An Earl, the Girl, and a Toddler by Vanessa Riley is a sweet read that is everything historical fiction readers look for. There is so much to learn reading this sweet and dramatic story. I loved that there is a puzzle and a mystery to piece together. It does take me a chapter or two to get into the flow of these books and some first person POV.

I loved the first book in the series and have been eagerly awaiting the next in series. I highly recommend reading the first so you will have a background on the previous characters and also the The Widow’s Grace. A group of widows who help the down trodden in legal and stealthy ways.

Back to An Earl, the Girl, and a Toddle. Jemina is the lead in this book and has quite a backstory. Suffering from amnesia after a shipwreck on board the Minerva. She is thrown into Bedlam and later rescued by The Widows’ Grace with the aid of Barrister Daniel (now an Earl and our other lead). Jemina is close friends and lives with Patience (the heroine from Book 1). In this work she is slowly piecing together memories and making amends with who she is now.

Daniel is the nephew to the head of The Widow’s Grace and a barrister. He has inherited an Earldom from his Uncle and has been piecing together his own mystery from the Shipwreck of the Minerva. The shipwreck left him a widower with a toddler daughter to care for.

What I love most about Riley’s writing is the historical elements that offer a fresh perspective for POC living at that time. Race, Women’s rights and mental health are all big elements of this book.

Thank you so much to #Netgalley and #Kensington for the early read. I can’t wait for the next in series!

#VanessaRiley #AnEarltheGirlandaToddler #NetGalley

I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

An Earl, the Girl, and a Toddler is the second in Vanessa Riley’s Rogues and Remarkable Women series. It works more or less as a stand-alone, although there are some overarching elements with the Widow’s Grace that do make the story richer when read in order.

Just like the first book, this is told in a mix of first and third person, and I think it worked a little better this time around. There seemed to be more of a purpose to the first person style for Jemina, as the plot revolves around her having amnesia. I still felt it left Daniel’s POV feeling a bit disjointed, but generally, the flow was better this time around.

I also really liked the characters and their relationship. Both really stood out due to being BIPOC during the Regency, even while also being part of the upper classes, so it was interesting to explore the intersection of the two. I loved Daniel’s care for his young stepdaughter and how Jemina over time became part of their little found-family unit as well. Riley tends to take her time fleshing out the romance, especially as she’s known for writing on the sweeter end of the spectrum, but just as she always does, she made me feel the love between her characters and root for them amidst all the obstacles thrown at them.

And Riley’s dedication to weaving in historical detail remains exceptional. I always come away from her books having learned something, and this was no different, as she unpacked everything from women’s uneasy place in society to race in the Regency to some historical figures who have largely existed on the margins of history and played some role in inspiring the content of the book.

This is another fabulous book from Vanessa Riley. If you’re looking for a more racially diverse take on Regency romance.

I gave this a 3 hearts rating since I did enjoy but there were some too dramatic parts for me. Jemina as a character is always lead by her emotions which does not bode well with me. She is very brave which I like about her. Also, her not remembering anything in her past was the leverage she needed to want to know things. However, her past first before anything else for her. I just wished that she tried to listen to the earl and talk it out. In the end, it was good to see that she was the first to want the old romantic relationship again. All in all, this was more dramatic and action-packed than the first and I like it a lot.

This book had a really good story at its base. I'm not sure if was due to formatting but the story was absolutely all over the place. It jumped so much that at times I wasn't sure who was talking or what characters were in the scene. That aside I did really like the book and the characters and look forward to trying more Vanessa Riley books in the future.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

As I've matured, my reading list has expanded to other authors and other settings and I like a good Regency romp or Victorian escape - fluff pieces, often, but easy to read and distracting from the laundry baskets piling up around me or the never ending emails flooding my inbox. When I saw An Earl, the Girl, and a Toddler by Vanessa Riley I was intrigued. I jumped in thinking it would, once again, just be a bit of mindless drivel - enjoyable but not impactful. Oh, but how I was mistaken. I should have paid more attention to the publisher's notes.

One comment I think important to note is that I don’t think the comparison to Bridgerton is fair. Ms. Riley has created a well-crafted world in her own right, worthy of its own success. While both series are remarkable, they are not the same, although I can see how fans of the Bridgertons will enjoy the Rogues & Remarkable Women Series – with less, um, heaving bosoms. Both authors are talented and acclaimed.

In reviewing this novel itself, I say there was a depth of emotion and feeling that I didn’t expect. It was full of high-stakes drama and flawed but likeable characters. And a ferocity – oh the ferocity and strength – were balanced with heartbreak, humour, and romance. Motherhood, strong women, unfair societal constraints, prejudice, loss – this title had it all along with danger and daring. What I particularly noted was a lack of ‘skip scenes’ – all the steam was closed-door – so no objectionable content for anyone trying to avoid blatant intimacy. (I will note that this is actually one of the complaints I’m seeing from other reviewers – not everyone wants a “clean read” but this novel didn’t need intimate scenes. There was heat and chemistry between the characters but it’s not in-your-face. To each their own.)

