The Thirteenth Earl

Book: The Thirteenth Earl

Author: Evelyn Pryce

Genre: Romance, Mystery

This was a really quick, really easy read. This is a typical romance in that the characters weren't too deep, there was a lot of "romantic angst", and the plot sped along. For me, this was a "finish in two sittings" type of read, and although it was fairly shallow, I still enjoyed it. 

There were some fun historical references to the Spiritualism movement in England that I didn't know about. Consequently, I spent some time on Wikipedia learning more about it, so hey-this book got me to learn something new! 

I liked how the heroine wasn't the typical simpering lass, but she had too many "woe is me" moments for my sensibilities. Overall, the three female leads were good blends of strong and weak, and they allowed me to get through the book. The three male leads were typical of this genre: focused on one thing and good-looking.

Figuring out the plot was fun. The "cursed" earl tries to drown himself in alcohol in order to escape his sad existence. The spunky heroine falls for him against her better judgment, especially because she's been engaged to his cousin for nearly a decade. Mysterious accidents and events occur, and the heroine sets out to prove her love isn't cursed by anything other than a dastardly human.

If you're not into sex scenes, there are some pages you'll need to skip. If you are, they're rather decent-just enough to stimulate the brain, not too much that leaves you thinking "enough already".

If you're in need of some easy on the brain entertainment, The Thirteenth Earl fits the bill.