I've loved every single Kelly Bowen book I've ever read, so the fact that I didn't very much like Last Night with the Earl was a real shock for me.

Kelly Bowen is an extremely gifted author of historical romance, but Last Night with the Earl felt off.

I was excited about this story because I love a hero who is broody and who has a disability/disfigurement. I love interesting male and female MCs, and I had high hopes for both Eli and Rose. However, Eli goes from a hermit who stayed away from civilization for years to out in society way too easily. It felt... fake, and forced.

I also really didn't like how Rose was so forceful with Eli and made him socialize when he was truly scared to be exposed, but was such a hypocrite herself. She really bothered me, and I didn't warm up to her.

Aside from that, I didn't get that much of a sense of Eli and Rose's shared history. We are told that they were extremely close friends, but we don't get much of a sense of that relationship. I wanted more details, more build-up, more information that really could give me that feeling of intimacy.

I also was confused by the pacing of the story. I kept thinking that the ending was around the corner, due to something dramatic and concluding-feeling happening in the story, but then I would notice that I had 40% left to read. It was strange, and threw me off.

The whole book felt off-kilter. I love Kelly Bowen's writing, but even that felt strained. I didn't hate the story, but it just didn't gel for me. I will, however, be 100% reading Harland's book. I just hope that the magic from A Duke in the Night returns.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

Kelly Bowen's second Devils of Dover series, Last Night with the Earl, continues the strong start the first book began. Picking up with Rose Hayward, art instructor for Haverhall School for Young Ladies, and returning Waterloo survivor Eli Dawes, Earl of Rivers. Rose and Eli's past comes crashing around them and much of the story is about them healing past wounds as it is about finding their way to love and happiness. Bowen manages to make a romance as much about the sexy times as it is an honest look at PTSD and social anxiety without resorting to tropes or stereotypes. Both characters' growth feels genuine and not merely a plot device. It's a delicate balance act that Bowen manages exceptionally. Highly recommend for fans of Tessa Dare, stormy nights and love to see you through.

I have been loving everything I have been reading by Kelly Bowen and I have to say I love this book.

It got me hooked right away and I read it very quickly because I was so engrossed into the story that I didn't want to put the book down.

I do highly recommend.

There’s a reason Kelly Bowen is a back to back two-time RITA winner (most prominent award given by the Romance Writer’s Association). Her books have all the ingredients we love about romance. An intriguing storyline and overcoming odds? Yep. Witty dialogue and lyrical writing? Of course. Chemistry between two not-very perfect but relatable characters? Absolutely. And last but not least, our coveted Happily Ever After? Check. Check. Check. This page turner is a feast for Historical Romance buffs.
Last Night with The Earl is the second installment of the Devils of Dover series, however, can be read as a standalone.
Eli Dawes, the fourteenth Earl of Rivers, is back from the dead. No, this isn’t paranormal, although that could be a fun series…Presumed dead after the war of Waterloo, he suffered burn injuries on half of his face and neck. Unwilling to return to society fearing reactions based on his injuries, Dawes allows people to believe he in fact, did perish at Waterloo. Until six years later.
The old Earl, his father, is dead. And Dawes has returned. For what reason? Well, you’ll have to read to find out. Add in his attraction to his dead best friend’s former fiancée, and Last Night with the Earl has some mountainous molehills to overcome.
But there’s no ick factor with this coupling. We understand the misunderstandings. How time can change a person and how beauty is beyond skin-deep.
Dawes’s fingers suddenly tightened around her wrist, and before she understood what he was doing, he pulled her toward him, pressing her palm against the side of his face with his own. “Rose, please,” he whispered.
“What the hell are you doing, Dawes?” Rose tried to pull away, but he held her firm, his other hand coming to rest heavily against the small of her back, keeping her securely against him…
The earl’s hand tightened on hers, pressing her palm more firmly against his jaw. “Not yet.” His voice was raw. “I need you to…You should know…”
She froze, comprehension suddenly dawning. She slid her hand down just fractionally, and Dawes made a muffled noise just before his own fingers dropped, releasing her. She could have removed her hand. She didn’t. Because beneath her palm there was no longer the clean, smooth line that should have delineated the masculine cut of his jaw…

I’m a huge fan of Ms. Bowen. Her vivid writing transports me back to the 1800’s and I never want the story to end. What I love even more is how we as modern women can appreciate a strong woman wrapped up in a Georgian lady.

