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Girls Before Earls

(Rogues to Lovers #1)

Anna Bennett (Goodreads Author)

3.79 · Rating details · 603 ratings · 246 reviews

WHAT A GIRL WANTS

To survive her difficult childhood, Miss Hazel Lively relied on two things:a tough outer shell and a love of books. Now, at the age of twenty-eight, she’s finally realized her life-long dream of opening a school for girls. She’s hoping that the wealthy families who flock to the shore for the summer will entrust their daughters to Bellehaven Academy―and hel ...more

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Mass Market Paperback, 307 pages

Published December 28th 2021 by St. Martin's Paperbacks

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2021 Historical Romance (July - December)

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Oct 31, 2021 Danielle The Book Huntress rated it it was amazing

Shelves: orphan, seaside-setting, governess-or-schoolmarm, kids-in-the-mix, regency, set-in-uk, heroine-i-loved, good-secondary-characters, adc-reviews, bad-boy-rake-or-rogue

Oh, I loved the heck out of this book! Anna Bennett writes delicious heroes. Hazel and Blade felt so right together. I felt so much sympathy for what they'd gone through together and I am so glad they found each other. I loved the girls too. This was such a fun read, and I had a smile on my face when I finished it.

When I want a lighter Regency romance that hits all the notes, I know I can pick up an Anna Bennett and get exactly what I'm searching for.

Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine. http: ...more

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Dec 14, 2021 Barbara Rogers rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: iblog, netgalley, xx-2021-read

Barbara’s rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Series: Rogues to Lovers #1
Publication Date: 12/28/21
Period: Regency – Bellehaven Bay, England
Number of Pages: 313

This was a very nicely written opener for a new series. The plotting and pacing are well done and I really liked the characters. I will mention that the quick and easy social acceptance between classes is anachronistic. Those characters all add greatly to the story, but I can’t picture the young woman who makes her living by catching and selling fish b Barbara’s rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Series: Rogues to Lovers #1
Publication Date: 12/28/21
Period: Regency – Bellehaven Bay, England
Number of Pages: 313

This was a very nicely written opener for a new series. The plotting and pacing are well done and I really liked the characters. I will mention that the quick and easy social acceptance between classes is anachronistic. Those characters all add greatly to the story, but I can’t picture the young woman who makes her living by catching and selling fish being invited to a grand ball being given by a countess. That isn’t the only anachronism, it is just the one that was foremost in my mind at the moment.

Hazel Lively was born into a very loving family whose father was a butcher. As the only child, there was love and hugs aplenty. Her father called her ‘his little hazelnut’. Then, at the age of nine, she lost them both (I don’t think we learned how) and she was thrown onto the mercy of the world. It appeared she was headed for the hard life of a foundling home until her lively, brilliant mind, and obsession with books won her a place at Miss Haywinkle’s School For Girls – as a charity student. Now, at the ripe old age of twenty-eight, Hazel has finally brought a long-held dream to reality. She’s moved to Bellhaven Bay and opened the Bellhaven Academy of Deportment. It is her dream to have enough students who can pay for their schooling so she can take on more ‘charity’ students. To be a success in all of that, she knows that she, her school, and even her students must keep their reputations beyond reproach. The slightest touch of scandal could cause parents to begin withdrawing their daughters. So, when an earl approached her about accepting his niece, who was his ward, as a boarding student, she was happy – until she heard the history of this young woman, encountered her attitude, and encountered the attitude of the earl. No, Hazel didn’t think Kitty Beckett would be a good fit for the school. Even when the earl offered to triple the tuition, she didn’t think it would be a good fit. Then, things happened, and she realized Kitty was a tragically lost young woman and needed her help.

Gabriel Beckett (his name was never used in the book, but it was in the blurb), Earl of Bladenton, known as Blade, was stunned to discover he had a niece and that she was now his ward. He and his younger brother had been estranged for many years and Blade had no idea his brother had a fifteen-year-old daughter. He had no idea what to do with a young woman other than put her in a boarding school – so that is what he proceeded to do. Kitty managed to get herself kicked out of school after school after school because of her bad behavior. By the time Blade got around to Bellehaven, he’d exhausted all of his other options and was willing to pay whatever he had to pay in order to get them to accept her – and KEEP her. However, those additional demands the Headmistress put on him – well, he’s not sure he can agree to those. Those demands would interfere too much with his life in London – particularly in his pursuit of Lady Penelope as his wife.

