This is a light-hearted romance that takes place during 19th-century England.

She is the daughter of an Earl. He is the bastard son of a Marquess.

She is trying and failing to run an orphanage. He has been recruited to help her. Personalities clash but chemistry keeps bringing them together.

The story is told from the alternating points of view of the main characters. The novel is funny but moved a bit fast for my taste and the plot oscillated too often around the orphanage's children and their mischiefs. What I loved the most was the book cover, it is beautiful.

All in all, this is a light-hearted story, I recommend it to readers of period romances.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via Netgalley

No Earls Allowed (The Survivors, #2) by Shana Galen ... This is Neil and Juliana's story and I couldn't put it down... Thanks to #NetGalley for letting me preview this book. Neil is the bastard son of the Marquess of Kensington ( his father recognized him and educated him) but he vows never to sire any bastards. He is a war hero...Juliana is the daughter of the Earl of St. Maur (who vows to never marry. He tries to get her to return home and leave the orphanage and she entices him to help her. There is danger from a vile man..laughs ....tears...and a HEA... and I can't forget Mathew, Luke and John and the other men from Draven's troop.... I hope they all get their own story.

First time I've read a book by this author and I really enjoyed it. It wasn't the most originally plot but historical romances rarely are. I liked the characters and the relationships between them but I felt that the ending was a bit rushed. I did well up when the H couldn't see past his own demons but then that always gets me in any book! I liked Rafe and look forward to reading his book next. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved Juliana and Neil story!!

Neil was sent to bring Juliana home, but she would have none of it. Then of course, Neil decides to stay on and help her to fix up the orphanage. The more time they spend with each other, the stronger their attraction to each other gets. I loved the bantering between the two of them and it often had me laughing out loud. I also loved watching Neil with the boys. He commanded their respect but did it in a way that he got received their love!

A wonderful addition to the Survivors series!! I can't wait for the next book in the series, An Affair with a Spare, which features Rafe and comes out in July.

*I was given an ARC copy in NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I hadn't read the first one on the series (it has been purchased already for reading) but it's not needed to enjoy this book.
What I loved about this book:
- The Survivors, or the focus being on those that move on the outskirts of the ton. Most books focused on the dukes and the earls, so it was interesting and refreshing to have a series on the spares and how they find their places in the world.
- I loved Neil background and how he was able to pull himself through and fight his own demons
- The heroine is amazing: strong, brave and intelligent, and while it takes her a while, she's also good in coming into terms when she's wrong and she needs help.
- The little orphans all but met your heart.
- The side characters (both the other survivors and the servants) are witty, original and incredibly well written.
- The plot development is consistent, the conflict believable and its resolution is a wonderful pay off (also, who doesn't love a virgin but experienced hero?)

Amazing book and I'll be sure to check on the rest of the series!

Publisher's Description:

Neil Wraxall is one of a group of noble younger sons who met as soldiers and are now trying desperately to settle back into peaceful Society. When Neil is asked to help the Earl of St. Maur's daughter with a charity, Neil accepts, thinking it'll be easy.

Lady Juliana has no use for high society. She's running a home for orphaned boys. Juliana is grateful for Neil-until she realizes she can't stop thinking about him. She doesn't like the distraction and wants him gone. But when Juliana pushes a local crime lord too far, she'll need Neil more than ever before.

My Thoughts:

For most of this story I couldn't quit laughing.
Imagine a male virgin! Neil is the bastard son of a member of the peerage.
Juliana is the very legitimate daughter of an Earl. She spends much of her time taking care of a dozen orphaned boys.
Her father wants her back home and appeals to his friend who summons his illegitimate offspring to take care of the matter.
What ensues is a comical and sometimes dangerous romp.

I gave this book 4.75 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization and a sensual rating of 4.5 of 5.0 flames.
Although the couple engage in only very heavy petting until after their wedding the scenes are very sensual.

I received a complimentary digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley to read and review. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

He was always ready to dance with the devil…

I didn’t know what to write about No Earls Allowed. Well, I knew what I wanted to write but it seemed a little inappropriate to start my review talking about sex. Obviously, when we're talking about romance books, the intimate scenes can play a pivotal role in whether you enjoy the story or not. So, I suppose it's not a bad thing that I'm going to tell you why one of the highlights of the story was the sexy times.

I think I may have overdosed on smut. Shocked? Yes, well I’m a little gobsmacked myself. I’m even starting to skim or get distracted when I’m reading or listening to the sexy times.