Kelly Bowen’s newest novel, Last Night with the Earl is the second book in her series, The Devils of Dover. In this novel, she was able to write about how scarred many people are, some on the outside and some on the inside. This is what makes this a wonderful novel - relatable to now and to many people.

Eli Dawes is not dead. He just wishes people would stop staring at him. He wishes that he had not been so badly marred on the battlefield. He wished he knew some good had come from all the horridness of battle. Instead he is climbing in the window of a house he knows he must own upon the death of his father. He knows he is now the Earl and despite trying to avoid his fate, he must face it, but after he gets a night sleep. Instead he is held at knife point (paintbrush point) by a woman he has loved from afar forever. He is forced to deal with Rose Hayward, a young woman who has lost her faith and trust in humanity. Together, they may help each other. Together they need each other, but so scarred and untrusting the relationship is fraught with dangers.

Once again Kelly Bowen has taken a love story and embodied the understanding of how imperfect we all are, but still want to have love and hope. Eli and Rose have a journey and Kelly Bowen takes us on a story of courage and love for all times. Last Night with the Earl was a wonderful read.

Definitely not what I was expecting. This book was calling me when I read the description. Upon trying to read it, I wasn't pleased with the characters. They felt off to me and I kept losing focus. I can not give this book more than a 2 star rating. Perhaps I will try another novel by this author in the future as I know that sometimes authors can have off days.

Six years ago, Rose Hayward, the daughter of a wealthy baron, fell in love with, and became engaged to Anthony Gibson. The betrothal introduced her to society, where she tried to fit in. One of Anthony’s best friends, Eli Dawes, shared a passion for art with Rose, and the two became friends. Eli even allowed Rose the freedom to view his art gallery at any time. Both men went off to war together, but before they left, and unknown to Eli, Anthony betrayed Rose in a horrible way. His cruel actions caused her to become a laughingstock and ridiculed everywhere she went. Rose was so traumatized, that she withdrew from society, and devoted herself to teaching art, and painting portraits which bring out the true beauty of those who feel ugly or flawed.

Before Eli became a soldier, he lived a rakish lifestyle. The handsome heir to the Rivers earldom fell hard for Rose, but kept his feelings a secret because she was engaged to his best friend. At the bloody battle of Waterloo, Anthony is killed, and Eli is severely injured and scarred. The injuries cause him to look at his life seriously, and he decides to stay away from England, and let himself be presumed dead. He hides in Belgium for six years until an investigator finds him, informing him that his father has died, and he’s now the earl. Finally, Eli decides to return home, but not to London. He’ll stay at his remote Dover estate, away from society, and manage his holdings through lawyers, messengers, and clerks.

Eli returns to find that his Dover estate has been leased out to a school, run by Rose and her sister. Since he and Rose were friends, he is bewildered at Rose’s initial hostility toward him, not knowing that she believes him part of Anthony’s cruel actions to her. It’s not long before they get the truth sorted out, and Rose realizes that Eli had nothing to do with Anthony’s cruel games. With their friendship renewed, Rose begins her campaign to bring Eli back from the half existence he’s been living, and to make him comfortable in his own skin again, even with his drastically altered appearance.

Rose is one magnificent woman. The mental pain she suffered from her former fiancé’s cruelty ran very deep and almost destroyed her. Though she won’t brave society again, she will make sure that she shows everyone she paints their genuine attractiveness and worth. I love how she chose to give rather than become bitter. Soon, Eli is comfortable with Rose, and her brilliant planning takes him along a path where he realizes that he can also become a better person and make a difference to many lives.

Eli’s attraction for Rose never died, and she now is free to return his feelings. Their chemistry together is amazing, and they begin a relationship, which Eli wants to last a lifetime. The earldom and his plans require that he return to town, and facing society is something that Rose is just not strong enough to handle. Though she loves him, she can’t become his wife.