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Hazel come to slowly (VERY slowly) realize there was life and happiness outside her school. Then, to see Blade come to realize (less slowly) that the life he was pursuing was a cold and ultimately lonely one and perhaps his chance for true love and happiness wasn’t in London at all.

Kitty was a delight to read. Watching her grow from a lost young lady to one who has opened herself to others, who accepts others, and who has come to truly love her uncle, was truly heartwarming. When Kitty and the other students at the school put their heads together – things happen – some good things, some not so good things – but happen they do.

I can definitely recommend with book and hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
...more

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Sep 23, 2021 Sandra Hoover rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-publisher, publisher-smp, historical-fiction, romance-historical

Having grown up alone in a school for girls, Miss Hazel Lively knows how beneficial the experience can be for young girls - especially those with no where else to turn. She has finally found the means to open Bellehaven Academy, a school for girls, a place where the wealthy are willing to pay dearly for their daughters to learn the necessary skills for their coming out season . . . and a place where Hazel plans to take in less fortunate girls and offer them a safe haven like she received. Admitt Having grown up alone in a school for girls, Miss Hazel Lively knows how beneficial the experience can be for young girls - especially those with no where else to turn. She has finally found the means to open Bellehaven Academy, a school for girls, a place where the wealthy are willing to pay dearly for their daughters to learn the necessary skills for their coming out season . . . and a place where Hazel plans to take in less fortunate girls and offer them a safe haven like she received. Admittedly, she's off to a slow start with only five girls, but Hazel's ever hopeful business will pick up as her school's flawless reputation builds and word spreads. She needs wealthy students - so why does she turn down the Earl of Bladenton's request to enroll his orphaned, belligerent niece Kittie when he drags her into Hazel's office . . . mostly in an effort to get the girl out of his hair?

Hazel Lively is a strong woman surrounded by a protective shell about as hard as the Earl's head. While she's puzzled by the strange feelings stirred within her by Earl Gabriel Beckett aka Blade, she brushes them aside having learned long ago that love, lust and other such non-sense wasn't for her. Why at twenty-eight years of age, she's practically a spinster, the respected headmistress of a school for girls. Blade is a man at wit's end left to raise an orphaned niece he'd never met before her parents deaths - a girl who's been kicked out of at least three other finishing schools for her foolish pranks. In other words, he's desperate to park his niece at Bellehaven and return to his bachelor life in London including his soon-to-be fiance. He's dumbfounded when Hazel turns him down cold. How dare she refuse him! Let the games begin.

Girls Before Earls is a delightfully sweet, funny and touching historical romance story. Hazel was everything I love in an heroine - strong, sassy, smart and fighting her attraction to a man tooth and nail. Blade is damaged goods and knows it. Having been devastated by a woman who loved another, he's closed his heart to love, vowing he'll never let another woman close enough to hurt him again. Blade's willing to play, but he'll never stay. The author does a great job presenting characters that are authentic and well-fleshed out. I loved Hazel's interactions with her girls. The plot line is original and well-written with a few twists thrown in to keep characters and readers off-kilter. I read this book from cover to cover mostly in one sitting. Fans of historical romance will love this one. Highly recommended.

Special thanks to St Martins Press for an arc of this book.
Reviewed at Cross My Heart Reviews
...more

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Oct 17, 2021 Addie H rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-rom-new-author, zz-netgalley

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication Dec 28th 2021

(Tropes: Spinster, Work Relationship, Love Triangle-ish, Forbidden Love, Opposite Attract)

description

I suspect a lot of people will quite enjoy this as it ticks a lot of boxes and tropes. But to me it was just that. It ticked a lot of boxes and tropes I have read a hundred times before, and nothing about the two characters really stood out to me. It felt very formulaic, and after a while ...more

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Sep 26, 2021 Julie - One Book More rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, historical-fiction, historical-romance, netgalley

