This was a sweet romance, reminiscent of Jane Austen. Elizabeth is the only child of the Duke and Duchess of Marwood. The estate is entailed to a male heir so Elizabeth needs to find a good match. For her father, preferably someone with lots of money and power. I liked this book for many reasons. First, it was clean and sweet. I love the characters. Lady Malmsey, Kit, Elizabeth are wonderful. Others character are meant to invoke distaste and they do. The story kept me turning the pages wondering what Kit would do next to draw Elizabeth out. The picture of the ton is not always flattering. Some of them are petty, greedy, and selfish. Great descriptions of the rules of decorum, etc.

#KitandElizabeth #NetGalley

I have never read a Tuft book before, but I will be reading them from now on. This was a delightful book full of surprises and wonderful characters. Both main characters go through so much but their ability to understand, challenge, and heal each other is amazing. They both become better people because of each other. A wonderful, wonderful book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Convenant Communications for an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review. All opinions are my own.

To begin with, this book is not what I expected. Not that this is bad, but I thought, because the publisher is Covenant Communications, that this would be a Christian book. I would not call it that, but it is a clean read. God is mentioned but in a very generalized way, not in a way that shows who God is.
So, with that mentioned, my opinion of this book is very good. It is a historical/regency love story and it is well written. The main characters are quite well developed. The storyline flows well. You get a sense of what is truly important to most of the characters except the minor players.
I won't say that I couldn't put the book down, in fact, a couple of places I felt it got a bit slow, towards the end of the book. This was not a big problem, I just did a bit of skimming the pages sometimes but not often.
I have never read anything by Karen Tuft before but I will be interested in reading more of her books. I was gifted this book through NetGalley by Covenant Communications, Inc. and this review is not required and my freely given, personal opinion. The book was an ARC and as such the editing was quite well done. I noticed less than 10 errors and that is good. I give this book a 4 out of 5-star rating.

I loved this book.. Elizabeth Spaulding is the daughter of a Duke and Duchess but she is treated horribly by them. She has been a disappoint since birth because she was a girl not a boy who could be an heir. She has tried to make them proud but it's impossible. She becomes a shell of the person she could become with some love. Enter Lady Walmsley and Kit the Earl of Cantwell. They take her away from her life and show her what true love looks like through their friendship. Lady Walmsley is a dear, she sees a potential romance and cleverly orchestrates it. Kit is kind, protective and loving of those around him. He decides to help Elizabeth (Lizzie) to bloom into her potential. He encourages her to finally think and feel for herself. This was a joy to read, not only for the wonderful love story and great chemistry between Kit and Elizabeth, but also to read Elizabeth's journey of understanding her past and what could be a wonderful future. I would highly recommend this book.

The beautiful and intriguing cover had me highly anticipating this story, and I'm sorry to say that I was disappointed when my high expectations weren't quite met. This was a new-to-me author, although I have learned that the characters are from previous books, and that the first 15% or so of the story describes events that occurred in those books. To be fair, I do feel that the story improved from that point forward. I was struggling to get through unnatural dialogue and stilted exposition of the plot (lots of telling instead of showing, as some might say). The story was at times almost theatrical, with fairytale-esque villains. There was inconsistent behavior on the part of several characters, and sometimes build-up for a confrontation that never happens. All of that said, there was enough tension and shocking events to keep my interest through what seemed like an unnecessarily long book. And then, three-quarters of the way through the story, I was in tears. What started for me as a solid three-star book, gradually evolved into a four-star one. It took me quite a while to get into the story and feel anything for the characters, but once I did, I couldn't put it down.

Karen Tuft does it again!! I never expected the story to come from her other book. But I loved every bit of it. Elizabeth's grief as she continually sought approval of both her parents was heart wrenching. Reading how Kit brings her vibrance to light is enchanting. This book is the kind that you won't want to put down. Once you've finished you'll want to read it again. I loved how Kit gave his Lizzie new experiences and their lists were entertaining while also eye opening. You take for granted the things you naturally love. It made me think what do I value and what I don't. You'll love this sweet romance!

