Yay! A fantastic read from a new-to-me author! it's been a long time since i read a historical romance so i was really happy to pick this up!

Regency Romance. Jean Saunders takes it upon herself to evaluate Benjamin Romilly's fitness to look after his son because she's heard that he's still mired in depression after his wife's death some five years ago. (She's a distant cousin of his late wife.) She's not entirely wrong. The boy is growing up wild, and, if not entirely neglected, barely knows his father. Jean shakes up the situation satisfactorily with predictable results.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I didn’t love this. It was slow, long, and hard read. We have an earl who is stuck in his grief and a hellion of a girl storms in trying to take his child. Good premise I guess just wasn’t in love. The story was good but just not over the moon about it.

I liked this book, liked it quite a bit, but didn’t love it, if that makes sense.
Brave New Earl has likeable characters, a good story, and kept me reading.
Little Geoffrey had my heart from the beginning.
I felt that the chemistry between the hero and heroine was ok but not the best, so I was meh about their happy ever after.
The writing flows well and the inaccuracies were there but didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.

I thought Jean was going to be one of my least favorite heroines - the kind with an agenda who is not willing to listen to reason. But they talked, they listened and they actually developed a relationship.

I enjoyed Ashford's new novel. Clearly meant to be the first of a loosely connected series, we are given a prologue of several young men being brought together for a dinner where an older gentleman encourages them to work through the grief that recent deaths have caused them. The story then follows Benjamin, whose wife has passed five years earlier in childbirth. He can't bear to see his son or be in society. A slight push from his uncle sends one of Alice's distant cousins, Jean, to come try to take charge of the little boy and maybe turn things around.

While the story is, of course, predictable, I really enjoyed the way it played out. Things were well paced, both main characters were more than their past traumas (though there was plenty of that to overcome.) I particularly appreciated that the little boy was such a part of the story. What really made this one enjoyable was the multitude of secondary characters including an actress turned chaperone, and a Downton Abbey inspired lady's maid and valet who deserve their own book.

I agree with other reviewers that this book did start off very slow. However, after it picked up, it was a very good read. It didn't have the action or faced-paced adventure, but it was a heartwarming romance.

I was in a reading slump recently and that might be influencing my review but I found the beginning of this book rather on the slow side.

Lord Furness lost his wife in childbirth and has been mourning since then not caring for the state of his household or that of his son. Miss Saunders hears rumors from a reliable source that he is neglecting his son and she rushes to take the child away from his father and onto the child's grandparents.

From there is a series of everyday social situations that are charming and cute and you just want to know what is behind the characters motivations.

The second half of the book (when I got out of my slump) was all that I could have asked for. We get deeper into the lives of Lord Marklin (Lord Furness uncle), Lord Furness, Jean, and even Tom (Lord Furness son's unofficial caretaker).

I loved Geoffrey, he seemed like a very intelligent child and sometimes you forget that he is only four or five years old. And his antics! I was laughing my ass off.

I will be trying her next book on this series to see if it was just me or the actual book that was the problem since I am curious about Lord Macklin and all the other lords on that dinner.

This is the story of a desolate earl who meets a willful lady. I loved that this book focused a lot on the child and the negligence he faced. 

I do feel that this novel had an unnecessary subplot, about the neighbors, but overall it was cute, although sluggish. I kept not wanting to go back to this novel, which is why it took so long to finish.

Benjamin Romilly, Earl of Furness lost his wife five years ago in childbirth, and buried himself in his grief. Enter her cousin, Jane Saunders, to save the neglected boy. I liked the way the story came together. Although it dealt with some more somber themes (Ben's grief), there were some witty, lighter moments woven in, especially as Jane lures Ben out of his grief. Overall it was a a cute read with some great characters, like Tom and Ben's uncle. Would love to get Tom's story in the future!

I received an ARC of this book, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Benjamin, Lord Furness, has been in deep depression since the loss of his wife. Nothing matters not even the tearing of his son. He’s content to sit and be with his wife through her portrait. Benjamin has no idea that a maelstrom is about to walk through his front door and change his existence forever.
Jean Saunders has spent her adult life being a useful houseguest. She has money but no family, so moves from family to family arranging parties and balls and house parties. She will not be confined. Her life is hers....until she hears of the mistreatment of her dead cousin’s child. Having grown up with an erratic mother, Jean must rescue the boy and bring him to his grandparents. Surely, he would be better off.
A fairy “god” uncle, an unruly 5 year old, and a wonderful cast of side characters come together to help Benjamin and Jean overcome their demons find their true selves and each other.
A great read with what looks to be a series!

Arthur Shelton, Earl of Macklin, gathers a group of four young men who have something in common with each other and with him. He has brought them together to help them cope with the death of a loved one, to let go of the past and learn to live again. Skeptical at first, the men felt a bit of comfort as they left the gathering. Brave New Earl is the first book in the Jane Ashford’s new series The Way to a Lord’s Heart centered around this group of men.

This book features Benjamin Romilly, the Earl of Furness and Arthur’s nephew, and Jean Saunders, a distant cousin to his late wife. Benjamin has been grief-stricken since he lost his wife in childbirth five years ago. He has been unable to deal with his son Geoffrey. Jean storms into their lives believing that Benjamin is neglecting Geoffrey (which he is) and determined to rescue him from the miserable childhood she herself endured. Uncle Arthur arrives soon after and finds himself chaperone and referee. He watches as Benjamin and Jean work (fuss and argue) through how best to take care of Geoffrey, to bring father and son together. Is it possible it will also bring them together and pull them out of the past?

