I love this genre and gladly started this book by an author who is new to me. The story itself was good and the book had few, if any, glaring writing errors. I really liked both main characters and found that the author did an exceptional job with the large cast of secondary characters where each was uniquely memorable. The story flowed and held my interest. But I also found that there were several examples where either the language didn't reflect the time period or the behavior of the characters didn't ring true to the social and moral expectations of the time. If a reader can get past that (and I am one of those!), Anna Bennett has penned a delightful story of love crossing strict social divides to bring two beautiful and likable character to their HEA.

I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily providing my honest review.

This book was a cute little historical romance. However, with that being said, I think my favorite character was a secondary character and not one of the main characters. The main characters were fine but I found at times they weren't as deep as I would have liked.

The first in the new Rogues to Lovers series, this regency tale follows the unlikely romance between headmistress Hazel Lively and Gabriel Beckett, Earl of Bladenton when Blade enrolls his mischievous niece into Hazel’s institution. What enchanted me from the start was Hazel and Blade’s unique understanding of the other due to their shared experiences with grief. It was their acceptance of one another that allowed for genuine love to flourish, even if it took a while for them to come to terms with it themselves.

The subplot surrounding Hazel’s love for Bellehaven Academy and the students that inhabit it was filled with empowering sequences that will impress lovers of both regency and contemporary romance. With sizzling chemistry, developed supporting characters, and a relaxing seaside setting, Anna Bennett's Girls Before Earls left me with a bright smile, warm and snug against the winter chill.

4.5 stars.
Thank you to St. Martins Press, SMP Romance, and Netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. Girls Before Earls is set to publish December 28, 2021.

The title captured me first and then the story and wonderful characters. Girls Before Earls is a delightful romance story. I enjoyed Hazel's journey and finding her happiness and true love with Blade. They made the perfect couple and this is a wonderful start to a new series.

This was my first book by this author, and I really enjoyed it!

Miss Hazel Lively has just opened her own school for girls, Bellehaven Academy, in a small coastal village. She needs more students soon, or she won't be able to stay afloat for long. She uses the tuition paid by the richer families to be able to also teach orphans, and other girls who would otherwise be unable to attend her school. Someone did something similar for her as a child and she knows how it changed her life for the better. But, when an Earl comes down from London with his troublemaker of a niece, and begs Hazel to take her on, she's worried about the consequences, for her school and her heart.

Gabriel Beckett, Earl of Bladenton, was shocked recently, to have the 15-year-old niece he'd never met become his ward, following the sudden death of his brother & sister-in-law, from whom he was estranged. Kitty has managed to get kicked out of the last couple boarding schools where he tried to enroll her, and he's unsure how to proceed. When he finds Bellehaven Academy, he hopes it will be the answer. But, Miss Lively drives a hard bargain to accept Kitty, and it includes Blade visiting Kitty every 2 weeks, which upends his perfectly ordered life a bit. And Miss Lively upends his heart in a way he swore could never happen again.

Both Blade and Hazel had sad backstories, full of love, death, and betrayal, and they had major trust issues to say the least. Their chemistry was stronger than either of them expected or wanted, and they couldn't ignore it for long. But, Blade was on the verge of getting engaged (for a marriage of convenience), and Hazel refused to settle for anything less than true love, so it seemed they would forever be at cross purposes. It was a bit of a slow burn, but was ultimately very satisfying.

Kitty and the other girls at the school were great side characters, and I really fell for them. They all meant so much to Hazel, even though she had a hard time showing her feelings. I also loved the developing relationship between Kitty and Blade (who she calls Uncle Beck), and how they came to love each other as family.

There was some other woman drama as a side plot, which isn't my favorite, but it didn't stop my enjoyment of the story. I also wish we could've learned more about Blade's brother (Kitty's father), and the events that led to their estrangement. Blade at one point mentions letters, and I would've liked to know what the brother had to say for himself, after what he'd done. Especially now that he was dead, and that was the only possible resolution to be had.

Overall this was a very enjoyable historical, with a fun setting that was different from your typical ballrooms in London, and I would definitely read more in the series!

Girls Before Earls is such a great title of a novel! The book is by Anna Bennett and is the first book in a new series called Rogues to Lovers. The characters are fun, especially the girls in the Academy.

Miss Hazel Lively spent years in schools for girls. Her parents had died and she had to work hard in school and now she has her dream - a school for girls. Not that it is a thriving business yet, but she is working on it.

