ASIN: B00GEEYRBY
ISBN-13: 978-1476749419
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Line: Pocket Books
Release Date: Jul 22, 2014
Pages: 432
Digital Retail: 7.99
 |  |  |  |
Genre: Historical
Heat Level: Mild
Rating:
Trading Places meets Pride and Prejudice in this sexy, saucy romance—first in a new series from the author of YouTube sensation The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.
Three friends. One Wager. Winner takes all.
The Earl—‘Lucky Ned’ Ashby. Pompous, preening, certain that he is beloved by everyone.
The Miller—John Turner. Proud, forced to work as the Earl’s secretary, their relationship
growing ever more strained.
The Doctor—Rhys Gray. Practical, peace-loving, but caught in the middle of two warring friends.
Their wager is simple: By trading places with John Turner and convincing someone to fall in love with him, Ned plans to prove it’s him the world adores, not his money. Turner plans to prove him wrong.
But no one planned on Phoebe Baker, the unassuming governess who would fall into their trap, and turn everything on its head…
Three best friends make a life-changing bet in the first book in a witty, sexy new Regency trilogy from acclaimed author Kate Noble, writer of the wildly popular Emmy award–winning web series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.
Review
Edward ("Ned") Granville, the Earl of Ashby, has it all. He's titled, wealthy, charming, and lucky. His secretary, John Turner, thinks that all of Ned's success is due to his title, not his personal charm, and he's willing to make a wager to prove it. Ned accepts the wager, and the two concoct a plot to change identities. While staying as guests at a home where they have to conduct some business, each will pretend to be the other. Ned says he can make a woman fall in love with him in two weeks, just for his charming self. If he wins, he will win John's failing mill. If John wins, he will get the money to save the family mill.
Phoebe Baker is a governess, and is at the home where they'll be staying. She is in reduced circumstance because her father lost everything before he died. Phoebe originally blamed the earl, Ned, for this happening, because he knew of the businessman who encouraged her father to make the bad investment, and didn't make it known that he was a bad character. Phoebe has since grown up, but is still leery of meeting the earl. She avoids John, thinking he is the Earl. Meanwhile, Ned comes to the conclusion that Phoebe is the one he'll make fall in love with him, and sets out to charm her.
I don't remember many heroes that I have disliked as much as this one. Ned is charming, but he has no qualms about breaking a heart. He is also not very bright, concocting this particular plot with people he may very well meet up with in future in society. He is immature and self centered. He pours on the charm, and Phoebe eventually succumbs. I liked Phoebe very much and actually was rooting against him, she deserved so much better.
I have been a big fan of all of Kate Noble's previous books, so this one came as a bit of a shock. I couldn't get past the ridiculous plot, or the unlikeable hero. Though he did some growing up and showed some remorse by the end of the book, I could never like him. I'll continue to read this author in the future, but this one did not work for me.
Reviewed by Rose