I really enjoyed this second chance romance. The story is well written and held my attention easily. I thought the blend of emotions, danger, steam, action, suspense and excitement was spot-on and it kept me on my toes and fiercely rooting for this couple to get their HEA this time around. Pearce and Amelia were likable and their history certainly tugged at my heartstrings. This was a great read and a solid entry in this thrilling series.

Ms. Harrington's stories just keep getting better! I was treated to my favorite trope, second chance plus historic romantic suspense with a strong female heroine. This is about a woman who breaks free from under men who controlled her life and using her intelligence to help catch a blackmailer. It is a complex plot with a delicious romance. Well done Anna!

Brandon Pearce is a former Brigadier who has surprisingly found himself an Earl when no other heirs could be found. He was orphaned as a child and grew us as a innkeeper's nephew. He and a wealthy widowed merchant's daughter Amelia Howard grew up together and fell in love. When they were caught in a compromising position by her father he was sent away into the military and Amelia was threatened to not contact him or she would be married off to an old man. Napoleon's war passed and Brandon is back as Earl and works with his former General, Marcus Braddock now the Duke of Hampton. The men of the Armory are trying to uncover Scepter, a criminal group working to overthrow the monarchy.

Amelia is now living with her brother who is now an MP now that her father has died. She married a fraud who stole her inheritance the day after their elopement and she's penniless except for a plot of land her father left her. She runs a charity shop to help give jobs and support for war widows. She's discovered her brother is being blackmailed and she decides to find and stop the blackmailer to save their livelihoods. That's when Amelia and Pearce discover each other once again. They are both working on the same case. This begins a twisted journey uncovering secrets for both of them.

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

I have long been a fan of Harrington!
She does not disappoint with An unexpected Earl!
I love characters, to me they can do anything as long as you love the h/h. Brandon and Amelia were THAT couple through their pain,they continued on until they find each other again. Then they realize the love never stopped. It was a great story for a great couple!! Can't wait for the next book!
Definitely worth your hard earned money!







I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation. All thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I love second chance stories and I've read Anna's books before, so I was sure it was going to be good. I'm not a fan of suspence and mysteries, but I reall loved the romance part.
Book is fast paced, really captivating and page turning. It was pretty emotional, full of plot twists and thrilling ride.

From the first page of an unexpected Earl by Anna Harrington to the last page had me enthralled. It was such an intriguing story about second chances, Amelia Howard finds out her brother is being blackmailed and she tries to help him. While she's trying to investigate the circumstances surrounding the blackmail she runs into her long lost love and best friend Brandon Pearce. Pearce is trying to uncover a evil organization that her brother happens to be embroiled in. This was very Romantic and gripping. I loved every minute of it. I did figure it out before any hints were dropped but oh my it was still a surprised for me because of how it was all delivered on the page, Great writing. You'll have to read it to find out because I won't tell. #NetGalley

An Unexpected Earl is the second book in the Lords of the Armory series by Anna Harrington. A steamy historical romance that is sure to sweep you off your feet and take you away to another place, another time. This is an incredibly sweet second chance at love story with the added spice of some really good intrigue.

This is my first book by this author and it will not be my last. I truly loved how it fast paced and full of intrigue the plot was. There was tons of sweet and sexy times between Amelia and Pearce, and they definitely were a joy to read. The plot was complex and exciting and paired well with the second chance romance.I couldn’t put this book down.

Oh I absolutely love this book! Anna Harrington is one of my favorites romance writers and she never disappoints!!
Twelve years ago, Brandon Pearce, former brigadier and now the Earl of Sandhust, had to give up the girl he loved, Amelia Howard. Now Amelia is a grown woman with a past she desperately needs to keep hidden in order to save her brother Frederick's reputation. In an effort to avoid blackmail, Frederick needs to place a list of gentlemen into government positions, and for that, he'll need an ally in Parliament—Pearce.
Pearce has been investigating Scepter, a criminal group the Armory believes is behind the government appointments. Pearce must pretend that he sides with the blackmailer, even though it means breaking Amelia's heart. But Pearce is willing to do anything he can for a second chance with her, even when he discovers she's been keeping secrets of her own.
I really like Amelia. She is brave and strong, with a great heart and commitment to help widow’s war heroes. Pearce is sexy as hell, absolutely adores our heroine and fights for her and her dreams all the way. I enjoy books where the hero is in touch with his feelings and his partner´s, always listening and not just doing like some kind of savior. Pearce respects Amelia’s wishes, embrace them and stand by her even though he needs to do otherwise for the investigation.
There are great love scenes, steamy moments, great dialogs and interesting side characters. I enjoy everything about this book.

