The Virgin Who Humbled Lord Haslemere by Anna Bradley
Release: 1st of June 2021
Series: Swooning Virgins Society, Book 3

“The only thing Georgiana Harley despises more than chaos is bad behavior. So when the Duchess of Kenilworth pleads for help to escape her witty, charming, handsome, heartless monster of a husband, she’s come to the right place. Calm and logical, with nerves of steel, Georgiana is uniquely qualified to safely disappear the duchess, along with her young son. Her greatest challenge is Her Grace’s brother, Lord Haslemere. An arrogant scoundrel, he keeps interfering with Georgiana’s methodical plans. If only he would get out of her way—yet once he reveals a heart as sweet as his lips, she isn’t so sure she wants him to. Can she allow herself to fall for a man with an angel’s face—and a devil’s reputation . . .?

Benedict Harcourt, the Earl of Haslemere isn’t about to trust his precious sister and beloved nephew to some delicate chit who looks as if a stiff wind could send her sprawling—no matter how brilliant Georgiana is. Or beautiful. Or brave. Or lovable. Or irresistible. But does even he have the courage to fall for a young woman with the starry eyes of an innocent—and the unstoppable fierceness of a lioness? Only time, and taking a risk, will tell . . .” - GoodReads

You’ve got a Historical Setting, a Central Romance, and an Underlying Mystery to top it off. SOLD. But then, you also have flirtatious banter and intelligent characters which I adore.

Lord Haslemere, Benedict Harcourt, our arrogant Earl of the series is a delight. He’s demanding and incorrigible. I truly felt the attentions of Benedict, I felt the swoon and his careful affection, and that’s not even mentioning his own amorous attentions. He was truly one of a kind as our love interest for the book. He was very tongue in cheek and fun to watch in his interactions with the other characters. His somber dedication to those he loved was moving, and made him even more likeable in the face of his infappable humorous nature.

Georgiana Harley, with her wits and tenacity is like a dog with a bone when faced with a mystery. She wants the truth and will stop at nothing - even spending time with Benedict unwillingly - to find the truth.

The chemistry between the two is palpable and their flirtations gave me butterflies with their small touches, so innocent otherwise, set my heart alight.

The mystery itself kept me on my toes. I have found with a few historical romances that the mystery is secondary and as such isn’t as complex as some might prefer. Which I normally don’t mind, I’m happy to focus my attention solely on the central love interests. However, Bradley did not compromise on romance or steam for the sake of the mystery, nor did she forsake the mystery for the merit of the romance.

I truly recommend this book, while the start was a little slow to establish the setting and the characters once it found its pace I couldn’t put it down.

However, unlike with other books in a series of Regency Romances, I do not recommend reading this book as a standalone. I feel a lot of the background gained from the earlier books in the series helps you understand the characters and their roles better.
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TLDR; The romance was AMAZING the steamy scenes were felt from my head to my toes and the mystery had me GUESSING and I was wrong every time.
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Thank you to #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks for letting me lose sleep over this wonderful book ahead of the release!

I received an advanced reader’s copy of The Virgin Who Humbled Lord Haslemere by Anna Bradley.

In this, the third book of The Swooning Virgins Society series, we get Georgiana and Haslemere’s story. The romance was built up over the course of the story with the mystery sub-plot driving the two together. We see the struggle of both characters with regards to how they feel about each other and how they resolve it and open themselves up to love.

As far as the mystery, there were some unexpected details that were revealed. The story is well written and there were unanswered questions that kept me turning pages to learn what happened next.

I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

This is my first book by this author and I am impressed. This is the third in the series but I didn’t find that to be an issue. The story stands well on its own.
I read so many books that not very many keep me reading into the wee hours of the morning. The characters are engaging and even though the reader knows there will be a happily ever after, the journey to the end of the story is interesting with a few twists along the way.
I highly recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and Kensington Books through NetGalley and was under no obligation to leave a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

When a duchess hires Georgiana to find a missing woman, the duchess's brother Benedict refuses to let Georgiana handle the situation on her own. Not only does he worry for her safety—he's also irresistibly attracted to her tart tongue and stiff demeanor. Okay, so he's got a governess fetish. Is that so wrong?

