Due to illness review will be short. In a nutshell this book is worth reading. You can take my review as you will or you can always form you're own opinion by reading it anyway!

As I've learned to expect,  a beautifully written and fun read.  Fenichel writes wonderful whimsical hospital books with flawed but truly good heroes and heroines that defy expectation

So, historical romance is not typically a genre that I'm interested in, but the cover of The Earl Not Taken sucked me in. I mean, look at it. And while I wouldn't necessarily recommend this to anyone, there are several things I really did enjoy about this, particularly its feminist bent and an excellent discussion of consent to kick off the main love scene. The love scenes themselves didn't really do it for me, especially because our heroine, Poppy, is supposed to be a virgin and things escalate... quickly. As long as other readers temper their expectations and don't go into this book expecting perfect historical accuracy, it's enjoyable for the genre and provided a refreshingly feminist take I don't often see in other romances.

They have known each other since they were young. Because of the lack of education for young women about sexual congress Penelope (Poppy) has had an ax to grind with Rhys and he is totally in the dark. Poppy and her fellow Wallflowers are trying to protect their own from the men of the ton that are not the most kind, upstanding and loyal to their wives.

It was delightful seeing Rhys building trust between Poppy and himself and the other Wallflowers. He is being given a chance to help repair a wrong he was not able to fix when he was younger. He helps show Poppy and the other ladies that there are good men and he is going to help them find the men for each of them, if they want his help.

Poppy and Rhys together are wonderful. I really enjoyed watching them come together. Watching the trust build and the sparks start to fly. Together they have created an incredible bond. I loved the conversations.

I am excited for more from this author.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complementary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in anyway.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was absolutely thrilled when I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review because your girl absolute loves historical romances..

And this one was a lot of fun. 

If you're in the market for a fun yet not overly remarkable historical romance this one may be for you.

It won't have you pining but it will have you smiling. Look at me--rhyming lol.

What I really did enjoy about this book was the element of 'mistfits coming together'. I'm always a sucker for any story line that involves people finding each other, and friendships, when they haven't really had a soft place to land before. I was also a fan of the feminist conversation being brought to light. It warmed my heart to read about women coming together.

I also really enjoyed the funny banter at times.

But the writing just didn't always do it for me. It didn't read with almost classical flow that I've come to love and expect from historical fiction. 

Overall this was fun. Just not a book I was exceptionally taken by,

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this and give my honest review.

A bit over the top with a whole lot going on plot wise but all in all a good historical romance read with a strong sense of friendship highlighted throughout.

I was intrigued by the cover as it's completely different than other historical romances. I also love stories about women and the friendships they make and what they'll do to help each other.
I really like the friends and Rhys a lot. Poppy got on my nerves often with her. She was really judgemental and would not see past her beliefs or the possibility that she was wrong. 
I will continue the series because I want to learn more about the other women in the group.
3.5/5

DNF after fifty pages

The characters aren't clicking into place. I've read better variations of this. It would have ended up being at best a three star, so I preferred to DNF and not write a meh review.

Historical romances are usually not my thing but I took a chance and unfortunately it did not go my way.

I am very easy going and let a lot go but uhhh, where is the plot? Where is the semblance of a plot?
The writing is cliched, stilted, annoying. Just not for me in anyway.

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC.

This was a fast-paced, swoon-worthy read, that I found I did not want to put down! The story was original and exciting with characters that were realistic and likable. It is everything you could want in a delightful stroll through the pages of a historical romance and more!

So I will be honest that when I went to write this review I had to look up the book summary because I forgot what happened, I only read this less than a month ago.  I did like the premise and how close the wallflowers were, it was a great group so strong women.  It was a little slow moving but I am intrigued to see what happens with the Duke...so I will probably check out book two.  I believe that I found Poppy a wee bit opinionated but adored Rhys.

Sigh.  I really wanted to like this book but I had to DNF at 30%.  I felt no connection to any of the characters and it fell real flat for me.

It was a short and sweet period romance, a fun read overall. 
I liked some characters more than others though.
I would recommend it to peers and friends.

Beautiful story! It was well written and so heartwarming. The characters were charming and easy to love. It had an interesting plot and grabbed my attention from the beginning.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was lacklustre. There was nothing that set it apart from all the other wallflower romances. The plot was weak, and the characters felt two-dimensional. Poppy was very unlikeable, and she showed very little growth. The female characters felt too modern for their setting. I am all for independent women but there are limits an author needs to set in a historical setting. There are some sex scenes in the book but its not excessive. While it was an okay read, it wasn't entertaining enough for me to recommend it. 

