I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book. I have enjoyed this series nad this book was not different, however this book can definitely be read as a stand alone.
Ida's father was hanged for treason bit he was innocent and ida is determined to prove it.
Simon's life was save by ida's father in the war and he knows he owes helping ida.
Simon and ida's relationship was great. Simon was instantly attracted to ida but he was also respectful of her. Ida was a strong woman who knew what she wanted and needed to do. I love that she demanded more than being some man's mistress.
Can't wait for the next book in the series.

The Formidable Earl harkens back to the first book in this series, A Most Unlikely Duke. In that first story, Raphe Matthews, the very unlikely duke, steals the Earl of Fielding’s fiancee. Not that it was actual theft, not that Gabriela didn’t go extremely willingly, and not that Simon was even remotely heartbroken.

The only parts of Simon that took any kind of hit were his pride and his reputation. Possibly along with the stick up his ass – although that may have become more firmly embedded as the years went by. After all, Simon only proposed to Gabriela because she’d make a perfect countess – not because he cared about her or even really knew her.

It was, after all, what the Earl of Fielding was expected to do. So he did. But fortunately for everyone both in that story and this one, SHE didn’t.

Considering that Simon has a terrible habit of doing what is expected instead of what he wants, well past the point of his own detriment, he’s actually better off without Gabriela, who wasn’t nearly as perfect for the role he imagined for her as he thought she was.

But she’s perfect as the Duchess of Huntley, and Raphe and Gabriela are perfect for each other.

Leaving Simon, in his mid-30s, alone and in need of a wife, or so he – and polite society – believe.

What Simon is really in need of is a LIFE. It’s only when he steps just a bit outside his comfort zone to get one that he finds everything he really needs. All he has to do is consign his starched and pristine reputation to the scrapheap where it belongs.

By marrying a woman who everyone insists is a traitor, a prostitute, and very nearly a murderess into the bargain.



Escape Rating B: There’s a theme to this series, and it’s pretty obvious from the series title. One protagonist or the other is just not “suitable” for marriage into the ton, whether it’s because they were raised outside it, because they were forced out of it, or because they were never part of it in the first place. The usual progress of each story is for the person who does belong to realize that what polite society thinks and believes is a whole lot of horseshit.

The books in the series are only kind of loosely linked, so it really isn’t necessary to read the previous books, or to read all of them, before diving into The Formidable Earl. (I just discovered I missed one along the way and now I WANT to go back to it, but I don’t HAVE to go back.)

The reason for, in this case, the heroine’s unsuitability was fascinating, but the hero’s reaction to it was at times just a bit squicky. Let me explain.

Ida Strong’s dilemma is a reminder that this series takes place at a time when the Napoleonic Wars were not far in the past at all, and that there were still a lot of hard feelings, wounded veterans and general all-around recriminations going on at the time. (The Napoleonic Wars, in a fictional sense, are a gift that just keeps on giving. So many dramatic possibilities both during the war and in the following years.)

Four years before this story begins, Ida Strong’s father, a celebrated British Army General, was convicted of treason in Napoleon’s escape from Elba. Matthew Strong was executed for a heinous crime that he did not commit, and his daughter vowed to find the men responsible and clear her father’s name.

In those intervening years, Ida lived in a brothel owned and operated by her mother’s sister. And that’s where Simon Nugent, the Earl of Fielding, discovers her the one time he decides to break away from his extremely priggish persona.

Simon’s exposure of Ida puts her life in danger from the men who connived at framing her father. The story here is Simon attempting to protect her while falling in love with this woman who is oh-so-wrong according to everyone who is anyone, but oh-so-right for Simon.

But, the exposure of Simon’s thoughts and feelings about the possibility that Ida is a prostitute is extremely uncomfortable to read. It’s not that it isn’t true to what we think of the Regency, it’s that, quite honestly, it just feels awful. It makes all kinds of sense for the era, but it still makes the reader, or at least this reader, squirm when reading it.

Which gives me mixed feelings that Ida has to reject the idea so forcefully in order to be considered “worthy” of becoming his heroine equally squirmy. Again, not that this isn’t true to what we believe of the era. But it still made me uncomfortable.