Best of all, in a world where representation matters, Riley delivers a beautiful story with diversity and multi-culturalism as an #OwnVoices author. I enjoyed this title so much that I then went and bought the previous title in the series (but know this title can be read as a standalone) and have flagged Riley as a must-read author as I work my way through her backlist. What an enjoyable adventure that will be!

My thanks to Kensington Books for the Advanced Readers Copy via NetGalley. This title will be published April 27th and if you’re a fan of Regency romance, you should probably check it out! While I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I'm gonna start this off saying I requested this book before reading the first one, "The Duke, The Lady, and a Baby,"
and when I tried to read that first I didn't get nearly as engrossed as I did in this one. I might go back now and try again.

I did very much enjoy this, though at times it was so frustrating! Jemina was at times not as likable as she could've been. Like I understood a few things that would've made her be mad at Daniel but by the end when it KEPT happening it started to feel like conflict just to make the book longer.

I loved, love, LOVED Daniel. Just everything about Daniel. As I've said I knew nothing about the character before this and some of the backstory I probably would've understood better if I had read the first book but I loved him so very much. I wanted him to be happy and that lead to the frustration of how wishy-washy Jemina was at times.

I was expecting the ending about Jemina's past to be different but I wasn't entirely disappointed. I did overall enjoy this one, just not as much as I could've I think given I'd read the first.

Recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley for the ARC to read and review.

Having read the first book in this series, I'm sad to say this one was DNF for me. There was just a barrier, perhaps from the writing style, that kept me from connection with the characters.

I applaud Vanessa Riley for bringing us the stories of racial diversity in Regency period, and highlighting the treatment of those racially diverse peoples and of women during this period as well. Treatment of Mental illness is also a part of this book. Lots of truths in this book, but I couldn't feel the romance part of it.

I have been really excited about Vanessa Riley's Rogues and Remarkable Women series: historical romance with racially diverse characters, people of color in particular Black people as members of the peerage, discussions of mental health and trauma. Riley really creates well rounded characters that are bucking the tradition (and misconception) that 1800s England had no Black people.

Overall, I enjoyed this. It was really interesting to see Jemina's growth, understand her past and her future. There were some slow back and forths, some slow story lines, and some stale dialogue that made my slog through it a bit. What I really wanted to know was who Jemima was and how Daniel was involved and it took a bit to get to that reveal. Daniel was such an interesting character - a Blackamoor who now has a title and experiences racism and microaggressions daily. Some of the physical descriptions were a bit muddy, specifically for Daniel and Jemina, but I loved the discussion of being in an interracial relationship. I did want a bit more chemistry from them - know this is a closed door romance as well so the steaminess is off the page!

Overall, I would highly recommend this for folx who love history, love romance, and love a seriously researched historical romance.

Thank you to Kensington Books for my advanced copy to review!

Jemina Was saved from a ship wreck between Jamaica and Portsmouth, put in Bedlam and saved by Daniel Thackery who is now the Earl of Ashbrook. She has worked for the Widow's Grace. Jemina has amnesia so her memory starts with her trip to Bedlam. Jemina and Daniel are in love but reserved about admitting it to each other. His daughter who was also rescued from the wreck and has been with him ever since is really Jemina's daughter and they feel the connection as soon as they are together. Now Daniel needs to save both of his girls from being hurt or taken from him.

Jemina is in Bedlam- she lost everything when the Minerva went down, including her memory. She didn't expect to be rescued by Daniel Thackery, who works for the Widow's Grace, an organization bent on righting wrongs against women. He recently gained the earldom but he's struggling with more than that. His finance was also on the ship and he didn't know that she had a daughter - who is now his. Or is she? While he helps Jemina, they fall, as one might expect, for one another but there' something else there. No spoilers but you, like me, might guess the true story of Hope. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I enjoyed the first book but think this will be fine as a standalone. There might not be any big surprises, but it's a spritely new take on the Regency romance.

This was an interesting story that kept me engaged until the end. I wasn’t quite sure how it would all play out, but it did satisfactorily. This series is set in the Regency era, but it shows a different, diverse side that was a nice change of pace.

Jemina & Daniel are both returning characters from the first book. Jemina was rescued from Bedlam by Daniel and she cannot remember her life before. Daniel is a barrister, who has helped sane women escape Bedlam on a number of occasions, and he has recently inherited an earldom. Much of the book delves into uncovering Jemina’s past and how that process threatens Daniel’s tightly held secrets. The romance was ok, but it didn’t feel central as much as it should. It also blew too hot and cold, without much in between. I did think it more convincing than the first book, though.

