This is a second chance historical romance between Lord Arthur Macklin and Teresa Alvarez de Granada. After healing from the loss of his wife, Arthur heads to London because his home feels too empty. Teresa, originally from Spain, is an intensely guarded and private person and her past has made her cynical. When Arthur first meets Teresa, she confronting and threatening a man with a sack of vegetables and he is instantly intrigued by her. But, she is cold and distant with him, not wishing to start a conversation or a friendship for that matter. It is soon discovered that there are missing dancers from the Opera that force Arthur and Teresa to work together to find the missing girls. Also, Teresa’s past is starting to catch up with her. The more time they spend together, the more their walls slowly begin to crumble and feelings start to develop!

The pacing of this book is slow because the writing is extremely descriptive. But, Ashford does a great job of bringing the book alive in my mind. But, I did find myself bored at certain points. I did not feel the connection and chemistry between Arthur and Teresa, however, I really love them as individual characters. They both had a lot of wisdom and life that brought a ton of depth into their characters. I loved that Teresa was confident and bold in herself and her identity. She knew who she was and what she wanted.  I loved reading about a heroine who was strong both in her convictions and character. Arthur is a noble, kind, honest, and patient man. He was the whole package! He really sought to listen and understand Teresa and they had some of the most thought-provoking conversations. They challenge each other ideas and perceptions about societal standards for women and men. I enjoyed reading both their thoughts and perspectives and how they overcame the losses in their life.

*Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This book has it all: Sleuthing, Action, Drama, and a romantic love story!
The author, Jane Ashford intertwines a person at his most powerful time in his life when he needs to decide what to expect for his future! She develops both characters so effortlessly that they seem so real and believable that you could put them into our world today. That is what a remarkable author can do is make you believe in their book and characters!

Arthur, the Earl of Macklin is at a crossroads in his life until he meets Teresa , Spanish noblewoman who is helping out at the local theatre by painting murals. The Earl is so smitten that he visits each day and brings lunch. She accepts, but not quite willingly. She has no time in her life for him and she is guarding a secret.

Let the adventures begin at the theatre! Sparks fly eventually, but will it be the love sparks or fire?

I definitely recommend this book!

Earl's Well that Ends Well is a romance with a fair bit of adventure and melodrama – it reminds me a little of some of Heyer's early works in both good and frustrating ways. I found it both enjoyable and deeply frustrating.

Full review will appear on Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, closer to the publication date.

Earl’s Well that Ends Well by Jane Ashford is a historical romance. It is the fifth book in
The Way to a Lord’s Heart and reintroduces us to Arthur Shelton, the Earl of Macklin. The prior books all included Macklin helping other young men find their way out of grief.

Arthur Shelton, Earl of Macklin helped four young noble men find their way out of grief. With each of them, he played matchmaker (He hated that word.) and they were able to move forward and marry their love of life. Macklin was at loose ends. He no longer has something to work on. In London, he tracked down his old friend Tom and through Tom meets Teresa Alvarez de Granada.

Teresa Alvarez de Granada wanted nothing to do with another rich man. She has her own small world where she was safe and able to take care of herself. She was painting the scenery at the theater, when she met Macklin. No matter what she does, Macklin was not able to leave her alone.

Together Teresa and Macklin worked to solve a horrible mystery and they found they enjoyed time with each other, but Teresa cannot let Macklin sacrifice himself for her. She was not an appropriate Countess material.

This is the fifth book in the The Way to a Lord’s Heart and presumably the last. The series offered hope to many about finding love again after struggles. Earl’s Well that Ends Well by Jane Ashford is a good read.

An Earl nearing fifty, lost his wife ten years ago. His children all have their own homes and family. Lonely he decides it's time to find a wife. Arthur, Earl of Machlan, is not the typical Earl. Considered a matchmaker by the young set, he's also willing to help anyone in need. His introduction to Senora Teresa Alvarez leaves him stunned and intrigued. Working for the theater painting flats,Teresa questions the motives of this man with the twinkle in his eyes. When three dancers disappear and soon after another, Machlan steps in to help find them. The more Arthur shows his true integrity, the more Teresa falls under his spell. A love story and mystery, Arthur is a true swoon-worthy hero to remember.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Arthur has offered his help to four young men in dealing with grief and encourages them to allow love back into their lives. All four have found love and a new life due to Arthurs help and matchmaking. Arthur returns home and decides to visit his young friend Tom who has taken a liking to the theater. He meets Tom's friends and immediately is intrigued by Theresa, the set painter. He wants to discover the secrets she is keeping. When opera dancers go missing they all work together to solve the mystery. Theresa is just as intrigued but is wary of Arthur because of his title, and needs to keep a low profile. Tom turns the tables on Arthur and begins to set about getting these two to take a chance on love. A great conclusion to this series.

