Twelve years ago, Brandon Pearce had to give up the girl he loved, Amelia Howard when her father caught them together. Brandon was sent into the army where he rose through the ranks & became a Brigadier, then he unexpectedly became the Earl of Sandhurst. 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.
This is the second book in the series & is an extremely well written page turner that blends a second chance romance with an intriguing mystery beautifully. Strong characters with depth. I loved both Pearce & Amelia who still loved each other after being thrust apart over a decade before, the road to their HEA isn't easy by any means but it does make for a darned good read especially when all they'd been through was gradually revealed. It also features a chase that had me on the edge of my seat & I wondered if they’d manage to shot the bridge. The attraction between the pair was electric from the start.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

This is the second book in then Lords of Armory series. The second book is usually not as good as the first book, but it that is not true for this book. The plot of this story is well thought out and easy to follow. The characters are very relatable and interact well with each other. It is a believable story filled with second chances, mystery, intrigue and love. I would recommend reading the first book of the series to get a better understanding of the storyline and the idea of Spectre. I read the book in one day because I just couldn’t put it down. . I highly recommend anything this author writes. She never disappoints.

Intrigue and dark plotting round out An Unexpected Earl with liberal doses of romance for a well designed read from the talented Anna Harrington in book two of her Lords of the Armory series!

Brandon Pearce came from nothing to inherit the power and prestige of an Earldom. At heart he was a loyal Brigadier who found that the trappings of his new title meant little without the ethics he carried as a war hero and loyal friend. Amelia Howard saw the harsh world through kindness and unfortunately paid a heavy price for this. Through tragic circumstances Amelia became a strong woman who no longer took things at face value. Childhood sweethearts and best friends the strong relationship that this pair built when they were younger proved to be a substantial foundation for their reunion as adults. Despite the changes that took place in their years apart they still clung to their fundamental characters and in some respects it was as if they had never been separated, especially where their hearts laid. The witty repartee between Brandon and Amelia was fun and just as often conveyed the unspoken desire that simmered between this couple. This author is adept at flowing between playful and serious in her characters interactions.

A tremendous amount of research goes into this author's work for robust and vivid explorations of the past. Her historical details are accurate, fascinating and a perfect backdrop for her characters to explore their relationships. With Anna Harrington you don’t just wish you could revisit the past because it feels like she has transported you there. Even as her strong eye for detail draws you in it is her sensitive portrayals that standout as exceptional and keep bringing her audience back. Often a struggle with historical romance writers is bringing to their readers heroine's that modern women can relate to without compromising their situation in history. Of note this author does a fantastic job of devising strong female characters even while finding ways to highlight this trait in historic context. Anna Harrington's An Unexpected Earl is a romantic adventure that will not only keep readers on their toes but curl them in delight!

A huge thanks to the publisher, the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this lovely historical romance ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Amelia is utterly convinced that she will be forever occupy the dusty corners of life. She loves operating her shop for the benefit of war widows, and her charity is the only spot of hope and brightness. She is resolved not to dwell upon the boy who held her heart and was chased away by her father a decade ago. She is resolved not to dwell on her penniless state, and the fate of her stolen dowry. She has resigned herself to suffering the consequences of terrible choices.

The boy who was banished from her life so long ago suddenly returns as a member of the peerage. And the Brandon hasn't forgotten stolen kisses and moonlight escapades. But first he must unearth a twisted plot of bribery and barbarity that reaches to the highest echelons of government.

The quest for justice repeatedly throws them together and they can't deny the feelings that lay buried during their separation. But Amelia's brother is scheming, there is a nefarious villain to catch, and there is a secret from Amelia's past that will prevent her from a union with Brandon.

The things I loved about this book were:
1. A heroine determined to make the best of things, and meticulously researched details regarding jointure, marriage contracts and dowry in Regency England.
2. A very real depiction of a hero who is trying to escape the horrors of war he witnessed firsthand.
3. The message that it is never too late for second chances.

This was a separated and reunited lovers’ story. Pearce and Amelia knew one another when they were young and were separated. Now, they find themselves unexpectedly back together again. Amelia is trying to protect her brother and Pearce is trying to uncover a traitorous plot. I loved how dedicated Amelia was to her cause, but I didn’t understand her blind loyalty to one man and blind distrust of another. Her actions didn’t always make sense to me. I liked Pearce though! He’s dedicated to his cause and to Amelia.

This book is part of a series and Scepter, the network that Pearce is investigating, is part of an on-going mystery across books. This book does wrap up its own story, but there are elements that started in earlier books and will continue in future ones.

