★★★★★ A sweet historic romance that will renew your faith in destiny and in happily ever after! Marielle is on the marriage mart. Her father didn’t leave her with any money to speak of. Her mother insists she marry but Marielle would rather join the working class than be married to an old man she doesn’t love. Stuart, the earl of Bennington, is different. He shares Marielle’s passion for life, opera and books and they seem to suit well. The problem is Stuart doesn’t have any money either, making him exactly the wrong man for Marielle to fall for. But love him Marielle does. Yes, love! Does Stuart love her back? I loved how this book did not follow a formula and was unlike any historic romance I’ve read to date. The characters are fun, including side characters like Marielle’s best friend Beatrice and antagonists like her mother, whose witty, snobby dialogue will have you laughing out loud. I related easily to Marielle, who wants nothing less than true love and would rather retreat into a good book when the world gets her down. There are twists and turns and suspenseful surprises. The ending will warm your heart.
Add Roni Denholtz’s Embraced by the Earl to your to-be-read list on Goodreads!