I loved seeing Eli become stronger, and less self conscious, while becoming a truly caring and giving man. His determination to never give up on his relationship with Rose was beautiful to see. LAST NIGHT WITH THE EARL is yet another wonderful story from Kelly Bowen, who has a gift for writing characters I fall in love with and stories that captivate me. Eli and Rose are both wounded, and in need of healing. First, Rose brings Eli back to life, little knowing that he will soon return the favor. LAST NIGHT WITH THE EARL is an emotional and passionate romance with elements of kindness, courage, forgiveness and acceptance, and is one I savored and highly recommend.

Kelly Bowen is one of my best finds in historical romance. Everything I have read by her, I have loved, so much so, that I am convinced she cannot write a bad book. This is book two of the Devils of Dover series, and it even surpasses my high praise for the earlier A Duke in the Night.

Bowen does a masterful job of showing how the bleak and barren outlook both Rose and Eli have on life is transformed as these two damaged souls find solace in the other. The tendrils of their growing vulnerability and trust with each other are fragile in the beginning, but strengthen over time as do their growing inner confidence and belief in themselves. As Rose said to Eli, “The easy thing is rarely the right thing.” Their happiness with each other is hard-earned and that much more precious.

4 Wine Glass #Review of Last Night with the Earl by Kelly Bowen

Kelly Bowen's The Devils of Dover is one of my favorite new series of 2018, I simply adore it!

For six years Eli Dawes has been missing and presumed dead, but now that he's the new Earl of Rivers Eli must make his return to society....even if he's no longer the man he once was. When sneaking into his country home though, Eli soon learns that he isn't the only thing that has changed. His estate has been leased out to the Haverhall School for Young Ladies, and the one woman that he never forgot in his absence, no matter how hard he tried, is in residence.
Rose Hayward has spent the last six years since her broken engagement teaching at her family's school and as a highly sought-after, but discrete, painter for those seeking the beauty within. When she finds Eli sneaking into her studio her anger overcomes her. Here is the man that helped her ex-fiance tear apart her life. But this man isn't the same care-free rake she knew and in Eli, Rose finds a kindred spirit. Will they be able to look past their own scars to see the beauty of a future together?

In the first book, A Duke in the Night, Rose showed a very cool persona and while I can't say that I liked her character much at the time, I was intrigued. In Last Night with the Earl readers learn why Rose was so cold and indifferent when it came to Clara and August. After her ex-fiance publicly duped and ridiculed her, Rose retreated from the circles of society. Burying herself in her artistry, and throwing in the towel on love. When Eli, her ex-fiance's best friend and accomplice, shows up Rose's fury is understandable but misplaced, and it's not long before all of that burning rage turns to passion. Eli has his own demons to battle though. My heart wept for these two characters and the hurdles that they have, and still needed to overcome. Rose had such a solid exterior to chisel away at, while Eli had a hard time finding his way past his own flaws. But I loved how Rose managed to turn her own humiliation into a way to help others through her painting. Each of them were multi-faceted characters woven into a compelling tale of love and healing. The prose flowed freely and while historically written, Bowen gives the dialogue a modern twist that eases the plot. I adored how Eli and the entire Hayward family thumbed their noses at the conventions of Society. It was hilarious how uncomfortable it made Eli in the beginning. He came off as a bit of a prude at times, not knowing how to react to the Hayward's forward-thinking philosophy, but quickly discovered how freeing it could be, especially in his current circumstances.

Last Night with the Earl is a tale that is sure to touch your heart. While the story feels dark and weighted at times, there are plenty lighthearted and passionate moments to even the plot out wonderfully. For the Hayward's backstory alone, I would recommend reading this series in order. Though it would still be enjoyable without. I'm eager to find out what Harland has been up to and look forward to the next book in the series, A Rogue by Night, coming next summer. If you enjoy a heartfelt tale of rediscovery, compassion, mending, and love then I recommend you pick up Last Night with the Earl today!

*POSTS 9/27*

The more I read from Kelly Bowen, the more I am convinced that her work is right in my lane. This second installment in Devils of Dover series features familiar characters from A Duke in the Night (which I loved!) but this holds up fine as a standalone. Honestly, I expected this installment to be the pinnacle for me. After all, it features a scarred hero, which is usually my catnip. And I did like it. There were just a couple of issues that kept if from being my all-time favorite from this author.

