The Formidable Earl

Ida has been in hiding since her father was declared a traitor and hanged. Simon outs her to the ton and then has to protect her from enemies that are looking to silence her. Together they must find out who set her father up as a traitor. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

fun story. I love the mystery. I loved how Simon wanted to do right by Ida's father for saving his life by keeping his daughter alive and find justice for a man he greatly respected.

The Formidable Earl is a fantastic read filled with mystery, action and sizzling romance. Highly recommend this read. Although, it can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading Sophie Barnes previous books in the series.

Thank You Netgalley for the ARC.

An Earl who worries about doing what society dictates as proper behavior finds his world turned upside down. The daughter of a soldier who saved his life is in danger. She wants to prove her father wasn't a traitor, he wants to help. As they look for answers, he becomes more compassionate and understanding. He'll do anything for love.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I have always enjoyed reading Sophie Barnes' books. She is a terrific writer. This book is romantic, engaging and sweet. I like the mystery and the characters too. Another fun read! :)

I really enjoyed this book. Simon, the Earl of Fielding, cares too much about what society thinks. Of course, he falls in love with someone no one in society will ever approve of. Ida, the main character, is smart and headstrong. I like that she doesn't wait around, and tries to solve the mystery of her father's betrayal on her own. She also doesn't have any interest in being merely a mistress. I'm not sure that I needed such a detailed plot about England and France and Napolean, but the main characters kept me reading. For folx looking for romance and some steaminess without being super explicit, this is the perfect read.

I always love a good “haughty lord gets his comeuppance” regency story, and The Formidable Earl delivers this trope in spades. Simon, Earl of Fielding, is discriminating, snobby, and above fray. He won’t muddy his boots with anything that falls beneath is exacting standards, which is why it’s shocking when Simon encounters a friend’s daughter, Ida, and feels compelled to come to her aid. As Simon’s adventures with Ida develop, his heart begins to learn that the loveliest things in life cannot be held to his cold, unemotional standards. A solid romance set in my favorite time period of Regency love.

The Formidable Earl by Sophie Barnes

Ida Strong’s father is wrongly executed as a traitor and the haughty Earl of fielding is trying to help her clear his name after he accidentally almost got her killed.

Another great historical romance by Sophie Barnes with mystery and suspense thrown in. A story with many twists and action - great read.

I started reading historical books again. This is what I love about that era store style of writing. Read it

Sophie Barnes is an author that all romance readers will love. Her characters come to have a life on the page and The Formidable Earl is no different. Simon and Ida are from two different worlds. Simon soon learns you cannot judge a book by its cover. Ida knows she can never fit into Simon's world and must let him go as soon as they have accomplished finding the person who has framed her father. But it won't be easy.....

Part of series, I had read first 2 in series wish I had read others before reading this one. Just for background on secondary characters.
I wanted to smack Simon, his haughtiness towards Ida. He did attempt to help her though.
I liked that Ida had several people who had her back.

In most books you either like the hero or you don’t. In this story I started off liking this staid uncompromising Earl then I really did not care for him until he redeemed himself, the big bumblebrain. I wanted to shake him and am so glad Ida did not put up with his stupidity. She stood by her convictions. There is a bit of a mystery which I love but the real story lied with Simon’s attitude towards people. I loved seeing how he overcame it and thought the love story was beautiful.

Simon Garrison, Earl of Fielding, had been jilted three years ago by Gabriella Harding. She ended up married to the Duke of Huntley. He could not seem to find a wife, that he liked. He was thirty- three and was not getting any younger.
Ida Veronica Strong was in hiding. Her father had been branded a traitor and hung. But anyone who knew her father knew better. She had stood below him while he died and threatened that she would get the man who did this to her father. Soon after she was shot and left for dead. Now she had been found by Simon in a brothel. Her aunt, Philipa Harding had been hiding her for the last four years. When Simon came the first time to visit, he saw her, then saw her bracelet. The one her father bought her just after getting back from France and the war.
He tried to speak to her but was stopped by this huge guy. Ida had left by the back door and was attacked again but Simon having just been thrown out was walking toward home. He just wanted to help. He heard her scream and saved her.
So much happens in this story. Simon meets a crime lord who has become a Duke. A Scot who is his second in command and various other people. He also gets to know the Duke of Huntley. It gets very exciting. She is unsure of Simon for a while, trust can be a hard thing to give. The tale is easy to read and moves smoothly. The characters are cute and their chemistry is something else. They don't even realize they are falling in love, which can be tough to do while trying to outrun someone, trying to kill her. It is very entertaining and engages you.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

The Formidable Earl by Sophie Barnes is the sixth in the Diamonds in the Rough Series. This series has some interesting characters and many different storylines which makes the series interesting. I have enjoyed them. It is possible to read each story as a standalone.

