Fiona needs access to her dowry or her sister could be ruined. Gray was recently jilted by his fiancée and Fiona thinks he is the perfect man to enter a marriage of convenience with. Can he convince it is a bad idea or will sparks fly and love prevail? Fun, entertaining story with great characters. I liked it.

Miss Fiona Hartley is writing a letter to David Gray, the Earl of Ravenport, proposing a marriage of convenience to him. Although she is a wealthy heiress, she needs to marry a titled man, and soon. It seems that she is being blackmailed. Someone has learned that her sister, Lily, was left on their doorstep when she was just an infant. Her mother was a famous London madam who could not care for her. She left a bootie and a note with her saying, “please take care of my Lily.”

Fiona, her sister, Lily, and her friend, Sophie, have just begun their first season. They each have decided to keep a journal of the people they meet and their impressions of them.

When Gray receives Fiona’s note, he is convinced she is trouble. He is worried about the crumbling ancestral home he inherited and is working on it every chance he gets. When he became the next Earl, there was no money left in the family coffers. In addition, his dear grandmother keeps reminding him that he needs an heir.

When Fiona dances with Gray at a ball that evening, he confirms that he received her letter but is not inclined to accept her proposal. However, they agree to meet in the park the next day to discuss it further. Knowing his home is such a mess, he thinks to deter Fiona by inviting her and her stepmother, sister, and friend to stay at his home for a house party. He is sure that once she sees the condition of his home, she will be disheartened and change her mind about pursuing him.

Ah, but Fiona is enchanted by Gray’s home that he calls the Fortress. As she loves to sketch, she enjoys all the beautiful vistas and spends lots of time drawing them. She and Gray become somewhat closer but she is afraid to tell him about the blackmailer. However, it appears that someone at the house party may know more about the blackmail scheme but who is it?

This is a great plot, but I grew a bit weary with Fiona and Gray. Lack of communication between characters is frustrating but I suppose without it, there wouldn’t be a story. Anna Bradley is a favorite author of mine and her books are always a good read.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Anna Bennett is a new author to me and one that I will be read again.

Fiona and her sister Lily are very fortunate that they are wealthy…but even though they are rich society still looks down on them, because their father made his money in trade, so when Fiona receives a letter about her sister, Fiona will do anything to stop this news becoming public. So she writes a letter to an Earl who hopefully can help.

David Gray, the Earl of Ravenport needs money and lots of it, and the only way he can the money is by marrying an heiress. Because you see the money is for the Fortress which is a small medieval castle and which Gray gave it this affectionate name…but its also for his beloved grandmother and Gray will do anything for her. So when an unexpected letter arrives with a marriage proposal, this leaves Gray with a dilemma.

Overall this book was a great read and it also had the mystery of who was blackmailing Fiona and again this left Gray with a dilemma and one that was a little surprising.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

Miss Fiona Hartley needs her dowry money to pay off a blackmailer hell bent on ruining her sister and so proposes a marriage in name only between herself and the Earl of Ravenport, a man sworn of marriage after being jilted by his fiancèe. As the days move forward can they both keep their hearts out of the equation.

Great story, great characters

I received a copy from Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving my own honest opinion

Pleasant regency

This is the first book I've read by Anna Bennett. While I liked Fiona and Gray I just didn't really get drawn into the story. I found myself skim reading and was both surprised and dissapointed with the villain.
While this book was not all I hoped for I would give the author a second try.
I received an advance reader copy via Netgalley.

In order to protect her family, Fiona must do something unconventional: propose to an Earl.  Not just any Earl, but the angry and recently single from an engagement Earl Ravenport.  Also, their marriage needs to happen in a matter of weeks in order to save her family.  Who would possibly say no to that?

This book was fantastic! It had romance, humor, adventure and an especially heartless villain.  It also tested loyalties among the characters as well as how far one is willing to go for the ones they love. Easy and fun to read with the narratives alternating between Fiona and Gray.  It was especially hard to put down around the 75-80% mark where all of the tiny details sprinkled along the way turned into a storm (literally) of chaos where I just kept saying "no no no no no no".  This was the part of the book that I think was the best! 

Favorite character was Earl ("Gray") Ravenport because the author was able to slowly reveal his warm, funny, and charming personality.   Initially he comes across as defensive and distant (often described in the book as "cold") but through interactions with his grandmother and Fiona he finally warms up.  

