Customer Reviews

What an Earl Wants

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ms. Karr is off to a great start to her writing career with this debut effort. Although her storyline is not "new" she has created characters that are not only colorful but memorial as well. As a result fans of historical romance fiction now have a new author to add to their author list that shows great potential.

Jo is playing a risky game. She has shed the trapping of womanhood in order to keep a roof over her grandmother and sister's head as well as food in the pantry. She takes a risky step and presents herself to Earl of Sinclair as J. Quincy. Looking to be placed in the position of secretary. Sinclair takes a chance on the young and impertinent cub but is thrown for a loop when he finds out the J stands for Josephine and not Joseph. He gives the sassy girl a chance to fix his books before he sends her packing. It wouldn't do for society to find out that his secretary is a female and not male. Problem is though...the longer he spends time in her company...the more he wants to spend time with her. But Sinclair has his own wounds and his own duties and he can't turn his back on his title. Plus Jo won't hurt his mother. They will never be able to act on their attraction...or could they?

This was a very romantic read. The push and pull between Quincy and Sinclair will keep readers glued to the pages if only to see when these two people will finally be able to act on their feelings. Although the storyline is not new Ms. Karr has kept it fresh by the direction she takes with both main characters as well as the additional antics of the secondary cast of characters. I highly recommend this debut and suggest that the reading community keep an eye out for this fresh new talent.

Official Reviewer for www.romancedesigns.com

If you enjoy romantic comedies. You will LOVE this book. What an Earl Wants is a feel good book. That is simply delightful. If you long to be swept into the lives of two enchanting people, I highly recommend What an Earl Wants. While browsing in the bookstore, I decided to give it a chance. If you don't want to miss out, you should too. This book had everything you need to create a good romance: a dashing hero, a beautiful heroine, a person who always seems to interfere with the hero and heroine, and, most of all...PASSION! The book does not rely heavily on the sensual scenes. The story is so good that these scenes just add spice to an already great book. The relationship between the leads is endearing. The secondary characters are enjoyable as well. The reader will feel the despair, the heartbreak, passion and the joy of Ben and Jo Quincy in this very excellent character driven romance. I found the characters to be multi-dimensional.Both characters felt "real" and made me believe they were in love with one another deeply. I'm looking forward to reading more books from Shirley Karr.

I must say this through Earl of Sinclair (Ben) is really a gentleman not a rogue. I love how he falls in love with Jo and then romances the heck out of her. Unlike most romance novels, the "hero's" Ben is not perfect, he's not a rake, nor is he nasty, mean, or an arrogant idiot! ... I will let you discover just what kind of man Ben is BUT he's truly lovely to read about.

The story was...cute. I enjoyed the verbal sparring between Sinclair and Quincy and their blossoming relationship was quite believable. The antics of the secondary characters made for an enjoyable read, as well.

However, I soon tired of Jo's "masquerade" when it was evident to me only a few chapters in that almost everyone who met her acquaintance saw right through her disguise.

A light easy read that most would enjoy.

Having read many novels of this genre, I was pleasantly surprised to read "What an Earl Wants" by Shirley Karr. The story wasn't exactly a new one but was told with a warmth and attitude that made the characters very endearing. I like a book which involves the reader in the development of the characters and this one does just that. Even as Jo Quincy is inevitably exposed, the book doesn't end there but deals with Sinclair's new chemistry with his Josephine. Sinclair's physical issues are also seen through the author's empathetic eyes. A good read.

If your looking for laughs, maybe a few tears, sexual tension and all the other aspects that make a great love story this is not the book for you. I can sum this book up in one word - Boring! The book was about a woman disguising herself as a man in order to help her family. And a hero who ends up falling for her. End of story. The book was filled with nonense. Page after page was filled with them in the library going over paperwork in silence. I don't know whats worse that or the hero falling all the time because of his bad leg - I mean how many times does he have to lose his dignity in one book. The book had parts that I felt were thrown in there out of sheer desperation from the author. And when the heroine does put on a dress the hero does'nt recognize her but turns out to be beautiful. What! She cut her hair like a boy and she puts a dress on and now she beautiful. And then there is the end (don't worry I wont say anything) not that there is anything to say but when there all sitting down on the floor of the ballroom, I would have hoped that the author could have come up with something better but she failed once again. Save your money and don't bother.

Not an avid reader of romance novels I picked this book up on the advise of a long time friend. I was pleased with the humor and much to my surprise stayed up all night reading the blasted thing. I haven't done that since my teen years. Good job S. Karr in capturing my attention!

Sometimes I feel like if you piled all the romance novels released in a year you could practically reach the moon. It must be a bit of a nightmare for voracious romance readers with limited budgets. It's not that pleasant for people like me, either, who are extremely particular in our romance reading tastes. Historical romantic comedy is one of the subgenres that I enjoy, but even within that subgenre there's a lot more material out there than good material. Shirley Karr's What an Earl Wants fits into my definition of good material. The basic premise: a woman of impoverished gentility masquerades as a man so she may take the position of secretary to a war-wounded earl. Premise nothwithstanding, if you decide to pick up the novel, don't come to it expecting slapstick--or, at least, not very much. The earl's inability to hold on to employees does tend a bit to farce. But while the novel doesn't have much by way of laugh-out-loud material, it does have warm, plausible characters, a few serious situations, and some really heart-warming moments. The message--look beneath the surface--is not unusual for the genre. But what is unusual is the subtext laced from top to bottom in this work: banding together diminishes the challenge of overcoming adversity.

I liked this book a lot but not a keeper for me. There seemed to be something missing but I am not sure what that was. I enjoyed the premise of this book - woman masquerading as a young man, though it is not one I normally pick up. It is not all that original either but the sparring between Quincy and Sinclair is funny and different. It just seemed like everyone KNEW Quincy was a woman almost from the beginning. And there was not much romance between them. Tension maybe, romance - no. Even the villain (Serena) seemed so mild. Ok, she tripped him in the end???

I did like the ending even if most reviewers didn't. That was probably the most romantic part of the book. Quincy dropping to the floor where Sinclair sat!!! I liked that Sinclair did not become hale and hearty (nor whole) again. I loved all the servants and all the matchmaking - and how generous Sinclair was with people. I didn't think that angle was explored as much as it could have been. There were other romances in this book, but very low key.

This was a pleasant read and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Well, if the relationship is between the Earl of Sinclair and Jo Quincy...you both do!

Her family is in dire financial straights, so Jo dons male garb and gets a job as a secretary to the Earl. A daring, risky plan in regency England. The two find they have more than missing money between them. But can an Earl marry a woman who's spent her adult life playing a man?

A wonderful story filled with witty dilogue and an engaging plot. Karr's debut is fantastic!

I enjoyed the developing relationship betwen Sinclaire and Quincy. But I have to agree that the masquerade went on too long. After all, just about everyone figured it out after chapter 4 so the story line bcome boring. Also, I wish the author had been more descriptive of what they both looked like. Early on I was clueless as to what they looked like. An epilogue would not have been out of place for this story. Did Sinclairs Mom get married or Mel? How did Sin and Quincy do a few years down the road? Did she continue her unreal ability to pick stocks and make them as rich as the Fricks?