I had a hard time getting into this historical romance. Collin Morgan, The Earl of Penderdale, is investigating who is using his name while committing crimes. He comes to an old friend who is a professor at Cambridge University. The professors daughter, Elizabeth Essex, is a blue stocking and very well educated as she accompanies her father around the college. She secretly teaches women topics usually reserved for men, which Collin stumble on while he continues his investigation.

I liked Elizabeth and Collin is okay. They start by bickering but moves to longing and declarations almost too quickly. The mystery was wasn’t complex and resolves easily. This slow burn romance is kissing only making it very mild on the heat scale. And parts of the narrative moved slowly. I read this easily as a stand alone but could see the male friends as the binding group for the series. Over all a good read but I didn’t fall in love with it enough to try and find the previous two books in the series.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca who sent me the ARC via NetGalley and I am leaving a voluntary review. (3.5 Stars)

Sparks flew between from the start. Verbal sparring were more likely a manifestation of their attraction. Amusing, entertaining, funny exchanges between these two. Crime investigation, identity theft, smuggling plus philosophical studies and apiology makes for a diverse and entertaining read.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and leaving my review voluntarily.

In the Eyes of the Earl is the third book in The Cambridge Brotherhood historical romance series. It’s an entertaining story with secrets, suspense, mystery, and a great enemies-to-lovers romance.

Elizabeth is the daughter of a Cambridge professor and often helps him with his research. That’s where she meets Collin Morgan, Earl of Penderdale, as he investigates who is impersonating him and committing crimes in his name. Elizabeth is a bluestocking who loves learning and teaching, and she hates that women aren’t allowed the same education as men, which is why she secretly teaches women herself. I love her! She’s so intelligent, and she is strong in her assertions, though she usually tries to fade into the background. Collin is one of the few who sees the real Elizabeth.

Collin is great too, and I was so curious about the mystery surrounding his situation. Suspended from his job at the War Office, Collin is determined to figure out who is impersonating him. Luckily, he has Elizabeth on his side because they make a good team. Collin loves to bait and challenge Elizabeth, and they have so many quick-witted conversations. I just love their banter. Collin and Elizabeth might start off on the wrong foot, but their chemistry sizzles from their first meeting.

The mystery is intriguing too, though it is a little predictable. And there is a bit of a love triangle, which isn’t my favorite trope. But, overall, this is an entertaining read with a fun enemies-to-lovers, closed-door romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca and the author for an ARC of this book. I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily.

I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book - I love a bluestocking heroine and the characters in this are well-written. I liked the mystery and the romance was sweet. There was just some spark that was missing for me. If I had to put my finger on it, I would say that I was hoping for more chemistry but that's my fault for assuming things would get steamy when they didn't.

Still a nice story and a good option for a sweet historical romance read.

I could not for the life of me get into this one. It just fell flat for me, did not ignite any sort of spark whatsoever!! I am sorry, just not for me.
Thank you to Net Galley and Sourcebooks for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review voluntarily in return.

I don't know why but I never could get totally into the Book and so I had to DNF at 30%. The characters were just okay and the story wasn't that interesting but thank you to Netgalley and the Author for an early copy of the book. I really appreciated it.

“In the Eyes of the Earl” by Kristin Vayden is the third book in the author’s “Cambridge Brotherhood” series. This is the first book I’ve read by the author, and I will definitely read the rest of this series because I enjoyed this story so much.

In this novel, Collin Morgan, Earl of Penderdale, travels to Cambridge upon discovering someone is using his name whilst committing crimes. Collin meets Elizabeth Essex, the daughter of a Cambridge professor who secretly teaches young women education normally reserved for the men at university.

The two trade zingers as they come to terms with their unexpected mutual attraction. This is a “sweet” or “closed door” romance, meaning there is no on-page physical intimacy beyond a novel-ending kiss.

I was entertained by the mystery in this book, although I acknowledge it wasn’t particularly complex.

The writing is very good save for a scene or two at the end when narration took a backseat to dialogue. There were also a few places where I thought the story stalled a bit, but nothing significant.

None of these things stopped me from enjoying this book, which is a recommendation from me especially if you like historical romance with a bit of intrigue.

I received a ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, but the review is my own.

I found In the Eyes of the Earl delightful. I am a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope and this fit the bill; albeit in a slightly softer fashion. The pacing in the middle felt a bit slow but picked back up and finished strong. Very gentle on the romance side for readers who avoid open door romance scenes. I would give it 🌶 out of 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶.

I found this an interesting read, it took me a while to get into but after a few chapters in I was intrigued and the story held my attention for the rest of the story. The love portion of the storyline felt a bit rushed and they transitioned from enemies to lovers very quickly but the chemistry between them was pretty good. I liked the false identity/mystery storyline as well as the Micheal vs Collin for Elizabeth’s attentions as a plot element. This was surprising as I am not really a love triangle love trope aficionado. The story was not very steamy, there were just kisses, but the ending was satisfying. Overall a good read and I would more then likely go back and read book 1 and 2.

IN THE EYES OF THE EARL (Kristin Vayden)
Start 4/23/23. Finished 4/28/23. 4 Stars

The following are my thoughts as I read this book. Collin Morgan…Earl of Penderdale, brother-in-law to the Duke of Westmore, works for the War Office. Elizabeth Essex…grew up the daughter of a Cambridge professor, secretly helping her father with research, highly intelligent. The H seems to be experiencing some type of inner turmoil, the story opens with a hint to a mystery. Ahh now I understand the mood of the H and I believe he is justified. The h has a secret and I know what it is, hehehe. Oh wow instant dislike and a battle of wits. The h has only lived on the campus since she was eight years old, the thought of leaving is frightening. The H has made a small discovery on his quest, but he is also being placed in the presence of the h more frequently. A truce has been called. The H made a decision on the spur of the moment and now the h is in danger. The father of the h learned her secret and he is not happy. The H is not wasting time, he has once again made an on the spot decision. The H foiled the plans of the villain and provided protection for the h, resulting in a HEA. This is my first book by this author and I liked the MCs, they were natural enemies or at least that was what you believed. The h was intelligent and unapologetic. The H admired the uniqueness of the h. Together they made the story fun and kept it flowing. This was a sweet romance.

