All in all, not a bad tale. Over-looking some inconsistencies of the era, I rather enjoyed it. I appreciate the slower pace of the developing love story - love at first sight can grow dull!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

3 1/2. I wavered on this book from a 3 to a 4. I ultimately gave it a 4 as I liked it (not loved) and would recommend to readers who like a clean romance (Meaning all love scenes are summed up in a sentence a two. The couple kiss then they are lying there satisfied. Very tastefully done.) I enjoyed the book but I had issues that the hero, Benjamin, would be in such a funk five years after his wife dies. Especially when they were together less than a year. So much so that he completely ignores his son. He knows and has zero to do with his son, who basically runs wild about the place. Is there not sometime in the 5 years you could have anything to do with your child? In comes Jean, cousin to his dead wife Alice. Jean wants to take the son away but instead stays behind to get a feel for the dynamic going on in the house, of course one thing leads to another, and you get the point. I didn't care for Jean at times, especially when she would break out in tears. Other times she was so fun and tough it seemed the crying was out of character. I know she had things happen to her but still, there were a few weird moments and sometimes Jean bored me. I also felt like we went super fast from nothing happening between the two, to being in love. I never felt like there was much between them. Once Jean arrived and Benjamin was pretty quickly back to normal, I liked him more. However, what I liked the most were the supporting people in the book. I loved the son and Tom, the uncle and actress, and the valet and ladies maid. These people made me enjoy the book and want to continue with the series. Ben and Jean (3 stars), everyone else (4 stars). I received a free copy from the publisher for my honest review, and here it is! Get it, read it, look forward to what the uncle does next, probably like it!

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence my review.

I haven’t been to the beach, but I’m indulging in some summer beach reads. Brave New Earl by Jane Ashford is a soon-to-be released Regency Romance with a sweet story and sympathetic characters.

The earl in question is the Earl of Furness (Benjamin), a widower of five years with a five-year-old son. (Yes, his wife died in childbirth.) He is sunk in mourning to the extent that he rather shamefully neglects his son, partly because the child resembles his wife to a painful extent. The child is growing up to be wild and undisciplined. A succession of nursemaids can do nothing with him. There is a recent addition to the household, a fourteen-year-old orphan boy (Tom) with a wealth of experience in odd jobs, whose good nature and common sense make him a perfect companion/mentor for the boy (Gregory). However, Benjamin is not even aware that Tom is in the house. And Tom is not a long-term solution.

Enter Miss Jean Saunders, a distant cousin of the deceased wife, who has heard tales of the neglected child of the morose earl. The victim of a dreadful childhood, Jean is appalled to think of any child being ill-treated, let alone a relative of hers. She descends on the house in a righteous fury, determined to cart the boy off to his grandparents where she will assure he is cared for and loved. She doesn’t expect the earl to resist, but he does.

Benjamin is irritated beyond measure at the busy-body who has invaded his home. However, he does notice how pretty she is. She notices his good looks as well. He also sees that she has a point; he isn’t being a very good father, while she sees that he is not as disinterested a parent as she feared.

Both have the child’s best interests at heart, though they aren’t exactly sure how to go about improving things. Despite their initial discomfort with one another, they decide to work together to whip Benjamin’s household into shape and do what’s right for Gregory.

Their discomfort turns to passion and love, of course. There are some amusing episodes along the way. There is also the emotional baggage each carries that needs to be overcome.

I’ve read Jane Ashford before, (see my review of The Duke Knows Best), and find her Romances to be light, enjoyable reads.

They all seem to need this survivors group.

Way to make a good impression. At least she's not the equivalent of a social worker, if they had them at that time.

Who is this other boy?

Projecting much?

Clayton is a nice man, valet or not. Benjamin's dress apparently offends him.

Jean, honey, you can't give in to a little boy all the time. I know you yourself were neglected, but there is a fine line between being lovingly attentive and spoiling.

Benjamin's mother was delightful.

Honestly, a leash sounds like a good idea at this point.

He played her like a fiddle.

She was obviously locked in as a child, in a room or a closet.

Geez, her mother did a number on her. Who knew hair could do so much.

Depressing book. But her heart was in the right place.

Eww. I'm sorry for you, Sarah.

The Wandrells are horrid people. If this is the sort of Society Benjamin has around him, he did well to become a hermit.

Huzzah, Mrs. Thorpe!

Poor Tom is the babysitter who has to stay all night and doesn't get paid.

The lady knows what she wants.

Her mother forgot she locked her child in a cupboard?!

I wonder if Benjamin hoped the nannies could be eliminated before they even left Bristol.

That witch should not be her only informant on the state of marriage.

