Tabetha, Dowager Viscountess Manwaring is certainly no expert in the rules of homemaking and domesticity, but when she's asked to pose as the famed expert Mrs. Goode to protect the true author's identity, she agrees. When she arrives at the home Mrs. Goode is meant to redecorate a nursery for, she is flummoxed to find that the Earl of Stalbridge, the client, is her childhood friend, Kit Killigrew. Beth is pretending to be someone she's not, but she can't hide her attraction to Kit.

Kit has spent half a lifetime apart from the woman he's always loved. Now that they're reunited, he's keen to do much more than just redecorate his home.

This was a great take on second chance for me. Likely because this is a short novella to set up a new series, there is very little time spent dwelling on the past or missed time and Kit and Beth waste no time getting together and discussing their feelings. Our hero and heroine are older and not keen to spend any more time apart and I just ate it up. I also adored Beth's relationship with her stepson, Oliver, and I can't wait to see more of him. This was a fun, low angst read and I'm excited for the new series.

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

Nice Earls Do is a second chance romance with older (in their 40s) MCs. Things happen extremely fast for Kit and Tabetha, reuniting after twenty years because of a misunderstanding. The story doesn't really offer any complications, which would have made it more compelling. It's nice and easy and everything works out. I wish Oliver got more page time, he was the most interesting character.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. The thoughts and opinions are my own and freely given.

Thank you, Kensington Books and Netgalley, for a free copy of the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ms Craig is another new-to-me author. This is a sweet, second-chance romance novella. I like her writing style; it's easy to read, and it has concise wording. The characters could be more fleshed out, but it's still good, considering the min word count. The whole premise tends to be modernized, though ( a peer of the realm as an interior designer?). It's the norm, I suppose, when it comes to new offerings in historical romance.

This prequel novella is an excellent set-up for the next book in this series.

Would I consider reading another book by Ms Craig? Definitely. This was a pleasant read.

Enjoyed this introductory novella to Susanna Craig's new series! Tabetha is a widow whose husband was essentially emotionally abusive. To help someone she loves, she volunteers to pose as Mrs. Goode and go to the household of the Earl of Stalbridge to ready it for his now orphaned niece and nephew, Unexpectedly, her childhood friend and crush Kit is now the earl. Kit has always loved Tabetha, going so far as to never marry because she was in his heart.

The duo quickly rekindle their connection. Their love story is short and sweet, and I could have used a few more pages to get to know them better, but I still liked this novella a lot. I always appreciate an older FMC, and I also loved Tabetha's relationship with her step-son. I am looking forward to the full-length books in this series.

3.5 stars, rounded to 4. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. The opinions herein are my own.

What a wonderful introduction to a new series! I loved these characters so much I would’ve devoured a full-length novel. This take on a second chance romance was superbly done. Both MCs fell for each other growing up, but circumstances pulled them apart at no fault of either party. When the FMC showed up at the doorstep of the MMC (and a new unlikely heir) some 20 years later, they were quickly and irrevocably inseparable. The love story was tender and the immediate family both acquired pulled at my heart strings!

Steam: 🔥

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the advance reader copy. All thoughts are my own.

Nice Earls Do is a quick, lovely novella, the perfect little appetizer to a brand new series.

When Tabetha agreed to help her stepson by posing as the fictional housewife-helper, Mrs. Goode, she didn't count on being thrust into the path of her first love, Kit. And Kit, whose newly orphaned niece and nephew are due to arrive at his home any day, isn't sure he can deal with having Tabetha burst back into his life when everything has been turned upside down. But the pull of a second chance at love might be too difficult for both of them to resist.

Kit and Tabetha are a lovely leading couple. It's not often that you get two characters in their early 40s in romance, and it was a nice change of pace to see them rediscover each other after so many years had passed. Add to that Tabetha's lovingly meddling stepson, Oliver, and this book is fun as well as tender.

The downside to a novella, of course, is that there isn't often time to really dig into the characters, and I would have loved to spend more time with everyone. But all in all, Nice Earls Do is a sweet morsel of a story and has left me excited for the series to kick off in earnest!

