After losing his parents to illness, the Earl of Maxwell (now known as Malcolm) is kidnapped from an orphanage due to a plot by nefarious relatives who have their sights set on the earldom. Presently, Malcolm has no memory of his previous life and has grown up on the streets of London as a tosher (a scavenger of the sewers of London). He has been quite successful and is shocked when he is approached by a London detective with the news that he is the missing Earl of Maxwell. Verity Lovelace is a by blow of an earl and has been working her way up in a newspaper office since the age of twelve. She has a new boss who wants her gone, so he tasks her with getting the dirt on the mysterious Earl of Maxwell who is unwilling to take his place in society. Verity is responsible for her younger sister and a nursemaid who has been with her family for years. Verity is desperate to succeed, so she heads to the sewers to find Malcolm.

This book had me hooked from the prologue. Malcolm and Verity are both products of their environment. While facing different challenges, their motives have been the same - survival. After growing up under the circumstances he did, Malcolm is uncaring and focused on protecting his territory, but after meeting Verity, one of the only people who dares challenge him, he begins to question his beliefs. Verity is an amazing heroine who is trying to make her way in the world of men. Many of her decisions are driven by desperation to keep a roof over her sisters head, so I always understood the motives for her actions. The challenges she faces in the workplace and the world will resonate with the women who read this book. I felt an instant connection to her character!

My one complaint about this book is that I really don’t feel like we ever got Malcolm’s full story. It’s doled out in bits and pieces and I feel like there were some disconnects along the way. That being said, you don’t need to have a big imagination to know that Malcolm’s life post kidnapping was tragic and horrible! Overall, I loved this book and I can’t wait to read the next in the series.

This book was a different take on the Regency period of London and all of the Society hype. Ms. Caldwell takes a kidnapped heir, sends him to the worst part of London, makes him grow up there and then restores him to his inheritance. So many issues arise with these events that make this book interesting.
Malcom North is a tosher, which means that he goes through the sewers of London collecting and selling lost items. He has made a name for himself doing this and is quite content with the life he has built up. That is until a man appears at his door telling him that he is a lost Earl. Now Malcom has to figure out what this means and how his life should/could change. What Malcom doesn't count on is an intrepid reporter who is determined to figure him out.
Verity Lovelace is the illegitimate daughter of an Earl. She lost all support from her father when he died. She went to work at a newspaper at the age of 12 in order to support herself, her younger sister and their nurse. Now her livelihood depends on discovering the lost Earl's identity and exposing it. She is determined to get the truth. What she finds surprises even her.
I really enjoyed the characters in this book. They are not perfect, nor do they claim to be. They are struggling to figure out a way to survive in a world that does not accept them.

This was my first Christi Caldwell book and I very much enjoyed it. In Bed with the Earl is about a man Malcom who was sold by greedy family members who wanted his earldom when he was a young child. As an adult, a detective finds Malcom and tells him who he really is. Verity is a reporter trying desperately to hold onto her job under a boss who doesn’t think women belong in newspapers. She promises him an incredible story about the newly discovered “Lost Earl” to try to keep her position, but then, of course, she actually has to find the Earl and get a story.

The characters were written very compassionately, and I found my heart breaking for Malcom as he started remembering the happy childhood he had before being sold off. I also very much enjoyed Verity’s passion and fearlessness. The two had wonderful chemistry together and I liked their story a lot.

The only thing I disliked was that there were two instances of the slur “g*psy” in the book. It would be much better if they were replaced with Romani.

Caldwell is one of those authors who writes so many romances but the quality has yet to dip and this latest novel is no different.

This one has my absolute favorite trope! Fake marriage! They’re doing this because they have to! But then oh no here come the feelings! Love it.

The characters are sublime and everything I think most have come to adore from Caldwell’s characters. Loved this book to bits.

A sensual and exciting story of a man who grew up in the sewers of London but discovers that he is actually an Earl and a woman desperate to support her sister and keep her job as a journalist coming together and falling in love despite their initial dislike of each other. The tension between Malcolm and Verity was palpable and their squabbles were entertaining. This was a different look at aristocratic London and I enjoyed the look into how some people on the fringes of the aristocracy lived.

I’m a big Christi Caldwell fan so I was excited to get an ARC of this book. That being said, I’m not the biggest fan of her going outside of the world of the aristocracy. Not that all stories should involve the wealthy, it is just where I see her shine and she does a great job capturing that world. In her novels about the underworld, the characters often come across as cold and unfeeling, which I get from the life they’ve lived, but it often makes the love story and HEA more unbelievable. That was the case in this story and I didn’t really feel a connection between Malcolm and Verity. I think Christi is an awesome writer, but this read just wasn’t my favorite.