Actresses can be religious, too.

Oh, Geoffrey.

Personally, I think you reap what you sow, Mrs. Wandrell. You locked a little boy up after scaring him into thinking he would have an evil stepmother.

It's just hair, Clayton. Chill.

Geoffrey is so cute when he is learning new words or taking the ones he knows literally.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Benjamin Romilly, Earl of Furness lost his wife, Alice, five years ago as she gave birth to their son, Geoffrey. Since then, Benjamin basically retreated from the world, paying no attention to his estate, his household, or his son. He spends his time in the library, gazing at the portrait of his dead wife, and wallowing in his misery. His son is a stranger to him, referring to him as, "the lord," instead of, "Papa." Benjamin can't even bear to look at Geoffrey, as he's the image of his mother. Geoffrey is a precocious and intelligent boy, but without any love or stable supervision, he's become something of a hellion.

Jean Saunders is a distant cousin to Alice, and when she hears of the situation Geoffrey is in, she coerces Alice's parents into agreeing to take him into their home and raise him. On a wave of righteous indignation, Jean storms into Benjamin's house, announcing that she is taking Geoffrey away. The ruckus lures Benjamin from the library, and the situation finally pierces the fog of grief and indifference he's been living in. No one is going to remove his son from his home. And he certainly hasn't been neglecting Geoffrey......or, has he?

On the heels of Jean, Benjamin's uncle, Arthur, arrives, adding yet another unwanted guest at Furness Hall. Uncle Arthur had the best of intentions when he discussed his nephew's situation with Jean, but he never imagined she'd attempt to take the boy away from his father. He only hoped that Jean may have been the person who could shake Benjamin awake, and bring him back to the land of the living. Arthur, himself, is a widower, and knows all about grief.

As Jean and Benjamin clash over Geoffrey, Benjamin begins to look around him and see the true state of his house, and how his son really has been neglected. Slowly, he begins to take an interest in everything he's ignored for the last five years, including his son. Much to his own surprise, Benjamin finds that he's interested in Jean -- he feels desire, and starts to feel alive again. Once Jean sees that Benjamin is making a start to repair his broken family, she agrees to stay and help with Geoffrey.

I truly admire Benjamin's love and devotion for his first wife, but his wallowing in self pity for years when he had a son who needed him was pitiful. As he began to reinsert himself into the real world, I could see and like the man he once was, and is becoming once again. Jean charged blindly into this situation without any true authority, but with the best of intentions. Her own childhood was fraught with neglect and mistreatment, so she was over zealous about her cousin's young child. When she calmed down, I liked her very much. The slow building romance between these two damaged people seems like a match made in heaven - or, made at the instigation of Uncle Arthur. Geoffrey is wise beyond his young years, and a tough young man. It was especially poignant to see him showing some emotion late in the story. BRAVE NEW EARL is a gentle, warm romance which I greatly enjoyed reading. I'm a true believer that sometimes love is better the second time around.

I received an ARC of this book to read from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Brave New Earl is the first book in Jane Ashford’s delightful new series Way to a Lord’s Heart. Benjamin Romilly, fifth Earl of Furness lost his wife when she died bearing his son Geoffrey and he has never quite recovered. Miss Jean Saunders his wife’s cousin sweeps into his life after his uncle tells her that he fears Geoffrey is being neglected and she can’t bear the thought of a child suffering a horrible childhood like she did. Upon being informed of Jean’s not terribly well thought out plan of rescuing the child, Benjamin begins to wake up and starts to live his life again. This is a lovely story with intriguing characters and heartfelt moments. It’s wonderful to watch both the hero and heroine grow into the people they were meant to be and Geoffrey is an enchanting little terror. I very much enjoyed this book and look forward to the rest of the series. Mild Steam. Publishing Date July 31, 2018 #NetGalley #BraveNewEarl

This book was good. Both hero and heroine were likeable characters, both with pasts that haunted them. I felt this book was a little slower paced than the other historical romances I've read, but it still kept me invested in the story. The love scenes seemed a little abrupt and lasted all of what seemed like 5 sentences, but I had never read this author before, so maybe that is just her style of writing.

I wasn't the biggest fan of Geoffrey (I know, I know), but he kind of seemed a little sociopathic to me until the end. Some of his actions were because of how he had been raised the first 5 years of his life, I'm sure, but still...the kid was kind of a brat and creeped me out at times.

I did like Tom's character, however, and Mrs. Thorpe. They seemed like characters whose stories I would love to hear more about.

Overall, a good read, but I would have liked to have seen a little more chemistry between the 2 main characters.

