4.5*  I enjoyed this story - the characters had depth of feeling and convincing background stories.  The author did a nice job with a touch of suspense to drive the plot, and the journey of the hero and heroine back to being friends again was sweet and rewarding.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are completely my own.

This was a sweet, easy romance. Would read more by this author. Light weekend read. Recommend to anyone who just wants a light regency book

To Marry an Earl was a really cute book. Karen Thornell has an amazing writing style.

At first I was quite annoyed by how every struggle there is, is self inflicted (and even exclusively by James, the male lead). Especially in the beginning half of the book there was an almost real-life-amount of cringy events between James and Kate. (I don't really like to feel secondhandly ashamed for book characters).

As soon as the first few struggles were out of the way, the book was really refreshing and new. Having read loads of Historical Romance I never came across this specific opposing struggle that our love interests have to fight.
The main characters were well and thoroughly built (clear backstory, clear problems)
There were many aww moments in this story, and it made me smile a lot :)

Writing Style: Amazing, very well versed
Content: Clean, just kissing
Violence: Mild, non graphic descriptions
Would recommend: Yes



***Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Spoiler alert!

This was a cute story! I loved the non-traditional means of the characters ending up engaged. I also loved how even though James loved Kate from the beginning, you could tell her love was genuine and not just from a place of getting attention. That was really well executed.

The book did drag on a bit because it felt like there were a bunch of little conflicts that resolved really quickly. And while I did enjoy that the misunderstandings and dumb choices didn't last the whole book, those many little conflicts took away from the main threat of the book. And the family being the culprit was fairly obvious to the reader, but for some reason the main characters ignored the family for the whole book so they didn't see it coming. I just found it odd (and unacceptable for the time period) that James invited them to build bridges but then spoke to them so little that he didn't even know their names.

The actual love between the main characters was simple but profound. It was evident that they loved each other deeply but in such a subtle way that was really powerful. I loved the connection to the past, and how that added to the story instead of being the main focus of it. The author just did an incredible job of tying together them falling in love in the present despite that already happening in the past. It was a really great read, and one that I will be adding to my bookshelf!

To Marry and Earl by Karen Thornell, 212 pages. Covenant Communications, 2021. $15.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f’); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Kate has secret plans to be a spinster, for she has seen the pain of love and marriage. However, her father has plans to stop using resources to support Kate. In fact, her father is going to gain resources by selling her hand in marriage to the highest bidder. What if that bidder is a stranger? What if he’s not?
The premise of Kate’s story was exciting, but my expectations went unfulfilled. While I’m not sure what exactly I wanted, I was disappointed by the conflicts which were divided into two categories: repetitive and overly dramatic. Furthermore, I still have unresolved questions. Thornell brings up good points on the topics of forgiveness and love, but the overall story was not great.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

I came to the end of this story with a smile on my face because it was just so sweet.
I enjoyed it very much in spite of the fact that the plot included tropes that are not my favorite, such as the hero hiding his identity for a while, and an unhinged baddie intent on ruining the couple's happiness.
Although I prefer less well-trodden plotlines, the main characters in this were so lovable and innocent that they drew me in and had me rooting for them. I thought the writing was good too, and look forward to more from this author!

All beautiful Katherine wants to do is escape her home life. She has a father who despises her and a mother who is distant. No one has ever really loved her and everyone leaves. She is so close to being able to claim her freedom, and spinsterhood, until her father, who is deep in debt, decides to marry her off to the highest bidder.

James has loved Katherine for years, but his previous social standing made her completely out of his reach. Now, after inheriting an earldom from a distance cousin, he can consider marriage and his ling lost dream of Katherine. After hearing of her father's offer and seeing the types of men who are trying to :purchase" her, he makes a rash decision and makes an offer her father could not refuse.

Being engaged to a man she does not know and then finding our he is someone she thought she could trust is one thing, learning to trust him again and learning to trust herself is something completely different.

I loved being part of Katherine and James's love story. I would love to read the stories of James' friends!

This book was exactly what I expected: a light and cute, feel good historical romance.
Both main characters were really sweet (well especially James), but I enjoyed Kate POV a lot, she feels very relatable and has such a level headed, down to earth personality.
She is trying to stand for herself in a world that has let her down. Because of past trauma and a family that has shown her no worth, she has deep trust issues and doesn’t believe in love . Doesn’t help that her dad, with gambling problem, marries her off to the highest bidder: a mysterious earl that she has never heard of.

James, our newly appointed earl, is also Kate's childhood best friend, who had disappeared one day without a word (hence her trust issues). He has never forgotten about Kate though and decides to “buy/save” her. Unfortunately when they meet again, he doesn’t tell her the truth straight away... Despite a bad start, he will go out of his way to try to regain her trust, her friendship, and hopefully her heart.

I also enjoyed all the other side character, and the beautiful new and old friendships.

