The Earl Not Taken by A.S. Fenichel

Left standing on the side while their contemporaries marry into society, four young ladies forge a bond to guard each other from a similar fate . . .

Finishing school failed to make a proper lady of Penelope Arrington. But as a Wallflower of West Lane, Poppy has a far more vital role—she and her three best friends have made a pact to protect each other from the clutches of dangerous, disreputable men. So when one of them is about to be married off to a duke sight unseen, Poppy makes it her mission to divine the prospective husband’s true character. If only she didn’t require the aid of London’s most unsuitable rake.

Rhys Draper, Earl of Marsden, has known the headstrong Poppy since she was a young girl naïve to the ways of men. To her eternal chagrin—and to his vague amusement—they have been at odds over the memory of embarrassing first encounter all these years. Now, with his services in need, Rhys sees a chance to finally clear the air between them. Instead, he is surprised by the heat of their feelings. If the two do not tread carefully, they may end up in a most agreeably compromising position . . .

Review

I have mixed feelings about this book. There was just a lot going on. It was hard to get into and I found myself frustrated with both Poppy and Rhys. While Rhys proved himself a decent fellow and Poppy became more sympathetic as the story went on, it just kept going past the point I thought everything should be wrapped up.

First off, there's enemies to lovers vibes stemming from their inauspicious first meeting. Then, there's Poppy's issues with marriage based on the unhappy marriages she's seen around her. On top of that, there's an investigation into the character of her friend's betrothed. While this is going on, Poppy decides to get rid of her virginity (pesky thing that it is) and Rhys agrees (never a good idea). Of course, this leads to mutual pining, matchmaking shenanigans, and parental meddling.

Like I said. It's a lot.

The best bit of this book was the friendship between the Wallflowers. The four girls are very much individuals but support each other as a group, sometimes to ridiculous extremes. I honestly hope they all get their happy endings and may keep an eye out to see if they can get there without all the to-ing and fro-ing.

This may well suit those who like their regencies packed with plot, but it wasn't for me.

Three stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley; all opinions are my own.