Ida Strong is a traitor’s daughter. Her father was found guilty of a crime, she knows he did not commit. She has been hiding out at her aunt’s brothel, for a period of time, knowing she is going to have to leave England and find a new place. Meanwhile Simon Nugent, Earl of Fielding decided to leave the straight-laced life behind for the night only to recognize Ida Strong and give away her hiding spot.

Ida has to find a new place to be safe, as people are trying to kill her to prevent her from finding out the truth. Simon ends up helping her and together they work toward finding the truth. However, someone does not want the truth to come out. Who was really responsible for sending secrets to Napoleon.

I like how Simon and Ida work together and how Simon treats her so tenderly, when he finally realizes what is really important. The twists were interesting and some of the other characters from past novels were fun. The Formidable Earl by Sophie Barnes was a good read.

I absolutely did not like Simon until the very end when he started to get his head out of his ass. He was such a coward and a jerk.
Ida was a very strong and independent woman was way more mature than Simon at times.
The only thing that kept me reading was Ida and the mystery of finding out who framed her father.

3.5 stars rounded up!

Simon Nugent, the Earl of Fielding, lives to preserve his pristine reputation. He was never able to earn his parents’ approval, despite his best efforts, and lives with the guilt of his past mistakes. When he discovers the daughter of the man who saved his life during the war alive, he sees his chance to make amends. Too bad he’s also fiercely attracted to the woman.

Ever since her father was wrongfully executed for treason Ida Strong has been determined to prove his innocence and see justice served. She’s done hiding away, especially now that a certain bothersome earl has blown her cover and she can’t afford distractions, no matter how handsome. The earl claims to want to help but Ida understandably doesn’t trust easily, and she certainly has no intention of risking her heart, although that seems inevitable.

I really liked this premise of the wronged heroine seeking justice and the hero operating as more or less her sidekick. However, many of the decisions they made in an effort to investigate didn’t make much sense given the clear attempts being made on her life. I also was not a big fan of this hero. He spent much of the book enumerating the myriad reasons why Ida could never be his wife and being puzzled as to why she wasn’t leaping at the chance to be his mistress. His epiphany came a bit too late and this watered down some of the romance for me. The mystery element was enjoyable, and I loved Ida as a heroine. She was strong, knew her own mind, and stood up for herself without coming off as shrewish, which is so rare in recent reads. Despite the danger she faced, she never seemed helpless. The ending was very dramatic, maybe a little too much so, but it did have me feverishly turning pages. I do wish we’d gotten a bit more information regarding the villain’s comeuppance and more of a chance for Ida’s vindication to be shown on the page after it was so hard-won. Overall, this was a solid story and I look forward to Blayne’s HEA next.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is certainly a book of opposites attract. Simon is a most upstanding Earl, his friends accuse him of being stuffy and boring. Ida has been living on the edge, in hiding in her aunt's brothel since her father was hanged for treason. Simon is shocked to find her, as he thought she was dead. Despite her father's supposed crimes he feels he owes the man a debt for saving his life during the war. Despite his misgivings, he agrees to help her trackdown the true traitor. Simon knows that with all the scandal surrounding Ida, he can never marry her, but that doesn't stop him from wanting her in his life permanently. Though Ida can't deny her growing feelings, she can't accept the idea that she can be Simon's mistress but never his wife. As danger surrounds them, both realize what is truly important and what they are willing to give up to be together

This book was not what I expected. The book started out a little slow, but once all of the background information was over, the book became incredible. I was cheering for Simon and Ida the whole time and it was charming to see happened to the two of them to find true love.

