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paula_s's review
3.0
”I read this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review “
“What the Earl Needs Now” is quite an interesting novel that tells the story of a woman in love with a man despite all odds. He was her childhood sweetheart, her brother’s best friend, her most loyal confidant and protector, both of her and of her brother. When said brother has a conflict with their father, he decides to go in and adventure in India. So sudden is this decision that Matthew, the hero of the novel, who is older than the heroine’s brother, feels protective about the lad and decides to accompany him. That happened two years before the start of the novel, and at the time, Lily had had another conflict with their father when he offered her to marry someone else. That day she’d run to Matthew for help and ended up saying the marrying vows to him, although that wedding wasn’t legal.
When the two men return to England they’re completely changed both of them. Matthew barely remembers his old self, and Lily’s brother doesn’t want to speak about what happened to them in India. With her father dead and the old vows now invalid, Lily will have to take matters seriously and be the strong pillar on which the two men could rely on.
Above many things there are two subjects that I’ve loved about this novel. First, Lily as a strong female character and second, the subject of the mental illnesses and the way Michelle Willingham handled it.
Lily is not a sheep that will be nurtured and controlled by any man, so she tells her father. She’s not only strong but also determined to live her live and her love her own way. She, at 18, stated very clearly that she has her own mind and that no one will control her life and her future but hersef. And she continues to be her own person throughout the novel. When everybody, including Mattew, so much as suggests to her what she should do about her situation she faces them and tells them no. She’s clear but she’s not blunt.
And Matthew is suffering a severe case of PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder) after being abducted and tortured on a daily basis for so long, for reasons unclear to him (which will be revealed later on in the book). He returns home a shadow, he’s a recluse in his own chamber and he will change his behavior when something makes him relive the torture (ie: a gun shot in the distance, a cup smashing on the floor…), he’s completely broken and unsuitable for marriage. But Lily is not one to give up easily on someone she loves. Just like she doesn’t give up on her mother.
Because apart from Matthew, the mother suffers from another mental illness, this time, an early (for her age) case of senile dementia. Now I know how dementia works in the mind of a person, and I can say without the shadow of a doubt that the symptoms and the episodes in which the woman is lost in her daydreams is quite accurate. Although she is a side character, the figure of Lily’s mother is important for the book because it is thanks to the older woman that Lily understands what life feels like to have a mental illness, therefore from that moment Lily understands Matthew better.
There are also other subjects like the love between sisters, the love in the family, the legitimacy of an adopted person’s right to inherit, the way greed and hatred can make a person go beyond all moral and ethical boundaries. Etc, etc.
In conclusion I liked this novel, but in all honesty it wasn’t amazing in my opinion. The first half of the book was brilliant but then the second wasn’t so good. It was merely good if anything. I had the feeling that I was reading two different novels (or rather novellas, given the extension of the book) with the same characters in both. The first half of the novel tells the story of a man’s descent to hell and the woman who brought him back to life and saved him. And the second half is one of revenge and family drama, very much like a soap opera. It didn’t make sense; the continuity between the two halves was rather weak. And the fact that there are time lapses (“a week later”, “two months later”) where there shouldn’t didn’t help at all. The reader has to make an effort filling the gaps. As a result, the plot as a whole sounds a bit forced and artificial. It should have been published as two novellas instead of one book and they would have worked better. At least for me.
“What the Earl Needs Now” is quite an interesting novel that tells the story of a woman in love with a man despite all odds. He was her childhood sweetheart, her brother’s best friend, her most loyal confidant and protector, both of her and of her brother. When said brother has a conflict with their father, he decides to go in and adventure in India. So sudden is this decision that Matthew, the hero of the novel, who is older than the heroine’s brother, feels protective about the lad and decides to accompany him. That happened two years before the start of the novel, and at the time, Lily had had another conflict with their father when he offered her to marry someone else. That day she’d run to Matthew for help and ended up saying the marrying vows to him, although that wedding wasn’t legal.
When the two men return to England they’re completely changed both of them. Matthew barely remembers his old self, and Lily’s brother doesn’t want to speak about what happened to them in India. With her father dead and the old vows now invalid, Lily will have to take matters seriously and be the strong pillar on which the two men could rely on.
Above many things there are two subjects that I’ve loved about this novel. First, Lily as a strong female character and second, the subject of the mental illnesses and the way Michelle Willingham handled it.
Lily is not a sheep that will be nurtured and controlled by any man, so she tells her father. She’s not only strong but also determined to live her live and her love her own way. She, at 18, stated very clearly that she has her own mind and that no one will control her life and her future but hersef. And she continues to be her own person throughout the novel. When everybody, including Mattew, so much as suggests to her what she should do about her situation she faces them and tells them no. She’s clear but she’s not blunt.
