Brandon Pearce and Amelia Howard were childhood friends, and a bit more until discovered in a position that left no question as to what they were about. Brandon's necessary military service proved to be his making, climbing to the position of brigadier. Now unexpectedly he is also an earl. He has joined his fellows as members of the Armory, vowing to stop Scepter in whatever nefarious deeds they are planning. In this compassity, he accidentally finds his old friend, Amelia. Unbeknownst to her brotner, she is trying to help her brother by stopping his blackmailer. She and Brandon become entangled again, finding their mutual attraction never died. Can she save her brother? In the end does she want to? How does Brandon and the gentlemen of the Armory fit into this and will they ever uncover Scepter and its plans. This is the second in the series, a very nice fellowship that continues on in the next book or books, I hope.

I know when I see Anna Harrington's name, the book is bound to be good and this one did not disappoint! Brandon and Amelia were torn apart young; but now he is back and more determined than ever to help save her and figure out what her brother has gotten himself into. Readers will enjoy this book from start to finish.

DIDN'T LOVE IT AS MUCH AS THE FIRST, BUT STILL A MORE THAN DECENT HR

The first book in this series was one of the most pleasantly surprising historical romances series I have ever read. So it only stands to reason that this one couldn't quite reach its predecessor. I mean, my expectations were too high. So really, there wasn't any one thing that I can put my finger on, that made this less enjoyable. It's ineffable 🤷‍♀️ But I still really enjoyed this book and will look forward to rest of this series.

👍 What I Liked 👍

Sceptre: As with the first book, I really enjoyed the mystery of the Sceptre. It adds such a great substance to a historical romance series that I really like.

2nd chance at love: I am always a fan of second chances in historical romance. Honestly, this wasn't the greatest representation of that trope, but it still got me excited.

An Unexpected Earl is another good offering from Anna Harrington... a spy thriller! Brandon Pearce, or just ‘Pearce’ as he is referred to in the book, works for the Crown and is investigating the brother of his long lost love, Amelia. Amelia believes her brother is being blackmailed but Pearce knows he is involved with the shadowy criminal organization known as Scepter whose aim is to overthrow the government. Pearce must first convince Amelia of the truth and then must gain her trust as they race to stop Scepter’s latest move.
The characters are engaging and charming. The plot is well written. Although it follows the lines expected of a spy novel, the action and dialogue, and characters as well, are unique enough to keep the story interesting. The sexy bits are very sensual and satisfying. I would rate this a 3.5/4.0 and would recommend it.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.
So the book's genre was listed as romance, but the book was more women's fiction to be honest.
The main plot was about Amelia and her life with her brother, how much she hates being under the mercy of any man, then suddenly, her childhood friend gets into the picture.
I didn't like Amelia's character to be honest, she just kept whining about everything in her life without trying to do anything, the book keeps describing her as a sharp minded woman, but all i saw was a hesitant, whiny girl.
Overall, not the best book out there.

This book is a solid 3.5 stars. The characters are extremely likable and so well suited for one another. I liked that Amelia didn't just sit around waiting to be saved, even though her attempts to solve the mystery of her brother's blackmailer never worked out as she hoped. I also found her backstory interesting and believable given her circumstances at the time. I would have liked to know a little more about her relationship with her brother before the death of their father - was his hatred of her that strong prior to being left their father's fortune, or was it just over the money? Perhaps the most satisfying moment of the book was when Amelia slapped him (twice), I may have given a little cheer at that moment. The fact that Pearce works hard to protect Amelia without treating her like a damsel in distress is what made me like him as not only the "hero" for the story, but also as a match for Amelia. My liking of him increased even more when he didn't let Amelia's past stop him from fighting for her and their future together. The secret society defending England from would-be revolutionaries will make for an intriguing series as we get to see their work in future books. I am very much looking forward to the next installment of this series!

Amelia is reluctant to trust men since she has been disappointed by many of them in her life. She must learn to trust an old friend, Brandon, in order to find out who is blackmailing her brother. I enjoyed this second chance at love story. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for my honest review.

Anna Harrington does not disappoint!