Gabriel Beckett, Earl of Bladenton has a niece that he needs to find a school for. She has been difficult at best and he is at his wits end to find a place for her. He has shut himself off from making connections and is determined to marry another like minded aristocratic woman.

Bladenton finds Miss Lively’s school, Bellehaven Academy and works to convince Miss Lively to take his niece. She agrees only if he is willing to visit every other week. He agrees out of desperation, but soon is visiting out of anticipation to see Hazel!

I loved Hazel and Blade. I love the adventure they are both willing to take even for a short time, but is it enough? Girls Before Earls by Anna Bennett is a fun read.

I enjoyed this story and I liked the characters. Hazel lost her parents when she was young and hasn't felt a part of a family since. She has closed herself off so she won't be hurt again. Blade blows into her life and turns it upside down. Blade has a niece that he doesn't know and she has a big attitude. He thinks he will give Hazel a bunch of money and she will take his niece in hand so he won't have to do anything else. Wrong! Hazel sees the rebelliousness as a front so she makes a deal with Blade. She will take on his niece, but he has to come visit with her every two weeks. He doesn't want his heart involved in anything, but decides that if he must, he will strike the bargain. What he finds is a love for his niece and a love for the head mistress. The problem is, he has already promised to marry another woman. One that won't demand any kind of emotion from him. That's what he wants, isn't it? He thinks he can't give Hazel the love she wants and needs. What to do?

Orphaned at a young age, Hazel Lively’s calling in life was to open a finishing school for young ladies who were in similar circumstances, and her seaside location was beautiful, and yet Hazel was having difficulties regarding her financial obligations. When the Earl of Bladenton arrived in her office with his fifteen-year-old niece, who had already been asked to leave two other schools, Hazel at first declined to have Kitty enroll. Bladenton’s generous offer, more similar to a bribe, was accepted, on the condition that he travel to Bellehaven every other weekend in order to visit Kitty. Though Blade was not pleased, he did agree, and Kitty began her education at Bellehaven.

I applauded Hazel’s determination and resilience in starting her own school, and appreciated all that she did to create a safe haven for the girls. Her on-again, off-again relationship with Blade was annoying (just make a decision already!) and I laughed at the solution the girls found to solve the problem. Overall, I enjoyed this historical romance even though I felt Hazel and Blade were both too damn honorable while being expert at hiding their feelings. Girls Before Earls has the expected and always appreciated HEA, and I am interested in the next installment in the Rogues to Lovers series.

OMG I loved this book so much. I love women who has no fear and show their capability to do just anything they think of.
The story was entertaining until the very end with just the right twist to keep you on pins and needles.  
The fearless headmistress fighting for her pupils and the existance of Bellehaven Academy meets an close hearted earl, whom walls slowly begin to crack. His niece happened to be a pupil on Bellehaven academy with lots of baggage and bad behaviour caused by the death of her parents. 
But what is the right thing to do? Should Lord Bladenton keep his intention to marry Lady Penelope because of many advantages or social standing or let his rising feelings for the fearless headmistress get in a way and fell completely in love although he swore of any feelings?
Read this book, it was such a joy for me I hope you will love it too.

Reluctant guardian, Garbiel Beckett Earl of Bladenton, is desperate to find a suitable school after his niece Kitty was expelled from two different schools in London. Bellhaven Academy seems like the perfect place, it's out of the way so he can build his carefree life. Hazel Lively is living her dream as the headmistress of her very own academy. All she wants is for her students to succeed, no matter how difficult they are, or how irresistible their uncle may be.

Girls Before Earls is an absolute delight! Hazel is pragmatic and tough while also being full of compassion. Blade is charming and magnetic. Their chemistry is fantastic, the story has great flow, and I loved all the secondary characters. I was hooked from the beginning and absolutely loved the journey. I'm excited to see who's going to make an appearance in book two.

This was just the book I needed after reading my last book. It was lighter and sexy and just fabulous! I know this is not everyone’s cup of tea but I love when there is angst in a story even when the angst is all on me. Let me explain, we know it is a romance and will end with a HEA but even though my mind knows this, the story of Blade honoring his agreement with Penelope had me on pins and needles. Would he or wouldn’t he and why can’t he believe in love. Edge of my seat. Both Blade and Hazel are truly wonderful characters. Anna really knows how to give her characters great personalities and let us into their lives so we can feel what they are feeling. I loved their story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Girls Before Earls is an effervescent, refreshing romance. Miss Hazel Lively has fought for everything she has, cultivating a complex, impenetrable façade. Hazel realizes her dream of opening a finishing school in a seaside town. Hazel is trying to build up the student roster for the fledgling school. Gabriel Beckett, Earl Of Bladenton, or Blade, has a complicated family past. He is the benefactor to his estranged niece. Blade comes to Hazel’s school to offload his troublesome niece. The two come to an agreement, and an unlikely romance blossoms.