Girls Before Earls is an entertaining and layered historical romance with great messages about family, grief, society, and love. Miss Hazel Lively is a strong, independent woman who has devoted her life to helping young girls. Adamant that all girls, regardless of social class, deserve the same opportunities, Hazel opens a school to girls of all social stations. A lover of books and learning, Hazel is determined to make her school a success, and when the Earl of Bladenton enrolls his niece, it s Girls Before Earls is an entertaining and layered historical romance with great messages about family, grief, society, and love. Miss Hazel Lively is a strong, independent woman who has devoted her life to helping young girls. Adamant that all girls, regardless of social class, deserve the same opportunities, Hazel opens a school to girls of all social stations. A lover of books and learning, Hazel is determined to make her school a success, and when the Earl of Bladenton enrolls his niece, it seems her prospects are looking up. However, Blade’s niece Kitty is a handful, and Hazel’s feelings for Blade are less than professional.

Blade doesn’t believe in love. Determined to enter a marriage of convenience, Blade intends to leave Kitty in Hazel’s capable hands so that he can ensure his engagement to a woman of the ton. However, when Hazel makes his involvement in Kitty’s life part of their arrangement, Blade finds himself returning to Bellhaven Academy to visit Kitty and developing feelings for the proper and intelligent headmistress.

Though very different, Hazel and Blade both keep people at a distance. For different reasons, neither let anyone get too close, and neither are looking for love. Hazel is committed to her school, and Blade has been burned by love in the past, which swore him off love forever. On top of that, they are from different social classes, they live in different places, and they have different goals. However, this couple has explosive chemistry from their first meeting, and their feelings are undeniable (as much as they try to deny them!). Theirs is a case of opposites attract, and these opposites have an amazing connection. Their budding relationship is equal parts sweet, romantic, fun, angst-filled, and sensual.

I love the found family aspect of the story and how Hazel connects with other motherless women. She, Poppy ( local woman), and Kitty all lost their mothers at a young age, and this creates a bond between them. They can relate to each other and understand each other because they are all motherless daughters. At one point in the story, Poppy asks if the other’s ever wonder how different their lives would be if their mothers were still alive. I found this scene really powerful and relatable. I lost my mother eleven years ago, and I often wonder how my life would be different if she were still here. The author does a wonderful job of showing how the loss of a beloved parent changes a person, and the character’s thoughts about grief and loss are relatable, realistic, and powerful. I also love that Kitty, Poppy, and Hazel find support in each other and form their own family or sisterhood.

I also love how Blade and Kitty grow closer as the story progresses. At the beginning of the novel, Kitty and Blade barely know each other. Estranged from Kitty’s parents, Blade is stunned to learn that he was chosen to care for her, and he struggles to connect with his difficult niece. However, with Hazel’s help, Kitty and Blade begin to develop a bond and a mutual regard for each other. This relationship changes both of them for the better.

Girls Before Earls (love that title!) is an entertaining, romantic, and sweet story with great characters, a beautiful seaside setting, and wonderful messages. The story examines some thought-provoking topics, including the unfair expectations put on different social classes, the consequences of loss and betrayal, the importance of honor and reputation, and the difficulties of being a woman during this time period. I wholly recommend this book to lovers of historical romance and am excited to read the next book in the Rogues to Lovers series. Thanks so much to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Paperbacks, and Anna Bennett for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. ...more

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Dec 08, 2021 ChasingLeslie rated it really liked it

Miss Hazel Lively is finally realizing her life-long dream of opening a school for girls, and she must maintain a flawless reputation in order to attract new families. Gabriel Beckett, Earl of Bladenton, is determined to enroll his troublesome niece at Hazel's Bellehaven Academy. Blade makes an offer that’s impossible for Hazel to refuse, but she has a condition of her own...one that leads to their close proximity and flirtation.

This is the first book in the Rogues to Lovers series. It's a charm ...more

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Jun 10, 2022 Emily rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, regency-era

I read this entire book the last time I was sick simply because of the title, which checks out: this book is, indeed, about girls before earls.