4 Stars! This is the 3rd book in ‘The Cambridge Brotherhood’ series and can be read as a standalone. At some points I wanted more information from the previous books but I understand why the author couldn’t recap the previous books. The main character are Colin Morgan, Earl of Penderdale and Elizabeth Essex, bookish daughter of a Cambridge professor. I liked both main characters, especially Elizabeth. She’s a smart bluestocking that loves learning and teaching and she doesn’t let Colin get away with anything. Colin is trying to find out who is using his name for criminal acts and he needs all the help he can get. This was a cute book with interesting characters and a suspenseful story. I hate how women were not allowed to do anything in this era. Women deserved equal rights and I’m so thankful I live in this era since I’m pretty outspoken and wouldn’t have faired well back then.
*I received this at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*

I didn’t realize that this was a sweet romance. That may be my bad. It didn’t really change the romance though so it was fine. But if you’re wondering- one kiss.

Elizabeth lives with her widowed father and hangs out helping him at Cambridge University, which some men don’t like. Collin is an Earl and someone is commuting some crimes in his name. So he heads to Cambridge to follow a lead. Our hero and heroine meet because her dad used to be his teacher and he drops in.

They hate each other from the get go (or just love to argue). This would be fine…. But they end up falling in love super suddenly and it feels jarring.

I liked the mystery plot but I felt like something was missing. Every time I started expecting a good suspenseful scene, things were resolved QUICKLY. Where is the drama and intrigue? I still enjoyed it, it just seemed like there could be more.

Overall, the book wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t as exciting as I was hoping.

I love the chemistry between Elizabeth and Collin. You can actually feel the heat! It was wonderful how they excepted each other just the way they were. The side story adds some excitement to the whole story

In the eyes of the Earl is a beautiful story that depicts the complexity of life through a layered and realistic narrative and delves into various themes such as love, loss, growth, dilemmas, struggles, doubts, friendship, fun, and loyalty.
Elizabeth, the daughter of a professor at Cambridge University, is a science-oriented person who tries to deduce everything that comes her way logically. Her encounters with Collin, the earl, bring out a side of her that she had hidden away for long. Collin, who has become numb and apathetic after the death of his loved ones, is attracted to Elizabeth's wit and intelligence, challenging him and bringing to life a part of his soul that he thought had died. Their dialogues are quick-witted and engaging, and their growth and development throughout the story make them human.
The book is easy to read, has a good pace, and the romance between the two main characters is realistic. The mystery that runs alongside the story is intriguing, and the secondary characters are fun and engaging. The writing is superb, keeping the reader engaged.

Overall, the book is an excellent read that I would highly recommend.

Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the ARC.

Elizabeth and Collin are one of my favorite type of couples. They’re intelligent, they spar, and before they know it they start to care about one another. Their chemistry is palpable and I really enjoined this story.

What a beautiful book. The characters are realistic, the things they encounter are very real and they have to adapt and grow.
It is a very layered story, which is fascinating! Because things in real life often are layered and complicated, too. It is about love, loss, growth, dilemma’s, struggles, doubts, friendship, fun and loyalty.
Elizabeth is the daughter of a professor at Cambridge University. Therefore her presence is tolerated, although women aren’t allowed as students, and she tries to move around unnoticed so she can secretly visit the libraries and study. She takes a scientific approach to everything, trying to deduce how she thinks about what comes her way, and she comes to the conclusion that she doesn’t want to be invisible anymore. But she speaks her mind, she’s authentic and that attracts her to Collin.
Collin, the earl, has become a bit numb and apathetic after the death of his parents and then his twin brother. (His sister and brother-in-law are the only family he has left.) But Elizabeth challenges him. “It brought to life some part of his soul that he thought died of apathy.” He likes to bait her, and appreciates her for her quick wit and her intelligence, when she’s used to having to hide that, drawing as little attention as possible to herself. They are always trying to win an argument and that provides many quick-witted dialogues which make you laugh! But I also love that they sometimes struggle, doubt themselves and try to come to terms with their little failures and trying to grow from their mistakes. It makes them human.
This book was easy to read, has enough pace and the romance is realistic and you see it grow and developing. Very well done. The mystery is a side story that keeps you interested, the secondary characters are fun and I’d like to read about them in future books. And last but not least, very superbly written story that didn’t need sex scenes to keep the story interesting and engaging. Therefore I score it five stars! Great reading, I can highly recommend it.
I received and reviewed an advanced copy of this book and I am grateful for this opportunity. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Easy to read; loved the interaction between Collin and Elizabeth. Good plot, each chapter has a philosopher’s quote, there are interesting little facts included.

I love a good Regency romance and this had the perfect amount of spice and sweet mixed in. I caught myself smiling so much while reading this.
I just reviewed In the Eyes of the Earl by Kristin Vayden. #NetGalley
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I really enjoyed this book. I had been disappointed in previous books in the series; I thought they had so much potential that was not realized. This books fully realized its potential. I love an intelligent, educated heroine, and we have that here with Elizabeth. She was a fantastic character. I had been on the fence about Morgan in the previous books, but I really liked him in this book and appreciated how more of his character was revealed.

I really enjoyed reading this one! Between the romance and the mystery woven throughout, I was never bored and kept fully engaged. I flew through this in a day. The writing was beautiful and I highly recommend!