Leaving the Past Behind 3.5*
A grieving widower ignores his young son, whose features remind him of his late wife, until a distant cousin of hers descends on his home, accusing him of neglect and sparking him into renewed life with her feisty temperament. This was an easy read, with some witty moments and a 5 year old boy who stole every scene he was in. I did though find it a little slow and with some silly mistakes that show that the author has done insufficient research.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a sweet romance! I really liked how a grumpy lord turned into a loving man. This is a novel with heart.

First I learned how depressed Benjamin seemed to be. Yes, he had good reason, but he’d shut himself off so completely, there was no one around to give him a swift kick in the **ahem**, you know, to shake him up, wake him up and give him reasons to come back to the land of the living. Then comes Jean.

Jean was a breath of fresh, fiery and snapping air, who blew in to save the hero’s son from an emotionally distant father. She took no guff and stood her ground. There was a child to save. Now, why is she so committed to saving Geoffrey from what is perceived as a sad and neglectful situation? That is for a reader to find out. There were times I was a bit frustrated because she simply wouldn’t talk to anyone, get their advice or ask for their help. She was determined to be her own woman. Well, she is, there was no doubt in my mind. But Jean surely needed saving just as much as father and son. Considering what Jean had accomplished so far in her life, she is someone to respect. Her past comes to haunt her though and I was proud of her when she faced her greatest fear. She had a bit of incentive however and it played well with the plot conflict.

This is mostly an internal conflict stemming from the dynamics of a man grieving too long, a young child who has intelligence, cunning and a yearning for adventures as well as his father’s love, and a lady who slowly comes to the realization that being alone and in command of one’s own destiny is not without its pitfalls. Trying to navigate the tangled web of emotions is challenging which is why Lord Macklin is an important secondary character. I believe he is going to be the master conductor in this series. I get that belief from the first chapter and it was confirmed as he conspired with Lady Thorpe to give Benjamin and Jean time and opportunities for lust and nature to take its course.

Even though I categorized this novel as spicy, it’s less than that but more than sensual. There’s just enough description in the bedroom for a reader to know exactly what is going on, but there’s no drawn out, overly detailed descriptions. Frankly, it was delightful, enjoyable and just the right balance of wanting to know and knowing. The hottest and most seductive scenes were of the hero and heroine kissing. It worked for me.

I said earlier that this story had heart. It really does because not only does Benjamin fall in love with Jean, so does his son. Her influence was patient, loving, gentle and optimistic, but by the same token she had a temper so they got to see the heroine at her best and worst. She eventually blossoms into her personhood, the woman she was meant to be, wild hair and all, a far cry from the unwanted instigator from the beginning of the novel. The ultimate consideration was Geoffrey’s happiness, his growing relationship with his father and the rediscovery of them as a family unit. Their realization that love expands and heals and is something to be embraced is really quite beautiful.

I totally enjoyed reading Brave New Earl and I can tell that I’m going to be seeing more of Lord Macklin in the future. He’s not only a bit mysterious, he’s Machiavellian – but in a good way. I look forward to seeing who is next in his crosshairs. Brave New Earl is a wonderful book to pick up if you are in need of a sweet and satisfying happy ever after. All the main characters are engaging and convincingly brought to life and I finished the story with a smile on my face. What more needs be said?

I found the story of Ben, the grieving widower and Jane, the independent heiress with an abusive past to be enjoyable. The story flowed well and drew me in. The auxiliary characters, such as Uncle Arthur, Tom and young Geoffrey were interesting, and I look forward to the next story. I received an ARC from Netgalley for my honest opinion.

Ben, the Earl of Furness, has not just given up finding happiness, he does not seem to even be looking for it. Brave New Earl appears to be the beginning of a new series with men brought together by Ben’s Uncle Arthur, the Earl of Macklin. Uncle Arthur sees four men who are deeply mourning the loss of a loved one, including Ben. As you begin to see while reading this charming book, Uncle Arthur is kind of a matchmaker and solver of problems. Ben’s problem is his neglect of his five year old son and whirlwind, Geoffrey. Geoffrey’s mother and Ben’s wife passed after giving birth to Geoffrey.

Enter Uncle Arthur’s solution to the problem, spinster Jean Saunders, cousin to the deceased wife, Alice. Having heard from Arthur, in a conversation that included Alice’s parents with whom she is currently living, Geoffrey is being neglected by his absent father. Jean is going to spirit Geoffrey away to his loving grandparents. Yet, she will be the one raising Geoffrey, not his actual grandparents. Add in her difficult childhood with memories of her estranged parents. Now you have two adults and a child who all need a bit of help.