There are two things you need to know about the protagonist, Hazel Lively. First, she will put nothing (I repeat NOTHING) above her vocation, which is running a school for girls in a seaside town. Secondly, she always wears a fichu. I had to look up this item of clothing because it plays such a prominent part in the story (the word "fichu" appears 21 tim ...more

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Dec 15, 2021 Christi | christireadsalot rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-netgalley-or-gifted, historical-romance

Girls Before Earls is the start of a new series, Rogues to Lovers, by Anna Bennett. I loved this super sweet story so much and cannot wait for more in the series! I adored everything in this read…the romance between the Earl and the headmistress, being set outside of London, the small seaside village life, the real friendships the heroine has with the women and schoolgirls in her life.

Miss Hazel Lively is 28 and has finally realized her life-long dream of opening a school for girls. Orphaned at Girls Before Earls is the start of a new series, Rogues to Lovers, by Anna Bennett. I loved this super sweet story so much and cannot wait for more in the series! I adored everything in this read…the romance between the Earl and the headmistress, being set outside of London, the small seaside village life, the real friendships the heroine has with the women and schoolgirls in her life.

Miss Hazel Lively is 28 and has finally realized her life-long dream of opening a school for girls. Orphaned at just 9-years-old herself, Hazel knows how important a safe place and a good school is for girls. Hazel believes every girl has the potential to flourish if given a chance, regardless of their station in life, and cannot wait to welcome them all to her school. She has opened Bellehaven Academy in the small seaside resort town outside of London and now all she needs now is students, especially the sort that could pay for the tuition.

Gabriel Beckett, Earl of Bladenton, has his hands full with his ward, his 15-year-old niece Kitty. Kitty has been expelled from two London schools already and is scaring off Blade’s potential fiancée. When he finds Bellehaven Academy, Blade knows it’ll be the perfect place to drop his niece off as he desperately needs her somewhere safe, and far away from London, for the summer. Hazel is wary of taking in Kitty since she is still trying to get a good reputation going for her school, bur when Blade sees how desperate Hazel’s new school is for students, and especially funds, he offers 3 times the usual tuition to get Kitty in. He promises to also sing the praises of the school to all his well-connected friends. Hazel accepts on one condition, she knows how important it is for Kitty to not feel abandoned and requests that every other week, Blade must come and visit with his niece.

I just adored this story. The romance was sweet, steamy, and I believed in Blade and Hazel’s chemistry. Both have experiences loss and abandonment in their pasts and have taken away something different from their experiences, while Hazel wants all-encompassing love and her own family one day, Blade is wary to love and suffer loss again. I also really liked Hazel’s relationships with her students, she understood Kitty and the other girls so well and wanted only the best for them. I loved the respect and patience she had for the girls and how she helped to cultivate things they showed an interest in (sketching, sewing/making clothes, reading, etc). This was filled with lots of seaside adventures: trips to the beach, a summer regatta race, picnics, swimming, searching for fossils, etc. I just loved the setting and all the characters so much and was so happy to read about their adventures! I’ve read just a few other books from Anna Bennett before and I am so excited for more.

4.5 stars/rounded up on GR. Thank you to the publisher (St. Martin’s Press, SMP Romance) for an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts & review. Girls Before Earls has a publish date of December 28, 2021. ...more

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Nov 20, 2021 Sophie rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2021-releases, arcs-read, 4-stars, 2021-new-releases-challenge, read-in-2021

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

After being given a chance at a school, and thriving, Miss Hazel Lively has always dreamed of having her own school, and helping girls, both rich and poor, achieve their own goals. Opening the Bellehaven Academy was a dream, but there's few girls enrolled, and money is tight. What she needs is for a prestigious member of society to choose her school, rather than another finishing school, and w I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

After being given a chance at a school, and thriving, Miss Hazel Lively has always dreamed of having her own school, and helping girls, both rich and poor, achieve their own goals. Opening the Bellehaven Academy was a dream, but there's few girls enrolled, and money is tight. What she needs is for a prestigious member of society to choose her school, rather than another finishing school, and when the Earl of Bladeton appears, with his wayward niece in tow, this may be her chance. Blade is coming to the end of his tether with Kitty, who's already been kicked out of two other schools, and ruining his courtship with a potential fiancee. He's hoping a distant school, in the small town of Bellehaven, will put her on the right track, but Hazel can see that all Kitty wants is love and attention following her parents deaths, so she agrees to take Kitty, but only if Blade returns every fortnight to spend time with his last surviving family member. As Kitty matures, and Blade and Hazel are thrown together, it's seems as if their own feelings are at risk, but can they weather the storm together?

