"He had never had anyone aspire to be like him before. And here was a child who had been born as far removed from an earldom as he could possibly be, wishing to be a noble-not for riches or recognition but for the good he could do for others."
synopsis
On his way to a musical gathering Alexander Allerton, the Earl of Bloxley, finds himself involved in a tragic carriage accident. The dying wish of the young flower seller is for Lord Bloxley to find her son and tell him that she loved him. Determined to keep his promise Alexander does all in his power to find the young boy. During his search he finds himself confiding his troubles to the most unlikely of confidants, Miss Jane Hadford.
thoughts & feelings
When I began the Georgian Gentlemen series I honestly didn't know what I was getting in to. I was first introduced to Sian Ann Bessey when I read Heirs of Falcon Point. Soon after, I purchased this series...and then it sat on my shelf for about a year. When I dove into the first book I did so completely blind. I didn't read the back of the book so I literally had no clue what to expect. I loved the first novel so much that I immediately jumped into the second. Once again I stepped into this story completely blind. Well, other than knowing who Alexander Allerton is I was blind. You guys! I loved this novel so much. Possibly even more than the first.
I knew that I would love this story when the one and only, fabulous Aunt Millward entered the story. Aunt Millward is the aunt we all wish we had, were, or will one day become. I promise that you will love her. She is one of those characters that you hope one day gets their own book, or at least appears in the series some more. I'm pretty sure that I giggled almost every single time she was in a "scene." My favorite scene with her takes place at the Bloxley's musical gathering. Not only does she choose to sit in the back of the gathering, with Jane, but makes her own earplugs out of fabric scraps. I ABOUT DIED! THEN, she gets caught with these earplugs in by none other than the Earl of Bloxley. I'm telling you she is quite fabulous. I would love for her to get a "flashback" novel so that we could see her in as an eligible young lady out in society. Now that I think about it, she kind of reminds me of Artemis Lancaster. I have a feelings that Aunt Millward would definitely be welcomed into the Huntresses group.
I also loved the general set up of this story and how everything revolves around Alexander and Jane searching for the flower seller's young boy. I knew, from The Noble Smuggler, that this would be a love story but it was setup in a different way than most period romances I have read. An Uncommon Earl revolves around the search for this little boy and all that follows. However, through this search we also get a glimpse into parliament, family dynamics, social standards, and the natural development of love. I loved how everything flowed so well and happened naturally. It felt more like hearing about a friends love story than a swoony, fairytale romance. Not that this love story isn't swoon worthy because it definitely has it's moments.
I loved this story so much and wish I could immediately dive into the third novel, An Alleged Rogue. Unfortunately, I have a deadline coming up and have to jump into a different book. I will be returning to the Georgian Gentlemen series immediately after. So stay tuned my friends for all the details on An Alleged Rogue and An Unfamiliar Duke.
book tags
Steam Level: clean, kissing
Language: clean
Content Warnings: child labor-discussion of child labor laws
Trigger Warnings: physical abuse by a guardian
book information
Title: An Uncommon Earl
Series: Georgian Gentlemen #2
Author: Sian Ann Bessey
Rating: 5/5