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Love and Let Spy #1
Who's That Earl
From rising star Susanna Craig comes a fresh new series filled with high-stakes intrigue and thrilling historical romance that is perfect for readers looking for a fun new twist on their favorite love stories…
Will scandalous secrets stand in the way of a second chance at love?
Miss Jane Quayle excels at invention. How else could the sheltered daughter of an English gentleman create lurid gothic novels so infamous someone wants their author silenced forever? Fortunately, Jane has taken steps to protect herself, first by assuming a pen name, and second, by taking up residence at remote Dunnock Castle, surrounded by rugged scenery that might have been ripped from the pages of one of her books. Her true identity remains a secret, until one dark and stormy night...
After years of spying for the British army, Thomas Sutherland doubts the Highlands will ever feel like home again. Nevertheless, thanks to a quirk of Scottish inheritance law, he's now the Earl of Magnus, complete with a crumbling castle currently inhabited by a notorious novelist. When the writer turns out to be the woman Thomas once wooed, suspicions rise even as mutual sparks reignite. As danger closes in, can Jane and Thomas overcome their pasts to forge a future together?
Will scandalous secrets stand in the way of a second chance at love?
Miss Jane Quayle excels at invention. How else could the sheltered daughter of an English gentleman create lurid gothic novels so infamous someone wants their author silenced forever? Fortunately, Jane has taken steps to protect herself, first by assuming a pen name, and second, by taking up residence at remote Dunnock Castle, surrounded by rugged scenery that might have been ripped from the pages of one of her books. Her true identity remains a secret, until one dark and stormy night...
After years of spying for the British army, Thomas Sutherland doubts the Highlands will ever feel like home again. Nevertheless, thanks to a quirk of Scottish inheritance law, he's now the Earl of Magnus, complete with a crumbling castle currently inhabited by a notorious novelist. When the writer turns out to be the woman Thomas once wooed, suspicions rise even as mutual sparks reignite. As danger closes in, can Jane and Thomas overcome their pasts to forge a future together?
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 18, 2020
About the author
Susanna Craig
23 books474 followersAlmost as soon as she could hold a pencil, Susanna Craig began writing stories. Today, she pens award-winning Regency-era romance novels that blend history and heart with a dash of heat. An English professor, wife, and mom, she’s currently finding her happily ever after in Kentucky while holding onto her Midwestern roots. Find her online at http://www.susannacraig.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 361 reviews
July 27, 2020
WHO’S THAT EARL by Susanna Craig is the first book in the Love and Let Spy historical romance series and the first book that I have read by this author. The story is largely set in Scotland. At seventeen, Jane Quayle met a young British army officer, Thomas Sutherland and had a short romance. However, he was called away to duty and she was soon cast out of her family home by her parents. Seven years have now passed and they happen to meet again.
Susanna and Thomas were both characters that you could root for. They had some depth, flaws and virtues, but not quite as much as I wanted. Their motivations seemed believable, but the secondary characters lacked the depth that would have further enhanced the story. The author did a great job of creating a setting at and around Dunnock Castle. However, the mystery part of the story was easily solved. There just wasn’t enough tension or intrigue to make this novel a page turner for me. There are a couple of steamier scenes in the last half of the book.
Overall, this was an enjoyable historical romance that fell short on the history and intrigue that I was expecting. However, the interaction between the main characters was entertaining. Other readers have enjoyed this more than I did.
I won a digital copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. Thanks go to Goodreads, Lyrical Press and Susanna Craig for the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
Susanna and Thomas were both characters that you could root for. They had some depth, flaws and virtues, but not quite as much as I wanted. Their motivations seemed believable, but the secondary characters lacked the depth that would have further enhanced the story. The author did a great job of creating a setting at and around Dunnock Castle. However, the mystery part of the story was easily solved. There just wasn’t enough tension or intrigue to make this novel a page turner for me. There are a couple of steamier scenes in the last half of the book.
Overall, this was an enjoyable historical romance that fell short on the history and intrigue that I was expecting. However, the interaction between the main characters was entertaining. Other readers have enjoyed this more than I did.
I won a digital copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. Thanks go to Goodreads, Lyrical Press and Susanna Craig for the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
August 15, 2020
STRONG FEMALE LEAD IN A PLOT-LESS WISHY WASHY HISTORICAL ROMANCE
When I read Historical Romance I like a bit of heartfelt (maybe even sizzling) romance. I also like a plot that goes beyond the romance and maybe has some drama, mystery or horror. And I like strong female characters who stand up for themselves. With this book I got only one of those things...
👍 WHAT I LIKED 👍
Jane: Our female lead Jane is a selfmade woman - she is a published author, writing under a male pseudonym. She writes horror stories that nobody in her day or age would suspect was written by a woman. I really liked that she went against convention and made her own fortune evne when others (particularly her father) said she couldn't.
Secrets: Normally I absolutely hate characters that keep secrets from each other because you always know how it is going to end up - the secret will come out leading to a momentary split or rift which is ultimately overcome in the end. For me the 'secret keeping trope' is so old and tired. So when I first felt this book going down that road I was a little annoyed - but then my feelings changed, because this was actually a new take on that trope. Jane and Thomas actually know that the other person is lying! That was refreshing!
Second chances: Jane and Thomas had a short lived affair seven years before the events of this book. I always enjoy a second chances love story, event though I wish we would have gotten to know more about their earlier romance.
👎 WHAT I DISLIKED 👎
Plot: Overall, the plot was lacking. Based on the blurb I was expecting mystery, intrigue and even a bit of action, but I didn't feel like the book delivered on either account. It was slightly mundane and I was not expecting that one bit.
Romance: Jane and Thomas may be second chance lovers, something that I really like, by I was just not sold on their romance. I couldn't connect with their relationship, couldn't feel the attraction, the emotions or the chemistry.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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Blog Post: 11 Crazy Literary Scandals
When I read Historical Romance I like a bit of heartfelt (maybe even sizzling) romance. I also like a plot that goes beyond the romance and maybe has some drama, mystery or horror. And I like strong female characters who stand up for themselves. With this book I got only one of those things...
👍 WHAT I LIKED 👍
Jane: Our female lead Jane is a selfmade woman - she is a published author, writing under a male pseudonym. She writes horror stories that nobody in her day or age would suspect was written by a woman. I really liked that she went against convention and made her own fortune evne when others (particularly her father) said she couldn't.
Secrets: Normally I absolutely hate characters that keep secrets from each other because you always know how it is going to end up - the secret will come out leading to a momentary split or rift which is ultimately overcome in the end. For me the 'secret keeping trope' is so old and tired. So when I first felt this book going down that road I was a little annoyed - but then my feelings changed, because this was actually a new take on that trope. Jane and Thomas actually know that the other person is lying! That was refreshing!
Second chances: Jane and Thomas had a short lived affair seven years before the events of this book. I always enjoy a second chances love story, event though I wish we would have gotten to know more about their earlier romance.
👎 WHAT I DISLIKED 👎
Plot: Overall, the plot was lacking. Based on the blurb I was expecting mystery, intrigue and even a bit of action, but I didn't feel like the book delivered on either account. It was slightly mundane and I was not expecting that one bit.
Romance: Jane and Thomas may be second chance lovers, something that I really like, by I was just not sold on their romance. I couldn't connect with their relationship, couldn't feel the attraction, the emotions or the chemistry.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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Blog Post: 11 Crazy Literary Scandals
June 27, 2020
3.5 stars-- There's a lot of elements in this book I really enjoyed! The characters & their banter were great. I loved the snippets of the gothic novel (honestly could have done with more of that), and I loved the rugged Scottish castle setting! Overall, I think this book would have benefitted from having a stronger mystery element in the plotting, because I thought that pacing and plot were the weakest points of the story. Still, this was quite a charming historical, and it felt like something a bit different, which I appreciated
August 18, 2020
Who's That Earl is a historical romantic suspense (more romance than suspense) with an independent, plus-size heroine and a hero reluctant to become an earl with a career in military intelligence. I had such a good time with this one and I'm excited to read more from the author!
Jayne Quayle is secretly the author of pulpy novels, written under a male nome de plume. She is renting a castle in the remote Scottish Highlands as she pens her very successful novels and hides her identity by pretending to be a widow who works for this elusive author. And she has just received her first death threat.
Thomas Sutherland has been recalled from his post in the military because he has unexpectedly become heir to a Scottish Earldom. In fact, the very one that Jayne is currently inhabiting! And they have a history. Not to mention plenty of secrets.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this. I will say, don't go expecting a heavy emphasis on suspense or an elaborate mystery plot, as I see some readers disappointed with that element. But I loved the characters! Jayne is curvy, smart, and fiercely independent. Thomas might want to save her, but quite often she can save herself. Thomas appreciates and respects her work as an author and doesn't need her to fit inside a box. I was a fan. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Jayne Quayle is secretly the author of pulpy novels, written under a male nome de plume. She is renting a castle in the remote Scottish Highlands as she pens her very successful novels and hides her identity by pretending to be a widow who works for this elusive author. And she has just received her first death threat.
