Although I loved and could relate to Henrietta having been a tomboy myself. Giles, however, left a bad taste in my mouth. He was nasty, condescending, full of self-import and very unlikable. However, I still enjoyed the story and overall reading experience.
Thank you Emily Royal, Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

Enemies in Love

They were always at odds. It would not be unreasonable to call them enemies. Henrietta was forever playing pranks on Giles. Yet, she also did unimaginable kindnesses he did not, could not, or would not see. Reading the book, I often compared Giles to the back end of a horse. However, you might pity the man who was very much in love with a woman who he saw as his enemies. She might have played her childish pranks, in the end, she made sacrifices only a woman in love could make. What would it take for Giles to see Henrietta for who she truly was? I loved the book, and I found myself turning the pages to see what happened next.

What you want you always don't get and one thing for sure it wasn't Giles neighbor, that reckless hellion who gives him nothing but aggravation and trouble, Henrietta! But Henrietta loved nothing more than to cause that haughty overbearing Giles nothing but chaos. But sparks begin to fly between Henrietta and Giles are having a hard time remembering why exactly they don't like one another. Emily Royal's stories are always interesting with flawed characters who manage to grow and yet retain their personalities which captivates you from the beginning until the very end. Tomboy of the Ton is a well-written story that has remarkable emotions, head-strong individuals and with one enjoyable plot that leaves you eagerly anticipating the next in the Misfits of the Ton series.

I really enjoyed parts of this book but it's as though two people wrote it? Some of the dialogue is quite sharp and I liked Henrietta a lot. Then some of it, particularly when Giles is talking is just so clunking and out of place. A bit confusing. Some of the characterisation made very little sense to me (Philip, one of the secondary characters for e.g.). All in all this was 75% pretty solid and 25% whaaaaat!

This is the start of a brand new series, Misfits of the Ton, and it is off to a brilliant start! Henrietta spent much of her childhood days playing pranks on her neighbor Giles. Giles is a presumptuous and arrogant man and sees Henrietta as an impetuous brat who is forever infuriating and annoying him. Despite her tomboyish ways, Henriette harbors a secret crush for Giles, but knows it can go nowhere because of the disdain he has towards her. Giles always outwardly shows her nothing but hurtful behavior and contempt, but he cannot deny that he is attracted to her. When Henrietta enters her Season, he is more drawn to her liveliness and energy than he wants to admit, but eventually they do begin to grow closer. That is until his family's reputation is questioned and he blames Henrietta for it all. She is hurt by his betrayal of trust, yet she still does what she can to protect them. Will Giles' mistake and false accusations cost him and Henrietta their happiness?
The story was well-written and entertaining and held my interest till the end. The characters were well-developed and I really adored Henrietta. Giles, on the other hand, took a little more time to warm up to.
The author did a nice job of pulling me into the story and I enjoyed it very much.
I received a complimentary copy from Dragonblade Publishing via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

I received a copy of this from Netgalley and this is my freely given opinion.

This was an interesting story with several themes, including enemies to lovers, different social backgrounds, childhood crushes. I found myself liking the overall story, but at times absolutely enraged by the so-called hero and wanting to beat him upside the head for being a sheer bullheaded, presumptuous asshole and wanting the female character to find someone who is really less of a jerk who can appreciate her fully. Even her friends were cowardly jerks undeserving of her friendship. The men in this story were quite disappointing frequently through the story, including the heroine's father.

Henrietta Redford is the tomboy daughter of a successful furniture designer and merchant. She is the only child, and lost her mother when she was quite young. Her father was indulgent, allowing her to learn woodworking and marquetry, and to run around with the twin sons of the local viscount. She was an intrepid child and got up to tomboyish hijinks with them, climbing trees, learning swordplay, and playing pranks on people, including Giles Thorpe, a neighbour. He is quite stiff rumped, having had to grow up and pick up the pieces of his profligate father, and despises their behaviour whereas they frequently like to target him to get him going.

Henrietta, as she grows up, develops a secret crush on Giles. But she knows she does not have a chance. Giles shows his contempt, and derision for Henrietta every chance he gets, suspecting her of being poorly behaved, and a bad influence at every turn, and in general is boorish and rude to her, during her Season. He is in search of a bride during the Season, and also preparing his orphaned cousin, Beatrice for her come out. He recognizes that he is attracted to Henrietta for her liveliness, energy, and intelligence, but considers her to be unsuitable in all ways as a mate and as a friend. Over time however, he learns to reconcile his attraction and when they start to grow closer, some terrible events occur that put his family's reputation at risk and with no proof, he blames Henrietta. This breaks her heart, but out of love for him and his family, she does what she can to protect them, even if it means hiding the truth and sacrificing a chance at a future with Giles, and her own reputation, and she returns home in disgrace. Her father, who is aware of the truth, provides her with comfort and solace, and a chance for independence, teaching her to manage his business so she would have no need to marry for security if she does not wish.