This is a great story. I love how strong and smart the heroine is. She has managed to overcome many difficulties... The hero had a difficult past too. But their difficult past made it easier for them to accept each other and understand each other. It's easy to see that they belong together. What a great romance.

I love historical romance and this book has it all!!! Great characters, spicy romance and great writing!!! If you love this genre , then do not miss this story! It will keep you hooked!

Loved this book!
Malcom was kidnapped as a boy from the hospital where he was recovering from the illness that took the lives of both of his parents. Instead of inheriting the Title and money, he became an orphan fighting to survive on the streets and in the sewers of London.
Verity was left an orphan at the age of 12 with no money, the stigma of being a bastard, and having the responsibility of her baby sister. She was given a job at a newspaper where she eventually became a reporter.
When word gets out that Malcom has been found, everyone in London wants to know who he is, where he has been, and everything about him. Verity is determined to find him and get the story first, thus securing her job. But when the two meet, things seem to get out of control . Can they find a way to work together so they each find the happiness they both deserve?
Great story with well developed plot and characters.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Reporter Verity Lovelace has been tasked with tracking down and writing a story on the lost heir, the Earl of Maxwell, or be left without a job and destitute. Having her younger sister to care for, Verity will stop at nothing to fulfill the assignment...even if it means climbing down into the depths of the London sewers to find a man wishing to be left alone...

Malcom North has put his brutal past behind him. Memories of being kidnapped and beaten are well buried, and he's well established himself as a King within the London underground. But when his past comes looking for him, Malcom is forced to accept his new place in society and his life being headline news...

Malcom and Verity's road to HEA is not an easy path, but together, they forge ahead to find love and acceptance...

This story is very difficult for me to review. While I'm sure several readers will enjoy this book, I had a very difficult time connecting with the characters. In fact, I started and stopped several times just trying to get into the story. But I wouldn't let my lack of interest deter you from reading what could be your next fav story. If you are a fan of this genre, I’d recommend giving it a try.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

The Novel:
Verity Lovelace is fighting for her job as a reporter, and needs a story. What better than the tale of the Lost Earl? First though, she must venture into the sewers to find him, and what she gets is more than she bargained for.

The Characters:
Caldwell’s characterisation is excellent. Both protagonists have well-developed and interesting backstories which lend credence to their needs, wants and motivations. Both characters are highly flawed, however the love between the protagonists and actions of the hero, Malcolm North, seem a little implausible in the face of those flaws. Moreover, Verity’s actions, though understandable, were objectionable enough that I could not like her- she took far more than she gave.

Secondary characters are not as well developed. Verity’s sister behaves and is treated by other characters behaves like an innocent child, unaware of what is happening around them despite actually being a young adult. This is with the exception of one scene in which she shows herself to be insightful and shrewd, however this scene is incongruous with the rest of the novel.

The antagonists in the novel are also one-dimensional, and this is a shame because they had the potential to be extremely interesting characters, and their motivations and backstories could have added greatly to the novel.

The Story:
The novel features a number of twists and turns which keep the reader interested and reading on. However, there is no real plot- the romance is the story, and everything else that happens is corollary to that. This is not necessarily a negative as this novel is a light, pleasurable escape. None of the ideas in the novel are new, but Caldwell puts them together in a unique and interesting way, and it was certainly an enjoyable, if predictable, read.

The Writing:
Although I did not particularly like the characters, they were extremely well developed, and Caldwell’s skill with characterisation is why I read on. The pacing was good thorough, and Caldwell introduced some unique historical details such as Malcolm’s work as a tosher. There were appearances from what read like characters in previous or future novels, however as I haven’t read a Caldwell in years, I am not aware of the backstory.

Rating:
3/5 stars. While I found the characters objectionable, Caldwell is highly skilled in their creation, and I will revisit Caldwell’s works to see if I enjoy some of her other books a little more.

Declaration:
Thank you to Netgalley and Montlake Romance for providing this ARC free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

Christi Caldwell is back, baby! Holy Moses! I haven't been the biggest fan of Christi's latest books. They have kind of fallen flat for me. BUT this one makes up for them 100%.

Verity is a flawless heroine. She is magnetic, strong, and vibrant. I could not help but instantly fall in love with her. I was in her corner from page one. Not only is she in animated character with an intricate backstory and elaborate personality, she is a developing character. She breathes. She is alive in the same way Christi's early Heart of the Duke heroines are alive. 