So, what made No Earls Allowed different? I think it may be that the hero, Neil, took the repercussions of passion leading to children born out of wedlock VERY seriously. From his own experience, he knows what it’s like to be ostracised, talked about and neglected because of his parents. It was refreshing to see someone take responsibility for his passion and wasn’t willing to risk a mistake for his pleasure. Don’t get me wrong, Neil still manages to get and give pleasure. It just wasn’t all about...his silky steel member (😳) needed to be thrusting (🤨) into her tight, sweet and wet folds (🙄). ***Not a quote, just how all sexy times read to me these days.***

Anyway, what made me stop and appreciate the sexy times especially in this one, was that lust didn’t overtake common sense. Some of the sexiest scenes I’ve read have been more about the touching, the feeling and the connecting. Neil was still able to show how much he wanted and desired Juliana, but, managed to stay strong in his beliefs and choices. Juliana was able to take a risk with her reputation because she trusted Neil. Juliana knew that he wouldn’t damage her reputation or put in jeopardy her role as a carer to 12 orphaned boys.

I suppose, in all that dribble, I’ve managed to tell you quite a bit about the story. Our hero is an intelligent man who is not ruled by his own pleasure and our heroine takes the job of caring for 12 orphaned boys very seriously. What happens around both Neil and Juliana are exactly that, surrounding them. Once they learn to accept each other, they realise their strength is in fighting their battles as a team.

This was the first story I’ve read by Shana Galen and I found myself captivated by her Survivors. This band of men who had bonded through the war appealed to me. With no questions asked, each would put on their dancing shoes to "dance with the devil" and have the others back. I loved that it wasn’t just a physical protection they offered each other. They all cared about their mental well-being too.

I really enjoyed No Earls Allowed. The characters were interesting, the storyline kept my attention from start to finish and the connection between Neil and Juliana jumped off the pages. No Earls Allowed touches on subjects like PTSD, infidelities, parental rights, bribery, intimidation, extortion and child abuse. I’m not sure the title fits the story and I really expected the cover to have a red-haired cover-model, you know, considering the heroine has fiery red hair and all (🤪). I didn’t read the first book in the series, but I am very tempted to go back…and I’m REALLY excited to go forwards. I can’t wait to get my hands on Rafe…the sexy Rogue’s story.

Stacey is Sassy, received a complimentary copy of this story. The copy provided is not the final copy and may be subject to edits and changes.

No Earls Allowed is a really good second in the Survivors series of the wartime survivors who are all younger sons of the peerage. This younger son, Neil, is actually the bastard son who lost his half brother on the battlefield. He blamed himself for the death of his brother with whom he had been raised and were friends, as well as, brothers. Thus, he enters into the suicidal soldiers group who fight to truly end the war without regard for their own lives. Only twelve of the group returned home.

Our sweet Julia lost her sister, Harriett, in childbirth. Harriett married a peer of the realm who left her in the country while he lived an unfaithful life in London without her. What he really wanted was Harriett’s dowry to pay off his gambling debts and fund his lifestyle. Thus, Julia no longer found the enjoyment in ton affairs that she once had. Allusions are made throughout the book about the nephew she lost after her sister died. Julia decided to honor her sister by helping with the orphanage her sister had once patronized.

Ms. Galen uses the stigma of Neil’s bastardy as a huge part of his character in addition to his being a soldier. He is firm in his desire to never father a child to be a bastard like himself and does this through abstinence. This is not to say he is without sexual experience, but he believed the best way to not produce a bastard is to remain a virgin. Apparently, the returning survivors knew this of him and teased him somewhat, but understood his reasons.

Julia wants desperately to save the twelve orphan boys under her care. She is up against the local crime lord to protect the boys and protect herself. He wants either her or money for that protection. Neil is not going to let either of those happen.

The rats, Matthew, Mark and Luke have a hilarious introduction to the story. And, don’t forget, they don’t talk about John. The pet rats come up in funny ways throughout the story, almost having their own exciting life!

This is a great book to pickup for an entertaining weekend read. I hope Rafe is the next in line for a book. He seems like quite a ‘charming’ character.

I normally don’t start a review saying that I received an ARC of ‘No Earls Allowed’ in exchange for my honest review but I received the book quite early on and had to wait to read it. It was almost like that Christmas present under the tree, tempting me to open it. However, I am so glad that I waited as this book was definitely worth the wait! This was such a great read!
The story follows Lady Juliana, who has been trying to run an orphanage for boys in Spitalfields, despite everything collapsing around her. trying to run an orphanage practically by herself. She finds herself confront by Major Neil Wraxall, the son of her father’s friend. She slowly finds herself drawn to Neil, by his determination and courage and the care he shows the young boys.
Despite being blackmailed by the notorious Mr Slag and the situation she finds herself in, Julia shows amazing strength and humour. Neil is the perfect mirror to her nature and this was so beautifully told in the story. I particularly enjoyed Neil’s friends from the Draven Club and hope to read more in the future, regarding these mysterious men.
Definitely a book to have on the shelf (after you have read it a few times)!

