The Earl's Practical Marriage

Another excellent and well written book by Louise Allen. Lady Laurel Knighton had fallen out with her friend Giles Redmond years before over a misunderstanding and Laurel's naivety. Unbenown to Laurel she and Giles had been betrothed from childhood by their father's and despite fallings out by all involved, the plan for the two to marry still held. It was Gile's duty to put the plan into action to save his father's funds and his inheritance, he still thought of Laurel in a friendly manner but Laurel thought of him in a totally different manner. In his need to marry he deceived Laurel but she had learned from her previous experience and gave him repeated opportunities, to provide a ' Happy Ending' I would thoroughly recommend this book.

Nice gentle romance

Finally after nine years apart due to a major misunderstanding as teenagers, Giles returns home from Portugal because of his father's illness. He meets Laurel again, the reason he left home. Can they love the man and woman they have become and forget the insecurities they had as children. With all the self doubt about each others FEELINGS of indeed their own..

Very well written. Great story line. Well organised and everything accounted for. No loose ends. Even the ones you forget. Well worth a read and now a new author for me to follow. Happy days.

Book as described

Headstrong and feisty heroine Laurel paired with her surly and somewhat conventional childhood friend Giles encapsulates a love story that grows on you like the characters do. This is a charming love story that takes the reader on a journey and leaves you championing their partnership. I can’t wait to read more from Louise Allen.

The Earl’s Practical Marriage is an enchanting, enjoyable and tender hearted historical romance about second chances, convenient arrangements and everlasting love from the perennially delightful pen of one of the genre’s most talented and most distinguished writers: Louise Allen. Giles Redmond, Earl of Ravesby, and Laurel Knighton had grown up together and been the best of friends throughout childhood. Laurel had been an unconventional tomboy who loved to run wild and get herself into all manner of scrapes – much to Giles’ delight! Their friendship had been rock solid until a cruel twist of fate had torn them apart and ruined any chance they might have had of their friendship developing into something more. While Laurel had been a complete hoyden as a child, Giles had been lanky and studious much to his father’s disappointment. With the passing of time, Laurel and Giles had lost touch – until a chance encounter had brought them back together again… Giles hadn’t initially recognised Laurel when fate had pushed them together again after all those years spent apart. All traces of the willful hoyden are gone and Laurel is now a beautiful young lady who has awakened feelings deep within him which he thought he would never experience ever again. As childish infatuation gives way to an attraction that simply cannot be denied, Giles finds himself wondering how he could possibly spend another moment away from Laurel. But when he learns that the only way he can save his family fortune and secure his estate is by marrying her, he proposes a marriage of convenience. Only there isn’t anything convenient about his feelings for Laurel! Marriage seems to be the most sensible and logical of solutions for Laurel. Even though she knows that Giles could never reciprocate her feelings, she hopes that they can still find a way of making their practical arrangement work and she has already told Giles that she has no romantic feelings towards him – even though her heart says something completely different… As their feelings for one another intensify and passion escalates between the two of them, will Laurel and Giles find the courage to admit the truth about the depth of their feelings for one another? Or will the secret which Giles has kept hidden for so long ruin any hope they might have had of having a real marriage? The Earl’s Practical Marriage is historical romantic fiction of the highest order. Louise Allen has a wonderful affinity with the Regency period and what elevates her writing above most other writers writing in the genre is her gift for recreating the past with her vivid descriptions of the clothes people wore in the early nineteenth century, the houses they lived in, the streets they walked on and the establishments they frequented. Louise Allen writes about the past with flair, elan and style and her books are rich and rewarding reading experiences for people who look for authentic, captivating and engrossing historical romances. The Earl’s Practical Marriage takes the much-loved childhood friends and marriage of convenience tropes and spins them into historical romance gold with a beguiling blend of drama, emotion, passion, humour and heart. Laurel is a wonderful heroine who is intelligent, witty, clever and resourceful and I absolutely adored charismatic, handsome and charming Giles. A compulsively readable historical romance I simply couldn’t put down, The Earl’s Practical Marriage is another novel by Louise Allen that is heading straight for my keeper shelf!

The development of characterisation of the main couple was good - both were likeable and not silly young things. The hero and heroine had scruples and the ability to self analyse!

I even kept on forgetting the names of the couple. There was no action except for the bedroom. I expected more from Louise Allen.

I read this book twice before commenting. I love Louise Allen's books but this one is not quite as powerful a presentation. Good story line, ... perhaps it's missing the strong connection to the horrors of war our H has survived to explain his background. The guilt of the money, but it isn't the H fault. More a study of burdens the next generation is left to sort out. I did enjoy the story, but not a five star.

I liked most of this book. I liked the plot, I loved the misunderstanding, I LOVED the premise of their huge break between families when they were teenagers. This book contains sexual content and it was enough to deduct a star. But the reason I marked it down even more was the climax and ending. I didn't feel like the heroine was acting in character. I don't know what I would have suggested to solve it, maybe introduce it earlier, maybe they were drawn together for good another way. I don't know. All I know is I was annoyed. This would be a good book to read through Kindle unlimited or prime or through your local library.

The story is not new, but the author's skill at creating sympathetic characters makes this novel satisfying to read. Both hero and heroine are older than usual in this genre, but the hero is really appealing, and the heroine has all the attributes we romance readers like: beauty, brains, and courage. This one is a keeper.