Eli Dawes, the Earl of Rivers, has been missing and assumed dead for years. Badly injured at Waterloo, he was ready to leave his old life behind and hide the disfigurement he endured from an artillery blast. But when solicitors tracked him down at a farm in Belgium after his father's death, his regret and sense of duty finally drove him home to accept his title. Imagine his surprise to arrive to his family's country estate to find it rented out to the Haywood family and their school for young ladies.

If you read book one in the series, you'll remember this is no ordinary finishing school. Clara and Rose Haywood select only special young women with talents often deemed unsuitable for the fairer sex. Medicine, business, serious art. And no one is more serious about art than Rose, herself. Not only does she teach the classes, but she earns a good living creating boudoir paintings, designed often to show the beauty in her subjects. The art pieces--and even the school itself--are about finding valuable outside of traditional model. And it's just one of the reasons she can so easily see beyond Eli's scars. It's a lot harder for Eli, himself, to do the same.

Our hero has been in love with Rose since before the war. Unfortunately, she was engaged to his best friend, Anthony. So rather than break the bro-code, he immersed himself in debauchery with nameless, faceless, other women. He shared a deep friendship with Rose, but nothing else. Now Anthony is dead, and even worse, it turns out the guy never really loved Rose in the first place. So there is nothing holding him back. Nothing but his slow road to rediscovering his worth and some big secret that Rose isn't sharing.

There were elements I liked about both characters. I appreciated the horror that Eli endured and why he waited so long to go home. I loved that he saw the value in Rose from the very beginning and that he respected her engagement with his friend enough not to interfere. As for Rose, it was awesome that she could see the beauty in what made each person unique and that she made it a mission to help them see the value in themselves. I liked that she was educated and lived by her own choices.

What kept me from loving this book 100%? I felt like Eli's disfigurement was overlooked a bit too easily. Yes, I know seeing past it was part of who Rose is, but I would have liked a bit more teeth gnashing and angst from Eli about it. There was a little, but not to the degree I would expect with the magnitude of his injury. I've seen more drama from a character over a rakish scar. And Rose? You remember how I said she had a big secret? It was decidedly underwhelming. There was a lot of build before the reveal, and then when we "learn" her issue, I felt like it was something we already knew.

I liked revisiting the school and the key players from the last book and how some of the elements ended up folding together. And though the ending was nothing I didn't expect, it did give me the HEA I needed.

I'm still holding out for a King book, though. He is a highlight in just about every story.

Rating: B

There is also a bonus story at the end. I always appreciate content, but extras in an ebook always mean the real ending of the main story takes me by surprise. (In my Kindle: 71%.)

"Respect for Christmas" by Grace Burrowes tells the story of a renowned courtesan who is trying to put that life behind her. She encounters a baron who treats her like a person and she allows herself to fall in love for the first time in years. The only problem? He is trying to steal something from her. Yes, he makes amends, but I couldn't invest in this romance knowing the whole time he was going to break her heart. This short was not my cup of tea.

I really liked this historical romance and would definitely recommend to any reader who loves this genre!

Five long years ago Eli Dawes was the toast of London. Heir to an earl, rich, handsome, charming, witty, and, well, there just weren’t enough adjectives to describe him. Of course, debauched also applies. He can and does have any woman he wants – except for the one he really wants. He can’t have her because she is betrothed to his friend. When the opportunity to skip off to war with three friends presents itself, Eli grabs it. Sadly, he is the only one of the group to return home and he is badly scarred – and betrayed by one of those friends. All he wants to do is to go to the family estate, Avondale, near Dover and just hide out. He’s in for a really big surprise when he finds his home occupied by a dozen young female students and their instructors – one of whom is the woman he has never stopped loving.

Eli had been left for dead on the battlefield of Waterloo. He was horribly betrayed while trying to save the life of a wounded young soldier and Eli survived only by chance. Everyone believed he was dead, so maybe he should leave it that way. He had crawled, inch-by-inch away from the battlefield and was found by an old widowed lady who nursed him back to health. His scars were so bad that he thought never to return to England – even after the lady who saved him had died. Then, he got word that his father had passed away and that he was needed to return to assume his duties as earl.