Sophie Barnes continues her Diamonds in the Rough series with the story of Simon, Earl of Fielding, and Ida, resident of a brothel and daughter of a convicted traitor, a man who was also Simon's friend. If you haven't read any other books in the series, the good news is that you can start here and not feel like you have missed much. Although Simon has had roles in many of the books that came before and Ida was introduced in the previous book, those events have little to do with the plot of this story and all relevant connections are well explained so you won't be lost.


Simon and Ida are an odd couple. He is the epitome of uptight while she is as inappropriate a companion as one could imagine. Her only saving grace is that she only lived in the brothel, the niece of the proprietress; she didn't work there. Despite their differences, when Simon realizes who she is, the daughter of his former military commander, that she is determined to prove her father innocent of treason, and her life is in danger, he is committed to helping her. Along the way, he realizes that there are some things in life more important than social status and reputation. As the mystery unfolds and their feelings for each other grow, the inevitable social gap looms leaving Simon with a crisis of conscience.


All in all, it was a good story. The mystery of the real traitor wasn't predictable. The ending was exciting and romantic. The characters were interesting. I only gave the book four stars instead of five because there was just something, in my opinion, a little bit off about the pairing of Simon and Ida. They were great when they were together, but, when they were apart, something didn't quite work. It felt a little forced.

Simon meets his friends daughter, believed to be dead, hiding in a brothel of all places. Ida, after faking her death, has been hiding at her aunts brothel while trying to get justice for her father who was mistakenly hanged as a traitor. Simon unknowingly outs Ida. Believing Ida's father innocent as well, Simon does what he can to help her clear his name. This was another wonderful book from Sophie Barnes. She never disappoints. I definitely recommend this book to my fellow Regency fans. Keep up the good work!
Thank you Sophie Barnes and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

received an ARC of "The Formidable Earl" by Sophie Barnes from Netgalley. Simon Garrison Nugent, Earl of Fielding, meets Ida Strong in a brothel.. Together,  they team up to find the true culprit and traitor who framed Ida's father and had him hung.  The investigation brings the two closer and eventually in an inevitable position of danger. This is also a good whodunit book.

I enjoyed this romance story with Miss Ida Strong and Simon Nugent, the Earl of Fielding.

Miss Ida Strong wants justice on the behalf of her father because he was wrongly accused of doing something. She has been hiding out because the person that had her father accused is trying to kill her. So after being recognized by the Earl she flee her hiding place but before she gets there something all most happens to her.


Simon Nugent, Earl of Fielding is very predictable. His friends tell him that he is boring and that he should try something new like go to a upper class brothel. So he decided to take that challenge but he did not expect to find a former friends daughter there.

So after meets each other they both decided to look for the man that accused her father. There is a lot of different twist and turn to this story. There is also a mystery too. This book is 6th book in this series. It can be read on it only or in the group.

I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. This is my honest unbiased opinion.

The Formidable Earl mixed mystery and romance and did it well, as well as bringing back Simon Nugent, an earl with an arrogant edge who is hard to like — at first. He's too full of his position, unable to have fun and kind of a stick in the mud. Ida Strong, whose father died a traitor, is a strong heroine who took a bad hand and kept her head held high, even if she is living in a brothel..
From the first, they are an unlikely couple — but, oh, do the sparks fly. Ida is determined to clear her father's name, and Simon — almost against his own wishes — helps her, freeing his best self as he does so. Ida makes him a better, more likable man. It's a short story but one with lovely character growth. That's not easy to do as a writer, and it makes us care about these people and their lives. When the mystery is solved and love wins, the victory is all the sweeter. (I received an ARC from NetGalley; opinions mine!)

A well-written and complex story this book will capture your interest right up until the last page. It's filled with suspense and intrigue, a nice blend of humor and lovely romance. The characters are very well-developed and interesting. It's a winner for sure!

Another wonderful read! This is part of the Diamonds in the Rough series, I have read out of order and it doesn’t matter. There are characters that are in the previous books, but this is Simon and Ida story.
Simon is basically a “Stick in the Mud” Earl. His life is very predictable. His friends are telling him his life is boring and he will follow the path his upbringing has laid out for him. Simon can’t believe that they think that and decides to do something unpredictable. He takes his friend challenge and to go St. Giles, a unsavory part of London, to a upper class brothel. Entering there is no more to greet him, totally unacceptable! Looking around he sees someone hiding on the stairs looking down at him. Calling Ida out, she comes down to welcome him. Of course Simon will assume the worse of Ida, she is in in house of ill repute.
Ida has her only secrets and is in hiding for her life. Simon suddenly recognizes her as the daughter of a old friend from his military days. Matthews was hung as a traitor! Calling Ida out, started a series of bad events to repeat itself for Ida. Feeling guilty Simon feels obligated to help her since he is the cause of her difficulties. Great mystery, many twists and turns. A story of who done it.
I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story.

