Title/Author: If Wishes Were Earls (Rhymes With Love #3) by Elizabeth Boyle
Publisher/Date published: Avon, December 31st 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository
Goodreads summary: Harriet Hathaway has loved only one man her entire life: the Earl of Roxley. But when he ignores her at a ball, she takes rather desperate steps to catch his eye and her plans find her ruined and without any hope of gaining Roxley’s heart. So it is much to her amazement when Roxley proposes marriage to save her from ruin. But Roxley’s proposal isn’t quite on the up and up and when she finds out she’s just another piece in one of his plots and japes, she vows revenge.
Roxley is desperate to pull his family from the brink of ruin, and the only way to gain a lost fortune is to prove to his aunts that’s he’s “reformed” his life and is determined to settle down. But the bride-to-be that he thought would be most amiable is doing everything to turn his life and his heart upside down. Harriet Hathaway had always seemed the most sensible girl he knew, but now this siren of a stranger he’s engaged to is leaving him feeling anything but sensible. Harriet is about to steal not only his heart, but quite possibly the keys to the Roxley fortune.
Ok, so the summary above isn't quite true to the story. Roxley does ruin Harriet, but he doesn't propose to save her from ruin and she doesn't vow revenge on him. So I was basically a bit confused at first, but then I just went with it and it was ok.
Harriet has a strong will of her own. And she's set her heart on Roxley, so she's doing everything in her power to make sure he marries her. She was actually a little scary in her determination. I mean, getting yourself ruined to trap a man isn't exactly endearing behaviour to me. That's a big no for me. But I did love that she knocks Roxley to the ground as a kid when he's being all high and mighty 'But I'm an earl', so I forgave her, but she isn't my favourite type of heroine.
Roxley is a bit of a mess. I mean, he loves Harriet and ruins her and then he doesn't go see her for 8 months. I was ready to cry DOUCHE when it turns out he has a bit of honour left in him somewhere. His excuse was that he's suddenly stopped being lucky at his gambling and other endeavours, but he didn't know that the morning after he ruined Harriet and in my opinion in those days he should have just married her straight after. It seemed pretty irresponsible of both of them.
But Roxley is being all tortured man-like and it was pretty funny! I also liked how much he cared about his aunts!
I think my lack of enthusiasm for the hero and heroine let me to not have all the feelings I like to have while reading a romance novel. Don't get me wrong, it was an enjoyable read, but from the summary I had just expected something a little different and a bit more filled with tension and for me it just wasn't there. Also, it was pretty obvious from the beginning where exactly those damn diamonds everyone has their panties in a bunch over had been hidden.
If Wishes Were Earls was a nice, relaxing read, but not my favourite in the genre.
My rating: 3 stars
Sounds like it was fun as a read but didn't knock it out of the park in the romance novel department, that's a bit sad. Also, I agree that what they did was a bit irresponsible.
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