I really enjoyed this book. As soon as I started it, it was clear that both of the main characters were nuanced, and had histories which made them vulnerable, and I was hooked. The characters, both good and bad, were so well written, as was the plot, that it was like seeing a film play out in front of you. The romance between Hazel and Blade was sweet, and passionate, but what I loved the most was the family aspect to the story. Blade had been burnt by love before, and hadn't spoken to his family when he learnt his brother and sister-in-law had died, and he had the guardianship of a niece he was completely unaware of. He thought he would be able to keep Kitty away from him, and marry the widow who would be perfect - not someone he could fall in love with, but someone suited to be a countess, and mother of his heir. However, meeting Hazel, and the, initially forced, time with Kitty, showed him what it was like to care for someone, and to be a part of a family, and I was so pleased with how well they all became a family unit. I hated the fiancee, and was so glad with how that plot line was dealt with - I think she might reappear in subsequent books, but for the time being, she got what she deserved. A fantastic start to a new series! ...more

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Jan 19, 2022 Niki (mustreadalltheromance) rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, steamy, hero-is-titled, enemies-to-lovers, class-difference, damaged-hero, owned-paperback

Orphaned at a young age, Hazel Lively learned to cope by seeking refuge in books and keeping her feelings hidden beneath a tough exterior. Now she has opened the school she always dreamed of in a picturesque seaside resort town in the hopes that well-to-do families who spend their summers there will entrust her with the education of their daughters. The more wealthy patrons she attracts, the more orphans she’ll be able to take in. Hazel just has to keep her reputation pristine and work on raisin Orphaned at a young age, Hazel Lively learned to cope by seeking refuge in books and keeping her feelings hidden beneath a tough exterior. Now she has opened the school she always dreamed of in a picturesque seaside resort town in the hopes that well-to-do families who spend their summers there will entrust her with the education of their daughters. The more wealthy patrons she attracts, the more orphans she’ll be able to take in. Hazel just has to keep her reputation pristine and work on raising those funds, which should all be doable, if she could stop thinking about the all too handsome earl who has just enrolled his niece at her school.

Gabriel Beckett, the Earl of Bladenton, is looking for a place for his teenage niece since she’s already been expelled from two boarding schools and is very near to frightening away the lady he is trying to court. Blade hopes to enroll his niece at Bellehaven Academy and head back to London. He just has to charm the mistress into taking her on.

With the earl agreeing to pay a much larger than usual sum for tuition, Hazel can hardly decline to accept his niece, but she stipulates that he must come to visit the girl every other week. Blade quickly comes to realize that Hazel hides quite a lot beneath her buttoned-up persona and their verbal bantering leads to an undeniable flirtation that soon blooms into something much more serious. But when their passion becomes a threat to Hazel’s school and Blade’s fragile heart, it seems they will be forced to go their separate ways.

This book was unexpectedly fun for me. Yes, there was a bit of angst and a very convincing villain, but it was glaringly obvious that Blade and Hazel were meant to be together, and nothing was going to keep that from happening. I loved that both Blade and Hazel had issues to work through and underwent a good amount of character development that ultimately brought them together. They were both leery of being hurt but in the end they each wanted the same thing. I really enjoyed how they healed each other and how each worked toward the happiness of the other. I loved that Hazel wanted love and a family and refused to settle for anything less, but I especially loved that she had the courage to be open about that with Blade and to show him that he wasn’t as damaged as he’d thought and was indeed capable of love himself. Sure, both Blade and Hazel got in the way of their own happiness a time or two, but for some reason I was willing to forgive them for it, probably thanks to the maturity of their dealings with each other and that surety I kept feeling that they absolutely had to wind up together. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and its setting, and I’m looking forward to more installments in this series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo... ...more

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Dec 19, 2021 PlotTrysts rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley, non-pod, romance-novels

Girls Before Earls is a fast-paced, enjoyable historical romance. We've got an earl with a difficult ward, a headmistress with a heart of gold, and a cast of supporting characters who all add some flavor to the novel. That said, it can be frustrating when our main characters don't act in their own best interests. What exactly was keeping Hazel and Blade apart once they both determined they wanted to spend their lives together? Especially considering Hazel's commitment to her young students, her ...more

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Sep 10, 2021 Anita rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, historical-romance

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I read a novella by Anna Bennett and loved her style and characters, so I went looking for more. Ms. Bennett writes a wonderful Historical Romance with a light touch and wonderful characters. I especially loved that the Bellehaven Academy girls all came together and were the family that Hazel needed when she needed them most.