I received a free copy of the book from the publisher, but all of the opinions are my own.

This is a second book in a series but I feel that it can be read as a standalone.
A second chance romance between childhood sweethearts that is also a regency spy novel. Sounds up my alley!
I'm not usually a fan of second chance romances but this one was done so well. I loved the angst and the reconciliation between Amelia and Pearce. The love between them was so pure. Plus the created quite a bit of steam if ya know what I mean.
This novel was enjoyable from beginning to end! Can't wait for the next installment.
I would recommend this for people who enjoyed the Maiden Lane series by Elizabeth Hoyt.

Like It? Hate it? Love it? Why? Edge of my seat action and mystery, passionate second chance romance, and most importantly, two likable lead characters, what's not to love about An Unexpected Earl?


I'm invested in this series, I'm invested in the hunt for criminal group Scepter just like I'm invested in all these characters finding their matches. I loved Pearce, he's noble, kind, and worked his way up in the military. His tender patience with Amelia had ME falling in love with him and even though he had changed a lot since his early days with her, Pearce hadn't changed the way he loved her. I thought that made him even more romantic, and definitely book boyfriend material.


With Amelia I had moments where I truly identified with her. She's had a life that had been dictated by men, she'd been used, and she's had her heart broken. Yet even with her well earned trust issues, Amelia has a penchant for kindness and empathy. She's also strong, determined, and capable of putting clues together on her own. She only had one close call with TSTL (Too Stupid To Live) and that was towards the end and it didn't entirely make sense to me when Amelia had shown herself to have a keen mind with a healthy dose of suspicion.


As for the romance I loved that Anna Harrington understood that Amelia and Pearce's second chance had to recognize that while they still loved each other, they were different people. They had to get to know each other again while reacquainting themselves with the familiar feelings of love and passion. The romance was a slow burn but not too slow as to bore readers. I loved that there were aspects of friendship and respect between them.


I've said it many times, I have a severe weakness for historical spy/suspense romances and An Unexpected Earl satisfied my craving for an adventure with capable characters and a female lead that didn't swoon or back down from a fight.



Click It or Skip It? Click It. A grand adventure was had.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. An Unexpected Earl by Anna Harrington is the second book in her exciting Lords of the Armory Series. I do think you should read the first book before reading this one as the series revolves around defeating an evil mafia-like organization called Scepter, and each story moves the Lords of the Armory closer to that goal. When Brandon Pearce, Earl of Sandhurst, encounters his first love Amelia Howard at a risqué mascarade ball, he’s determined to find out why she was there and how her brother is involved with Scepter. Amelia Howard is trying to find out who is blackmailing her brother, hoping to save him from the danger he seems to have gotten himself into when she encounters the man she’s never forgotten. This is a very adventurous second chance at love story with nasty villains, kidnapping, dramatic chases and rescues and a very satisfying HEA. I enjoyed reading this book and do recommend it and also the first book in the series. Steam Level: Medium. Publishing Date: February 23, 2021. #AnUnexpectedEarl #AnnaHarrington #SourceBooksCasablanca #HistoricalRomance #NetGalley #bookstagram #bookstagrammer

Amelia Howard has family secrets and her brother’s blackmailer to foil when she runs into the last man on earth she wants to see right now… her childhood flame, now the Earl of Sandhurst, Brandon Pearce. He broke her heart twelve years ago when their families tore them apart. She has moved on and has no room for love in her life.

Brandon has never forgotten his first love, Amelia, and what he runs into her at a disreputable masquerade ball, he feels the same sparks as before. But he’s working on a secret government mission to stop an elusive criminal group that her brother may be linked too… he needs to keep her at arms length, unless he wants all their secrets out in the open.

I found that this book had a slow start, but picked up speed as it went on and the drama intensified. By the end of the book I was on the edge of my seat! I really enjoyed Amelia’s character. She had been felt some pretty hard obstacles, but remained steadfast to her family and har mission of helping others. She acts rashly, but had an underlying maturity about her decisions. Brandon was perfect hero for Amelia. He is steadfast and craves loyalty above all else. These two are hesitant at first, but after twelve years they have plenty of history to get over before they can truly come back to each other.

This is the second book in the in the Lords of the Armory series and continues the investigation into Sceptre, the criminal gang infiltrating England that began in book one, An Inconvenient Duke. I feel that this book does a sufficient job catching up the reader and can be read as standalone.

An Unexpected Earl by Anna Harrington released February 23rd, 2021.