Georgiana doesn't know what to do about Benedict. She's trained to handle herself in dicey situations. She should be annoyed by the rakish aristocrat's interference. But the truth is, he's a helpful ally. And he makes her feel things. Things that confuse her and disrupt her orderly world. Things that stir her heart. But with a potential killer on the loose, can she and Benedict survive long enough to fall in love?

I ADORE this series. Cannot get enough of it. Each book is unique, but they all have strong heroines, swoon-worthy heroes, and a mystery that will keep you guessing until the end. Georgiana is rational and confident when it comes to practical matters, but humans confuse her. She longs for love but doesn't believe it's something she's destined for. Benedict's fun-loving demeanor annoys her at first, but she soon discovers the loyal man beneath the facade. Benedict will do anything to protect his sister, and Georgiana is drawn to that. This novel is a perfect balance of romance, mystery, and understated humor. Can't wait for the next book in the series!

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This is the first time I am reading a book by Anna Bradley. And I am extremely delighted I got to discover her.

In my recent memory, I don't remember being so engrossed by a story, that I just couldn't stop reading. This book did that to me. The story was intriguing and there was a thrilling aspect to it too.

I loved the pacing of the story from the beginning itself. It started off at a good pace and got only better. The principal characters were also written in such a way that you couldn't help but get interested in knowing them and their lives. The dynamics of the lead characters was very interesting to read and the way their relationship grew was a pleasure to read.

This book has really got me wanting to read the rest of the book in the series and other books of Anna Bradley as well. Thanks to Netgalley for introducing me to her and to the author for this ARC.

Benedict and Georgiana story is an enlightening one and rather comical.
When The Duchess of Kenilworth decides she has to disappear from her monster of a husband she asks for help from Georgiana.
Benedict is not about to trust the delicate chit to take care of his precious sister and her son.
This is a story of bigamy and treachery. Anna Bradley is an awesome author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

I received a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Like this entire series I loved this book.
Georgiana is a part of Lady Clifford's school and has been asked by a duchess to find her lost friend. But as she starts her search, the Duchess's brother Benedict gets involved as well.
The plot was engaging but my favorite part was benedict. He is a fun character and he banter with Georgiana is perfect.
This entire series has been great but this can be read as a stand alone.

The Virgin Who Humbled Lord Haslemere
By: Anna Bradley
Rating: 4 Stars ⭐️

This book is third in the series and features Georgiana and Benedict. This is an opposites attract story. He is handsome, full of life, popular, and a rake. She is brave, dedicated, witty and committed to supporting the “Clifford Charity School for Wayward Girls.”

- H likable? Yes. I really liked Benedict. He was carefree and enjoyed life but also cared deeply for his sister and nephew.
- h likable? Yes. Georgiana is smart, witty and loyal. She is an orphan who was taken in by Clifford School. She is trying to save Benedict’s sister from a abusive husband.

- h virgin? Yes
- First time they kiss: 50%
- First time they sleep together: 83%
- OW/OM drama? No
- H/h cheat? No
- Steamy? No
- Did I skip pages? Yes, the mystery ones
- Big secrets? No
- Did I cry? No
- Cliffhanger? No
- How it ends: HEA
- Recommend? Yes. I really enjoyed the interactions between Benedict and Georgiana. The focus of this book is on resolving the mystery surrounding Benedict’s sister not the romance.
Thank you to the publisher for providing the ARC.

“The Virgin Who Humbled Lord Haslemere” (The Swooning Virgins Society, #3) is my second book read by this author. Where to start with this story…I enjoyed it very much. I so loved seeing opposites attract and enemies turning into lovers. Unfortunately for me, I am reading the third in this series where there are characters from the other two that carry over into this one.

The story begins with a rake named Benedict Harcourt who is the Earl of Haslemere and his friends having fun with two orphaned girls who are discovered by Miss Georgianna Harley, a familiar face for these two mischiefs. Miss Harley is later employed by his sister to find a missing woman and thus the story begins between the hero and the heroine. Benedict is very protective of his family and his encounter with Miss Harley early on and subsequently uproots his life. Determined to find the missing woman, Georgianna is disrupted by Benedict at every turn until she agrees to work with him to uncover the mystery. What I liked…the heroine’s strong and independent nature of standing up to Benedict. Although labeled a rake, it was nice seeing a responsible, loving and thought gentleman evolve from this hero. What I didn’t like…it dragged a bit too long for me.

