This is a delightful little confection of a book, a traditional Regency novel from 1980 that has been expanded and republished.

Gwendeline Gregory is all alone in the world. Her parents died in an accident and left her with absolutely nothing, except her father's gambling debts. Her childhood home is to be auctioned, and she is at a loss of where to go or what to do. Her parents hid her existence from the world, keeping her buried on their country estate with a governess as her only companion. She wasn't a very good student, though, and despairs of being able to find work to support herself.

Into this sweeps Alex St. Audley, the Earl of Merryn, a friend of her parents. He's learned of Gwendeline's existence and wishes to provide support for her, because he thinks she's a child. Imagine his surprise to be faced with a nineteen-year-old girl instead. Nonetheless, he forges ahead with his plan, telling Gwendeline that a band of her fathers' friends have gotten together to supply her with a house and an income. She is skeptical of this, but ultimately fears she has no other choice. Merryn takes her to London for the Season, and his mother, Lady Merryn, delights in the idea of becoming her sponsor.

Gwendeline makes her bow into Society and finds a dear friend in Lillian, a belle of the ton. They share a love of horses and riding, even though their circumstances couldn't be more different: Lillian is beautiful, wealthy, and has a trail of suitors a mile long (including one who writes horrible poetry about her and proposes every few days). Gwendeline is grateful to finally have a friend her own age, and she brings back her governess, Miss Brown, to live in the house Merryn has provided for her as a proper chaperone.

Intrigue and old gossip about her parents follow Gwendeline, however, and one dastardly villain rises from the shadows to torment her including two abductions and a false wedding. All the while, however, Merryn rides to her rescue as the titular hero. Gwendeline falls in love with him, but he is The Unattainable, and every woman has set her cap at him...so what chance does she have?

This is a madcap little adventure, very much in the vein of Heyer's fluffier novels. The characters are sharply drawn, and I found Gwendeline to be quite sympathetic, even though the only thing she had going for her was her mother's beauty (and an ability/interest in painting). Unbeknownst to her, she easily meets some of the most impressive figures in Society with a minimum of fuss and muss. She is a study in contrast with Lillian, who is in love with St. Audley's brother but unable to tell anyone, much less her mother (who is aiming to marry her off to a duke). Lillian envies Gwendeline's "freedom," whereas Gwendeline envies Lillian's "easy" position in society.

There is a short detour to Cornwall, too, which of course I ♥

I always wonder, when I read these revised/expanded editions of old trad Regencies, if I can figure out what has been added. I have my suspicions here, but it was all woven together quite nicely. I'm not sure why so many people rated this story so low, unless they weren't expecting a trad Regency but a more modern historical novel with lots of drama and angst. (Always check the copyright date, fellow readers!!) To me, Ms. Ashford excels at these lighter novels, filled with interesting side characters (Lady Merryn is a novelist! Gwendeline's dandified suitor!) and a fresh twist on familiar plotlines.

This story isn't without its flaws (the revenge plot is pretty silly in the end), but I adored it anyway. ( )

Recently, I read Jane Ashford’s Earl to the Rescue, a refurbished version of the author’s first book Gwendeline, published in 1980.

Earl to the Rescue tells the tale of 18-year old Gwendeline Gregory, whose parents have recently died. The book opens with Gwendeline’s childhood home being sold to pay creditors. She has packed her meager belongings and is planning for an uncertain future. ...more ( )

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Earl To The Rescue by Jane Ashford is a refurbished version of her first book Gwendeline so it has a bit of an old school romance feel to it and is definitely sweet not steamy. I will admit that at first I was not particularly fond of the heroine as heaven forbid .... she doesn’t like books and hates to read, she does grow on you despite that. Recently orphaned Gwendeline Gregory is in a pickle, her parents left nothing but debt and everything including the home she lives in is to be sold to satisfy those debts. At the very last moment a rescue arrives, Alex St Audley, Earl of Merryn has come to take her to stay with his mother in London, and she is to have a season. He tells her that a group of her parents friends have created an annuity for her including a small house in London. Adventures ensue and if you are looking for a classic regency romance I think you will enjoy this book. Publishing Date November 27, 2018 #NetGalley #EarlToTheRescue #sourcebooks ( )

** 2.5 Stars Rounded up ** This book was originally published in 1980 as ‘Gwendeline’. I have read and enjoyed several of this author’s books, but this really wasn’t one of those. I wanted to love it – and once I picked through the bits and pieces, I did like the core of the story. The writing was patchy and the story was slow and very predictable. However, it just mostly left me puzzled about the people who populated the story, their relationships and the time in which they lived as well as their interactions with each other.

