Release Day Review: James, Earl of Crofton by Rebecca Cohen #Review #Giveaway

Title: James, Earl of Crofton
Author: Rebecca Cohen
Self Published
Publication Date: April 10, 2020
Length: 298 pages 

Reviewed by Sammy

Synopsis

James Redbourn, Viscount of Crofton, enjoys all the pleasures King Charles II’s Restoration court affords him. His encounter with the enigmatic Chivalrous Highwayman in Epping Forest, sets the court aflame. Tales of the charming rogue treating his latest victim with his usual gentle hand has ladies’ fans quivering with every whisper.

While the Chivalrous Highwayman is a delicious fantasy, it is the intriguing Adam Dowson, the son of one of the greatest Cavalier generals, who is firing James’s daytime desires. Their friendship might be growing stronger, but Adam seems to be one of the few men who is impervious to James’s charms, no matter how hard James tries.

When James’s father become deathly ill, James races home. He is ill-prepared to become the 4th Earl of Crofton, and his father’s vague but dire warnings on his deathbed only make matters worse. Now the earl, James must discover what is happening at Crofton Hall that had troubled his father so deeply.

James turns to Adam for help. Despite Adam’s own secrets, James trusts him. James hopes he’s not making a mistake, risking his family estate, and his already bruised heart. Together, they need to work to clear out the rotten core at Crofton Hall, and along the way secure a happy future for them both.

Purchase Links

Amazon US 

Amazon UK

Review

With the sudden death of his father, James becomes the new Earl of Crofton—a mantle he feels unprepared to assume. Not only that but his father’s dying words are about the nefarious acts of someone in the estate’s employ who is not only stealing from the coffers but perhaps orchestrating something darker and more scandalous. But before James is able to understand what his father is trying to tell him the man dies, taking with him the secrets James must now unlock in order to keep his family’s estate running properly.

Needing an advisor he can trust, James turns to Adam—an older man who comes at the recommendation of a close friend. The two hatch a plan to trap the thieving estate steward and unlock the mystery surrounding the many highway robberies taking place on the road between Crofton and London. Little does James know that Adam holds a secret that will not only aide in unmasking the bandits but also light an unquenchable fire between the two men that cannot be put out.

Although not part of the Crofton Chronicles series by Rebecca Cohen, James, Earl of Crofton still lives within that stately hall and is the story of one of the Crofton ancestors. Restoration literature is hard to do because it begs for astute attention to the details of that era in British history. No one does historical romance better than Cohen in this case for every aspect of this novel lines up beautifully with the time period in which it is set. From the clothing to the language to the obviously privileged nobility, each chapter sheds just a little more light into the class structure of London. The writing is so authentic it’s sometimes hard not to dislike James because of his assumptions that what he wants, when he wants it will not only be granted but with speed and acknowledgement of his great stature. Honestly his hubris is sometimes grating and it takes the character of Adam to really balance him out and make him more down to earth.

Adam is the stability beneath the lofty Earl. He is the one who really ends up teaching James what generosity and compassion are—yes, James has pieces of both in his persona but it takes the dual life Adam leads to really impress on James just how important it is to care for those who have less or even nothing to rely on. Adam is the one with the real tenderness and kindness that leads him to do foolhardy and dangerous things—something James finds both a little exciting and a bit scary. When he comes to care for Adam, James realizes just how much the man sacrifices for those he has taken into his care--it’s this that reshapes the thinking of the Earl—not completely, but it’s a start in the right direction.

James and Adam together make for a wonderful pair—evening out both their rough edges by loving the other. This is story of intrigue and danger—not so much angst or miscommunication. Rather it is the secrets that once revealed show both men in a new light they must make sure doesn’t shine too brightly. While the society that James moves in may be tolerant they are not limitless in their desire to look the other way. Hence the two men must be careful that their relationship has the mark of propriety while out in public. Thankfully both men are aware of this and make the most of their time alone to shower each other with the love they have.

James, Earl of Crofton is a marvelous example of historical romance done right. With all the historical elements in line, a gorgeous romance and a bit of intrigue, the story is top notch and fans of this genre will no doubt enjoy it immensely.

Giveaway

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Featured Guest: Rebecca Cohen ~ The Crofton Chronicles Ride Again!

Diverse Reader is happy to have author Rebecca Cohen here on the blog today talking about The Crofton Chronicles! If you haven't checked these out or are a fan than sit back and enjoy.

The Crofton Chronicles Ride Again!

