I'm always up for a good Regency romance and love to see how two people find love, despite the intricate rules of society. I like the premise of "The Earl Not Taken" with a group of four woman who bonded in a Swiss boarding school for difficult girls, and are now back in London society. One of the group, Aurora, has been widowed and had a horrible marriage and another, Faith, is engaged to Nicholas whom she knows nothing about and is understandably worried about his personality. Penelope (Poppy) and Aurora's brother Ryhs decide to find out what they can about Nicholas and the adventures begin. So far, so good.

However, I think it's a fine line between creating an unconventional daring character who bucks societal norms .... and a character that just doesn't listen to reason and holds tight to preconceived ideas despite every indication that she is completely WRONG in her assumptions. I found Poppy incredibly irritating in her steadfast belief that all men are evil, marriage is only pure slavery for a woman, all men will cheat on their wives, all men lie - you get the idea. Since we don't really get a good sense of Poppy's unconventional character prior to the start of the story, it's far too easy to dwell on her thoroughly irritating stubborn adherence to these ideas, while Rhys comes off as a one-dimensional saint who has fallen in love with Poppy, and bends over backwards to placate her every concern and worry, which usually results in Poppy running away and hiding. Sigh.

I wanted to enjoy this love story, but just found it carried this dynamic until almost the very end of the book. 3 stars.

Historical used to be my favorite genre, so I jumped on the chance to snatch this one up.

The Earl Not Taken started well. We get introduced to this squad of wallflowers who bonded together while at a boarding school. These women/girls were supposedly so terrible that their parents sent them out of the country to this boarding school, yet it really just sounds like they were a little quirky?

I enjoyed Poppy and Rhys’s antics, watching them plot out and scheme as they work together and slowly become friends.

Our heroine Poppy is the big downfall of this novel. She’s extremely judgmental and unwilling to change her mind. She has a terrible view of marriage, which is not surprising based on her upbringing and her friend’s abusive husband. But when her frenemy Rhys becomes her lover, she still sticks to her inflexible ways.

Gah, the back and forth was constant. Poppy (and Rhys at times) was immature, even for the time period. The Wallflowers as a whole felt flat, with very little depth. I’m hoping this debut only suffers from the dreaded “first in the series” flaw, and that the rest improve.

This looked like such a fun book that I requested it on NetGalley as soon as I saw it. The cover didn't hurt either because that is the type of cover I like, especially for historical romance.

This book is about Poppy (Penelope), who is part of a group of friends called the Wallflowers of West Lane. She and Rhys, one of her friend's brothers, join together in order to evaluate the man her other friend is meant to marry to see whether he was a good person or not, especially after Rhys' sister's marriage went so badly. Poppy isn't very good at being a proper lady but she is a very loyal friend and she is willing to work even with the man she so dislikes to help protect her.

This was a fun, very quick book to get through, I finished it in a day. I enjoyed the premise, with four women who are very different characters with very different personalities. I enjoyed seeing how they met (though there was a very strange conversation between the four of them when the author was obviously trying to tell us how they met, became friends and got their name but it was unnatural and awkward in the way it was done) and I really liked seeing their friendship, which kept coming up again and again throughout the book. One of the main conflicts was between Poppy/Penelope and one of her friends, which was refreshing to see because normally the only conflicts happen between the main character and the love interest.

On their own, Penelope and Rhys were characters I enjoyed. Penelope is obviously kind but jumps to conclusions and Rhys is far too willing to listen to his dead father's words about who he should marry and all that. I liked how we got POV chapters from both of them, allowing me to see both sides to the story.

However, I did not particularly enjoy their romance, especially in the beginning part. Penelope finds Rhys in a compromising position with a woman, that is how they first meet, and thinks he is the worst kind of rake. She is disdainful of men and marriage altogether and dislikes Rhys for seeming to be like men like her father. However, this is taken to an extreme. She immediately jumps to the worst possible conclusion for every single thing he said to her and there was one conversation, near the beginning of the book, where I had to reread the conversation between the two of them because I could not see exactly where Penelope got the insult from what Rhys said. There is reading a person wrong and there is pulling things out of thin air and the latter happened far too often for me. I enjoyed enemies-friends-lovers books but I would like to see the two of them actual enemies, rather than Rhys pining after Poppy and Poppy treating him like he was the worst kind of person based on a quick first impression and a few conversations of snarky insults. Rhys got some character development as he learned more about how other people experienced the world but Poppy kept on holding onto her wrong opinions until about three-quarters of the book and then something happened and she completely changed her mind. I couldn't help but think that when they're married and Rhys does something a little out of the ordinary, Poppy will immediately jump to the conclusion that he's cheating on her because there is absolutely no trust on her part.

