A fun historical romance written with a deft touch by Eric Ridley. It tells the story of Titus and Mattie. I enjoyed this couple from their first meeting. Titus finding out Mattie was his ward made me laugh. While I enjoy a good age gap book, I also liked that the age gap here was not too crazy although I did wonder what the ton would think of no other woman being her chaperone asides the maid. This was good fun though, both characters were lovely, and I liked them singly and together

Minor dings include not liking how stubborn Titus was till the end, but it made the grand gesture quite swoony. I also felt the story was rushed.

All in all, this was a very lighthearted and fun book that I had a blast reading. It also has tropes such as Grumpy and Sunshine x Forced proximity 😊.

Thanks to Erica Ridley and NetGalley for the ARC.

I received an advanced reader’s copy of Defying the Earl by Erica Ridley.

I loved this Beauty and the Beast retelling. Titus Noble, the Earl of Gilbourne is grumpy and surly on the surface but kind, generous, and considerate to the few who know him well. His aunt asks him to take Matilda Dodd as his ward and he reluctantly agrees. His plan is to see Matilda married off as quickly as possible but things will not go as simply as he thought, especially when it comes to his feelings. There were fun interchanges between Matilda and Titus that showed their very different personalities. There were also poignant moments as the two shared things from their pasts. I especially loved the ending and the realization Titus comes to as a result of his introspection.

I enjoy Erica Ridley's books. This was not one of my favorites but it wasn't bad. I look forward to her next book and hoping the Merrywell series ends soon. I'm just not that much of a fan of it.

Matilda is a twenty year old woman who will become an heiress in a couple months when she turns twenty one. Until the she is send to her guardian who wants to marry her off- Titus. He’s a hard man with a dark past and she is funny and smart. Good story and good characters. A must read!

Titus Noble, the Earl of Gilbourne, drives eight hours from London to Merrywell, during the Matchmaking Festival, to meet his godmother at the welcome ball. Her orphaned, twenty almost twenty-one year old great niece, Miss Matilda Dodd, needs guidance for a respectable path. Lady Stapleton is ready to turn her over to Titus, the very rigid and self contained earl who never smiles and laughs. Social gatherings are avoided. Of all places to meet his godmother is at the assembly rooms. Titus adores rules, but breaks his first rule within fifteen minutes behind a row of potted ferns. Matilda has her first adventure. I laughed and cried my way through this book and could start over and read it again. Ridley struck gold with this one!
Heated kisses and pleasure.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Loved reading the amazing and engaging romance story. When Titus Noble, the Earl of Gilbourne, meets his ward, Miss Melinda Dodd, he wants to get her married as soon as possible before his attraction for her overtakes him. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written that captivates the reader from the first page until the last page, and a must read riveting love story.

I really enjoyed this romance. The characters were wonderful and really felt well-rounded and alive (this is where Erica Ridley's writing always really shines).

They were such a perfectly matched pair and it was wonderful to see Matilda pull Titus out of his shell while still respecting his boundaries and being sensitive to his past trauma. Meanwhile Titus was so caring and considerate, and so understanding of her own trauma.

I LOVED the way Erica Ridley dealt with the trauma, and the way she showed that not all scars are visible on the outside. It was deft and gentle and so clearly shown.

It was a really interesting take on the guardian/ward trope, as he is 26 and she is just three weeks shy of 21 and her majority. It left a hint of the foriddenness but took away a lot of the age gap uncomfortableness that can come with this trope.

The only thing I disliked about this book - and it was minor - is that it felt rushed at times and the pacing wasn't always 100% smooth. I think if she had allowed herself to make it a bit longer it would have felt smoother.Still, I can understand not wanting to make a story that takes place over three weeks too long.

*Thanks to Netgalley, Webmotion, and Erica Ridley for providing an early copy for review.