3.5/5. I really want to like this book more, but it fell short of the first one. I like the hero, Major Neil Wraxall, well enough. He's the acknowledged illegitimate son of a marquess, but despite his father's recognition and support throughout his life, he is still a tortured soul, his illegitimacy forever marking him as a less worthy, not just by society, but more so in his own eyes. This does not change, even after his return as a hero from the Napoleon War, where he led his men on multiple suicide missions. The heroine, Lady Juliana, is the beautiful daughter of an earl, yet she has turned her back on life as a pampered society miss, preferring instead to devote her time and money to running an orphanage in a rough London neighbourhood for young lost boys. Neil is recruited by both his father and hers to return Julia back to her home and proper role. How they expected him to do so, I'm not so sure. I do like how the Neil naturally takes charge of the home and the unruly boys, and how they readily take to him and adopt him as a father figure in their lives. Julia annoyed me more. She was completely in over her head at the orphanage and yet was in denial about it. She could not see that her determination and loving was not enough to keep the boys fed and safe, and really was quite ineffectual at her task. She also put herself needlessly in danger, by insisting on jumping in where she had no expertise and could only get in the way. I'm an old-fashioned gal, and their romance moved way too fast, getting quite intimate only after a couple days of meeting. I prefer the slow-burn.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley to read in exchange for a fair review. No Earls Allowed is the second book in Shana Galen’s exciting new series The Survivors. You can read this book as a stand alone but I really enjoyed the first one so I would suggest reading them both. Major Neil Wraxall is the natural son of the Marquess of Kensington who has always acknowledged him. When Neil’s brother is killed during battle he accepts a commission to head up a suicide squad during the war with France. He has returned from the war suffering from PTSD and guilt for surviving when others did not. Lady Juliana, daughter of the Earl of St Maur too has suffered a great loss in her life, her sister and nephew and she has channeled her grief into running a terribly decrepit orphanage. These two clash when Neil is sent by their fathers to bring her back to Mayfair. Juliana has no intention of leaving the boys in the orphanage especially now that her teacher and cook have quit and she is being harassed by the local gang leader Slag who has designs on her making Neil’s job a lot more complicated. Their adventure is quite exciting, very steamy and I highly recommend it.
Publishing Date March 6, 2018. #NoEarlsAllowed #NetGalley

DNF so will not be rating it reviewing. Thank you for the opportunity to read this title.

No Earls Allowed is the second part of the Survivors series of Shana Galen. We get to know Neil Wraxall, as he has agreed to help the Earl of St. Maur as a favor to his father. They want him to retrieve Lady Juliana from the orphanage were she is staying.
But after arrival at the orphanage, Neil realizes that the task will be anything but simple. Since Lady Juliana is hell bend on keeping 'her' boys save. So Major Neil starts to help out at the orphanage: fixing locks and repairing the roof. But with the both of them staying overnight at the orphanage, not chaperoned, they will create a scandal. And since Neil is a bastard son, he does not want to create another bastard. So the both of them try to stay out of each other's way.
But as they are working side by side to create a safe home for the orphanage boys, fending of the advances of a mafia lord and rescuing the pet rats from a fire, both realize that they are attracted to each other. But is that attraction enough for a marriage?
Can Lady Juliana convince Neil that a bastard is just as good a man as a 'real' earl? And can Neil understand why she is so protective of her orphanage boys? Find out in the second part of the Survivors' series. And don't forget to keep an eye out for part three: An Affair with a Spare. Four out of five stars from me and an special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

Ms. Galen’s writing never fails to captivate me from the beginning of each story. This story is not the typical Regency romance. It is set amongst the slums and orphanages of London. You see love and heartache and consequences of decisions. We have a Major who knows nothing about children and does what he does best, organizes a military operation. The lovely Juliana has so much love and wants to see the good in all people. Neil and Juliana’s backgrounds mirror each other and as they work out their troubles they come to rely on each other’s fortitude. Love does not come easy for these two but it is all the sweeter when it does.

Loved seeing the band of brothers again. They are Survivors.

For me this was a truly different Regency romance setting anad I really liked the change. Yes, there are some balls and other society events but most of the story takes place in Spitalfields, a "not-so-nice" section of London. Lady Juliana, daughter of the Earl of St. Muir, has taken upon herself the running of an orphange there. Her father wants her back home so Major Neill Wraxall is sent to return her to her father. A simple job for one of the Survivors of Lt. Colonel Draven's suicide squad during the Napoleonic Wars or so Major Wraxall thought until he met the very determined, very stubborn Lady Juliana.

Shana Galen has written a delightful story which has an intriguing plot, well defined conflict and a satisfying resolution, three-dimensional characters and meaningful dialogue. This is the second book in The Survivor Series. Book #3 can't be released soon enough as far as I am concerned.

