Overall an enjoyable historical romance, but not as good as other books I have read in the genre.

I liked the relationship that developed between Daniel and Penelope throughout. I also enjoyed the side characters. If you prefer slow burn romances, you'll like this. Also, it's worth noting that there is pretty much zero smut in this. All of the "sexy" scenes are "fade to black" for the most part, so if you like smutty historical romances, I would look elsewhere.

I found it a little odd that the main conflict of the book was solved literally 2 pages before the end and the resolution was very instant. I expected the main characters to have to come up with and execute a detailed plan, but instead a friend of theirs just magically solved everything. It was just a bit too convenient.

What's a Lord to do?

A bit of a conundrum and then some. Arthur Shelton, Earl of Macklin is still pursuing his aim of helping others to deal with death and the loss that represents. He wanders in and out of the story like a benevolent fairy god father. As he explains to his current array of guests, “Grief is insidious, almost palpable, and as variable as humankind ... No one can understand who hasn’t experienced a sudden loss. A black coat and a few platitudes are nothing.”
This time Daniel Frith, Viscount Whitfield is the person he turns his attention towards. Daniel has had a solitary upbringing due to his parents always being abroad so frequently. And now with their deaths the abandoned inner child and the adult Daniel feel that disconnect keenly.
In attempting to taking over the reins of his earldom, a puzzling question is why Rose Cottage been left to a complete stranger, one Penelope Pendleton. When Daniel meets her it is obvious that she's a woman with a genteel background. Yet here she is learning to make bread and manage a cottage without the requisite servants. Daniel is determined to find out all he can. Macklin's assistance is given. Although sometimes Macklin's helpful enquiries don't bring the outcome desired. More like, they just add to the tension as the story develops. I love his assistant Tom and am expecting more interesting developments of his character.
Penelope it appears is daughter of a peer and sister to a traitor, a Luddite who according to Penelope "was murdered ... at the Peterloo." Then "her brother Philip was posthumously convicted of treason and stripped of his title and estates. [Their] home went to the government."
Penelope was homeless until Daniel's parent's will was read. She had spent the past year being interrogated by the Home Secretary, Lord Sidmouth's agents. A devasting experience! This surprise inheritance of Rose Cottage gave Penelope a place to flee to.
However interaction with the viscount and the search through Daniel's mother's papers bring something even more sinister to light. As does the arrival of Sidmouth's agents demanding those papers and threatening Penelope. One of those agents interrogated her. Penelope is fearful. Who would not be?
Daniel puts in place a plan!
There were amusing parts. The dogs and the goat interactions are the loveliest of whimsies. The novel is a very busy place with all sorts of things happening off center stage but the story flowed well with enough romance and intrigue to hit a nicely balanced note.

A NetGalley ARC

Jane Ashford's "A Lord Apart" book was a fast, enjoyable read for me.
Like many historical romances, there is plenty of juicy romantic scents, good character growth and escape into times that we can only read through books.
What I really like was the romance here. It made you feel cute and fluffy - "feel good" type of book that you can just grab and read on those rainy days where there is nothing to do, but escape into the past and full of romance!
4/5 rating from me!

This second book in Ms. Ashford’s The Way to a Lord’s Heart series was as enjoyable as the first one, although you really can read it as a stand alone.

I found Daniel and Penelope very compelling characters and their romance was believable, albeit a bit slow for my taste. It's the machinations of Earl of Macklin that had me grin while he went about his business of matchmaking.

The plot was intriguing and pace was steady, and I do recommend this book and the series as well.

Melanie for b2b

As promised, here is my fair and honest review in exchange for this ARC. Two different people raised so very differently, never knowing each others pasts. How can these two manage to build something together.

Daniel Frith, Viscount Whitfield, age 27, recently lost his parents when their ship went down in a storm. The couple had loved to travel, exploring new places, and that’s how they spent most of their lives.

Since becoming the Viscount and owner of the family estate, Frithgerd, Daniel has been overwhelmed with the mess of papers piled up in no sort of order. It appears that the estate manager also left some time ago. After spending days trying to sort through the papers, Daniel becomes more and more frustrated.

Penelope Pendleton, age 23, is riding in a coach with her maid, Kitty, when she is overtaken by a coughing fit. The smoky factory air of Manchester has irritated her lungs for a long time now, and she hopes the clean air of Yorkshire will help her. Her destination is Rose Cottage, a small cottage on Daniel’s estate. When he meets her, they both realize they don’t know why his father left her the cottage. It has been uninhabited for some time so Daniel insists on sending people to clean it for her.