Miss Matilda Dodd is determined that she will live life as she wants to. It starts with attending a ball and kissing an adorable handsome lord, only to find that he is her new guardian. Titus Noble, the Earl of Gilbourne is determined that she marry someone. When he meets Matilda, he finds that she is the opposite of everything he desires, which is predictable and ordered.
This is an entertaining and sweet story of two very opposite characters, who together make for a great couple. Together with Aunt Stapelron, there is plenty to laugh about. A great addition to the Erica Ridley collection.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have been reading this series and, overall, the books are pretty good. So I was expecting this to be pretty good. But I was so wrong! This book was awesome! Another hit out of the park for Ms Ridley!
This review may contain spoilers.
I enjoy this author, but I do not just assume her books will be good. I have read a lot of hits, but there have also been some misses. But this book was very well written. It was treated as a stand alone story and did not need any of the prior stories to help tell this one.
Another thought I had was, "This is a ward and guardian love story. I hate when the hero is 9 or more years older." Well, I was wrong. The heroine was about to turn 21 years old and the hero was 26 years old. What a wonderful age difference! Five years is great!
So, I decided to take this story seriously. I was able to immerse myself into the story and i enjoyed every minute of it. The story was not drawn out, every plot and twist made sense, and it seemed to really take place in that time period.
The story is about an orphaned heroine who had caught a fever along with her parents about a year before. She was unable to take care if her parents and the doctor and nurse came every day to care for all of them. The parents passed away in their room, together, but the heroine was too ill to move or talk or request to see them before they died. The heroine also was extremely allergic to spiders and suffered a spider bite at the same time. Her foot swelled up and turned purple, but the doctor attributed it to the fever. When she was recovered and able to, she was sent to her godmother, Lady Stapleton. Lady Stapleton is an elderly lady and the heroine stayed in her bedroom, in mourning, for the past year. After returning was over, she did not join Lady Stapleton in visiting or going to parties, she mostly read and walked on her own. The heroine is a country miss, whose father ran the business and kept them solvent. The heroine worked with her mother every day, cooking, cleaning and taking care of all of the household chores. The heroine just felt so lonely. Her parents kissed and hugged her on a daily basis and she doesn't have them any more.
The hero is a scarred man, 26 years old, from an accident that happened when he was 11. He and his family were travelling with his father driving the horses, when a horrific accident occurred, killing his family and almost killing him. He was extremely injured with multiple broken bones and had scars all over his body. When he was starting to heal, he was sent to Lady Stapleton, his godmother, since she was his guardian. The hero is very reclusive and refuses to go out in crowds or marry. He works on his seat for the House of Lords and makes his speeches, but he avoids all social outings. He was willing to take on the ward because it was only for about a month, and his godmother claimed to be too old to care for a young, spirited lady. They met each other at an assembly in Marrywell, the matchmaking village with a week long Matchmaking Festival. The hero sees the heroine, dbut does not know who she is and gives her a kiss. His first ever kiss to anyone ever. 26 years old and never been kissed. He knew the other parts because he was a man and discreetly availed himself of bordello, but not overly so and with conditions.
The heroine, who was to receive her inheritance when she turned 21 years old, was just waiting long enough to collect the inheritance and return to her family's cottage. Her godmother was trying to get her a match in London. But the heroine was not impressed by any of the society men. So she decided she would remain single.if she had to.
I had read to the kiss and thought, "How cliche! Of course they kiss without knowing each other.". After I read further into the story, I told my mind to stop talking and just enjoy the story.
And this story was so well written, so engaging, and definitely a book I could not put down. I was so happy at the ending, but realised the story was over .I am definitely putting this on my keeper shelf. 5 stars all the way.

A delightful, witty tale of a young lady, almost at her majority, after the loss of her parents being left with her grumpy guardian!

She just wants to have fun and he just wants to get her married off! But fate has other ideas and it just might find they are meant for each other!!

Interesting how you think you have your life just like you want it and then an unexpected meeting changes the rest of your life. Titus Noble, the Earl of Gilbourne, likes to keep his life at home and at Parliment with no society activities like balls or parties. His godmother, Lady Stapleton, has informed him she is no longer able to carry for her ward, Matilda Dodd. She explains to Titus he will only need to be her guardian until Matilda reaches 21 which is withing less than a month. Matilda has never been out in society. She is excited to be at a dance and expecting an adventure since her life had been quite dull up until now. While Titus is waiting on his godmother and his new ward to appear, he sees a beautiful woman and they kiss. Now just try to image what happens next? Who is this beautiful woman? Why does Titus not want anything to do with society? Why is Matilda Dodd his godmother's ward? You will need to read this well written story that will certainly having you laughing at times to find these answers and more .

This is a Beauty and the Beast-inspired story with a grumpy guardian and a sunshine ward. Set during the May Day Matchmaking Festival.

I loved this one so much. The hero was perfect. He falls hard for the heroine. I loved the interactions between the two main characters. I loved how protective the hero was of the heroine and when he finds out about her fear of spiders he does everything he can to ensure that there are no spiders in his home.

Overall, I think this might be my favourite of the series so far. I will be so sad when this series is finished.

Defying the Earl is my third Erica Ridley book, so I may as well admit that I like her books and commit to reading the Lords in Love series (this is the second book I've read in the series) and The Wild Wynchesters!

This particular book, Defying the Earl, came out on the 21st of April! I'm thrilled to have gotten a copy by Webmotion via NetGalley. It's a short read at 221 pages!

As I mentioned earlier, Defying the Earl is the fourth book in the Lords in Love series. I've also read Taming the Rake, the second book in the series as well as her book The Rake Mistake.

