How to Entice an Earl (Ugly Ducklings, #3) in Fans of Eloisa James & Julia Quinn

Jan 30, 2013 Caz rated it liked it

Shelves: disappointing, romance-1800-1850, romance-regency, kindle

I gave this a C- at AAR, so that's 2.5 stars.

This is the third (and final) novel in Manda Collins’ Ugly Ducklings series in which we follow the romantic adventures of three cousins who are regarded as rather odd by society because of their outspokenness, blue-stocking tendencies, and independent natures.

When I read the first book in the series, How to Dance with a Duke, I rated it at 3 stars on Goodreads and said that while I found it to be engaging in places, I was disappointed overall - a ...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Kat ~ Forever Book Lover ♥ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, historical, from-author

You can read this review and more at Forever Book Lover.
How to Entice an Earl was my favorite in the Ugly Duckling series. I know, I probably wrote that in my reviews of How to Dance with a Duke and How to Romance a Rake, the first two books.
How to Entice an Earl is the third and final installment in the series.
These books have one common thread: the Dance Card. For Cecily (How to Dance with a Duke) and Juliet (How to Romance a Rake), the card proved to be a good luck charm, not only was it a ...more

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Dec 11, 2012 Janga rated it it was amazing

How to Entice an Earl is the final novel in Manda Collins’s Ugly Ducklings trilogy. Like its predecessors, it weaves mystery and romance together in a fine balance. The action centers on the mystery, which also serves as a catalyst for the relationship between Maddy and Gresham. But the focus is squarely on the romance, and the reader is privileged to see the romantic relationship develop in a manner that involves humor, a deepening emotional intimacy, and plenty of sizzle.

Maddy’s outspokenness, How to Entice an Earl is the final novel in Manda Collins’s Ugly Ducklings trilogy. Like its predecessors, it weaves mystery and romance together in a fine balance. The action centers on the mystery, which also serves as a catalyst for the relationship between Maddy and Gresham. But the focus is squarely on the romance, and the reader is privileged to see the romantic relationship develop in a manner that involves humor, a deepening emotional intimacy, and plenty of sizzle.

Maddy’s outspokenness, her courage, her loyalty, and above all, her determination not to be defined by her parents’ disappointment in her or society’s expectations of her make her an engaging heroine. She is also surprisingly sensible despite her determination to fight her own battles. I especially appreciated her recognition, even before she understands that she loves Gresham, that they must marry. She may resent the limitations her world imposes on women of her class, but she recognizes there are boundaries she cannot transgress without giving up more than she's willing to forfeit and without hurting those she loves. She also knows Gresham and values the man that he is. She believes they can build a life together even though she thinks she will miss the love match her cousins enjoy.

She had come to appreciate his sense of the absurd as much as his strength and loyalty. Who would wish to be tied to a man who never laughed, she wondered, leaping ahead to what she knew this interview was truly about. Not their well-being or their absurdity, but their marriage.

I was ready to cheer aloud when on their wedding day Maddy learns something that could have become a Misunderstanding of Great Proportions. But Maddy proves how well she knows her man by rejecting the obvious and intuiting the truth. How rare is that in romance?

And Gresham! I’ll always think of him as Monteith because he was not yet the Earl of Gresham when I first encountered him in manuscript form and fell in love with his humor, his disdain for fashion, his kindness, and his sense of honor. I waited impatiently for his story, and he proved to be the hero I expected.

If you haven’t met the Ugly Ducklings, what are you waiting for? How to Entice an Earl can certainly be read as a standalone, and you can begin with it--although I’ll be surprised if you don’t find the cousins and their heroes so appealing that you’ll want to read their stories too. I highly recommend all three books. ...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Emily rated it liked it

While I enjoyed the book, it is not my fave of the series (that would be Book 2 with Juliet and Deveril). For me, it felt like most of the focus was on the external conflict/mystery and not enough time was spent on the development of the relationship. I do think the pacing of the mystery/reveal was well-done, I just wished for more of the couple.

Also, I believe Linton is described in Book 1 of the series as being Maddie's elder brother but here he is younger. Completely irrelevant to my feelings ...more

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Aug 04, 2013 Judy rated it it was ok

Shelves: mystery, historical-romance, regency

Book 3 of The Ugly Ducklings.

Well, after reading all three of this series, I think the overall lesson learned is: Good sex scenes alone do not make a good book. A flimsy mystery whose only purpose was to get the soon-to-be lovers together and to allow the heroine to show how daring she was by visiting a gambling den, a too fast for debutantes party, and a brothel. Really?

Secondary characters whose motivations are not fully developed such as the heroine's father. He's overbearing but only when ne ...more

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