This was a different historical fiction book because there was a murder to solve. I enjoyed reading it because the characters were interesting and the story kept me wanting to know if they found the murderer. I was pleased that it had a happy ending and will try and find more books like this to read.

This was a fun period romance. It had all the elements you want: a spunky heroine, an arrogant Earl who learns the errors of his ways, and a bit of adventure that requires him to come sweeping in on his "white horse" to save the day.

This is a wonderful tale of a woman who has seen her father hung for a crime he didn't commit and a young Earl who was raised to be proper. I never write spoilers so I will just tell you that this book is very well written. Simon is so boring, so stuck in his proper, rigid life, until the night his friends coax him to go to a brothel. Ida is hiding in a brothel from the man who set her father up to hang. The development of both these characters is great. You can actually feel them growing in mind and heart. At the end of this story, I wanted to know more about their lives, and stay with them because they had become friends.

The secondary characters are from other books in the series, but you can definitely read this as a standalone. I received a complimentary copy of this story in exchange for an honest review. This review is honest. Enjoy this story, and stay away from Newgate1

This book was a fin mystery/adventure/romance. While I typically read more clean romances, I did enjoy this book. Ida Strong is hiding from someone who is out to kill her after she attempted to safe her father from a traitors death. Through a twist of fate, she comes in contact with Simon Nugent, the Earl of Fielding. Simon is an arrogant man who is haunted by his misdeeds in his past. When he comes in contact with Ida, the daughter of a man who once saved his life, he see a way for redemption. Little does he know, that their lives will become mush more complicated than simply trying to help her clear her father's name and, in doing so, save her life.

I received a free ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Love love ida. She stands up for herself, has an opinion and is overall amazing. This was a wonderful book and the romance was enjoyable. Simons transformation was great.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Simon Nugent, the Earl of Fielding is arrogant and possessive and haunted by his past choices. When he identifies a young lady Ida Strong while she's hiding in a brothel, she's know even more at risk. Ida wants justice on behalf of her father and she’ll take any risk to achieve her goal. She has a hard time trusting the handsome Earl of Fielding but she can’t fight the attraction between them. He agrees to work with Ida so they try and discover the truth about the plot to free Napoleon. She's struggled to trust people since her father's execution, but who can she trust to help her solve the plot? A captivating story with romance, mystery and intrigue. I have voluntarily read and reviewed these excellent story.

I was so excited to be given this next book in the Diamonds In The Rough series!! I couldn’t wait to read Ida & Simon’s story! It did not disappoint either! Simon is our sexy Earl, who has told he is proper, boring, & a rule follower...he is now set out to prove his friends wrong! When he busts into a brothel he demands Ida assist him! Omg! Guys she doesn’t work there & has been in hiding from someone who is a threat! These two really have a great meet-cute. Simon & Ida actually have a connection...in more than one way! Simon had served with Ida’s father in the war & wants to help Ida prove her father wasn’t guilty! Simon is determined to make things right for Ida! These two seriously go through so much on their journey & both weren’t looking for love. But of course HEA! I really enjoyed every action packed slow burn to love pages! All in all a great addition to this wonderful series!!

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book. I have enjoyed this series nad this book was not different, however this book can definitely be read as a stand alone.
Ida's father was hanged for treason bit he was innocent and ida is determined to prove it.
Simon's life was save by ida's father in the war and he knows he owes helping ida.
Simon and ida's relationship was great. Simon was instantly attracted to ida but he was also respectful of her. Ida was a strong woman who knew what she wanted and needed to do. I love that she demanded more than being some man's mistress.
Can't wait for the next book in the series.

The Formidable Earl harkens back to the first book in this series, A Most Unlikely Duke. In that first story, Raphe Matthews, the very unlikely duke, steals the Earl of Fielding’s fiancee. Not that it was actual theft, not that Gabriela didn’t go extremely willingly, and not that Simon was even remotely heartbroken.