And Matthew is suffering a severe case of PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder) after being abducted and tortured on a daily basis for so long, for reasons unclear to him (which will be revealed later on in the book). He returns home a shadow, he’s a recluse in his own chamber and he will change his behavior when something makes him relive the torture (ie: a gun shot in the distance, a cup smashing on the floor…), he’s completely broken and unsuitable for marriage. But Lily is not one to give up easily on someone she loves. Just like she doesn’t give up on her mother.
Because apart from Matthew, the mother suffers from another mental illness, this time, an early (for her age) case of senile dementia. Now I know how dementia works in the mind of a person, and I can say without the shadow of a doubt that the symptoms and the episodes in which the woman is lost in her daydreams is quite accurate. Although she is a side character, the figure of Lily’s mother is important for the book because it is thanks to the older woman that Lily understands what life feels like to have a mental illness, therefore from that moment Lily understands Matthew better.
There are also other subjects like the love between sisters, the love in the family, the legitimacy of an adopted person’s right to inherit, the way greed and hatred can make a person go beyond all moral and ethical boundaries. Etc, etc.
In conclusion I liked this novel, but in all honesty it wasn’t amazing in my opinion. The first half of the book was brilliant but then the second wasn’t so good. It was merely good if anything. I had the feeling that I was reading two different novels (or rather novellas, given the extension of the book) with the same characters in both. The first half of the novel tells the story of a man’s descent to hell and the woman who brought him back to life and saved him. And the second half is one of revenge and family drama, very much like a soap opera. It didn’t make sense; the continuity between the two halves was rather weak. And the fact that there are time lapses (“a week later”, “two months later”) where there shouldn’t didn’t help at all. The reader has to make an effort filling the gaps. As a result, the plot as a whole sounds a bit forced and artificial. It should have been published as two novellas instead of one book and they would have worked better. At least for me.
ladywithaquill's review
4.0
I loved the first book in this series, so I was eagerly anticipating the next installment where Lily is finally reunited with her lost love! It was a difficult book to get through at times, due to the serious nature of the hero's PTSD, but it was also hard to put down as I wanted to see how they overcame their struggles as a couple. The ups and downs made for a realistic, engaging romance.
Lily Thornton has been waiting two years to be reunited with Matthew Larkspur, the Earl of Arnsbury, who she married in secret before he traveled to India with her brother. He was taken hostage by Indian rebels and tortured, and only a rescue from her brother saved his life. Upon returning to England, he is housebound, and Lily eagerly goes to see him. However, Matthew doesn't remember her or their marriage, and soon flashbacks from his imprisonment scare her away. Matthew must work to earn back her trust and save a love that had barely begun to thrive.
What was interesting about this couple was the author's particular emphasis on Matthew's age, being that he was over a decade older than Lily. Not only do you have the conflict created by his PTSD, but also have this age divide. It doesn't bother Lily but it does cause some strife between Matthew and her brother. The attraction between Lily and Matthew happens quickly, and Matthew knows that Lily is the one who has captured his heart. When he leaves with her brother to go to India, he hates to leave her behind, but he wanted to be there for her brother as he sought to find his way in the world. Coming back from such torture showed a strength in character in Matthew that appeals to the reader, as it is one that we all hope we would have, should something tragic happen. His love for Lily endures, even though many things are thrown in its path. He fights for Lily and, eventually, he wins her love in return.
I am eager to read the next book in this series, which I am hoping is Lily's friend, Evangeline's, time to shine. Her and Lily's brother, James, have quite the history, and I am interested to see how it will pan out.
**I received a free copy via NetGally and this is my honest review.**
Lily Thornton has been waiting two years to be reunited with Matthew Larkspur, the Earl of Arnsbury, who she married in secret before he traveled to India with her brother. He was taken hostage by Indian rebels and tortured, and only a rescue from her brother saved his life. Upon returning to England, he is housebound, and Lily eagerly goes to see him. However, Matthew doesn't remember her or their marriage, and soon flashbacks from his imprisonment scare her away. Matthew must work to earn back her trust and save a love that had barely begun to thrive.
What was interesting about this couple was the author's particular emphasis on Matthew's age, being that he was over a decade older than Lily. Not only do you have the conflict created by his PTSD, but also have this age divide. It doesn't bother Lily but it does cause some strife between Matthew and her brother. The attraction between Lily and Matthew happens quickly, and Matthew knows that Lily is the one who has captured his heart. When he leaves with her brother to go to India, he hates to leave her behind, but he wanted to be there for her brother as he sought to find his way in the world. Coming back from such torture showed a strength in character in Matthew that appeals to the reader, as it is one that we all hope we would have, should something tragic happen. His love for Lily endures, even though many things are thrown in its path. He fights for Lily and, eventually, he wins her love in return.
I am eager to read the next book in this series, which I am hoping is Lily's friend, Evangeline's, time to shine. Her and Lily's brother, James, have quite the history, and I am interested to see how it will pan out.
**I received a free copy via NetGally and this is my honest review.**
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