Miss Hazel Lively was orphaned at a young age and only Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I read a novella by Anna Bennett and loved her style and characters, so I went looking for more. Ms. Bennett writes a wonderful Historical Romance with a light touch and wonderful characters. I especially loved that the Bellehaven Academy girls all came together and were the family that Hazel needed when she needed them most.

Miss Hazel Lively was orphaned at a young age and only her intelligence saved her from a not so nice life. Her upbringing and love of books led her to open her own school for girls in the resort town of Bellehaven. Now, all she needs is for the wealthy to send her their daughters to her to educate. That way she can offer help to those girls, like her, who need a helping hand. Her plan is working, but she is in need of additional wealthy families to make it a success and a handsome earl could be just what she needs.

Gabriel Beckett, Earl of Bladenton, has had a very unwelcome change to his family. His 15 year old niece has lost both her parents in an accident and he is now her only surviving family and her guardian. She is not adjusting well and neither is he. She has been expelled from two boarding schools in London and is throwing a wrench in his plans to court and win the woman of his choice, a woman who wouldn't require any thing of him beyond his name and rank. Quite simply put: he's desperate. Putting his niece in Bellehaven Academy, well away from London, is the perfect solution to his problem, but the headmistress, and her demands of him to actually spend time with the chit, could be a problem. Actually, the beautiful headmistress herself could be the real problem.

As Blade makes his visits to his niece, he soon discovers he quite enjoys matching wits with Hazel far more than he wants to. Blade is drawn to the competent Hazel and wants nothing more than to
make her his countess, but Hazel wants a real family with a man who loves her and is willing to share his heart. That is something Blade did once, got it stomped to pieces, and is never going to do again. ...more

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Dec 12, 2021 Maria rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, 2021-releases

4.5 stars

This was such an enjoyable read: an engaging romance, interesting characters and cozy setting.

Hazel Lively and Gabriel Beckett, the Earl of Bladenton, meet when he tries to enroll his niece at her school. Off to a rocky start their relationship slowly turns to a friendship with a lot of sizzling tension between them. The chemistry these two had really sold me on this book.

I really enjoyed the port-town setting of this book, as it was not just window dressing but an integral part of the ...more

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Oct 01, 2021 Rainelle rated it it was amazing

Girls before Earls, by Anna Bennett. What a smashing good book this was. I absolutely loved all the characters. Well, Penelope I would place her on her own island. This romantic story spoiled me with all the love from family and friends.
The story showed how not only love, but strength, courage, determination, trust, confidence and believing in the people you care about helped make this book, a book worth reading. First of all I think I’m head over heels in love Gabriel. The man knows how to ser ...more

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Mar 09, 2022 Holly rated it it was ok

Shelves: historical-romance, audiobook, dnf

DNF @ 26%

The niece is the only interesting character to me. The main couple only seem to be getting together because they are attracted to one another, but I don't really feel their chemistry so I'm stopping here. ...more

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Dec 16, 2021 Kimberly rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, romance, review, read-2021

Reviewed for Wit and Sin

Anna Bennett has kicked her Rogues to Lovers series with a bang. Girls Before Earls is an entertaining, fun, heartwarming read with a romance that will make you smile and sigh.

As a child, school saved Hazel Lively. Her determination, love of learning, and caring heart have her now opening her own school in the seaside town of Bellehaven. To keep her doors open and take in more girls who can’t afford school, she also needs the daughters of wealthy families to atten Reviewed for Wit and Sin

Anna Bennett has kicked her Rogues to Lovers series with a bang. Girls Before Earls is an entertaining, fun, heartwarming read with a romance that will make you smile and sigh.

