The Reluctant Earl is a dramatic story. It is set in 1816 England where most of Europe and North America was suffering from poor harvest and was called the year without a summer. (I did not know how bad it got from the Indonesia's Mount Tambora volcanic explosion.)

Julian DeChambelle is now a Earl with the death of his Father and his older brother the year before. He received a note at the funeral saying his father's death might have been murder. He decides to go visit his estranged older sister's husband Lord Sotherton who might know more about the unrest. Lord Sotherton is the undersecretary to the Home Secretary.

Leah is a governess in Lady Sotherton house. She has worked for them for years and her job will end soon. Leah supports herself and her younger sister who is in a asylum. She also gets paid by the rebels who want the government to help the starving people. She passes information she gains from her employers visitors and letters.

As Leah is searching the new Earl's room she reads the letter about his father might have been murdered the Earl comes in and catches her in the act. The Earl figures out that she is spying and wants to use her to find out about the rebels. If the Earl turns her in she will be hanged as a traitor and what will happen to her sister than?

This is a clean read, lots of drama, action, politics, murder, rebels, spies, history and romance all thrown in together with a little bit of Faith thrown into the mix. It is a exciting novel and I look forward to reading more books from C.J. Chase in the future.
I was given this ebook to read and asked to give a honest review of it by Netgalley.

Published February 5th 2013 by Love Inspired Harlequin 288 pages ISBN:0373829531 ( )