I don't want to try to intellectualise things too much. The book is fun. We have a scarred, grumpy earl with his sunshine sweet ward, and they like each other from the get-go. He does try to resist but succumbs, obviously. I loved that the book didn't try to make massive drama for the both of them; we had some petty people around them, and that was dealt with quickly. This is honestly my favourite version of the black cat boyfriend and golden retriever girlfriend trope!

4 1/2 stars. Loved this! Humor, heart, steam, just a touch of angst--all what I look for in a book by Erica Ridley. Titus is a grumpy, scarred hero who was traumatized by the loss of his family; Matilda is a young woman who recently lost her parents and was taken under the wing of Titus's godmother--who has promptly made Matilda his responsibility, until she comes into her inheritance in three weeks.

This is definitely a case of opposites attract. Titus is a rule follower who has shut himself off from the world, other than his stints at Parliament. Matilda, on the other hand, yearns to be a social butterfly and make the most of life. How will these two possibly find their way?

Ward/guardian romances aren't always my favorite, but the journey to this couple's HEA is lovely. Their relationship works due to the irreverent humor and Matilda's obstinate pluckiness in the face of obstacles. Titus is overbearing and difficult to like at first, but once the reader learns what happened to him in the past, and sees a side of him that his employees see, he becomes a fully fleshed character.

So much to recommend. The opening scene at the ball, before the MC's even know each other's identities, and the scene in the last chapter when Titus rides after Matilda in the carriage wearing a makeshift cape, are priceless.

Overall: a delightful read.

I read an advanced reader copy of this book, and this is my voluntary review. Opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for the ARC of this!

I love Erica Ridley's other books, but I hadn't seen this series yet. I am definitely going to have to go back and read the beginning books, because this was SO GOOD. I was crying at how the heroine was feeling awkward and at the hero's losses and insecurities. They had such good chemistry, banter, and I absolutely loved them together. I think this would be perfect for fans of The Beast of Beswick.

This is a fun, witty, and all around entertaining installment of the Lords in Love series. The heroine is plucky and fun with layers of emotional depth and empathy. The hero is curmudgeonly and brusque with similar undercurrents as the heroine. Together they fit like puzzle pieces. This wasn’t a case of will they fall in love, but rather would they allow themselves to accept it.

I received an ARC courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. The opinions are mine alone.

An extrovert young orphan maiden, who is a month short of her majority, is to be given a new guardian by her great Aunt. The new guardian is her God child whom she was a guardian for a number of years previously when his entire family was killed in a carriage accident which left him badly scarred. Owing to the scars he had turned into an introvert with little to no social interaction.

So the stage is set for the turnover at a social event for individuals seeking spouses. Neither were pleased or looking forward to the meeting and turnover. They accidently meet without being formally introduced and there is a slight fluttering of hearts. Can the odds be overcome and a successful match be made?

I have read many books by this author and always enjoy the way she brings them to a conclusion. I have rated this book 4 stars.

I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley for my review without any compensation or material reward. The review is my thoughts only.

Defying the Earl by Erica Ridley is a fitting title for this charming story. Both Matilda and Titus had experienced loss in their lives, but they reacted to the loss in opposite ways. Matilda yearns for connections to others while Titus tries his best to isolate himself.

Their story is full of Beauty and the Beast imagery. Matilda is very persistent, sometimes in ways that made me chuckle. My heart broke for both of them when they shared their stories of loss. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to disclose their HEA, and oh my goodness, Titus’s declaration of love was spectacular!

I received a copy from NetGalley; this is my honest review
-Fun, LOL moments from the beginning and doesn't stop until the end.
-Free-spirited Mathilda was the perfect woman for stuck-up Titus, who's delusional from the start thinking he can keep her in check for three long weeks.
-At first I was really confused at to why the Earl of Gilbourne didn't want to be announced at the ball and it was explained and I laughed really hard.
-Battleground = Matchmaker Festival. LMAO.
-It was absolutely sweet of Titus to check every corner for spiderwebs. I really liked how Mathilda was able to finally take Titus' arm while walking without him running away.
-I'm wondering how much did Lady Stapleton really see.
-Not funny at all: the author started to tell us which skin color were the people in the book. We don't need this. Also, why ruin your ward the day before her independence?

In terms of meeting the brief entirely this book is everything a reader wants when they read its description, and so were I told by anyone that simplistic, easy to read, regency era romances were a favourite of theirs I would probably immediately recommend this book. The only reason I'm not giving this book five stars is the whole ward-guardian thing didn't work amazingly for me, it wasn't the most absolute worst though, because the author executed it in a way that wasn't concerningly creepy.