REVIEW: The Daughter of an Earl by Victoria Morgan

In The Daughter of an Earl by Victoria Morgan, Brett Curtis would much rather be back in the States running his shipping business instead of in England, finding ways to keep his loving, but meddlesome, sisters entertained. He has no use for the royal aristocracy after an unfortunate situation years ago. But Brett becomes immersed in society again when he falls for ‘obdurate’ Lady Emily Chandler as he assists her in her dangerous search to find the truth behind her fiancé’s death.

‘How could he love a woman who had promised to save herself for a man dead and buried? It was difficult to compete with the dead, particularly one who appeared to be a saint.’

Even though it has been four years since Emily’s fiancé Jason passed away while working in India, she finds she now has reason to believe he may have been murdered. As she sets off in pursuit of justice, Emily decides she could use an ally. And American businessman Brett, a close friend of the family, would be perfect. Making a pact to find her fiancé’s killer and to find Brett’s missing cousin as well, she doesn’t realize until it’s too late how dangerous it will be for her safety and for her heart.

“You strike me as a man who goes after what he wants without apology. I find I am a woman who likes to do the same.” She nearly laughed at his wide-eyed look when she looped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to kiss him again. There was something to be said for experience.

The Daughter of an Earl was a lively Regency romance that paired a charming American businessman with a quick-witted English Lady, both of whom had lost at love in the past.

This is the first book I’ve read by Victoria Morgan and I have to say that it was an absolute delight. I was impressed with the current of dry humor that was woven into the dialogue and the inner thoughts of our protagonists. It really lightened what could have been a rather dark story about the inquiry into the death of Lady Emily’s fiancé, Jason.

The plot itself had an air of mystery to it, and while Emily and Brett didn’t waver from who they thought the culprit was, the motive was the biggest issue they had to determine. The storyline may not have been overly complicated, but the intricacies of Brett and Emily’s relationship more than made up for it. They had wonderful chemistry between them and I thoroughly enjoyed the scenes where they matched wits.

It was nice to see a story with two (I hate to use the word damaged) characters who had lost the love of their lives finding romance again. Neither Emily nor Brett were innocents, and that made for some steamy scenes as well as a lot of denial when they realized they had true feelings for each other. Their initial meeting takes place in the book that precedes this one, The Heart of a Duke, which is Emily’s sister Julia’s story. However, this novel can be read independently as well.

If you love exceedingly romantic stories that have substance to them in addition to memorable characters, I think you’ll enjoy The Daughter of an Earl.

Book Info:

 July 7th 2015 | by Berkley |

A tale of romance, intrigue, and the true meaning of honor from the author of The Heart of a Duke…

An American businessman in England, Brett Curtis has little use for the haughty ton beyond seeing his sisters happily entertained in London. But when his cousin mysteriously disappears after inheriting the title of Duke, he sets out to locate him and drag him home.

Lady Emily Chandler plunged into deep despair when her fiancé died in India, and now she is determined to prove that he was murdered. The brash American Brett Curtis’s reputation may be less than sterling, but he’s just the man to help Emily on her quest—if she can convince him to accept her dangerous proposition.

While their alliance uncovers a web of scandalous secrets, their undeniable attraction threatens to reveal something even more dangerous: true love.