Giles is hateful in his behaviour towards Hentrieeta, and turns away from her, searching for her opposite in a wife, thinking that is what he needs. He almost makes that mistake permanent before being forced to confront the truth of his own bias, presumptions, and horrible behaviour. Giles and Henrietta reconcile and find their own HEA.

I felt that the twin friends of Henrietta were terrible friends, even as children, encouraging her in reckless childish behaviours and pranks, and then letting her take the fall, and then continuing those behaviours as adults. Giles, even after he initially acknowledged his attraction and growing feelings for her, was pompous, overbearing and quick to anger and blame Henrietta for things that were not her fault. He never even gave her any chance to speak to him. I really felt he did not deserve her regard and he was just a miserable SOB who needed to work a heck of a lot harder to get her in the end, and earn his HEA. He seriously needs a couple more chamberpots on the head as that stick out of his ass is slowly and daintily removed.

On saying that, I enjoyed the writing, and the characters of Henrietta and Beatrice, and the other female characters. I would like to see Eleanor's story and how she wins out over her horrid sister.

3.5 stars out of 5

This novel started off great, had its ups and downs towards the middle and went completely downhill for me after the 70% mark. The writing is pleasant but it wasn't exactly subtle and the dialogues in the spicy scenes were rather silly. I do like the female lead and I thought there was strong chemistry between her and the male lead, but at the end of the day, I don't get what she sees in him. He was an utter jerk (to put it lightly) and I kept rolling my eyes upward whenever he would behave like an idiot (which turned out to be the greater part of the novel). Henry honestly deserved a better match. I was entertained for what it's worth, but I do feel like it was, overall, a bit of a letdown.

Henrietta Redford has always enjoyed life with lots of laughter.
Annoying to her neighbor Giles, Earl Thorpe, he sees only a brat who needs discipline. So why does he dream of her in his bed? Critical of her behavior, he constantly hurts her feelings. Could it be he is in denial of his attraction for her? Her act of self sacrifice leads to more heartbreak, when Giles once again puts her at fault. Giles is one unpleasant person who got off pretty easy in his ugly treatment of Henrietta. I wouldn't have easily forgiven him.
Heat level 3.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Tomboy of the Ton by Emily Royal is an outrageously amusing book about a young woman named Henrietta (Henry). She is the daughter of an aristocratic mother and a father who is in trade. He is a furniture maker whose furniture is in the homes of nobility all over London and she longs to join him. They have lived in the country since her mother died some years before. She is a tomboy. She plays with the boys down the road. Now they are leaving for school and she must become a lady as she is 18 now. She is not looking forward to it, having already gained a year from her father. Their last prank is a water bomb to be loosed on Earl Giles Thorpe, a young man nearly fours years her senior. When he drags her in to her father, her fates is sealed...off to London and Aunt Agnes. She has loved Giles from afar for years and he thinks of her as a grubby urchin. His father had been killed in a carriage accident that left his mother feeble and nearly blind, and him overly serious. As one of her last acts before being sent away she had climbed a tree and befriended his mother, cementing his opinion of her but setting his mother on the road to recovery.

This was a genuinely amusing story. Henry simply had too much fun pent up on her to be a proper lady. Giles was inexplicably drawn to her but sensibly knew it could never be. The closer he got to the kind of bride he knew to be the right choice, the more she reared her head, until he gave in and received permission to court her. They were both supremely happy until she found more trouble to get up to. He was morose without her but he was also angry, because as usual he hadn’t stopped to ask questions. She returned to the country, thoroughly ruined, thrilled that her father would finally allow her to join the business; this husband-hunting nonsense put aside. This was an extremely entertaining book. This review has not done it justice, I’m afraid. I whole-hearedly recommend it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Tomboy of the Ton by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #EmilyRoyal #TomboyOfTheTon

