Sex and the Single Earl

Simon is a fabulous Hero and a perfect counter to Sophie's impetuous and compassionate character! On top of that add that he has been her childhood white knight in shining armor. She has loved him forever and he has only noticed her need of rescuing almost daily. I think Vanessa has spun a wonderfully romantic web with this one! The emotional attachment is felt and unlike other books where the Hero broods and mopes over finding himself in love with the heroine-Simon simply just misses all the signs. The moment he makes the connection-we do too. The secondary characters are well placed and help their story unfold beautifully. (Lady Randolph is truly a bitch and it was indeed very difficult for me to picture Simon ever being with her--ugh-yuck) Annabelle and her brother Robert are good emotional support for Sophie, they seem to understand her impulsive and passionate nature. keep up the good work. I will enjoy more from you in the future Vanessa!

I agree completely w/ Teresa - this book was interesting from a historical perspective, and the romance was compelling. Most regency-era books, though I enjoy them, ignore or at best gloss over the realities of the time period. Vanessa Kelly's book gives us a peek into what would become crises in the UK and the US - child labor, enslavement, and the economic disruptions caused by war and the Industrial Revolution. Not so different from today, in many ways, when human trafficking is taking place in greater numbers than ever, ever before and global economic crises are looming... But back to the romance...the end was implausible for me, but I was engaged by the Earl's dawning, in a duh-this-is-a-real-guy-way (I prefer true love like that over "lust-that-looks-like-reality"), love for Sophie. And I was caught by Sophie's dilemma - her deep love for the Earl, yet her deep commitment to doing what she knew was right -regardless of Society's consequences. Absolutely worth the read, and it's not a serious book like I may have made it sound (it's late and I need to put my kids to bed) - fun, sexy, interesting, hard to put down... I'm looking forward to reading more from Vanessa Kelly.

Sex and the Single Earl was great--not only were Trask and Sophie great characters and great fun to hang out with, but I learned a lot more about the dark underbelly of Regency England. The scene in the workhouse will stay with you for a long time.

Simon St. James, fifth Earl of Trask has known Sophie all his life and now he wants her land. He treats her as child and she drives him crazy..fun to read. Sophie has loved Simon forever but they have some really hurdles in there way...She wants him to love her, she wants to save 2 children who are being abused and she wants his mistress out of the picture. Simon does not grasp how important these conditions are - so the book is about Simon coming to terms with respecting Sophie and his own emotions. Looking forward to The Mammoth Book of Regency Romance being release July 27th and CaddyGirls that she wrote with her husband until the name V.K. Sykes due out July 2010 (it's digital maybe I will find it on Kindle???)

In 1815 the Earl, Simon St. James knows he must marry; the only woman who interests him is intelligent Sophie Stanton. It does not hurt that the obstinate strong willed female, who opposes child labor, owns land with an abundance of coal; something Simon needs for his project. Sophie loves Simon and hopes to get him one day to reciprocate. However, her activism against the use of child labor places her at odds with the man she loves. As they argue, fuss and fight, they agree to a marriage of convenience as they debate principles. Each knows the intelligence and passion of their disagreement heats up the bedroom as much as the den. The key to this delightfully fresh Regency romance is the background of the industrial revolution as the lead couple inconveniently is on opposite sides of the debate. The main couple is a wonderful pairing as each has strong arguments supporting their hypothesis. Vanessa Kelly captures the essence of the era below the typical elegant hedonism of the Ton as her lead duet (and others) takes sides on complex societal issues like child labor. Harriet Klausner