All of that being said, I really, really liked Ida. She’s a terrific heroine, forthright and proactive with plenty of agency. She was more middle-class to begin with, but society has completely rejected her so she’s pretty much said “to hell with it and the horse it rode in on.”

That Simon is both slavishly devoted to worrying about what people will think and falling desperately in love with Ida puts him on the horns of a delicious dilemma. That Ida has decided what she wants and what she doesn’t, and has no plans to settle, in contrast with Simon’s need to keep her with his initial unwillingness to buck society provides the romantic tension.

That someone really is out to get her, and that they nearly succeed, provides plenty of dramatic tension to keep the reader turning pages until the very last.

I’m certainly looking forward to the continuation of this series with Her Scottish Scoundrel in May of 2021. Not nearly soon enough!

This is another enjoyable read from Sophie Barnes.
This is the first I've read in the series so I didn't know the backstory of any of the side characters who obviously have had their own stories, but this didn't really affect the overall story.
The Formidable Earl is about Simon Nugent who after being accused of being boring by his friends decides to visit a brothel. This causes the chance meeting of an old friends daughter, Ida Strong who has been hiding out in the brothel whilst everyone thought she was dead after her father was wrongfully hanged for treason four years ago and she vowed to avenge him. Ida ends up moving into one of Simon's properties as she has nowhere else to go and as they try to uncover the real traitor a friendship/romance quickly develops.
This book definitely veers into the characters acting stupid at times but who knows what Earl's would have behaved and thought 200 years ago. Overall it is an enjoyable romance and I really liked how the story wrapped up.
Thanks to Netgalley.com and Sophie Barnes for my complimentary eARC copy.

This book is definitely a historical romantic suspense - with this book. There is a mystery of who killed Ida's father, one that Simon is determined to solve. I liked the characters. The book was engaging and fast paced.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you!

The Formidable Earl, by Sophie Barnes. Well, I certainly enjoyed reading this love story. I felt the the writer really wanted to focus the point of the story, which is the romance and love that was growing between Ida and Simone. I found myself caught up in not only the romance, but the mystery plot as well. I loved how the writer chose Ida to be a strong character. This made her a great fit for Simone. Ida’s character is able to match wit and go toe to toe with Simone and anyone else who tried challenge her. Simone’s character was written well too. He was written as a strong, intelligent man with exuberant power. If readers love a good mystery romance book to read, then this is the book for you.

This is Simon and Ida’s story. He accidentally outed her hiding. She wants to find the person who should have been hung instead of her father. Simon demands that he help her in her quest. There are many twists and turns in their investigation. This was a very exciting story.

Entertaining historical read. Ida wants justice for her father who was wrongly hung for treason and now she hides in a brothel worried the true traitor will be after her next. Simon is a straightlaced member of the ton and decides to go to a brothel to give him a bit more excitement in his life. When he sees Ida, he is shocked and is willing to help her. What will happen when sparks fly? Fast-paced read with loads of drama, twists and turns and steam. I liked it.

Simon Nugent, Earl of Fielding, set out to end the stuffy and boring existence his life had become. Being jilted can do that. He takes himself to Amourette’s (an exclusive brothel), and gets a huge surprise. Instead of a night’s pleasurable interlude, he meets Ida Strong, the daughter of a friend from his time in the war. From the moment she publicly vowed she would find the men who framed her father for treason, she has been in danger and hiding in the brothel owned by her Aunt Phillipa. She runs, and he chases and catches her. Now they are off to find the truth about what happened to her father. Their search and time together might reveal some other truths as well.

