I totally enjoyed this delightful, easy Regency romance. My Rating 4.5.

Elizabeth is deeply aware that she was a disappointment for not being born a male and heir for her father. She has spent her life trying to be a properly behaved Duke’s daughter in hopes of gaining the affection of her parents. She was aware as a teen that marriage arrangements had been made for her with Alex. Although Elizabeth was infatuated with the handsome Earl, it became clear after a season or two that he was avoiding the marriage. Then he died unexpectedly leaving Elizabeth and her family in an awkward circumstance.

When Alex’s brother, Anthony, who was believed to be dead, returns home, Elizabeth’s father makes it clear that the marriage contract is shifted to him. But Elizabeth knows that Anthony’s interest is engaged elsewhere. Elizabeth releases him from the commitment raising the extreme anger and disgust of her father. Her father creates a scandal and then abandons Elizabeth and her mother with destroyed finances.

Elizabeth has spent the last year in seclusion with her angry mother at the family country manor. An elderly friend, Lady Walmsley, coerces Kit, an Earl and friend of Alex, to help retrieve Elizabeth to become her companion. They arrive just in time as news arrives that the Duke has died and the new Duke and Duchess are ready to move into the family home. Lady Walmsley and Kit are dismayed to find a dispirited young woman instead of the charming and assured young woman of the year before.

Kit sets out to push Elizabeth out of her complacent self-deprivation and to realize that she is more than the disappointment her parents belittled. Slowly Elizabeth begins to break out of her shell and a surprising event makes Elizabeth even more aware of the lack of approval in her childhood.

I enjoyed this historical romance that was focused on the characters. Elizabeth is emotionally injured but she is kind and determined. Kit is a lovely light-hearted hero, seeking to help Lizzie find a place of joy. There is tension in the light and growing attraction all supplemented by family drama. I often like a little mystery in my romance but this book shows that the right author can deliver an engaging romance even without mystery. I will look forward to reading more by this author. I recommend this to readers who enjoy clean, Regency romance.
Source: NetGalley

The Duke and Duchess of Marwood are terrible people. Anyone who's anyone in society knows it. Their daughter, Lady Elizabeth Spaulding, has coped with her parents by being as close to perfect as she can be. After two failed engagement attempts, initiated by her parents, Lady Elizabeth's life falls apart. Her father leaves Elizabeth and her mother to fend for themselves while he tries to hide from creditors. After a lonely year of solitude, they receive the news that the Duke of Marwood has passed away. Just when Lady Elizabeth thinks things cannot possibly get worse, she is surprised to find Lady Walmsley and the Earl of Cantwell at Marwood Manor to take her to London.
What happens next is an adventure that Lady Elizabeth didn't think would ever happen. Having never been encouraged to have feelings or thoughts of her own, she is now overwhelmed at times by all the decisions she has to make, and how freeing it can be to experience feelings.
Elizabeth discovers how much of life she has been missing, and sets out to learn what she truly enjoys. Along the way, she is courted, and stands up for herself, and discovers that she is of worth.
This is a lovely read for anyone who enjoys romance, and self-discovery.

Well written historical romance with good character depth and a romance that doesn’t rely on the love at first sight trope.

I look forward to reading other books by this author.

I wanted to love this story; the cover is beautiful and the summary is appealing. There are so many good reviews and I probably had higher expectations than I should have. This is my first book by this author and it was just not my cup of tea. The best parts of the book were the interactions between Kit and Elizabeth. I think Kit is set up to be the ideal hero. Kit is a great friend, responsible, understanding, supportive, and pushes others to excel.

I really struggled with Elizabeth and the supporting cast. Elizabeth makes me feel sad, for lack of a better word. A lot of conversations are repetitive and several times different characters say something along the lines of, "I've said too much", which bogged down the dialogue. The first several chapters have a lot of what felt like forced cant to me. I'm not opposed to regency slang - I've read several stories where it brings out humor and fun - but I appreciate it better when it flows within the story with ease. There are some editing issues too that should have been addressed like calling cousins "aunt and uncle" for a few chapters and then properly addressed as cousins later.