It does not take long for Ben to not only see the error of his ways, but he has a meddlesome female helping him see where he needs to change. Not all change comes easy whether it is Ben, Jean or Geoffrey who needs help. Uncle Arthur is still around to keep the situation going.

Geoffrey will charm you with his heart and intelligence. The secondary characters in the household add to this great mix of learning to care for each other and be able to show it. Brave New Earl is a charming start to the Way to a Lord’s Heart series. Looking forward to the next one and hope to see Tom again in the future.

I always promise a fair and honest review whenever I am gifted an ARC. Sweet and clean romance about some lovely people with a variety of sadness from the past who work together to find a bit of light.

The story revolves around Benjamin, who’s wife died in childbirth, and Jean, her second cousin who has come to check on her nephews welfare after hearing reports that Benjamin is still grieving his late wife to the point that he is neglecting his son. As much as he tries not to be drawn to Jean, he is and bonds are formed. Geoffrey, Daniel’s son, steals the book in that he is older than his 4 years and way too intelligent for his own good. The escapades that he finds himself in are hilarious and a great addition to the book.The book is s good read and I would recommend it.

Benjamin met, married, and buried Alice all in a year. Five years later he is still so grief stricken that he has nothing to do with his son Geoffrey, who calls him “the lord” instead of Papa. Then along comes Alice’s distant cousin Jean, determined to take away and give Geoffrey the care and love his father denies him. This makes Benjamin all defensive and possessive (I have to say, not much to recommend this guy as a future husband).

First off, I found this romance really really draggy. It felt sometimes like I would never reach the end. I also had trouble with Benjamin being so inconsolable five years after his wife’s death. I maybe would have had less trouble if they’d known each other longer than a year. His symptoms sounded more like depression to me, but then it all it took was a spunky young beauty to pull him out of it. And it's hard to forgive how he treated his son for five years.

The spunky young beauty had a deep dark secret that surely every reader will guess long before she finally confesses it to Benjamin. This made her unattractively and inexplicably (to those around her) semi-hysterical at multiple points in the story. For whatever reason she has no plans to wed, and <spoiler> the scene in which she sneaks into Benjamin’s bedroom at night to seduce him made me roll my eyes. I guess the author wanted to make sure we understood the woman is the one making the decision to have sex, but I didn’t buy her behavior or his given the time period</spoiler>.

This is my fourth Jane Ashford and I guess her writing style is just not for me.

I read an advance reader copy provided by Netgalley.

3.5 Stars
Widower Benjamin Romilly, Earl of Furness, has given up hope of finding happiness. His wife died in childbirth five years ago, leaving him with a broken heart Geoffrey who only reminds him of his loss.
Miss Jean Saunders is a cousin by marriage. She arrives on the scene to evaluate his fitness as a father, and if necessary, to take his son away.
An enjoyable read but if you’re looking for historical accuracy then this isn't the book for you. A wife & child were the property of the husband so a distant cousin arriving to remove the child had no legal standing to do so & a magistrate would have put her in her place. Also a single young woman would have been ruined staying in a home with two unmarried men without a chaperone. So a book to enjoy as purely a piece of fiction. The story flows well & the characters are well portrayed but I found it hard to really connect to both Benjamin & Jane, I liked them but didn’t love them. I also felt a little sorry for Jane as felt she’d always be second best to Benjamin. I do however look forward to more of Arthur’s meddling!
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

This story begins with a young Lady Jane, simply imposing herself on the household of Lord Benjamin, the widower of her distant cousin. The reason for her ire is a small child, Geoffrey, the son of her late cousin, whom she has determined is being neglected by a father so mired in his grief he ignores the world around him. Jane isn’t that far off the mark, and Benjamin DOES need some help, because Geoffrey is quite a character! But Jane’s plan to “help” is exactly NOT what Lord Benjamin wants or needs- he’s not having any of it. And so it begins....
The story is a delight with colorful characters, funny moments and witty banter as the relationship evolves between the H and h, along with a heat just above a touch of sweet.
I really enjoyed the story, and would love to know what else Lord Benjamin ‘s uncle is up to in his next adventure.

Brave New Earl is heartfelt and funny, though there are echoes of grief too. This is a regency romance about a woman, who had a horrific childhood, swooping in to save her dead cousin’s son from his neglectful father. What she soon discovers is that grief, not a lack of caring, is the true culprit for the widower’s neglect. As she injects herself into the father’s and son’s lives, she learns that falsehoods her mother told her while growing up have shaped her into a woman who runs. She wants to avoid the prison of marriage about which her mother always complained (but tells herself that she’s just choosing her own path). Complementing the H, h and delightful five year old son is the son’s adolescent companion, Tom, who seems to be the smartest of them all. I think Tom (15 years in the future) deserves to have his own story told.