If you’d asked me a few years ago what my favorite romance trope was I would most like have said second chance. Perhaps even without hesitation—there’s just something about seeing love regrow from the ashes; about knowing that a foundation exists upon which love can grow.

Later, I would have perhaps prevaricated somewhat, then added romantic suspense to the mix. Prior to picking up my first romance book at the ripe ol’ age of 30, I was a voracious mystery reader, and finding the combination of romance and suspense was kind of like coming home.

Now, however? Well, now it turns out that I can love them both—call them both my favorites where they exist in the same book, set in Regency England. You heard it here first: Historical Second Chance Romantic Suspense. That is my jam.

And my jam is written to sweet perfection in Anna Harrington’s second Lords of the Armory book, An Unexpected Earl. Brandon Pearce, former nobody who was not allowed to aspire to the hand of Amelia Howard, returns to Miss Howard’s life in a startling, mysterious, and, quite frankly, sexy way. Now the Earl of Sandhurst, and a celebrated Brigadier, Pearce encounters Amelia at a masquerade ball as he works to infiltrate the secretive—and criminal—group, Scepter. From there unfolds a story that is at times heart-racing and edge-of-your-seat good, while also being swoony and spicy, and a great deal of fun.

I honestly could not read this book fast enough. I had to force myself to slow down so as not to miss anything, and to make sure I properly savored it. It is a book worth savoring, after all, written as it is with charm and color; a book that captures the vivid red of “Lady Scarlett’s” dress as well as it illustrates the rakish posture of the Earl of Sandhurst as he casually leans against a piece of furniture. A book that shows you multiple elements and dares you to favor one over the other.

I certainly can’t do it. The romantic part of romantic suspense was so very lovely. There was confusion and anger and disappointment, those staples of second chance romance, but there was also yearning, mourning for the lost years, hope for the future, and an undeniable chemistry that had the potential to burn any who got too close. As Pearce and Amelia cross wits (and metaphorical swords), so to do they move toward each other in a way that made my heart happy. Even as their secrets, their obstacles, became increasingly likely to derail them, my heart felt light. I fell in love with them as a couple as surely as they fell in love with each other.

But having said that, what of the suspense aspect? It was a continuation of sorts from the first book in this series, An Inconvenient Duke (although reading that book is not required), and it was neither ignored or overshadowed by Pearce and Amelia’s love story. Indeed, it was a wonderful complement to it—it gave their love a space to grow, an urgency that led to chase scenes and declarations and some decidedly unproper behavior.

And it brought the book to a conclusion about which I cannot stop thinking. The vulnerability of Amelia and the strength of Pearce—or was that the vulnerability of Pearce and the strength of Amelia?—only bolstered my need to read the next book in this series which had already been piqued by the mysterious Merritt Rivers and his ability to summon riots from thin air. I look forward to learning more about him and discovering if perhaps Historical Second Chance Romantic Suspense has a competitor for my affections in Historical Opposites Attract Romantic Suspense…

Brandon Pearce, former Brigadier, now Earl of Sandhurst, is one of the Lords of the Armory, a group of former soldiers determined to find the who and what behind a traitorous organization called Scepter. When Pearce’s investigation brings him to the exclusive ball held in celebration of the end of the Parliamentary session, he spies a breathtaking woman across the ballroom and rescues her from the unwanted attention of another gentleman. Pearce and Amelia Howard almost immediately recognize each other. Twelve years ago they were foolish teens caught in a compromising situation and punished by separation. From here the two of them are wrapped up in discovering who is blackmailing Amelia’s brother and why. At the same time, Pearce hopes that he and Amelia will get a second chance to be together.

This is an exciting action-packed story with characters that include the good, the bad, and the dangerous. There is blackmail, betrayal, weird social clubs, secrets, dastardly villains, and tough-as-nails heroes. We learn a good bit more about Scepter, but not who is behind the schemes and exactly what he or they want. The chemistry between Pearce and Amelia is hot. They still love each other. Amelia has a secret that stands between them, but there is hope they will find a solution to the problem, and get their happily ever after. Engaging and fast-paced, this one is hard to put down. I enjoyed it and look forward to what happens next.

