Earls Just Want to Have Fun by Shana Galen (Covent Gardens #1)
Historical Romance
Released: February 3, 2015
Sourcebooks

Reviewed by May

Favorite quote: She’d have to prove she had bite. But she didn’t want to make him too angry. There was sausage and bacon and chocolate to think of.

Marlowe has some early memories of being called Elizabeth, but she’d never tell anyone. She is a part of a gang in Seven Dials and she knows her place in life. That is, until an Earl and his brother kidnap her and tell her she’s the daughter of the Marquess of Lydon. That she was taken and raised in that gang but it isn’t her place. Forced to bathe and given all the food she cares to eat- Marlowe doesn’t dare hope that she was born a lady but she certainly can make the most of the situation.

I was totally smitten with this set up. A kidnapped girl (we are shown the scene where it happens so that she is a lady isn’t a secret to us) raised in a gang now put into the home of a grumpy, judgmental, rude earl? It’s a recipe for fun and fantastic moments.

Shana Galen always entertains me with her novels and this was no exception. Marlowe is like no heroine I’ve ever read, and I loved how it was clear that she knows her stealing is wrong but she simply sees no way out of the life of crime. The boss of her gang will never let her go – the only way out is death as far as she can see.

Maxwell (aka Lord Dane) has no interest in the filthy woman he’s being forced to watch over as his brother continues to work other cases.

“How do I know you won’t come in when I’m undressed?”

“I give you my word as a gentleman.”

She gave a short laugh. Apparently, she knew the worth of most gentlemen’s promises. He gestured to the butler. Crawford will keep me in check should I be overcome with raging desire at the thought of you without clothing.”

The pair verbally spars, deeply mistrusts, and yet ultimately grows to care for and trust each other. I really liked seeing how they came to like each other and how well they worked together.

“I assure you I have not, nor will I ever, take a woman against her will.”

“But your noodle-“

“My noodle. Yes, interesting term. I cannot help that. You see the thing about noodles is they sometimes act on their own. I’m lying in bed, on top of a beautiful woman with all of the – shall we say – womanly attributes my… noodle appreciates. My body is merely showing its appreciation, even though my brain would prefer I throttle you than make love to you.”

The scenes between the gentleman and our street rat heroine? Priceless.

I really enjoyed this one with two exceptions – the first is that Maxwell begins the book feeling that the poor are poor because they are less, because they don’t work hard and want to live in the way they are. He doesn’t see them as people, and in short he is a pompous ass. Given the situation and set up, I felt that making him so verbal about his feelings about those less fortunate than himself wasn’t necessary. Anyone would have been horrified by Marlowe and her behavior as she first enters his home. I wish that “oh wow, so poor people are people too!” hadn’t been something he needed growth for or to realize in this book.

The second thing (and this ties in with my first issue) is that the last third or so wasn’t nearly as wonderful as the start. The big scene with her possible parents, the showdown with the villain, even the way they finally get together – none of it was as big, bold, or wonderful as those first scenes of this couple together.

Even with my issues – I did enjoy this. It may not be my favorite Shana Galen book, but it was definitely a fun read on my recent vacation and I hope to see glimpses of how Marlowe/Elizabeth is doing in the future.

Grade: B-

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