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bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Forced institutionalization, Sexism, Racism, Death, Alcoholism, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Medical trauma, Misogyny, and Racial slurs
Minor: Pregnancy
khines213's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not gonna lie, this was a lot harder to read than book 1 in the series.
I completely understand where the author was coming from and what she was trying to communicate with how the book displayed the relationship between a Black man and a white woman in Regency England, but it was hard to read how almost uncaring some of the heroine's decisions seem to be just out of sheer ignorance of the complete trauma, fear, and uphill battle the hero had to face as a minority in a position of power in an era where some people still enslaved people who looked like him.
I wanted to yell at her to be a little more compassionate and see why he was making the decisions as he did instead of going against what he was arguing for or suspecting him of undermining her.
Overall, I'll still read the series because I think it's needed and necessary, and well done, but not quite as compelling as book 1, but perhaps because the issues addressed are a lot deeper here.
I completely understand where the author was coming from and what she was trying to communicate with how the book displayed the relationship between a Black man and a white woman in Regency England, but it was hard to read how almost uncaring some of the heroine's decisions seem to be just out of sheer ignorance of the complete trauma, fear, and uphill battle the hero had to face as a minority in a position of power in an era where some people still enslaved people who looked like him.
I wanted to yell at her to be a little more compassionate and see why he was making the decisions as he did instead of going against what he was arguing for or suspecting him of undermining her.
Overall, I'll still read the series because I think it's needed and necessary, and well done, but not quite as compelling as book 1, but perhaps because the issues addressed are a lot deeper here.
allysunsun's review against another edition
3.0
This book had a really good story at its base. I'm not sure if was due to formatting but the story was absolutely all over the place. It jumped so much that at times I wasn't sure who was talking or what characters were in the scene. That aside I did really like the book and the characters and look forward to trying more Vanessa Riley books in the future.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.
lindacbugg's review against another edition
4.0
4.5
It took a bit to finish but I'd definitely recommend this title & series!
Don't read lots of other titles at the same time would be my recommendation.
It took a bit to finish but I'd definitely recommend this title & series!
Don't read lots of other titles at the same time would be my recommendation.
jennms_qkw's review against another edition
4.0
This middle book in the series left me feeling a little unsorted. Why wasn't the focus on finding the truth? Poor Jemima, not knowing who she is. I'm glad it finally mostly got there but still. And Daniel's precarious position due to racism. There was a lot in this book. Did someone at a disaster recovery site just hand off a baby to a person because they were both black? Eeeeek.
I do love The Widow's Grace storyline though.
I do love The Widow's Grace storyline though.
booksbythecup's review against another edition
"The man shimmered like a star fallen to earth."
Jemina has amnesia, the earl falls in love with her and she with him. But the little girl, she's an essential element to the story I started to see more clearly as the story progresses. I also like that Patience, who was in the first book, was a part of this one as well. Turpin narrates and Riley does it again.
Jemina has amnesia, the earl falls in love with her and she with him. But the little girl, she's an essential element to the story I started to see more clearly as the story progresses. I also like that Patience, who was in the first book, was a part of this one as well. Turpin narrates and Riley does it again.
paula_s's review against another edition
3.0
The rate is actually 3.5 out of 5 stars
I read this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review
When I was offered and advanced e-ARC of Vanessa Riley’s “An Earl, the Girl, and a Toddler” I was so excited that I said “yes, please” I had high hopes for it because I read her first book of the series “A Duke, the Baby, and a Lady” and it was fun, and refreshing because the topics it included were refreshing. Well, having high hopes was my mistake, that’s why I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the previous one. Still I’ve enjoyed it quite a lot.
At the beginning of this book there is a shipwreck near the coast of England. It should have arrived in Portsmouth that day and many people were waiting at the docks only to learn that their relatives, their colleagues or their dreams had drowned. There were only two survivors to that wreck; an amnesiac young girl who was identified as Jenima St. Maur, and a blackamoor one-year-old baby whose mother was drowned. At the docks there was Daniel Thackery, a young barrister who was waiting for his Jamaican proxy wife who was supposed to come to him “with a surprise”. Someone puts that baby in his arms, being a blackamoor himself, Daniel knows that this baby will end up in a brothel, so he accepts the possibility that the surprise his proxy wife meant was that she had a daughter.
At the same time Jenima claims that there was a baby in her arms but no one believes her. She’s taken for a mentally unstable girl and so she’s put into Bedlam. Two years later she and Patience, the heroine of the first book, are rescued by Lady Shrewsbury’s organization ‘The Widows’ Grace’. Daniel, now an earl and a barrister, is Lady Shrewsbury’s nephew and unwilling supporter.
