Widow Lauryn Harris is horrified when her father-in-law informs her he’s lost his ancestral estate to an Earl in a card game.  Wanting to help him, she decides she will get it back.  The only way she can think of to do so is by offering herself to the Earl of Sutton as his mistress.  Styling herself as “Mrs. Smith,” Lauryn goes to the Earl’s London home and asks for the recently vacated position. 

Though he can tell “Mrs. Smith” is no courtesan, Marcus, the Earl of Sutton, is intrigued by her and agrees to take her on as his mistress.  His plan is to bring her to the country with him so they can spend time alone together.  Nothing works out as he’s planned, however, including his own feelings.  Can these two very different people find love despite their unconventional beginning?

Enticing the Earl is an amusing historical romp.  It was easy to root for Lauryn, who was able to marshal the courage to do something so against her shy nature.  Though Marcus’s habits with women in the past seem rather “rakish,” he’s an honorable and kind man, not to mention hot!  I enjoyed the secondary characters as well, and there was a well-done mystery / suspense angle that added interest and excitement to the story.  I’m a sucker for Regency tales, and Nicole Byrd did a great job of combining several tried-and-true Regency storylines to create something that didn’t feel old or clichéd at all.  I’ll be picking up some more of Ms. Byrd’s books ASAP!