This was a well-written story with a nice plot. I thought the secondary characters were a good addition to the main characters and there was a bit of humor here and there through the story. As with most historical romances that I like, it had just the right amount of relationship building and intimacy that I look for in a good read. Kudos to Anna Bradley for an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was a fun, engaging enemies to lovers mystery. It was a perfect balance of romance and intrigue. My attention was captured at the beginning and kept me urgently turning the pages. I had been in a reading slump, and this book pulled me out of it. I loved everything about this book.

Benedict Harcourt, the Earl of Haslemere, is an infamous rake. Georgiana Harley was rescued from the streets and raised in a home for girls in unfortunate circumstances. She works cases for clients that need discretion. Georgiana had an acerbic tongue and loved order over emotion. She was feisty and naïve at the same time. I loved her independent spirit. Benedict is perceived as a shallow, selfish rake. As the book progresses, Benedict’s true nature is revealed. He is a loving, responsible, thoughtful man. I love the gentleness he has with his family. Together, Benedict and Georgiana had combustive chemistry. Their relationship started with distrust and aggravation. The couple’s banter was written with sharp wit and cunning barbs. Their relationship was so much fun to read as they slowly go from untrusting to mutual attraction and eventually love. I loved how their relationship unfolded. It was perfectly paced and highly romantic. I genuinely cared about these characters. Their undeniable attraction and passion were captivating.

The mystery in the novel was well thought out and kept me guessing until the end. The plot was edgy and urgent. The pages flew by. The story went at a relentless pace keeping me engaged and wanting more. The secondary characters were as strong as the main couple. They supported the mystery and enlivened the entire story. I cared for and was invested in the welfare of the characters. I can usually guess the solution to the puzzle halfway into the novel, but I could not in this case. It was an intricate mystery that unfolded perfectly. The resolution was not discovered until the final chapters. There was a perfect balance between romance and mystery. The passion and romance grew to a fever pitch through the entire book.

I love when a plot comes together seamlessly. The couple was captivating. The storyline was a perfect combination of passion and endless questions. It isn’t easy to marry romance and mystery to a satisfying culmination. The couple’s connection was sizzling from the very beginning. I have no critique. This was an excellent marriage of a passionate love story and a challenging puzzle. I unconditionally recommend this novel, it is a sharp, clever, loving experience.

I received this ARC through Netgalley and Kensington Books. This is my honest, voluntary opinion.

I have read all the books in this series, and while I enjoyed this one , I felt it was not as good as the others. I loved the banter between the characters, but at times it became repetitive and seemed to drag on. Loved the overall plot and revisiting characters from the previous books. Overall, an easy, quick read with a little romance and mystery tied together.
I received an advance copy of this story in exchange for my honest review.

Anna Bradley has such a good eye for details, from conversation and dresses, to steamy scenes and mystery. This was my first book from this series, and now I think I'll go back and read the first two. I appreciated Bradley's ability to visualize the important parts of the time period. That helps, especially in a historical novel.

Here are some of the things I liked (and a couple of those I didn't) about the novel:

-I really liked Benedict. When we first meet him in the beginning of the novel, he seems absolutely vain and ridiculous. I liked discovering his true nature, and his love for his family was absolutely breathtaking.

-I liked the mystery in the story. While it was far-fetched, it was definitely the type to keep me interested. I'm a sucker for a H and a h who solve a mystery together. It brings them closer.

-One bed! Need I say more?

A few things I wasn't a fan of:

-The heroine, Georgiana, wasn't much of a fully-developed character. She didn't seem to have much personality except for a "sharp tongue." There just wasn't anything special that stood out to me about her.

-While this can technically be read as a stand-alone, I don't recommend it. This was my first book in the series, and I was pretty confused for the first hundred pages or so. We're told that Georgiana works at a girl's school, but that's pretty much all we get. This school becomes a weird backdrop for the story, even though practically nothing is said about it. And is Georgiana some sort of spy? She seems so. I would know, of course, if I had been given background info in this book. Because of this, it's vague and difficult to piece together.