Now a member of the ‘Widows’ Grace’ herself Jenima goes on a mission with her best friend Patience. The mission is to break into a Lincoln’s Inn, where several lawyers share an office. They’re looking for proof to help a fellow widow get custody of her children. Daniel’s desk is there too, and in that desk Jenima finds some papers that prove that Daniel has a lot of information on her past. A past she can’t remember, a past that makes her doubt of her own identity.
Here starts a story of lies, deception, love and mistrust. Of course Daniel and Jenima find love in their story and eventually they will get their happily ever after. But the in between felt like going in circles, and you can’t help wanting to punch Daniel all the time, because he has the key. He is so utterly scared that he doesn’t let the story flow, and that was frustrating. All that mess could have been solved in a minute if only he spoke the truth at least to Jenima. Because Jenima wouldn’t do anything to hurt him or the little girl Hope. She loves them, but he can’t trust her or share his concerns with her.
The chapters can be classified in two. Those that are written from Daniel’s perspective and those that are written from Jenima’s perspective. That is the common thing in romance, but Jenima’s side is written in the first person, and that kind of manipulates the reader into becoming her supporter. Daniel’s side of the story is written in the third person. Vanessa Riley used this trick in the first book too.
One of the things I loved about this story is that Patience and her husband the duke are there. They’re not in the background like most former and future main characters, they’re there all the time supporting Jenima. The young widow lives with them and Patience sees a sister in her. The sisterly love and loyalty in the novel is moving. There’s a lot of talk of sorority, but of course not all women are that generous.
There’s also talk about racism, hypocrisy about racism, slaverism, innocence by amnesia (you’ll understand when you read the book, spoilers), identity and honesty. The main subject being ‘the end justifies the means?’.
In conclusion: I’ve loved this book, but it was not a page-turner, it lacked the excitement I usually look for in a romance novel. It’s a somewhat clean romance and I’m not a huge fan of that, but that’s just my taste so it didn’t lower points. It didn’t add either. It’s a good story and I loved Jenima as a character. Daniel could have been better, he’s likable as a person and a great father, but his choices were wrong and even though he knew, he didn’t do anything about it.
I read this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review
When I was offered and advanced e-ARC of Vanessa Riley’s “An Earl, the Girl, and a Toddler” I was so excited that I said “yes, please” I had high hopes for it because I read her first book of the series “A Duke, the Baby, and a Lady” and it was fun, and refreshing because the topics it included were refreshing. Well, having high hopes was my mistake, that’s why I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the previous one. Still I’ve enjoyed it quite a lot.
At the beginning of this book there is a shipwreck near the coast of England. It should have arrived in Portsmouth that day and many people were waiting at the docks only to learn that their relatives, their colleagues or their dreams had drowned. There were only two survivors to that wreck; an amnesiac young girl who was identified as Jenima St. Maur, and a blackamoor one-year-old baby whose mother was drowned. At the docks there was Daniel Thackery, a young barrister who was waiting for his Jamaican proxy wife who was supposed to come to him “with a surprise”. Someone puts that baby in his arms, being a blackamoor himself, Daniel knows that this baby will end up in a brothel, so he accepts the possibility that the surprise his proxy wife meant was that she had a daughter.
At the same time Jenima claims that there was a baby in her arms but no one believes her. She’s taken for a mentally unstable girl and so she’s put into Bedlam. Two years later she and Patience, the heroine of the first book, are rescued by Lady Shrewsbury’s organization ‘The Widows’ Grace’. Daniel, now an earl and a barrister, is Lady Shrewsbury’s nephew and unwilling supporter.
Now a member of the ‘Widows’ Grace’ herself Jenima goes on a mission with her best friend Patience. The mission is to break into a Lincoln’s Inn, where several lawyers share an office. They’re looking for proof to help a fellow widow get custody of her children. Daniel’s desk is there too, and in that desk Jenima finds some papers that prove that Daniel has a lot of information on her past. A past she can’t remember, a past that makes her doubt of her own identity.
Here starts a story of lies, deception, love and mistrust. Of course Daniel and Jenima find love in their story and eventually they will get their happily ever after. But the in between felt like going in circles, and you can’t help wanting to punch Daniel all the time, because he has the key. He is so utterly scared that he doesn’t let the story flow, and that was frustrating. All that mess could have been solved in a minute if only he spoke the truth at least to Jenima. Because Jenima wouldn’t do anything to hurt him or the little girl Hope. She loves them, but he can’t trust her or share his concerns with her.
The chapters can be classified in two. Those that are written from Daniel’s perspective and those that are written from Jenima’s perspective. That is the common thing in romance, but Jenima’s side is written in the first person, and that kind of manipulates the reader into becoming her supporter. Daniel’s side of the story is written in the third person. Vanessa Riley used this trick in the first book too.
One of the things I loved about this story is that Patience and her husband the duke are there. They’re not in the background like most former and future main characters, they’re there all the time supporting Jenima. The young widow lives with them and Patience sees a sister in her. The sisterly love and loyalty in the novel is moving. There’s a lot of talk of sorority, but of course not all women are that generous.