The only parts of Simon that took any kind of hit were his pride and his reputation. Possibly along with the stick up his ass – although that may have become more firmly embedded as the years went by. After all, Simon only proposed to Gabriela because she’d make a perfect countess – not because he cared about her or even really knew her.

It was, after all, what the Earl of Fielding was expected to do. So he did. But fortunately for everyone both in that story and this one, SHE didn’t.

Considering that Simon has a terrible habit of doing what is expected instead of what he wants, well past the point of his own detriment, he’s actually better off without Gabriela, who wasn’t nearly as perfect for the role he imagined for her as he thought she was.

But she’s perfect as the Duchess of Huntley, and Raphe and Gabriela are perfect for each other.

Leaving Simon, in his mid-30s, alone and in need of a wife, or so he – and polite society – believe.

What Simon is really in need of is a LIFE. It’s only when he steps just a bit outside his comfort zone to get one that he finds everything he really needs. All he has to do is consign his starched and pristine reputation to the scrapheap where it belongs.

By marrying a woman who everyone insists is a traitor, a prostitute, and very nearly a murderess into the bargain.



Escape Rating B: There’s a theme to this series, and it’s pretty obvious from the series title. One protagonist or the other is just not “suitable” for marriage into the ton, whether it’s because they were raised outside it, because they were forced out of it, or because they were never part of it in the first place. The usual progress of each story is for the person who does belong to realize that what polite society thinks and believes is a whole lot of horseshit.

The books in the series are only kind of loosely linked, so it really isn’t necessary to read the previous books, or to read all of them, before diving into The Formidable Earl. (I just discovered I missed one along the way and now I WANT to go back to it, but I don’t HAVE to go back.)

The reason for, in this case, the heroine’s unsuitability was fascinating, but the hero’s reaction to it was at times just a bit squicky. Let me explain.

Ida Strong’s dilemma is a reminder that this series takes place at a time when the Napoleonic Wars were not far in the past at all, and that there were still a lot of hard feelings, wounded veterans and general all-around recriminations going on at the time. (The Napoleonic Wars, in a fictional sense, are a gift that just keeps on giving. So many dramatic possibilities both during the war and in the following years.)

Four years before this story begins, Ida Strong’s father, a celebrated British Army General, was convicted of treason in Napoleon’s escape from Elba. Matthew Strong was executed for a heinous crime that he did not commit, and his daughter vowed to find the men responsible and clear her father’s name.

In those intervening years, Ida lived in a brothel owned and operated by her mother’s sister. And that’s where Simon Nugent, the Earl of Fielding, discovers her the one time he decides to break away from his extremely priggish persona.

Simon’s exposure of Ida puts her life in danger from the men who connived at framing her father. The story here is Simon attempting to protect her while falling in love with this woman who is oh-so-wrong according to everyone who is anyone, but oh-so-right for Simon.

But, the exposure of Simon’s thoughts and feelings about the possibility that Ida is a prostitute is extremely uncomfortable to read. It’s not that it isn’t true to what we think of the Regency, it’s that, quite honestly, it just feels awful. It makes all kinds of sense for the era, but it still makes the reader, or at least this reader, squirm when reading it.

Which gives me mixed feelings that Ida has to reject the idea so forcefully in order to be considered “worthy” of becoming his heroine equally squirmy. Again, not that this isn’t true to what we believe of the era. But it still made me uncomfortable.

All of that being said, I really, really liked Ida. She’s a terrific heroine, forthright and proactive with plenty of agency. She was more middle-class to begin with, but society has completely rejected her so she’s pretty much said “to hell with it and the horse it rode in on.”

That Simon is both slavishly devoted to worrying about what people will think and falling desperately in love with Ida puts him on the horns of a delicious dilemma. That Ida has decided what she wants and what she doesn’t, and has no plans to settle, in contrast with Simon’s need to keep her with his initial unwillingness to buck society provides the romantic tension.

That someone really is out to get her, and that they nearly succeed, provides plenty of dramatic tension to keep the reader turning pages until the very last.

I’m certainly looking forward to the continuation of this series with Her Scottish Scoundrel in May of 2021. Not nearly soon enough!