Furthermore, I enjoyed the use of the Fortress in disrepair like Gray was after his broken engagement to Lady Helena.  Yet with his grandmother as his main motivation and Fiona's help he was able to get a lot of progress on restoring it, and himself.  It reminded me a little bit of Beauty and the Beast, without the animated furniture, in that Belle's love for Beast was able to restore the castle (and Beast) to it's original beauty.

Lastly, I really appreciated the use of the relationship between Fiona and her sister Lily, as well as the relationship with Gray and his grandmother.  I am fortunate enough to be very close with my sister, just as Fiona and Lily are close.  I am also fortunate to be very close with my grandmother whom is well-loved by everyone she meets, just like Gray's grandmother.  I hope the next book in the series is about Fiona's sister, Lily, as it seemed to have set up a conflict that could continue for her that I would like to see resolved.  

I would recommend this book for adult readers who enjoy romance, especially regency romance, the strong bonds of sisterhood, and the restorative power of love.

On the other hand, I would not recommend this book for readers who may be offended or triggered by the following: graphic violence, foul language, suicide, blackmail, betrayal, gambling, prostitution, and sexually explicit scenarios.  

Please note: an electronic ARC of this book was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review.

Nunca había comenzado una novela de romance histórica con la protagonista femenina proponiéndole matrimonio al protagonista masculino. Eso simplemente no se hace! Pero Fiona Hartley no tiene otra opción. Necesita dinero de manera urgente y al casarse podrá obtener lo que necesita así que le manda una carta al Conde de Ravenport proponiéndole algo como un negocio: él necesita dinero y con la dote de ella que obtendría al casarse Ravenport podrá arreglar su mansión familiar, sólo tiene que darle a Fiona la cantidad que necesita y ambos podrán vivir tranquilos.

Esta parte si es más común, me ha tocado leer varias novelas donde los protagonistas se tienen que casar y después viene el amor. Pensé que eso me encontraría aquí pero me sorprendí al leer porque, para empezar, los personajes tuvieron química desde el principio y Fiona me encantó. Tenía una forma de ser muy optimista que contrastaba bien con lo seco que podía ser Gray.

Debo admitir que a veces me molestaba esa actitud tan pesimista del Conde. Su niñez fue bastante traumática sobre todo las muertes de sus padres pero él se la pasaba diciendo que jamás podría amar a alguien pero se desvivía por su abuela. Creo que nunca se daba crédito a sí mismo por todas las cosas buenas que hacía.

Y de nuevo digo que Fiona me encantó, Siempre fue un personaje que actuó con fuerza y motivación por la seguridad y el bienestar de su familia. Una vez que se metió en la cabeza que se iba a casar con el Conde de Ravenport, se dedicó a hacerlo posible. No se permitía desviar de la meta. Solo fue al final cuando permitió que las circunstancias la aplacaran y si me dio un poco de coraje porque pensé que iba a pasar como en tantas otras novelas donde los malentendidos mantendría separados a los protagonistas pero aquí fue donde la fuerza Gray salió a relucir y me probó equivocada.

Quedé muy contenta con mi lectura y espero con ansias el segundo libro de esta nueva serie.

I liked the story and the MCs were great. Fiona was a strong heroine who was smart, funny and sweet. Gray was a good guy but it was hard to warm up to him since he stubbornly pushed the h away for a large part of the story. He does redeem himself but I would have liked to see him more decisive when it came to Fiona and Helena. The author didn't really give us any solid reason why Gray was so hung up on the ex. I never got a sense that either of them were ever emotionally invested in the other. In other words, it wasn't painted as a huge love affair, for either party. We know she didn't feel anything for him and Gray never described her as anything special (other than her physical beauty) so it didn't make sense why he was so bothered by the broken engagement. Or why he clung to that as the reason for pushing his h away.

Oh, Fiona -- struggling to meet a blackmailer's demands and save her family, the intrepid debutante decides to propose to an earl who needs money as much as she does. Of course, Gray needs loads of cash, to refurbish his crumbling home and estate, and all Fiona wants is 5,000 pounds a year and a cottage in what she sees as a business arrangement. Desperate as the earl is, he's not that desperate and the story moves on from there as he seeks to show her why he's not husband material. Burned in love before, Gray is a damaged hero to die for -- outwardly brooding but inside, vulnerable and yearning for love. Just like Fiona. How the two find their HEA, defeat the blackmailer and head off into the sunset is an engaging story, with witty dialogue and compelling characters. Most enjoyable. (I received an eARC from NetGalley. Opinions mine.)