I don't love writing negative reviews, but I do appreciate the opportunity to try a new-to-me author. Thanks to Covenant Communications and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The characters were well developed. I loved the growth of the characters throughout the book, especially Elizabeth. Every time I thought I had the ending figured out, another twist would occur. The story evoked a plethora of emotions.

I really enjoyed watching the relationship between Elizabeth and Kit evolve.
I also enjoyed the matronly care of Lady Walmsley, who takes Elizabeth in just when her life totally falls apart.

Kit asks a lot of things that really gets Elizabeth thinking, as he has a true interest in her well-being. He's a friend before he ever becomes a match.

I received an ARC.

Kit and Elizabeth was an enjoyable and fast read. When I first started reading it I was a little confused thinking several things were very familiar and that I must have already read it. It turns out that some of the characters from Wager for a Wife are in here. Once I got that straight it was a smooth read.

I felt so bad for Elizabeth and all she had to deal with from her awful family. I enjoyed reading her happy ending.

I really enjoyed Lady Walmsley and how much she cared about Elizabeth. It broke my heart to read about how poor the relationship was between Elizabeth and her parents. I didn't realize this was a sequel to The Earl's Betrothal, so now I need to go reread that to jog my memory about what happened. This was not my favorite book by this author, but I did like it.

I really enjoyed the characters of Lizzie and Kit. They were such a cute couple.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was such a delightful story! I think I expected your run of the mill regency story (which trust me, I enjoy), but this ended up being so much more than that!! Elizabeth’s story was one full of abuse and anguish, but one that blossomed into love and joy. I adored how Lizzie and Kit came together and how their love blossomed through unique experiences I don’t generally encounter in regency fiction. There were many sideline characters, including Aunt Margaret who I also adored. And of course the many horrid family members that got their comeuppance! Overall, a wonderful wonderful story!

Thank you NetGalley and Covenant Communications for the eARC!

I liked this more than I thought I would. A little bit of Jane Austen with a smidge of Dickens. Some even felt inspired by the movie Ladyhawke. Enjoyable read.

I received a free e-galley from netgalley.com.

I loved this regency story, as in I truly LOVED this book. There’s so many good things I could say about it. My heart went out to Elizabeth in so many ways, and I admired her strength of character in dealing with her cold and unfeeling parents. I enjoyed following this story as Elizabeth moved from sorrow to happiness. Kit is a compelling character, too, and his compassion for Elizabeth and her situation was commendable. It’s nice reading a story where the main male character has excellent character. The pacing of the story was great, and the author did not rush the development of Kit and Elizabeth’s friendship into a love relationship. The details in the book about the society of that day added much to the storyline. The supporting characters fit their roles perfectly. If you like reading clean, sweet Regency romances, you’ll enjoy this one. I’m going to be checking the library to see if they have more books from this author.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This book was very enjoyable for the most part.
I really loved the Edwardian setting because it was quite different from what my usual genre is.
I felt bummed out when I discovered I ended up in the middle of a series again!! Just my luck!
The characters were amazing and I actually made friends with some of them. I hated to say Goodbye.
I can relate to Elizabeth very well on not being able to please someone. It's hard believe me. Some people just aren't happy no matter what you do for them. And yes, I do consider that a form of abuse.
Sometimes we can't help what or how we are born. It's what God intends and wants.
Kit was a ok in my opinion. I loved how he treats Elizabeth like the true person she is. He reads her from the heart and I truly liked him for that. Very few men are like that. They only see the surface of someone.
In my opinion, it's the inside or heart of a person that counts. Not what you think they should be.
This was a well written story that the author has done a wonderful job with.
She is a new to me author that I enjoyed reading and will be looking for more by her.
My thanks to Covenant Communications/Netgalley. I was NOT required to write a positive review for this book. All opinions are my own

This novel is a romance set in Edwardian England, which to be fair, is a little outside my comfort zone as far as settings go.