Rose Hayward, sister to Baron Strathmore, had always led a happy and productive life away from London. Once Anthony Gibson, youngest son of the Viscount Crestwood noticed her, she was pulled into the life of the ton. It wasn’t a life she sought, but it came along with Anthony who was now her betrothed. When Anthony betrayed her, made a laughingstock of her and left for the war she just curled in upon herself. On the outside, she was strong, brave and resilient, but on the inside, she was a quivering bowl of jelly anytime she was in a crowd. Basically, she had a panic disorder an absolutely couldn’t deal with crowds.

Rose didn’t just blame Anthony for the betrayal, she blamed Eli as well. She had hated him for five years and would hate him until her dying day! Then, there he was, standing in her art studio very much alive. Wasn’t it interesting that she had a very sharp object at his neck? Their encounter goes downhill fast and she ends up railing at him about the betrayal and his part in it. He professes his innocence and is sincere enough that she believes him.

I love how Rose helped Eli to overcome his feelings about his horrible scarring. She helps him see himself as more than those scars – “to realize that his ruined face belied not a monster to be eschewed but a hero to be embraced”. She also helps him find a way to channel his need to help others and gets him on the right path. It is too bad that she can’t accept the same help from him, but she just hasn’t the courage.

Rose was a lovely heroine, but she did make me want to slap her when she wouldn’t tell Eli what was wrong and allow him to help her. Eli was a wonderful hero and I loved seeing him grow into a wonderful, loving, responsible hero.

The story is well written and I enjoyed the characters and seeing them grow. However, I really dislike loose ends and I had hoped to see what happened with Lady Anne and August’s man of business from the last book. Lady Anne was mentioned but was introduced using her maiden name, so I assume they didn’t marry. Now, in this book, we have Lady Ophelia and Lord Linfield (not Mr. Linfield as he is referred to in this book). Evidently leaving loose ends will be a feature of this series.

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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."

Favorite Quote:
“Save your shiny armor and white horse for something better than my sensibilities.”

This was such a lovely romance.

The hero, Eli Dawes, Earl of Rivers, rides off to war a cocky, young rake and returns home many years later a broken, wounded man. He would have rather disappeared and never returned at all, but when his father passes solicitors are hired to find him and bring him home. So return he does, to his quiet estate in Dover, where he hopes to spend time alone and avoid the trappings of London society.

There is just one small problem… his estate has been leased out to the Haverhall School for Young Ladies and it is far, far from empty. This isn’t any ordinary finishing school either, but a progressive school that educates young ladies in fields that otherwise might be forbidden to them, such as medicine and architecture and engineering.
The heroine, Rose Hayward, is the sister of the school’s headmistress and functions mainly as an art teacher. Rose also takes commissions, both the mundane and the scandalous. Her great passion is painting portraits and revealing to the models the beauty that they might not see for themselves.

Rose and Eli have a history and a whole heck of a lot of pain and anguish between them. At one time they were friends, although Eli would have liked more. When Eli rode off he did so with his friend, and Rose’s fiancé, and a huge mess was left behind. A mess his friend made when he secretly published some awful cartoons he’d drawn about the women of the ton, Rose included. She has blamed Eli for what she assumed was his part in it for years and it’s not until he shows back up that she realizes he has no knowledge of what happened.

I liked Rose so much. Strong, honest, and not afraid to step outside social norms and be her own person. The broken, hesitant Eli at the beginning of the book transforms into a more self-confident man because she won’t let him hide away and she doesn’t give a crap about his scars. She has her own issues to deal with, left over from the betrayal of her fiancé. I think this couple and their dealings with each other were mature and honest, something I love to see in any romance.

I think my very favorite thing though, was how Rose viewed beauty and how she saw the world.

“Beauty can be found everywhere, should you only look. It is not a finite commodity. It changes with time and circumstance to become something new and different, but no less valuable. Your aunt is no less beautiful now thatn she was fifty years ago.”

