messy than reading about them in books, but Emma was no less enthralled.” No matter the dangers ahead, Emma had faith they’d see it through. Through Emma, Dare found faith too. Dare was absolutely darling. He wasn’t comfortable making small talk with women and felt completely clueless when it came to wooing one. Yet with Emma, he was oddly content. Unless he fixated on her curves, then he became tongue tied again. He may not have been a master of conversation, but some of his proclamations to Emma were more romantic than any sonnet. It was obvious they cared for one another but Dare didn’t want the danger that was following them to touch Emma. And as the danger increased, the odds of surviving weren’t high. Dare was prepared to risk everything, even his life, to keep Emma safe. And Emma was determined to take that risk right alongside him.

The characters of Dare and Emma are brilliantly crafted and will win your heart from the beginning. This was a grand tale I could not put down. A fascinating story with superb writing, intriguing plot, a strong but haunted hero, and a heroine with enough gumption and faith for both of them. I can’t wait to see what comes next in this series!

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book.

Reviewed by Amy for Buried Under Romance

Review: I’m a true believer that books are brought to us when we need them the most, this treasure was given to me to review as I was embarking on a stressful journey and trying not to think about turbulence (actual turbulence from the plane)j. My grandma’s always stressed that the only way to fly is to do so with a good book, and I’m happy to say that this one did the trick for me, and it will do the trick for you!

I love the switch on this romance, its not the girl who gets kidnapped but the guy, and the entire time you see him fighting his growing attraction to a very wholesome wonderfully beautiful woman who says she’s to be engaged–making him feel like he’s truly living up to his name.

I loved the spirit behind Emma, her desire to help people even if it put her in a bad position was something that really made me as a reader like her even if she was a bit flighty and innocent at times, it’s believably done because she lived a very sheltered life, she’s often spouting Bible Verses in times of trouble and rather than coming off preachy you find that she has this deep rooted faith in herself, in God, and in the world around her that is inspiring not off putting. It’s not a christian romance and I don’t believe it reads like one since I read everything under the sun, I think I’d be a good judge of that particular genre.

The love story is slow building between the two but that doesn’t mean the tension isn’t there, they’re constantly fighting something that both of them see but neither want to admit, and in the end, when she’s suddenly seeking the Captains protection and he’s given the opportunity to show her his true colors and his true feelings–you almost breathe a sigh of relief that they are finally coming clean.

I love that she accepts Darlington where he’s at. And I love that she challenges him to be a better person. He’s a true hero in every sense of the word and I love the fact that he’s also considered a pirate even though you learn early on that he’s accepted by the crown and does things on the up and up.

All in all a great swashbuckling mystery romance that had me grinning from ear to ear and breathing a sigh of containment when finished, I give it five roses that rule!

I love pirates and I thoroughly enjoyed this book by a new to me author. The story and the characters grabbed me from the beginning. I will definitely be going back to read the first in the series.

I really enjoyed Robert and Emma's story. It was definitely not your typical historical romance. With all the hijinks, it kept me throughly enthralled and I didn't want to put the book down.

I can't wait to see what Forester has in store for us next!

Fun andentertainibg read. The heroine was strong and brave.

Throughly enjoyed this story and looking forward to reading more books from this author.

Not what I was expecting but this was still a decent story. If you like clean, Christian romances this might be right up your alley. I don't mind when a book lacks steam as long as there's good chemistry between the main characters and I felt that was a bit lacking in this book.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

I love historical romances with pirates! There is just something about this series that is easy to love. Highly recommended and quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

Loved this story! Cant wait to read more by Amanda Forester.

Favorite Quote: His enthusiasm waned. He thought nothing could reduce his regard for Miss Emma James, but coming between him and his bacon came close.

Robert “Dare” Ashton, the Earl of Darington, is an English privateer for the Royal Navy. His latest score involves incredible wealth when he strips a France freighter of its cargo of gold, silver, and jewels. Now plump in pocket, Dare turns his attention to settling down and he begins to look for a wife. An impromptu trip with his sister to a wedding results in their attempted kidnapping and him getting shot. Lucky for him, help arrives to save the day and his life.

Emma St. James is on her way to the docks to board a ship for America to wed a sea captain sight unseen. Her stepmother and brother’s repeated attempts to marry her off and steal her inheritance take on a sinister tone when they threaten to have her declared insane if she doesn’t do as they say. With only a maid in tow, Emma runs away. A random chance of fate puts in her in the path of kidnappers and an injured man. Using her wits, Emma hides the injured man and then helps him to a local inn where they pretend to be man and wife while she tends to his injuries.

An investigation shows the man who destroyed Dare’s family and robbed them blind is the same man behind the kidnapping. He sends Emma away to keep her safe as but they soon meet up again when Emma is forced to hide from her stepbrother on his ship. Dare will do anything to keep Emma safe…and he may have to before it’s all done.

The second book in Amanda Forester’s The Daring Marriages series is Dare’s story. If you read book one, If the Earl Only Knew, you remember that Dare and his twin sister Kate suffered greatly after their father died and their estate was plundered. Sent to debtors prison as children, they escaped and preserved though they still bear the scars of their childhood. Kate’s story is told in book one. You do not have to read it in order to understand the long reaching arc, Forester does a mild recap, however, it is amusing and introduces the main characters, the world, and sets the stage for the finale.