This was such a sweet friend to lover story, with a beautiful writing. The pace was rather slow and I would have loved a little more backstory to their childhood friendship.
Overall I enjoyed this cosy book.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a clean recency romance that told a the story of kate and James learning to love and trust. It was an excellent read and reminded me a bit of Edenbrook I somwways. The Bragg family of characters wasn't really merited and I would have liked them to be left oyt. I hope there are future books that tell Jukoa, Henry and Lucas (all friends of our main charact ers). In terms of edited, anyti!e the word or fragment was found it was italicized Overall excellent rea d that is highly recommended.

Historical romance isn’t my typical genre, but I’ve been reading more and more fantasy romance lately and I’ve been dying to try HR.

I was looking for a fun, light romance read when I picked this up. It wasn’t as humorous as I usually like my romance to be, but it was cozy and left me feeling all warm and fuzzy every time I picked it up. I should also stress that this book is CLOSED DOOR, so if you’re looking for a steamy, spicy romance this book isn’t for you.

This book is dual POV and I think the author used this to her advantage really well, both in keeping the tension up and in helping us to understand the thoughts and actions of the main couple. However, the development of the supporting cast was comparatively lacking. I would have like some more characterization of James’s friends and Julia.

I’m rating four stars because this book mostly accomplished what I wanted from it with a basic, feel-good romance. I also love the arranged marriage trope so that part was nice, even if this wasn’t a traditional arranged marriage. However, it didn’t have any deeper, meaningful commentary to bring it to the next level. It was also lacking the hilarious banter I love and wasn’t quite as steamy as I would like. Nevertheless, it was fun and entertaining.

<i>Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for a review.</i>

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this book so much more than I did. The premise sounded like It had so much potential but the actions of the characters didn’t live up to my expectations.

James is a newly created Earl and when he discovers that an old friend, Kate is essentially being sold of to the highest bidder by her drunken, debt ridden father, he steps in to marry her. Kate and her mother are invited to his house party along with some of James’s family and friends.

James meets with Kate again, but doesn’t tell her that he’s her betrothed. If James only let this mistake be corrected as soon as possible, he wouldn’t have come off as such a ridiculous character. I also couldn’t imagine how on earth Kate missed all the signs that James is the Earl. It’s obvious Kate has trust issues, so their romance after James had been lying to her didn’t seem true to the Kate we were initially introduced to. Then there’s the fact that Kate unfortunately somehow lost some of her smarts toward the end of the book.

I thought the secondary characters were more promising than James and Kate so while this book wasn’t my cup of tea, maybe potential future books featuring these characters may be a more enjoyable read.

"He was soon to be married to a woman he loved with every part of him with seemingly no hope of having his love reciprocated."

Kate's father drunk away the last of his money and now he has determined to sell his daughter's hand in marriage to the highest bidder. Kate and James were childhood friends though circumstances (ei. her father) drove them apart.

James doesn't think Kate will recieve him warmly considering their past, but he can hardly leave her future happiness up to the next fool with a bag of cash. But when his bride shows up at his estate, he can't bring himself to tell her it was him.

Now, he poses as her future husband's friend, and they spend hours riding together as she waits for the man who bought her hand and struggles with feels for the man she thinks she can't have.

James hopes to win her back before she realizes that her hand is bound to his, whether she likes it or not.

There were so many "awww" moments in this story. I loved watching their friendship blossom and how truly "besotted" (his words not mine), James was. I enjoyed Kate's interactions with the other guests too, as she slowly makes friends and finds her place in her new home.

Kate's character wasn't always consistent and I grew a little tired of her swimming between trusting/loving James and...not. It is understandable however, considering the broken family she grew up with and how now, she feels deserted not only by her loved ones, but also, her future husband who she has yet to meet.

I do think the author could've played up the weight of James' leaving her years before a bit more. While it is a valid reason for why she hesitates to trust him now, it could have really added to the story to see more of their earlier relationship or even, what it was like living with her father, to truly understand her as a character.

Even so, "To Marry an Earl" by Karen Thornell was an adorable story and everything you could ask for in a fluffy, regency romance. Complete with a rain scene😉 and adorable kisses.

This was absolutely delightful! The characters were charming and well-developed. The plot was well-paced and captivating with mystery, romance, and more! I loved it and can't wait for more from Karen Thornell. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

If this book was as good as its cover, it probably would have been one of my favourite books of 2021. However, it fell short of what I expected.

The summary was interesting: a young man wants to save his childhood friend from an arranged marriage to the highest bidder by providing an offer her father cannot refuse, but when they meet again, he cannot find the right moment to tell her she's engaged to him (and not a strange man she's never met and is afraid to marry).

It started off with a promising start, but soon went downhill. Kate, the heroine, is not especially likeable or smart, she's supposed to be independent and everything, but it doesn't really show. James was well-intentioned but botched everything. How could he ask all of his house party guests and servants not to reveal to Kate he is the Earl she is supposed to marry? I mean, no solid relationship could be based on one person manipulation so many others to hide the truth to the other. Then there was no chemistry between Kate and James. Their reason for "breaking" their friendship years prior was not a good reason at all, and we never really witnessed their childhood friendship as their were very few throwbacks. The secondary characters were not well developed and the book was full of too many stereotypical romantic moments, I felt it was a jigsaw puzzle of the many Regency romances I already read, with no original component. I didn't read the whole book and skipped to the end.