3.75/5

Obviously this is a novella prequel for a new series. So there is a lot that needs to be set up for this one and believable to make the story work, but I found the main characters (except for Mrs. Goode himself) to be kind of boring and it was a lot of build up for very little pay off.
I like Susanna's other books and the premise of this one is interesting, but I'm hopeful the story from this one will be paid off in the other books.

Where would we be without hope?

A fun start to a new series!

This little novella has made me so excited for the rest of this new series by Susanna Craig! Even with only a novella length story the main characters are so real and their story is heartwarming. I can’t wait to see more of Beth and Kit in the other books in this series (and hopefully the adorable children too!)

Stars: 3.5/5
Tropes: Second chance, false identity
CW: Death, verbal abuse

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Susannah Craig book and novellas are very hit or miss for me. This one is a hit though! As the first of a series it does a great job creating the concept and the start of the series. Having this be a second chance romance makes it great as well because the characters can pick up where they left off in their relationship in a short period of time and not have it feel rushed. I do hope to see more of Beth and Kit and Oliver in the series, and am excited to read the rest of it. It was like a warm hug, this novella, and great to read about "older" leads. Silver streaks indeed.

Steam: 🔥🔥
Heart Flutters: ❤️❤️❤️

This was a quick little read but it was a cute story! IT wasn't super funny, still chasing that Julia Quinn level, but it was a sweet little story of second chance love!

Sweet, short novella. I rate Susanna Craig but this novella didn't have a whole lot to it. I finished it hoping we see more of Oliver as he was by a country mile the most interesting character in the book!

I didn't realise this was a novella when I requested the ARC. I tend to avoid them as they lack details and depth that I usually value. Even by novella standards, this one is low in both. The second-chance romance developed over a matter of hours, from the time they meet again after 2 decades apart to the misunderstanding to the declaration of love and eventual consummation. It would only have taken a few more pages to spread the action over a couple of days at least. The author's prose is more superior than most so for that, I have marked it up.

A novella to kick off a new series. Kit, the new Earl of Stalbridge, is now the guardian of his niece and nephew. Lady Manwaring’s stepson Oliver is actually the author of the Mrs. Goode household management books and has been ordered by his publisher to help Kit prepare for the arrival of his wayward brother’s children. Tabetha agrees to pose as Mrs. Goode and it turns out the earl is the one who got away.

It’s sweet but ultimate flat and simple, even for a novella. There is zero conflict. Brevity is expected in a novella, but this could’ve had more depth. Or any depth. The writing is good, so I’d skip this and just jump into the new series.

this was a great prequel and did what I was hoping for from the description. I really enjoyed getting to go to this time-period and go on this journey with the characters. The characters were really interesting and worked in this time-period. I can't wait to read where this series will go.

"Winston’s tune must have been contagious. Kit left his chambers whistling it under his breath—and why not? He had every reason to hope. In a matter of moments, their gazes would meet across the dining room table, and he might glimpse in her eyes what he had felt in her lips, in her body, and he would know that he had not waited in vain."

This was a whole lot of ‘so what’
I didn’t hate it, there wasn’t enough to the story. It was very basic and short and had very little to grab my interest. I understand that this is setting up a longer series, but it wasn’t effective as a short story and definitely did not make me more eager to read a full book.