Thomas Sutherland has been recalled from his post in the military because he has unexpectedly become heir to a Scottish Earldom. In fact, the very one that Jayne is currently inhabiting! And they have a history. Not to mention plenty of secrets.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this. I will say, don't go expecting a heavy emphasis on suspense or an elaborate mystery plot, as I see some readers disappointed with that element. But I loved the characters! Jayne is curvy, smart, and fiercely independent. Thomas might want to save her, but quite often she can save herself. Thomas appreciates and respects her work as an author and doesn't need her to fit inside a box. I was a fan. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
August 8, 2020
Series: Love and Let Spy #1
Publication Date: 8/18/20
Number of Pages: 384
*** 3.5 Stars Rounded Up ***
This second-chance romance was a fun read. It has a little bit of everything – snippets from a gothic novel, a mystery, a villain, a crumbling castle, and two really cute spaniels. I really liked both lead characters – and – of course, I loved the epilogue.
At seventeen Miss Jane Quayle met a handsome young military officer, Thomas Sutherland. They spent the following weeks keeping as much company as was possible at the time. They spoke of marriage and Thomas made plans to speak to Jane’s father. But – when he arrived at the house, her father denied he even had a daughter.
Seven years later – Jane had become a very wealthy and very famous Gothic Novel author who wrote under the male pseudonym, Robin Ratliff, and Thomas had spent that time as a spy stationed in the West Indies. Jane, as Robin Ratliff, has been renting Dunnock Castle from its absentee landlord, the Earl of Magnus. Both have been satisfied with the arrangement as he prefers the warmer climes, and she is paying a handsome sum for the privacy afforded by a Highland castle.
When Thomas is summoned to London by his spymaster, General Zebadiah Scott, he has no idea what is about to transpire. The General informs Thomas that the Earl of Magnus has died – and Thomas is now the new earl. Thomas has no desire to have a title and informs the general of that, but the general isn’t taking no for an answer. So, it is off to Scotland to officially claim his title and then on to Dunnock Castle.
After days of exhausting travel, Thomas arrives at Dunnock Castle and awaits a meeting with Robin Ratliff – only to be taken to Jane Quayle – who is now Mrs. Higginbotham. Thomas insists on seeing Robin and not his secretary but is told that Robin is off doing research for his next novel.
Both Thomas and Jane are keeping secrets – big secrets, and neither trusts the other with those secrets. However, they are both smart and soon each of them begins to put the puzzle pieces together. Can they get past those secrets and find their own HEA? You’ll just have to read the book to see.
I enjoyed the read and thought the storyline was interesting, but, for some reason, I never became truly invested in the romance. Rather than feeling I was reading a great love story that had stood the test of time, I felt I was reading two people who just decided they were in love and wanted to get on with it. Maybe that isn’t a good explanation, but, bottom line, I just didn’t feel it. Then, there is the matter of the villain (well two if you count her father). I felt there could have been more suspense and danger associated with that part of the story – I thought it was too quickly and easily solved.
Bottom line is – I enjoyed the read and would share it with a friend. I think General Scott was my favorite character in the whole book. I loved him and I think he’ll be the lynchpin of the series as he manages to pair off his spies with just the perfect lady for them. I’m looking forward to the next story already.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Publication Date: 8/18/20
Number of Pages: 384
*** 3.5 Stars Rounded Up ***
This second-chance romance was a fun read. It has a little bit of everything – snippets from a gothic novel, a mystery, a villain, a crumbling castle, and two really cute spaniels. I really liked both lead characters – and – of course, I loved the epilogue.
At seventeen Miss Jane Quayle met a handsome young military officer, Thomas Sutherland. They spent the following weeks keeping as much company as was possible at the time. They spoke of marriage and Thomas made plans to speak to Jane’s father. But – when he arrived at the house, her father denied he even had a daughter.
I have to say that the author didn’t make me feel there was a ‘great love for all time’ here. They both walked away too easily and neither ever tried to contact the other again. Yes, they both remembered a sweet shared kiss – but – that seems to be it. It just didn’t seem to me that either was totally invested in the relationship at that time.
Seven years later – Jane had become a very wealthy and very famous Gothic Novel author who wrote under the male pseudonym, Robin Ratliff, and Thomas had spent that time as a spy stationed in the West Indies. Jane, as Robin Ratliff, has been renting Dunnock Castle from its absentee landlord, the Earl of Magnus. Both have been satisfied with the arrangement as he prefers the warmer climes, and she is paying a handsome sum for the privacy afforded by a Highland castle.
When Thomas is summoned to London by his spymaster, General Zebadiah Scott, he has no idea what is about to transpire. The General informs Thomas that the Earl of Magnus has died – and Thomas is now the new earl. Thomas has no desire to have a title and informs the general of that, but the general isn’t taking no for an answer. So, it is off to Scotland to officially claim his title and then on to Dunnock Castle.
After days of exhausting travel, Thomas arrives at Dunnock Castle and awaits a meeting with Robin Ratliff – only to be taken to Jane Quayle – who is now Mrs. Higginbotham. Thomas insists on seeing Robin and not his secretary but is told that Robin is off doing research for his next novel.
Both Thomas and Jane are keeping secrets – big secrets, and neither trusts the other with those secrets. However, they are both smart and soon each of them begins to put the puzzle pieces together. Can they get past those secrets and find their own HEA? You’ll just have to read the book to see.
I enjoyed the read and thought the storyline was interesting, but, for some reason, I never became truly invested in the romance. Rather than feeling I was reading a great love story that had stood the test of time, I felt I was reading two people who just decided they were in love and wanted to get on with it. Maybe that isn’t a good explanation, but, bottom line, I just didn’t feel it. Then, there is the matter of the villain (well two if you count her father). I felt there could have been more suspense and danger associated with that part of the story – I thought it was too quickly and easily solved.
Bottom line is – I enjoyed the read and would share it with a friend. I think General Scott was my favorite character in the whole book. I loved him and I think he’ll be the lynchpin of the series as he manages to pair off his spies with just the perfect lady for them. I’m looking forward to the next story already.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 9, 2020
4.5 stars rounded up.
After being stationed on the island of Dominica for seven long, lonely years, Lt. Thomas Sutherland is finally going back to England. He returns and briefly considers looking up the girl he fell in love with just before he left, the girl he didn’t get to say goodbye to, but never forgot, but then convinces himself that she is no longer his Miss Quayle and that the past is best forgotten. He reports to his commanding officer, General Zebadiah Scott and learns that he has inherited the title of Earl of Magnus as well as the Scottish estate Dunnock Castle. General Scott will not even consider giving Thomas a new post until he goes to Dunnock and makes sure all is well with his tenants. He also tells Thomas that the castle is currently being leased to Robin Ratliff, an author of some renown, but that the lease is up for renewal in less than a month, so will also have to decide if he will renew the lease or take up residence at the castle himself. Thomas sets out, sure that he will not be staying at Dunnock. He arrives and is shocked to learn that Robin Radliff is not in residence, but his amanuensis, Mrs. Higginbotham is and she is none other than Miss Jane Quayle, the woman he fell in love with all those years ago.
Jane Quayle has a secret, she is not a widow or an amanuensis, she is Robin Ratliff, the author of several wildly popular gothic novels. She can’t believe Thomas is standing in front of her! She last saw him the night her life changed forever and has barely given him more than a passing thought over the years (well maybe more than a passing thought, but certainly she hasn’t dreamed about him, at least not very much). Thomas doesn’t want to tell her he is Lord Magnus, so after spying a threatening letter to Ratliff on her desk, he says he was sent to investigate the threats. It doesn’t take long for either of them to figure out the other’s secrets, but it will take longer to figure out who is threatening Jane and for Thomas to decide if he is willing to leave his military career behind and take up the responsibilities of being the Earl. It will take even longer for these two to admit that their love never died and that their HEA is possible if they are willing to reach for it…
I really loved this story, it was a well written, nicely paced novel with wonderful characters. It was a fun read, but not silly, Thomas and Jane are incredibly likable and the chemistry between them is undeniable. I was hooked from the very first page and devoured this book, it is filled with secrets, laughter, steamyish love scenes, a bit of mystery, a demented villain, great secondary characters, some spoiled dogs, second chances and a very delightful ending complete with an epilogue. This is the first book in the series and I am happy to recommend this title and will be anxiously awaiting the next installment!!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review of an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*
After being stationed on the island of Dominica for seven long, lonely years, Lt. Thomas Sutherland is finally going back to England. He returns and briefly considers looking up the girl he fell in love with just before he left, the girl he didn’t get to say goodbye to, but never forgot, but then convinces himself that she is no longer his Miss Quayle and that the past is best forgotten. He reports to his commanding officer, General Zebadiah Scott and learns that he has inherited the title of Earl of Magnus as well as the Scottish estate Dunnock Castle. General Scott will not even consider giving Thomas a new post until he goes to Dunnock and makes sure all is well with his tenants. He also tells Thomas that the castle is currently being leased to Robin Ratliff, an author of some renown, but that the lease is up for renewal in less than a month, so will also have to decide if he will renew the lease or take up residence at the castle himself. Thomas sets out, sure that he will not be staying at Dunnock. He arrives and is shocked to learn that Robin Radliff is not in residence, but his amanuensis, Mrs. Higginbotham is and she is none other than Miss Jane Quayle, the woman he fell in love with all those years ago.