I really did enjoy the mystery and Benedict's antics, but having not read the previous books, this one felt vague and choppy. Georgiana, while a good person, is left so blank. She could've been any number of romance novel heroines. There was nothing distinctive about her. The majority of these criticisms are mostly my own quirks; I'm sure if you've read the first two books in the series, it makes more sense.

*Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC and an honest review in return.^

This third in Anna Bradley's Virgin series keeps audiences engaged with romance with a side of mystery. Like the previous two books, Bradley's heroine, Georgiana Harley, from Lady Clifford's School is hired to help discover the answer to a mystery for an aristocrat -this time Lady Jane, Duchess of Kenilworth. From the start, I was hoping to see more of the heroine, Georgiana's card and math skills hinted at in the start, but instead we only get one minor glimpse of her talent.
The connection and story between Georgiana and Lord Haslemere was a good one. Her quick wit and 'sharp tongue' match well with Lord Haslemere's projected insousance. The connection between the heroine and hero was light and easily enjoyable. The moments of doubt sometimes felt strained, but overall the pacing of the love story was good. The action of the story made it a smooth and delightful read.
I recommend this third in the series and it can be read as a stand alone.

This story had a lot more potential than it actually lived up to. I struggled to finish this book to be honest. The mystery aspect was simply too confusing at the beginning to find remotely enjoyable. You couldn't grasp onto anything about it, and it is one thing to have a good mystery that you can't see coming, but quite another to have a mystery you can't even enjoy. The enjoyed the banter between the main characters once they got past their initial bickering. They were well done. I was lost a couple of times because I hadn't read previous books in the series, this is my first book by this author. It mostly stands alone but several times refers to people and situations from other books assuming we know. Like why does a girls' school get involved with this sort of thing? The only other thing I would mention is the formatting made this a massive chore to read as well, though hopefully that's just The ARC, because several words would be stuck together with no spacing and at times the words could be multiple things so you had to figure it out. Very frustrating reading experience I would never repeat again.


#TheVirginWhoHumbledLordHaslemere #NetGalley

Unfortunately, I felt disappointed by The Virgin Who Humbled Lord Haslemere. I liked the previous book, The Virgin Who Vindicated Lord Darlington, so much that I think I had high expectations for this next installment in the Swooning Virgins series that weren't met.
I thought the novel was boring. The first part of the book also felt a bit aimless, in part, also, because the synopsis gives away little bit too much. I never really felt a romantic connection all that strong between the main characters, though their banter was kind amusing (it did tend to get a bit repetitive sometimes). The mystery part of it fell flat and it kind of took the rest of the novel down along with it.
2 stars.

Another great addition to this series. I am loving the intrigue, witty banter, mystery and longing in this book and series. If you have read the other two books you will love this book also and if you haven't you can read this as a stand alone but I suggest reading the first two books. Lord Haslemere has meet his match with Georgiana. I like that Georgiana takes no crap from anyone but she is also innocent in a lot of other ways. There is a great mystery to unravel and happily it all turns out for the best. I can't wait for the next book in this series.

It’s sexy, chock-full of intrigue, dashing heroes, and strong women. Honestly what’s not to love!?

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

Benedict Harcourt, the Earl of Haslemere, is a darling rake of the ton. The good-natured lord who doesn't take anything seriously, that is, until he overhears Miss Georgianna Harley talking about his sister, Jane, the Duchess of Kenilworth and a missing young woman. Benedict doesn't let too many things affect his good nature except when it comes to protecting his sister and his nephew. Little does Benedict know that the chance encounter with Ms. Harley will change the course of his life. Miss Georgianna Harley hates unsolved puzzles and she's determined to help the Duchess find the missing young woman, but at every turn, her brother Benedict is there interrupting her search and in the end agrees to work with him.