What a sweet short story!
Contains spoilers
This book was very good. It was short and could have been longer, but it was perfect to read after supper or before bed.
The heroine is a widow after being married for 16 years to an overbearing, abusive man. She spent the majority of her marriage in a dull country estate protecting her step son from his father. Neither mourned his death, they were just relieved to be free. The man had been horrible to his son, who was a creative and sensitive soul. Once he realized his younger wife was not going to give him any children, he just agreed for her to go to the country estate. The library was not well stocked, nor was she able to do much to increase her comfort, but she was able.to nurture her step son.
Her step son is fully grown and has taken on the title of his father. He has worked hard to increase the wealth and stability of the estates and everyone is happier for it. He has also written a book about domestic problem and answers for women who are challenged in this area. If it was discovered that Lord Mainwaring had written such a book, he would be ostracized from society. Instead, when his character "Mrs. Goode" is asked to do some rennovations to the nursery at Lord Stalbridge's estate for his neice and nephew, the heroine agrees to act as Mrs. Goode and her step son will be her assistant. The act works for all of 5 minutes after meeting Lord Stalbridge, for he is the son of her father's steward, her dearest friend growing up!
Lord Stalbridge received his inheritance about 4 years ago. He has an estate that needed immediate attention to all of the properties. He had been working hard and ignoring his housekeeper's comments about getting married. Over 20 years before, he had given his heart to his childhood friend. But her father wanted her to marry a title. So for 20 years, he had wished nothing but happiness for her, yet did not look for another person to share his life.
Both are shocked to realize who the other is and sweet feelings are given hope. But is it too late and are there too many secrets to allow them to develop a relationship?
This book was excellent from start to finish. It had everything needed to be a full story. I wish there were some other parts to it, but I give it 5 stars as is. It is definitely a story that I would like to read again and again. I recommend reading this book.

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

This is a prequel novella to a new series by Susanna Craig.

This is a very short novella and does what it is suppose to do, by whetting the appetite for the new series. I was left feeling a bit dissatisfied by the story and wanting more.

Kit Killigrew, Lord Bennet, inherited his earldom from a distant cousin 4 years prior. This was rather unexpected for a man who grew up the son of a land steward and working as a lawyer. He is a bachelor in his 40s, and it sounds like he is having some mid-life difficulties, having lost his chance at love, and now dealing with the death of his younger brother. He is having some difficulty coping with that as he was estranged from him, and had regrets about that, when he finds out that not only is his brother dead, but he was married, and his wife died not long afterwards, leaving Kit the guardian of two young children, who were on their way to England, to his estate.

Kit is overwhelmed and relies on his housekeeper to help him get his nursery and home ready to receive the children. The housekeeper seeks inspiration in a popular book written by a domestic genius, Mrs. Goode.

Mrs. Goode is actually the alias of Oliver, Lord Manwaring, a young viscount. When his publisher contacts him about helping the Earl with setting up the nursery, he conspires with his widowed stepmother, Tabetha, to act as Mrs. Goode, and he can be her secretary, so they can revamp the space, while keeping his identity a secret.

It is only when they arrive that Tabetha finds out that Lord Bennet is Kit, her childhood friend and son of her father's land steward, and Kit finds out that Mrs. Goode is apparently his lost childhood love, because her family wanted her to wed a title. She ended up in an abusive marriage to a viscount, who was apparently just as abusive to his child, Oliver. As such, she and Oliver formed a lasting bond. However, now that she is widowed, a relationship with Tabitha is within Kit's reach.

This is a sweet second chance love story that has to carry a lot of weight because it is also a convoluted way to start a series about how a scandalous revolutionary female oriented magazine is birthed. I liked the base story and both Tabetha and Kit, but there was a lot of leaps of acceptance because there were gaps in the story because of it's brevity. But it does the job and serves to whet the appetite for what could be in the future... a bit of a stretch, but I am willing to see where it will go.

I do hope there will be some continuity though, because I like the characters and would like to see a bit more to their stories in the future, including more about Oliver and some happiness in his future.

3 stars out of 5

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley and publisher, Kensington Books, Zebra Books. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 3/5 Stars
Publishing: December 27, 2022
Series: Goode’s Guide to Misconduct #0.5
Pages: 91

“Nice Earls Do” is the prequel novella in this series. It is also a first time read by Susanna Craig, new author to this reader. This novella started off a bit slow for me but picked up and became a very good start to this series. There is Lady Manwaring who is widowed who has a son, Oliver…of all people is the author of “Good’s Guide to Misconduct”. When she decides to assist her son in a ruse to provide expertise in domestic matters, she ventures to the Earl of Bennett and discovers her childhood friend, Kit Killigrew. A lovely story with a secret and missed opportunity for love…but can uncovering the truth and admitting one’s true feelings amount to love and a HEA?

Nice Earls Do had me wrapped and I had a hard time keeping away from my story, the characters are interesting and kept me entangled in the story line!.