My Kind of Earl
Vivienne Lorret
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: September 29, 2020
Series or Standalone: The Mating Habits of Scoundrels #2
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads
Rating:

MY REVIEW

I went into this book without reading the synopsis and had no idea what to expect in terms of the plot. I’m so glad about that as I found this story delightful and unexpected. I had read the first book in the series, Lord Holt Takes a Bride, and while I enjoyed it, it didn’t wow me. With My Kind of Earl, I had a smile on my face the whole time and couldn’t wait to see what happened next.

My Kind of Earl focuses on Jane Pickerington who is working on a book with her friends on the mating habits of scoundrels. She’s an incredibly inquisitive and scientific minded woman and as part of her research, she’s decided she needs to sneak into a brothel to observe the scoundrels in their natural habitat. Unfortunately, she’s seen by Raven, a bit of a rogue who works at a gaming house, and he’s determined to figure out who she is. After she sets off a smoke bomb that sets him off pink (love it!) to escape the brothel, Raven tracks her down. When she’s unpinkifying him, she notices a scar on his arm of a Raven, which is how he got his name as an orphan. She has a vague recognition of the symbol, but can’t place it immediately.  The two of them end up looking into the symbol more and embarking on a mission to uncover who Raven really is and his past.

This book was FUN! I don’t know how else to describe it beyond that. Yes, the plot is a little outlandish in it’s deep dive into Raven’s past, but I found it so enjoyable.

 What immediately drew me in was the banter between Raven and Jane; it helped bring some humor to this story. They had a connection from the first meeting and it only grew the more they spent time with each other. On paper, they seem like complete opposites – she’s a scientific daughter of a noble man who is from a massive family, he’s an orphan with no recollection of his family who works in a gaming hall – but they work together so well. I love that Raven didn’t dismiss Jane as a bluestocking, but appreciated her mind and her quirkiness – he didn’t try to change her at all, but relied on her brain throughout the novel to help guide him to uncover the truth about his past. I feel like Jane could have easily come across as stiff and a caricature but I found her super easy to connect to. I love her devotion to her family and her curiosity so much.

The romance between the two of them developed at the perfect pace. The chemistry was there from the start and I couldn’t wait for them to act on it. I loved that Jane wasn’t afraid to admit what she wanted or her feelings – she was so straightforward and open with Raven and I loved that. This wasn’t the steamiest book out there, but the love scenes were handled really well. I wasn’t thrilled with the drama in their relationship towards the end of the book. I feel like Raven jumped to conclusions so quickly and thought the worst of Jane when she had never done anything to justify that sort of reaction. The only good thing was he came to his senses pretty quickly, though poor Jane was treated terribly by her family and dealing with heartbreak at the same time.

I have to say, Jane’s parents are the ABSOLUTE worst. They literally don’t give a farthing about their 11 children and act as if Jane isn’t even there with them. They can’t even remember her name half the time! All they care about is their reputation and are willing to send Jane away to America ON CHRISTMAS EVE because of a minor hint of a possible scandal. I know they were written to be cruel, but wow they were terrible. 

I’d highly recommend you check this one out. I was hesitant since I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first book in the series, but this was pure delight. Yes, the plot is kind of wild and not at all what I was expecting it to be, but I had so much fun while reading this book. It felt kind of like a soap opera with it’s story and twists, but in the best possible way! If you’re looking for a fun romance, this is perfect. You’ll finish reading it with a smile on your face, I promise!