THE EARL NEXT DOOR by Amelia Grey is a lively account of the journey toward love taken by Adeline, a widowed Countess, and Lyon, the actual Earl next door of the title. Since they experience a horrible misunderstanding at their very first meeting, it seems as if their journey will be brief and end abruptly with only animosity all the way around. How Adeline and Lyon overcome these misperceptions makes for a lovely story of gradual attraction and the HEA we all hope for.

Adeline was widowed when her husband died following a maritime disaster. The ship he was on sank and there were many lives lost, both passengers and crew. That tragedy has shaped Adeline’s new life in surprisingly positive ways, as she has made fast friends with two other women who also lost husbands at the same time. Rather than languish, Lady Kitson Fairbright and Mrs. Brina Feld share Adeline’s new mission with equal enthusiasm. Together, they have founded a small, residential school for the daughters and sisters of the lost crew members of the ship, in order to teach them seamstress skills and ensure they will have a means of supporting themselves.

However, the Earl next door is not enchanted by their philanthropy, nor does he fully comprehend what is happening in the building behind his neighbor’s home in London. This leads to misunderstandings and clashes - right up until the point that Adeline and Lyon realize how much they desire each other. But, despite their great attraction, there are ghosts from the past that appear insurmountable and will keep them apart.

I found the story in this free advance reader copy via NetGalley to be enjoyable, but the overall book to be a disappointment due to poor editing and proofreading. I would just be settling into a scene and would be jarred from enjoyment by issues such as a misspelling (rush rather than ruche) a convoluted sentence (“Stay of out this” rather than “Stay out of this”), use of an incorrect homophone (describing a person’s role as a protector as a “roll”), and even having an gown that was repeatedly described as amber admired as crimson several pages later.

The storyline, itself, was quite engaging, but these are only a few of the proofreading and editing issues I noted. The sheer number of them made for a jerky and irritating read. For this reason, I cannot give an enthusiastic recommendation to THE EARL NEXT DOOR.

Another series to look out for.
A widow finally finds her wings. Stowed away from the world following her marriage and being married to a disinterested and unkind man takes a toll on Adeline. When her husband dies and she is out of mourning, she finds her purpose in life.
She buys a house and starts a boarding school for underprivileged girls along with her two friends. Only, her neighbour is an interesting man and there is a growing attraction that neither can ignore.
A delightful story of romance, this one was well written and was a wonderful read.
Looking forward to the other books in the series.

A wonderfully sweet story with likable characters, witty dialogue and lots and lots of steam. If you're a fan of historical romance books this is a must read.

When Adeline Wake becomes a widow, she realizes she is free, free from a loveless marriage, free from isolation, free to do as she pleases.
She along with two other young widows, widowed by the same sinking ship, starts a school for the girls whose fathers also died that day to try to help them have a better life.
The property abuts Lord Lyonwood's estate, he's not interested in marriage either, but something about Adeline has him in thrall at first sight.
The women go about starting and running their school and he goes about running his estates and avoiding entanglements until they are entangled.....deeply.
Ms. Grey writes with humor, sweetness and sensuality and a gift for describing people and scenes to make this an engrossing tale. I hope to read about the other widows soon..
I requested and received a NetGalley Arc.

Adeline, Dowager Countess of Wake, is a very young widow who lost her husband at sea. She has two friends who are also widows, who have decided to open of a school for young girls who have lost loved ones in shipwrecks. Unfortunately, her next door neighbor, the handsome Lord Lyon, Earl of Marksworth barges into her home thinking that she is running a house of ill-repute. Thus starts the sweetest attraction between the two who have no attention of either marrying unless it is a love match or remarrying. Neither could deny their feelings in the end that made it a nice HEA.

This is a first time read by this author. Although the story did not excite me much but it did hold my attention. The plot starts off nicely, but a bit slow. I would like to have seen more development between the H/h during the story. It was well-written and very much entertaining. The cover was beautifully done. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I received a copy of this ARC provided by the Author/Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

It's a winner!
I laughed and I cried at the antics of two little girls, the nosy neighbor and the Earl's frustration with the widow next door. Grey hit the mark with this witty, enchanting love story.
A free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

I really liked this sweet book. There was great chemistry between our main characters, when they first meet in an unforgettable interaction. I liked that Lyon didn't let society force him to do something he didn't want to and when he found what he wanted he didn't hesitate but was still respectable of the woman he loved. For Adeline after her marriage, she was not looking for any attachments but her neighbor continuously lights a fire within her that was long dormant. She try hard to resist but she makes the brave move to get all that she wants and needs.
I found all the character likable and will enjoys seeing more in future books
I just reviewed The Earl Next Door by Amelia Grey. #NetGalley

This story was a sweet story. I liked the characters and the premise. Have read others and enjoyed them also, we'll keep stocking our store with Grey titles

I really liked the beginning of the book. A widow who lost her not loved husband in a ship accident opens a boarding school for girls who lost their father in the same accident.
Next to her lives a young to be Duke who doesn't like the noise the kids make at all and has an aunt who had a friend who watches everybody with her spyglass.

Nice, idea!
I think my favorite scene was when Adeline storms into Lyons home while he had his card game. The second was when she tries on the red corsage in the beginning. Unfortunately we don't have a second scene with this corsage - it would have made sense to have one though.

The love scenes were nice, the character development rushed towards the end. The whole ending was rather rushed. I hoped that we get to find out "together" that she is pregnant because it had to happen anyway.

Unfortunately rather average.