If I were to purchase a book by its cover, this one would definitely have found its way into my shopping basket. However, the story is even better than the cover with a high-spirited heroine and a rather grumpy neighbor. Coming into his title at an early age, Giles, the Earl of Thorpe, is very aware of his responsibilities to his estate and of course his status in society. Working hard to right his father's carelessness, he does not have time for the neighboring tomboy and her two cohorts. Unfortunately, he discovers that he cannot stop thinking about her, especially as she grows up and becomes a beautiful and spirited young woman. Henrietta has loved Giles since she was a girl, but knowing how he despises her, tries to avoid him at all costs, with very little success. The novel is romantic but also filled with tension and some suspense as the feelings between the couple escalate and Giles reverts to his youthful antagonism towards Henrietta. Fortunately, all is not lost and when Giles finally sits long enough to realize just how Henrietta has cared for and nurtured his family, he finally allows himself to unbend. The novel is a standalone and comes to a very happy conclusion. I received a copy of this book as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

I enjoyed this book very much.
Spoiler alerts.
This story was well written and concise with a satisfactory ending. But I am a little unsettled. The story is about a young lady who grows up in a town where her father is a furniture manufacturer. He does custom furniture pieces. Thw heroine is to have a Season, even if her father is not a member of the aristocracy. They are wealthy and part of the gentry. The hero is a local aristocrat who is a few years older, and they have always fought. He would say rude things to her and she would retaliate with childish pranks. The hero spent part of his time in London because his parents were involved in a carriage accident where his father perished and his mother was severely injured, but survived. His father had not been sharing the estate information and the hero had to work hard to save what they had. He had his mother placed at the estate and she was treated like an invalid because her vision was damaged. The heroine was climbing the trees around the estate and it was near his house. She was looking in the house and saw his mother in a dark room, alone. She felt sorry for his mother, since hers died at birth. So she climbed the tree next to his house and when the maid left, started talking to his mother through the window. His mother was lonely and invited the heroine in and they became friends. Within weeks, his mother was getting dressed every morning, and walking around the house and gardens. She could see better in the sunlight than in the darkened rooms. The hero travels from London and when he realizes what the heroine had done, complains to her father. So the heroine was packed up to her aunt's house in London for training and a Season to find a husband.
This story was really very good, but the hero was just over the top rude and mean to the heroine. No one is that mean to someone that they love and the author wants us to believe that he was mean because he did not want himself to desire the heroine because she was opposite of him. I read everything that he said to her and he was repeatedly overly rude, to the point she should have slapped him, and then he asks for forgiveness because he loves her too much? If anyone had said to me what he said to her, I would never talk to them again. I think it is not believable and it was taken too far. Even though this book met a lot of my criteria for a good book, I am only giving 4 stars and a guarded recommendation to read.

I really wanted to give this 3 stars but I enjoyed the overall story. My hang up was that just because he apologized for his temper and outbursts doesn't mean that he corrected it overnight. She automatically accepted him back more than once!!. I cant see someone that strong willed acting like that. It would take MONTHS, for him proving himself. Of not overreacting for it to become semi OK. I understand the book had to end sometime. But sex does not fix everything. He would have to prove he wasn't going to kick her to the curb more than once. Even if the author had explained that he had proven himself over their courtship several times. I think I would have given it 5 stars.
I do look forward for the other books coming. I have enjoyed most of her other books. So I am hoping she fixes that in her future books.
I recieved a free copy so that I might tell you what I honestly think. Hope you enjoyed my review. Now go enjoy the book

I loved this book and the wild hellcat of a main character, I loved her morals and what she stood for though she wasn't without flaw. The love interest was intense and, I will say, could have been a little less short-tempered/violent but overall the romance was believable, the smut was lovely and the supporting characters were adorable!

The book was very interesting. I felt sorry for Henrietta, because of the fact that everyone wanted to thrash her or whip her. Even the help was being threatened with a beating. That is some rough brutal treatment. And how is it that Henrietta threaten to abuse her with a thrashing and say unspeakable things to her that wasn’t very nice. That kind made the book a cold read for me. No love match happening with these

3.75 Stars
Henrietta Redford wishes she were a boy after all, boys are masters of their own fate. Once she’s had her come-out, Henrietta has promised her father that she’ll settle down and marry. Any eligible man might do, but it certainly won’t be Giles Thorpe the older boy from the estate next door, whose arrogant disdain of her tomboyish ways only increased as he grew into a man. Until they share a passionate kiss. After inheriting an earldom when his profligate father died, Giles understands the dangers of irresponsibility.
The first in a new series & it was a well written, well paced book with strong characters. I loved Henrietta & her misfit friends, Henrietta was a tomboy but she was also very caring & put everyone before herself & for some reason had loved Giles for years. Then there was Giles, oh boy did he have a temper! But he also cared for his mother & his ward Beatrice & he desired Henrietta, it didn’t stop him for blaming Henry for everything & insulting her at every turn. There was chemistry between them but I couldn’t get passed his temper. When he did finally apologise she didn’t make him grovel – he would have been grovelling for weeks if not months to get back in my good books. So I’m a bit on the fence with this one
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