There were a couple of other niggling things I had an issue with, such as Poppy's clumsiness being magically cured after having sex. Is this a trope I have luckily missed through all my reading of romance? It was not one I particularly liked. I also do not how I feel about the Egyptian side character, Geb. I feel like he was there more as a token than anything else, I felt he was flatter than most of the other side characters.

The romance between Faith and Nicholas on the other hand, I really enjoyed and I am definitely going to check out the next in the series. This is not likely to be a book I would recommend, despite the lovely cover, but it was a nice introduction to the series.

3 stars!

This was a fun read! Poppy is such a relatable character. She’s fiercely loyal, bright, funny and prone to clumsy mishaps. Poppy is set against marriage as she believes men only interested in her dowry and will treat her as nothing more than property. She’s particularly determined to stay away from men like Rhys, the Earl if Marsden, who is a rake and unfortunately her best friend’s brother. The tension between Poppy and Rhys was entertaining at the start. As things turned toward romance I was finding myself wanting to tell Poppy to stop being so stubborn. I was absolutely engaged in this story. I would say that while this book was entertaining and I enjoyed the writing, the plot was fairly predictable so it’s not a book that I would say stood out in this genre for me. Still, it’s one I wouldn’t mind reading again.

The main characters had known each other for years, but there was a sudden change and I didn't feel like the book showed why. The next book in the series sounds interesting, but it's iffy if I will read another book by this author.

Will a woman choose to run away and let her fears decide her future or will she faces them ...

The blurb with this new style trendy cover caught immediately my eyes, so I was eager to read this first in a series.
But I must say I have had a problem with the heroine. Her will to have a different future than the one expected for her is very understandable and louable but her blindness to everything else that might sway her way of thinking had me upset.
She hold a grudge for years about an event which had occurred when she and Rhys were only youths, just out of the schoolroom.
That she swore to herself to never marry because of her father’s debauched way, why not but she uses her father’s behavior as a shield to draw all men as the same.
I can understand when she was a teenager as she has no other view of men but painting Rhys on the same colors because he was young and wild is rather a proof of a closed mind than a clever one.

The more the plot advanced, the more I distanced myself from Poppy, I understand her plea about women’s fate and lack of rights, but Rhys despite his past and present mistakes never treated her badly not threatened her security.
Her strong will seems more like an awkwardness among society. As is her clumsiness. She plays a long game of cat and mouse with Rhys, always running away instead of confronting her doubts and thoughts, she is so set on her course, she refuses to budge.
At a time I felt quite bored with the one step forward then two backward because of Poppy inability to trust, her distrust at Rhys’ every move and word.
I was very sorry for him and wondered if she in fact deserved to win him for all the pain and hurt she caused him.
Her epiphany arrives very late in the story. Rhys has the patience of a saint, and if not for him, I might have gave up this book.

4 stars as it introduces a group of friends I want to get to know and a very devoted hero only aiming to please.

I was granted an advance copy by the author, I had my own previously preordered. Here is my true and unbiased opinion.

This one was pretty cute but it wasn't anything to write home about. I liked the story and characters but it just didn't have enough of a spark to really stand out. Overall it was worth the read but not one that I would read over and over.

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Poppy and Rhys! This was such a fantastic start to a new series. Poppy is such an independent and headstrong heroine. It was very refreshing to read in a historical romance. I really felt for her and understood her hesitance toward marriage. She was frustrating at times, but I love that Rhys never gave up. A hard fought for love is always the best kind. Rhys knew his mind and wasn’t willing to settle without doing everything he could. I love all of the other Wallflowers’ individual and unique personalities. They added fun and depth to this well rounded story. I can’t wait for Nicolas and Faith’s story!!