As a child, school saved Hazel Lively. Her determination, love of learning, and caring heart have her now opening her own school in the seaside town of Bellehaven. To keep her doors open and take in more girls who can’t afford school, she also needs the daughters of wealthy families to attend her school. Enter the Earl of Bladenton. Blade closed off his heart after it was broken by his childhood love. But now he’s in charge of his orphan niece, a bright fifteen-year-old who keeps getting herself kicked out of London schools. Hazel’s school is his last chance, but he doesn’t expect to find the buttoned-up mistress so intriguing. And Hazel, who has closed herself off but secretly desires true love, can’t resist Blade even though his station and determination to wall off his heart make him an incompatible match. I really liked the chemistry between Hazel and Blade, enjoyed how they couldn’t resist each other because they simply fit. They come alive in each other’s company and become their best selves with each other. It’s not a smooth road to happily ever after, but the bumps in the road are worth it. Their romance is sweet, engaging, and ultimately delightful.

Bennett brings the world of Bellehaven to life in Girls Before Earls and I loved the picturesque seaside town. The supporting cast made me smile and there are characters I definitely want to see get books of their own. I really enjoyed all the female relationships in this story, both when it came to friendships and to made families. In a lot of ways, Bellehaven and some of its residents reminded me of the TV adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sanditon, which is likely why I was so charmed by it. All in all, I adored Hazel and Blade’s story and I cannot wait to see what Bennet has in store for the next Rogues to Lovers book.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ...more

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Dec 16, 2021 Jenna rated it really liked it

Shelves: 3-flames, headmistress-of-school, estranged-family, bluestocking, r-1795-1837, class-difference-hero-aristrocrat, seaside, working-women, child-intricate-to-plot, arc-netgalley

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Girls Before Earls is an effervescent, refreshing romance. Miss Hazel Lively has fought for everything she has, cultivating a complex, impenetrable façade. Hazel realizes her dream of opening a finishing school in a seaside town. Hazel is trying to build up the student roster for the fledgling school. Gabriel Beckett, Earl Of Bladenton, or Blade, has a complicated family past. He is the benefactor to his estranged niece. Blade comes to Hazel’s school to offload his troublesome niece. The ...more

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May 12, 2022 Alison rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2022, 4-star-books, romance, women-authors

Okay, let me start by saying that I really enjoyed this book…but I'm still lesbianically indignant that a book called Girls Before Earls isn't Sapphic.

For real.

But I did really enjoy it! This was a very cute and engaging read. I loved that Hazel turned her pain from childhood into something wonderful and that she put her whole heart and soul into the school, just to try to give a few girls a better experience growing up than she had. You can see how important it is to her and how much she's will ...more

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Dec 29, 2021 Lori D rated it really liked it

What a girl wants
Hazel had proved herself and been admitted into Miss Haywinkle's School for Girls after her parents had died. Nineteen years later, she was able to open her own school, the Bellehaven Academy of Deportment, and her goal was to help those less fortunate girls as she could, just like her.

What the Earl wants... and needs
Blade, Earl of Bladenton, had inherited his teenage niece at the demise of his brother. After many disastrous schools had ejected Kitty, it seemed his last hope was ...more

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Dec 23, 2021 Lindsay pinkcowlandreads rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, kindle-books

This was a fun and fast paced start to a new series!

Orphaned herself, Miss Hazel Lively has set about to make more than a school for her for her Bellhaven Academy, she wants it to become a family. And with the handful of girls enrolled and her assistant they have that connection … but a school can’t survive on care and respect. Bellhaven needs more paying students enrolled.

Kitty has been expelled from more boarding schools than her guardian can count. The fledgling Bellhaven Academy is Gabriel ...more

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Sep 18, 2021 travelbug74 rated it really liked it

I enjoyed this book very much. Hazel is the kind of heroine I love; tough on the outside but a marshmallow on the inside. She is an orphan who had no one and resigned herself to being alone. Blade had loved and lost and been betrayed. Now he is saddled with a grief-stricken niece who cause trouble. I loved how both MC opened themselves to love even though they thought they couldn't be together. The supporting cast of villagers and school-girls was nice too. The only thing that would have made th ...more

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Feb 12, 2022 Tracey rated it it was amazing

This is an entertaining, well-written, steamy historical romance novel. It has beautiful, vividly described settings, a heart warming romance, likable, engaging, well-developed characters, a strong female protagonist, female empowerment, a lovely, touching description of what defines love, and a happily ever after ending. I am looking forward to reading the next entry in Ms. Bennett's outstanding, new, Rogues to Lovers series with great anticipation. ...more

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Jan 06, 2022 Nicole Pelcher rated it it was amazing

I voluntarily received a copy of Girls Before Earls by Anna Bennett via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Anna Bennett weaves a sweet love story of two people too guarded for their own good but beyond all odds fall in love with each other.