If you love historical romance, this will fit perfectly into your wheelhouse. Henrietta is fiery, and unconventional. Giles is smug and needs to be put in his place. Classic historical romance set-up, but always so so good! Their quipping was enjoyable and I love the side characters, so I can’t wait for more books in the series. Definitely going to checkout Emily Royal’s backlist.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Henrietta Redford is a tomboy and does nothing that makes her the perfect lady, nor does she care. Yet she has promised her father that she’ll settle down and marry any eligible man but Giles Thorpe, the boy from next door. Her dislike for him comes from his disdain for her ways, until they share a kiss. Giles understands the seriousness of his role as earl, having learnt this from his spendthrift father. So he knows that the last person he should be with is Henrietta. However, when scandal threatens to ruin the Thorpe family name, Henrietta, unbeknown to Giles, is his best hope for salvation. But Henrietta will have to sacrifice everything—including the man she’s grown to love.
An enjoyable read despite Giles initial attitude towards Henrietta. She, however, was a delightful character, who was enjoyed life and all those around her. It did seem at times, that she was too good for Giles. I did so hope that her effervescent nature would rub off on him.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is an opposites attract that didn’t really attract me. While I liked Henrietta, I had a difficult time with Giles. I realise he was fighting his attraction to Henrietta but his words to her were callous and hurtful. In fact, he was quite rude to all in his immediate circle; his servants, his niece, even his mother. Given their constant verbal sparring, I felt the “I love you’s” were out of place. Giles did admire Henrietta for her fighting spirit and snubbing of Society, but the jump to love seemed out of place. Same as with Henrietta. It seemed that every encounter with Giles ended up with her in or near tears. Nothing Giles did inspired love to me.

The title of this book lured me in, but I'm afraid I wanted more than it was willing to give. Henrietta is a tomboy who likes climbing trees, swimming, riding horses, and fencing. Giles Thorpe owns a failing estate and needs a scandal-free, proper wife to help him restore the family honor. Giles' mood swings gave me whiplash, and I wasn't ready to forgive him quite as quickly as Henrietta did. He also threatened to "thrash" everyone—Henrietta, the servants, his ward and niece Beatrice. That alone was enough for me to write the whole man off as an abusive jerk. As for Henrietta, she seemed more of a prankster than a tomboy, putting a chamber pot on a statue's head and pouring an equivalent of ex-lax in the punch bowl at a party. As someone who does not subscribe to traditional gender roles myself, I'd hoped to see her eschew the fancy dresses a little more often.

I did enjoy many of the side characters—Giles' mother and niece, Henrietta's friend Eleanor, and Henrietta's father. The love scenes were nice, albeit few and short. And I appreciate that in the end, Giles states his commitment to allowing Henrietta to continue her tomboy ways. Unfortunately, his behavior the rest of the book leaves me with doubt that he can hold to that.

For years they have both dreamed of each other. Henrietta was vibrant, daring and a temptation. Giles was serious and brooding and tried to fight his burning desire for her. She always seemed to be with the twins and his jealousy always got the better of him. The first time he say her truly smile was at his horse and his heart was lost, she’d only ever laughed at him. Having kissed her two years earlier and with Henrietta sent to her aunt’s he proceeded to get on with his life.

Having bumped into her at one of the balls they both attended rather than be kind to her, his desire to be with her took his breath and he treated her with contempt. He had never been able to get her out of his mind and had hoped that although he was part instigator of removing her to her aunts that her wild and vibrant personality had not been tamed.

Giles was very arrogant and set in his ways but he always blamed Henrietta for anything going wrong and took it out on her but it was all due to the suppressed passion he had for her and when they did get together, he still managed to muck it up. I found Henry to be very patient with his ways and I loved her personality of enjoying life and not taking anything too serious, I think Giles needed that in his life to chill him out a little.

Although I did enjoy the story, it was not one of my favourite storylines. I think due to Giles attitude to Henrietta but I did understand it was due to the denied passion and love he had for her. I would still recommend reading the story and I’m looking forward to the next one in the series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed and ARC and all thoughts and opinions are my own.