This is an exciting story with secrets, action, danger, treason, mystery, and romance. The mystery is a page-turner in itself. The attraction between Simon and Ida is undeniable and the chemistry is sizzling. The romance is a little complicated by Simon’s rather arrogant views of Society’s expectations. He feels like he has failed the people he cared about in the past. After some soul-searching, with and without the help of others, Simon begins to see life in a different light. Ida is smart and stubborn. She is independent and determined to clear her father’s name. Carlton Guthrie, Blayne MacNeil, and the Duke of Huntley help with the mystery. I enjoyed and recommend this Diamond in the Rough. Now on to Blayne.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Simon Nugent, Earl of Fielding, knows he's flawed. He's arrogant, possessive, and haunted by a terrible choice he made long ago. So when a former friend's daughter gives him the chance to do a good deed, he grabs it. Ida Strong wants one thing – justice on behalf of her father. She has no room for anything else, in spite of her growing and (at times) inexplicable attraction toward a certain earl. However Ida knows what betrayal tastes like, placing her trust in others is hard. Risking her heart, would be downright foolish. Until it's the only thing that seems to make sense.
This is the sixth book in this wonderful series, it could easily be read on its own but we have met both Simon & Ida in previous books & also there are appearances from other previous characters too. A very well written, page turning read that was fast paced & it also had the mystery about who the traitor really was. I loved Ida who was determined to prove her father innocent & her faith in him never ever wavered. I liked Simon from the start but his arrogance did annoy me at times but he did eventually realise where his priorities lay. I was taken on a roller coaster of emotions plus was breathless after Simon’s run through the docks. I look forward to the next book in the series which was nicely set up at the end of this book
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

London - 1821

Simon Nugent, the Earl of Fielding, 33, is weary of searching for a wife. Several years ago, he lost out in marrying Gabrielle who is now the Duchess of Huntley and he just cannot find another woman who compares to her. His friends tell him he needs to visit a brothel.

Ida Strong lives at Amourette’s brothel under the protection of her aunt who owns the establishment. Ida enjoys watching what happens there. When Simon comes in, he sees Ida and recognizes a bracelet she is wearing. He knows who she is and is surprised that she is alive. Now that she has been discovered, she tries to flee but Simon catches her and insists on helping her. So, he takes her to his home and says she will be his ward. Leaving her alone in the house, he leaves for the night.

The book started off with what seemed to be a good plot but quickly went downhill. It became confusing and I felt like I had walked into the middle of a movie. I have read many books by Sophie Barnes including several of this series and I have always enjoyed them. But I was so disappointed with this book. This is my big complaint about series. They should read like a totally stand alone novel but often the reader is left scratching their head. I’m so sorry, Sophie Barnes, but this one just did not do it for me.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Simon Nugent. Earl, is a typical stuffed shirt upper class member of the ton.
Ida Strong is an orphan whose father, a general, was hung for being a traitor.
Two people from two different classes.
They meet in of all places, a brothel, where Ida lives, but not works. She lives there in hiding as her life is in danger due to what happened with her father.
Simon recognizes her as the daughter of the general, a man to whom he owed his life. Simon wants to help her prove her father was an innocent man. But first he has to protect her.
And so the adventure begins.
Ida and Simon become so close sharing so much of themselves, while at the same time looking for a killer.
But can the stuffy, politically correct Simon overlook Ida's origins and realize she would be the best countess for him or will he break her heart.
I liked ida's character, she was strong. I felt Simon was a bit too full of himself.
But overall I enjoyed the book.
4 stars

I found myself losing interest in this book less than a third of the way through and it was a chore to finish. I found some of the scenarios to be a bit contrived and silly, for example, a chaperone could easily have been found to stay with Ida. The ballroom debacle was another scene. Was interrogating three suspects at a ball really the best place to do so when you are trying to conceal your identity to society? It was just ridiculous and I couldn't help but think these characters are too stupid to live.
I did quite enjoy the suspense towards the end but I really couldn't wait to finish the book ao I could simply mark it as read.

The sixth instalment in the Diamonds in the Rough series picks up where we left off in the last book with the mysterious bordello resident, Ida Strong being recognized and outed as the daughter of an infamous traitor. And who is the one to find our misses identity, but the one and only Earl of Fielding whom had his fiancé stolen from him by the Duke of Huntley in the first book of the series!!!

Our prim and and proper earl feels responsible for the wrong he has caused Ida, and decides to join her fight to find the true criminals that framed her father for treason.

There is a big class divide between these two, and their sparks of attraction only make it worse. Simon has a had time reconciling that in order to have anything with Ida, he needs to step down from his high horse of proper and respectable behaviour and truly accept her. I found Simon’s character and beliefs too condescending for me and I was not able to get behind him and his HEA. I love a good villain redemption story, but I just didn’t feel like he truly changed enough.

