Not the Kind of Earl You Marry

May 3, 2021
This cozy slice-of-life set in 1817 London makes a promising start to Pembrooke’s debut Regency series. William Atherton, the Earl of Norwood, barges in on stranger Charlotte Hurst’s breakfast one morning brandishing a newspaper announcing their betrothal. He assumes the piece is Charlotte’s attempt to entrap him into marriage. Innocent Charlotte is livid at the accusation and dresses him down magnificently. William, realizing the lie could easily have come from a political rival hoping to cause a scandal and damage his chances at a chairmanship, apologizes and proposes that he and Charlotte go along with a temporary engagement until Charlotte can quietly jilt him without damaging both their reputations. Charlotte reluctantly agrees in exchange for curricle driving lessons. The more time they spend together publicly, the more William is charmed by Charlotte, and he soon longs to make their arrangement permanent. But shy, bookish Charlotte is adamant she’d make an unsuitable wife for a sociable politician—even after she and William share a passionate kiss that cements their considerable attraction. Pembrooke skillfully weaves subtle political subplots throughout the sweet, slow burn romance. Complete with genuine, endearing characters, this charming novel positions Pembrooke as an author to watch. Agent: Rebecca Strauss, DeFiore and Co.

July 1, 2021
Charlotte Hurst has no idea she is engaged until a very cranky William Atherton, earl of Norwood, storms into her brother's home one morning brandishing a copy of the Morning Post. After Charlotte convinces William that she has nothing to do with the newspaper's announcement of their betrothal, the two realize they have an even more pressing problem. Someone is trying to create a scandal that will not only scuttle William's political aspirations but also irrevocably tarnish Charlotte's reputation. Charlotte and William agree that pretending to be engaged is the best short-term solution to their problem, but the more time the two spend together, the less fake their engagement starts to feel. Debut author Pembrooke puts her own clever stamp on the faux relationship trope in the stellar start to her Unconventional Ladies of Mayfair series, and the result is a perfectly executed Regency historical with an engagingly nuanced cast of characters, graceful writing leavened with droll wit, and a surfeit of sophisticated sensuality.

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August 15, 2021
When an ambitious earl and a reticent bluestocking are forced together, they discover that opposites can, indeed, attract. William Atherton, Earl of Norwood, is jolted by a newspaper announcement pronouncing him engaged to Charlotte Hurst, a lady he has never even formally met. Presuming that she wants to trap him into matrimony, William confronts Charlotte angrily. But when he sees that she is as puzzled as he is by the announcement, William comes to suspect it's the work of a rival trying to puncture his political aspirations. Until the culprit can be found, the two are forced to pretend they are engaged to save her reputation and his career. Although Charlotte is initially put off by William's arrogance and dislikes the social events he frequently attends, she begins to look forward to William's company. She also builds lasting friendships with the indomitable women she meets through William. But before they can even consider turning a pretend engagement into reality, William and Charlotte must not only reconcile internal differences, but also confront an external enemy. Pembrooke's debut inaugurates the Unconventional Ladies of Mayfair trilogy and is replete with secondary characters who charm and entertain. The relationship between William and Charlotte develops with gradual ease, and their interactions evolve in emotional depth. While the camaraderie between the couple and their respective families and friends is unmistakably sweet, the mystery driving William and Charlotte's plight reaches a distinctly insipid resolution. An uncomplicated and endearing story that will appeal to romance fans.

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