This is another enjoyable read from Sophie Barnes.
This is the first I've read in the series so I didn't know the backstory of any of the side characters who obviously have had their own stories, but this didn't really affect the overall story.
The Formidable Earl is about Simon Nugent who after being accused of being boring by his friends decides to visit a brothel. This causes the chance meeting of an old friends daughter, Ida Strong who has been hiding out in the brothel whilst everyone thought she was dead after her father was wrongfully hanged for treason four years ago and she vowed to avenge him. Ida ends up moving into one of Simon's properties as she has nowhere else to go and as they try to uncover the real traitor a friendship/romance quickly develops.
This book definitely veers into the characters acting stupid at times but who knows what Earl's would have behaved and thought 200 years ago. Overall it is an enjoyable romance and I really liked how the story wrapped up.
Thanks to Netgalley.com and Sophie Barnes for my complimentary eARC copy.

This book is definitely a historical romantic suspense - with this book. There is a mystery of who killed Ida's father, one that Simon is determined to solve. I liked the characters. The book was engaging and fast paced.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you!

The Formidable Earl, by Sophie Barnes. Well, I certainly enjoyed reading this love story. I felt the the writer really wanted to focus the point of the story, which is the romance and love that was growing between Ida and Simone. I found myself caught up in not only the romance, but the mystery plot as well. I loved how the writer chose Ida to be a strong character. This made her a great fit for Simone. Ida’s character is able to match wit and go toe to toe with Simone and anyone else who tried challenge her. Simone’s character was written well too. He was written as a strong, intelligent man with exuberant power. If readers love a good mystery romance book to read, then this is the book for you.

This is Simon and Ida’s story. He accidentally outed her hiding. She wants to find the person who should have been hung instead of her father. Simon demands that he help her in her quest. There are many twists and turns in their investigation. This was a very exciting story.

Simon Nugent, Earl of Fielding, set out to end the stuffy and boring existence his life had become. Being jilted can do that. He takes himself to Amourette’s (an exclusive brothel), and gets a huge surprise. Instead of a night’s pleasurable interlude, he meets Ida Strong, the daughter of a friend from his time in the war. From the moment she publicly vowed she would find the men who framed her father for treason, she has been in danger and hiding in the brothel owned by her Aunt Phillipa. She runs, and he chases and catches her. Now they are off to find the truth about what happened to her father. Their search and time together might reveal some other truths as well.

This is an exciting story with secrets, action, danger, treason, mystery, and romance. The mystery is a page-turner in itself. The attraction between Simon and Ida is undeniable and the chemistry is sizzling. The romance is a little complicated by Simon’s rather arrogant views of Society’s expectations. He feels like he has failed the people he cared about in the past. After some soul-searching, with and without the help of others, Simon begins to see life in a different light. Ida is smart and stubborn. She is independent and determined to clear her father’s name. Carlton Guthrie, Blayne MacNeil, and the Duke of Huntley help with the mystery. I enjoyed and recommend this Diamond in the Rough. Now on to Blayne.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Entertaining historical read. Ida wants justice for her father who was wrongly hung for treason and now she hides in a brothel worried the true traitor will be after her next. Simon is a straightlaced member of the ton and decides to go to a brothel to give him a bit more excitement in his life. When he sees Ida, he is shocked and is willing to help her. What will happen when sparks fly? Fast-paced read with loads of drama, twists and turns and steam. I liked it.

Simon Nugent, Earl of Fielding, knows he's flawed. He's arrogant, possessive, and haunted by a terrible choice he made long ago. So when a former friend's daughter gives him the chance to do a good deed, he grabs it. Ida Strong wants one thing – justice on behalf of her father. She has no room for anything else, in spite of her growing and (at times) inexplicable attraction toward a certain earl. However Ida knows what betrayal tastes like, placing her trust in others is hard. Risking her heart, would be downright foolish. Until it's the only thing that seems to make sense.
This is the sixth book in this wonderful series, it could easily be read on its own but we have met both Simon & Ida in previous books & also there are appearances from other previous characters too. A very well written, page turning read that was fast paced & it also had the mystery about who the traitor really was. I loved Ida who was determined to prove her father innocent & her faith in him never ever wavered. I liked Simon from the start but his arrogance did annoy me at times but he did eventually realise where his priorities lay. I was taken on a roller coaster of emotions plus was breathless after Simon’s run through the docks. I look forward to the next book in the series which was nicely set up at the end of this book
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Simon Nugent. Earl, is a typical stuffed shirt upper class member of the ton.
Ida Strong is an orphan whose father, a general, was hung for being a traitor.
Two people from two different classes.
They meet in of all places, a brothel, where Ida lives, but not works. She lives there in hiding as her life is in danger due to what happened with her father.
Simon recognizes her as the daughter of the general, a man to whom he owed his life. Simon wants to help her prove her father was an innocent man. But first he has to protect her.
And so the adventure begins.
Ida and Simon become so close sharing so much of themselves, while at the same time looking for a killer.
But can the stuffy, politically correct Simon overlook Ida's origins and realize she would be the best countess for him or will he break her heart.
I liked ida's character, she was strong. I felt Simon was a bit too full of himself.
But overall I enjoyed the book.
4 stars