My favourite parts of the story included the return appearances of Carlton Guthrie and the Duke of Huntley. I really liked seeing them join in and though around their weight in the peerage to help out Ida and Simon. This was made more entertain, by the fact that stuffy Simin hated these men, but ending up needing help from both of them multiple times! Bonus for how classy both Huntley and Guthrie were - love those guys!

This book overall was entertaining and I enjoyed the mystery around the treason plot, the hero was just not my personal cup of tea.

The Formidable Earl by Sophie Barnes is scheduled to release November 24th, 2020.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Sophie Barnes through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#TheFormidableEarl #SophieBarnes #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads

Simon has to make huge amend.s.

Without giving away too much, Simon is the reason her father hung.
So when Ida pops up in his orbit, he's vested in finding her. He saw her bracelet.
Simon was jilted three years ago, by the way.

Ida is strong (pun intended as her last name is Strong). She's had to be.
She's smarter and stronger than Simon. Not sure if he's worthy of her.
But Ida is a very active, engaging character.

Recommend.
Purchased.

Will a woman the total opposite of all his expectations move his heart ...

Simon Nugent Is a man who always followed the framed path sets for him, never straying from it.
Until once to challenge his reputation of a bore, he goes somewhere he would never have usually gone.
There, he meets the woman who will shake is life, disturbing it until she destroys everything he believes to let him rebuilt it from its fondations. Yet to reach it, he must forgone everything he was held to, a slow process as while he quickly knows he can not let Ida go, he is only ready to give her the place Society would solely allow, as his mistress, never as wife.
And while Ida thought she had found a man who stands by her side, and hopes for more. Will she have to corrupt her dreams for a temporary affair.
Their chemistry is off the chart from their first encounter but the prim and proper Earl sees only one fonction to keep her in his life.
And while he confirms to the ton’s judgmental rules, Ida refuses to cover and kisses goodbye to a different less shameful future.
She does not mind being disgraced if it would bring in her life a man who will hold her hand, lend his shoulder, share his heart with her. But she would never accept to be seen lacking or not enough.

« He was, after all, willing to give her the sun and the moon. Just not the stars. »

This novel is the narrative of a man who lets go of every shred holding him back to his past life, who discovers the freedom of acting without thought of the others’ opinion. Simon goes from an aloof dandy to a man ready to risk everything for the woman who has come to mean more than life.
5 stars as I enjoyed watching Simon evolves from a man who prized his peers’ gaze to one seeking only his loved one acceptance, he went running to the ruination of his longly embedded education to rise to a new self determined to choose love over duty.

I was granted an advance copy by the author, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

Simon is. an Earl and is haunted by a choice he did not make years ago. He has become a very by the book person and tries to be the one to keep everyone else out of trouble. He is known for being not to take chances and so people think he is stuffy!

Ida strong’s father was hung as a traitor based on lies. As a result of her investigating to prove his innocence she has been attacked so she has been in hiding for several years.

The two meet under circumstances that are comical and Harri ends up hiding her in one of his homes.

This is where the journey begins for the couple and the book starts to lag and become choppy.
I am an avid reader of the author and I have read the other books, but this one still didn’t work for me. The storyline premise was there and the characters could have been molded but they ended up being lackluster and the overall dialogue just seemed to phase out. There were moments when it picked up and flowed, but then it went downhill!

I will still definitely read and recommend this author to others because she is a gifted writer!

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

In most books you either like the hero or you don’t. In this story I started off liking this staid uncompromising Earl then I really did not care for him until he redeemed himself, the big bumblebrain. I wanted to shake him and am so glad Ida did not put up with his stupidity. She stood by her convictions. There is a bit of a mystery which I love but the real story lied with Simon’s attitude towards people. I loved seeing how he overcame it and thought the love story was beautiful.