Jane Quayle has a secret, she is not a widow or an amanuensis, she is Robin Ratliff, the author of several wildly popular gothic novels. She can’t believe Thomas is standing in front of her! She last saw him the night her life changed forever and has barely given him more than a passing thought over the years (well maybe more than a passing thought, but certainly she hasn’t dreamed about him, at least not very much). Thomas doesn’t want to tell her he is Lord Magnus, so after spying a threatening letter to Ratliff on her desk, he says he was sent to investigate the threats. It doesn’t take long for either of them to figure out the other’s secrets, but it will take longer to figure out who is threatening Jane and for Thomas to decide if he is willing to leave his military career behind and take up the responsibilities of being the Earl. It will take even longer for these two to admit that their love never died and that their HEA is possible if they are willing to reach for it…
I really loved this story, it was a well written, nicely paced novel with wonderful characters. It was a fun read, but not silly, Thomas and Jane are incredibly likable and the chemistry between them is undeniable. I was hooked from the very first page and devoured this book, it is filled with secrets, laughter, steamyish love scenes, a bit of mystery, a demented villain, great secondary characters, some spoiled dogs, second chances and a very delightful ending complete with an epilogue. This is the first book in the series and I am happy to recommend this title and will be anxiously awaiting the next installment!!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review of an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*
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September 8, 2020I'm afraid this didn't work for me and I DNF'd at 18%, for a combination of reasons.
Alarm bells rang right at the start when we meet the hero on the island of Dominica in the West Indies, where he has been stationed for some years as a British intelligence officer. We're not told exactly when the book is set, but references to Napoleon would suggest it's between 1804 and 1815. At that time Dominica was a British colony (established 1805), and was an important staging point for the 'triangular trade' whereby enslaved African people were 'imported' and sold in return for the export of sugar, tobacco and cotton to Europe. While the hero soon leaves and returns to his native Scotland, the fact that the book failed to mention this history or to reflect on the implications at the first opportunity is a huge red flag. If one of your MCs is implicated explicitly and directly in systems of colonial oppression and you don't address it proactively and straightaway, I'm done. White authors need to do better.
On top of that, I found the premise strained my suspension of disbelief: a man inherits an Earldom he has no idea he is even in line for, along with a ruined Highland castle, and the reclusive anonymous tenant of said castle just happens, by chance, to be the young woman he fell in love with in Sussex seven years earlier? This excess of coincidence made me cynical, and so it became hard for me to engage with the characters as individuals - I couldn't invest in the process of them coming together.
I did like the title though - alas, it was going to be my pun square for #FallIntoRomBingo - and I thought the writing had a lot to recommend it. But my tolerance for unforced errors in white historical romance these days is really low, and there were too many for me here.
Alarm bells rang right at the start when we meet the hero on the island of Dominica in the West Indies, where he has been stationed for some years as a British intelligence officer. We're not told exactly when the book is set, but references to Napoleon would suggest it's between 1804 and 1815. At that time Dominica was a British colony (established 1805), and was an important staging point for the 'triangular trade' whereby enslaved African people were 'imported' and sold in return for the export of sugar, tobacco and cotton to Europe. While the hero soon leaves and returns to his native Scotland, the fact that the book failed to mention this history or to reflect on the implications at the first opportunity is a huge red flag. If one of your MCs is implicated explicitly and directly in systems of colonial oppression and you don't address it proactively and straightaway, I'm done. White authors need to do better.
On top of that, I found the premise strained my suspension of disbelief: a man inherits an Earldom he has no idea he is even in line for, along with a ruined Highland castle, and the reclusive anonymous tenant of said castle just happens, by chance, to be the young woman he fell in love with in Sussex seven years earlier? This excess of coincidence made me cynical, and so it became hard for me to engage with the characters as individuals - I couldn't invest in the process of them coming together.
I did like the title though - alas, it was going to be my pun square for #FallIntoRomBingo - and I thought the writing had a lot to recommend it. But my tolerance for unforced errors in white historical romance these days is really low, and there were too many for me here.
August 24, 2020
Who's That Earl by Susanna Craig
Love and Let Spy #1
Jane has been leasing a remote castle, as the current Earl has been content to let it sit empty. She's really a novelist but is posing as “his” amanuensis (NOT his secretary) so she won't face the problems of being a woman and trying to get her work published. It also provides her a measure of safety, being a woman alone.
Thomas has been spying for British army for years but is pulled back to Scotland through a matter of Scottish inheritance. There, he finds Jane, whom he knew many years ago.
Give this book a try if you like
-spies/soldiers – the hero has been in the army a number of years and must use his spy skills to keep Jane safe
-second chance romance – this couple knew each other years ago, and shared a single kiss before being ripped apart.
-light steam – this book has nice tension build up and a decent amount of focus on the characters relationship. There's not a lot of scenes but the first well developed and explicit.
-working woman/secret writer – heroine is an author attempting to hide her identity from the outside world
Overall this was a pleasant read. I liked both characters. There was just something that didn't make it more lovable to me than 3 stars though. Nothing really gripped my heart or triggered deep emotion within me. I'm not a huge fan of villains in books and this one was pretty predictable and I just wanted him gone.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts and statements about this story are my own.
Specifics for amount of kisses/sex scenes (possible spoilers)
Love and Let Spy #1
Jane has been leasing a remote castle, as the current Earl has been content to let it sit empty. She's really a novelist but is posing as “his” amanuensis (NOT his secretary) so she won't face the problems of being a woman and trying to get her work published. It also provides her a measure of safety, being a woman alone.
Thomas has been spying for British army for years but is pulled back to Scotland through a matter of Scottish inheritance. There, he finds Jane, whom he knew many years ago.
Give this book a try if you like
-spies/soldiers – the hero has been in the army a number of years and must use his spy skills to keep Jane safe
-second chance romance – this couple knew each other years ago, and shared a single kiss before being ripped apart.
-light steam – this book has nice tension build up and a decent amount of focus on the characters relationship. There's not a lot of scenes but the first well developed and explicit.
-working woman/secret writer – heroine is an author attempting to hide her identity from the outside world
Overall this was a pleasant read. I liked both characters. There was just something that didn't make it more lovable to me than 3 stars though. Nothing really gripped my heart or triggered deep emotion within me. I'm not a huge fan of villains in books and this one was pretty predictable and I just wanted him gone.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts and statements about this story are my own.
Specifics for amount of kisses/sex scenes (possible spoilers)
August 19, 2020
'Miss Jane Quayle excels at invention. How else could the sheltered daughter of an English gentleman create lurid gothic novels so infamous someone wants their author silenced forever? Fortunately, Jane has taken steps to protect herself, first by assuming a pen name, and second, by taking up residence at remote Dunnock Castle, surrounded by rugged scenery that might have been ripped from the pages of one of her books. Her true identity remains a secret, until one dark and stormy night...
After years of spying for the British army, Thomas Sutherland doubts the Highlands will ever feel like home again. Nevertheless, thanks to a quirk of Scottish inheritance law, he's now the Earl of Magnus, complete with a crumbling castle currently inhabited by a notorious novelist. When the writer turns out to be the woman Thomas once wooed, suspicions rise even as mutual sparks reignite. As danger closes in, can Jane and Thomas overcome their pasts to forge a future together?'
___________________________________
4.5 stars, rounded down to 4 stars.
Who's That Earl is the first book in Susanna Craig's new Love and Let Spy series and is a historical romance.
Despite finding the book to be a little slow to start while the characters and their current circumstances are introduced, I really enjoyed reading this book. It a great start to a new series that I will be looking forward to reading more of.
At the start of the book, I felt largely ambivalent to Thomas' character as I found him to a bit gruff and aloof, as he was meant to be due to his time serving in isolation on an island. I wasn't sure that I would find him to be likable enough to follow through the entirety of the book. But despite his unwillingness to be there, he really started to grow on me once he made his way into Scotland to explore he reversal of fortunes.