So lovely. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

This was a quick and entertaining read. I enjoyed Rose and Eli's story a lot. It was nice to see two broken people figure it out and come together to help one another discover their strength and how to love. Rose was fierce and so strong but still dealing with crippling anxiety from something that happened years before. Eli was injured gravely while fighting for his country and it left part of his face scarred and took his eye. It was so interesting that Rose's problem was internal while Eli's was external but what was taken from both of them was something essential to them at one point. I loved the complexity of the characters even though the story was pretty simple and did not have a lot of action outside of the romance. I do recommend this story if you're looking for a quick read that isn't too heavy.

Very inspiring, with courageous main characters. This story begins with a reclusive and presumed dead hero, making his way back to one of the country estates he inherited. Eli Dawes did not want to be discovered, after the personal loss he suffered at war.

I admire how Rose, a former close friend, challenges Eli’s reclusiveness and abhorrence with the public. Battling scars of her own, Rose pushes him beyond his comfort zones, and inspires him to do better, for himself, and for the causes dear to his heart.

Would love to have their road to happily-ever-after fleshed out a bit more however this did not detract from the overall enjoyment of this story.

*ARC provided by publisher through Netgalley.

Thanks Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and netgalley for this ARC.

Love all Kelly Bowen's novels and this one really takes you for a ride. Love the way these two are perfect for each other but they are the last ones to realize it.

I really liked the second book in this series.  The characters were well developed and entertaining. The plot was lively and flowed really well.  I was never bored.  The conflict was easily relatable and not far-fetched so that I was pulled along for the ride right alongside the two main characters.  Their story was vibrant, passionate, sad and hopeful, sweet and intense, and just plain wonderful.  The first one was good, but this one was awesome.  If you haven’t read book one, you can actually pick up this one and read without too much trouble.  It deals with the same family and where the first one ends, but the two characters and their story stand on their own and is a great stand alone as well as part of a series.

Enjoyable read about two broken people, The Earl of Rivers, Eli Dawes, with visible scars from the Battle of Waterloo and Rose Hayward whose wounds are one the inside. They work together to heal their hurts and in the process grow stronger in both courage and love.
Misunderstandings are quickly resolved which was nice, but it seemed to leave some aspects of the story unfinished.

This is book 2 in the Devil's of Dover series but can be read as a stand alone. This is the story of Rose. Rose is a true artist. She is teaching art lessons at the school her family runs, "Haverhall School for young ladies".
Eli Dawes,Earl, war veteran, friend, had met Rose many years before when his friend, Anthony, was courting her. He was immediately attracted to her but could do nothing about it. So he went off to war with his friends and came back a scarred man, both mentally and physically.
Rose no longer wants anything to do with Eli. She feels he betrayed her along with her fiancee Anthony.
Both have been terrible hurt and do not trust easily.
They help each other heal and live life again.
There were so many touching scenes in this story that just made you stop and sigh. A true love story.
My only criticism is that it was too short. It was longer than a novella but not a full length Novel.
Can't wait for Harlands story!

I have read every book Kelly Bowen has written starting with her first one. I love all of them but this one may be my favorite. It was hard to put down. Not only is the story good, but the characters are wonderfully imperfect, and that makes them real.

Rose Hayward is an artist and a teacher at the Haverall School for girls. Her sister, Clara, is the headmistress of the school. During the summer they take a few of their students to Avondale House, near Dover, for classes that fit what the students desire to learn, like medicine and art. This summer, a surprise appears in the night. Eli Dawes, Earl of Rivers, has returned home. Eli went to fight Napoleon with some friends against his father’s wishes. When it was over, he was not the same and stayed in Europe until someone found him there. He is surprised Rose is there, as she is the only woman he never forgot.

Eli’s aunts never believed him dead and are thrilled he’s home. Eli doesn’t want to be the man about town any more and decides to help old soldiers and war widows. He also wants Rose to marry him. She’s not sure she can live in his world. Of course, there is a HEA but also a lot going on that I won’t spoil. If you’ve read Kelly’s last series, you’ll recognize someone from that series and I liked how she worked him into this book. I can easily recommend this book. Another keeper from Kelly Bowen!