Kit is like able and Elizabeth is pretty bland for most of the novel. I did enjoy her learning to stand up for herself as time went on though so she did get better over time. Up until that point she basically had zero personality whatsoever. I guess that was part of the storyline but meh.

If you are looking for any steamy scenes in a book, this is not the one for you. Personally that was a little bit of a let down for me but not enough to make me knock off a star or anything.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I am happy to say that I enjoyed this book much more than the first book in the series.
It's hard for me to imagine the social pressures that would have been felt by Elizabeth during this time period. I would have hated it. Elizabeth is a "perfect" daughter and yet still feels keenly the rejection of her parents love. How sad and lonely that would be.
I just love how Kit can see the real Lizzie and wants to help her come out of her statue like state and be free from those pressures.
The chemistry was real and not forced. And of course it was Aunt Margaret's plan all along. How could it have been anything but?
It was great to see Elizabeth finally stand up for herself to her mother and I like to imagine that some day they will reconcile. But for now Lizzie did the right thing.

Absolutely adored this book. Fell in love with the characters and couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. Would love to read the next one if there are to be more.

As tender as this romance story was, I felt like the real beauty of the book shone in Lady Elizabeth's transformation. The back and forth emotions of someone trying to break out of neglectful abuse was very well done. Lady Elizabeth was a complex well written character who I was rooting for all the way.

Kit was an equally well written foil for Elizabeth. The author had a very good balance between strong characters and captivating plot.

The one plot point I struggled with was the letter Elizabeth wrote to the Duke of Aylesham. I kept expecting it to shift something, and when it didn't I felt like it was just distracting from the more important things going on. However, taking this unnecessarily plot point and giving it life in the Duke's own story could be a delightful little twist, just saying.

Being born a woman was the first thing Elizabeth ever did to disappoint her parents, and things never got much better from there. After failing to secure a marriage for the second time, her world falls apart. After a year of seclusion from Society, Elizabeth receives an offer to be a companion to Lady Walmsley, who rescues Elizabeth from her family home with the help of Kit - Earl of Cantwell. Over time, Kit helps Elizabeth find the courage to be bold, daring, and live life as she wishes.

I LOVE a regency romance, and this was very heart eyes emoji. Something about the book felt very cinematic - I could easily picture this as a film and would love to see these characters come to life.

Elizabeth's journey over the course of the book was wonderful. I loved watching her literally put together a list of things she likes and dislikes, having never known that she could have her own opinions.

Kit gets two thumbs up from me for being an all-around Good Person. His intention was never to just make Elizabeth happy - he recognized that she needed to be free to feel any emotion and express herself after being under her parents' control for so long.

Since reading, I've seen that this is actually the third book that Tuft has written within this world, and I'm anxious to read the other two to learn more about some of the characters we meet in this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review!

Kit and Elizabeth by Karen Tuft

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Story Notes

Karen Tuft offers a lovely story that deals with the oft-felt problem of pleasing one’s parents to earn love but finding that to be an impossible task without understanding that your worth is only God given.

