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fcoo's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
turophile's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed this marriage of convenience. The hero could have used more of a personality, but I loved the heroine’s by hook or by crook approach to life. Set primarily in Cornwall, with trips to London, it’s a tail of learning to accept each others’ faults and secrets, with a healthy dose of smuggling thrown in. 4/5. Would read again.
aprilbooksandwine's review against another edition
4.0
Counting On A Countess by Eva Leigh is the second book in the London Underground series. This historical romance is a fun read. Read my full review here Link goes live 5/14/2021
melbsreads's review
4.0
Trigger warnings: PTSD, probably a ton of other stuff that I've forgotten...
So here's the thing: I read this nearly a month ago. And within a week, I'd basically forgotten everything about it. What I do remember is that it was cute but also utterly predictable. I think the most memorable part of it was the way things ended, and I really enjoyed all of that. I did like that it was a story where they got married and THEN fell in love, so there's that.
But yeah. At the time I enjoyed it enough to give it 4 stars. But now, nearly a month later? I got nothing.
So here's the thing: I read this nearly a month ago. And within a week, I'd basically forgotten everything about it. What I do remember is that it was cute but also utterly predictable. I think the most memorable part of it was the way things ended, and I really enjoyed all of that. I did like that it was a story where they got married and THEN fell in love, so there's that.
But yeah. At the time I enjoyed it enough to give it 4 stars. But now, nearly a month later? I got nothing.
mholles's review against another edition
3.0
Kit is a war hero and a new Earl. His military mentor has left him a fortune that he needs but must marry to get. Tamsyn doesn't really want a husband, she can run a smuggling ring all by herself. But she can't fence the goods and without the money from the goods she can't buy her childhood home and save the villagers. What should have been a quick and simple marriage of convenience becomes much more when the final terms of the will are known. And it gets even worse when Kin and Tamsyn realize they love each other.
malissac's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this but struggled a lot to get past the heroines own hypocrisy. I rather liked the hero, he felt real and well thought out, I wish I had the same feelings for the heroine. The final 2 chapters of the book were the best part all told. I’m curious to see where the next book leads, so onward into book 3.
joreadsromance's review against another edition
4.0
Great characters - great chemistry - great story
4 Stars
This is the second book in the London Underground series by [a:Eva Leigh|8886093|Eva Leigh|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1439934306p2/8886093.jpg] - coming after From Duke ’Til(l) Dawn. The series follows 3 friends, Alex, Kit and Langdon as they all (hopefully) get their happily ever afters. While Alex and Cassie from the first book do pop up in this book, it’s a very brief cameo and each book so far, can easily be read as a standalone. Interestingly - and in a genius move I can’t help but applaud - Ms Leigh included Maggie and Cam from a previous book of hers. They’ve intrigued me enough to firstly search out the book they were from ([b:Scandal Takes the Stage|24805314|Scandal Takes the Stage (The Wicked Quills of London, #2)|Eva Leigh|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1426976419l/24805314._SY75_.jpg|44443685]) and to pop it on my list for future reading. As I said, bravo!
Anyway, back to this particular book. We’ve got Kit - the debonair, wastrel third son who’s a newly minted earl. Or not so minted as the case may be. Until he gets bequeathed a sizeable fortune if only he can find a wife within 30 days. And despite never having been discriminating with his partners, suddenly Kit finds himself dismissing every single eligible girl as wifely material. Until he meets Tamsyn. I suppose with both of them it’s almost insta love - but it’s done so well that you really believe it. Even with the rakish Kit - who incidentally is one of my favourite types of characters - an amiable, carefree (and handsome, obviously!) rogue with hidden depths only our heroine can see.
Tamsyn is also a good character although I had a wee bit more trouble with her than I did Kit. It’s the smuggling you see. After Kit and Tamsyn started developing feelings for each other, it made me feel quite uncomfortable that she was keeping such a big secret from him. That was probably the point, to worry if the pair could overcome the obstacles, but I wanted her to tell him rather than have him discover it.
The pair’s chemistry was palpable and by the time they eventually got to the bedroom shenanigans - which was teased for some considerable time - I was as desperate and horny as they were! But it was worth it in the end.