I really like Jane's independent nature, even if it was largely born out of unfortunate circumstances. This isn't the first book I've read with the heroine a beloved author writing under a male nom de plume, but I loved the ruise that Jane devized in order to allow her to write in plain sight, yet still enjoy the fruit of her labors and to bask in others' adoration of her work, all without any the wiser. Jane is a talented storyteller both within both her books and her own life, which earned her the both strength and independence.
I loved the characters and especilly the twists and spots of dangert hich they encountered over the course of the story. The next book of the series is lightly introduced in the epilogue of this book and I am entruiged by what we know of the premise and will be looking out for the next book.
_____
I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for sharing an eARC of Who's That Earl by Susanna Craig. This is my honest review.
After years of spying for the British army, Thomas Sutherland doubts the Highlands will ever feel like home again. Nevertheless, thanks to a quirk of Scottish inheritance law, he's now the Earl of Magnus, complete with a crumbling castle currently inhabited by a notorious novelist. When the writer turns out to be the woman Thomas once wooed, suspicions rise even as mutual sparks reignite. As danger closes in, can Jane and Thomas overcome their pasts to forge a future together?'
___________________________________
4.5 stars, rounded down to 4 stars.
Who's That Earl is the first book in Susanna Craig's new Love and Let Spy series and is a historical romance.
Despite finding the book to be a little slow to start while the characters and their current circumstances are introduced, I really enjoyed reading this book. It a great start to a new series that I will be looking forward to reading more of.
At the start of the book, I felt largely ambivalent to Thomas' character as I found him to a bit gruff and aloof, as he was meant to be due to his time serving in isolation on an island. I wasn't sure that I would find him to be likable enough to follow through the entirety of the book. But despite his unwillingness to be there, he really started to grow on me once he made his way into Scotland to explore he reversal of fortunes.
I really like Jane's independent nature, even if it was largely born out of unfortunate circumstances. This isn't the first book I've read with the heroine a beloved author writing under a male nom de plume, but I loved the ruise that Jane devized in order to allow her to write in plain sight, yet still enjoy the fruit of her labors and to bask in others' adoration of her work, all without any the wiser. Jane is a talented storyteller both within both her books and her own life, which earned her the both strength and independence.
I loved the characters and especilly the twists and spots of dangert hich they encountered over the course of the story. The next book of the series is lightly introduced in the epilogue of this book and I am entruiged by what we know of the premise and will be looking out for the next book.
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I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for sharing an eARC of Who's That Earl by Susanna Craig. This is my honest review.
February 7, 2021
(2.5 stars) I've read several but not all of Susanna Craig's HRs since her first one was released maybe five years ago. One of them, from 2018, I even gave five stars to, but most fall into the 3-star category. Craig actually writes well and has relatively good starts to her books, but she doesn't have adequate follow-through. By the halfway point, most of her plots and romantic relationships fall into trope traps and can't get themselves out. This one is no exception.
I saw this book when it was first released in August of 2020 but felt it was too expensive at $7.99 to take a chance on, but this week it is being offered at 99 cents and I just can't pass up a bargain. After all, it could possibly have been another 5-star book for me. Well, nope, it wasn't, but I'm only out a buck so I don't care.
The idea of this is cute. Setting in Scotland complete with castle, heroine an anonymous writer of Gothic novels, hero a British spy recently inheriting an earldom. They had met some 7 years ago and in just a few weeks time formed an attachment, only to be separated by unfortunate circumstances. And now, look at the coinkydink, she's been leasing his newly-inherited castle for the past several years, where she feels properly inspired to keep creating her Gothic romances.
When they first meet again, she doesn't know he's the new earl and owner of the castle she lives in and he doesn't know she's the famous Gothic novelist, since she purports to be the novelist's secretary (excuse me, amanuensis). And yada, yada,yada. There's a lame mystery, with a letter writer threatening the life of the novelist because of the trashy novels he (well, she) writes. There's the romance and truths about each other to get cleared up. There's a bit of an identity crisis for the hero: Does he continue to serve as a spy for the Crown or does he assume the responsibilities of his title.
As is often the case with Craig's novels, this one started out okay and I was enjoying Craig's writing. She actually writes well. The problem is that she wastes her abilities with plodding plots, cliched tropes, and characters that end up annoying me.
I saw this book when it was first released in August of 2020 but felt it was too expensive at $7.99 to take a chance on, but this week it is being offered at 99 cents and I just can't pass up a bargain. After all, it could possibly have been another 5-star book for me. Well, nope, it wasn't, but I'm only out a buck so I don't care.
The idea of this is cute. Setting in Scotland complete with castle, heroine an anonymous writer of Gothic novels, hero a British spy recently inheriting an earldom. They had met some 7 years ago and in just a few weeks time formed an attachment, only to be separated by unfortunate circumstances. And now, look at the coinkydink, she's been leasing his newly-inherited castle for the past several years, where she feels properly inspired to keep creating her Gothic romances.
When they first meet again, she doesn't know he's the new earl and owner of the castle she lives in and he doesn't know she's the famous Gothic novelist, since she purports to be the novelist's secretary (excuse me, amanuensis). And yada, yada,yada. There's a lame mystery, with a letter writer threatening the life of the novelist because of the trashy novels he (well, she) writes. There's the romance and truths about each other to get cleared up. There's a bit of an identity crisis for the hero: Does he continue to serve as a spy for the Crown or does he assume the responsibilities of his title.
As is often the case with Craig's novels, this one started out okay and I was enjoying Craig's writing. She actually writes well. The problem is that she wastes her abilities with plodding plots, cliched tropes, and characters that end up annoying me.
March 20, 2023
This one wasn’t bad but I think the story suited more of a novella length. I don’t understand why she left him for the third act??? It didn’t make any sense because as soon as he found her it was fine?? Also the death threats were random bc it was concluded so quickly. I didn’t dislike it but I doubt I’ll remember it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5 🌶️🌶️/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5 🌶️🌶️/5
May 15, 2020
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
Seven years ago, Jane Quayle and Thomas Sutherland met and fell in love. Fate intervened and they were both separated but hadn't stopped thinking of each other. Now in very different places, they could never expect to meet again, but in the remote Scottish Highlands, at Dunnock Castle, they do. Jane has reinvented herself as the widowed Mrs Higginbotham, and secretary for the allusive Robin Ratliff, who's Gothic novels have taken the country by storm, but have also brought threats. The main secret Jane is keeping though, is the fact that she is in fact Ratliff, and has been writing under a pseudonym since her parents kicked her out at 17. She's been living in Dunnock Castle for the past few years, but her landlord, the former Earl of Magnus, recently died, and it seems as if his heir might not renew the lease, and kick her out. Thomas has been in the West Indies for years as a member of the British Army, but is recalled home when it's apparent that he has inherited the title of Magnus, through his late mother. He loves the Highlands, but can't reconcile himself now the person he once was. He arrives at his family seat at Dunnock, and is overwhelmed when he sees Jane is there. Thomas fabricates the idea that he is there for her protection, due to the threats being made against Ratcliff, and keeps his title a secret. Both have their own issues and concerns, but once they are back together, their old feelings and chemistry is undeniable, and it's inevitable for them to fight it any longer.
I just loved this book so much! I knew as soon as I saw the synopsis on NG that I would need to read it, and as soon as I was approved I put everything to one side and started it straight away. I fell in love with Jane as soon as I met her, and was intrigued by Thomas' back story, and wanted to know more about his life split between summers in Scotland and his time in England. Their characters were fully three dimensional, and so engaging that I wanted to spend as much time with them as I could. And when they were together, it was even better. Their banter and playful energy was infectious and every man and their dog - including Athena and Aphrodite - were rooting for the couple. The mystery and Gothic aspect of the book from Jane's books and who was out to get her was a nice interlude too, so the book was wholly about the romance - though that wouldn't have been a bad thing really. Jane and Thomas really grew over the course of the story, and the way they slowly let down their walls and sought out the other when times were hard was fantastic. I hope that in the next book in this series we'll see more of them too.
Seven years ago, Jane Quayle and Thomas Sutherland met and fell in love. Fate intervened and they were both separated but hadn't stopped thinking of each other. Now in very different places, they could never expect to meet again, but in the remote Scottish Highlands, at Dunnock Castle, they do. Jane has reinvented herself as the widowed Mrs Higginbotham, and secretary for the allusive Robin Ratliff, who's Gothic novels have taken the country by storm, but have also brought threats. The main secret Jane is keeping though, is the fact that she is in fact Ratliff, and has been writing under a pseudonym since her parents kicked her out at 17. She's been living in Dunnock Castle for the past few years, but her landlord, the former Earl of Magnus, recently died, and it seems as if his heir might not renew the lease, and kick her out. Thomas has been in the West Indies for years as a member of the British Army, but is recalled home when it's apparent that he has inherited the title of Magnus, through his late mother. He loves the Highlands, but can't reconcile himself now the person he once was. He arrives at his family seat at Dunnock, and is overwhelmed when he sees Jane is there. Thomas fabricates the idea that he is there for her protection, due to the threats being made against Ratcliff, and keeps his title a secret. Both have their own issues and concerns, but once they are back together, their old feelings and chemistry is undeniable, and it's inevitable for them to fight it any longer.
