An Earl By Any Other Name by Lauren Smith

An Earl by Any Other Name by Lauren Smith, Lauren Smith Brody
Series: Sins and Scandals Series Book #1
on December 29, 2025
Genres: FICTION / General, Fiction / Romance / Historical / General, FICTION|Romance|Historical|Victorian
Goodreads

An earl in the streets, a rogue in the sheets . . . Leopold Graham, Lord Hampton, was never a man to let propriety stand in the way of his pursuit of pleasure. Hedonism is his only desire in life?-until his father's death saddles him with debts that threaten to bankrupt the entire family. Now the only thing that stands between him and utter ruin is marriage to a proper, and preferably wealthy, young lady. Ivy Leighton is no sweet English rose. Perhaps it's her gypsy roots, but she would rather make a spectacle of her independent spirit than sit quietly on the sidelines. If that means that the only place she'll ever have in society is firmly on the shelf, then so be it. But when Ivy runs into the handsome, rakish Leo who's looking for a respectable, well-bred wife, she can't stop thinking about the troubles they can get into. Now she just has to convince him that a life with her is really what he needs.

An Earl by Any Other Name is book one in the Sins and Scandals series.

This story is set in England during the Edwardian era just after the Second Boer War and prior to World War I, when the aristocracy in England was undergoing drastic change. Many in the ruling class in Britain were struggling to keep up their family estates. In 1894, the government introduced the death duty tax which required that taxes be paid on estates upon the death of the head of the household. At the same time, the Industrial Revolution was sweeping across the world and workers were pouring into the cities and leaving the farms and aristocracy behind. Leopold is one of those aristocrats fighting to maintain his family’s holdings. At the same time, the fight for women’s rights is raging and Leo’s mother is a part of it. And it’s in this place of societal tension and economic uncertainty that the heroine enters: Ivy Leighton. I really enjoyed how Smith develops the heroine’s character. Unlike most historical romances set around this time, the heroine is not of the aristocratic class. She is no full blooded English rose, instead she is part Romani from her servant mother’s side and her father is the owner of a British newspaper so he is a man in trade. I liked this romance. It’s not really a second chance romance, but the characters knew each other in their youth before they were separated. And as a little girl, Ivy had a huge crush on Leo. “As Leo spoke, he leaned in, placing one hand against the car beside her hip, and she shivered at the scent of him and his warmth. She had always been aware of him; like a planet hugging a distant star, she was connected to him in ways she’d never been with any other man. And that was what made him so dangerous to her.” I loved the romantic tension between Ivy and Leo. Smith also does a masterful job of portraying Leo and his mom’s relationship as especially endearing. There are some steamy scenes in this book. Although it is short, it is a well written romance. I received an advance review copy for free.