Smuggling aside, I liked the fact that there wasn’t any faux drama and that both characters were open and mature enough to just be honest with each other about their feelings - after the understandable grumpiness and silence. The whole book felt emotionally true to life and felt believable.
While the writing flowed well and was involving, interesting and kept those pages turning easily - I have one teeny tiny thing that irked me throughout the whole book. Gotten. I HATE that word! I even looked up its history just to appease the rage over having to read it about 17 times in this book. (Yep - I counted!) Apparently it was widely used in the UK up until about the 1500s but it’s not used now and it wasn’t used in the Regency. To my British ears, it comes across as a continually jarring Americanism in a book that otherwise does very well to avoid any anachronisms and feels true to the period. I know that writers write for a modern audience but if you’re going to change sidewalk to pavement and fall to autumn in books set in the UK, I feel you should change this word, too. (*Steps down from the soapbox*.)
But apart from my mini rant above, I couldn’t help but smile at Kit and Tamsyn’s love story and enjoyed their journey on finding themselves and each other. An enjoyable and likeable book - one I would happily recommend. 4 stars.
beckymmoe's review against another edition
4.0
Reviewed on my blog, Becky on Books, on 3/29/18.
In many ways, the second London Underground book is a cautionary tale of the dangers of marrying someone you barely know. Kit and Tamsyn both go into their relationship wanting the same thing--money--but each has their own need for it and their own secrets to hide. Even as they're growing to care for each other, each constantly goes back to the earlier conversations they'd had (Kit telling her he wouldn't be capable of fidelity, for example, and saying that once she'd given him an heir they could both pursue their own separate amorous entanglements, for example) and keep their budding feelings to themselves rather than mention them to the other.
And did I mention they have secrets? Honestly, at times reading this book was exhausting, watching them tiptoe around each other and knowing how each felt all the while knowing that they were hurtling themselves toward heartbreak...
Through it all, though, both Kit and Tamsyn were sympathetic characters who you can't help but hope will somehow manage to find an HEA in spite of themselves. They do, thank goodness, but OMG does Ms. Leigh make them work for it! I have to admit that there is a stretch of the book where I wasn't Tamsyn's biggest fan--in getting upset at what she discovers about Kit she really does expose herself as something of a hypocrite, even taking her difficult childhood into account--but when we finally see the reasons behind what she's been doing for eight years (when she finally tells Kit!) I'll admit she almost had me willing to jump into the fray beside her...even as I hoped that there'd somehow be a different way to do things.
Fortunately, Ms. Leigh had an even better solution in mind, giving everyone an HEA that was much more palatable than the one I was afraid we'd have to be happy with.
Now all we need is Langdon's story! ;)
(Counting on a Countess is second in the series but works fine as a standalone.)
Rating: 4 stars / B+
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
In many ways, the second London Underground book is a cautionary tale of the dangers of marrying someone you barely know. Kit and Tamsyn both go into their relationship wanting the same thing--money--but each has their own need for it and their own secrets to hide. Even as they're growing to care for each other, each constantly goes back to the earlier conversations they'd had (Kit telling her he wouldn't be capable of fidelity, for example, and saying that once she'd given him an heir they could both pursue their own separate amorous entanglements, for example) and keep their budding feelings to themselves rather than mention them to the other.
And did I mention they have secrets? Honestly, at times reading this book was exhausting, watching them tiptoe around each other and knowing how each felt all the while knowing that they were hurtling themselves toward heartbreak...
Through it all, though, both Kit and Tamsyn were sympathetic characters who you can't help but hope will somehow manage to find an HEA in spite of themselves. They do, thank goodness, but OMG does Ms. Leigh make them work for it! I have to admit that there is a stretch of the book where I wasn't Tamsyn's biggest fan--in getting upset at what she discovers about Kit she really does expose herself as something of a hypocrite, even taking her difficult childhood into account--but when we finally see the reasons behind what she's been doing for eight years (when she finally tells Kit!) I'll admit she almost had me willing to jump into the fray beside her...even as I hoped that there'd somehow be a different way to do things.
Fortunately, Ms. Leigh had an even better solution in mind, giving everyone an HEA that was much more palatable than the one I was afraid we'd have to be happy with.
Now all we need is Langdon's story! ;)
(Counting on a Countess is second in the series but works fine as a standalone.)
Rating: 4 stars / B+
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.