Solid 3.75 stars. I really liked the hero, he’s respectful and dependable, and he really made the book. I wish there was a little more romance since it’s a romance book, it felt more like an adventure book to me. Still very enjoyable.

3.5 out of 5

Earl’s Well That Ends Well is the final book in Jane Ashford’s Way To A Lords Heart series but you don’t need to read the other ones to like this one. This is a second chance love story set in Regency England but with a mystery to solve and cast of supporting characters that I enjoyed.

Arthur, the Earl of Macklin, is a 50 year old widower who has spent the past year helping people find happiness and following the career of his apprentice Tom as an actor. Terese Alvarez de Granada is a 40 year old living alone, painting sets for the plays that Tom is in. They meet when he steps in to save her from a bully, which she is not happy about. They begin an unlikely friendship as they try to solve the disappearance of several dancing girls.

I am not usually a fan of second chance love stories but Arthur and Teresa were just such likable characters. Arthur was kind, considerate and in contrary to the men of the time, respectful to the dancers and Teresa. Teresa was content with her life after the drama she lived through and to become enamored by this well bred man willing to give it up for her was the perfect ending (or beginning) for her story.

The supporting characters of the investigative ladies, Tom and Lady Grandison were delightful. The trio of investigators were breaking the rules of society and I want to know more about them. I want to read more of Tom’s future story.

Overall this is a sweet, not steamy, read that I would recommend to someone looking for a historical romance with a mystery element.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca in exchange for my honest review.

EARL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL - Jane Ashford
The Way to a Lord's Heart - Book 5
Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: 978-1-49266-347-8
December 29, 2020
Historical Romance

London

Arthur Shelton, Earl of Macklin is nearing fifty but looks much younger. His children have now given him grandchildren whom he enjoys and loves. The wife he loved, Celia, died more than ten years ago, and in some ways, he still grieves for her. Yet he has helped four young men escape their grief to find new loves, and he suddenly realizes he might also change his life. A young man, Tom, who Arthur had found in Bristol homeless and not even knowing his last name had joined Arthur in his travels until he encountered the theater in London, which he wanted to join. Arthur introduced Tom to an actress friend who helped the lad find a job building scenery. Tom now introduces Arthur to Senora Teresa Alvarez, who paints scenery. Her voice and demeanor immediately interest Arthur, but Teresa avoids him. From her behavior, Arthur believes her a Spanish noblewoman, but why is she living in such an underprivileged and neglected neighborhood in London? Encountering her as often as possible becomes an obsession.

Teresa Alvarez de Granada endured Napolean's war in Spain but escaped to England. She now takes care of herself and is happy with her simple, self-sustaining lifestyle. Her one concession to her former life is that she does have a maid, but she avoids society and men. Her initial biased impression of Arthur is that he is an earl, probably as insufferable, self-indulgent, and uncaring as all titled men. Her opinion gradually changes, but she knows she can never bring her shame on him, especially through marriage.

This story takes place more in the theater district of London rather than in high society except for one memorable ball near the end of the story. The characters are engaging, some coming from those underprivileged neighborhoods but others from London's upper-class. Their mix and involvement in the story make a charming tale of what someone will do for love.

I was so excited to receive this from Netgalley for an honest review. Then, the book turned out even better than I hoped! There are some books that are so good I can't put them down. This was a book I wanted to savor.

What a close to the series! I have read them all, but this could be read as a standalone. I would recommend just reading the one right before if you have time.

I will start by saying that I really didn't like book 1; so if you didn't either, you may still want to try another. The setup felt contrived, and I didn't really like the hero. I may reread at some point to see if my opinion changes. If I hadn't already read and enjoyed other books by Jane Ashford, I might not have continued the series. I am glad that I did.

The hero of this story, Lord Macklin, is a secondary character in all the books, who with his sidekick Tom, a happy go lucky orphan drifter, help along the romances to heal the grieving hearts.