As Daniel and Penelope get to know one another, he confides that he has a mess of papers to sort and she volunteers to help him as this is something she has done before and she is quite good at it. They are hoping that they also find out why his father left Rose Cottage to her. She confides that after her parents died, her brother was suspected of being a Luddite before his death which resulted in her losing her home. Now, she is very grateful to have received the gift of Rose Cottage.

In sorting the papers, they find some journals that could have some devastating repercussions if they got in the wrong hands. Will they be able to find out the meaning of these journals? Will their togetherness lead to something more?

I have read many books by Jane Ashford. Some of them have been confusing so readers must pay very close attention to what they are reading. The author adds quite a few subplots which all come together in the end to made for a great read. Enjoy!

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

A LORD APART brings us an intriguing mystery of why a stranger has been bequeathed a cottage on Viscount Whitfield’s property… and a few other surprises as well. This is the second story in Ms. Ashford’s The Way To a Lord’s Heart series, and although there are a few connections (one if not true matchmaking gentleman, then at least a romantic instigator) nothing that would leave a reader lost or wondering what is going on. I am a reader who needs to start at the beginning of any series, but if you aren’t then you’ll find an enjoyable romance… and might be a bit tempted to go back for the first story.

The surprising inheritance of Rose Cottage couldn’t have happened at a better moment for Penelope. Due to her brother’s actions, she is facing not only danger but having to leave her former life behind. She has no idea of who gave or why they gifted her this new home, yet she is grateful beyond words for the safe haven.

Daniel’s parents were killed in a shipwreck leaving him a new title, a stranger living on his estate, a house full of unorganized paperwork and more than a few mysteries to unravel – the main one being who in the world is Penelope and why was she given Rose Cottage.

In trying to figure out why she now occupies Rose Cottage, Daniel discovers that Penelope once helped her father manage his estates and she is, in fact, quite good with paper organizing. As they work their way through untold years of dusty, old papers they begin to acknowledge an attraction between them… as well as some more than curious facts starting to appear in those old papers. Now it’s up to this couple to face down danger together, solve a few mysteries and fall in love along the way.

I enjoyed my time with A LORD APART. It’s not a fast-paced romance, while there are dangers and several mysteries to be untangled it certainly is a slower story than I’m used to from Ms. Ashford. That does not mean that it’s not an enjoyable read, it definitely is, simply a pace that I wasn’t expecting. Both Daniel and Penelope have to face family issues, ones that even to this day affect their lives. Their falling in love was a simmering romance, one that has its own pace and destination. My heart broke for them both, in different ways, and their blossoming love is also helping to heal those parts of their pasts that haunt them. If you enjoy Historical Romance, then I would not hesitate to recommend this story or this series. You’ll discover an interesting couple, some intriguing mysteries to solve and a love worth waiting for.

*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.*

This was a bit different from standard Regency romances. The hero, Lord Whitfield is used to being solitary since his parents spent their lives traveling around the world and never paid him much attention. When he finds out that his father left a cottage on his estate to a woman no one had ever heard of, he’s mystified. But, once he meets Penelope Pendleton, he’s intrigued. She’s bright and clearly comes from an aristocratic background. He can’t figure out what connection she had to his father and she seems equally mystified. When he learns her story and what happened to her, he’s horrified on her behalf. When she volunteers to help him go through all the dusty old papers that had collected over the years, he welcomes her organizational abilities.

I liked that Penelope was a strong woman who had recovered from the disastrous turn that her life has taken. These two characters develop a friendship that turns into something more. It all felt motivated by their character and circumstances rather than just a contrivance from the author.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

This is Book 2 in The Way to a Lord's Heart series. It’s a standalone with the only common theme being the older Earl of Macklin gathering together young men who have one thing in common: grief. Although he’s not strictly a matchmaker since he doesn’t make the introductions, he does insinuate himself into the relationships in both books.

Penelope Pendleton has just inherited Rose Cottage, a small home on the Whitfield estate. She doesn’t know her benefactor, but it couldn’t have come at a more opportune time since she’s escaping the only home she’s ever known. Newly-minted Viscount Whitfield, Daniel Frith, is not happy to learn that there is a stranger living on his property. As they begin to get to know each other, he learns that she’s a whiz at organization and was very involved in the management of her late father’s properties. This is convenient since he’s buried in centuries of paperwork that neither his deceased parents nor their descendants ever bothered to dispose of or organize. Thinking that the answer to the mystery of Rose Cottage lies amongst the papers, they work together to find the answer. Along the way, they slowly fall in love with each other and discover that the puzzle is much more complex than they could ever have guessed and explains why Daniel’s parents kept him at a distance. They are both mourning the loss of their families although Penelope’s late radical brother is responsible for her legal troubles and Daniel is still hurt by his parents’ abandonment. Together, will they be able to solve the mysteries surrounding them and finally find the love they’ve both missed?