Therefore, to me, the book did have some potential and a gorgeous cover but ended up being disappointing.

*I received an ARC and this is my honest opinion*

I received a free ebook from netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
Kate is devastated to find out her abusive father has done the unthinkable. He has offered her hand in marriage to the highest bidder. Now she is off to meet her future husband who, you guessed it, is an Earl. What she doesn't know is the Earl is none other than her old friend James. This romance is full of misunderstandings, intrigue, threats, and attempted murder. It was such a fun read and I thought the characters were very well written. The clues left were just enough to keep you on your toes. Highly recommend this fun read by a great new author. Hope to see more stories with these characters!
#netgalley #tomarryanearl

"To Marry an Earl" is a charming Regency romance by new-to-me author Karen Thornell. Katherine Cartwright's hand in marriage is being sold to the highest bidder by her father, the repulsive Viscount Harcourt. Unbeknownst to Kate, she is "bought" by her childhood friend James Fenwick, who is now the Earl of Bowcott.

The actions of nearly the entire novel take place during that curious Regency phenomenon, the house party. Amid the fun, there's James doing his best to convince Kate he loves her, unpleasant relatives who openly insult others, and a villain who leaves threatening notes for Kate. There are a few people who plausibly fit the role of "bad guy".

This story is very enjoyable, although it is rather short. Personally, I prefer more backstory. The book is clean and well-written. There are a few characters who deserve their own tales, and I hope they get them.

Thanks to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for an ARC of this novel.

A very sweet, G-rated slow-burn historical romance. The main characters are decent and likable and are also surrounded by several good friends. There are multiple complications--a fraught past, family issues, mistaken identity, gossip, and opposition to their marriage, but the relationship has a strong core of affection and respect that inclines the reader to root for their happiness.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Thanks to @netgalley and Covenant Communications for the ARC “To Marry an Earl” by Karen Thornell. The book was free, but the opinions are mine…all mine.

Kate is the emotionally neglected daughter of a Viscount who has gambled away all of the family’s money. He sells his daughter to the highest bidder to pay off his debts, thus throwing away all of his chances for the ton’s Father of the Year award. Kate’s old friend who ghosted her several years ago, James, has recently become an Earl after his distant uncle died. Upon hearing about the “wife sale”, he secretly purchases Kate as his new wife, because he has always been in love with her and he can’t imagine any other rich jerk owning…er, I mean marrying her. So Kate is essentially a really beautiful, expensive purse- every girl’s dream.

Kate is sent to James’s country home to meet her new hubs, but for many dumb reasons, James doesn’t tell her that he’s the Earl. She’s too obtuse to realize that he’s the man of the house and just thinks he’s there as a guest. And so the story goes…James continues to tell half-truths and lies of omission to “protect” Kate (because pretty purses must be protected from life’s harsh realities). Kate struggles with trust issues and with not wanting to fall in love with James bc she has horrible parents and no friends and doesn’t think love exists. James struggles with honesty and not being petulant and mostly fails miserably at both. Instead of a marriage, what these people really need is a really good therapist and to read a book about honest, open communication. Overall, this was a fail for me. It had a lot of potential, but I just ended up feeling annoyed and bored by all of the characters.

Smut- 0 stars. Even their few kisses were a chaste snoozefest
Romance- 1 star (add a star if you enjoy your relationships to be built on a throne of lies)
Story- 2 stars
Therapy- 5 stars

I requested for and received a copy of this book on NetGalley! A huge thanks to the publisher and author.

This is a delightful regency romance that follows Kate and James, childhood friends who drift apart. James has his reasons which are not known to Kate who holds on to the disappointment and heartbreak. Kate does not have an easy life and we see a woman who is trying to fight for herself and stand up for herself. When her father decides to marry her off to the highest bidder, she knows that she is doomed. Little does she know that she will once again come face to face with her childhood friend and have to revisit her feelings. 

James has had a hard time and coming into an earldom was highly unexpected. When he heard about Kate's father's decision, all his old feelings resurfaced leading to his final decision and sudden betrothal. Therein begins a series of hidden truths, misunderstandings and some life threats, that though hilarious enough, make this a highly enjoyable read.

The story is enjoyable and fun with strong characters some likeable and some who definitely get on your nerves. The author has done a great job in bringing out the contrast in characters. I love how Kate not only finds love, but also friendship and companionship among the group. She also redevelops a strong bond with her mother who finally gains the confidence to stand up to her father. This is a classic romance that is very well-written and will sweep the reader off their feet! 

As Kate and James attempt to reignite a friendship (with some interesting suggestions from James' best friends) while battling their true feelings against a picturesque backdrop, there's nothing for the reader to do except join the adventure and fall in love!

The premise was the best part of this story. It was like watching a movie trailer and getting excited and then you watch the movie and you’re left wondering how the trailer and movie don’t match. While the story got off to a great start, somewhere about a third of the way in, the author faltered, stumbled, and eventually decided to toss in a completely new plot that made no sense. It went from a romance to a mystery and it wasn’t remotely well done. Kate started off as an interesting character, signs of an independent streak, but then that independence disappeared and she was the most boring milksop of a character.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.