After helping the others, Lord Macklin, who has been a widower for about 10 years, realizes he is lonely and considers for the first time finding his own second chance at happiness in his 50s. Only after he is open to the possibility does he meet Teresa. She is a beautiful Spanish woman about a decade younger who paints backgrounds for the theater where Tom works.

The two are attracted to each other, but Teresa definitely keeps as distant as she can. Tom has learned from his mentor and tries his own hand at playing matchmaker. The two become friends and then work on solving a mystery together.

The story was refreshingly unique and as different as each other in the series were. The hero was perfect - wise, kind, and of good character. There was a dark mystery and some lighthearted humorous scenes that made me laugh out loud. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have no complaints.

Oh, and for those who may want to know, this was a clean story with no sex scenes.

I’m happy we finally got to see the Earl get his HEA. After being a superb matchmaker over the past year it was nice to see him on the receiving end this time around. It did feel a bit forced at times though.

I am rather curious about Tom and the young ladies. I hope they get their own stories.

The only thing I wasn’t a fan of is that this entire series had no sexy times. Maybe a kiss and if we’re lucky, a fade to black scene. It was like a bunch of immature teenagers running around not knowing anything about love. Not what I expected from a historical romance series.

A beautiful love story.

The sense of girl love and feminist views the heroine embodies is simply astounding. She is ready to stand up for herself and other disadvantaged women even if this is an unpopular opinion at the time. I loved the chase between the hero and heroine and all the help their friends gave.

I didn't expect Arthur to get his own story. I liked it quite a lot. Tom had a large part in this book also. Teresa was a little shocked by Arthur. He wears her down nicely though. Earl's Well That Ends Well, was very enjoyable to read.

A Second Chance at Love
Jane Ashford concludes her The Way to a Lord's Heart Series with the Earl who facilitated the happiness of the four previous romances. Reading the previous books is recommended, but unnecessary to understand this book. After the death of his wife the Earl of Macklin, Arthur Shelton, cannot imagine his own happiness. London is where friends and new acquaintances can help him forget his loss. All Teresa Alvarez de Granada wants is her freedom, especially from meddlesome Earls. Arthur pursues Teresa respectively, by getting to know her interests. She expresses her distaste liberally, and is very opinionated about people and food. Their tart beginning, melts into a better understanding that outward appearances do not define who a person is. They are a well-matched couple in passion and principles. Jane Ashford word choice is a bit flowery, with words like “tumult” mixed in. Which fits the haughty airs that both characters are fond of. There are cameos from the character if the previous books as well. Earl's Well That Ends Well is a delightful, slow build historical romance about finding love later in life.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me via NetGalley. This book was just amazing. I just lost myself in this story and didn’t want it to end. It was really well written and just drew in you into these characters lives. I look forward to seeing what’s next from this author.

A nice conclusion to a great series. I loved that Teresa and Macklin were both mature adults over 30, which made this book much more relatable. I think a reader would benefit from reading the previous books in the series first, so that they might appreciate this book all the more. Worth the read.

While this wouldn’t fill the traditional romance readers craving, it did add intrigue that most TR‘s miss. I very much enjoyed that the lead man wasn’t the typical young, arrogant aristocrat.

It bugs me when people portray forty and fifty year old's' as over the hill, grey-haired and done with life and I loved that the author made him still manly and fit. The characters were a wonderful departure from the average romance novel.

I do wish it had been longer.

Thanks to #NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC

This book was surprising. I THOUGHT it was going to be a mushy romance, but it is really a mystery/historical crime solving novel in disguise. The characters are well developed and not boring. They have histories and traumas to work through and the author does a fantastic job of keeping the story moving at a nice pace without anything being overwhelming. The earl is a genuinely nice guy that decides he doesn't care what society thinks anymore amd goes for the lady that he wants. I really enjoyed the way he proves his sincerity to his love interest at the end. The book has serious bit mixed with comedy at the right places. Thank you netgalley and sourcebooks for approving me for this incredible e-arc.

Jane Ashford has become one of my must read authors! All through the other books Arthur helped everyone find love again, this time it is his turn. This book was wonderful and readers will love the story of Arthur finding love once more.

I enjoyed this last book in the Way to a Lord’s Heart Series, and I'm so happy Jane Ashford finally gave the Earl of Macklin a story of his own.

However, it's not your typical romance novel because much of it is filled with mystery. At times, I did wish there was more emotional scenes between the main characters together, but overall, the build up was good.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.