I loved David and Fiona's story!!

Fiona needs to marry and do it quickly. She thinks that David is the perfect person to approach with her proposition. Too bad he has no plans to accept her offer. David invites her to his crumbling home to get her to change her mind, but it backfires on him. The more time he spends with her, he starts to doubt his decision. Can Fiona's proposal of a marriage of convenience turn into something so much more?

I loved watching these two interact. They were so much fun!! Every time David did something to turn Fiona away from the idea of wedding, she turned it around on him. I can't wait to see what Bennett has in store for the rest of the Debutant Diaries series!

I had a great time reading this book even if it did keep me up past my bedtime. I was hooked as soon as Fiona wrote her letter proposing to Gray., a man she hardly knew. I had to see how he would respond. Both characters were wonderful I laughed, I swooned, I am ready for the next in the series.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m always on the hunt for the next great read. What a thrill it is to find a fabulous book and a phenomenal new author to follow. I am officially hooked on Anna Bennett and so thrilled to find her at the start of a new series. First Earl I See Tonight, the first in her Debutante Diaries series, wowed me, made me laugh, and broke my heart. Sometimes all in the same scene!
I adored Fiona and Gray. Anyone that loves their family as fiercely as these two did deserves their HEA. Who couldn’t help but fall in love with Fiona! She was witty, kind, fearless, and so optimistic. I loved each and every diary entry she made. And her first attempt at a kiss had me in tears. Despite his serious and brooding personality, I fell in love with Gray too. Like Fiona, I knew there was more to him than his aloof façade. He’d suffered a tragedy that few people could recover from so, of course, he was guarded. He was also determined, driven, kind, and loyal. I loved that the majority of the story took place in his crumbling manor house. Like The Fortress, Gray’s life was in crumbles. But Fiona and her unique way of seeing the world helped him to see what his life could be. Gave him hope.
There were many deliciously unique tender moments proving romance isn’t all about flowers and poetry. The added mystery of the blackmailer kept me turning the pages. And the twists and turns toward the end left me breathless.
I’m more than anxious for Lily and Sophie’s stories. These 3 girls are such a little Ya Ya Sisterhood group! I can’t wait to see what’s in store for them. Lily is such a romantic. Her history revealed in this book makes me want to know more about her. And I’m dying to see Lily and Fiona rebuild their relationship with their father. That stepmother needs to go!
If you’re looking for a new series to sweep you away, this is the perfect opportunity. You’ll fall in love with these witty, emotionally charged characters. Humor and powerful sexual chemistry abound in this book. You’ll quickly be hooked watching these two find their way to love.

It may seem odd to read a romance novel when you are a bit frustrated with love but this was just the book that I needed. This follows Gray and Fiona, both of whom have secrets they want to protect. Once Fiona is blackmailed by someone vowing to release a secret about her sister that could destroy her whole family she writes to Gray proposing that they marry. Using her dowry money to pay the blackmailer off is the only solution she can think of and Gray is the perfect man to propose to in her eyes. She figures they both can benefit from the marriage.

I really loved both Gray and Fiona. I feel like it's been a while since I really loved the main characters in a romance novel and really cared about their journeys. The chemistry between them was great and I loved that they grew from a weird friendship to an actual relationship. I was a bit annoyed when it was revealed who the blackmailer was as I knew it would tear them apart but I enjoyed where they ended up at the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the galley.

This is my first time reading a book by this author. Did not finish.

Fiona doesn’t lack spine but Gray still doesn’t know his own heart, endlessly denying himself. Story and character development is slow. I was about to give up at the progress of 37% but held off till I was halfway through.

Had a great start at the beginning then I noticed the heavy reliance on the use of the em dash. Some words used in the novel yanked me out of the historical setting which makes me sad.

There’s too much beating around the bush going on in the book. But I like Fiona’s diary entries.

