BOOK REVIEW- THE EARL TAKES ALL by Lorraine Heath

One summer night, Edward Alcott gives in to temptation and kisses Lady Julia Kenney in a dark garden. However, the passion she stirs within him is best left in the shadows as she weds his twin, the Earl of Greyling. But when tragedy strikes, to honor the vow he makes to his dying brother, Edward must pretend to be Greyling until the countess delivers her babe.

After her husband returns from a two-month sojourn, Julia finds him changed. Bolder, more daring, and more wicked—even if he does limit their encounters to kisses. With each passing day, she falls more deeply in love.

For Edward the embers of desire sparked on that long-ago night are quickly rekindled. He yearns to be her husband in truth. But if she discovers his ruse, she will despise him—and English law prevents him from marrying his brother’s widow. Yet he must dare to risk everything and reveal his secrets if he is to truly take all.  AMAZON  5 STARS

A great story; it rang all the bells for me. It was emotional, and bitter-sweet at times too.  There were regrets but they came through without dragging the story down.  

Edward, Julia and even Albert were good main characters.  It was so sad that when Edward let the world think he was the one who died, very few people mourned his loss.  Most felt that he had accomplished almost nothing and had led a pretty worthless life.  Edward did have some close friends who valued him and stood by to help him as much as they could without endangering their integrity.

Julia had been faithful to her husband, someone she loved and had missed while he had been gone for 4 months on the African trip.  She missed the intimacy, friendship and their closeness.  They also had not been intimate for some months prior to the trip because of her pregnancy.  

Edward ends up showing he has more strength and goodness in him than most people including Julia thought.  I ended up liking him more as the story went on.
When the truth comes out to Julia about who he really is, you know it will come out badly and of course it does. The truth comes out in one of the worst possible ways and as expected stirs up a hornets nest.  

This story kept me involved all the way through and has some interesting twists and surprises toward the end.  

I had wondered how on earth things would turn out well for all and enjoyed the answer to that question.  

I was very satisfied with the ending.