I did find the cover to be beautiful. I am a fan of illustrated covers, and I hope more authors follow suit.

I was excited to read The Earl Not Taken as the  beautiful cover and book description definitely caught my eye.  Unfortunately we ended up not being a match.  I found the characters, while lovely, not fully fleshed out and the plot while entertaining didn't go below the surface.  When I read romance and Historical romance I am looking for characters that really tell a story and not just a romance.  For me, this was not it. 

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for a DRG in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this a lot more than I did - I'm a big Austen fan and love anything in that vibe, but the writing just wasn't quite up to par for me and it felt a little cheesy. That being said, it still was enjoyable to read and I'm sure other people will really love it - just not so much me! Gorgeous cover, though.

This story is supposedly set during the Regency and features Poppy, one of four close friends, self-described as "wallflowers'.  As one of the group, now a widow, was abused by her husband, they have undertaken to protect each other from dangerous men.  

The story involves an investigation of a supposed mystery involving a man to whom one of the group has been engaged without having met him.  However, the mystery just fades away, and is overtaken by an enemies to lovers romance involving Poppy and Rhys,  the older brother of the widowed member of the group.

I enjoyed the close bonds among the friends.  However, their description of themselves as wallflowers is erroneous.  Their background story is anachronistic and the goal of their group, while laudable, is also anachronistic.

If set one hundred years later, this story would have avoided the most glaring historical errors.  

I liked the growth shown by Rhys.  Apart from his concern for his sister, he was basically unsympathetic at the start; for example, he was unable to understand Poppy's dislike of him, when he'd mocked her for years.  Poppy, on the other hand, showed no growth.  Her lack of self-esteem was believable, given her upbringing.  Her constant clumsiness was not believable, and her hatred of all men became old, as did her tendency to run away and put herself in danger when faced with unpalatable truths.

Besides the historical errors and unbelievable plot points, there are a number of distracting errors in grammar and proper word usage,

General:
This was a cute book with an intriguing premise. The characters felt like they were real with a few exceptions. The friendship between the wallflowers was strong and their bond was interesting. The relationship between Poppy and Rhys worked for me but.... ugh sometimes Poppy just couldn't see past her own opinions for way too long. 

What I Liked:
I loved Poppy's curses! Instead of standard curse words she used phrases such as "Hades fire" to better conform to the lady-like standards that her family and society expected of her. Poppy's struggle to accept that someone could love her for herself was heartbreaking to read. Sometimes I wanted to shake her for not getting it but the supporting characters were so understanding and supportive of her. Rhys was adorable with the strength of his love and compassion for his sister (and the rest of the wallflowers). 

What I didn't like:
Where to start, the plot was really slow moving and was a bit all over the place. The friend's start off by investigating a mystery but that is quickly tossed over and the relationship between Poppy and Rhys takes center stage. I kept waiting for something more to happen but was left wanting. 
The characters also continuously refered to themselves as Wallflowers with very little evidence to that state. 

Overall:
This was cute but not outstanding. It took me much longer to read than most historicals because it never quite grabbed my interest. The characters were mostly forgettable. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a historical with medium/low level steam and an easy plot.

The Earl Not Taken is Pride and Prejudice on its head.

Rhys Draper, Earl of Marsden, has been harboring unrequited feelings for Poppy Arrington for years. The out-spoken wallflower is his sister's dear friend, and despite his many attempts, she harbors nothing but contempt for him. The man believes that it's her refusal that breeds his lust for her and that once she favors him, it will go away. But he's suffering something far worse than pride, Rhys is head over heels for the unconventional miss, and there is no cure.

I enjoy a rebel bluestocking, but Poppy is too much. What she has against Rhys is that he is unforgivably male: men are controlling, violent beasts, who revel in the ownership of women. Poppy holds on to this prejudice until magically cured of the misconception. There were no steps to the epiphany, and it made me feel like she had no growth. 

This role reversal, with Poppy lacking emotional availability and Rhys, as the one who is eager to explore his feelings, makes The Earl Not Taken a unique, refreshing read. With a good deal of Rhys' POV reading in a casual state of acceptance, unlike any other hero I've encountered. Rhys is determined and onboard.

One of the issues I ran into with this novel was the pacing. There are some significant parts to it where the writing is on point, and then the pacing drags. The last few chapters felt interminable, with the author putting all her ducks in a row. The end of The Earl Not Taken does nicely set up the next book, which I will be happy to read. 

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary advance copy of this book.