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

An Unexpected Earl by Anna Harrington, book two in her Lords of the Armory series is another wonderful read; filled with amusing banter, a second chance romance, magnetic attraction, chemistry, and subterfuge. Twelve years ago, Brandon Pearce, a former brigadier and now the Earl West, was forced to give up the girl he loved, Amelia Howard. After unexpectedly meeting again, Pearce is determined to help the girl he once loved save her property and the charity she's been struggling to build. Amelia is determined to save her brother, Frederick’s reputation, while needing to keep her own past hidden. In trying to avoid blackmail, Frederick needs to place a list of gentlemen into government positions and with no slots remaining he needed an ally in Parliament; hoping it would be Pearce. As a member of the Armory, Pearce has been investing Scepter, a criminal believed to be behind the government appointments. To do this, Pearce pretends to side with Frederick, possibly breaking Amelia’s heart. But Pearce will do anything he can for a second chance with Amelia, even after he discovers the secrets she’d been keeping.

I do enjoy a story with a strong, stubborn heroine and an alpha hero who thinks he knows best. The battles and disagreements between Pearce and Amelia seemed to be an attempt at foreplay. Being a former military commander, Pearce expected people to obey his orders and requests. As you can guess, Amelia was not one to be obedient; knowing her own mind and determined to prove her independence. Pearce loved Amelia, especially her determination to fight for and protect those she loves.

I really loved reading this book and had a great deal of trouble it down. Ms. Harrington wrote a beautiful love story that is not to be missed. She provided a tale rich with kindness, magnetic attraction, off the charts chemistry, amusing conversations, and endearing characters giving Amelia and Pearce the opportunity for a second chance at love. I highly recommend An Unexpected Earl to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

This is the second in the Lords of the Armory series and I'm loving where this is going and really enjoyed this one.
An Unexpected Earl is about Pearce, the Earl of Sandhurst, and Amelia. Theirs is a second chance romance, after a youthful romance. At the time, Pearce was just the nephew of an innkeeper, and Amelia the daughter of a man of business, and they were separated by Amelia's father. Pearce became a Brigadier in the army fighting Napoleon and is now not only an Earl but also one of the Lords of the Armory, searching for the criminal entity Specter. Amelia's brother is a member of parliament and she is basically under his control. Her brother is a complete jerk, even worse than he's initially portrayed, and is wrapped up in Specter. This brings Pearce and Amelia together unexpectedly, where emotions are rekindled. Pearce has secrets, Amelia has secrets, but they can't stay away from each other and have to be willing to trust each other.
I thought both characters were developed well. My only complaint with Amelia, and it's a small one, was her willingness to continually excuse her brother and give him far more grace than he deserved. She was a strong woman with a spine, I needed her to really throw the book at her brother. Pearce is the strong protective type, he's not domineering alpha. I bought every bit of it.

The Specter mystery continues, with enough suspense her to keep the story going but not very many details revealed. There may be Easter eggs that we'll recognize later when the series ends. For now I feel like Harrington is doing a good job keeping the mystery alive, just enough nuggets of information for the individual story, and kernels of "hmmm...." so that we want to keep reading.

Further glimpses of the other men in the Lords, are also intriguing and like most romance readers, I can't wait for their books. This brotherhood of found family of former soldiers, is a great trope and totally works in this series.

Sexy times are on the page and all fit with the character and story progressions with plenty of heat. Pace is mostly excellent. I had one point at about 75% where it felt like a lot was happening that maybe didn't need to, but it all made sense at the end and wrapped up nicely.

I enjoyed this one a lot. Harrington Fans will be happy. Historical romance readers who haven't read Harrington should definitely check it out. While I think it's good to read in order, I think this one mostly works as a standalone. I don't think most readers would be confused, but some might have a few questions with some of the recurring characters.

This story of second chance at love while ongoing suspense with Spector kept me wanting to know if they will reach their HEA. I love how Anna wove family doing family wrong, young love lost, and who is trying to ruin England together. Her was a woman who thought she would never see the one she loved deeply as a teen again, let alone know if he would want her. As this series builds I can’t wait to read the next book to see who and why Spector is doing what they are doing. I highly recommend that everyone reads this series but start at book 1 to understand how the suspense or mystery grows/builds.