The first in Anna Bennet's Debutante Diaries series is the kind of regency romance I live for! First Earl I See Tonight is the beginning of an intriguing series for the most romantic of romantics. A jilted duke, bitter and hardened toward love, is propositioned by a young woman desperate to save her younger sister from ruin. The immediate answer is a hard "no" but Fiona's talent and genuine charm may be all she needs to secure the safety of her sister's reputation.

First Earl I See Tonight moves at a balanced pace. There's enough time to get to know Fiona, her younger sister and their best friend, and the Gray. There's even a bit of intrigue as Fiona tries to determine just who has the nerve to blackmail her. A good chunk of reading time revolves around Fiona trying to convince the duke to marry her as they get to know one another. Gray's dark past sneaks to the forefront while the cast attends a house party at his country estate. The characters' depth is revealed piece by piece as the story plays out and it left me with a warm feeling. I loved Fiona's wild plan and her determination in the face of rejection. She risked much for her sister and even when her feelings toward Gray became more her compassion rose to encompass his feelings as well. I had a lot of 'aw, that's so sweet' moments reading this story and I would definitely repeat the process a couple dozen more times!

You certainly can never go wrong with a regency romance and especially not with Anna Bennett! I'm excited to read the next book in the series, The Duke is But a Dream, which sounds just as enchantingly romantic as First Earl I See Tonight!
*ARC provided in consideration for review*

I always look for a good deal of sweetness in the historical romances I read, and this one is full of it. Both hero and heroine are good people trying to do their best for their loved ones, Fiona especially for her sister and Grey for his grandmother. Fiona pursues Gray, in a very honest, vulnerable way, and, despite early reservation, Gray is always honourable in his dealings not only with Fiona, but with all characters.
It is a delightful, charming and funny book and will be reread in the future because of it.

First Earl I See Tonight follows a bold new plot, where our female character takes her future into her own hands. In a time where women were not encouraged to be bold and independent, Fiona takes care of herself. When she finds herself in a position where she is being blackmailed (which at first you think is directed towards her but it is not – it is against her sister), she looks to save herself and her family from disaster.

The only problem? Women weren’t in control of their money then. So Fiona devises a plan to get her hands on her dowry to save her sister – the only problem with the plan? She has to convince Gray to marry her and with his current situation between his home and his failed engagement, he has closed his heart to love.

While superficial circumstances bring the two together, they slowly come to realize how much alike they truly are. They both put family and friends before themselves and both see the beauty beneath the surface not just the glitter on the outside. Just at they come to realize there could be more than meets the eye, disaster hits – a shock and betrayal that you will never see coming. It leaves you wondering if they can survive this both physically and emotionally and if they can, can they still pull together to form a future.

First Earl I See Tonight is a beautiful story of forgiveness, acceptance and hope for the future. While our past may not always be pretty and the present the same, we always have hope for the future and moving to a brighter place. This was a lovely story from start to finish.

I love first stories in new series and First Earl I See Tonight is no exception. Anna Bennett is a strong voice in historical romance and the Debutante Diaries series looks promising. Two sisters and a good friend all pledge to write a journal about their First Season and plan to share in their old age. First up is Fiona Hartley. Being desperate to marry in order to get her dowry to pay off a blackmailer, she boldly propositions the Earl of Ravenport to marry before the deadline, and his immediate answer is no. She’s determined to not take no for an answer and pushes on. David Gray, Earl of Ravenport, hopes to dissuade Fiona and invites her and her family for a house party at his country estate, the Fortress, and let the old place speak for itself. If that doesn’t scare her away he doesn’t know what will. He has his own reasons for not marrying but being around Fiona he sees her for who she truly is and wonders what if.

The story is a mix of mystery, suspense and romance. Fiona has a limited time before the family secret is exposed and boldly takes steps to get David to change his mind. The more time they spend together the more they both develop strong feelings for one another. One kiss turns into two and before you know it they are seeking each other out for one more touch. Over the course of the house party Fiona and David also learn to trust another person with their secrets. Both could ruin a person and/or family seeing suicide is a taboo and could devastate David and his elderly grandmother. Fiona’s family secret was no less damaging and she would do anything to protect those that she loves. Both these characters showed strength and maturity that resonated well with me. I also love Fiona’s journal entries because it really adds more to the story with her more personal and private voice. Fans of historical romance are going to love this story. The writing was crisp, the pace was good and the story itself was fulfilling.