The heroine isn’t just TSTL, it is worse than that. She reminds me of the old cartoon series where Snidely Whiplash is always tying Nell Fenwick to the railroad tracks – she never learns.

The hero just puzzles me. I guess in my cartoon scenario, he’d be Dudley DoRight. He seems to be in a world of his own. He doesn’t share any information or tell what is going on – but – yet he shares ‘glances’ or ‘smiles’ with others that makes you think there is a conspiracy of some kind. He manages to do some TSTL stuff as well.

The basic story is:

Gwendeline Gregory’s parents have just died and left her with absolutely nothing. She never really knew them because they placed her in the country and only visited for a short period each year – and they had house parties, etc. during that time. So, when they died and their holdings had to be sold off she isn’t terribly bereft. Now, the parents deaths and the legal aftermath didn’t just happen in a day, yet when the hero, Alex St. Audley, Earl of Merryn, shows up at her door to ‘rescue’ her, she has absolutely no thoughts and no plans even though she has to be out of the house that day. She thought maybe she’d go to an Inn for a while.

Alex shows up expecting an infant or a young child and he has planned for the future care of that child. It is his plan to provide a house and yearly stipend. However, when he arrives, the young child turns out to be a lovely young woman. Alex makes up a story about a ‘group’ of her father’s friends getting together to provide for her. (How can he be good friends with either or both parents and not know something about the child?) He takes Gwendeline to London and places her in his mother’s home with plans to provide a season.

Gwendeline learns some hurtful things about her parents, meets a bad guy, gets kidnapped, gets rescued, gets kidnapped, etc. Alex does some stupid things, keeps secrets when he should be speaking up, etc. – Then finally HEA.

As I said, I enjoyed the core story, but you had to really pick it out of all the stuff going on – and it is slow going. I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether you wish the read the book or not.

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"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher." ( )

Earl To The Rescue is my first experience with Jane Ashford's work. Out on shelves on November 27th, it's a good way to take your mind off the holiday craziness. Ms. Ashford's writing style is smooth, her characters likeable and there's adventure with a side of humor. I read the entire book in one sitting, during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. These days that's saying a lot.

Our heroine is Gwendeline Gregory, daughter of the recently deceased Baron Gregory and his wife, Annabella. With her pale blond hair and striking aquamarine eyes, she's the spitting image of her late mother. Gwendeline has spent all her 18 years living on the family country estate while her parents mostly lived in London. The creditors are forcing the sale of all assets to cover their outstanding debts. It's hard to mourn for people you barely knew but easy to be a little angry and disappointed. Their thoughtlessness has resulted in Gwendeline being turned out on her ear.

Alex St. Aduley, Earl of Merryn, is our knight in shining armour. He arrives just in time to scoop Gwendeline up and escort her to London. He's surprised both because he didn't know there was a child until recently and that she's not a baby. He thought to rescue his friends child but boy, oh boy, she is not a child. Gewndeline is dazzled by our hero. He's tall, stylishly dressed and has the broad shoulders of an athlete. His auburn hair and cool gray eyes are a stunning combination. Finally a hero with, kind of, red hair.

After a misunderstanding about the nature of Alex's offer, these two, and several servants, set off for London and Gwen's new home. To start Gwendeline's first season off on the right foot, Alex takes our girl to stay with his mother. Mom's a trip, you're going to love her. She's a scattered-brained author of gothic novels. What transpires is a little like Pygmalion, there's a lot for our heroine to learn in a short period of time.

This delightful romp takes us on a journey of loss, learning, friendship, love, revenge, adventure and a lot of bewilderment. I didn't cry, not once. It's not that kind of story, it sweet. I won't hesitate next time I see Ms. Ashford's name on a book, I'm going for it. As this is a romance book, there is a happy ending. We'd be disappointed if there wasn't. Receiving a free book ARC is a privilege and one I certainly enjoy. Being able to share my opinion with you is a pleasure. Both are free and without obligation. Happy reading. ( )