I received a complimentary copy of this first chapter from Sourcebooks Casablanca through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#AnUnexpectedEarl #AnnaHarrington #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads

An Unexpected Lord by Anna Harrington is the second book in the Lords of the Armory series.
The novel follows a group of men who returned from the war with scars and memories from the war. One of them with the help of others designs a different type of men’s club called The Armory. It is here, the men can unwind with other men struggling with their ‘normal life back.

Brandon Pearce is now an earl. He is shocked when he is tracked down to take over the role. He was in love with Amelia a long time ago and is surprised to run into her again. Interestingly, she seems to be embroiled into a situation with her brother Frederick. Pearce is investigating a secret group called the Scepter. Frederick is a key person in the investigation. What Pearce doesn’t know is that Frederick is being blackmailed and is insistent his sister Amelia give up her last piece of land from her dowry.

Not only is Amelia and Pearce’s second chance love story wonderful, but the perfidy of the blackmailers and her brother are also important to the story line. An Unexpected Lord by Anna Harrington was a good read.

Second chance romance is my favourite trope. I enjoyed this so much I read this twice!

This tale of woe, betrayal, heartaches, scandal, danger, war, politics, friendship, espionage, secret club, and longing for love everlasting, is brilliant. These and more made this narrative more compelling and a tangible proof that Anna Harrington is still one of my top storytellers in historical romance genre.

If the simmering attraction between Pearce and Amelia was incredibly potent when they were younger, it has bubbled up to a hundred degrees hot a decade and two later!

The antagonists - from Amelia's scheming brother to corrupt politicians and abominable aristocrats - added to the interesting mix of characters that made this an engaging read.

If you fancy some nail-biting scenes plus glorious romance, search no further than this Regency story!

Characters from Book 1 recurs as they are part and parcel of the series. But this can be read as a standalone.

I voluntarily read an eGalley copy from the author thru NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This was the first book I have read by Anna Harrington and it was great, now I want to read more of her books.

In this book, we have a second chance romance where the characters were childhood best friends, and they end up separated when they were teenagers after they took their relationship forward. We also have an intriguing plot and secret societies and clubs.
The main characters are Pearce and Amelia. Pearce spent the last 12 years in the army before unexpectedly becoming an Earl and coming back to London to find his purpose in the Armory. In the middle of an investigation, he meets Amelia again and this time he will not let her go. His faith in them and all he did for them to be together is something that I found lacks in a lot of romance books nowadays, so I loved to read it.
Amelia, on the other hand, has spent the decade helping widows of the war. That part of the plot was something I had not encountered before and I loved that she had something she loved and was willing to fight for even if that was not the best choice for herself. Regarding her and Pearce, Amelia has loved him for her entire life and seeing her investigate and fight for them to finally work was beautiful.

Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Ms Harrington really knows how to write a Regency romance. This book has all the elements of a good read. Brandon is a dashing war hero, now an Earl, determined to bring down a seditious faction in the government. He crosses paths with Amelia, his childhood sweetheart, who’s brother is deeply involved in this plot somehow. Having secrets of her own, Amelia teams with Brandon to uncover the conspiracy, while their love rekindles. The characters are nicely done. Brandon is a terrific hero, protective, without being overbearing. Amelia is smart, capable and strong, while dealing with her own issues and history that cause huge obstacles to the HEA. The plot was non-stop, with many twists and turns I didn’t see coming (high praise indeed). I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and Netgalley. This is my freely given, honest review.

An Unexpected Earl is the second book in Anna Harrington's exciting and spicy Lords of the Armory series. I read the first one and absolutely loved it! Could lightning strike twice? Yes, yes it could... Sometimes a series starts out winningly but loses steam the second time around; that's definitely not an issue here. If you didn't read the first one, go back and do so; you won't be lost if you missed it, but you're missing out on steamy goodness. Ms. Harrington is one of my all-time favorite historical romance writers and is on my not-to-be-missed list. Yes, there is a list.

Brandon Pearce and Amelia Howard were young and in love; however, they were torn apart by circumstances beyond their control. Pearce went off to war and became a well-respected brigadier. Twelve years later he's back in London and is now the Earl of Sandhurst, investigating a sinister criminal organization called Scepter. At a masked ball he is enchanted by a beautiful and strangely familiar woman...who turns out to be his lost love Amelia. Amelia is running from a secret past to save her brother Frederick's reputation, while at the same time building a charity for war widows and trying to prevent Frederick from using her property in a turnpike trust. Frederick is being blackmailed to put certain gentlemen into government positions, and he needs help from a Member of Parliament: Pearce. Can Amelia and Pearce get their much-deserved second chance, though they are both hiding secrets from each other?

