Philippa Jane Keyworth

Three years ago, I didn’t read regencies- at all. Since then I’ve read a few- and learned that not all Christian Regencies are equal. The Unexpected Earl ranks among the better- with faint shades of the literary great. The Lady (and spinster bordering on the old at the other side of 20- by 19th century standards) who unexpectedly comes face to face with the former beau who jilted her is almost reminiscent of Persuasion, and hostility tension between the protagonists of Pride and Prejudice. A Regency that harks back to these is stepping in the right direction.

A cast of memorable and well written characters also helps- and this book has them. Julia is strong but not in the militant way that some historical heroines are who seek to rebel against society in the name of ‘freedom’. Perhaps her most endearing trait was her (sometimes biting) wit, and propensity for impulsiveness. The former extends to the writing style, with some great lines such as “Two other gentlemen, with a similar predilection for foppishness, sidled up to join with Windlesham in synchronized sneering” Wolversley, the male protagonist is a suitably brooding dark horse, though not lacking in his fair share of charm.

With such novels as this there does seem to be a danger of the storyline becoming repetitive or clichéd, and romance too fluffy and mushy to be palatable. This was generally not the case here. Aside from a couple of scenes towards the end in which the characters were rather pre-occupied with kissing or emotional attraction, the plot was mostly tight and credible. Indeed, like with her previous book, Julia could not stand Wolversley at first, In fact, she spent most of the first half of the story trying to ward him off whilst protecting her sister. Nor did she just wake up one day realising she still loved him. The process was gradual and difficult, the characters having to deal with their resentment, pride and other issues.

Mrs Keyworth is the only British author of Regencies in this genre that I know of – which has some major advantages in my opinion. One is that her work is free of the Americanisms in the character’s speech that blight so many regencies. Indeed, the American Publisher also deserves some commendation for preserving the British terms and idioms, rather than changing them.
My only major complaint (and the main reason for the lower rating) was that I felt there was little in the book that was explicitly Christian- aside from a few reference to Julia praying. She seemed to lie more often than prayed (indeed lies and deception are often central to moving the story along) and her faith did not always seem to be something that was very important or that she took seriously.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t expect characters in Christian fiction to be perfect, and there may have been some deeper messages that passed me by- but I just expected more. Some sort of redemption, repentance, or some sort of change in the characters. The morally dubious and licentious characters seemed to stay that way- with the slightly dubious implication that the ‘goodies’ consorted with prostitutes and women of ill-repute as much as the villain- though Wolverseley did not. Also, the swearing may be an issue for some.
Overall, I would recommend The Unexpected Earl for Regency fans, but I’m not sure it really fits comfortably into the ‘Christian’ Genre. Perhaps it should be simply ranked as ‘clean’.

I received and Advance electronic version of this book direct from the publisher in return for a review. I was not required to write a positive one and all opinions expressed are my own.
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I’ve read a fair few Regencies in the past couple of years, and I would rank this amongst one of my favourites. The notion of a retelling of the Book of Ruth set in the Regency period was clever and generally well done, with a realistic and accurate historical setting, and a stock of well-drawn characters. Letty /Lettice(which I imagine was short for Letitia), a hurting woman whose abusive marriage destroyed her belief in love struggling to survive in society. Major Deverill, the dashing and honourable war veteran who quickly befriends out heroine and leads and defends her through many trials, and Viscount Beaumont, the noble rake who is not all he seems.

There are enough balls, hobnobbing with high society and glamorous dresses and period delights to please fans of Regency. I enjoyed the story itself on one level for what it was not- it was not what I call ‘fluffy’ romance in which the protagonists are constantly dwelling on the physical attractiveness of the other, or kissing at every given opportunity. Admittedly Beauford is smitten with Letty (but not she him), but in came across in a way that seemed almost- chivalrous- not soppy or silly.
The struggles, attitudes, outlook and language of the characters seemed to fit in with the time period, and did not seem too Americanised, which is something of an issue for me. No doubt the reason was that the author is British, so it’s pleasing to find a British author with a successful work Christian Fiction genre.

I did have one or two complaints. One was the lack of religious commitment on the part of the male protagonist, who is meant to be the Boaz character of the story, (for those unfamiliar with the Biblical account he was the faithful Jewish landowner who married Ruth- the non-Jewish woman who embraced their faith and people) which was a fact that did not seem to change towards the end. Perhaps it’s not a wholly founded complaint, but it seemed to me that for Christian Regency, there was not a lot that was ostensibly Christian.
I think perhaps the author was trying to make the change in his character more subtle, in line with the theme of redemption though love central to the story. Finally, there was some of the language- in the sense of swear words, yes they were understandable in light of the circumstances and the feelings of the characters- but I somehow thought it seemed distasteful to keep saying ‘damn him’ of a person who was already dead.

Generally, a solid and enjoyable story it’s easy to get lost in, with faint shades of Austen. I would certainly be interested in reading Mrs Keyworth’s next novel, due out in September.
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I was provided a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this book not really knowing what to expect. All I knew was that it was a historical fiction novel set in Regency London. I'm actually really glad I didn't know more, or my prejudices would have stopped me from reading it! See, I usually avoid stories about women with abusive husbands--especially if it's about how the husband passed away and the woman has to pick up the pieces. The reason I avoid these stories is because they're usually very sad and intense-- and I prefer lighter reading. This book is very light, and has extremely funny parts! I was laughing out loud many, many times!

Also, let me just say that this book was SO different from any book about a widow, or abused wife--than I have ever read! The main character, Letty (short for Lettuce) is a widow who married young and suffered greatly in her two years of marriage. The beginning of the book mentions the abuse, but doesn't go into detail. Because Letty herself doesn't wish anyone to know about the abuse, the narrative almost skims over it. She has more important things to think about, and refuses to feel sorry for herself....yet, she doesn't take up the opinion that she deserved the abuse, either. As the story progresses we get more details of it, but I was just so intrigued by Letty herself. I loved her personality. She takes care of her mother-in-law and she stands up for what she believes in. After her husband dies, she is left with his debts and has to sell her home--which she takes in stride.

Letty's whole demeanor was so completely endearing and refreshing to me, and I can't think of anyone who would not fall in love with this widow! The men in the book are so charming! I felt like I was reading a Jane Austen novel, and I loved every bit of it! Especially the ending! Oh, the ending had me in tears! Happy tears, of course, but I did she'd some sad tears too.


I recommend this book for fans of Jane Austen and Regency period novels. I loved reading about the balls and customs of London society. It's so romantic. Please don't be put off by the fact that there is a widow who had an abusive past! (Like I know I would have been had I read of it prior). It is unlike any novel I've read of a widow and I can't recommend this book enough!!

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Julia Rotherham thought she would never see Lucius Wolversley again after he jilted her years before. However their paths cross again at her sister's ball. As much as she hates Lucius for the hurt he caused her, she also still loves him despite of everything. In spite of her affection, she knows that she can't trust him. Besides she still doesn't know what made him run for the hills all those years ago.

Julia and Lucius reminded me of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. They both misunderstand each other something terrible. Though Julia does have a right to be upset, I loved her banter with Lucius. However I didn't like her sister very much. She's mean and spoiled. There are many characters to love such as Mr.Rotherham and Mr. Highsmith.

The story line was really good. The book grabbed me from the get-go, and it entertained me to the end. I do hope there is a sequel because I'd really like to revisit these characters again. I think fans of Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer would like this book.

Read more at http://www.toreadornottoread.net/2014/09/review-unexpected-earl.html#0dHJ13h2hIE...… (plus d'informations)