In An Unexpected Earl is a tale of reunited lovers that meet again after 12 years, purely by coincidence. Brandon Pearce is the current Earl of Sandhurst; however, when he and Amelia were younger (before their separation), Brandon was simply the cousin of the Earl of Sandhurst. Neither Brandon’s family nor Amelia’s family approved of the match. When Brandon and Amelia were caught in a compromising position, both families ensured that they were separated.

When the book begins, Amelia attends a masked ball and is considered the belle of the ball. She is also there to help her brother that is being blackmailed. Brandon is also an attendee that is investigating the Scepter, and while he is there waiting for the Scepter to make a move, he notices a woman in a ravishing red dress. This woman turns out to be Amelia ( he does not know this until later on), and Brandon comes to Amelia’s rescue from an ardent admirer.

The main conflicts in the book between Brandon and Amelia are that Amelia’s brother is expected to fill government positions for allies of The Scepter, and Brandon is part of a secret organization that is investigating these appointments. As part of his undercover work, Brandon pretends that he sides with Amelia’s brother and making government positions ( due to the nature of the positions being created, these positions will negatively affect Amelia). Amelia is incredulous that Brandon is siding with her brother and essentially betraying her.

Anna Harrington is becoming one of my go-to authors and has not disappointed me yet with any of her books.

If you enjoy romance and mystery, this book is for you. I found myself unable to put the book down, and I read it in one sitting.

I look forward to the next installment in this series and cannot wait to read it.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and this in no way affects my opinion of this book.

I’m a huge fan of historical romance, and this one was really a very entertaining read. The two main characters were very witty and their humour felt real throughout the book. Their chemistry was also awesome and you found yourself rooting for them right from the beginning. I also really enjoyed the pacing of this book, it moved along quickly and I don’t think there were any moments where I felt bored with it. Overall a great read.

I received a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Having just finished book 1 yesterday I was really glad that I had this ARC waiting for me.
I think I actually liked this even more than the last book.
Marcus was sent to the army after being caught with the neighbors daughter. Now he has returned home as a hero and inherited the title of earl. As he seeks to stop the criminal organization specter he discovers the girl he loved so many years ago.
Amelia's brother is being blackmailed and she is determined to protect him in part to protect her own secret.
Marcus is determined to protect Amelia at all costs.
I loved that there was a past to build on for Marcus and Amelia so it wasn't jnstalove.
I loved how Amelia was dedicated to helping war widow's even if that thread was weak plotline.
Loved the HEA, can't wait for book 3.

4/5 ⭐️ I thoroughly enjoyed An Unexpected Earl! I was excited for the second chance story of Amelia and Pearce—childhood friends and sweethearts that were separated by family and time, they’ve now reunited with a political mystery underway.

Amelia’s brother, an member of parliament, is being blackmailed, and she’s determined to uncover the blackmailer. Pearce, a brigadier who unexpectedly inherits an earldom, is hunting a secret criminal organization when he crosses paths with Amelia after over a decade apart. Now, they are working to solve this mystery together, even if other secrets still keep them apart.

This was my first novel by Ms. Harrington and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were fun historical facts sprinkled in with the fiction, I loved the backstory for our couple, and I was excited by all the secondary characters we met, therefore laying a good foundation for the other books in this series. There were a few draw backs/minor plot holes (we know Pearce is involved in East End boxing matches, but it’s never developed why that’s important for us to know, or how it wasn’t very clear why Amelia’s father wrote her inheritance the way he did, for example), but overall this was a good stand-alone part of a bigger series. I’m excited for the next book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

NetGalley Note for the publisher: There were a number of copy editing errors in the ebook version I read (as of 25 December 2020) that will hopefully be caught prior to public release.

I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The blurb made this book sound so interesting, but sadly this book did not hold my interest the entire time I read it. I was a little disappointed. It was well written, it had a decent plot that surprised me at parts, and even characters that I wanted to get their happy ending, but something big was missing for me: THE LOVE STORY.

Amelia Howard and Brandon Pearce were young and in love when they were separated by her father when they are caught in a compromising position. 12 years later, their lives intertwine when Amelia is involved in a blackmail scheme by her brother that Pearce is investigating. In my honest opinion, I could not feel the love or heartbreak from either one of these characters. They barely had any conversations, both of them were fine with leaving each other years ago, and then they were jumping into bed together. It did not feel believable to me whatsoever. Absolutely zero real chemistry.