This plot has the best character development I have read in some time. Both Blade and Hazel have complicated, tragic pasts; the entire story is the journey of their understanding and acceptance of their demons. The couple fights their burgeoning love every step of the way. Their emotional development unfolds naturally and perfectly. The couple’s issues take the book's entirety to solve, which makes it seem more realistic.

The couple’s physical connection is instantaneous and electric. Blade and Hazel’s building passion ignites the page. I enjoyed all the secondary characters – the students were endearing. The plot was fantastic, keeping my attention, and it flowed seamlessly.

Girls Before Earls is the first book in the new series, Rogues To Lovers. This novel grabbed my attention. All the secondary characters were vivid, and I can’t wait to see whose story is told next. I am impatiently waiting for the next installment. Anna Bennett has created an intriguing, fascinating world full of romance and passion. This was an excellent start to a new series. Blade and Hazel’s romance is breathtaking – don’t miss it!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Girls Before Earls is the start of a new series, Rogues to Lovers, by Anna Bennett. I loved this super sweet story so much and cannot wait for more in the series! I adored everything in this read…the romance between the Earl and the headmistress, being set outside of London, the small seaside village life, the real friendships the heroine has with the women and schoolgirls in her life.

Miss Hazel Lively is 28 and has finally realized her life-long dream of opening a school for girls. Orphaned at just 9-years-old herself, Hazel knows how important a safe place and a good school is for girls. Hazel believes every girl has the potential to flourish if given a chance, regardless of their station in life, and cannot wait to welcome them all to her school. She has opened Bellehaven Academy in the small seaside resort town outside of London and now all she needs now is students, especially the sort that could pay for the tuition.

Gabriel Beckett, Earl of Bladenton, has his hands full with his ward, his 15-year-old niece Kitty. Kitty has been expelled from two London schools already and is scaring off Blade’s potential fiancée. When he finds Bellehaven Academy, Blade knows it’ll be the perfect place to drop his niece off as he desperately needs her somewhere safe, and far away from London, for the summer. Hazel is wary of taking in Kitty since she is still trying to get a good reputation going for her school, but when Blade sees how desperate Hazel’s new school is for students, and especially funds, he offers 3 times the usual tuition to get Kitty in. He promises to also sing the praises of the school to all his well-connected friends. Hazel accepts on one condition, she knows how important it is for Kitty to not feel abandoned and requests that every other week, Blade must come and visit with his niece.

I just adored this story. The romance was sweet, steamy, and I believed in Blade and Hazel’s chemistry. Both have experiences loss and abandonment in their pasts and have taken away something different from their experiences, while Hazel wants all-encompassing love and her own family one day, Blade is wary to love and suffer loss again. I also really liked Hazel’s relationships with her students, she understood Kitty and the other girls so well and wanted only the best for them. I loved the respect and patience she had for the girls and how she helped to cultivate things they showed an interest in (sketching, sewing/making clothes, reading, etc). This was filled with lots of seaside adventures: trips to the beach, a summer regatta race, picnics, swimming, searching for fossils, etc. I just loved the setting and all the characters so much and was so happy to read about their adventures! I’ve read just a few other books from Anna Bennett before and I am so excited for more.

4.5 stars/rounded up on GR. Thank you to the publisher (St. Martin’s Press, SMP Romance) for an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts & review. Girls Before Earls has a publish date of December 28, 2021.

I enjoyed this story. It had a very good ending and I felt fulfilled by it..
The heroine is a orphan who, at 9 years of age, was lucky to have met a head mistress of a boarding school who recognized her intelligence and practically raised her from that time. Our heroine is now the headmistress of a school of her own, since her headmistress met a kindly, older man who swept her off her feet and she married him and sold the school. The heroine runs a day school in a coastal town that has many tourists. She takes the girls around the coast and caves and teaches them about the science around them. She did take two girls from her previous school who were orphans like herself and she is raising them. One afternoon, she is interviewing a new student, a young niece of an earl who hasn't spoke to his family in years and didn't even know he was an uncle. His niece has been kicked out of 2 schools so far and is trying for number three. The heroine refuses to accept her since she sense the earl is just trying to dump his niece on her. She takes his niece for three times the tuition AND he has to visit her every 2 weeks, no matter what. And he can't tell his niece the terms.
What I enjoyed about this book was the descriptive setting and the character development of all the characters. The students mature, the heroine comes to realizations about herself and the hero has to overcome his past memories. The setting is the coastal town that mixes the villagers lives with that of the aristocracy. The story is well written and I felt as if I were in the book itself. I recommend this story with 5 stars and a recommendation to read.

