StarAngels' Reviews

A Review by Diane

The Earl of London

by

Louise Bay

4.5 Swoon-Worthy Stars!!

****1/2

All I can say is that I am late to the Louise Bay game, but boy have I been making up for lost time.  I’ve been quickly…..no,  more like devouring, The British Knight, The King of Wall Street, The Duke of Manhattan, and then I was so so ready for The Earl of London…..but then I had to wait!!!  Wait on Darcy Westbury to find her tall, dark, handsome stranger…..errr I mean Earl.  But no more!!!  It’s here and I am oh so ready for it!!  Ready to launch myself into another hot, sensual, Louise Bay book.  Ready for the next royalty to find their happily ever after in all the wonderful Louise Bay 

story-telling that I have come to love in a short amount of time!! 

So let’s start out by saying The Earl of London is a truly sexy, tantalizing, enemies to friends to lovers story that I simply COULD. NOT. PUT. DOWN!  Probably Louise Bay’s best in what I call her “royalty” series.  Well-crafted with banter that ranges from smart to sassy to hilarious to romantic to downright panty melting sexy and some of the most sensual chemistry I’ve ever read!!!  Wonderful character development too.  We have been hearing about Darcy for the past two books at least and we finally get to learn more about this Lady of Fairfax.  Even Aurora, the best friend of Darcy, who we weren’t sure about in the Duke of Manhattan becomes a great sounding board for Darcy, and someone we really, really like.  Cross your fingers, maybe she gets the next book……after all she was considered briefly as a potential wife for Ryder.

Darcy Westbury is the sister of the Duke of Fairfax, Ryder Westbury, who we met in The Duke of Manhattan.  Ryder, now happily married to Scarlett King, has left his Dukedom and Woolton Hall safely in the hands of his sister back in England.  And trust me, there is no one who cares more, who would lay her life down for, to preserve the traditions and heritage of Woolton more than Darcy.  You see it’s her sanctuary, her safe place, her magical and beautiful place, her “happiness all tied up with a very neat bow” place.  A place where she and her brother grew up with love and security after their parents left them (okay in “reality” deserted them) with the Duke and Duchess of Fairfax, their grandparents.  Now that both are deceased, the Dukedom has passed to Ryder who could really care less about that title.  But, both Ryder and Darcy have some pretty serious “desertion baggage” because of their parents.  Ryder has overcome his baggage due to his marriage to Scarlett, but Darcy…..she’s still cautious and skeptical.  Doesn’t want to date, doesn’t want a relationship….too messy and besides, they will leave you……

Until…….

Out of the mist one morning while riding her horse, Logan Steele comes walking along, an extremely tall, handsome man with cool blue eyes piercing right at our Darcy.  There’s something about him.  Who is he?  Takes a bit, but Darcy finally figures out that Logan Steele is the newest owner of Badsley House, and an Earl to boot… but he’s not one of those “inherited Earls”, he’s a self-made businessman with his own billion dollar fortune that he earned.  He had to, after his father lost everything…..the family homes, the money, the legacy, and then deserted him in the care of his grandmother with nothing left to inherit.  Wow….now there is some serious baggage to carry around!  But Logan, being a shrewd businessman, has gotten part of it back.  The home that was lost, the home that his grandmother grew up in, he’s finally rectified that loss and bought back Badsley House.  To see the light and shine in his grandmother’s eyes to be able to return her to her ancestral home is worth everything to Logan.  And Logan?  Well he starts living at Badsley House on the weekends to be near his grandmother. 

What Logan doesn’t realize yet, is Badsley House is a lifeline, a path if you will…..to a change in thinking, a change in his life to something more positive, a path to someone more meaningful than all those one night stands of his.  A path to something he has been hungering for but never knew he was.  And now a home whose borders are right up to Woolton. 

Yup……Logan's neighbor is Darcy, someone he seems to notice at every turn and who he keeps running into.  That smart, articulate, passionate, beautiful girl who keeps putting him in his place...about everything!  And Darcy?  What is it about this Logan that keeps hitting all her hot buttons?  He's infuriating and sexy at the same time!  So what’s a little romance and sex between neighbors??  Well that’s for all you readers to find out.

 

A wonderful, wonderful book to read.  Can’t say enough good things about it.  Clever premise, definitely British all the way around, and two amazing characters to read about.  If you have read any of the previous books this book will definitely be a must read for you.  If you haven’t, it can definitely stand on its own.  But trust me.  Why would you want to?  After this book you will definitely be convinced to go back and read the others as well.

USA Today bestselling author, Louise Bay writes sexy, contemporary romance novels - the kind she likes to read. Her books include the novels Faithful and Hopeful, The Empire State Series, Parisian Nights, Promised Nights, Indigo Nights, King of Wall Street, Duke of Manhattan, The British Knight, The Ruthless Gentleman and The Earl of London.

Ruined by bonk-busters and sexy mini-series of the eighties Louise loves all things sexy and romantic. There's not enough of it in real life so she disappears into the fictional worlds in books and films.

Louise loves the rain, the West Wing, London, days when she doesn't have to wear make-up, being on her own, being with friends, elephants and champagne.

She loves to hear from readers so get in touch!