It’s an interesting read with wit and some frivolity despite the fog of grief that slowly clears as the read progresses.

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

3.5 stars rounded up to 4
Series: The Way To A Lord’s Heart #1
Publication Date: 8/7/18

Ashford’s prose is charming and witty. The plot is unique, but certainly not period accurate. I really had to work at suspending my disbelief before I could begin to enjoy the read. The characters were likable.

I am assuming this is supposed to be a Regency romance, but there were few signs relating it to any period. The one sign was that ‘the war was over’. I’m not saying that there should always be an indicator, but it would be nice to know, for sure. The entire premise of this book is inaccurate for any of the earlier time periods. The father actually owned his wife and children – just as if they were a piece of land or livestock. So, there would be no way that anybody could barge into his home and threaten to take his child from him – and threaten to call the magistrate if he didn’t comply. We also had a single young woman staying in a home with two unmarried males – without a chaperone. The chaperone was provided later, but not in the beginning. So, the book is unique and interesting, but totally improbable. So, just suspend your disbelief and enjoy the book.

Both of our main characters are very, very broken people. He was devastated by his wife’s death during childbirth five years ago and he sank into a very deep and dark depression. He couldn’t even look at his son because he looked so much like his mother. She is learning to cope with life on her own after both of her parents have died. She had a horrendous childhood and she is still lancing the boil that was her mother.

Miss Jean Saunders sweeps into the home of Benjamin Romilly, the Earl of Furness, like a tiny tornado. Jean is a distant cousin to Benjamin’s late wife and she has heard that their child is being mistreated, totally ignored and not properly cared for at all. She has coerced his late wife’s parents into agreeing to take the child in – all she has to do is go collect him. You can imagine Benjamin’s reaction when this total stranger barges into his home – where absolutely no visitors are welcome.

Jean is quickly followed by Benjamin’s uncle – yet another totally unwelcome guest. Benjamin sees no one. He sits in his library staring at the large portrait of his deceased wife and drinking. What are all of these people doing populating his entryway? Then, there is a loud whoop and a mostly naked five-year-old boy painted in red paint dashes in wielding a tomahawk.

Jean won’t take no for an answer when it comes to the welfare of this delightful, incorrigible, highly intelligent young boy. Either she will take him or his father will take proper care of him. It is fun to watch these two dance around each other – each brings out the other – until they find they are in accord.

The HEA is sweet, but I have to wonder if he would mourn Jean as much as he did his first wife. I know people can love more than once in a lifetime – but – I also think there is only one soulmate. So, if the first wife was the soulmate, then what does that really leave for Jean. She can’t even give him his heir – he already has that too. I don’t know – I know he loves her, but . . .

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"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

Brave New Earl is an interesting book. On one hand it crosses off a lot of the must haves in a historical fiction romance piece, but its lacking in the intrigue department at times. It makes me wonder after the other novels in this series, but leaves me wanting as far as this particular novel goes. It was written wonderfully, it just made me wish there was more. More intrigue, more plot, just more all around.

Jean Saunders has driven to the country to protect her cousin's son from the lack of attention he's receiving from his bereaved father Lord Furness. Once she arrives it's obvious that all is not what she was lead to believe and thats apart from the Lord in question being handsomer than sin.

Benjamin Romilly, the Earl of Furness, has lost his wife, lost much of himself and now an irritating woman has showed up on his doorstep determined to take the one thing he has left of his past life; his son. The woman is in for a fight if she thinks she's going to tell him how his son needs to be raised. if only some of the words coming out of her mouth weren't truer than he'd like to hear.

The two feuding parties must work together to ensure the boy caught between them is raised properly. if only they can avoid the sensations growing between them.

This book was well written although the mystery was lacking. It was very clear early on what the mystery of the heroine's past was leaning towards and after that it turned into a simple love story without much intrigue. I really wished for more on the routine end, but even without it Jane Ashford has a fun romance on her hands.

This book was completely delightful up until the very end (more on that in a minute). I read Ms Ashford's previous series and enjoyed it, but I feel this book really shows her growth as a writer. I loved it so much...except for the ending. Don't get me wrong..--I was happy with the HEA. But there were many unanswered questions regarding two of the secondary characters in the book. I thought we would at least get a hint of the answers, but no. i realize she's setting up a series, but the degree to which these characters' fates was left unaddressed was odd. It made the ending feel very abrupt, as opposed to a smooth transition into the next book. This is a relatively minor quibble--I truly loved this book--but I was left feeling a bit frustrated.