About the Book:

USA Today bestselling author Vivienne Lorret continues her charming new trilogy with a bluestocking whose search for information on the mating habits of scoundrels has her stumbling upon the missing heir to an earldom… in the London underworld.

Jane Pickerington never intended to start a brawl in a brothel. She only wanted to research her book. Yet when her simple study of scoundrels goes awry, she finds herself coming to the rescue of a dark, enigmatic stranger… who turns out to be far more than an average rake out for a night of pleasure. He’s positively wild!

Only the most feral and cunning could have survived foundling homes and work houses. Orphaned as an infant, Raven never had another name. At least… not until he meets her. Now he’s face-to-face with the one person who recognizes the strange birthmark on his arm and can reinstate him to his blue-blooded birthright.

All at once, Raven’s life takes a turn. His knowledge of dark alleys and gaming hells never prepared him for gilded ballrooms. So Jane becomes his tutor. Yet, the more lessons in decorum she offers, the more this untamed scoundrel wants to teach her all the ways to be wicked.

    CLICK HERE FOR DIRECT AMAZON BUY LINK: My Kind of Earl

My Review:

Jane Pickering, the daughter of Viscount Hollybrook, is not your typical society miss.  Thanks to her parents’ lack of interest in their own children, and their absorption with each other and the ton, Jane has fallen into being the main caretaker for her ten younger siblings.  While Jane loves them and her time spent with them, she also possesses a keen intellect and a desire for knowledge.  This has led to some interesting experiments and scenarios, the latest involves Jane sneaking into a brothel for the purpose of observing the behavior there for a book she’s writing.  Little does she know that she’s being observed.

Raven is an orphan with a rough upbringing, and a very seedy young adulthood.  He’s finally found a decent position at a gaming club, one that has helped him to gain some self respect.  When he observes a young woman sneaking into a brothel through a window, his curiosity gets the better of him.  Though the young lady attempts to stay hidden, she’s soon accosted and propositioned.  When Raven comes to the rescue, he soon learns that Jane had a plan to take care of herself.  She looses one of her experiments, which results in Raven being turned pink.  Yes.  Pink.

Raven soon learns Jane’s identity, as he’s acquainted with her cousin, Duncan, who was waiting for her as she left the brothel.  Duncan insists on dropping Raven off at his home, and Jane attempts to de-pink him and attend to the injuries he received at the brothel during the chaos.  Jane notices what appears to be a birthmark on Raven’s arm, one that looks like its namesake, and is the reason for Raven’s name.  Only, Jane, with her photographic memory, realizes that she’s seen that exact image before.  She just has to remember where.  When Jane remembers that the raven image was from a family crest, and that Raven’s birthmark may actually be a scar, she’s determined to find the answer.  Raven, himself, has always longed to know his origin, and so he and Jane continue to have contact with each other as she researches.

Raven is more than a little intrigued with Jane, as she is with him.  He likes her quirkiness, her oddness, and her love for her siblings.  He gets to meet them, as he regularly visits, with her parents being too uninvolved to even notice.  When the investigation finally appears to show that Raven may indeed be linked to a prominent family, Jane begins to tutor Raven on the fine art of being a gentleman.  Raven is torn between wanting to have a family, and wanting to stay safe in the life he’s created for himself.  This also sheds light on several mysterious attacks which have happened to Raven.  Can it be that someone is determined that he never claim his birthright?

MY KIND OF EARL is a light and engaging read, with plenty of amusing moments to go along with the emotional ones.  Jane’s character is odd, but not so much so that she doesn’t desire love and a family of her own.  She’s truly selfless with her siblings, and not a bit snobbish.  I love her interactions with Raven, how she encourages him, and eventually loves him.  Raven, for all his strength and toughness, has a vulnerability that is genuinely touching.  He never desired wealth or a title, just a family, and finding out why he was abandoned as an infant.  Together Raven and Jane are perfect, as they understand and accept each other, as well as having a steamy chemistry.  I loved reading this book, which I just seemed to speed through in no time, and I recommend it for readers who prefer a lighter read, but still one with plenty of heart.    ~Rose