This was another enjoyable novel by Ms. Bradley in the Swooning Virgins Society series. I loved that Georgiana was strong willed and had a sharp tongue that she wasn't afraid to use when scolding Lord Haslemere. And, of course, there's more to Benedict than anyone knows. Both he and Georgiana agree to team up to help Jane, but there's missing pieces of the puzzle that make it difficult to figure out the big picture. Ms. Bradley does a great job of keeping the mystery interesting and I was happily turning the pages to find out. When I think I've figured out the mystery, Ms. Bradley throws another twist into the story. What I found odd though was that during the days' long search, neither Benedict nor Georgiana changed their clothes and yet went calling on different folks. Surely, people would question whether he was actually a lord based on their disheveled appearance. I can imagine they didn't smell very good either. Besides that, this was another winner from Ms. Bradley.

Lovely story! I adored the character’s interactions and treatment of one another. I typically don’t enjoy mystery sub plots but this one worked to keep the characters talking to one another, so that worked!

Thank you for the opportunity for the ARC

This is my first time reading Anna Bradley's work, and it won't be my last. While reading, the style reminded me somewhat of author Amanda Quick; the deft combination of historical setting, a central romance, and an underlying mystery was very reminiscent of Quick's style. This book is the third installment in a series, but I have not read the first two books and was able to follow along just fine. The cast of characters was large, and there are instances of couples from the previous novels showing up, so if it would bother you to not see the circumstances of how the women met (the "virgins" that are being referred to in the title of each book in the series), then it might be best to start with the first book (The Virgin Who Ruined Lord Gray). Even though I didn't know how the titular women in the series met, it did not detract from my reading experience or confuse me.

The story follows a strong, intelligent young woman, Georgiana Harley who teaches at a School for Wayward Girls. Georgiana is particularly fond of math (and all things logical and orderly), so her rule-driven life is upended when she meets (and has to join forces with) the rakish Lord Benedict Haslemere. Georgiana is tasked with finding out what happened to a young woman who mysteriously went missing many years ago. Lord Haslemere is drawn into the fold because Georgiana is asked to find the missing girl at his sister's behest. Fiercely protective of his sister and nephew, Benedict cannot leave such an important task to just anyone. When he starts sparring with Georgiana, he realizes right away that there isn't anyone quite like her.

To put it plainly, I really enjoyed this book. For a rake, Benedict was quite the cinnamon roll hero and Georgiana was smart and charming. In some cases, I feel like authors have an idea for two characters independently and then try to mash the results together, but in this instance, Georgiana and Benedict just make sense. I found the dialogue to be genuinely funny at parts, and Benedict possessed a very sly wit. This was another instance where things could have gone awry (i.e., the author tells me that their lord or lady is a laugh riot and then when the character actually speaks, I'm left with nary a chuckle), but I was pleasantly surprised! Benedict does have a great sense of humor and Georgiana does seem to have a wicked intellect.

The mystery element was refreshing and kept me guessing. I thought I had it figured out, but there were some great twists and turns. What happened to the missing woman? How is Benedict's sister involved? I had to keep reading to find out. I love that Bradley incorporates the history and social norms (e.g., primogeniture, rules of propriety) into the plot. Who knew what faro rooms were before reading this book? Speaking of faro rooms, that scene in the gambling hall was just *chef's kiss*. The chemistry was palpable. And the fact that Benedict was so turned on by how smart Georgiana is? My kinda hero.

Some minor things that might just be me:
1) The "bad guy" was so comically evil, they may as well have been rubbing their hands together at scenes.
2) There were a few plot...not holes exactly but maybe divots that distracted me but didn't necessarily get in the way of my reading enjoyment. For instance, without getting into too many details there is a portion of the book where Benedict and Georgiana have to stay on the road (on the run?) for an extended period of time and this whole time (I think it may be 3 days?), both characters do not change their clothes. For some reason this really got to me! I kept thinking about how smelly and wrinkly their clothes must be! They meet people along the way; can someone please lend her a dress? Also there is a part where someone packs supplies in their carriage for a long trip, but then they go back in a different carriage without their supplies. What happened to all of their supplies? Maybe Georgiana could find it and sneak a change of clothes?
3) As I note in my previous reviews, repeated phrases in books kills me. The phrase "curve of his mouth" or "his mouth curved into a smile" was just on the edge of too much.

In conclusion, this is a sweet, slow burn historical romance with mystery elements that I thoroughly enjoyed. It's a light, quick snack with fun, likable characters. I'm looking forward to reading more of Bradley's books in the future.

Steam: 2.5/5
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.