What a perfect story to review on this St. Valentine’s Day! This was definitely one of the best stories I’ve read in quite a while. I always enjoy a good rescue romance and this made my heart happy to read. Ms. Tuft begins her story with a young woman named Elizabeth who is expected to marry a wealthy and titled man. She has been groomed for this role her entire life and her parents have made it clear that failure is not an option. Resigned to her fate but hoping she might find friendship in the match, Elizabeth determines to do all she had been instructed to do. But all does not go as planned given that the man she is supposed to marry is in love with another woman and offers Elizabeth release from her promise if she desires. Agreeing to dispense with the arrangement gives Elizabeth a sense of release she has never experienced but brings down her parents’ incredible rage. Unbeknownst to her, her father has squandered his fortune through overspending and bad investments. Her parents blame her for their loss and when her father attempts to gain retribution for his loss by nefarious means, he will find himself gravely injured. But that doesn’t stop him from fleeing to the island of Madeira and leaving his family to struggle in his wake. A year of grief passes before news of his death reaches them and sets into motion a new set of circumstances. Lady Walmsley is feeling lonely in her home and sets out to fetch Elizabeth to be her ward/companion. But she won’t be going alone. Kit (Christopher), the Earl of Cantwell has been escorting his elderly friend to events of late and cannot ignore her plea to go with her on her journey. Their arrival at Marwood is perfectly timed and gives them a glimpse of how terrible things have become for Elizabeth under her mother’s harsh thumb. Lady Walmsley brooks no argument and removes herself, Kit and Elizabeth in short order and sets off back to London. Elizabeth is relieved to be out of her mothers company but soon finds herself in a quandary. For the first time in her life she can do as she likes and say what she wants but doesn’t know how to go about that. Kit challenges her to start a list of things she likes and doesn’t like in an effort to help her find her way. As they try out new things together, their friendship will blossom into much more than either of them dreamed and give them both something they always wanted – someone to love them just as they are. Elizabeth will learn that life is meant to be lived in peace and enjoyment, not according to the dictates of others. Kit will learn how to love someone enough to want to make things better for them and not always look to his own interests. Together they will face down those who wish to govern them and discover a love that will last a lifetime. This story was so very well done. From the creation of the hardships for Elizabeth, the need for Kit to look beyond himself, and the snappy conversations that filled the pages of the book, everything was entertaining. I loved watching both Elizabeth and Kit become better people through their interactions and conversation. They challenged each other in so many ways that helped them move beyond the decisions of others into finding their own way in life. Seeing themselves as worthy of love in other’s eyes gave them both the courage to reach out for their heart’s desires and find happiness. I’m hopeful that others will find this story as wonderful and enjoy it as I did. I will certainly be recommending this one as a perfect read for this coming weekend.

I received this temporary complimentary E-book from Covenant Communications to provide an honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

(4 stars) - A bit of Georgette Heyer mixed with Sarah Eden

How did I miss this author during my Regency romance phase? I was totally enjoying myself from the get go. While at times it was reminiscent of a reverse Cinderella, it was probably closer to a Snow Queen story (Lizzie being Kai, the one who gets hit with ice that freezes the soul)

Lizzie has been pliant for so long as she sought to earn her parents' approval/love, that it is remarkable the times when she chooses to do what's right instead of "duty" (ie acceding to their demands). That's clearly credit to the nanny & governess - and her parents' disinterest.

Sticklers for historical accuracy will take issue with scenes where Elizabeth seriously crosses the bounds of propriety (ie not just risking causing gossip but completely destroying her reputation). Given her background & especially her position (plus her conditioning & anxieties), she would have been much, much more careful of her reputation.

I confess that I enjoyed those scenes anyway. While I find the history of the period quite interesting, I'm here for the the romance - so I don't overly mind so long as it's well done.

My favorite part, in addition to the romance of course, was Kit's awakening of Elizabeth. The realization that she could have her own opinion on things - and the subsequent realization that she wasn't sure how to form one - was sad, funny, & vicariously liberating. Her list of likes was delightful - like a child discovering the world. The understanding she finally develops, that she is a person of worth, worthy of love, is beautiful & satisfying.

There was only one point where I felt that the story stumbled.

***SPOILER***

Kit's guilt over Alex's death felt like an add on or contrivance. Why was the reader unaware that Kit was struggling with this prior to that scene?

And if he thought Lizzie loved Alex, then ok, she might need more time & space to grieve, but there was no reason for him to think that she was somehow off limits because his friend was supposed to marry her - not when he knew firsthand that Alex didn't love or want to marry her.

***END SPOILER***

I definitely need to catch up on the rest of the series. And I hope that the Duke of Aylesham's story is next!

*Clean romance level: passionate kisses, nothing graphic
*Religion: a few passing mentions of prayer that were organic to the story so presumably English Protestant (Anglican) based on the setting, but nothing detailed, certainly not preachy