I have read two of Elisabeth Hobbes previous books & was looking forward to getting started on this one. Florence is a fairly headstrong lady of her time who sets out to prove her father wrong as he is motivated by finding her a husband with an aristocratic title and she believes that she can trick him into believing that Ned who is a layman is in fact an aristocrat and potential suitor.

I really liked Ned even though he was clearly harbouring a secret and there’s a twist near the end.

In this Gilded Age retelling of Pygmalion and My Fair Lady, readers follow American Florence Wakefield upon her arrival in London to find a suitable husband from among the British aristocracy just as her older sister did. Bored with society and uninterested in marriage, Florence, her sister, and her brother-in-law make a bet that Florence could train any man to act the part of an aristocrat and fool her father, proving that birth is not everything. Enter Ned Blake, a random man from the street with a penchant for fighting and working as a private investigator. Of course, not everything goes to plan, and the lessons and plot to trick her father change as her marriage prospects and the trip to England evolve. Florence is a charming heroine with a brilliant mind and a kind personality, and readers will enjoy her perspective of the world. Hobbes writes Florence as on the spectrum, providing a critical and unique representation of similar individuals in the historical fiction novel. The other characters are well-developed and enjoyable, complimenting Florence and her narrative incredibly well, and Florence’s relationships with her family and Ned Blake are realistic and entertaining, all of which makes this a wonderful, enjoyable read.

"My Fair Lord" by Elisabeth Hobbes is a delightful romance set in the late 19th century that captivates readers from the very first page. The story follows the spirited Miss Florence Wakechild as she navigates the confines of English society and her father's relentless quest to secure a noble marriage for her.
Florence's determination to resist her father's wishes leads her to devise a daring plan - to transform an ordinary working man into a viscount to prove that titles are meaningless. Enter Ned Blake, a mysterious and intriguing man who challenges Florence's perceptions and ignites unexpected feelings within her.
The dynamic between Florence and Ned is both humorous and heartfelt, with their interactions driving the narrative forward at a brisk pace. As they embark on a journey from Liverpool to New York, their blossoming romance unfolds against the backdrop of societal expectations and personal desires.
Elizabeth Wakechild is a strong and independent protagonist, while Ned's enigmatic nature adds depth and intrigue to the story. The contrast between their characters creates a compelling dynamic that keeps readers engaged throughout the novel.
Hobbes skilfully weaves together themes of love, identity, and societal conventions, creating a rich and immersive historical romance that will appeal to fans of the genre. The detailed setting and vivid descriptions bring the Gilded Age to life, transporting readers to a world of grand ballrooms, whispered secrets, and unexpected passion.

The evolving relationship between Florence and Ned is at the heart of the story, with both characters facing personal challenges and emotional growth as they navigate the complexities of their feelings. The unexpected twists and turns in the plot keep the reader eagerly turning pages, anticipating the resolution of their love story.
Overall, "My Fair Lord" is a charming and engaging read that offers a fresh take on the classic tale of transformation and romance. Elisabeth Hobbes has crafted a compelling narrative with well-developed characters and a captivating storyline that will leave readers swooning until the very end. Whether you're a fan of historical romance or simply enjoy a heartwarming love story, this book is sure to enchant and delight.

I loved this! Retellings are always something I enjoy, and My Fair Lady is a particular favorite! I remember watching it as a child with my grandmother. It's always held a special place in my heart. But I must add that My Fair Lord is more than just a retelling. It was a great story in its own right, and much of it takes place before the wager.

I adored Florence and Ned! They were fantastic together and apart. I truly enjoyed them as a couple, and their character growth was wonderful.

This book has zero spice and doesn't go any farther than kissing. There is, however, plenty of romance, and you can feel the building tension between them.

This was my first book by this author, but it most definitely won't be the last.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A well written book with 2 characters who have secrets and things to prove.

Can a common man be trained to pass off as a viscount? Except is he a commoner at all?

While the challenge is on can the h and H develop genuine feelings or is it all in the name of the wager?

A decent take in my fair lady woth good descriptions and characters and a slow build on the romance side.

This was great light read, did find that some characters did lack chemistry BUT they did work out in the end.
It was interesting to see how the story developed, and I quite enjoyed it!

This is purportedly a take on My Fair Lady, but instead of taking a common woman and turning her into a lady, the two sisters in this story decide to take a confidence man in and make him into a Lord.

Florence’s family has become very wealthy, but they do not have a title, being American. And as was common in the Gilded Age, people wanted to marry into the aristocracy to give some gravitas to the New Money. (The Gilded age is the time period after the American Civil War, to the end of the 1890s (roughly equivalent to the Late Victorian era.) And so her family is in the UK, “shopping” for an aristocrat to marry her off to.

That is when she and her sister, who is already married to viscount decide to trick their father, and take a common man,Ned Blake and make him lord like.

Although it is only mentioned in the author note at the end, Florence is on the autism spectrum, and has trouble figuring out people, especially people in love.

It is a cute story, realistic, as far as it can be, with the wealth being thrown around at that time. And we are kept in suspense as to where Ned came from. There are hints he is running from something, but we don’t know what.

I enjoyed it. What romance there is, is chase; kisses are the worse trouble the two get into.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book came out on March 1st, 2024

I do love a good retelling or reimagining of a story and I found My Fair Lord to be an engaging, heartwarming and interesting one. In this case it was a retelling of My Fair Lady. For me the characters stood out and were likeable, especially Florence I really felt for her character and her situation. There were also some really sweet moments between both Florence and Ned. Their chemistry was built up naturally and in such a lovely way that I couldn’t help but root for them.