Kit and Elizabeth was a sweet and touching read. I loved watching them fall in love and have a happily ever after. ❤️❤️

Elizabeth has lost herself in what I can only call depression (though that was not a word in use in that era) after the terrible treatment her father put her though. She is socially disgraced and her family could not care less about her. Lady Walmsley, whom we know well from Tuft's previous book The Earl's Bethrothal, and Kit have determined to rescue Elizabeth from her doldrums and her (quiet frankly, abusive) family. What follows is confirmed bachelor Kit, the Earl of Cantwell, poking and prodding Elizabeth to rediscover herself and heal from so much abuse and tragedy.
It is a sweet romance story, but it reads so much deeper than that! It's about healing, and joy in life, and the innate value of a person. It's beautifully crafted, and i will enjoy rereading it!

This book was different and not a bad different.

All the time I read books of regencies where the main character is someone of excellent quality with a dead parent, family falling on hard times, or something else ... never have I encountered a girl whose parents disliked her outright because she was a female and the only heir.

Elizabeth is everything a family could want. Everyone that a Duke would want, after all she is a Dutchess. But the fact that she was born a female instead of a male, her mother and father dislike her outright.

A lot happens to Elizabeth in the first 25% of the book, it's a shock that she makes it out of her house alive. She does, and her life and herself is changed - for the better.

I guess I have to rate the book down a star that while I enjoyed the characters, the story, I felt there was something just a tad too... modern in tone about it? Maybe I'm spoiled with Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer in their writing and I truly understand that people have their own writing styles. ... I honestly wish I could put my finger on it, but maybe other people will?

Otherwise, the story felt even and flowed at a nice pace. It was nice watching Kit and Elizabeth work through everything and their slow burn was lovely.

Lady Elizabeth has done her best all her life to do what her parents wanted and expected of her, even before she was told at the age of 10 who she was to marry. Sadly, when things unavoidably went wrong with their plans, they claimed that she had failed them - and treated her accordingly. Having submitted to them so much, she's now almost incapable of having an opinion of her own, let alone voicing it, until two good friends, Lady Walmsley and Kit (the Earl of Cantwell, best friend of her former fiance), sweep her out of that life and encourage her to express herself. As companion to Lady Walmsley, Elizabeth learns much about herself and others, but her former fiance stands between her and any possible future with Kit. Can they lay his ghost and move forward, or is their relationship doomed from the start?

Elizabeth's parents were beyond horrible, and I was very glad not to see too much of them. Other than that, I enjoyed the characters, and particularly seeing Elizabeth's petals unfurl as she gradually learned to become a person rather than a puppet. The storyline was good and well written, and the content was clean, which was great. Definitely a few surprises at times - but good ones. All in all, I look forward to seeing more by the author. Highly recommended.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

I absolutely loved Kit and Elizabeth. This story was captivating and so sweet! I loved to see Elizabeth get her happily ever after. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a woman’s journey to self discovery and finding true love.

I wanted to like this book but here's the thing: historical fiction should have the voice of fiction. This story doesn't have the depth or nuances I crave.

I absolutely loved this book. Its a beautiful story of self-discovery, friendship, and love. Elizabeth has lived a life controlled by her cruel parents. Through the help of two endearing friends, Elizabeth learns what true love looks and feels like. You will be captivated by this delightful book.

This is the first book I've read by Karen Tuft, but it won't be the last.
Despite the fact that I cried through about 20% of the book, I couldn't put it down.
Kit, Elizabeth, Lady Walmsley and a host of other characters, leapt of the pages and made me care about them.
Especially the times when I thought that things were going to go really bad, but they didn't, I love it when I can't predict how a storyline is going to evolve.
I'll be hunting down more of Karen Tuft's novels.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. I really enjoyed this book. At first I wasn't sure if I would because Elizabeth's parents were so wretched but thankfully with the help of others she was able to overcome her "parentage". I liked how the author fleshed out Kit and Elizabeth's characters, not just 1 dimensional but showed how they worked through issues and what brought them together.
I loved how Kit was the opposite of Elizabeth 's father since a lot of times daughters inadvertently seek out those who act like their fathers, which would have been disastrous. I would have liked a little more at the end but that just gives room for a sequel!

First off - I LOVE the cover...and the title too!

I wanted to enjoy this novel much more than I did. I've enjoyed several other books from Karen Tuft - especially Wager for a Wife. I have to admit I struggled to get into this one. Part of it, I'm sure, is just personal preference as I found it really hard to connect with the heroine. I understand what the author was trying to do—show Elizabeth's journey from passive and lackluster to discovering who she is and what she wants out of life. I appreciated the gentle romance and Kit's encouraging nature. I guess at the end of the day, not every book is for every reader and that's okay. But knowing how enjoyable I found several of Karen Tuft's earlier books, I'll be sure to check out whatever she writes next.