Back in 2012 when I was still living in Switzerland, my son had not yet been born (but was on his way), I published a novel called The Actor and the Earl. It went on to be the first in a series, called The Crofton Chronicles, the last of which was published in 2015. And that’s pretty much where I thought the story would end, but if you’re sitting comfortably, I’ll tell you the tale of why I’m back harping on again about Sebastian Hewel, an Elizabethan actor, and Anthony Redbourn, the roguish Earl of Crofton.

Now, I have been writing in the Crofton universe since then, I’ve started two other series (the first: the earls through the eras and Anthony, Earl of Crofton came out earlier this year, with the next James, Earl of Crofton in editing; the second:  contemporary featuring the current earl, Ben, which was Saving Crofton Hall and is currently out of print but I plan to re-publish). So I had been thinking that when the Chronicles came to the end of their contracts I would think about doing something with them. Fast forward to this summer, and with various other things going on, I decided to request the rights back meaning from July to Oct 2019 The Crofton Chronicles went out of print…

I was in two minds what to do, almost paralysed and very upset that they were weren’t available. Did I just push them back out or give them some TLC? I didn’t own the covers and as I mentioned the first one was written back in 2012. Also if I did give them a polish I could swop in my British spellings (the publisher was American but I’m a Brit and so are my boys in these books). After much dilly-dallying, I decided to hand them over to my editor to given them a good dusting and approached the cover artist Anne Cain about the covers. 

Anne was lovely and offered the use of my old covers at very low price but she also asked if I would be interested in a revamp – again after seven years was it time to give this series a new lease of life? I bit the bullet can said yes, because as much as I loved the old covers I did want to give the book a fresh start.

I was a little bit teary when the new cover came back – Anne had worked her magic a second time!

The edits were another thing I didn’t expect – I found myself falling back in love with Sebastian, the actor who is naïve and good natured, putting up with the enigmatic Anthony (who on occasion could do with a slap). Where my creativity had hit a slump I was suddenly revived, I was enjoying reading my own writing and the ideas began to flow (there’s a few new stories on my WIP pile including a 4^th Crofton Chronicle!). I even jazzed up the blurbs and brushed up my Canva skills to make pretty promos.

Here’s the new blurb for The Actor and the Earl to wet your whistle:

Elizabethan actor Sebastian Hewel is about to embark on the role of a lifetime. When his twin sister, Bronwyn, reneges on the arrangement to marry Anthony Redbourn, Earl of Crofton, Sebastian reluctantly takes her place. At nineteen, Sebastian knows he is getting too old for the female leads, and the male ones are hard to come by. He might feel like he’s in one of Master Shakespeare’s plays, but with his performance as Lady Crofton, he hopes to pay off his late father’s debts. Never mind the danger of losing his head should he be discovered.

Sebastian didn’t expect Anthony to be so attractive and alluring—not to mention shrewd. Anthony sees through the ruse, but not being the type of man to care if his lovers wear a gown or a doublet, he is charmed by Sebastian, and offers a mutually beneficial alternative. Fool Anthony’s fellow nobles and court in an extravagant wedding, then retire to Crofton Hall to play Anthony’s beloved wife for a year or two, after which the young, but sickly, Lady Crofton will succumb to a fever, and Sebastian can return to his normal life.

Sebastian will need every drop of his acting talents to survive with both his head and his heart intact.

At the end of October The Actor and the Earl was released back out into the world, followed by Duty to the Crown and Forever Hold His Peace. If you’ve read the originals you don’t need to buy the new editions, if you’ve not read them, they are now cheaper than before and in KU for the first time.

The right reversions for all of my books with my old publisher was no longer the great worry I had built it up to be, I could do this! Get my boys back, and then build on their stories – I feel like a real writer again.

Watch out over the coming months for new stories from me and the re-release of my older ones. Next up will be my am dram novella series Treading the Boards which has stunning new covers from Garrett Leigh, and a new one in the series is planned for Q1 2020… again another wave of creativity I didn’t expect.

To other writers in a similar position, it’s okay you can do this! And to readers, new and old, thank you as ever for your support!

Links:

The Actor and the Earl: https://smarturl.it/TheActorandtheEarl

Duty to the Crown: https://smarturl.it/DutytotheCrown

Forever Hold His Peace: https://smarturl.it/ForeverHoldHisPeace

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.cohen.710

Twitter: https://twitter.com/R_Cohen_writes

Blog: https://rebeccacohenwrites.wordpress.com/