4.5 Stars

Fiona Hartley is being blackmailed. The heiress received a note, advising that her adopted sister’s scandalous birth details would be revealed to the press unless she makes the required payment within two weeks. Knowing that her family would be ruined if this secret is revealed, Fiona decides she will make the payment, and the only way to do that is to access her dowry. And the only way to do that is to marry quickly. One problem – she has no prospects. Knowing that the Earl of Ravenport has recently been jilted and is in need of funds, Fiona decides to take the bold approach and ask him directly to marry her. Besides, he was the one gentleman who was kind to her when she had an embarrassing fall at a recent ball.

When David Gray’s (Earl of Ravenport’s) fiancée, Helena, got a look at the sad shape his estate was in, she abruptly ended their engagement. Gray’s dreams of restoring the family home, known as “The Fortress,” for his beloved grandmother were shelved. The enigmatic earl just built the walls a little higher around his heart and carried on. He’s shocked to receive a note from Fiona, blatantly offering a businesslike marriage proposal. Though Gray has no intention of attempting marriage again any time soon, he’ll meet with Fiona to tell her in person.

Fiona is somewhat honest with Gray, telling him that she needs five thousand pounds from her dowry, but not explaining the reason. Though her offer is tempting, Gray continues to refuse. Fiona is very tenacious, and despite himself, Gray agrees to host a gathering at The Fortress, knowing full well that Fiona will finally accept his refusal when she sees his run down estate. Much to his surprise, Fiona sees the beauty behind the years of neglect. She’s a talented artist, and creates some lovely drawings of his home, as seen through her eyes.

While Fiona’s goal is a quick and convenient marriage, she begins to fall for the distant, but kind earl. She notices how hard he works, his devotion to his grandmother, and, of course, his physical appeal. Gray starts to believe that he may actually have a future with Fiona, and his walls begin to tumble. Gray’s parents’ marriage was far from ideal, and their relationship colored his views on love. There’s also another dark secret from his childhood which still affects him today. When he finally shares that secret with Fiona, her support makes him believe that he may truly find happiness with her. I loved watching the polite and distant man become smitten, more open, and happy. Their physical relationship, as well as their growing intimacy as friends is truly wonderful.

But there is still a snake in paradise, namely the blackmailer, who has now upped his/her game and is determined that Fiona and Gray not marry. I think my absolute favorite thing about FIRST EARL I SEE TONIGHT is how Gray maintained his belief in Fiona’s affection, even when her words said that she couldn’t marry him. Only one thing kept this story from being perfect for me, and that’s the fact that the villain only appeared to be vanquished for the present, and could make a reappearance. Fiona and Gray are truly likeable characters who are perfect for each other. I love how their relationship developed, and how Fiona helped heal Gray. FIRST EARL I SEE TONIGHT is warm and captivating and has the kind of romance and characters I love to read about.

A desperate debutante, Fiona Harltley needs to marry quickly so she can get her dowry. Her sister is in trouble and being blackmailed and that is the only funds she can get to!! What to do? David Gray, Earl of Ravenport is not in the market for a wife. He has been jilted by his fiance' and it would take a strong force to make him succumb. But he never expected Fiona, a determined young beauty to step into his life. Focused on repairing his crumbling estate, when he receives a marriage proposal he decides to invite her to his country house to let her see how his estate needs significant repair. Good plan you say? Well that is only the beginning for these two. As they interact it made me laugh with some of the humor and banter back and forth.
Can these two truly come together with Fiona wanting their marriage to be in name only? With a handsome man and a beautiful lady, I sincerely doubt that would hold!
A wonderful start to a new series, this one will keep you entertained until the end!

First Earl I See Tonight by Anna Bennett. Miss Fiona Hartley, an artist, needs her dowry money to pay a blackmailer who plans to expose some information that could ruin her sister. The Earl of Ravenport, Gray, recently been jilted by his fiancée, has no desire for a wife. He is now working on renovating his crumbling country house, Fortress, before his grandmother goes blind. He has no money and Fiona feels he is her best choice. She asks him to marry her and only asked for the money needed for the blackmailer. She can’t ask anyone else so the burden falls completely on her. A great story to see what happens: can she thaw his heart, who is the blackmailer, and can they learn to trust each other. A great story. I received an advance copy from Net Galley for my honest review.