I just loved this book so much! I knew as soon as I saw the synopsis on NG that I would need to read it, and as soon as I was approved I put everything to one side and started it straight away. I fell in love with Jane as soon as I met her, and was intrigued by Thomas' back story, and wanted to know more about his life split between summers in Scotland and his time in England. Their characters were fully three dimensional, and so engaging that I wanted to spend as much time with them as I could. And when they were together, it was even better. Their banter and playful energy was infectious and every man and their dog - including Athena and Aphrodite - were rooting for the couple. The mystery and Gothic aspect of the book from Jane's books and who was out to get her was a nice interlude too, so the book was wholly about the romance - though that wouldn't have been a bad thing really. Jane and Thomas really grew over the course of the story, and the way they slowly let down their walls and sought out the other when times were hard was fantastic. I hope that in the next book in this series we'll see more of them too.
October 18, 2022
This was a charming second-chance romance that made me wish for just a little bit more…more of our lead characters together beyond a lovely walk to town from the castle he has inherited and that she has been renting as her writing retreat.
Jane and Thomas met seven years ago and wanted to be together, but her father got in the way. Thomas wound up having a career as a spy before inheriting a Scottish title and heading to Scotland to handle his new responsibilities. Jane was kicked out of her home at 17 for writing indecent stores and made a career as a novelist out of the situation, though she poses as the secretary for a reclusive author.
Their reunion was bumpy, but understandably so. The cast of secondary characters makes me wish this series stayed in Scotland, but it’s clear the series will follow other spies in Thomas’s company.
Jane’s dogs were a cute addition and they stole a few scenes, especially when one is mentioned wearing a bonnet.
Jane and Thomas met seven years ago and wanted to be together, but her father got in the way. Thomas wound up having a career as a spy before inheriting a Scottish title and heading to Scotland to handle his new responsibilities. Jane was kicked out of her home at 17 for writing indecent stores and made a career as a novelist out of the situation, though she poses as the secretary for a reclusive author.
Their reunion was bumpy, but understandably so. The cast of secondary characters makes me wish this series stayed in Scotland, but it’s clear the series will follow other spies in Thomas’s company.
Jane’s dogs were a cute addition and they stole a few scenes, especially when one is mentioned wearing a bonnet.
July 15, 2023
Not a bad book. A bit of fluff, but for all the Scotsman in it there was very little spice. Disappointing that way.
August 8, 2020
Who's That Earl: An Exciting & Witty Regency Love Story
Love and Let Spy Series #1
Susanna Craig
https://www.facebook.com/susannacraig...
Release date 08/18/2020
Publisher Kensington Lyrica
Blurb :
Will scandalous secrets stand in the way of a second chance at love?
Miss Jane Quayle excels at invention. How else could the sheltered daughter of an English gentleman create lurid gothic novels so infamous someone wants their author silenced forever? Fortunately, Jane has taken steps to protect herself, first by assuming a pen name, and second, by taking up residence at remote Dunnock Castle, surrounded by rugged scenery that might have been ripped from the pages of one of her books. Her true identity remains a secret, until one dark and stormy night . . .
After years of spying for the British army, Thomas Sutherland doubts the Highlands will ever feel like home again. Nevertheless, thanks to a quirk of Scottish inheritance law, he’s now the Earl of Magnus, complete with a crumbling castle currently inhabited by a notorious novelist. When the writer turns out to be the woman Thomas once wooed, suspicions rise even as mutual sparks reignite. As danger closes in, can Jane and Thomas overcome their pasts to forge a future together?
My review :
Will she let her need to prove herself self reliable stand between her future ...
I discovered Mrs Craig with her previous series, and while it was mostly set in Ireland, here she made us travel north to Scotland.
It seems nonetheless she has a fondness for female writers as her heroines.
I loved Thomas, and while he is far from perfect, once he sets his sight on a task he is devoted to it. Why as he was unable to fulfill his promise made to Jane so many years ago, he has never forgotten her, she still lingers in the edges of his thoughts.
Sure, he uses deceit to justify his stay but there they are on equal ground.
Jane successfully recreated herself but in the process, she buried a part of her younger self. Now wealthy but having to hide who she is to the world as it would be frowned upon for her to be a gothic female writer. Yet when Thomas renters her life, she is torn between her old feelings as he never really left her mind and her need of self-preservation.
Up to them to see if they can trust one another and leave past hurt behind to rewrite a better future.
At a time I was upset at Jane but she needed to realize in her term what was more important than her lonely achievement.
4.5 stars
I was granted an advance copy by the publisher Kensington, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://www.facebook.com/429830134272...
Love and Let Spy Series #1
Susanna Craig
https://www.facebook.com/susannacraig...
Release date 08/18/2020
Publisher Kensington Lyrica
Blurb :
Will scandalous secrets stand in the way of a second chance at love?
Miss Jane Quayle excels at invention. How else could the sheltered daughter of an English gentleman create lurid gothic novels so infamous someone wants their author silenced forever? Fortunately, Jane has taken steps to protect herself, first by assuming a pen name, and second, by taking up residence at remote Dunnock Castle, surrounded by rugged scenery that might have been ripped from the pages of one of her books. Her true identity remains a secret, until one dark and stormy night . . .
After years of spying for the British army, Thomas Sutherland doubts the Highlands will ever feel like home again. Nevertheless, thanks to a quirk of Scottish inheritance law, he’s now the Earl of Magnus, complete with a crumbling castle currently inhabited by a notorious novelist. When the writer turns out to be the woman Thomas once wooed, suspicions rise even as mutual sparks reignite. As danger closes in, can Jane and Thomas overcome their pasts to forge a future together?
My review :
Will she let her need to prove herself self reliable stand between her future ...
I discovered Mrs Craig with her previous series, and while it was mostly set in Ireland, here she made us travel north to Scotland.
It seems nonetheless she has a fondness for female writers as her heroines.
I loved Thomas, and while he is far from perfect, once he sets his sight on a task he is devoted to it. Why as he was unable to fulfill his promise made to Jane so many years ago, he has never forgotten her, she still lingers in the edges of his thoughts.
Sure, he uses deceit to justify his stay but there they are on equal ground.
Jane successfully recreated herself but in the process, she buried a part of her younger self. Now wealthy but having to hide who she is to the world as it would be frowned upon for her to be a gothic female writer. Yet when Thomas renters her life, she is torn between her old feelings as he never really left her mind and her need of self-preservation.
Up to them to see if they can trust one another and leave past hurt behind to rewrite a better future.
At a time I was upset at Jane but she needed to realize in her term what was more important than her lonely achievement.
4.5 stars
I was granted an advance copy by the publisher Kensington, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://www.facebook.com/429830134272...
December 25, 2022
This was fine but also meh. I want all the regency drama and romance of Bridgerton / period films without the cringy smut. I need to stop trying to read these books bc they do not come through.
August 18, 2020
My goodness, this one caught me by surprise! I was immediately entranced by the descriptive writing here. And the main characters were both enormously likeable.
Jane is a famous writer of scandalous Gothic novels, secretly published under a pen name, and she has made a home in a rented Scottish castle for six years. Thomas, an army spy stationed in the West Indies, receives news that he has surprisingly inherited said castle and returns to Scotland to find it's occupied by his long lost love, Jane. I loved the teasing banter between them, which was never mean or spiteful, but friendly and flirty.
These two clearly still love each other, but have big secrets and past hurts to overcome. Both are trying to find their way forward at a crossroads in life, and perhaps that includes each other. There's a bit of a mystery, a few villians, some family drama, and a light dash of angst. This book balanced all very well, I thought. The characters came alive for me and I felt their struggles weren't frivolous, yet the book never felt weighted down with darkness or angst.
I fell in love with the entire cast of characters, and will definitely read the next in this series. My major complaint is with the book cover. Jane is described multiple times as "curvy, plump, ample," etc. And the first time this occurred in the book, I immediately was irked that the cover figure was depicted significantly different than how she was described.
*ARC provided by NetGalley for review*
Jane is a famous writer of scandalous Gothic novels, secretly published under a pen name, and she has made a home in a rented Scottish castle for six years. Thomas, an army spy stationed in the West Indies, receives news that he has surprisingly inherited said castle and returns to Scotland to find it's occupied by his long lost love, Jane. I loved the teasing banter between them, which was never mean or spiteful, but friendly and flirty.
