4 Stars

Publisher: Dashing Dandies Publishing

Date of publication: August 3rd 2019

Genre: Romance, Mystery. Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find Return of the Long Lost Earl: Amazon

Book Synopsis:

He’s a handsome naval captain with a borrowed identity. She’s a young woman betrothed to a man she’ll never love. Will their attraction for each other prove too strong to fight? READ THE LATEST PAGE-TURNING ROMANTIC MYSTERY FROM AMAZON BEST SELLING AUTHOR KATE CARTERET

For thirteen years, an old secret has lain dormant. Now that the old Earl of Kingsmead is dead, the families who surround that grand old estate have to face the past. In the heart of this carefully crafted tale of love is a web of intrigue just waiting to be uncovered.˃˃˃ A young woman with little say over her future

Geraldine Myers, daughter of Lord Roscoe Myers, has been promised to Gordon Danvers since the two were just children. The son of her father’s closest friend and ally, Gordon is vain, dull, and self-serving. But her father is not a man to be gainsaid, and Geraldine knows that there is little hope of her escaping the marriage.˃˃˃ A handsome Naval Captain with a dead man’s identity

Captain Ashley Winters is a man with a secret. His is a soul on the run from itself, trying to outpace the shadows of his past. He knows there is only one way to find peace at last, and that is to go ahead with the mission he has so carefully planned.˃˃˃ Will she ever really know the true identity of the man she had fallen in love with?

The old Earl of Kingsmead has passed away, his only heir a distant cousin, Basil Danvers. But when Basil dies suddenly on the day the Earl’s last will and testament is read, Kingsmead falls into the hands of his son, Gordon. Now that he has money and power, Geraldine knows that her fate is sealed, and the announcement of their engagement cannot be far away.

But things are not always set in stone, as she discovers at the Kingsmead Estate garden party, the very event at which her engagement was to be announced. A man strides onto the lawn – tall, handsome, and dressed in the finest Naval officer’s uniform. When he declares that he is Hunter Lyndon, the long lost Earl of Kingsmead and a man everybody had thought dead for thirteen years, it seems Geraldine had won a small reprieve.

As the Captain seeks to prove himself the rightful heir, the Myers and Danvers families try everything in their power to hold on to what they see as theirs. Left at the Kingsmead Dower house to spy on the man everybody claims is an impostor, Geraldine finds herself falling for this mysterious man. Is he the tall figure she barely remembers from her childhood, or is he a cruel trickster playing on the emotions of the mother who had lost her son so cruelly?

With her feelings spiralling and her allegiances tested, will Geraldine ever truly know who this handsome, mesmerizing man is? And, as her love deepens, will his identity really matter in the end?

As she draws closer to the truth, Geraldine draws closer to danger in this romantic Regency novel with a twist.

This novel in apx 70,000 words is a clean love story with no cheating, no cliffhangers, and a happy ever after.

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First Line:

“If nothing else, it is perfect weather for a garden party, Geraldine.”

Return of the Long, Lost Earl by Kate Carteret

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My Review:

I know that I have mentioned this in past blogs, but I am a massive fan of historical romance. I am not going to fangirl over how much I enjoy them. I’ve done that enough in past blogs. I am also a fan of mystery/thriller/suspense novels. When the two are combined, I am thrilled to death. So when I read the blurb for Return of the Long Lost Earl, I needed to read it. I am glad I did because this was a great combination of historical romance and mystery.

Return of the Long Lost Earl is the story of Lady Geraldine Myers and Captain Ashley Winters. Geraldine is betrothed to the heir of the Earl of Kingsmead. She is unhappy with the decisions being forced upon her. Begging and pleading with her parents and brother fall on deaf ears. Then Captain Ashley Winters shows up at her betrothal party and throws a wrench in things. Is Ashley the long-dead son of the Earl of Kingsmead? If so, who is buried in his grave?

I enjoyed the mystery angle of Return of the Long Lost Earl. The author did what few mystery authors have been able to do. She was able to keep me guessing if Ashley was Hunter. She was also able to take two past murders and intertwine them into the plot. It made for a fantastic read because I didn’t know what was going to happen next.

The romance angle of Return of the Long Lost Earl was sweet. It wasn’t love at first sight for Geraldine or Ashley. Instead, they fell for each other as they got to know one another. I also liked that there was no sex. After the last few books that I have read, I need a book where sex wasn’t the main focal point of the book. It was refreshing.

I liked Geraldine. I thought that she was progressive for her time. She wanted to make her own decisions and didn’t want to be forced into things. I liked that she kept an impartial view of Ashley’s claims. She challenged Ashley about why he stayed away from Kingsmead for so long.

I did have my doubts about Ashley. He came across as shady. But as the book went on, I started to wonder if he was Hunter. I liked how the author slowly released bits and pieces of his past. I did like him though, even if I thought he was shady for most of the book.

The end of Return of the Long Lost Earl was terrific. I loved how the author was able to resolve the mystery of who Ashley was along with the other two mysteries brought up in the book. I will say that justice was served. I loved how Ashley and Geraldine got their HEA.

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I would give Return of the Long Lost Earl an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is no language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread Return of the Long Lost Earl. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**