This was an entertaining read. I did like Fiona, a talented artist, was determined to help her sister, Lily. The loving connection between the sisters was engaging. Gray, Earl of Ravenport, had many issues in his background which affected his attitude towards the idea of romantic love. They had an hilarious first meeting. I enjoyed the way their relationship grew. There are some amusing moments and romantic ones. There is also the mystery of who the blackmailer might be and why he is doing this. The identity was a surprise to me. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cracking open the first book of a new series is always an exciting time for me. I love the anticipation of discovering a new world, the possibility of new adventures, and meeting new characters. I started Anna Bennett’s new series, Debutante Diaries, with high expectations – and I wasn’t disappointed. We will come to meet sisters Fiona and Lily, along with their friend, Sophie as they set out in life with a rather intense beginning.

First Earl I See Tonight introduces Fiona, who is facing a very difficult family scandal should she not hand over money to a blackmailer. She may be the daughter of a very wealthy man, even if their wealth comes from trade, but she has no immediate access to the funds demanded on her own. Fiona will do anything to protect her family, even propose a marriage of convenience to a man who was once kind to her knowing that he is in desperate need of funds to refurbish his estates. In Fiona’s mind she can pay off the blackmailer, give Gray the funds he needs to restore his grandmother’s once beautiful home and be done with it all… except blackmailers are never satisfied with their first demands, and her groom of choice is simply not co-operating as she expected him to. And there’s that pesky attraction building between them that keeps getting in the way of her plans. Fiona picked Gray for several reasons; he’d been kind to her, he desperately needed ready cash, and he’d been jilted so wasn’t looking for a love match. So why then did she have to go and fall in love with the stubborn, cold hearted man? That only made the blackmailer’s next demands even more despicable.

Gray had two loves in his life these days – his ailing grandmother, and his estate. An estate that was practically falling down around them. One that his former fiancée had sneered at, ended the engagement and ran away as fast as she could from. So why on earth was one very wealthy, if admittedly clumsy young lady proposing a marriage of convenience? Certainly he knew who Fiona was, remembered her with kindness, even for him, but when a woman asks for a man’s hand in marriage it tends to grab his attention… and his anger. There was something else going on here, so Gray called her bluff by inviting her entire family to stay at his estate determined to scare the little forward miss off as quickly as possible. Only he didn’t count on her stubbornness, her courage or the attraction that was building between them. Suddenly discovering Fiona’s secrets became his top priority since her happiness was his primary goal now. He didn’t count on falling in love, but he would get to the bottom of this puzzle.

I enjoyed First Earl I See Tonight very much. The story captured my attention, the characters were realistic and believable (even under the circumstances) and I wanted to know more about this couple’s future as well as Lily and Sophie’s stories down the line. Yet as much as I enjoyed Gray and Fiona’s romance there were things that didn’t make sense within that time period, and to be frank, those little details bothered me throughout this story. I’m not going to nitpick, it’s not my story to tell… but sometimes little details will take me out of a story and that is always annoying to me. Inconsistencies aside, I will definitely follow this series for my curiosity is now high and I want to know what happens next. If you love a good Historical or Regency Romance with likable characters, interesting plots and secondary characters you’ll want to learn more about then First Earl I See Tonight is perfect for you.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

A startling funny story. Fiona and Gray are the perfectly mismatched couple. Fiona has a problem and a husband is her solution. She grabs the bull by the horns, proposes to Gray and sets out to convince him that marrying her is an excellent idea. In a series of hilarious incidents in which they attempt to get to know each other, there are mishaps, mayhem and accidents. The road to love was not smooth but it sure was fun and enjoyable.

Captivating! I was totally captivated by this intriguing, tender and suspenseful historical romance. These characters will touch your heart and a the romance is filled with wonderful tender moments that at times took my breath away.

Fiona Hartley is desperate, a shy, but rich, debutante, who is being blackmailed. Wanting to save her family from scandal, she proposes to a handsome Earl that is in dire need of the funds, that she can supply. But after being refused by the woman of his heart the Earl of Ravenport has decided that marriage would not be in his future until he could take care of his estate, finances and his grandmother.

But what starts out as a way to scare off Fiona, he invites her and her family to come and stay at his crumbling down manor house. But the more these two interact, the more they are taken by the other. Will the tender, beautiful moments lead these two a HEA? You will need read to find out.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thought and opinions are my own.