Second-chance romances are always hit or miss for me, and I was thrilled this one turned out to definitely be a hit! Even though they've been apart for twelve years, you can feel the love Pearce and Amelia still have for each other, though of course it's a much more mature sort of love. And we definitely see how mature it is; you'll want to keep a fan close at hand! Yum. Amelia has tried to build a life for herself after a tragic past, and she's also doing all she can with the boutique she has started for war widows. She's definitely no milksop! Pearce truly made a good life for himself in service to his country. He's still serving his country too, working with men he served with to bring down the criminal group Scepter. I adore Regency romances, especially those dealing with military men. I totally love the romance between Pearce and Amelia, but I also loved the interplay between Pearce and his brothers-in-arms. Those interactions were some of my favorite parts of the story. Frederick's part in the plot was a total shock to me; he was a fascinating character. There was plenty of action here, from "shooting the bridge" to kidnapping to lovemaking; not a dull moment to be had! I can't wait for the next book of the series; I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Merritt's turn will be next!

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

Second chance romance is my catnip all day every day. Add to it a bit of suspense and twists, especially an intriguing and interesting spies side story, my day is almost made.
An unexpected earl was my first book by the author and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I liked the heroine and how she tried to make something else of her life after some bad decisions in her earlier years.
The hero was swoon worthy and it was obvious that he really loved her for all the years they’ve been apart.
I didn’t liked her brother much but , you know, there’s always that one character in any story that you just can’t stand .
Overall it’s a great historical romance with some very steamy scenes and an intriguing sideline.
If you enjoy historical romance, then you must try this book.

Brandon Pierce once a time How do you give up the girl once and then years later you discover her again, but you have to deceive her again? Brandon Pierce is now the Earl West , but years ago he was considered a second class citizen and not worth the ground Amelia Howard walks upon. So, Brandon does the honorable thing and walks away and eventually becomes a Brigadier in the military.
Amelia has secrets as does her brother Frederick who is being blackmailed.
Brandon feels as though he deceived Amelia once and now he is having to do it all over again because her brother may or may not be part of a secret group , Scepter that’s trying to undermine the current government.
This book is a spy book, but with secret rituals that are anything but normal. A maze of hate from years past that time has does not let go dormant comes to light in ways the author has done a superb job in delivering such intrigue!

I definitely would recommend this book to my friends!
I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

Its 1816 in London when Amelia Howard and Brandon Pearce, Earl of Sandhurst unexpectedly meet in a unexpected place. Pearce is a member of the "Gentlemen of the Armory" an unofficial league of ex-army, navy members under the leadership of Marcus Braddock. The group is currently on the trail of Sceptor, a criminal organization. Amelia has recently discovered her brother, who holds a government position, is being blackmailed and wants to help him. These two had been in love over a decade ago, but separated by her father. The pair try to seek answers and the reader gets a realistic view of a woman's life and the laws of Great Britain in the 19th century, The characters are sympathetic and there is romance, suspense, betrayal, and a bit of humor.

Brandon Pearce, now Earl West and former brigadier, finds himself face to face with Amelia Howard, the woman he left 12 years ago when they were caught by her father, in a compromising situation. Now she is a woman, with a past that she wants to keep hidden, in order to save her brother Frederick's reputation. Yet Amelia realises that she will need to confide in Brandon, if she is to save her future. Likewise, Brandon realises that he needs Amelia assistance, to uncover the organisation threatening the government’s future.
This story had all the elements: with elements of blackmail, mystery and romance, keeping me turning the pages. The political ramifications of developing land for roads, was a fascinating aspect that I had not considered but made for such an interesting read. I loved that these two characters knew each other and that whilst their secrets kept them from being together, that there was more to their romance. This is a book full of past stories, that gave greater depth to the storyline.
I found this a great read and look forward to more in this series. I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book had everything that I *should* love, but it did not hold my attention at all. There is mystery, adventure, a gang of handsome soldiers, sexy masked balls. I just never got excited or felt invested in the main couple. I found myself more interested in the side characters, Merritt has the next book and would be into trying this series again to read his story.

I love, love second chance romance and intrigue and spies. Oh yeah, this book has it all. Anything that Anna writes is gold in my opinion. I have not read any book by her that I did not fall in love with the main characters. This book is so intriguing that it captivates you and pulls you into the story of Pearce and Amelia. I felt that both of these characters were well laid out in the pages of the story and that their love lived on after twelve years and grew even more. My question still is who is the leader of Spectre and how will the Lords of the Armory catch them? This story was an absolute joy to read.

Next up is the mysterious Merritt.