Earl Interrupted is an action-packed, adventurous concoction of humor and charm that introduces, by chance, two people who are perfect for one another. The long reaching arc is elevated by various subplots sprinkled throughout though the overall tension and drama is pretty lowkey. A steady hand opens the story and sets the stage with two eye opening introduction scenes. We watch our hero pirate a ship for it’s bounty while learning our heroine is an amateur physician who is in the midst of trying to keep her fortune from being stolen. Using dual first-person narrative, Forester switches between our hero and heroine, building up the anticipation as they inch their way to one another. The real fun begins with they meet. I do want to add that if you are looking for a historically proper or correct romance, this isn’t it. Forester takes too many liberties but the story works regardless.

Heavily character driven, Emma and Dare are delightful characters whose personalities shine through. Their witty banter and sexy flirtations kept me smiling throughout. Emma is quite unique in that she trained as a physician’s assistant under her father and when he passed, he left most his fortune (homes, etc…) to her. Raised almost exclusively by her father; Emma is opinionated, forthright, loyal, and intelligent. She makes her own choices in life, not at all that concerned with the priorities imposed by society or her stepmother’s wishes.

SPOILER »

Dare is admirable, honorable, loyal, and A PIRATE!! :) He was forced to take on an adult role as a child after his father’s death and the steward’s betrayal. Sent with his sister to debtor’s prison, he has since used his wits to not only raise them both but replenish what was stolen from them. Now he searches for the man who destroyed his family while plundering other ships for treasure. :) As the current Earl, Dare knows he must marry but is positively being dubbed “the pirate Earl” will not work to his advantage.

And it doesn’t. He is turned down twice.

The romance is fun to watch unfold. Their attraction is instant and the flirtation lively but this couple stays rather chaste and uses their time together to get to know one another. I enjoyed that Dare didn’t judge Emma on her actions-thinking her forward or trying to trap him as one of this era might think. He showed her respect and admiration which elevated him even more in my eyes. There are a few stolen kisses, some heady looks, and a few sexual innuendos made but that is about all you’re going to get till the end. Dare proposes to Emma but she has committed herself to marrying someone else and doesn’t want to be someone’s obligation. Dare wants Emma but in what way is something he still needs to figure out.

An energetic and varied cast of secondary characters infiltrates the storyline, adding humor and depth. Dare’s sister Kate is in attendance and still fighting her attraction to the Earl of Wynbrook but he isn’t giving up yet. I adored Dare’s ship crew and how they immediately draw Emma into their group. Her maid Sally is a plot device used to show just how unconventional Emma is. Emma’s stepmother and brother aren’t so much villainous as selfish and greedy. Emma manages to elude quite easily.

Forester wraps up the storyline back where it all began; on the sea. Dare enacts his revenge and Emma once again comes to the rescue and saves the day. Most of the loose ends are wrapped with viable explanations and expected results. I did have some issues. I felt some of the explanations resolved a little too easily for the stated damage done. One issue I really fought hard against was Emma herself. I loved her independence and general joyful outlook but there was a sense of naiveness to her that seems out of sorts. She does things that had anyone but Dare been witness to it, she would have been ostracised immediately. Forester gets around it by keeping Emma mostly secluded but gossip was a form of currency back then and no one was immune. Especially when one has a maid who doesn’t like them. And while I had no issues with the fact she was religious and vocal about it (she says little prays and quotes scripture throughout, I did find it odd that it received such a strong position in the book when seemed to serve no real purpose.

Regardless, Earl Interrupted is an enjoyable lightweight historical romance filled with humor, romance, high sea adventure, and of course, a well earned happily ever after.

Grade: B-

I really enjoyed Earl Interrupted. This was my first read of Forester's but definitely will not be my last.

Emma St. James is living with her stepmother after the death of her father. Her father wrote in his will that Emma would inherit the family home when she comes of age. As she prepares to come of age and come into her inheritance, her greedy stepmother and stepbrother are coming up with plans to try and take it from her. Emma decides to head to America to marry for convenience to escape her home. As she is on her way with her maid, her carriage breaks down and they are almost kidnapped. Her life is saved by a wounded man who that bad guys had in their carriage. Emma discovers the wounded man has been shot. She has medical skills and she treats the man who saved her life. As Emma begins to talk with the wounded hero, she learns he is Robert Ashton, Earl of Darington, better known at the Pirate Earl.

Robert is a privateer that has earned the reputation as the Pirate Earl. In all actuality he was just trying to restore the wealth to his estate and to him that had been stolen from him. Robert saved his twin sister from being kidnapped and was shot in the process. As he is in the carriage with the kidnappers they came upon Emma and her maid. Robert is immediately captivated with Emma which says a lot because he is usually uncomfortable around ladies. Robert wants to propose to her until he learns she has a betrothed in the states. When the kidnappers and Emma's stepbrother find Robert and Emma, they flee to Robert's childhood home. The more time Robert and Emma spend together the more they like each other. When Robert learns the identity of the man who killed his father, he vows to get revenge. He leaves Emma to seek this revenge. Soon he discovers Emma's life is in danger but rescuing her might mean losing the vengeance he seeks. He has to decide which is more important to him.

The book is well written and the characters develop nicely as the book is read.

The story between Dare and Emma is a complicated one. The writing is strong, the characters are likeable, the story is good. Their first meeting is complicated. Emma has a Cinderella life with her step mother and step brother. I like that she is strong enough to overcome them, to make decisions to take her life in her hands and to outsmart them. I like that Dare has had to make his way in the world and that he cares for and takes care of his twin sister. An enjoyable book.