*I got this arc from Netgalley in exchange to an honest review *

A beautiful cover for a lovely story. When 3 widows open a school for the less fortunate girls the neighbor shows his ugly side. While he is a real humbug one of the widows finds him irresistible. Thus the fun story begins. I like the mixed feelings, the wayward girls and the ending. There is plenty to like in this book. I am glad I read this one.

This is the first book in the series. I loved it! 5 stars. It was a great story and worth reading. I enjoyed the characters and the story-line. The trouble making girls were a fun addition. A must read!

Adeline Countess of Wake is free of marriage at a young age after her husband has been lost at sea. Now independent she has with 2 friends set up a school for the families of the shipwreck. Her neighbour Lyon future Marquis of Marksworth is sent to her house by his Aunt and her friend who have mistaken the school for a brothel. He finds Adeline trying on a red corset leading to further misunderstandings. Adeline’s first marriage has left her with many trust issues. Lyon will embrace all of Adeline and learn to love an independent forward thinking women who just wants to be loved.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Adeline is a young widow. Her husband was lost at sea when a ship went down. She has become friends with two other young women who also lost their husbands in the same shipwreck. The 3 widows have created a school for young girls who lost their fathers in the wreck. They want to offer opportunities so the girls can find a future when they are older.

Adeline's next door neighbor, Lyon, comes barreling into her home thinking that he has found a secret upscale house of ill repute and this young woman is the madam. That is their first encounter with one another.

This plot starts out really well. The premise for the story is a wonderful one. Adeline and the two other widows have a wonderful idea to help families in need. The two other widows will become heroines in their own stories. This is the first book in a new series.

I wanted to see more character development with Adeline and Lyon. I liked Lyon better than Adeline because he seemed more grounded and connected to other people. We get to meet his father and his aunt. We never hear about Adeline's family or friends.

She has a great deal of internal angst, but she does not seem to have relationships with other
people. She is first seen being very frivolous. Then she suddenly becomes someone much more serious. I liked her best when she was wearing the red corset.

I love Ms Grey's books, she is a very talented author. I always find her writing to be engaging and entertaining. This book did not draw me into the story as much as I expect from her books.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are completely my own.

Oh my sweetness, I loved this book! I loved that the hero and the heroine never played games, there were issues and they talked about things and despite the fact that it seemed that they'd never come together, you could feel their love, you could feel the tenderness and the love, maybe even the sparks.

I liked the story on the whole even though some developments were somewhat foreseeable, this book was a sweet and nice read that kept me turning the pages with a smile. Lyon and Adeline belong together and I always hoped that finally now, this would be the moment when...well... nope. It wasn't that easy - and on the other hand, it simply was that easy. Time and love can heal almost everything at least when there are good people around.

This was another thing that I liked, there were no villains. This was just the story of Lyon and Adeline and their love. Even Lyon's father, who is so different from him, is someone whom he respects and loves to spend time with. Lyon has a refreshingly wonderful view of marriage and he is patient enough to know that sometimes one has to wait for things and can't force them and he is also that much in love that he at least hopes that love will conquer all.
Things happen and the book is never dull or boring but it is different, very sweet and charming, I really enjoyed reading it.

I received a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The Earl Next Door was an okay read. The story overall wasn't too bad but the leads Lyon and Adeline just felt lacking. The relationship made sense but Lyon just irritated me a little. The ending also wasn't entirely satisfactory to me. There is of course a HEA but getting there felt like a cop out instead of what I expect in this genre of love conquers all. 3.5 stars

Adeline and Lyon burst into each other’s lives in a really funny scene. She and her two friends, also widows, have begun a school for the daughters of the men who died in a shipwreck in which their husbands died as well. Adeline’s first marriage was one of abuse in that she was expected to provide an heir and was unable to do so despite all of the horrible things and people her husband consulted.
With Lyon, she discovers a passion long buried and delights in being seen for herself. Despite not wanting to marry again, there is one unexpected way that Adeline and Lyon get their HEA.

Sweet with honest attraction, this historical neighbor romance. was pleasant to read. The beginning is one of the best bad first impressions I've read.

No person is an island in this story. I thought the depiction of the lack of privacy was true to the time and added excitement to the story. The hero actually is a gentleman and his view on marriage was refreshing. The heroine's feelings about marriage were understandable and unique. And the children weren't all angels of good behavior.

I received a free ARC from netgalley.

Loved the story. It is well written, entertaining and holds your attention. Adeline and Lyon meet as next door neighbors. She has been widowed for two years and he has yet to meet the love of his life. She and two others ladies of the ton have started a school for the surviving daughters of the workers who died in the shipwreck. Things start off rocky but there is an attraction that neither can deny. She has no desire to remarry and he wants a love match. There is a HEA but a lot happens first. This s a great story and I would highly recommend it.

3 1/2 stars rounded up. The Earl Next Door feels like a Readers Digest condensed version of a historical romance. Widowed and the Dowager Countess of Wake, Adeline is enjoying the freedom that she never had in her marriage. She opens a school for poor girls next door to the Earl of Lyon with two other ladies who were widowed in the same shipping accident that took her husband. Lyon mistakes Adeline for a madam upon their first meeting and earns a slap. Thus begins the butting of heads between the two and the inevitable sexual tension that feels the air. Lyon wants to marry her but she has a major aversion to marriage after her first one. The plot is good and the characters are interesting but I feel like a lot of details were taken out. All the high points are hit while the story flows smoothly to HEA but I wanted more that just a few scattered interactions that led up to true love. While not a bad story, I feel like this could have been so much more. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

This book was just ok for me. I didn’t love the storyline as a whole and I feel that the author could have done better with the heroine’s character development. I also found a lot of errors upon reading that a good editor should certainly catch. Overall it didn’t entice me to want to continue to series. Thank you for the ARC.