A Winter's Earl by Annabelle Greene is quite a ride! Featuring one of the most profound character arcs I've read in a while (from completely unlikeable almost to the point of 'I can't keep reading this' to 'oh okay actually he might be improving as a human being' around the literal 40-50% to 'genuine sympathetic character I'm glad I'm reading this'), a completely redundant baby who gets less genuine attention than Branson the spaniel, some really awesome lyrical writing and place-setting / description, and some great characterisation and dialogue. This is the nice, gothic-Christmas-adjacent moody m/m romance your heart is looking for, provided you like an awful lot of melodrama (and gosh, I really do).

I'll get the ugly stuff out of the way first. I couldn't stand Sherborne as a love interest until around 44% into the book where he started to become a human being. He starts out profoundly unlikeable, not just because of his past, but because of his mindset. In the present, he's melodramatic, unsympathetic to others, selfish, hot-headed and immature. He thinks a legitimate response to jealousy is to cause someone else physical harm, and at one point observes that he's not inspired to be a gracious host if his guest doesn't like him, which indicates he doesn't actually understand what 'gracious host' really means (i.e. it's not conditional on your guests coddling you with kid gloves).

After this, there's a sharp turnabout in the quality of his dialogue with others, and in the ways he starts thinking, and I think it's honestly worth waiting out if you find him as unlikeable as I did. It's really quite a skill, to turn him around so profoundly.

The baby is an insignificant part of the plot, and 'Parsley' is unmemorable and a clear plot device. I was surprised she wasn't even mentioned when summoning Richard back to Sherborne, because the blurb indicates this is the reason Richard returns (it's not, he returns because he's imagined something very different).

Now for all the good stuff.

Beth is a great character. She's complex, lovely, interesting, has some great lines of dialogue, flawed while still maintaining integrity and enlivens every single scene she's in. From the moment she comes into the story, the whole book comes alive whether she's in the scene or not.

The descriptions in this book are so great, I really felt the sense of Sherborne's castle, the wintry setting, all of it really created a rich and immersive experience which showed attention to detail and a lot of love for place that isn't belaboured.

Greene's prose is lyrical and beautiful, with many quotable lines of dialogue, without being purple or heavy-handed, which can be an issue in some Regency and Victorian-style romances. It's effortless and a pleasure to read (though maybe she's a little *too* good at crafting an unlikeable character, lol). Seriously though, the writing style is wonderful, and I found myself not stalling at all because of pacing or feeling disconnected or anything like that.

Every character feels individual and distinct and well-crafted and gets their own 'pattern' of dialogue that suits them. From Richard's shorter sentences, to Sherborne's more evasive way of speaking, to Paulina's 'I have no idea what she's thinking 99% of the time,' to Beth's loquacious compassion, to Arturo's earnest, sincere and straightforward mannerisms. This feels like a proper cast, and not 8 versions of the same character, and as weird a thing as that is to compliment, it's a great strength and shows a lot of love for character-driven stories which I really appreciate.

The evolution of the chemistry between Richard and Sherborne was a pleasure to read, and I thought really logical, it mapped and mirrored the evolution of their connection to one another in a way that felt seamless and gave every scene of lovemaking a real reason to be there (not that there needs to be a reason, but these had one, every time).

All in all this review copy was a pleasurable and enjoyable and solid read that I nearly abandoned because of Sherborne's initial characterisation (hence the one star ding, plus the emphasis on a baby plot device that felt forced). Pushing through that, however, revealed what turned out to be a well-knitted adventure with some great, meaty characterisation and arcs, some excellent twists and reveals, and a lovely happy ending to boot. I think anyone looking for a moody Christmas romance with a HEA and a lot of beautiful dialogue will not be at all disappointed with this one! ( )

I didn't enjoy this quite as much as Greene' Society of Beasts series but this does take place in the same world - Sherborne Clarke mentions "a society" that he's become a member of in London for "men like us."
I think the child aspect is what ultimately turned me off. I don't like reading mm involving children, especially in historical context and when it's the major plot point. This book is ultimately a story of redemption with a HEA but is a little bloated with characters and sub-plots that its short length didn't need and couldn't contain. ( )

A Winter’s Earl by Annabelle Green

A Regency Romance

What a wonderful story filled with second chances, romance, and the holiday spirit. I was swept into the past and immersed in a story that made me hope for a HEA for more than one in this book!

What I liked:
* The setting, plot, character development, and beautiful writing
* Richard Ashbrook: nobility, banished, abandoned by family, exposed, scarred, lonely, and hurt…
* Sherborne Clarke: commoner, alone, wordsmith, gambler, alone, falsely blamed, martyrs himself…mourns the loss of Richard
* Arturo: Sicilian valet to Richard, a good man, interesting, would like to see him in a book of his own
* Parsley: abandoned female infant, taken in by Sherborne, catalyst to bringing the separated lovers together again
* Pauline: housekeeper for Sherborne, capable, has a secret, and deserving
* Hermione: wet nurse to Parsley, friend of Pauline, has a secret
* The traveling menagerie and their human troop: brought something different to the snowbound people in Sherborne’s castle – the bear, parrot, and monkey were definitely something different
* The story of what separated Richard and Sherborne and how it impacted them both – and learning the truth of the matter before the end of the book
* That I was invested in the characters and rooting for them to get together again
* That the second chance at romance came when both men were mature and wise enough to finally get it right
* The conclusion and potential for happiness for more than one in the book.

What I didn’t like:
* The person that caused the trouble between Richard and Sherborne
* The time lost to the two men
* Knowing how horrible the laws and penalties for breaking them that existed in the era of this story and how they would have impacted Richard, Sherborne and others like them

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin – Carina Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars ( )