These two clearly still love each other, but have big secrets and past hurts to overcome. Both are trying to find their way forward at a crossroads in life, and perhaps that includes each other. There's a bit of a mystery, a few villians, some family drama, and a light dash of angst. This book balanced all very well, I thought. The characters came alive for me and I felt their struggles weren't frivolous, yet the book never felt weighted down with darkness or angst.
I fell in love with the entire cast of characters, and will definitely read the next in this series. My major complaint is with the book cover. Jane is described multiple times as "curvy, plump, ample," etc. And the first time this occurred in the book, I immediately was irked that the cover figure was depicted significantly different than how she was described.
*ARC provided by NetGalley for review*
September 2, 2020
I really enjoyed this book, it was so well-paced, the characters were interesting and the story itself was interesting.
Jane is a single woman pretending to be a widow because that is the only way she can live her life in seclusion peacefully. One thing people don't know about her other than she is single is that she writes lurid gothic novels. And by that I mean she writes dirty books, basically books that people have sex. Then we have Thomas Sutherland who is a spy for the British army and he just came into some wealth include becoming the Earl of a small town (or whatever earl govern). With this position comes a castle that is inhabited by an old writer. But by the time he gets to the town, the writer is traveling and he meets his secretary (I am trying not to spoil this book, but I promise you want to read this book).
Jane is a single woman pretending to be a widow because that is the only way she can live her life in seclusion peacefully. One thing people don't know about her other than she is single is that she writes lurid gothic novels. And by that I mean she writes dirty books, basically books that people have sex. Then we have Thomas Sutherland who is a spy for the British army and he just came into some wealth include becoming the Earl of a small town (or whatever earl govern). With this position comes a castle that is inhabited by an old writer. But by the time he gets to the town, the writer is traveling and he meets his secretary (I am trying not to spoil this book, but I promise you want to read this book).
May 17, 2020
I enjoy clean romances, or books with very little sex. I am not familiar with the author but the summary and the presentation of the book seemed to be something that was up my alley. Gothic writer ; threat of harm ; male who was once a spy (?) ; location ... I can go on.
Unfortunately, this book did deliver everything that I hoped it would. It fell short in what I find the biggest things -
- character development and plot
You are immediately introduced to our male. He seems to be someone who is skilled in what he does. Think of a special team of men that are out to take down various threats and or spy. He is called home by his general to take up his newly appointed right as a Lord of a castle that he inherited from his mother's side of the family. He is a little discouraged because it has been 7 years and he had hoped to come home and use this time to propose to his once - courted love, Jane. Their relationship was fleeting and lasted only a few weeks but enough to solidify that he had feelings enough for marriage.
This is where the story gets wonky. Jane has taken up residence at the castle that he has now inherited. She is a writer for Gothic novels, under a pseudonym , and has chosen the castle as a place to go for inspiration. Of all the castles, all the locations, it just so happens that the one she goes to is the one he is to inherit.
I'm sorry, I had a hard time believing that. So that was strike one for me. I liked Jane and I liked her character, but there was something that was so underhanded to her by this coincidental and quick way of getting our characters to meet up again that I just had to roll my eyes and proceed. I would have preferred if she either wasn't already there, or, better yet - they didn't know one another at all. It would lead more intrigue and basis for her novel she is writing which alludes to gothic tones and experiences by her own character. You see, Jane has been getting letters that are unsigned and of the threatening sort.
Do you see where I am going at with this? So, say they didn't know one another - our lead shows up, adds a bit of reluctance and mystery because she has these threats and at the same time, she has this newly developed fascination.
So, the rest of the story involved a very weak attempt at figuring out who is trying to harm Jane while meanwhile he is trying to rekindle their once long-ago dormant or still active relationship? There are two sex scenes. The first one I had to laugh at because she literally had a moment where she tells the character that it is just one night and that she is going to file this experience away as use for her stories. I was rolling. The second one was more or less after some weak attempt at causing some sort of friction between the lead and Jane. (Which I still don't understand what was going on and why she did not want to be with him and live at the castle, but that is neither here nor there.)
Since the book is still in the early days of promotion and not set to release until August, I give this review with a bit of warning. I respond to character development and romantic moments between the two characters. Did this book have them? Yes and no. Is the story sound? No. Is the overall product enough to deter some? Yes, if you're looking for more of a grounded romance. If you're looking for something easy and light, you will enjoy this. If you're looking for something built on stronger character development and story you may walk away discouraged.
Unfortunately, this book did deliver everything that I hoped it would. It fell short in what I find the biggest things -
- character development and plot
You are immediately introduced to our male. He seems to be someone who is skilled in what he does. Think of a special team of men that are out to take down various threats and or spy. He is called home by his general to take up his newly appointed right as a Lord of a castle that he inherited from his mother's side of the family. He is a little discouraged because it has been 7 years and he had hoped to come home and use this time to propose to his once - courted love, Jane. Their relationship was fleeting and lasted only a few weeks but enough to solidify that he had feelings enough for marriage.
This is where the story gets wonky. Jane has taken up residence at the castle that he has now inherited. She is a writer for Gothic novels, under a pseudonym , and has chosen the castle as a place to go for inspiration. Of all the castles, all the locations, it just so happens that the one she goes to is the one he is to inherit.
I'm sorry, I had a hard time believing that. So that was strike one for me. I liked Jane and I liked her character, but there was something that was so underhanded to her by this coincidental and quick way of getting our characters to meet up again that I just had to roll my eyes and proceed. I would have preferred if she either wasn't already there, or, better yet - they didn't know one another at all. It would lead more intrigue and basis for her novel she is writing which alludes to gothic tones and experiences by her own character. You see, Jane has been getting letters that are unsigned and of the threatening sort.
Do you see where I am going at with this? So, say they didn't know one another - our lead shows up, adds a bit of reluctance and mystery because she has these threats and at the same time, she has this newly developed fascination.
So, the rest of the story involved a very weak attempt at figuring out who is trying to harm Jane while meanwhile he is trying to rekindle their once long-ago dormant or still active relationship? There are two sex scenes. The first one I had to laugh at because she literally had a moment where she tells the character that it is just one night and that she is going to file this experience away as use for her stories. I was rolling. The second one was more or less after some weak attempt at causing some sort of friction between the lead and Jane. (Which I still don't understand what was going on and why she did not want to be with him and live at the castle, but that is neither here nor there.)
Since the book is still in the early days of promotion and not set to release until August, I give this review with a bit of warning. I respond to character development and romantic moments between the two characters. Did this book have them? Yes and no. Is the story sound? No. Is the overall product enough to deter some? Yes, if you're looking for more of a grounded romance. If you're looking for something easy and light, you will enjoy this. If you're looking for something built on stronger character development and story you may walk away discouraged.
August 17, 2020
They both had something to hide, and those secrets could jeopardize their last chance of happiness.
Who’s That Earl by Susanna Craig is a lovely historical romance featuring a well-curved and independent heroine, and a lieutenant recently returned from the West Indies.
Jane Quayle once knew Lieutenant Thomas Sutherland, or thought she knew him. They had a strong connection, but the timing was all wrong, and they did not see one another for years.
They met again, but they were not who they used to be. Jane was then Mrs. Higginbotham, the amanuensis of the famous writer Robin Ratliff, and Thomas claimed to have been hired by Ratliff to investigate some threats he had received.
They were intensely attracted to each other, but both knew there were too many secrets between them.
The couple is adorable. Jane is easy to relate to. Her dreams, her insecurities, and her strength to face the adversities were inspiring.
Thomas was a lovely hero: respectful, honorable, and gorgeous.
There was a little adventure, a lovely castle, astonishing views of the Scottish Highlands, and a beautiful community.
My favorite side character was the fierce Agnes, Jane’s housekeeper. I also loved the gatekeeper, Dougan, and the dogs Athena and Aphrodite.
A delightful, romantic, and entertaining read!
Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Who’s That Earl by Susanna Craig is a lovely historical romance featuring a well-curved and independent heroine, and a lieutenant recently returned from the West Indies.
Jane Quayle once knew Lieutenant Thomas Sutherland, or thought she knew him. They had a strong connection, but the timing was all wrong, and they did not see one another for years.
They met again, but they were not who they used to be. Jane was then Mrs. Higginbotham, the amanuensis of the famous writer Robin Ratliff, and Thomas claimed to have been hired by Ratliff to investigate some threats he had received.
They were intensely attracted to each other, but both knew there were too many secrets between them.
The couple is adorable. Jane is easy to relate to. Her dreams, her insecurities, and her strength to face the adversities were inspiring.
Thomas was a lovely hero: respectful, honorable, and gorgeous.
There was a little adventure, a lovely castle, astonishing views of the Scottish Highlands, and a beautiful community.
My favorite side character was the fierce Agnes, Jane’s housekeeper. I also loved the gatekeeper, Dougan, and the dogs Athena and Aphrodite.