The characters were strangely anachronistic and the relationships seemed forced. The language used just didn't feel correct coming out of the characters mouths.

Even before being approved for an ARC, I was excited to read this book and had marked it down on my to-read list - it matched a lot of my interests.

Unfortunately, I knew within the prologue that I would struggle to get through it; the writing tried too hard to show and tell at the same time and the internal dialogue seemed forced. The external dialogue was equally stilted, and the curses (“demon’s breath!”) were just weird for the setting.

Did not enjoy, would not recommend.

I received an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sexy, romantic, proto-feminist fun. Very enjoyable pleasure reading

A group of four girls, Faith, Aurora, Mercy and Penelope are popular, rather unpopular for their empowering ways, their un-lady like mannerisms, thrown into a school for them to learn how to behave as ladies become the best of friends. These four misfits find their fit with each other. One of them (Aurora) gets into an abusive marriage but fortunately her husband dies. Now these four women vow to protect each other from such offences in future.

Few years later, Faith receives a hand in marriage, from an Earl so the 3 ladies are determined to help ascertain Faith's soon to be fiance's character. Aurora has to be in mourning, Mercy has to go on a trip, so Penelope decides to help Faith. Aurora's brother Rhys who's an Earl as well decides to help them. Penelope and Rhys share a past and cannot see each other face to face but now they are forced to work together to help Faith and save her from the trouble Aurora went through. 

It was quite a predictable book, I hated the concept of a woman being ruined after losing her virginity but the story was set in an era where there still were carriages, need of chaperones for a lady and stuff so I can understand the context. Other than that it was an okay read. It does have adult content. I received this book by the publishers, all opinions are my own.

Rating- 3.5 stars

⭐⭐

#TheEarlNotTaken #NetGalley

This book is about a group of gal pals (Aurora, Mercy, Faith and MC Poppy) who become friends at a school for disreputable young ladies. They are the best of friends and following one very bad, short marriage, they decide to vet any new man hoping to marry one of the ladies. As it happens, they are assisted in this by Aurora's brother Rhys (Earl).

The "crimes" for which they are sent to this reprobate school are only hinted at (talking to farmer's daughters), but it seems incredibly mild. What I gather is that these ladies are slightly unconventional and a little mouthy, which draws the ire of their families. Boring. They keep referring to all these antics, but the only real story is that they tied Rhys to a tree and went shopping... Don't think about it too much or it all falls apart.

There are some hijinx as the ladies (mostly Poppy and Rhys) try to uncover the secrets of Faith's intended... Sneaking in the garden at night, eavesdropping, fake kisses, etc, etc... HEA and delightful setup for the next book.

I was super excited to read about a girl group. I mean, what's not to love? Female frienships are unique and amazing. Unfortunately, the ladies in this book were not very well sketched... Poppy (main character, mind) is fiercely independent in that she doesn't want a husband. I mean, girl I hear you, but that's almost her whole thing. I don't know what she likes, other than her friends. Does she want to make soap or raise chickens? Nope, just hang with her girls...

The rest of the girls are pretty thin on characteristics, but as this books seems to focused on setting up a series, maybe we'll see some better drawn characters in the next one.

I ended up enjoying many of the male characters a little more. They (Rhys, Nicholas, Geb) actually has some interests outside of the relationships, and there was even a little character growth.

***SPOILERS***
they are pretty mild, but I can't talk about my problems with the book without em.

1. Friend betrayal - not believable... At all! We spend a million pages waxing poetic about their girl gang (Wallflowers of West End) and there's a betrayal?
2. Rain=fever... this is just one of those things that annoys me. Sense & Sensibility did it best, maybe hang it up, it's lazy.
3. Girl stops being clumsy after sex! One of Poppy's many "faults" is that she's clumsy and always ruining her dresses. This is like when someone wears glasses so everyone thinks they're unattractive. 🙄😤 Magically, she is cured of this after sex.
4. Egyptians wear turbans? I mean.... I'm no expert on 19th century Egypt, but that seemed like a way to make the reader see how foreign they are. Geb and his household are foreigners in England, but I don't feel like there is any true understanding of the people's experience. The only prespective on their outsider status is an English POV. 🙄


**SPOILERS over**

None of these drawbacks is a deal breaker on continuing the series, but I would want to see some more attention to detail in follow up books or I will complete forget having read it.