Simon Garrison, Earl of Fielding, had been jilted three years ago by Gabriella Harding. She ended up married to the Duke of Huntley. He could not seem to find a wife, that he liked. He was thirty- three and was not getting any younger.
Ida Veronica Strong was in hiding. Her father had been branded a traitor and hung. But anyone who knew her father knew better. She had stood below him while he died and threatened that she would get the man who did this to her father. Soon after she was shot and left for dead. Now she had been found by Simon in a brothel. Her aunt, Philipa Harding had been hiding her for the last four years. When Simon came the first time to visit, he saw her, then saw her bracelet. The one her father bought her just after getting back from France and the war.
He tried to speak to her but was stopped by this huge guy. Ida had left by the back door and was attacked again but Simon having just been thrown out was walking toward home. He just wanted to help. He heard her scream and saved her.
So much happens in this story. Simon meets a crime lord who has become a Duke. A Scot who is his second in command and various other people. He also gets to know the Duke of Huntley. It gets very exciting. She is unsure of Simon for a while, trust can be a hard thing to give. The tale is easy to read and moves smoothly. The characters are cute and their chemistry is something else. They don't even realize they are falling in love, which can be tough to do while trying to outrun someone, trying to kill her. It is very entertaining and engages you.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

After reading the blurb for this book I instantly requested it. I honestly had hopes for it. But in the end I’m not passionate about it. I liked it very much, don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed it, I only wish I had liked it so much more. But perhaps you, reader out there, will like it more than I did.

It started well, a stuffy snobbish man who needs to learn more than one lesson decides to demonstrate his friends that he’s not stuffy by going to a brothel. He meets a girl, feels protective over her and starts a detective mystery adventure with her. The story is quite exciting although I would have liked a slower pace…

They become friends before they’re lovers. And that is the best part of the novel, their friendship. Even if they had a lover’s quarrel they’re still friends. The are quite sincere with one another, quite protective, easygoing, nice… and their love feels natural coming from that point. The build up of their sensuality is so amazing… but the sex is not. It felt rushed, all that build up and then nothing. There are hints of it having been sweet and hot and incredible, but all that, all the passion, all the wanting, when they’re actually at it is left unwritten. I had to read twice to realize that it had happened at all.

Another thing that I didn’t like is that Simon behaves half the time as a peacock in mating season, but the other half he’s a bit like a child, his reasons for not wanting Ida as a wife are ridiculous, mostly because he’s scared of the scandal. Only when he realizes that in order to get what you want sometimes you need to sacrifice something does Simon consider the matter. And why do I think this is childish behavior? Because he had done the same thing in the past, twice. And he had told Ida that he wanted to change that about him, and he doesn’t.

But Simon being like that leads to an interesting and continuous debate on social standing, status and how they affect and dictate a person’s life: All of the characters talk about that at one point or another, especially the hero, as he’s going on and on about it in internal monologues. It’s not the first time I’ve found this in a novel, but I liked how it was presented in this one.

Ida on the other hand is fantastic. She’s her own woman, she knows what she wants and she can stand up for herself. And what’s more difficult, she stands up to the man she loves because he won’t give her what she dreams of. And let me tell you, it’s not emeralds, rubies, manors and servants. She wants what her parents had when she was little, and she’s willing to sacrifice her love for Simon in order to have that happy life. She’s amazing, brave… and of course not perfect, she sometimes makes stupid decisions.

Of course this being a romance novel everything is solved and the main couple gets their happy ending but you will have to find out how for yourself.

In conclusion, it is a good book to read with a cozy blanket and a mug of your favorite hot beverage and actually have fun with all the mystery and the comings and goings. It’s just not a memorable book in my opinion.

The Formidable Earl by Sophie Barnes is the sixth in the Diamonds in the Rough Series. This series has some interesting characters and many different storylines which makes the series interesting. I have enjoyed them. It is possible to read each story as a standalone.

Ida Strong is a traitor’s daughter. Her father was found guilty of a crime, she knows he did not commit. She has been hiding out at her aunt’s brothel, for a period of time, knowing she is going to have to leave England and find a new place. Meanwhile Simon Nugent, Earl of Fielding decided to leave the straight-laced life behind for the night only to recognize Ida Strong and give away her hiding spot.

Ida has to find a new place to be safe, as people are trying to kill her to prevent her from finding out the truth. Simon ends up helping her and together they work toward finding the truth. However, someone does not want the truth to come out. Who was really responsible for sending secrets to Napoleon.

I like how Simon and Ida work together and how Simon treats her so tenderly, when he finally realizes what is really important. The twists were interesting and some of the other characters from past novels were fun. The Formidable Earl by Sophie Barnes was a good read.