The Earl Takes All: A Hellions of Havisham Novel (The Hellions of Havisham Book 2)

Im a great fan of Lorraine Heath's books and consider this one, The Earl Takes All, as one of my favourites. Heath creates a poignant love story masterfully told that pulls at the heart. Her characters are real, vulnerable and admirable, so much so that one can't help loving them flaws and all. I highly recommend it. Kudos Ms. Heath.

This was an excellent story ! I read it in one sitting on the release day and I loved it. What would any person have done in these circumstances - Edward had a difficult decision that kept me guessing to the end. Very steamy romance and very dramatic. Beautifully written.

Once again, Lorraine Heath enchanted me with this beautifully written and deeply emotional love story. It takes an exceptional writer to make such a challenging and potentially unpopular plot line work and, although I know some readers will disagree, I think she does this brilliantly.“Do you know what I think, Allie? I think the weasel— who is supposed to be the villain of our tale— may just turn out to be the hero.”For me, the success of this book hinged on Ms Heath’s ability to make me see Edward as a worthy hero and Julia’s words to her daughter echo my thoughts precisely (the weasel reference makes sense when you read the book).Edward has always accepted his place as the second son without ever being envious or jealous of Albert. He is happy receiving an allowance and living a life free of responsibility. Early on, we learn that Edward has had feelings for Julia ever since they first met, but he loved his brother too much to do anything to hurt him. So he was willing to cultivate a disreputable reputation in order to protect Albert and Julia from any potential gossip.I felt so much sympathy for Edward. He is caught between a rock and a hard place. He must fulfil the promise he made to his brother knowing just how devastating it will be when he has to admit the truth to Julia.In manner, thought, and deed, he had to become the Earl of Greyling. At least until Julia delivered the heir.Then he would be obliged to do what he did best: give her another reason to hate him by revealing the truth, breaking her heart, and shattering her world.Constantly thrown into intimate situations with Julia, Edward struggles to keep his passion for her in check. I could feel his torment…to know that everything Julia did, said or felt wasn’t for him but for the man she thought he was.Edward shows his true colours in so many ways. He has never wanted responsibility, but he steps up to oversee the running of his late brother’s estate, even before he officially becomes the Earl of Greyling. He shows his care and compassion when he personally looks after Mrs Lark and her family even at risk to himself. Who could not fail to love a man who is so gentle and tender with his little niece.Nanny was sitting in a chair with a lamp burning low and a book in her hands. Not Alberta. She wasn’t holding Alberta.Edward was. Lying on Nanny’s bed, his eyes closed, Alberta on his chest, her knees tucked beneath her so her tiny bum was sticking up in the air. Pillows formed a barrier on either side of his body so if she rolled she wouldn’t roll far. Not that Julia thought she was likely to move at all. One of his large hands was splayed over her back, holding her in place.Julia see changes in her husband and puts these down to the effects of travelling with his friends. He has become more forceful, more determined and more attentive, all of which makes him more appealing and she finds herself falling more madly in love with him.His touches came more frequently, his interest in her more intense. He seemed to care about every aspect of her. She thought she’d loved him as much as it was possible to love any man. Strange to realize that she loved him a little bit more each day.Although she missed Albert, in his absence Julia has changed becoming more independent, more confident and making her own decisions. I love that she is not as prim and proper as she appears. She has always wanted to be sexually imaginative but feared her rather upright husband would be appalled.I was just waiting for the moment that Julia discovers Edward’s deception and, when she does, I could feel all her pain and the subsequent scene in the mausoleum is so heart-breaking. At this point, it was impossible to imagine how their relationship could ever be salvaged but Ms Heath gradually brings them back together again. There is still one apparently insurmountable obstacle to overcome, but I found that Ms Heath’s note at the end of the book, in which she highlights her research into this particular aspect, not only provides some interesting historical background but also a believable path to Edward and Julia’s Happy Ever After.I love the idea of Julia’s whimsical creatures and I also enjoyed seeing Ashe, Minerva and Locke. For those of you who love Epilogues, there is a lovely heart-warming oneMY VERDICT: Lorraine Heath weaves a complex, captivating and beautiful love story. Highly recommended!

