About the Book:
![To Marry an Earl by [Karen Thornell]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51nnkZJNHkL.jpg)
Title: To Marry an Earl
Author: Karen Thornell
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Release Date: September 1, 2021
Genre: Historical Romance
Katherine Cartwright knows through bitter experience that true love is fiction and trust should not be bestowed easily. Now, after two unsuccessful London Seasons, her atrocious father has decided to marry her off to the highest bidder to pay for his gambling debts, ridding himself of the daughter he never wanted. A profitable deal is struck, and Kate is packed off to the home of her betrothed, an earl she has never met. Or so she believes.
When James Fenwick, the new Earl of Bowcott, learns that the girl he’s loved since childhood is being sold off like chattel, he’s determined to step in and save her. He makes an offer her father cannot refuse and insists on a proper engagement. But when Kate meets James again, her old friend cannot bring himself to admit it is him whom she is to marry. Soon, an intricate charade and a past that cannot be escaped jeopardize James’s chance at rekindling their friendship, to say nothing of winning Kate’s heart. Can love truly conquer all, or was this a match doomed from the start?
You can read the first chapter here:
Book Review:
I have been eagerly waiting to read Karen Thornell’s newest book! I found her through the bookstagram community and I was so excited to read To Marry an Earl! It took me a little while to get into the book, but once I started truly reading I was hooked. The storyline was really engaging and the characters were lovely.
I felt bad for Kate, Katherine Cartwright, her father seemed like an impossible man who made life horrible for her. She was desperate to find a life that she could call her own, however her plans were once again disregarded when her father married her off to the highest bidder, an earl. Things start to look up when she is reunited with her old friend James Fenwick. But as she spends time with him, she finds herself falling for this man. However when the truth around her engagement comes to light will their relationship last? Will Kate be able to trust James after all he had put her through?
Kate was an interesting character, she was trying to protect herself from more hurt. However, she also found herself falling for James and that made her conflicted because she wasn’t sure how she felt about him. He had hurt her before, so she was wary. I liked reading about her growth as she learned to trust herself and gain confidence. I learned to like her more and more as I read more about her. I also liked how she was a strong character, as she learned to overcome the obstacles that were thrown into her life.
I liked James from the beginning but I also wanted to bash him over the head. He made so many silly mistakes with Kate, but he was trying his best. I liked how James tried his best to care for Kate and put her first. He truly did love her in his own way, but he was struggling to figure out how to show her because of how tentative she was. He was trying to learn how to love Kate and figure out what it meant to be an earl. He was kind and willing to help those around him.
The side characters were also fun, I really liked James’s friends Lucas and Henry. I hope that they get their own books! Julia was also sweet. These characters really helped make the book. I loved reading about their interactions. The servants were sweet, especially James’ cook. James and Kate had to learn how to make a relationship work with each other. They also had to learn to work through the truth.
To Marry an Earl was a lovely book! I would definitely recommend it, especially to those who like regency romances! I can’t wait to see what else Thornell writes. To Marry an Earl is a clean Regency romance.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.
About the Author:
Karen Thornell grew up reading when she should have been sleeping, but it wasn’t until 2019 that she started writing. Tired of ending books and saying ‘goodbye’ to beloved characters, she wondered what it would be like to have her own characters that lived in her head always. It was probably a mark of sleep deprivation that she wanted people living in her head, but the idea was planted regardless.
Karen lives in Utah with her husband and kids. When not writing contemporary or regency romance, she spends her free time doing endless loads of laundry, playing board games, and, yes, talking to those characters in her head.
Books and Everyday Life 