Benjamin Redbourn, Earl
of Crofton, has no intention of giving up his beloved ancestral home
without a fight. Faced with his mother’s gambling debts, forgery, and
the possibility of foreclosure by the bank, Ben vows to make Crofton
Hall pay for herself. But opening an Elizabethan manor house to the
public isn’t a one man job. With time running out, Ben needs help—and
fast.
Ashley Niven has experience managing events, and he also loves history. Being in charge of opening Crofton Hall is a dream come true. As he works with Ben to prepare the house as a venue for lavish weddings and receptions, Ashley finds himself drawn not just to the charm of the house but to the dashing Earl of Crofton. Even if Ashley can look past Ben’s playboy reputation, he fears an affair could prove too much of a distraction.
But Crofton Hall has many secrets, and something hidden for over four hundred years is about to change all their lives.
Ashley Niven has experience managing events, and he also loves history. Being in charge of opening Crofton Hall is a dream come true. As he works with Ben to prepare the house as a venue for lavish weddings and receptions, Ashley finds himself drawn not just to the charm of the house but to the dashing Earl of Crofton. Even if Ashley can look past Ben’s playboy reputation, he fears an affair could prove too much of a distraction.
But Crofton Hall has many secrets, and something hidden for over four hundred years is about to change all their lives.
Somehow I thought this was
a historical, because there is also the Crofton Chronicles series by Cohen
that’s set in the 16th Century. I should probably pay closer
attention to blurbs! (Good advice for all of you out there in general) Anywho –
I wasn’t disappointed at all, because this was a fresh, funny, breezy romantic
romp that I really enjoyed.
Based on the ancestors of
the aforementioned series (now I want to go back and read that!), it’s the tale
of Benjamin Redbourn, the current Earl of Crofton Hall. Unfortunately, mummy
has gambled away the family fortune and the bank is about to repossess Ben’s
beloved Crofton Hall – the only home he’s ever known. He’s a bit of a playboy,
so having to come and save the day really cramps his style. But he’s also smart
and no nonsense, so he sets about getting the Hall readied for the paying
public. Weddings, parties, conventions – all those events will definite help
pay the bills. Too bad charming Ben doesn’t know the first thing about event
planning.
Fortunately, Ashley Niven –
a former university chum of his sister’s – knows all about that and more.
Pressed for time, as the bank is running out of patience, Ben capitulates to
his sister’s wishes, and hires Ashley for the job. This involves Ashley living
on site, as well as working *ahem* closely with Ben. A wonderful slow burn of
“I want you – oh no, I musn’t” ensues. I just wished things could’ve started
heating up sooner.
That was the only drawback
of this story for me. I was completely fine with it being obvious that they
would get together. I mean, it’s a romance, so we all know the boys have a happy
ending, right? But I felt as if the author made it drag on too long to get to
the part where Ashley is finally hired – let alone anything else - which was
almost at the 25% point of the book. If all the boring interviews with lame
candidates prior to the hiring of Ashley had been edited down, there could’ve
been more book saved for naughty times at the end. Rawr.
Head’s up – and I
personally lurved this part – this is written in very British English. The
author has kindly added a list of Brit terms at the back (charmingly written as
if Ben himself had made the list). So don’t let that scare you off. It had that
enchanting quality that I love so much when I watch shows on the BBC.
Overall, I really enjoyed
this story and I love Cohen’s style. If you like a dash of pomp and
circumstance with a side of drama, sexy and witty men, plus fun romance – then
you will adore the hell out of this book. I give it 4 enthusiastic lizard
claws.
“How
much?”
She
wouldn’t meet his eye.
“Mum!”
“Just
short of five million to the bank.”
Ben
lost his balance and landed heavily on his arse in a nearby chair.
“How
the hell did you manage that? I only agreed to borrow five hundred thousand,
and that was for essential repairs, and the estate could easily repay the loan
in ten years.”
“I
approached the bank with a business case for a visitor attraction. They were
very enthusiastic.”
“What
gave you the right?”
“Your
father left us both in charge of Crofton Hall, Benjamin,” she said sharply.
He
glowered at her and she deflated.
“I
needed the money, and the only way I could get it was to tell the bank I wanted
to open Crofton Hall to the public.”
“And
they agreed to lend the money without my permission?” he asked carefully,
hardly believing his mother’s audacity, but getting the feeling he knew what
she was going to say next.
“They
might have been under the impression that you’d agreed to it, and I was acting
on both our behalves.”
“Really.
And how would they have thought that?”
“Your
signature isn’t exactly hard to copy.”
Ben
covered his face with his hands, understanding what his mother had done.
“I
know I shouldn’t have, not without your permission, but I was desperate. And
the bank thought our business plan was excellent.”
He
looked up at her. Elena’s eyes were red from crying, but there was still an
edge of defiance in her face. “How much is left?”
She
shrugged. “A few thousand, maybe.”
“And
you used Crofton Hall as security?”
“Yes.”
The
anger flashed through him, burning through his usual amicable nature. “How
could you have been so stupid? Were you even thinking past your own
selfishness?”
Elena
cowered in her seat.
“You’ve
ruined us, destroyed this family!”
“I
didn’t mean—”
Ben
didn’t want to hear her feeble excuses. “Oh, that’s all right, then. We’ll tell
the bank, you didn’t mean it, and they’ll forget all about it.”
Ben
reined in his anger. Taking deep, slow breaths, he clenched and unclenched his
fists as he regained his calm. He watched Catlin pace up and down. Harry stood
slumped against the fireplace, shell-shocked. Now was not the time to panic. He
needed to know exactly how much trouble they were in and deal with it. “Get me
the paperwork.”
Without
argument, Elena jumped to her feet and scurried over to the writing bureau in
the corner. From the folds of frills and ruffles of her blouse, she fished out
a key on a chain and unlocked the bureau. She drew out a sheaf of paper. “It’s
all here.”
“Right,
let’s hope my economics degree wasn’t for nothing.” Ben snatched the papers. “I
suggest you all keep your distance until I’ve finished reading.”
He
sank into a chair by the unlit fireplace, blocking out the angry thoughts as he
scanned sheet after sheet. The figures danced before his eyes, and he saw the
terms and conditions his mother had agreed to. The interest, compound interest,
and payback terms were listed and categorized in black and white with no way of
denying the facts. They were in deep shit, the bank would be at the door within
weeks, and Ben seethed internally at his mother’s gall.
The
effort she’d put into defrauding the bank was amazing, the business case had
been full of fine details and promised an excellent return, but little help
would that do them now.
Unless….
Ben
stared around the sitting room; generations of Redbourns had sat in here. Men
who’d fought at Blenheim, Waterloo, and El Alamein —they would never have given
in and surrendered Crofton Hall in the face of adversity. And it wasn’t about
to happen while Ben was Earl of Crofton either. As much as he wanted to rail
against it, their only hope was to convince the bank they were following
through with the idea of opening the house to the public.
“We
can probably sell the London apartment. That’ll raise around two million. Our
trust funds are protected, so we can’t release the equity from those. If we’ve
any hope of holding on to her, Crofton Hall is going have to earn her keep.”
Dreamspinner || Amazon US || Amazon UK || ARe
Rebecca
Cohen is a Brit abroad. Having swapped the Thames for the Rhine, she has left
London behind and now lives with her husband and baby son in Basel,
Switzerland. She can often be found with a pen in one hand and a cup of
Darjeeling in the other.
CONGRATS AND GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BOOK! THANKS FOR THE GIVEAWAY! SHELLEY S. calicolady60@hotmail.com
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