This features two characters with a lot of time to make up. Heroine Amelia Howard spends too much time protecting her brother, Frederick, (who himself is worried about blackmail.) That brings us to Brandon Pearce, former brigadier and now the Earl West, and once Amelia's love. He had to leave her once but is determined to help her now. But now she has secrets to hide and there are complications all around. This is a story with mystery, intrigue and best of all, a second-chance romance that sizzles. (I received a copy from NetGalley. Opinions mine.)

This is sooooo good. I didn’t realize this was a series when I picked it up, but I am hooked. I found Brandon to be absolutely adorable & Amelia fascinating. Their story carefully weaves romance, intrigue, mystery, and adventure together into an amazing story. I was sucked in from the first chapter & didn’t want to put it down until the end. I cannot wait until the next book!

An Unexpected Earl by Anna Harrington is book Two in the Lords of the Armory Series. This is the story of Brandon Pearce, the Earl of Sandhurst and Amelia Howard. I have read the previous book and loved it, but I did feel you could make this a standalone book if you wish to do so. Brandon and Amelia had once been childhood friends who were growing into a more mature relationship but they were pulled apart due to the different status in life. Now some 12 years later after returning home from the military that he was sent to, Brandon finds himself with the title of Earl. Amelia and Brandon come full circle with their status but their feeling have not changed. But their path to love is one that has many turns. I am such a fan of this author's writing. I always love her books and I do recommend them.

This was an excellent book by one of my favorite authors. The characters were well developed with thoughts and feeling of their own. I really enjoyed reading the story of second chance love. Brandon Pierce and Amelia Howard find themselves a lot older and wiser. I feel that their romance is very intense and worth reading.
I appreciate Net Galley for this ARC title in which I gave an honest review.

This is the first book I've read by Anna Harrington but it definitely won't be the last! I loved everything about this book from Brandon and Amelia's past to how they come face to face again.

Amelia Howard is our heroine and I loved her. She is smart, strong, and loyal and despite being used by her father and brother, she's somehow still managed to maintain who she is / wants to be. This includes never really letting go of her first love, Brandon Pearce.

Brandon has had a successful career in the military and now he's back in London. He's also become an Earl and this has granted him access and status. Because of this, when he runs into Amelia and realizes he still has feelings for her, he can't stop thinking about her and now that he is an Earl, he decides he is worthy of her.

I'm not going to talk about all the stuff that happens in this book but the main storyline here is that Amelia's brother is being blackmailed and that blackmail has put her charity shop and the one thing she owns (land) at risk so she decides she is going to do whatever it takes to protect herself and her plans. When her plans intersect with what Brandon is digging into around a criminal group, they decide to work together to figure out what is happening and what Frederick (her brother) has been up to.

As I mentioned, I loved this book and couldn't put it down. I also immediately made a list of all of Harrington's backlist so I can start to work through those books as well. This is a book 2 and while I didn't read the first book, I don't think it took away from this story. Yes, the Lords of the Armory are all present in this book but not knowing Marcus Braddock's history didn't detract...I'll just be going back to check it out. Definitely add this book to your TBR if you're looking for a well written story with interesting characters!

This is my first book by Anna Harrington. Her writing is solid and she’s great at putting you inside the story. In this case, she used a secret society and dastardly deeds to drive the plot while we watch the heroine and hero rediscover each other from nearly a decade earlier. Mystery plots aren’t my favorite in historical romances, but I was get entertained. I really, really enjoyed both the hero and heroine. Both are richly drawn and I didn’t find either too infuriating and their actions make sense. 4 star read and I’ll be looking into her backlist!

A second chance historical romance that is full of danger, action and a captivating romance that will keep you on the edge of your seat. As the hero tries to capture a dangerous criminal organization named Scepter, enemies of the crown and save his one and only true love from a disaster in the making.

Amelia Howard goes to a masquerade ball in the hopes of talking to Sir Charles Varnham with no one around about her brother being blackmailed. But when Amelia’s mask slips she comes face to face with Brandon Pearce her long lost first love. It has been twelve years since she has seen him, the horrible night of her sixteenth birthday a night that changed both of their lives. The same night he came close to taking her innocence. Both of them banished, her to a school in Scotland and him to war.

Now their circumstances are different but she still refuses to trust him with all her secrets but he knows that her brother is the link and he will not let her be in danger ever again, but will her secrets lead to the end for these two possible HEA?

I love Anna Harrington’s words and I recommend this for readers looking for something uniquely different in their romance. This story has it all, mystery, intrigue, heartfelt emotions that will touch your soul and a true love that is epically beautiful in every way and a love that transcend time.