Shana Galen does it again. There is action, adventure, heart stopping sexual tension and a hero to melt every reader’s heart. Juliana is stubborn and determined to save her orphans. Neil is intent on getting her out of the slums and back to her father’s home. As hours turn into days and weeks Neil is still not succeeding in his mission but he is falling for Juliana and quite possibly becoming attached to the children she cares for. We see in significant roles Ewan from the first book in the series and Rafe who is the hero of the third in the series.

I often say that books are page turners or can’t-put-downs but when I read this one five hours disappeared and the only reason I stopped for the night was because my eyes just wouldn’t stay open. I couldn’t wait to get back to this book. Ms. Galen gives us all the romance, suspense and action. Her villains are truly evil and her hero is truly heroic.

This is a standalone novel but I guarantee you will want to read the others in the series.

I have read this author before and liked some of her work,and disliked some, I did like this one. The h is kind, beautiful and entertaining. The H is brave, handsome and passionate, though somewhat broken. The heat between them sizzles early in the story, though both initially resist. Our lovely Lady is essentially living at the orphanage she is running, in a crime ridden area of London, with little true knowledge of what happens around her. Her staff is inept and most quit, and a crime Lord has his eyes set on her, and on recruiting the older boys to criminal activity. Our hero determines to help her and keep her safe. Of course, passion does enter half through, though both are resistant to a relationship, and danger causes both to realize what their true feelings are. I received a free arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great, fun, sexy read that takes place on the outskirts of the ton, with a h that has turned from the society acceptable to find new purpose. Their romance would not be accepted but was beautiful to read. This books reminds me why my first love is historical romance stories

No Earls Allowed was an amazing romance between a heroine hoping to set things right and the hero who is determined to protect her.

After the death of her sister, Lady Juliana, the daughter of an earl, has devoted all of her time and attention to saving a failing orphanage. Her father would like her to give up this endeavor and return home so he can see her wed. Juliana though has no intention of marrying and refuses to leave the orphanage despite its lack of safety. Major Neil Wraxall has been charged with getting Juliana to agree to return home. When he arrives at the orphanage, it quickly becomes clear that convincing Juliana to do anything will be quite the undertaking.

Juliana is a very stubborn, impulsive woman who refuses to be oppressed by the men of society. She is very dedicated to her boys and is determined that every one of them will have a better life. Juliana wasn't always so involved with the orphanage, but at the behest of her sister she became involved. When her sister died, Juliana felt the orphanage was a way to honor her memory and eventually she fell in love with the boys. Juliana has a hard time believing any of the boys would do anything wrong and at times lets that blind her to what is going on.

Neil is the bastard son of a Marquess and while his father claimed him, that never stopped society from treating him like a bastard. Because Neil struggles with his bastard status, he has vowed never to father any bastards of his own and as such has remained a virgin. Neil was the man in charge of leading The Survivors, a group of men in the Napoleonic War tasked with suicide missions. Neil feels immense guilt over the fact that of the thirty men under his command, only twelve survived the war. His soldiers nicknamed him the Warrior as he was the one most willing to throw himself into battle. Neil still has nightmares about his time in the war and has difficulty sleeping without drinking.

Juliana and Neil's relationship started off a bit rocky as she immediately distrusted him and he simply wanted to accomplish the task his father gave him. While they didn't initially like each other, they were attracted to each other right away. Their physical relationship was a bit unusual as Neil was a virgin and was adamant about not sleeping with anyone. Despite his virgin status Neil is experienced in other ways with women, so they do still have a physical relationship which was very sexy. Through Juliana and the orphanage, Neil learns to care for others again and his guilt over the deaths of his men is slowly eased. Neil helps Juliana see that it's ok to accept help and that she doesn't have to rely only on herself.

A few of the other men from Neil's unit show up at various points in the book to assist him. I always enjoy getting to see the men of the unit interact as they have such a unique bond. The boys of the orphanage were a varied lot and some of them could be quite adorable. My favorite little characters though were the three rats the boys had as pets, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. I loved that Neil was so hesitant around the rats and was very squicked out by them. The plot line with crime lord Slag added some great tension and led to some action filled scenes that I quite enjoyed.

No Earls Allowed ended up being a fantastic read and I'm excited to see find out more about the other men of The Survivors in future books. I would definitely recommend this series for anyone looking for historical romances with a different sort of hero.

Another wonderful book by Shana Galen! This is book 2 in "The Survivors" series and I loved it just as much as the first. Book 1 was Ewan Mostyn's story and this one is Neil Wraxall's story. Neil is another of Draven's men, the ones that were sent on the impossible missions and were never expected to survive and return from the war. Each man has something in his past that colors how they look at the world and Shana has beautifully written Neil's story making him sympathetic, romantic and, at times, maddening. He meets his match in Lady Juliana and their story is so much fun that I have already read it again! I loved the glimpses of Ewan, Randolph and Jasper from the first book and i am eagerly awaiting Randolph and Jasper"s stories. Don't miss this one!