First Earl I See Tonight: A Debutante Diaries Novel

Anna Bennett

Oct 2018 · Debutante Diaries Book 1 · Sold by St. Martin's Paperbacks

About this eBook

Once upon a time three young ladies vowed to record their first London seasons...and to fill in the gaps of their finishing school educations. Thus began The Debutante Diaries—and London will never be the same...

“Fans of Regency romance authors Eloisa James, Tessa Dare, and Mary Jo Putney will go wild.”—Booklist

An heiress with a daring proposal. An earl who’s determined to resist her. And a love that just might be written in the stars, in First Earl I See Tonight by Anna Bennett.

Recently jilted by his fiancée, David Gray, Earl of Ravenport is not in the market for a wife. Even if Gray didn’t have his hands full renovating his crumbling country house, it would take more than a bold marriage proposal from a headstrong young beauty to thaw his frozen heart. Gray is confident that spending a week at his ramshackle estate will change her mind about marriage, but every passionate moment he spends with her tempts him to change his...

A talented artist, Miss Fiona Hartley desperately needs her dowry money to pay off a blackmailer set on ruining her sister. The handsome earl seems a sensible choice for a husband...if only she can convince him that romance will play no part. But marrying in name only may prove difficult for Fiona. Gray can’t help but be dazzled by her genuine warmth. Yet as their feelings deepen, Fiona’s deadline looms. Will her secrets destroy them, or is true love their final destiny?

Ratings and reviews

David Gray, Earl of Ravenport is not in the market for marriage however Miss Fiona Hartley has several needs that rely on her marrying with the Earl being the best choice. This is the first of the Debutante Diaries series. Interesting characters and story line to keep the reader turning those pages. Ebook from netgalley and publishers with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.

First Earl I See Tonight by Anna Bennett Debutante Diaries #1 Blackmail is a dirty business and Fiona Hartley needs a way to pay off the blackmailer to keep her family happily as it is. Her decision to access her inheritance through marriage sees her writing a wedding proposal to a man she believes might be interested in her money little knowing that what she expects and what will happen will be quite different. David Gray, Earl of Ravenport, thinks that Fiona is mad at first but does meet and talk to her. The two grow closer to one another at a house party on his crumbling estate but there is always the blackmailer lurking in the background to cause turmoil in Fiona’s mind…and life. My thoughts: *Well written if somewhat predictable *Storyline highly unlikely *Liked the characters *Enjoyed the interactions between Gray and Fiona *Some will find this book highly entertaining while others will want more substance Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC – This is my honest review. 3-4 Stars

Recently jilted by his fiancée, David Gray, Earl of Ravenport is not in the market for a wife. Even if Gray didn’t have his hands full renovating his crumbling country house, it would take more than a bold marriage proposal from a headstrong young beauty to thaw his frozen heart. Gray is confident that spending a week at his ramshackle estate will change her mind about marriage. A talented artist, Miss Fiona Hartley desperately needs her dowry money to pay off a blackmailer set on ruining her sister, Lily. The handsome earl seems a sensible choice for a husband if only she can convince him that romance will play no part. I was immediately drawn into the book especially with Fiona’s letters & her clumsiness. I did wonder why a blackmailer was targeting an unmarried woman for payment when she had no ready money, why not her father who had access to funds? The characters are well fleshed & the pace is good & flows well. I really liked Gray & Fiona & how they came to like each other & then realise they’d fallen in love. There were some inconsistencies & inaccuracies but I forgave the inaccuracies about suicides as I presumed the blackmailer was trying to frighten Fiona into submitting to their demands. This is the first book in a new series & I hope Lily & Sophie have their stories. I would have liked an epilogue just to finish the story. My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

About the author

Anna Bennett started swiping romances from her mom’s bookshelf as a teenager and decided that books with balls, dukes, and gowns were the best. So, when she had the chance to spend a semester in London she packed her bags—and promptly fell in love with the city, its history, and its pubs. She dreamed of writing romance, but somehow ended up a software analyst instead.

Fortunately, a few years and a few careers later, Anna found her way back to writing the stories she loves and won the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart®. She lives in Maryland with her husband and three children, who try valiantly not to roll their eyes whenever she quotes Jane Austen.

Anna's books include the Wayward Wallflowers series and the Debutante Diaries series.