This is another stellar book by Ms Ridley. I was anxious to get back to it every time I was pulled away. Ms Ridley has a knack for creating interesting, likable characters with the story developing at a good pace.

I love a grumpy hero and Titus sure is that, Matilda is the breath of fresh air he needs. I love how the author took two people with similar experiences with losing their family and showed how grief can impact people differently.

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I liked this one. It was a quick read but very emotional. I think the character development could have been a bit more fleshed out but there was still enough depth to make both characters motivations make sense. There was a bit of a sense of silliness but also underlying emotional depth and some great trope action!

I absolutely loved this story about Miss Matilda Dodd and Titus Noble, the fifth Earl of Gilbourne. Matti was orphaned and after living with her great aunt during her year of mourning, she was handed off to Titus as his ward until she reached the age of majority or married. The characters are loveable, amusing and completely engaging. I didn’t want to put this story down; it was too entertaining reading about how Matilda was slowly breaking down all of Titus’s walls and I was anxiously waiting to see if she could get him to laugh or at the very least, smile. This story was amusing and had its usual catty female who I definitely wanted karma to visit. The one thing I would really like to see come out of this is a happy story for Lady Tabitha.

Grumpy reclusive bachelor Titus has guardianship of the beautiful Matilda for a short while until she reaches her majority. Denying the attraction they feel for each other, Titus takes her to balls to try to marry her off. Matilda only has eyes for him. I received an ARC from NetGalley and WebMotion for my honest review.

I love reading a book and just knowing how much fun the author had to have while writing it! I had the biggest smile on my face during most of it myself.

I adore a grumpy/sunshine trope especially if that sunshine is flavored with a bit of good natured spite. If someone ever calls me loquacious, you best believe I'll be following Matilda's example and serving up prime loquaciousness. We also get major beauty and the beast vibes which is another personal favorite. I love how Titus is very consciously playing the beast (and genuinely believes it's the truth) while his actions show that there's more under the surface.

This is the fourth book of the Lords in Love series, but easily works as a standalone. I've read all of them to this point and would recommend to fellow historical romance lovers.

TL;DR - This book is delightful and deeply romantic.

**Received an eARC via NetGalley**

Ebook received through NetGalley

Another delightful read. Great story, delightful romance, and perfect scenes. I love all books by this author and it didn’t let me down.

It takes skills to write a story that feels that it wrote itself, Erica wrote their characters so well that it felt effortless, and that takes skills.

For those who want a book with love and passion without it feeling rushed or forced. this is the one.

Defying the Earl by Erica Ridley is the fourth book in the series called Lords in Love. Darcy Burke and Erica Ridley are writing the series all based in Marrywell, England. The town grows tremendously each year for the annual festival, May Day Matchmaking Festival. In this particular novel, only part of the book takes place in Marrywell and the rest takes place in and around London.

Titus Noble lives a very regimented life. He does the same things everyday in the same pattern. He doesn’t allow people into his world or allow anyone to get close to him. That is when a surprise is dropped on him by Aunt Stapelron. He suddenly has a ward for the next month or so. He is under the impression that she is quite out of control and needs a lot of help.

Matilda Dodd is a month shy of having reached her majority. She has decided that she is going to live her life! She is persistently cheerful despite several direct cuts by some others. Titus comes to her aid a couple of times. Matilda is determined to be part of Titus’s world at least for a short time before she goes off on her own.

What a wonderful story that brought Matilda and Titus together thanks to Aunt Stapelron! I loved how the characters found their way to being open to life and laughter. Defying the Earl by Erica Ridley was a great read.

Two people take family loss in very different ways. He can't move past a family accident. She chose to take the loss of her parents by trying to make friends and bring positive energy into her world. He is her guardian until she turns 21. Then she inherits her fortune and will leave.

This is Erica Ridley so we know there will be hearts involved with lots of angst. That's why I read her books. The characters are interesting with obstacles to overcome. There are balls to attend and the rules of the ton that don't always make sense. And that touch of spice that keeps me flipping the pages. I liked the story.

Nobody defies this Earl. Unless they are Matilda Dodd. Titus acts beastly and it works to keep people away until his ward shows up. I cried a few times when each of them told the other what had happened to them to turn them into the person they are now. Plus anytime someone was cruel to Matilda. I cheered for her throughout the whole book.

This is book four in the series. It can be read as a stand-alone book.
Matilda Dodd has 3 weeks until she reaches her majority and can receive her inheritance. She never wants to be owned by a man. Her Aunt, Lady Stapleton feels she can no longer control Matilda so she transfers guardianship to her Godson, Titus, the Earl of Gilborne. Titus, wants to marry Matilda off as soon as possible so he doesn't have to take care of her. He hates society and is a recluse. The transfer is to take place at the Merrywell Matchmaking Festival. Both Titus and Matilda had tragedies happen in their childhood that made them the way they are now. This is a wonderful grumpy meets sunshine book with both laugh out loud and sad moments as they come to love each other. It is a wonderful, highly entertaining read.
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and these are my opinions.

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Lords in Love series. Titus is the grumpiest earl you ever did meet, eschewing all social niceties and events. He’s tasked by his godmother to take on a twenty-year old ward and comes to the Marrywell festival to meet her. But before he can do that, he’s kissed a stranger behind the potted plants at the assembly, and is aghast to realize that he’s kissed his ward Matilda. She’s out of mourning from her parents, nearly reaching her majority and inheritance, and wants to socialize and make friends with people. This one is very much a grumpy-sunshine story, with tragic backstories for both Titus and Matilda, but they differ greatly in how they’ve moved from their respective tragedies. Another fun and quick read from this series!

How did Matilda and Titus get to the romantic love without the help of Aunt Stapelron? I love the book. It’s engaging for me as reader. The story is a peaceful read that moves rather fast for the reader if the engrossed into the book. The subject matter was appropriate for the time frame. The characters are interesting and charming. The dialogue was clear and understanding. The romance has just the right amount of steam. I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a joy to read. Funny, light hearted yet the cruelty of the mean women about town and the pain of loss and disfigurement also woven in, I read this book in one sitting late into the night and wouldn’t have it any other way..

Matilda is just a month away from gaining access to her inheritance and is waiting to be free in her life. But just as aunts in this genre have to interfere and get themselves into matchmaking, here as well there is an aunt who is happy to meddle. That in turn ends up with Matilda as a ward of Titus, a grumpy, broody unmarried earl. They have a spark between them even before they get introduced and once she becomes his ward, things end up getting them further closer. They both have faced terrible circumstances that they are yet to grieve properly and together they help each other while falling hard for one another at the same time. It was a light, fast read and Titus was such a caring person for Matilda! They were really well-suited and it was enjoyable to read this banter!

"Miss Matilda Dodd refuses to be any man’s property. She’s a month shy of her majority, and cannot wait to live life on her own terms. Rather than meet her unwanted new guardian as instructed, she attends a ball and comes kiss-to-kiss with an adorably befuddled handsome lord instead. But the grumpy, sexy stranger turns out to be the new guardian, hell-bent on marrying her to someone else!"
Titus and Matilda are meant to be together.
Matilda is determined to be the only one who is going to get the Earl.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.