Earl on the Run

3-3.5 Stars! This is the 2nd book in ‘The Duke’s Estates’ series and can be read as a standalone. I wasn’t crazy about the main female character, Harriett and her mother needed a slap because she was just too annoying. Jack, the main male character was likable. Harriett’s grandfather, Mr.Winstead, deserved a good telling off because what a jerk?! It was still an entertaining read though. *I received this book at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*

A delightfully sweet romance! Jack is the most reluctant earl I've ever read about. Raised in America after his father was practically disowned by his family, Jack isn't even sure his father's tales of being an earl's son were true. Until fate deposits the title in his lap, and he's forced by a sense of duty to see it through. His great-grandmother's uncensored disapproval of everything about him sends him on the road. The seat of his earldom being his eventual destination, he takes up with a group of Irish Travelers, where he finds camaraderie and the freedom to be himself. Harriet's parents were forced to scrape by on next to nothing after her vindictive grandfather sought to ruin his daughter and son-in-law for daring to make such an unsuitable match. After her father's death, Harriet and her mother are at her grandfather's mercy, and he's determined that Harriet should make a better match, one that will help elevate his own position in society. After meeting Jack as she happened upon the Travelers, she is most attracted to the fact that he's completely unsuitable by her grandfather's standards. As their friendship deepens and the secrets come to light, Harriet struggles with the need to protect her mother by giving in to her grandfather's demands as well as her own sense of self-respect that insists she thwart him in every way possible. Caught in the middle is Jack, who is falling for Harriet but feels she would agree with his great-grandmother that his barbaric background makes him entirely unsuitable for Polite Society. This is a sweet and tender story about what makes up a family, what makes for good manners and true friendship, and how what divides people is more likely to be their actions and attitudes rather than their social positions. I enjoyed seeing Charlotte and Sarah, Harriet's remaining single friends, and loved their contribution to her decision-making process. I adored the gentle friendship between Jack and Harriet's mother, how he gave her the respect she deserved and she was able to regain her emotional strength because of it. This author has a true gift for crafting intelligent, thoughtful characters with genuine emotional depth. This romance was captivating from the start, and I loved the way that Jack and Harriet secured their HEA. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.