REVIEW: The Thirteenth Earl by Evelyn Pryce

In The Thirteenth Earl by Evelyn Pryce , Cassandra Seton is stuck between dreading the Spencers’ house party and wanting to get it behind her. She loves them dearly and considers them good friends. But this is where she will see her estranged fiance Miles Markwick for the first time in nine years. The arranged marriage was set up by their fathers and has nothing to do with love. When Cassie meets moody Viscount Thaxton, she has never wished more strongly to be free to pursue her true feelings. She can only hope that a miracle will happen by the end of her stay with the Spencers.

“We should not be here alone,” she said.
“I know. I find it exciting. And you?”
Cassandra scooted back on the bench. The truth was, she definitely felt the same, but voicing it would not do. “Surely I do not.”
“Pity. I was thinking I might like to kiss you.”

Thaxton, known as the Ghost for his lack of appearances in Society, is now glad he accepted his friend’s invitation. Upon meeting the lovely Miss Seton, everything changes for him. Oh, he still worries about his father slipping further into madness, but his days are less filled with alcohol and instead filled with his longing for a future with Cassandra. Also taking up their time is finding the truth behind the supposed ghost roaming the house. Will Thaxton and Cassandra’s investigation help them find a way to be together? Or will it cause an even bigger rift between all those involved?

“So,” Spencer prodded, seemingly into the center of Thaxton’s headache, “you begged for her forgiveness?”
“You make it sound so unpleasant. I acknowledged that I was acting like an ass.”
Though, now that he examined it, it was possible that he had been begging her. Only a bit. A touch. A negligible amount of begging.

The Thirteenth Earl was an intriguing Historical Romance by one of my new favorite authors, Evelyn Pryce. Filled with well-developed realistic characters and a quick moving plot sure to capture any reader’s attention, this was not your typical Victorian romance.

‘Cassandra forced him to imagine a future, because he could not conceive of her existing and not being his.’

I’ve come to enjoy historical stories revolving around house parties that take place in country estate manors like this one. It’s almost like a soap opera with the characters all concentrated in one location, seeing what scandal will unfold. I had fun getting to know Thaxton, Spencer, Cassandra and Eliza, plus the other guests who made this a well-rounded group. Plus, the mystery surrounding a potential ghost added an element of mysticism that isn’t a very common theme found in the genre.

Pryce’s writing style and character development was what I loved most. She has a way of embracing the uniqueness of each character and basing the storyline around it instead of leaving those quirks as part of the background. Case in point: Thaxton’s alcoholism and his fear of becoming ‘mad’ like his father. I so enjoyed Thaxton with his dry wit, aversion of Society, and his blatant honesty about his father’s affliction. He was pretty much an anti-hero who also happened to be quite likable. I definitely cheered him on in his pursuit of Cassandra.

Cassandra was no slouch herself. She was strong and smart and knew her own mind. Unfortunately she was being held back by her (evil) stepmother and her father, being treated like a business transaction with her arranged marriage to Markwick. I liked Cassie’s friendship with Spencer and Eliza and thought they were a fun couple who had her best interests at heart, realizing her strong feelings for Thaxton. It seemed believable that Cassie struggled with her attraction to him and fought it off for as long as she could before giving in. And I have to say that their conversations were a joy to read and were filled with honesty, laughter and desire.

The Thirteenth Earl was a charming romance about an ill-fated arranged marriage and an unlikely match with lots of passion but little hope of a future. Thankfully there was a HEA in the cards for our hero and heroine. And what a sweet ending it was…

Book Info:

Publication: Published March 22nd 2016 |  Montlake Romance |

Dark-haired Victorian beauty Cassandra Seton will finally see her fiancé, Miles Markwick, after a separation of nine years. Nine years that have made her an object of pity. Marrying him now would save her further social humiliation, but it may cost her even more.

Jonathan Vane, Viscount Thaxton, has retreated from society, earning him the nickname “the Ghost.” He’s desperate to hide his father’s increasing madness and fearful that he too will eventually succumb to the same illness.

While attending the Spencers’ party in the country, both Jonathan and Cassie are awakened by unearthly wailing; instead of a ghost, they find each other—and fall into a passionate embrace. Guilt-stricken and searching for answers, they agree to a séance, but the medium’s words only deepen the mystery.

As the secrets of the past are revealed, Jonathan and Cassie band together to discover what’s really haunting Spencer House—and how to free each other from the specters looming over their own fates.