This was an enjoyable book. We meet Fiona who is being blackmailed on who her sister really is, and she does not want that to hurt her sister who she truly loves. Since she has a large dowry she sees this as the only solution for her to pay the black mailer however he only gives her two weeks. So in these two weeks she has to find someone and convince them to marry her and the only person she can think of is The Earl of Davenport (Grey). Fiona doesn't really know Grey, but he assisted her in a rather embarrassing situation before so she reaches out to him. Grey is cold hearted and has also recently been jilted by his fiance who drops him after she sees his hom "The Fortress" because it is falling apart and he is broke but doing his damndest to fix for his grandmother whom he loves. So I gave you the bones to the story and how they go about everything is enjoyable. We have lies, secrets, betrayal and humor, and the whole time you are rooting for Grey and Fiona...I hope we get stories on Lily and Sophia..Enjoy!

Fiona Hartley is being blackmailed, about the identity of her adopted sister's mother. Willing to do anything for her sister, she's decided that the best way to get the money is to marry, and soon. She chooses Gray, the Earl of Ravenport as her target.

Gray is intrigued, but wary. His fiancee jilted him after seeing his run-down estate - and frankly, he's not very interested in looking for another candidate.

Gray thinks that the best way to dissuade Fiona from her mission is to bring her to his run-down estate. After all, it's already scared away one woman. But Fiona is not to be deterred.

Gray and Fiona get to know each other, and of course, they fall in love. I don't want to spoil everything for other readers, so I'll say that they identify the blackmailer and negate the threat.

Fiona's sister's parentage, however, remains a Sword of Damocles over the family's head - no doubt this will be explored in other books in this series!

A nice, typical regency romance where a commoner heiress (her father's in trade!) proposes to an impoverished earl who (thankfully) she finds fascinating.

Fiona has a plan...to save her sister from blackmail and scandal, she needs to get married quickly to access her dowry and pay off the blackmailer. And she picks Gray, a down-on-his-luck earl who wants to give his grandmother the world before she loses sight of it. Gray, of course, is skeptical and wants nothing to do with the whole thing but Fiona intrigues him.

The story is sweet and romantic, and set in one of the romanticized periods of all. Learning who the bad guy is was really sad. I did not expect that. Sigh.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for a copy of this book.

Mystery, suspense, and steaminess is abundant in this book. Fiona and Gray are a formidable couple together, Anna's style of writing is such that you're captivated from the start and can't wait to see what happens next.

Wow! Is the word for this book. I was on the edge of my seat the entire book. Great story. Great characters. A demented villain. What more can you ask for in a good, intriguing romamce novel!

3 stars. I love Regency and I did like this book. The actual writing style flowed nicely and was able to hold my attention. But the plot wasn't entirely believable. I liked the fact that Fiona was a bit of a maverick. She found herself in a sticky situation and proposed to Gray to find her way out. However, why would she be the one blackmailed? Maybe because the blackmailer though she was the easiest target? Except they had never met. And I felt Gray's reluctance to accept did not make sense. I would think he would welcome a marriage of convenience. He would get money to fix his estate and not worry about falling in love. That was a bit of a brow scruncher. And then when you find out who was the villain...kind of out of left field.
This was my first Anna Bennett book and I will probably read he next in the series when it comes out.

I enjoyed much of the book but for me the reasons for the story timeline (a two week blackmail deadline) didn't fit well with other aspects of the story. The hero came up with more likely, if equally cliched, reasons for marriage in haste between relative strangers. I would also have liked a prologue with some backstory for the hero or heroine and their friendships/family ties, since they played such an important role in later parts of the book. The main characters seemed to be a mix of similar ones from other Regency series, again not necessarily a bad thing. I loved the author's use of diary entries at the beginning of each chapter to give us the heroine's inner thoughts instead of telling the story in first person - gave the hero a chance to have his own inner conversations. I will definitely be on the lookout for more books in the series, especially if they build on the first book's family relationships, but probably as library reads.

What a delightful start to a new series. Fiona needs to pay off a blackmailer to protect her sister and her only solution is to write a letter in which she proposes marriage to a poor duke in order to get her dowry.

Gray could use the money she is offering to fix up his estate but isn’t game to marrying her. I loved the banter between the two and watched them fall in love.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I enjoyed this book very much.

