Rating: ★★★★ | 354 pages | Sourcebooks Casablanca | Historical | 3/6/2018
In his nightmares, Major Neil Wraxall is still battling the violent war that took the lives of his men and his only brother. He may have come home a war hero but as an illegitimate son, he is at the beck and call of his father; who assigns Neil the impossible task of bringing the headstrong Lady Juliana back home from the rundown Sunnybrooke Home For Wayward Boys and the twelve rambunctious orphans she is trying to keep in order. Juliana isn’t going anywhere . . . so neither is Neil, who soon finds himself whipping the motley crew of boys into shape.
(In other news, I just got the title of this book…Get it? It’s about a home for boys? No girls allowed. Also, I don’t think there are any Earls in this book…Wraxall’s father is a Marquess. . . )
No Earls Allowed sort of had the feel of a fun 80’s rompy comedy as Neil uses his military know how to get the wayward boys in order . . .while also foiling a corruption plot? I don’t usually go for books with kids in them, but there is something endearing about the flurry of chaos that erupts with everyone under one roof.
This series is all about self-assured war heroes meeting their match with plucky headstrong heroines and Lady Juliana is no exception. Lady Juliana is determined to turn Sunnybrooke into a real home and while she accepts Neil’s help, she refuses to let any of the boys slip out of her protection.
Did I mention that this book has a virgin hero? I don’t think it’s that big of a spoiler because it doesn’t have anything to do with the plot and is revealed early on. Knowing the difficulties of being an illegitimate child Neil never wanted to risk having one of his own. His choice to abstain is because of social constraints, something we usually only think about with women and I think it’s worth noting Galen applies this to the hero.
A heartwarming romance that isn’t afraid to bring the heat.
This isn’t the first virgin hero I’ve read from Galen. The Making of A Gentlemen also features one but he was like. . . locked up in prison since he was a child.
