Review: Blame It on the Earl (The Duke's Estates #3)

Blame It on the Earl (The Duke's Estates #3)

Jane Ashford

Blurb:

• A young woman trying to do the right thing

• An earl's son whose clumsiness is their downfall

• A scandal that turns the haute ton upside down

• The undeniable spark that transforms a blunder into a tender connection

Sarah Moran's attempt to save Kenver Pendrennon—the heir of an earl—as he slips off the Cornwall cliffs, sends them both into each other's arms and into the sea. Now, marriage may be the only option to keep a scandal at bay. But what started as a terrible mistake may be exactly what both of them needs...

Themes:  Historical

Rating: 4 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

What’s a girl to do when the heir to an earl is about to fall to his death and you can help… well I guess you offer your arm and get pulled over with him. This is just what Jane Ashford has her newest heroine do in this installment of the Dukes Estates series and it leads her into a terrible predicament that just might lead to the happiest of lives—after some trouble.  Sara Moran is out for the day, exploring the ruins of Tintagel castle and lost in the dreams of King Arthur and Guinevere when Kenver Pendrennon, the son of the local Earl, begins to lose his footing at the edge of the cliff.  Determined to keep him from falling to his death, she reaches out to help him, but instead they both go over and they are thrown into the sea and have to swim for the safety of a cave together.  Kenver is surprised to find himself in the company of the bright and sweet young woman, but he knows that they are in mortal danger if they don’t get to safety so he works only to get them into the safety of the cave, paying no mind to priority.  Spending a night together stuck in the cave, talking and getting to know one another Kenver and Sarah feel a connection, but Sarah knows nothing can come of it.  However, when they return to the real world, the scandal of their adventure means they are forced to wed, and that begins the nightmare for Sarah.  Kenver’s parents are adamantly against the marriage and have no problem stating that clearly and sadly Kenver is not one to push back.  Sarah knows she is in for a rocky life if she doesn’t find a way to make Kenver her ally and find a way for them to be untied and find a happy union.  With the help of some old friends, Sarah has to find a way to get Kenver and his family to accept her and their marriage or she will be forced to live a loveless marriage and wither on the vine.  I really enjoyed this story, despite it being painful to watch at times. Sarah was an intelligent, spunky, and sweet young woman determined to find a way to make her life one that was worth living and find a way to be happy with her circumstances. She might not have ever imagined that her life would lead her to be married to the son of an earl, but she knows that she and Kenver have common interests and that if she can get him to see that they can be happy together.  Kenver was a bit of a sop for most of the story, obviously having been browbeaten much too often to be willing to fight with his mother, and I can certainly relate.  Its not that he is weak, its just that the path of least resistance with a mother like his is to just let her have her way.  A person can only fight so much before the fight wear you down instead of the person you are fighting; I don’t agree with a lot of the other reviewers who think that made him weak, because I’ve lived that existence and I really can’t blame him.  He lived his life and let her have her way until it was important and then he found a compromise and in the end he, Sarah and his mother all found a way to coexist without anyone being unhappy.  He is smart, loving, kind and gentle and one day, when is mother is REALLY out of the picture he will grow into a strong man and be able to lead his household without having to defer and I imagine that will be when he truly gets a chance to shine.  I enjoyed the slow build relationship between Sarah and Kenver and loved when they finally found a way into one another’s arms and hearts.  I am hoping this series continues and I get to see more of these folks in coming stories.

*eARC provided by publisher (via NetGalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.