A totally delightful book filled with drama, a nice blend of humor, some really great undercurrent between the main characters - an overall wonderful romance story. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I highly recommend it. It's a great start to this author's series.

I loved this delightfully charming story about love and family! Lord Bladenton finds himself guardian of his rebellious niece after the deaths of his brother and wife. He doesn't believe in love or family. Hazel loves her fledgling Bellehaven Academy and her students are her family, but after the deaths of her parents when she was very young she put walls up around her heart and didn't think she could ever find romantic love. She agrees to enroll Kitty in her school, but under certain conditions. What follows is a fun, heartwarming story of 3 people, along with some little girls, who learn what's important in their lives.
Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book in a new series by Anna Bennett and the first book I have read by this author! I really enjoyed her writing style, and the life she gives to her characters so I'm excited to delve into her other works eventually!

This book follows Hazel, a 28 year old woman who has recently opened up a school for girls, and requires a spotless reputation in order to get it up and running. When the handsome earl, Blade, brings his niece Kitty to Bellehaven Academy, he hopes to enroll her after being expelled from her two previous schools. What follows is a story of dedication and commitment, adventure, and love.

Hazel was such a great character - she was brave and determined, and had a passion for her school and students. She was so strong, yet very guarded. It was great watching her open up to Blade and begin to realize that there is more to life than just her school and her girls. Blade was a straightforward man with a purpose in mind - get married, have an heir, live a loveless life. Until he meets Hazel. These two have such a great connection, it was really fun watching them get to know each other and fall in love with each other. It was done tastefully and realistically and I was really impressed.

I also loved the family connections - Hazel and her students, Blade and Kitty, etc. Each interaction was so special and really drove home the importance of family (blood related or not). The only thing I would say is that this wasn't the most unique historical romance I've read. Of course when you get into this genre, it's very difficult to find something you've never read before but authors tend to strive for a memorable twist. While I absolutely enjoyed this book and will definitely be trying other books from this author, I would say that it was missing "the twist" that made it stand out, in my opinion. That being said, I encourage you to give it a try! It's a quick, fun read with great characters!

Having grown up an orphan that was lucky enough to impress a headmistress from a distinguished girls school, Hazel knows the importance of perseverance. She has finally achieved her goal of being a successful headmistress of her own school, although she’s one small disaster away from her school closing. Blade is at his wits end trying to figure out what to do with his wayward niece, his new ward, whom he only recently found out about . Not above a little bribery he foists his niece into Hazel’s hands,but little did he realize Hazel has her own plans and uniting this mismatched family duo falls along perfectly with them. Hazel and Blade quickly become enamored with each other until his fiancé (aka the wicked stepmother) shows up. This is a nice sweet historical romance with a bit of a feminist twist. The characters are a bit quick to heat up the romance than one would expect but level heads soon prevail (wink). The girls in the school are also adorable, even Blade’s rambunctious niece, and the Cinderella-like vibe is cute, but the story seems a bit rushed. Still this is a great start to a new series and I can’t wait for more. 4 stars. I received an arc copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review.

I enjoyed reading this Regency romance. Hazel is the ideal strong heroine. Although Blade left a bad taste in my mouth in the beginning. He was cold and unfeeling toward his grieving niece and his potential betrothed. He did make a change for the better as the story unfolded. Very good read! I highly recommend this story.
Thank you Anna Bennett, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

I found this to be a perfectly fine historical romance, if a bit formulaic - I think the elements here (incorrigible ward, bluestocking teachers trying to give their students a taste of their potential, a Proper Aristocrat looking for a very boring wife, everyone with a Very Tragic Background™️) have all been done before and in more interesting ways. Some character names drove me absolutely up a wall, too: we've a hero literally called Blade, which is far too interesting a nickname for him, and the local society matron is Lady Rufflebum. A little too much for my taste. Still, there's nothing bad about this book, and depending on who the next woman is to get the Rogue to Lover treatment, I may pick it up.