"Don't let her figure out that it's me, the sneaky bastard who takes what isn't his. Don't let her realize that I'm not her husband."FINAL DECISION: I love how Heath creates situations between characters that seem impossible and then goes deep into the emotions of the characters to make a situation work out. I thought this story would never work and yet Heath made it a lovely romance.THE STORY: Edward Alcott returns from a safari with his dead twin but is himself masquerading as his twin. It was his brother's dying wish that Edward care for his wife who is pregnant. Edward intends on pretending to be his twin until his sister in law gives birth. Pretending to be his brother is more difficult than he expected since Edward has been enamored of his sister in law for years. Julia is surprised by the changes in her husband on his return. He seems more wicked and bolder than the man she married. As she falls even more in love, she can't help but wonder what has changed her husband so much.OPINION: I often start a Lorraine Heath book thinking "there is no way she can make this work" sometimes I even hate the premise. This book was difficult to imagine from the blurb of the book. I couldn't imagine that a relationship that begins with the hero impersonating his dead twin to his sister-in-law was going to work. For the most part, the book did work. There were a couple of rough parts that called for more acceptance than analysis on my part, but I got wrapped up in the emotional journey of these characters that by the end, I was totally bound up with wanting their happy ending.This book does demand some patience from its readers as (1) you have to accept that Julia would not recognize Edward's impersonation of her husband and (2) you have to accept that she will ultimately forgive him for his deception. Some readers might not be able to get past these hurdles, but accepting these premises allowed me to become absorbed by the emotional conflict in the story which is filled with love, guilt, pain and joy.In the story, Edward begins as the typical rake, but we soon find out that he is hiding a love for Julia which he always believed was hopeless. His masquerade of a thoughtless rake allowed him to mask his feelings. By pretending to be his brother, Edward begins to lose control of those feelings and falls deeply in love with Julia.I liked these characters and especially appreciated how Heath walks the line of Julia falling in love with both brothers without diminishing either of them. This is a difficult task and is largely successful -- even if I admit that I like Edward better.The central conflict of the story becomes that even if Julia and Edward fall in love, the deception will have to continue because English law forbids a man from marrying his brother's widow. The resolution of this story might seem like a cheat to some, but I really liked that the solution, like the conflict itself, is based on historical fact. Heath explains some of the real legal issues involved in her afterword.WORTH MENTIONING: Fans of Heath's other series might see some familiar faces.CONNECTED BOOKS: THE EARL TAKES ALL is the second book in the Hellions of Havisham series. It can be read as a standalone although the first book of the series gives some further background on the characters and their connection to significant secondary characters.STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

I have been reading Lorraine Heath books for a long time and I don't know how she keeps coming up with fresh ideas and wonderful stories. I love this book!Albert, Earl of Greyling, and Edward are twins whose parents died at an early age and left the boys to be raised by the reclusive Marquess of Marsden along with his son, Locke (Viscount Locksley) and Ashe (Duke of Ashebury). Edward gives Lady Julia Kenney, his brother's fiancée, her first kiss much to her dismay when he teases she can't tell them apart. Several years later, Albert and Edward go on a trip to Africa leaving a pregnant Julia at home. Albert is killed and Edward pretends to be him as not to shock Julia into losing her child, the possible heir. Locke and Ashe, who can tell the twins apart, agree as long as Edward confesses after the birth.Edward always desired Julia and falls more in love as he spends time with her knowing she will hate him when he confesses the truth. When the child is a girl Edward has to confess as he is now the earl though he knows it will devastate Julia. Julia has never hated Edward as much as she pretended. While anger separates them for awhile, reading Albert's journals and seeing Edward with his niece eases her hurt and guilt for desiring Edward.I do not want to spoil the details of this book. I know some FB comments found Edward's behavior horrible but he was following his brother's wishes and he did love her. She also had feelings for him. I remind you that this is not set in 2016 so it's not fair to put current values on historicals. I highly recommend it.