This is a wonderful story of second chances and recovery. Benjamin and Jean are great together, even in the midst of argument and disagreement, and better when they get along. A delightful cast of characters lead by Geoffrey, who keeps everybody hopping, Tom, and Uncle Arthur brings life and humor to the story and keep it moving. This is a great start to a new series. I recommend this book and look forward to the other in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

This was a good read. I enjoy this author .
The characters were believable the plot was good !

When Benjamin Romilly, Earl of Furness, wife died in childbirth five years ago, he gave up. He has been an emotional wreck and distant father to his son. His son has been allowed to run wild.

Miss Jean Saunders was a cousin by marriage to Benjamin's wife. Jean and the late Countess were good friends and she can't believe the rumors that the Earl is neglecting his young son.

Jean pays an impromptu visit to the Earl's house with the initial goal to take the boy to his maternal grandparents. After Jean arrives, she slowly changes the Earl and his son. And fixes the Earl's broken heart.

I will admit that there was a point that I almost gave up on this book. Who was Jean to come and take a man's child away based on some rumors? I persisted and was so glad. This was a good book. There was so much dept to both Benjamin and Jean's characters. I really enjoyed this book.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you!

The hero, Benedict’s uncle decides to matchmake for his nephew to help him come out of his grief. As the heroine, Jean comes to rescue Benedict’s son from his negligence and take him to his grandparents, sparks fly between Benedict and Jean. Initially, they disagree on Benedict’s treatment of his son, Geoffrey but once they decide to work together, attraction takes root. I liked the premise of this story but absolutely didn’t like the character of the heroine. She seemed flighty and over emotional and keeps crying at the drop of a hat. While there may or may not be reasons for this, I was really annoyed reading constantly about it without any explanation. The novel gets better towards the end but I wish Jean's character was emotional without being annoying. This novel is book one in the "Way to a Lord’s Heart" series.

* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

Beware the 'chocolate box' lid dream!

There were many things about this story that plain annoyed me. Mostly that a young woman Miss Jean Saunders who storms into an Earl's country estate, claiming to be his wife's cousin, a woman he's never met, and demands he hands over his son. Why the Earl didn't just throw her out on her ear is quite beyond me. Prior to this scene we have met the kindly yet duplicitous uncle, the fallen-to-pieces grieving widower, and now enter stage right the overbearing do-gooder surrounded by hints of something about her upbringing. Yes, Benjamin Romilly, Earl of Furness was not paying attention to his son due to his melancholia after his wife's death. Well in fact he'd handed him over to his staff and the child had run wild. But really, as if a Lord of the realm is going to hand over his son and heir to a woman he doesn't know, despite her claiming relationship to his wife and her parents, just beggars belief. So what we have is this regency comic farce developing with overtones of Alan Ayckbourn. Contributed to further by insights of Benjamin's uncle, Arthur Shelton, Earl of Macklin, who seems to be trying to act out as some sort of regency Yoda to a set of bereaved Regency gentlemen.
I really liked the orphan Tom, and the gentle irony that Jean gets more than she bargained for with her introduction to young Geoffrey. Definitely not the 'chocolate box', ride into the sunset with adoring child being saved from a scoundrel of a father she'd imagined. The reality is a rather shocking wake up call. But to be fair Jean is made from stronger stuff.
However an interesting concept for a new series and I'm looking forward to see how future stories develop having decided that this is a romantic farce with comic overtones.

A NetGalley ARC

A wonderful chance at love with a unique twist.
Brave New Earl (The Way to a Lord's Heart, #1)
by Jane Ashford

A very different historical. I must say this is a buy buy buy buy buy book. Arguable with some period discrepancies, however, this is a fictional story so I let those go by...... I loved the fact this is a unique story line. It is not often that a book comes around in this genre centered around grief and growing. From grief, to awakening, to romance, to joy. A second chance at love was written beautifully in this book. I was given this arc via NetGalley. All opinions expressed here are my own. Regards, Anna

I absolutely loved this book. Its everything you want in a good romance story. The characters are beautifully written, as is the story itself. I couldn't put this book down!

I liked the characters in this book. Benjamin Romilly, the brooding hero, Jean Saunders the upstart heroine, and Geoffrey, Benjamin’s wild son, were all engaging and entertaining. The plot line is simple; heroine arrives to rescue the child from his father, who is in prolonged mourning for his dead wife. Hero and heroine fall in love, and with young son, make a new family. I was a little puzzled by the role of Benjamin’s uncle in this story, but it seems that we are being set up for an ongoing series, so I will wait and see.

With this story Jane Ashford starts her new series, The Way to a Lord's Heart. Given a glimpse of the future characters, I'd say the series is aptly named.

The reason I've decided to give this series a try is because I'm a sucker for a broken down hero/heroine and this one promised both characters would be burdened with a lot of baggage from their pasts. I have to say that it didn't disappoint in that, however it took me almost the whole book to warm up to the hero.

As for the heroine, I liked that she's gone through hell and come out the other end better for it.

And then there was the little devil of a child that I just couldn't help but love!

Try it. I think you'll like it.

Melanie for b2b