- Title: If Wishes Were Earls
- Author: Elizabeth Boyle
- Series: #3, Rhymes with Love
- Genre: Historical Romance
- Published: December 31, 2013 – Avon
- Source: Publisher
Synopsis: When you wish upon an earl . . .
Harriet Hathaway has only ever wanted one man: the Earl of Roxley. After a passionate interlude at a house party, Harriet is convinced Roxley will do the right thing and propose. But when she returns to London, she finds the roguish earl on the verge of proposing to another.
Yet Harriet refuses to believe that her hopes of a happily-ever-after are completely lost—for she can see the desire still flickering in the earl’s eyes when he looks at her from across the dance floor. And when they are alone . . . there is one wish neither can deny.
. . . the most extraordinary things can happen
The Earl of Roxley is in a dangerous fix—and to keep Harriet safe, he must hold her at arm’s length. He won’t entangle her in the murderous mystery that is threatening to destroy his family and his future. But keeping Harriet Hathaway out of his troubles proves as impossible as it is to keep the determined beauty from stealing his heart. (publisher)
My take: Thoughts upon finishing this book: “Well, that was fun!” I love historical romance and enjoy reading new-to-me authors. If Wishes Were Earls is the first of Elizabeth Boyle’s books I’ve read and I enjoyed it very much.
What’s not to like? We have an almost financially ruined Earl in love with a childhood friend who just happens to love him back (and has even less money than he does). The problem is, he’s being blackmailed and must marry the daughter of his blackmailer if he doesn’t want to lose what’s left of his family’s holdings. And then there’s the business of some missing diamonds that have several people chasing after the Earl.
It sounds like it could be a bit complicated but Boyle laid it all out in a humorous and enjoyable fashion that had me looking forward to reading each time I picked the book up. That’s my sign of a good book. Since it’s part of a series I look forward to reading the previous two books.
Bookfan 