A delightful, romantic, and entertaining read!
Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 23, 2020
Wow! This book is entertaining, romantic, witty, fun, quite steamy at times, and so much more! There are also many gothic romance elements to the book as well! Whenever I picked up "Who's That Earl", I was whisked back in time, and truly went on an amazing journey with these characters.
This is the first book in Susanna Craig's "Love and Let Spy" series, and I hope there are many more! She truly knows how to bring the world and atmosphere of her novel to life, and her characters jump right off of the page. Every single one of their interactions felt so authentic and real. It is so clear to me that Ms. Craig put a lot of thought into her characters, and I feel their wants, fears, and desires are beautifully written and expressed. I loved being able to get into these characters' heads!
I found myself rooting for Jane and Thomas from the very beginning. Their chemistry is palpable, and their witty banter is so much fun to read. They truly care for one another, and you can just tell they are meant to be together from the first moment they see one another after seven years apart (even before they are willing to admit it to themselves!). This second chance romance was such a joy to experience along with them. These two really bring out the best in one another, and they are able to be open with one another, and share secrets they can't share with anyone else. Their relationship is so sweet...and steamy! And oh my gosh, these two cute dogs, Athena and Aphrodite! What personality! And how smart and adorable they are!
The many supporting characters are so well-thought out, and all help to push the story forward in one way or another.
If you enjoy historical romance, historical fiction, and / or historical gothic romance novels, I highly recommend this book! I could not put it down, and was intrigued from the first sentence to the last! I also absolutely loved the bits of the gothic novels that Jane writes that are included in the book, and feel like they mirrored what was going on in the story beautifully. In many ways, these novel feels like a book for book lovers! I hope there will be many more books in this incredible new series!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC of this novel! I so enjoyed it! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This is the first book in Susanna Craig's "Love and Let Spy" series, and I hope there are many more! She truly knows how to bring the world and atmosphere of her novel to life, and her characters jump right off of the page. Every single one of their interactions felt so authentic and real. It is so clear to me that Ms. Craig put a lot of thought into her characters, and I feel their wants, fears, and desires are beautifully written and expressed. I loved being able to get into these characters' heads!
I found myself rooting for Jane and Thomas from the very beginning. Their chemistry is palpable, and their witty banter is so much fun to read. They truly care for one another, and you can just tell they are meant to be together from the first moment they see one another after seven years apart (even before they are willing to admit it to themselves!). This second chance romance was such a joy to experience along with them. These two really bring out the best in one another, and they are able to be open with one another, and share secrets they can't share with anyone else. Their relationship is so sweet...and steamy! And oh my gosh, these two cute dogs, Athena and Aphrodite! What personality! And how smart and adorable they are!
The many supporting characters are so well-thought out, and all help to push the story forward in one way or another.
If you enjoy historical romance, historical fiction, and / or historical gothic romance novels, I highly recommend this book! I could not put it down, and was intrigued from the first sentence to the last! I also absolutely loved the bits of the gothic novels that Jane writes that are included in the book, and feel like they mirrored what was going on in the story beautifully. In many ways, these novel feels like a book for book lovers! I hope there will be many more books in this incredible new series!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC of this novel! I so enjoyed it! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
August 10, 2020
Miss Jane Quayle is living her life under 2 aliases: Robin Ratliff, the famous gothic novelist and Mrs. Higginbottom, the authors’ amanuensis. While working in her leased Scottish castle, it appears her ruse is going well... that is until her lost love from 7 years ago, Lieutenant Thomas Sutherland shows up to investigate the threatening letters recently received by Robin Ratliff.
I loved a good second chance romance! It was fun watching both these characters uncover each other’s secrets and re-kindle their romance! There were some gothic elements and suspense added into the mix as well- all and all a fun read!
I also really enjoyed the ending where a certain match maker was revealed and sets up the next book in the Love and Let Spy series!
I definitely choose this book because of the cover! ...The modern text, the clean white background against the purple dress- it all just pops and I love it!
This was a quick easy read and I really enjoy it. It totally gave me Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare vibes! (Both books feature secretive female authors!)
Who’s That Earl by Susanna Craig is scheduled to release August 18th, 2020.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington Book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Blog link: https://pinkcowlandreads.blogspot.com...
#WhosThatEarl #SusannaCraig #Netgalley #pinkcowlandreads
I loved a good second chance romance! It was fun watching both these characters uncover each other’s secrets and re-kindle their romance! There were some gothic elements and suspense added into the mix as well- all and all a fun read!
I also really enjoyed the ending where a certain match maker was revealed and sets up the next book in the Love and Let Spy series!
I definitely choose this book because of the cover! ...The modern text, the clean white background against the purple dress- it all just pops and I love it!
This was a quick easy read and I really enjoy it. It totally gave me Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare vibes! (Both books feature secretive female authors!)
Who’s That Earl by Susanna Craig is scheduled to release August 18th, 2020.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington Book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Blog link: https://pinkcowlandreads.blogspot.com...
#WhosThatEarl #SusannaCraig #Netgalley #pinkcowlandreads
March 1, 2024
⭐
1 star.
👎
DNF @ 65%.
One-dimensional main characters…. That were flat and undeveloped.
Stilted and unconvincing romance/romantic build-up that also lacked depth.
No chemistry.
Dragged.
(Many pages not much of a story)
Boring and underwhelming.
The snippets from the heroines own book unfortunately took too much focus and time away from the romance between the main characters and from the main characters themselves.
And there is also too much focus on the “mystery” in the book and that also takes away from the characters and the romance.
The plot lacked depth.
The heroine is confident in her work/craft (being an author) and more or less every other aspect of her life…. But when it comes to her body and looks the heroine was written rather stereotypical (curvy and “plain” and insecure)
The book cover and the model on the cover is not representative at all of the heroine in the story.
The heroine describes herself as ample/too ample…..
The hero describes the heroine as curvaceous/rounded and reminiscent of women in rubenesque paintings.
The cover shows a thin woman on the cover…. Not at all like the curvy/rubenesque heroine described/portrayed in the book.
Too many clichés.
1 star.
👎
DNF @ 65%.
One-dimensional main characters…. That were flat and undeveloped.
Stilted and unconvincing romance/romantic build-up that also lacked depth.
No chemistry.
Dragged.
(Many pages not much of a story)
Boring and underwhelming.
The snippets from the heroines own book unfortunately took too much focus and time away from the romance between the main characters and from the main characters themselves.
And there is also too much focus on the “mystery” in the book and that also takes away from the characters and the romance.
The plot lacked depth.
The heroine is confident in her work/craft (being an author) and more or less every other aspect of her life…. But when it comes to her body and looks the heroine was written rather stereotypical (curvy and “plain” and insecure)
The book cover and the model on the cover is not representative at all of the heroine in the story.
The heroine describes herself as ample/too ample…..
The hero describes the heroine as curvaceous/rounded and reminiscent of women in rubenesque paintings.
The cover shows a thin woman on the cover…. Not at all like the curvy/rubenesque heroine described/portrayed in the book.
Too many clichés.
August 16, 2020
***3.5 stars***
I enjoyed this book and found it well written, amusing and sweet at the same time ... however, plot seemed a bit slow, dragged in a few places. Overall, a good summer read for a light historical romance.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for an opportunity to receive this arc in exchange of an honest review.
I enjoyed this book and found it well written, amusing and sweet at the same time ... however, plot seemed a bit slow, dragged in a few places. Overall, a good summer read for a light historical romance.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for an opportunity to receive this arc in exchange of an honest review.
February 27, 2021
Fun, light and airy.
I thought the combination of a spy mystery, romance and the Scottish Highland worked well together. A compelling read that held my attention as two old sweethearts reunite under different disguises, spiced with a couple of steamy scenes.
Recommend!
Rated: Mature.
I thought the combination of a spy mystery, romance and the Scottish Highland worked well together. A compelling read that held my attention as two old sweethearts reunite under different disguises, spiced with a couple of steamy scenes.
Recommend!
Rated: Mature.
January 1, 2022
The start of a new series with the heroine a writer of gothic novels. I love when an author writes about an author and how it all plays out.
She has taken refuge in an old Scottish Castle, which would make a great setting for one of her gothic stories. Also writing under a pen name makes her feel safe from the letters she has been receiving with death threats. What she never expected was he long ago love showing up!
He could not believe he was being pulled out of his spying for the British and sent to London. Finding out he was now the Earl of a crumbling manor in Scotland, he does not know whether to take a role or go back to his job. What he cannot believe is who the novelist is that is inhabiting his castle!
A second chance at love with a few twists and turns. Great start to new series.
She has taken refuge in an old Scottish Castle, which would make a great setting for one of her gothic stories. Also writing under a pen name makes her feel safe from the letters she has been receiving with death threats. What she never expected was he long ago love showing up!