Miss Hazel Lively was orphaned at the age of nine years old, but thanks to a kind school mistress who saw potential in her she was able to make a life for herself. Armed with with the need to do good in the world, her love of ...more

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Jan 08, 2022 Aly rated it really liked it

Hazel Lively became orphan at 9 years old and was sent to Miss Haywinkle's school for girls. Her bookish aptitudes is probably the only thing that saved her from ended up in an orphanage so in a way, maybe books saved her life.

Nineteen years later, Hazel is starting her own school for girls in a seaside town. Her life take yet an other turn when the Earl of Bladenton enter her school to register his 15 years old niece. Kitty became his ward when his estranged brother died and Blade hope Belleha ...more

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Nov 27, 2021 Addie Yoder rated it really liked it

Anna Bennett's books are always just what I need. This story of Hazel, headmistress of a new school in a cozy beach town, and Blade, who recently became guardian to his teenage niece and desperately needs help. Her hard exterior and his determination to stick to his plans are the right amount of conflict and tension to work. Kitty and the other students are such great compliments to this story in the way that small town romances feel right. Her stubbornness to mask hurt and eventual relationship ...more

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Nov 30, 2021 Carol lowkey.bookish rated it really liked it

I liked the opposites attract part of this couple…Hazel and Gabriel do have amazing chemistry.

However, this book had such a creative title, I was looking for a little more creativity with the plot. I was frustrated that this was another romance featuring a man with an irrational reason why he can’t be with the woman he loves. He frustratingly lets himself be manipulated by a woman who keeps the lovers apart.

I liked the ending where the girls come together to “knock their heads together” and make ...more

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Oct 14, 2021 Amy rated it really liked it

The girls are the students of Hazel, headmistress of her school. The earl is Gabriel who wishes to enroll his ward there. Hazel makes Gabriel promise to visit his ward every two weeks, which puts the two of them in a more frequent proximity. Spending time together, they find they are attracted to each other. Gabriel must decide to let her in and risk being hurt again. Hazel must decide to put her own desires first. I received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my honest review.

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Feb 18, 2022 Dawn McGill Dalrymple rated it really liked it

Loved Hazel's personality a strong female who is business minded and caring, and knows what she wants! Blade is also strong willed and knows what he wants and love is not one of those things! Kitty is the perfect foil for these two as the wayward niece orphan who opens up both of their hearts! Thanks to St Martin's Press for the book to read and review!! ...more

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Nov 03, 2021 Michelle marked it as did-not-finish

Shelves: edelweiss, romance-historical

Pub date: Dec 2021
DNF at 34%. After the second time that Hazel chooses to take an action that I thought didn’t align with her character, it jarred me out of the story too much and was unrecoverable! It's too bad, since I really liked where it was going. From the many fabulous reviews this got, it doesn't seem like it was a widespread belief, however. ...more

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Oct 28, 2021 Holly rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley, 2021

This was just a sweet quiet love story. There was no angst, but I enjoyed it for what it was. Hazel has been through a lot and opening up a school for girls has been her life long dream. Enter Blade and his niece. Blade convinces Hazel to take in his niece, who has been kicked out of two schools already. Hazel has only one condition, that Blade visits his niece every two weeks. Blade and Hazel end up spending more time together the more he visits, and romance soon blossoms between them.

I enjoyed ...more

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About Anna Bennett

Anna Bennett

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Anna Bennett started swiping romances from her mom’s bookshelf as a teenager and decided historicals (with their balls, dukes, and gowns) were the best. So, when she had the chance to spend a semester in London she packed her bags—and promptly fell in love with the city, its history, and its pubs. She dreamed of writing romance, but somehow ended up a software analyst instead.

Fortunately, a few ye ...more