The plot was interesting for me, I skipped almost through the whole book since I could not stand the writing. ( )

Waltzing with the Earl by Catherine Tinley is a light historical romance that won a 2018 Rita Award. Although it is difficult for me to totally embrace any Regency Romance that isn’t written by the incomparable Georgette Heyer, this story had definite fairy tale qualities that had me rooting for the heroine and left me smiling. The author includes a lot of information about society, culture and fashion that makes for an interesting backdrop to her romance story.

The very eligible Earl of Shalford feels the need to marry for money, yet he can’t keep the lovely Charlotte from distracting him from her spoiled and wilful cousin, Henrietta. At first finding him both aloof and arrogant, Charlotte’s quiet relationship with the Earl grows into esteem, friendship and eventually she realizes that she loves him.

Although the plot is a familiar one, the author handles her characters with ease, inserts some light humor, and delivers an engaging but unsurprising story. Waltzing With the Earl was a satisfying romance read that reminded me of Cinderella and gave me the escape read that I was craving. ( )

Acquired Book By: I knew as soon as I purchased this novel I would want to talk about reading it - therefore, it is for my own edification and in the interest of sharing my readerly life that I am composing my review on behalf of this novel. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein as I was not obligated to post a review as this was a self-purchase.

We begin with a tale of two brothers: Adam and Harry; the latter, making ill attempts at soothing the ills of his brother's mind, whose found himself disinterested in the trivialities of the hour. You could feel for both of them, truly, as one wants to lighten the spirits of the other whereas Adam simply wants to avoid the general public. They both have their reasons but what was interesting is what Harry whispered to himself as Adam took his leave of the boisterous affair.

I truly was charmed by the humbled felicity of Charlotte; she is truly a dear of dears, caught in the excitement of travelling into a new city (for her, London) whilst having her trusted maid-in-hand Miss Priddy along with her for the ride. How she had to arrive at her Cousins estate with the prim and blunted accusations tossed in her ears about how she appeared and what they ought to do about her now that they were saddled with her - felt as Charlotte said uncouth and unnecessary. Charlotte was the kind of gal who grew well under her father's guidance of keeping her closer to him than their home country of England. She had the chance to see a bit of the world during the years where her peers were being groomed for marriage and their coming out showcases. If you were to ask me, Charlotte had the advantage over them - they were simply unaware of the gifts her father had given her by keeping her with him.

Sadly, not much has changed from the Regency to modern eras - where girls' who are self-driven to gaining knowledge and are voracious readers, are still meeting with the prejudices against their aptitudes. One one think we could have evolved a bit since then but even now, there are those who wished girls' were not as educated as men. A sad memo on humanity if you were to ask me.

The one advantage Charlotte has is her worldliness - she has experienced far more outside the norm of her cousins and in effect, that has given her a world-view that is different from their confined sphere of observation allowed them by their controlling mother! It is their mother who is keeping their wings clipped to such an extent as to leave them unawares of the world outside their circles. Charlotte, in deference to them, has a wider view and a better understanding of where society and the world stand; giving her a bit of an edge when it comes to relatability.

One of my favourite ways of having a character gain the upper hand on another is when they are given an advantage they hadn't seen coming! In this story, Charlotte has the chance to talk to the Fanton brothers outside the purview of her cousins! They had made the choice to go into towne for shopping whilst she took her morning ride. Thus, allowing her to see the brothers without the pretense of a proper visit and had the enjoyable feast of talking with them without interference by a chaperone! This gave her an inside advantage in a way - she had the chance to see them when they were more comfortable and relaxed; relating to them as she naturally would, as they younger brother Harry is in the military. Whereas with the Earl, the elder brother? You gathered a sense that he was far more guarded than his brother, choosing to observe people at great lengths and never truly trusting his impressions about them.

Tinley gives us a warm entrance into Charlotte's life - you can relate to Charlotte rather immediately, not just because of her station and circumstances, but because of how she was crafted. She has a fiercely independent mind, a cunning gift for riding and she has an innocence about her as well - she's not jaded but she's well informed. Charlotte is the kind of girl you wished you had the chance to meet yourself - her travels have left her with a firm mind about the world but in a way that is approachable and respected. Not that many in her peerage would agree but the enlightened few would.

We get to tuck behind the characters' as they seek out their matches - as each of the girls' in this novel are turnt out and are debutantes seeking to find the one beau who will change their lives. The background setting of the story, of course, is a rotation of scenes - from estates to balls to lively parties and in the quieter downturn of the hours where Charlotte and her cousins are simply by themselves. My least favourites, of course, are Henrietta and her mother - they could not be more self-conceited if they tried and they think only of themselves. In many ways, her mother (Charlotte's Aunt) did remind me of the quintessential 'mother of all mothers' as seen as the regular etched out Mrs Bennett (of Pride and Prejudice) but for me she felt more akin to Angelica Houston in Ever After; conniving, unyielding and without remorse for her actions.

From her interview, I knew she had labelled Waltzing with the Earl a kind of Cinderella story - as I read the story for the first time, I admired her choices in how she told her variant of the fairy tale. You can definitely gather the regular players round a circle and see who is whom - yet, even in that knowing, with the advantages of seeing Ever After (another re-telling of Cinderella) - Tinley has brought everything back to life in the Regency dearly well! It doesn't even spoilt the story - these are characters who have their own minds and hearts set out for what they feel is their predestined futures - Henrietta is all but condemning herself to a life of smelling salts, laudanum and therapy invention with her weak nerves and high anxieties; Faith is a sweetheart but learning how to use her voice and to stand by her convictions is her worst vice; the Earl, himself (Adam) has a stark refusal of listening to his heart and is only daring to think with his mind and then there is Charlotte, whose betwixt and between two separate worlds (the one of her origins and the one of her growing years). Observing how Tinley wrote out their lives is one smart exchange of dialogue after another - a story you dearly enjoy reading and of a legacy of Chadcombe you are just beginning to unearth!

I honestly can say, I can't wait to begin reading the third installment: The Makings of a Lady - wherein I get to happily see what becomes of Olivia (the Earl's sister).

// This is a quotation of my full review originally shared via jorielovesastory.com

This was quite a charming read. Charlotte Wyncroft is sent by her father to a cousin so that she can experience London society, having lived with her officer father on the Continent all her life. She has to deal with the petty jealousy of her cousin, Henrietta Buxted who is spoiled rotten, and with Henrietta's upwardly mobile snobbish mother. She meets the Earl of Shalford but he needs a wealthy wife to save his estate, as far as the Buxteds know, Charlotte isn't wealthy, so when her father is reported as missing in action she is cruely treated.
I guessed a lot of the suspense but it's well done and I found the read quite enjoyable. ( )