Before reading this book I hadn't read the synopsis. I had seen several friends reading and enjoying it and decided to put it on my list. I wasn't sure what to expect other than a lovely regency read. What I found turned out to be so much more. Full of heartache and sorrow, hopes and dreams that were finally given light, friendship, family, healing, learning to live, trusting yourself, trusting others, inner strength, forgiveness, gumption, joy, laughter, and of course learning to love and be loved in return.

This was a delightful read. Even with all the more sorrowful and sadder emotions and aspects of this book. My daughters asked what I was reading and they discovered it was an audiobook on a place I have a subscription for. So can you guess what happened? Yep, they instantly downloaded and listened to the book. They were hooked. We had a snow day and so while they were home from school they would be wandering around the house with headphones in and doing chores. There were some tears shed, many big smiles, lots of giggles, I could see some anxiety at moments as well. And of course the were pretty giddy when they got to the end of the book. My reading experience...was pretty much the same.

Elizabeth has not had an easy go at life with her parents. They are very controlling, manipulative and to say the least, not capable of love. When many different circumstances occur (or don't occur) she finds herself in the care of Lady Walmsley. Can I just say that I cheered at that scene. Lady Walmsley and Kit come to save the day. It was great. I should clarify that her father has passed away and it is time for her to be out from the clutches of the grief of her parents. Lady Walmsley was by far one of my absolute favorite characters! Absolutely loved her! No I'm not trying to lay it on thick. She just was that fabulous!

Elizabeth has much to sort through in her life to be able to heal. And she couldn't have been championed by any two better souls. I ached for her at times. But cheered for her when she took that first step of doing something that she wanted to do wether her father would agree or not. She helped the happiness of many others in her decision as well.

So many wonderful moments in this book amidst the hard. It was balanced out well, I thought. I don't want to spoil anything for you so I'll end my review here by saying that I loved it. It was tender and sweet, heartbreaking and lonely. But above all healing and lovely.

Content: Clean. Some mild kisses. Also some aspects of emotional abuse. Talk of a character having been beaten (whipped) by another character, not graphic, you just know it happened.

I received a copy from the publisher, Covenant Communications, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

This clean, sweet regency tale by Karen Tuft focuses on generational choices, attitudes and consequences.

Due to her parents' poor choices, Elizabeth has very little self-esteem and confidence. Life only deteriorates as events unfold, leaving Elizabeth at the mercy of powerful people around her. Kit is a man of duty and responsibility mixed with adventure and growing empathy. They are thrown together at a crucial time and influence each other in powerful ways.

Enjoy this wholesome read with positive, uplifting message for all.

I received a complimentary copy of the book without obligation. This review is my opinion.

This is a sweet historical romance that I enjoyed reading.

I love how Elizabeth's character grew. All her life, she was made to feel less. Less of a daughter, less wanted, less everything. But with some love and attention from friends and a suitor, she is able to finally come out of her shell. I love how she kept a list of things she liked and didn't like, how she explored her own tastes and finally, became bold enough to express them. Her changes were gradual, never feeling forced or rushed. I think this was the best part of the book.

Kit is handsome and sweet and tormented by having feelings for Elizabeth. She was once betrothed to his best friend, a best friend who he sadly was with when he died. I liked his inner struggles and how he pushed Elizabeth to further find herself. It was a very kind and supporting friendship that grew into something more which was lovely to read about.

This book is all about Elizabeth finding herself, and then love and forsaking the girl she once was by trying to abide by everyone else's standards. (Frozen anyone?) If you're looking for a hot steamy and fast romance, this isn't it. This story is told slowly and delicately, perfect for the story and for the character development.

It won't be the last book I read from this author. It was a sweet and romantic story about a woman finding who she is, and realizing that's enough.

Kit and Elizabeth

In Karen Tuft’s latest tale, Kit and Elizabeth, you will watch as widowed and childless, Lady Walmsley and Kit, the Earl of Cantwell, decide to whisk Elizabeth away from her home. After her father’s death, Elizabeth’s world has become a place of lifelessness and they want to free her from this meaningless existence!

Elizabeth is quickly transferred to London where she will not only discover a whole new world, but most importantly be away from her domineering mother and former father. As the daughter of a Duke and Duchess, Elizabeth has lived with incredible pressure since the day she was born. Now she is suddenly in a world filled with freedom!

You will be interested to see where Kit and Elizabeth end up by the end of this tale!