Malcom is a unique character. It took me a bit longer to get on board with him than it did Verity, but at the same time, I was incredibly interested in his story. Child kidnapped from privilege, raised in squalor, and then forced (unwillingly) back into the glittering peerage. It's an intriguing story line, and Christi does it justice. 

I am a huge fan of the "Caldworld". I absolutely love the intricacy of relation. (I blame it on my fantasy loving heart!) I am always looking for who characters are in relation to each other, but I absolutely did NOT see these familial ties coming. Maybe I'm off my game, or maybe it's because it's been a good while since I have done a reread. In any case, I was so surprised that I shouted, out loud. My husband made *that face*. You know the one. The face people who aren't reading your book make when you visibly react to a book? That's the one. 

I have not made a secret of the fact that I haven't loved Christi's latest books, the ones taking a walk outside of the peerage and into the street. Not because I don't like those sorts of stories, I do, I just haven't really loved these particular books. That being said, this one absolutely restores my faith. I loved everything about this story. Highly recommend.

An interesting story with great characters and overall a 4 stars read .
I enjoyed it for the most part, the plot was great and so much angst and intriguing twists and turns , great characters and well paced but there were also parts that left me disappointed and for that my feelings are going towards the 4 stars read.

Soooo... I hate writing this as I generally really love Christi Caldwell!! That said I did not love this story. It’ll wanted to DNF before the main characters even met each other. I found then both to be overly rough and tough with little growth between them. There were times Malcolm would come across as a horrible person and Verity would come across as cold and unfeeling. I guess this lends to authenticity of the situation, but honestly that’s not why I read romance novels haha.

Also the timelines were a bit confusing, but that could be because I was struggling so much to read it.

I rate 2 stars because I wasn’t a fan but it wasn’t the worst. I think there are definitely people out there who will love this story, it just wasn’t for me.

I love a good historical romance with drama and intrigue. This book meets that standard very well. The plot kept me guessing and I could't put the book down.

Such as wonderful historical romance. It was well-written and easy to read. Good characters and dialogue.

CW: Spoilers

First, let me start by saying I adore Christi Caldwell. I have read almost everything she has written and really liked the premise of this book. Malcom's backstory is intriguing and I enjoy the image she painted of St. Giles and the life of a tosher. Verity, in the same regard, has a wonderful backstory being the bastard daughter of an earl and having to forge through life in London as a single woman in an occupation that is predominantly male-dominated. The fact that she has her sister and their old nanny relying on her holding the position creates an intriguing problem. However, I really struggled to finish this book.

At 50% and 70% through the book, I wanted to stop reading and not finish. Malcom has little to no growth through the story and is irredeemable in my eyes. There is a point within the story where he talks about stealing another child's food and then finding the boy dead the next day. That was horrendous to read and the effect that she was going for, to prove the hardships of life in St. Giles, only made Malcom look like a monster. Verity does not seem like a well-rounded character either. She goes back and forth between strength and fear, and the amount of stuttering she does during coversation is ridiculous. It felt like she could not decide if Verity wanted to play the victim or be her own heroine. Altogether, the characters have little to no growth during the entire story and their relationship/HEA felt unlikely and forced.

There is so much possibility with the premise of this story and it truly does have some parts of it that are great. I loved the idea of unusual hero/heroine and the fact that they would both enter the aristocracy with their backstory was delightful because Malcom seemed like the best person to throw away society standards and marry Verity, the bastard daughter of an earl, but I truly cannot believe that they would end up together, nor that they would be happy.

I really, really wanted to like this. The writing was not spectacular but enjoyable to read and flowed nicely. Verity and Malcolm were both multidimensional characters individually however I'm not a huge fan of two characters being in love, but still irritated with each other. Conflict is hoid, but I never truly believed Malcolm's love for Verity. But the bigger problem for me was many of the incredibly unrealistic scenarios. When I read historical fiction, accuracy is a plus for me. I just felt some of the implausible situations, especially for the time period, were a little too outlandish.

After years of Christi Caldwell being a hit-or-miss author for me, this is the second book in a row I have absolutely loved. Verity is one of the best heroines I have read in a quite a while, and I appreciated Malcom’s loyalty to his “found family.” Was this book necessarily plausible or always accurate? Probably not—but it was a wonderful story, and that means far more to me. I’m excited for the next book in the series!

Christi Cardwell is one of those authors that I know is going to provide me a sexy, romantic, page turning story. This book, the first in a new series, does not disappoint. Great plot and characters! I look forward to more in the series.