There’s also talk about racism, hypocrisy about racism, slaverism, innocence by amnesia (you’ll understand when you read the book, spoilers), identity and honesty. The main subject being ‘the end justifies the means?’.
In conclusion: I’ve loved this book, but it was not a page-turner, it lacked the excitement I usually look for in a romance novel. It’s a somewhat clean romance and I’m not a huge fan of that, but that’s just my taste so it didn’t lower points. It didn’t add either. It’s a good story and I loved Jenima as a character. Daniel could have been better, he’s likable as a person and a great father, but his choices were wrong and even though he knew, he didn’t do anything about it.
richardwriteson's review against another edition
5.0
I cannot rave about Vanessa Riley enough in her second installment in this series. I really lov that I now have a series of Historical Fiction with black characters . and listening to Vanessa break down certain aspects of the book (like how and why Daniel would end up with this baby) made it all the better.
So many stars that I can't even add them on this review LOL
So many stars that I can't even add them on this review LOL
keepingyouonread's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked A Duke, The Lady and a Baby so I was thrilled to get book two, An Earl, The Girl, and a Toddler (thank you Kensington). You do not have to read both books for the story to make sense but it will give you more background.
This book is Jemina’s story, one of two survivors of a shipwreck, she has little to no memory of her life prior to the accident. Daniel, a barrister and the Earl in the novel’s title, has secrets he doesn’t want to get out and Jemina’s digging into her past could expose them.
What I liked: Riley does a great job of working in social issues - Daniel is of mixed race. Her Regency society is mixed racially, some characters deal with physical limitations, Jemina’s story has a slight mental health angle, there is a group fighting for women’s rights. Her author’s notes go into how society was racially diverse at that time (something I feel like is lacking in many historical romances) and things that were referenced in the novel. Jemina and Daniel navigate being an interracial couple, with Jemina coming to realize how certain events affect Daniel differently than his white peers.
What didn’t work for me: For me, the plot moved a little too slowly and at times the book felt long.
Who should read it: This is a good fit if you’re looking for a sweet not steamy romance or you’re more interested in a mystery with a romance side story.
This book is Jemina’s story, one of two survivors of a shipwreck, she has little to no memory of her life prior to the accident. Daniel, a barrister and the Earl in the novel’s title, has secrets he doesn’t want to get out and Jemina’s digging into her past could expose them.
What I liked: Riley does a great job of working in social issues - Daniel is of mixed race. Her Regency society is mixed racially, some characters deal with physical limitations, Jemina’s story has a slight mental health angle, there is a group fighting for women’s rights. Her author’s notes go into how society was racially diverse at that time (something I feel like is lacking in many historical romances) and things that were referenced in the novel. Jemina and Daniel navigate being an interracial couple, with Jemina coming to realize how certain events affect Daniel differently than his white peers.
What didn’t work for me: For me, the plot moved a little too slowly and at times the book felt long.
Who should read it: This is a good fit if you’re looking for a sweet not steamy romance or you’re more interested in a mystery with a romance side story.
dearangela's review against another edition
3.0
⭐⭐⭐
This story is the second installment of Vanessa Riley's Remarkable Women series. In it, we follow Daniel, the Widows lawyer and Jemina, an amnesiac who cannot remember anything before two years ago.
We see a little of their relationship in the first book, which you don't need to read to enjoy this one. I like the dual perspective narration used. There are also some historical figures in the story which add to the richness of the book. There are some frank discussions of being Black in Britain in this time period and the assumptions made.
A great deal of thought and care went into making these characters who they are, and a lot of time and attention is paid to help readers understand their perspective. I enjoyed the unique concerns of Jemina trying to reconcile the life she is making for herself with the one she cannot remember. It felt very real to me that she struggled so much with accepting the new and wonderful things because she felt her past and some part of herflself was still missing.
This was a great book in an amazing series. Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books.
#AnEarltheGirlandaToddler #NetGalley
This story is the second installment of Vanessa Riley's Remarkable Women series. In it, we follow Daniel, the Widows lawyer and Jemina, an amnesiac who cannot remember anything before two years ago.
We see a little of their relationship in the first book, which you don't need to read to enjoy this one. I like the dual perspective narration used. There are also some historical figures in the story which add to the richness of the book. There are some frank discussions of being Black in Britain in this time period and the assumptions made.
A great deal of thought and care went into making these characters who they are, and a lot of time and attention is paid to help readers understand their perspective. I enjoyed the unique concerns of Jemina trying to reconcile the life she is making for herself with the one she cannot remember. It felt very real to me that she struggled so much with accepting the new and wonderful things because she felt her past and some part of herflself was still missing.
This was a great book in an amazing series. Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books.
#AnEarltheGirlandaToddler #NetGalley