Spot on. Heroine has been in love with the hero for years. She is tall and freckled and considered plain, and this combined with harsh words from her Aunt and former suitors has convinced her that she is completely undesirable. The hero must marry before his birthday, and Kate, while hiding, overhears James speaking to her brother about arranging their marriage, declaring his complete lack of passion and love for her. She wants him to be happy so she decides to help him find love. Her matchmaking is quite painful for her. Of course, the hero comes to fall in love with her and she cannot believe it. This book was full of all the angst of an insecure heroine who is completely convinced the hero does not and can not have feelings for her. I felt like it was a little too easily resolved in the end but I'm not sure how else it could have been done. I really enjoyed this, is it a great example of my favorite themes.

Originally read in March of 2012. Re-read in March of 2016 and it still stands up! SUCH GREAT ANGST!

Re-read in March 2018 and I still love the angst so much! Top five favorites of the plain heroine trope.
Bumping it up to a full five stars. Will likely reread this a couple times a year. ( )

James Hargrave, Earl of Arden has only a few weeks before his thirtieth birthday and the deadline to be married. Unfortunately while telling his closest friend Viscount Honeycourt the logical reasons he wishes to marry the Viscount's sister Kate, she can hear every word. She makes a pack with the Earl to find him a bride. Unfortunately nothing goes right.
I really liked the story and the characters, and found it an easy and enjoyable read. ( )

Spot on. Heroine has been in love with the hero for years. She is tall and freckled and considered plain, and this combined with harsh words from her Aunt and former suitors has convinced her that she is completely undesirable. The hero must marry before his birthday, and Kate, while hiding, overhears James speaking to her brother about arranging their marriage, declaring his complete lack of passion and love for her. She wants him to be happy so she decides to help him find love. Her matchmaking is quite painful for her. Of course, the hero comes to fall in love with her and she cannot believe it. This book was full of all the angst of an insecure heroine who is completely convinced the hero does not and can not have feelings for her. I felt like it was a little too easily resolved in the end but I'm not sure how else it could have been done. I really enjoyed this, is it a great example of my favorite themes.

Originally read in March of 2012. Re-read in March of 2016 and it still stands up! SUCH GREAT ANGST!

Re-read in March 2018 and I still love the angst so much! Top five favorites of the plain heroine trope.
(4.5 stars) ( )

James has to marry before his 30th birthday (in seven weeks' time) or lose his inheritance. He plans to ask his best friend's sister, Kate, to enter into a marriage of convenience with him. However, Kate has overheard a frank conversation between James and her brother Harry, in which James makes it clear that he neither loves Kate nor finds her attractive. Kate has been in love with James for 11 years and refuses his offer.

I think we can all see where this is going. I enjoyed many things about this novel: the initial set-up with Kate accidentally overhearing from the priest's hole, Kate's attempts to find a wife for James and his discovery that none of them is quite right; the dreadful Cousin Augusta; the secondary romance between Harry and Lizzie. On the other hand, once James realized his feelings for Kate the novel became quite repetitive. He would say that he really wanted to marry her and she would say "No, you don't" and then they would do it again and again. The ending was all bit lacking in romance somehow. ( )

A stellar historical romance in the friends-to-lovers vein. "The Earl's Dilemma" by Emily May will leave you with a sappy grin on your face and a little skip in your step.

Kate has loved James since she was seventeen. But after that humiliating summer, she learned to hide her feelings and treat him like the treasured friend he needs. Since then, she's only poured out her heart to her diaries she writes in while secluded in the hidden priest hole of her brother's house. So when she overhears James say that he intends to marry her, she's first thrilled...until she hears his reasons.

James needs to marry in seven weeks or forfeit the home he loves. He always wanted to marry for love, but now he'll marry for comfort. And who better than his best friend's sister? She certainly won't turn him down. She loved him years ago, they're good friends, she won't expect too much from him...right? But suddenly, Kate turns James' world upside down. SHE won't marry him, but she'll help him find a wife. So how come all James can think of is how no matter how 'perfect' her candidates are...they aren't Kate.

Yes, it's a well-used plot. But I gotta tell ya, that it's been a long time since I've enjoyed the execution as well as this story by Emily May. The pacing and gradual deepening of emotion felt real and realistic. The addition of a secondary love story with the heroine's brother was just icing on the cupcake. "The Earl's Dilemma" is a quick afternoon read, about three people you come to like, with just enough heat to satisfy. ( )