The flow of the story was the weakest part of this read for me. Between chapters there could be large or small time jumps, but there were basically no transitional sentences to orient the reader. It doesn’t help that the narrative switches back and forth from first person (Jemina’s) to third person, but I think some work on transitions would go a long way in helping the flow of the story.

All in all, I thought this was an enjoyable read despite some issues. The plot was certainly intriguing and I would recommend if looking for an HR with an intricate plot.

<I>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book. Views are my own.

The rate is actually 3.5 out of 5 stars

When I was offered and advanced e-ARC of Vanessa Riley’s “An Earl, the Girl, and a Toddler” I was so excited that I said “yes, please” I had high hopes for it because I read her first book of the series “A Duke, the Baby, and a Lady” and it was fun, and refreshing because the topics it included were refreshing. Well, having high hopes was my mistake, that’s why I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the previous one. Still I’ve enjoyed it quite a lot.

At the beginning of this book there is a shipwreck near the coast of England. It should have arrived in Portsmouth that day and many people were waiting at the docks only to learn that their relatives, their colleagues or their dreams had drowned. There were only two survivors to that wreck; an amnesiac young girl who was identified as Jenima St. Maur, and a blackamoor one-year-old baby whose mother was drowned. At the docks there was Daniel Thackery, a young barrister who was waiting for his Jamaican proxy wife who was supposed to come to him “with a surprise”. Someone puts that baby in his arms, being a blackamoor himself, Daniel knows that this baby will end up in a brothel, so he accepts the possibility that the surprise his proxy wife meant was that she had a daughter.

At the same time Jenima claims that there was a baby in her arms but no one believes her. She’s taken for a mentally unstable girl and so she’s put into Bedlam. Two years later she and Patience, the heroine of the first book, are rescued by Lady Shrewsbury’s organization ‘The Widows’ Grace’. Daniel, now an earl and a barrister, is Lady Shrewsbury’s nephew and unwilling supporter.

Now a member of the ‘Widows’ Grace’ herself Jenima goes on a mission with her best friend Patience. The mission is to break into a Lincoln’s Inn, where several lawyers share an office. They’re looking for proof to help a fellow widow get custody of her children. Daniel’s desk is there too, and in that desk Jenima finds some papers that prove that Daniel has a lot of information on her past. A past she can’t remember, a past that makes her doubt of her own identity.

Here starts a story of lies, deception, love and mistrust. Of course Daniel and Jenima find love in their story and eventually they will get their happily ever after. But the in between felt like going in circles, and you can’t help wanting to punch Daniel all the time, because he has the key. He is so utterly scared that he doesn’t let the story flow, and that was frustrating. All that mess could have been solved in a minute if only he spoke the truth at least to Jenima. Because Jenima wouldn’t do anything to hurt him or the little girl Hope. She loves them, but he can’t trust her or share his concerns with her.

The chapters can be classified in two. Those that are written from Daniel’s perspective and those that are written from Jenima’s perspective. That is the common thing in romance, but Jenima’s side is written in the first person, and that kind of manipulates the reader into becoming her supporter. Daniel’s side of the story is written in the third person. Vanessa Riley used this trick in the first book too.

One of the things I loved about this story is that Patience and her husband the duke are there. They’re not in the background like most former and future main characters, they’re there all the time supporting Jenima. The young widow lives with them and Patience sees a sister in her. The sisterly love and loyalty in the novel is moving. There’s a lot of talk of sorority, but of course not all women are that generous.

There’s also talk about racism, hypocrisy about racism, slaverism, innocence by amnesia (you’ll understand when you read the book, spoilers), identity and honesty. The main subject being ‘the end justifies the means?’.

In conclusion: I’ve loved this book, but it was not a page-turner, it lacked the excitement I usually look for in a romance novel. It’s a somewhat clean romance and I’m not a huge fan of that, but that’s just my taste so it didn’t lower points. It didn’t add either. It’s a good story and I loved Jenima as a character. Daniel could have been better, he’s likable as a person and a great father, but his choices were wrong and even though he knew, he didn’t do anything about it.

I liked this book! I was just an ok on book 1 but this was a cute read. Sometimes books with kids are rough but it worked here. Will check out this author again.

Loved reading the engaging and enthralling romance story. When the Minerva sinks, Jemina St. Maur survives and is sent to an asylum, Daniel Thackery's fiance, Phoebe, dies, and leaves him with a baby girl. Daniel saves Jemina and her friend from the asylum, Daniel fights his attraction for Jemina, and Jemina is drawn to the handsome earl. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, riveting storyline with captivating characters, and a must read love story.
I reviewed a copy of the book through NetGalley.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for my advanced review copy, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first time reading this author's work, so I didn't read the first book in this series, A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby. This is a stand alone novel but there were a few references that I felt a little lost on, particularly relating to the widows' secret society.