The cover of the book was very pretty. It's was an easy read with lots of things happening. The chapter from the upcoming book was a fun read as well.

This book left me pleasantly surprised! Historical romance is not my go-to but this one sounded different and I’m so glad I gave it a chance! I loved every character and can’t wait to read the sequels about the other Wallflower girls. Somehow Fenichel also managed to include a host of important issues without getting too preachy. I loved it. What a fun, wonderful read from start to finish. Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher for the ARC. #TheEarlNotTaken #NetGalley

This was a pretty good first in a series. The self-styled Wallflowers are an awesome group of friends who have each other’s backs even if their good intentions aren’t always logical.

Rhys and Poppy have had different reactions to an embarrassing moment from years ago but throughout this book in some of the outlandish situations they end up in they start to realize their feelings for each other have changed. You understand throughout the book why Poppy thinks so poorly of marriage even if you wanted to yell at her sometimes about how Rhys isn’t that kind of person.

I am a bit more interested though in Faith and Nicholas’s future and I’m looking forward to reading what I’m assuming is their future book.

Last but not least, the dedication by the author was awesome.

4.5 stars - I enjoy this read from start to finish and am so looking forward to the next book in their series. I love when I discover new-to-me authors to like. Now, I'm going to find her previous works and get to reading while I wait (impatiently) on the next book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 stars

A charming story. Poppy (Penelope) is an independant thnker and with her three friends doesn't want to end up married to a poor husband. She's not that keen on Rhys her friend, Aurora's brother because of indiscretions in their youth. I think Poppy was being a bit squeamish here as Rhys didn't seem to be a predator and was just enjoying life. I did think that Poppy needed to loosen up a bit and in the course of the book this happended. Her father was a bully and this probably affected her attitude. I'm not that fond of the school girl circle but can understand that it lends itself to a series. I expect we will get Faith and Duke Nicholas's story next. The Cover is cute.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is the first book by this author that I have read and although a fairly long book it was an enjoyable read. The characters were well written and the interaction was well planned. There was a small amount of mystery and suspense, a few sex scenes that this reviewer as usual skipped. I must admit that I found Polly got a bit annoying with her unwillingness to get on with life but then that is what the book is about. There was a good set up for the next book and I will be looking forward to reading it. I received this book as an ARC and freely give my review

I was so excited for this one, but I ended up being disappointed. I love historical romances and I've read so many, which may have contributed slightly to my rating. There were points where I really liked the main characters Poppy and Rhys, but other times I hated following them. I would say I preferred Rhys over Poppy. Their relationship had points where I was rooting for them. My problem lies with Poppy, who's characterization flip flopped quite a few times. Some of my issues with her are spoilers and just things I don't personally like. Rhys literally goes above and beyond to show her how much he cares, but she either is too dense to realize it or refuses to believe him for no reason. I have some issues with his character as well, but Poppy frustrated me so much. I did really enjoy the side characters: the other wallflowers, Rhys' friend Garrett, and the Duke, Nick, and his friend Ged. They were all really interesting and I wanted to know more about them.
As for the structure and writing style, it did take me a couple of chapters to get into the story. Some of the sentence structures were confusing and the dialogue was a little stilted at times. The middle of the book was the best written section and had some really nice banter between our couple and the friends. The end also suffered a little from the same writing issues from the beginning.

Overall, I would give this a 2.75 stars out of 5. I would be interested in reading the next books in the series. I think based on the excerpt that the next one is about Aurora and Garrett and I would like to know what is next for them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the chance to read and review this book.

The teaser description of this book drew me into wanting to read this as I love Regency historicals. Especially books about Wallflowers. However, I really didn't feel the four friends were exactly what wallflowers are known to be. Poppy just doesn't want to get married. And this mainly has to do with an encounter with Rhys, the hero and her father. She despises Rhys so much it is hard to reconcile that she agrees to conspire with him to investigate her friends betrothed. And I enjoy a good verbal sparing between hero and heroine, but the dialogue just wasn't witty it was whiney.

I made it though three chapters and just couldn't finish.

Im disappointed.