The parts I did like were the dialogue. I thought there was some really fun banter in some parts, but not enough to carry this into what I would deem a great book. I also thought that who ended up being the villain at the end was a great addition because I didn't expect it. Sadly those two things could not overcome the complete lack of true chemistry in this book.

If you want a decently written book, and you have read her stuff before then give this a shot. I think fans of hers will enjoy this, but sadly it wasn't for me personally.

This is a well-written book with that is filled with drama, emotion, suspense and lovely romance. The story will pull you in and keep you there right up until the last page. It's a clean romance book but it really packs a punch and left me feeling very satisfied. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Amelia and Brandon were childhood friends and sweethearts. At sixteen they were separated she sent to boarding school and he into the military. Twelve years later they meet again and feelings haven’t changed. Amelia is trying to save her charity that helps war widows and those in need learn to life skills. Her brother, who is being blackmailed, threatens to cut off funding for her charity. Brandon, now Earl West is trying to solve a bigger mystery that involves a underground organization and also leads to her brother. I enjoyed the book but at times found it unnecessarily complicated and unrealistic. While trying to not be found by others in the room they start a full make out session. I also guessed early on the reason for the blackmail. The story is decent and I would read others in the series but it wasn’t a “must read” for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me via NetGalley. Wow what can I say about this title it was just an awesome read. This book was just something so wonderfully different I’ve never quite read anything like this. You should read to find out you won’t be disappointed. I’m definitely going to read more by this author.

This book is in fact the second tome of a new serie, the lord of Armory. I wasn't aware of it before reading it and even if I saw the connections, hitcan totally be read as a stand alone.
In this novella, we meet Amelia a spinster who lives with his brother Frederick .His brother is blackmailed and she wants to help him, in order to save the charityshop she owns. During her tentative she meet Pearce, the new earl of Sandhurst, who once was her best friend then first love. Unfortunately they were separated by Amelia"s father, she sent away in a school, him sent to the army. At the death of his father Amelia tried to connect unseccessufly with Pearce. He never answerd to her letters, so she lose confidence in men and wants now do things by herself.
Pearce is at the search of a connection with the Sceptre, a criminal association (I could'nt stop thinking of James Bond with Daniel Craig). Frederick may be this association, so he would have to reconnect with his first love and share their secrets....
I did appreciate the independance spirit of Amelia and the twist to find the blackmailer, But maybe linked to the thing that they knew already each other so much, it lacks of sparkle, and fun.

I loved everything about this story, the Lords of the Armory is proving to be a great series by Anna Harrington and An Unexpected Earl book 2 in this series doesn't disappoint.

I love the back story that the Lords of the Armory are dealing with, the criminal group underlying this series but even better are the romances. Pearce and Amelia are wonderfully passionate and their scenes together are beautifully written with angst, passion and emotion. Their second chance at love is worth everything!

The men of the Armory are determined to investigate and stop the mysterious criminal organization, Scepter, but they don't know who is part of the organization. Their best chance of finding out is Brandon Pearce, the new Earl West. He will make himself available at society gatherings and hope to be asked to join. At a ball, he sees Amelia Howard (not Theodora as in the goodreads summary), his childhood friend and love. They haven't seen each other in the 12 years since her father found them together and sent her away while he joined the army and went to war. Now though, Amelia has secrets that will stop the two of them from being together. Blackmail, chases, secret societies, intrigue, and romance make for a thrilling book. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

I love this book it may well be my new favorite by Anna Harrington. I like stories where love always conquers all. I thought the plot was very good and I loved all of the characters. I hope there will be more in the series. No Spoilers!

I was given an ARC from Netgalley of "An Unexpected Earl" written by the fantastic Anna Harrington.
Brandon Pearce, Earl of Sandhurst, and
Amelia Howard, sister of an MP, were the best of friends in their childhood. Being found in a compromising position at the age of 18 and 16 respectively,  both were forbidden from ever having contact with one another. Brandon went off to join the war, and Amelia was stuck under the authoritative thumbs of her father and brother. Fate had better plans for them, and they meet again after 12 long years of separation. The sparks rekindle,  but Amelia has new truths in her life that forbid her from pursuing the love of her life. Another beautiful story!