The sixth instalment in the Diamonds in the Rough series picks up where we left off in the last book with the mysterious bordello resident, Ida Strong being recognized and outed as the daughter of an infamous traitor. And who is the one to find our misses identity, but the one and only Earl of Fielding whom had his fiancé stolen from him by the Duke of Huntley in the first book of the series!!!

Our prim and and proper earl feels responsible for the wrong he has caused Ida, and decides to join her fight to find the true criminals that framed her father for treason.

There is a big class divide between these two, and their sparks of attraction only make it worse. Simon has a had time reconciling that in order to have anything with Ida, he needs to step down from his high horse of proper and respectable behaviour and truly accept her. I found Simon’s character and beliefs too condescending for me and I was not able to get behind him and his HEA. I love a good villain redemption story, but I just didn’t feel like he truly changed enough.

My favourite parts of the story included the return appearances of Carlton Guthrie and the Duke of Huntley. I really liked seeing them join in and though around their weight in the peerage to help out Ida and Simon. This was made more entertain, by the fact that stuffy Simin hated these men, but ending up needing help from both of them multiple times! Bonus for how classy both Huntley and Guthrie were - love those guys!

This book overall was entertaining and I enjoyed the mystery around the treason plot, the hero was just not my personal cup of tea.

The Formidable Earl by Sophie Barnes is scheduled to release November 24th, 2020.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Sophie Barnes through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#TheFormidableEarl #SophieBarnes #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads

Simon has to make huge amend.s.

Without giving away too much, Simon is the reason her father hung.
So when Ida pops up in his orbit, he's vested in finding her. He saw her bracelet.
Simon was jilted three years ago, by the way.

Ida is strong (pun intended as her last name is Strong). She's had to be.
She's smarter and stronger than Simon. Not sure if he's worthy of her.
But Ida is a very active, engaging character.

Recommend.
Purchased.

Will a woman the total opposite of all his expectations move his heart ...

Simon Nugent Is a man who always followed the framed path sets for him, never straying from it.
Until once to challenge his reputation of a bore, he goes somewhere he would never have usually gone.
There, he meets the woman who will shake is life, disturbing it until she destroys everything he believes to let him rebuilt it from its fondations. Yet to reach it, he must forgone everything he was held to, a slow process as while he quickly knows he can not let Ida go, he is only ready to give her the place Society would solely allow, as his mistress, never as wife.
And while Ida thought she had found a man who stands by her side, and hopes for more. Will she have to corrupt her dreams for a temporary affair.
Their chemistry is off the chart from their first encounter but the prim and proper Earl sees only one fonction to keep her in his life.
And while he confirms to the ton’s judgmental rules, Ida refuses to cover and kisses goodbye to a different less shameful future.
She does not mind being disgraced if it would bring in her life a man who will hold her hand, lend his shoulder, share his heart with her. But she would never accept to be seen lacking or not enough.

« He was, after all, willing to give her the sun and the moon. Just not the stars. »

This novel is the narrative of a man who lets go of every shred holding him back to his past life, who discovers the freedom of acting without thought of the others’ opinion. Simon goes from an aloof dandy to a man ready to risk everything for the woman who has come to mean more than life.
5 stars as I enjoyed watching Simon evolves from a man who prized his peers’ gaze to one seeking only his loved one acceptance, he went running to the ruination of his longly embedded education to rise to a new self determined to choose love over duty.

I was granted an advance copy by the author, here is my true and unbiased opinion.