Ashford has endowed us with a lovely historical romance with a subplot of intrigue and danger that keeps the story from being just a run-of-the-mill happily-ever-after. Despite the pain both Penelope and Daniel suffer, there are humorous elements, mostly involving two dogs and a herd of goats. A worthy addition to any library’s romance collection.


I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Sourcebooks Casablanca through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Penelope and Daniel have both lost all their family. Tragedy in
Penelope’s life brings her to meet Daniel. Together they find hidden secrets and discover love and compassion.

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

Jane Ashford’s new Regency Romance series, The Way to a Lord’s Heart, showcases her talent for sweet, entertaining romance. Her protagonists come with troubled back-stories and find their way to one another with gentle support and occasional banter.

Book one in the series, Brave New Earl, introduces the theme (which reminds me a bit of the theme of the linked stories in Mary Balogh’s Survivors Club.)

The Earl of Macklin is an older man, a widower, who has decided to put to use his knowledge of grief to help grieving younger gentleman move on with their lives. Previously, he aided his nephew. Now, in book two, A Lord Apart, he hopes to help the son of an old friend.

Daniel Frith, Viscount Whitfield, has inherited his father’s title and estates after the sudden death of both parents in a shipwreck during a trip to India. His grief is muted by the resentment he feels. His parents ignored him throughout his life, choosing travel to exotic places over the mundane duties of parenthood. Even when he grew old enough to accompany them, he was never included. Now Daniel is trying to sort of the accounts of the ancestral home, a chore he finds dull and impossible.

Penelope Pendleton is a baronet’s daughter who has been thrown out of the home she grew up in through no fault of her own. Her brother, an activist who was killed at the Peterloo massacre, was posthumously found guilty of treason against the crown. She was imprisoned and questioned mercilessly by government investigators who could not believe she knew nothing of her brother’s activities or friends. Fortunately, just as she emerged from custody with nowhere to go, she learned that she had inherited a cottage in another town. Her benefactor was anonymous and wanted to remain so.

Penelope is too grateful to question, though her curiosity is immense.

The cottage is part of the estate of Viscount Whitfield. When he learns of her arrival and that the cottage is now hers, his curiosity is also piqued. Moreover, he’s annoyed. Not with her, per se. He has no intention of wresting the cottage from her. But he feels it is another example of his parents’ disdain. Why shouldn’t he know why part of his father’s lands have been willed to a stranger?

The two characters have a lot of baggage, but they are reasonable people and kind to one another. It isn’t long before they are spending a good deal of time puzzling out the mystery of the inheritance. And falling in love.

The government agents aren’t through with Penelope yet. And the strange lives of Whitfield’s parents leave much to be explained.

The romance is enjoyable and the plot swift moving. It is a little annoying that Whitfield’s title effectively protects him from the rough treatment Penelope has to endure. And the ending was a bit too pat with the resolution of the crisis being achieved much too easily, thanks to Whitfield and Macklin’s connections.

Nevertheless, there are a couple of other grieving young men Macklin is determined to help. I look forward to seeing their stories unfold.

Some books start out with a bang. The hero and heroine are instantly in love - and lust. Others meander pleasantly along, letting our leads get to actually know and like each other before love comes to call. This lovely story fits in the second category.

Penelope Pendleton is moving into Rose Cottage, after having to move from her family home. This cottage was willed to her by a mysterious benefactor; she knows not who or why. Daniel Frith, the fairly newly minted Viscount Whitfield, comes across her moving into her new home. That cottage was part of his estate, and he knew nothing about how all this came about. After getting to know each other better, Daniel discovers that Penelope helped run her father's estate and was great at organization. Daniel, who is decidedly NOT, desperately needs help. They come to an agreement - she will help him organize the frightening amount of paperwork now his responsibility, and he will help her discover how she became owner of the cottage.

I loved the slow-burning relationship between Daniel and Penelope. We learn much more about Daniel's globetrotting parents and how he felt ignored and abandoned by them. Also revealed is the pain and hardship Penelope endured after the death of her radical brother. I enjoyed seeing the joy and humor come back into their lives. There is a bit of mystery plus the lurking danger from Penelope's past because of the fallout from her brother's actions. Add in some interesting supporting characters, including two strange dogs who adopt a goat, and you have a sweet, entertaining romance.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Daniel Frith, Viscount Whitfield, feels unprepared to put the estate in order after the untimely death of his aloof parents. All his life he has felt marginalized by his parents who traveled the world and the piles of paperwork they left behind gives him no insight into why they were always absent during his childhood. When he finds that Rose Cottage on the estate has a new owner, Miss Penelope Pendleton, he's even more confused. Who is this woman and how did she come to own a cottage on his estate. When he meets Penelope, there's something about her that soothes his soul. They embark on a journey together to organize stacks and stacks of paperwork trying to find out why Penelope was left the cottage.