The heroine, Jemina, has survived a shipwreck that took place on her voyage from Jamaica to London after which she suffered from amnesia. She meets the hero, Daniel, an earl who actually rescues her from Bedlam.

I really liked the hero and how he stepped up when he becomes the sole-caretaker of his toddler stepdaughter Hope. I loved the romance between Jemina and Daniel and watching them become their own little family. As a romance, I do wish the book would've had a bit more steam...kissing is about as much as we get here.

Otherwise, this was an adorable and sweet romance and I would definitely check this author out again.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eARC for review!

Going into this I didn’t realize it was a sequel so I had to go back and read the first book in the series, and I am hooked. This was a good follow up to watching bridgerton and dealing with my historical romance hangover caused by that show and It couldn’t have come at a better time. The characters were funny and the chemistry was great, pick this up if you’re looking for a light romance read!

A Lady suffering from amnesia highlights this story.
An Earl who will go to any lengths to protect his stepdaughter is the hero in this poignant romance. Prejudice,and love are the perfect blend in this story.
This is a good story of what prejudice was like in the eighteenth century.
Vanessa Riley writes an amazing tale.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. This in no way affected my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

I refuse to believe that this book was only 350 pages. It took me so long to read, and I had to force myself to read it. Looking back, I'm not even sure why I did. It was a slog, and not one with any bright points.

I guess the one thing I would have to commend this book on is giving the child a personality. In the first book, the baby kind of irritated me, since it was only there as a plot device. Hope was adorable in this one, and I loved how she actually played a part in the book.

However, all of the personality she was given was taken from the other characters. I spent hours reading this, and I can't tell you a single trait of Daniel or Jemina. They overreacted constantly, and that was the extent of their personality.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy angst, but the angst in this was terrible. It was repetitive, and over the same issues every time. Seriously, if the characters had a single conversation, the book could've been 100 pages shorter. It got to the point where everything about the book was irritating me.

My BR buddy enjoyed this much more than I did, so I might just be an outlier. I just despised the characters, and the plot was almost nonexistent. On top of that, I still have no idea what the Widows Grace is, which is a shame, because it sounds super interesting. I wouldn't recommend this, but some people have clearly loved it.

Thanks to Vanessa Riley and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

This sequel to A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby follows Jemina St. Maur, introduced as a woman who had been confined to Bedlam against her will after a shipwreck left her with amnesia. This book pairs her with Daniel Thackeray, the Black barrister who freed her (and many other women) from her confinement who is now newly elevated to Earl.

We found ourselves wanting to like the book more than we actually liked it. The story seems like it would be compelling, but the relationship is slow-moving and Daniel keeps several important facts from Jemina until almost the very end. Added to that, this novel continues the unusual narrative structure from the first entry in the series - Daniel's chapters are told in a 3rd person limited narration, while Jemina's are in the first person. Unfortunately we never connected with either protagonist, despite the interesting plot and diverse cast of characters.

We do appreciate the diversity that this series adds to the plethora of historical romance, with characters of color playing an important role, as well as the limitations they face when pursuing their chosen professions. It also highlights the subordinate role that women were forced to play; even independently wealthy widows (who, according to HR tropes, have the most freedom of women at the time) could be exploited by their late husbands' families. We only wish that these parts of the novel were matched with equally-interesting characters and plots.

Jemima St. Maur is a maid who ends up in an asylum after being shipwrecked and losing her memory. As she struggles to piece together recollections of her former life, she realizes that Daniel, the lawyer who arranged her release, may know more than he is willing to admit about her past. Jemima is a part of an organization called The Widow's Grace, who's mission is to help women who lack agency in a male-dominated society, to regain their freedom and independence. Together, Jemima, Daniel, and The Widows Grace untangle a somewhat convoluted scheme and of course, fall in love. Having read the first book, I expected some of the melodrama of the book, and I will say that I preferred this one to the first. Jemima and Daniel are much better suited to one another, and in the first half of the book, I really enjoyed their banter. Once that banter dissipated in favor of sleuthing, the book slowed down quite a bit and their exchanges felt repetitive. The characters can only sigh wistfully about missing each other so long before it gets absurd and although there are two points of view in the narrative, they alternate 1st and 3rd person which led to some confusing chapters for me. To no fault of the series, I think I'm just past my fascination with the genre and would rather see diversely cast characters in settings outside of colonial monarchies. I would recommend the book to anyone interested in a relatively chaste historical romance with an injection of cultural and racial diversity.

Thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for giving me an ARC of this book.