Fiona received a blackmail letter from a villain threading to expose the real identity of Fiona sister Lily. Fiona has a.plan to get the money she needs to pay the blackmailer to keep from ruining her sister. She will even go so far as to propose marriage to an Earl. Gray has recently been released from his betrothal when he receives Fiona's proposal which he has every intention of rejecting, but she is not so easily dissuaded. So Gray believes if he holds a house party for her and.her family and.a few friends that once she sees the state of his country estate she will leave and forget about her proposal the same way his former fiancee did. However it backfires on him as he did not expect Fiona to see his home with an artist eye and.fall in love with it as he and his Grandmother do. Both Gray and.Fiona will have to learn to trust.each other with their secrets in order to find what they are both looking.for even if that.was not the case in the beginning.

This is a heartwarming read.

I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

I received a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This the second book I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it. Fiona is being blackmailed and in order to get the money to pay off her blackmailed she needs to marry so that she can use her dowry. Fiona proposes marriage to an earl in need of an heiress. I loved how Fiona thaws out Gray's heart. I loved seeing Gray appreciate Fiona for who she was. This is the first book in the series and I look forward to reading the next book.

I received an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review

This one was cute. The hero was supposed to be unlikable but he was actually quite nice, which made for minimal tension. You wish them well.

"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."

Loved this book very much. It had just enough sweet romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!

Fiona, a wealthy tradesman's daughter has an impressive dowry and a need to get the money, now as she is being blackmailed. Her sister, Lily was found on the doorsteps of a church and what no one knows is that she is the daughter of a courtesan. If this comes out, it would ruin her and Fiona can't let that happen. Although, not biological, they are sisters in every way it counts. Fiona writes to Gray, Lord Davenport as he was once kind to her. She asks if he will marry her. Gray needs the money desperately. All he has is a title. His estate is in ruins, he has no funds and his beloved grandmother is going blind. His fiancee broke up with him when she saw the way the estate looked. Fiona's stepmother is a social climber with aspirations of a title for Fiona. Gray tells Fiona that he won't marry her, but she keeps trying to convince him. She only has days until the blackmailer reveals everything in the newspaper. He, finally asks Fiona and her family to come to a house party along with several of his friends, knowing she will be like his ex fiancee and run when she sees how in disrepair it is. Fiona only sees Gray and the man he is. To her everything has beauty and once he sees her drawings, he finally sees what she sees. Her drawings show heart and truth. As she and Gray get to know each other, the attraction and love builds. She gets another note and realizes that the blackmailer is at the house party. Who could it be? She finds out and the blackmailer tells her she must break with Gray and pay or he will go ahead with exposing Lily. Fiona does what she must. She leaves the house party and gives her biological mother's diamond necklace in payment. Gray finds one of the letters and figures out who the blackmailer is and goes to London to confront him. The blackmailer has a knife and a poor excuse for doing this shameful thing. Will Gray survive this? How will this end? I, personally loved this book. It was a refreshing change from they meet, don't understand each other, get married, HEA. It has mystery and heartbreak. Yes, she proposed first but I liked that about her. She's feisty, innocent and loves her family. The ending rocked. They loved each other and I think it was well presented. I will read much more by this author. I received this book from Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for a honest review and no compensation otherwise. The opinions are my own. 5+

It was going great until it had the chance to not be cliche, AND IT DIDN'T TAKE IT. DISAPPOINTMENT!

Seriously though, I don't know why I chose to read this, but it was kind of fun. A little different and with a relatively likeable heroine. Will I read it again? No. But it was an enjoyable way to spend a day sick in bed.

This historical romance contrasted greatly with the mountains of others I have read in the last month due to its outside catalyst. The mystery/blackmail in this story ushers the heroine into action that leads to such an interesting and unique romance. 

Gray interestingly makes a 180 from trying to scare Fiona away to drawing her in close rather rapidly. Seemingly after the first night, he is second-guessing his self. 

I really appreciated that Fiona was more than a pretty, intelligent, witty woman (as is prevalent in these stories), what makes her stand apart is her art and her ability to see past a person's facades and put them on paper. 

I definitely recommend this novel to historical romance fans.