I enjoy Miss Ashford's books, but I was on the fence about this one. Most of the book is Daniel and Penelope sorting through hundreds of years of paperwork. It was rather boring until they stumble upon evidence that his parents may not be what they seemed. The slow build-up of their romance was sweet, but I didn't really feel a connection. The Foreign Office agents added intrigue to the storyline although it was wrapped up very quickly.

I'll certainly read the next book from Ms. Ashford, but I'm hoping there's more than stuffy and dusty paperwork at the center of the story.

Intriguing story in that it holds several mysteries and an unexpected love. The book is well written, intriguing and holds your attention. The story surrounds the mystery if why Penelope is willed a small cottage by a man she dies not know. Also in the story is Daniel who has inherited his father’s title and the entailed lands and his almost nonexistent relationship with his parents. Along the way they unravel some of the mystery but seems they discover an even greater mystery. Loved the book, a great romance that is definitely appropriate for any age group. I would recommend this as a clean romance.

This is the second book in this series, I have not read the first book but wish I had not that I was lost or that this can not be read as a standalone, I just like to start from the beginning. We meet Daniel Firth(Viscount Whitfield) he finds out that his father willed Rose Cottage to someone, who and why did he do that. Then we meet Penelope Pendleton who is the one that Rose Cottage was willed to, and it happens just when she needs it, but why was it left to her. Penelope and Daniel team up to find the answers on the reason but as they are locating those answers they also find trouble, why? WEll my friends you need to read, I did enjoy it but it was a little slower than I am used to and tend to like.

Another wonderful book by Jane Ashford. I think she doesn’t get as much recognition as other popular authors so I would recommend her to patrons.

3.5 A gentle and sweet historical romance between two people with baggage. I liked Penelope's spirit and Daniel's vulnerability, and the little mystery of his mother's notebooks was a great addition.

I thought this book was odd, and not in a good way. It seemed that the book was set with Penelope and Daniel trying to find the reason why she was left Rose Cottage. So they spent almost the whole book looking through more than 100 years worth of receipts and documents trying to find the reason. Boring right? I did enjoy the first book in this series so I wanted to give it the benefit. Now I wish I hadn't. I only hope that the next book with be a lot more entertaining.

I had a hard time rating this book. While I do think that Jane Ashford is a skilled writer, A Lord Apart just didn’t do much for me.

On the positive side…there is some witty banter to be found in this book and a few comical moments too. Jane Ashford’s sentences are super smart and well constructed with a nice ebb and flow. She has a superb command of language and it’s well executed. She also incorporates some interesting history which I always welcome.

But…There wasn’t a lot happening in this book. Not in the present, anyway. A Lord Apart is heavy on dialogue without very much action. Now, this would be fine if all the talking was advancing the plot and moving things along but that wasn’t always the case here. I just kept waiting for something to happen.

My biggest issue though was that I didn’t sense any chemistry between this couple. If you like your love scenes to be …descriptive…you won’t find that in A Lord Apart. Love scenes in this book are few a far between and not at all explicit. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If you prefer your romance more sweet than sexy, you might totally love this book. Personally I need a lot more heat than I found here. It doesn’t have to be mega-raging-dirty-graphic sex every time for me…but I definitely need to know what everyone’s body parts look like and who’s doing what with which…*awkward*

I would definitely try another from Jane Ashford. She’s a good writer. Maybe this book just didn’t hit for me. A Lord Apart releases on March 26, 2019. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

Daniel Frith, Viscount Whitfield, is still coming to terms with his parents' recent death. When Daniel learns the Rose Cottage, one of his parents' properties was left to a complete stranger, he is baffled. Thus begins Daniel's fascination with his new neighbor, the owner of Rose Cottage, Penelope Pendleton.

Penelope leaps at the chance to help Daniel straighten up his important papers. While they are going through them, maybe they can discover why the cottage was given to her. Unfortunately, the more time Penelope spends with Daniel, the more she is in danger of losing her heart to him. What will he think of her when he learns why she has moved so suddenly to Rose Cottage?

There are two books in Jane Ashford's THE WAY TO A LORD'S HEART series, BRAVE NEW EARL and A LORD APART. There is a little story circling around each hero. They have all loved and lost and a certain peer is helping them along the way to find love. It is an interesting concept, especially since the matchmaker (he can loosely be called that, in my opinion since he mostly just happens to be around when these guys find love), is an older man. Still, each story is entertaining in it's own way. A LORD APART is about Daniel and Penelope, two strangers who unknowingly share a connection. Forces bring them together and from then on, it seems they're meant to be together.