He could not believe he was being pulled out of his spying for the British and sent to London. Finding out he was now the Earl of a crumbling manor in Scotland, he does not know whether to take a role or go back to his job. What he cannot believe is who the novelist is that is inhabiting his castle!
A second chance at love with a few twists and turns. Great start to new series.
June 18, 2022
3.5 stars.
October 23, 2022
Since her family cast her aside because of her scandalous writing, Jane Quayle has made a success of herself writing wildly popular gothic novels under an assumed name. she’s surrounded her persona in mystery, living a quiet life with her true identity kept secret at Dunnock Castle in the Scottish Highlands. But it seems not everyone is a fan when she starts receiving unnerving death threats and her identity is compromised by the arrival of a fling from her past.
Lieutenant Thomas Sutherland has developed great skill as a spy over the years, operating in Dominica for so long that he’s not sure the Highlands will ever feel like home to him again. But when he inherits the title of Earl of Magnus and its accompanying responsibilities and property, including Dunnock Castle, he has no choice but to return. More shocking that his unwanted inheritance is his discovery that the reclusive writer leasing Dunnock is none other than the lady Thomas once hoped to marry. The connection is still there between them, but Jane’s trust issues and Thomas’ commitment to the military may be enough to keep them apart.
I was so intrigued by this concept that I had to read this novel, but I must say I did expect more mystery and suspense than we got here. The villain, such as he was, was dealt with too quickly and from there the plot lost some momentum and structure. I loved Jane and Thomas together, however, and unlike several other reviewers, I actually really loved the fact that the story didn’t have any lengthy flashbacks to their previous courtship. This kept the angst level low and I appreciated it. Jane annoyed me with her stubborn refusal to trust anyone, biting off her nose to spite her face. Though a bit understandable given her family, Thomas did nothing wrong and didn’t deserve her arrogance. Nonetheless, I did find Thomas charming, enjoyed these two establishing a true home for themselves together, and found the story mostly entertaining. I loved General Scott and the concept of his retiring spy network so I plan to continue this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
Lieutenant Thomas Sutherland has developed great skill as a spy over the years, operating in Dominica for so long that he’s not sure the Highlands will ever feel like home to him again. But when he inherits the title of Earl of Magnus and its accompanying responsibilities and property, including Dunnock Castle, he has no choice but to return. More shocking that his unwanted inheritance is his discovery that the reclusive writer leasing Dunnock is none other than the lady Thomas once hoped to marry. The connection is still there between them, but Jane’s trust issues and Thomas’ commitment to the military may be enough to keep them apart.
I was so intrigued by this concept that I had to read this novel, but I must say I did expect more mystery and suspense than we got here. The villain, such as he was, was dealt with too quickly and from there the plot lost some momentum and structure. I loved Jane and Thomas together, however, and unlike several other reviewers, I actually really loved the fact that the story didn’t have any lengthy flashbacks to their previous courtship. This kept the angst level low and I appreciated it. Jane annoyed me with her stubborn refusal to trust anyone, biting off her nose to spite her face. Though a bit understandable given her family, Thomas did nothing wrong and didn’t deserve her arrogance. Nonetheless, I did find Thomas charming, enjoyed these two establishing a true home for themselves together, and found the story mostly entertaining. I loved General Scott and the concept of his retiring spy network so I plan to continue this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
August 18, 2020
Reviewed for
Wit and Sin
Susanna Craig starts her Love and Let Spy series on a high note. Who’s That Earl is a lot of fun to read and Jane and Thomas were easy characters to root for.
After being cast out by her family, Jane has become a famous and wealthy author of gothic novels. Only she writes under a pen name Robin Ratliff and rents a remote Scottish castle, all the better to protect her true identity. That doesn’t stop danger from appearing on her doorstep in the form of threats from someone angered by her lurid novels. Assistance and protection comes in the form of Thomas Sutherland, the man she once fell for as a young woman. Like her, Thomas has changed in the years since their blossoming romance was crushed. The British spy has inherited an earldom thanks to a quirk of Scottish law and the mantle of the earldom sits ill on his shoulders. Both have secrets and each of them is suspicious yet still attracted to the other.
Jane and Thomas’s romance is, in a word, entertaining. They are likeable characters with pasts that have shaped them into interesting protagonists. I particularly enjoyed that Jane was a writer of salacious gothic tales. Her writing was such fun to read about and the way she has embraced her career and freedom made her an engaging heroine. The banter between Jane and Thomas was fun and made Who’s That Earl move at a quick clip. I also enjoyed watching Thomas learn to accept the curveball life has thrown at him. The mystery of who wants to harm Robin Ratliff was a good way to keep Thomas and Jane together at the beginning, but on its own it was just a so-so plotline. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed Who’s That Earl . The atmosphere was fantastic, the romance entertaining, and I finished the book looking forward to the next Love and Let Spy story.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Susanna Craig starts her Love and Let Spy series on a high note. Who’s That Earl is a lot of fun to read and Jane and Thomas were easy characters to root for.
After being cast out by her family, Jane has become a famous and wealthy author of gothic novels. Only she writes under a pen name Robin Ratliff and rents a remote Scottish castle, all the better to protect her true identity. That doesn’t stop danger from appearing on her doorstep in the form of threats from someone angered by her lurid novels. Assistance and protection comes in the form of Thomas Sutherland, the man she once fell for as a young woman. Like her, Thomas has changed in the years since their blossoming romance was crushed. The British spy has inherited an earldom thanks to a quirk of Scottish law and the mantle of the earldom sits ill on his shoulders. Both have secrets and each of them is suspicious yet still attracted to the other.
Jane and Thomas’s romance is, in a word, entertaining. They are likeable characters with pasts that have shaped them into interesting protagonists. I particularly enjoyed that Jane was a writer of salacious gothic tales. Her writing was such fun to read about and the way she has embraced her career and freedom made her an engaging heroine. The banter between Jane and Thomas was fun and made Who’s That Earl move at a quick clip. I also enjoyed watching Thomas learn to accept the curveball life has thrown at him. The mystery of who wants to harm Robin Ratliff was a good way to keep Thomas and Jane together at the beginning, but on its own it was just a so-so plotline. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed Who’s That Earl . The atmosphere was fantastic, the romance entertaining, and I finished the book looking forward to the next Love and Let Spy story.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
August 18, 2020
Great new Regency spy romance series!
Now this is something different! An unlikely combination but it works. A lady writer of scandalous gothic novels, a government intelligence officer and a castle in the Scottish highlands hiding secrets.
When Lieutenant Thomas Sutherland comes back to England after seven years in Jamaica he doesn't expect his spy master, General Zebadiah Scott, to send him off to check out an inheritance that seems to have come his way. That inheritance is a title, castle and land in Scotland. A place Thomas grew up in. Now he's returning to Balisaig as the lord, the Earl of Magnus, albeit with that information hidden for the moment.
Miss Jane Quale, a figure from his past, the woman he'd longed for and was spurned by, is the writer hiding out in the castle Thomas has inherited. It turns out she's also the recipient of death threats. Something Thomas is not going to take lightly, even if Jane does.
All this and it worked! Sure there's some racy moments but the storyline delivers.
It seems Thomas' commander, spymaster Scott has a soft spot for his officers who have worked diligently and if he can set their feet on another path, he gives them that chance. Like some benevolent Pan figure he thought not only to train up intelligence officers but he considered that he might have "a parallel duty to his men? A duty to ensure their health and welfare and even happiness?" Not that this seeming altruism doesn't also bring side benefits for the Intelligence Service.
I'm definitely looking to read the next in this rather different series.
A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
Now this is something different! An unlikely combination but it works. A lady writer of scandalous gothic novels, a government intelligence officer and a castle in the Scottish highlands hiding secrets.
When Lieutenant Thomas Sutherland comes back to England after seven years in Jamaica he doesn't expect his spy master, General Zebadiah Scott, to send him off to check out an inheritance that seems to have come his way. That inheritance is a title, castle and land in Scotland. A place Thomas grew up in. Now he's returning to Balisaig as the lord, the Earl of Magnus, albeit with that information hidden for the moment.
Miss Jane Quale, a figure from his past, the woman he'd longed for and was spurned by, is the writer hiding out in the castle Thomas has inherited. It turns out she's also the recipient of death threats. Something Thomas is not going to take lightly, even if Jane does.
All this and it worked! Sure there's some racy moments but the storyline delivers.
It seems Thomas' commander, spymaster Scott has a soft spot for his officers who have worked diligently and if he can set their feet on another path, he gives them that chance. Like some benevolent Pan figure he thought not only to train up intelligence officers but he considered that he might have "a parallel duty to his men? A duty to ensure their health and welfare and even happiness?" Not that this seeming altruism doesn't also bring side benefits for the Intelligence Service.
I'm definitely looking to read the next in this rather different series.
A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
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