The plot itself moved at a good pace and I really liked how the author brought the characters personalities to life. One of my favourite things about this book was the playful way that Ned interacted with Florence. They are such a good match with both of them forward thinking for that time period. The slow burn romance was a delight to watch unfold and I was just hoping for a happy ever after.

My Fair Lord is a fun and enjoyable twist on a classic tale. With strong and loveable characters, this book held my attention throughout especially the way everything unfolded.

Elisabeth J. Hobbes spins a captivating tale of love, deception, and societal expectations set against the backdrop of English high society in the 19th century. The novel follows the journey of Miss Florence Wakechild, a spirited young woman determined to defy her father's wishes of marrying into the British aristocracy.

Florence's rebellion against her father's obsession with titles and nobility leads her to devise a daring plan: to train an ordinary working man to pass as a viscount, proving to her father that a title is meaningless. Enter Ned Blake, a seemingly unlikely candidate chosen by Florence for his authenticity and genuine demeanor.

What unfolds is a delightful and unpredictable dance between Florence and Ned, as they navigate the intricacies of deception and genuine connection. As Ned assumes the role of a gentleman under Florence's tutelage, their relationship deepens in unexpected ways, transcending the boundaries of class and societal expectations.

The character development in My Fair Lord is excellently done, particularly in the case of Florence and Ned. Florence's journey from a headstrong debutante to a woman grappling with her own desires and beliefs is both compelling and relatable. Likewise, Ned's complex past and the secrets he harbors add depth to the narrative, keeping readers engaged until the very end.

The author skillfully captures the essence of the Regency era, immersing readers in a world of lavish ballrooms, intricate social hierarchies, and forbidden romance. The descriptions are vivid, evoking a sense of time and place that enriches the overall reading experience.

At its core, this is a story about authenticity, love, and the courage to challenge societal norms. It reminds us that true happiness often lies beyond the confines of societal expectations and that love knows no boundaries.

I thought this was a great retelling, it uses the My Fair Lady and uses the Gilded Age elements perfectly to tell a story. Elisabeth Hobbes has a great overall writing style and the characters were everything that I wanted. It uses that romance element perfectly and I enjoyed reading this. It left me wanting to read more like this type of book as I really enjoyed the way the characters were created.

How refreshing to have a different take to the whole let's make over someone and then fall in love with them trope. We usually get it a lot in movies where the nerdy girl with glasses gets a makeover. It gets tiresome. However, the author's take on this was honestly lovely. I am definitely looking more into reading historical romances set in the Gilded Age. The writing style was interesting, and I enjoyed the characters and their romance.

ARC provided by NetGalley via Harper Collins UK, and I have given my honest and voluntary review.*

Florence Wakechilds father wants nothing more than to see her married to someone with a title. While I did like Florence I feel she lacked the feisty spark that I was looking for. Also the chemistry between the characters was lacking. I really wanted to see some fire but didn't. I did appreciate the premises of the story and I feel with a few tweaks I would absolutely love it. I did enjoy that there was more to Ned then meets the eye and he is hiding a secret. A very lighthearted romance that will take you back to the gilded age.

I'm reviewing this via NetGalley, as part of a book tour with Rachel's Random Resources.

When I started reading this, it didn't take me long to warm to the author's style of writing. I thought the writing was elegant and sophisticated, as I would expect from historical fiction, but the tone was lighthearted.

I thought Florence was a lovely character, I found her very warm, endearing and a lot of fun. Some of her awkward moments made me chuckle, and I did relate to her a little bit. I also really enjoyed the chemistry between Florence and Ned, and was keen to see their connection progress.

This book was very much in my comfort zone of reading. It was very light, easy and fun to read, and I enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, Rachel's Random Resources, and to the author, for a free copy to review.

This book is a fun, lighthearted and clean historical romance. There are significant gaps in the story and significant parts are left unexplained. I had hoped this would flip the standard HR tropes of wealthy lord and his heroine but right at the end the HEA happens after the hero's identity is revealed which was disappointing. I would have liked to see him be chosen for himself rather than his title reveal

Florence Wakechild, 24, is an American woman visiting England. Her sister, Cordelia, is Lady Cordelia Griggs, Baroness of Goreswarth. While shopping with her sister and others one day, she is approached by a man asking her to pretend to be together and just walk with him for a few minutes. At first she refuses, but curious, she agrees. It appears he is hiding out from someone and just needs to be undercover until someone hunting him goes away. As they chat, she learns he is Ned Blake and takes on commissions to help other people recover items.

When they see one another again, she is intrigued by him and decides she wants to turn the man into be perceived as an aristocrat. Her wealthy father is determined to marry her off to a titled man just like her two sisters. But Florence id determined that she will not be married at all. She wants to introduce her “reformed” man to her father passing him off as a titled man only to tell him later that he is not titled.

As Florence and Ned spend more time together concocting the plan she has set in place, she doesn’t see that Ned is already underneath an aristocrat. However, he plays along and they soon become attracted to one another. Ned is very caring of Florence but she tends to go off on tangents yet he kindly supports her.

This is a clever story, albeit a bit long, but i was impressed with how clean it was. Some humorous times and some very tender moments as well. Ned was my favorite character because Florence could be tedious at times.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I’ve been searching for a good gender-swapped retelling of My Fair Lady for a while now (quite specific, I know, but I just really love class difference romances!) but although this was marketed as one, I did not think it was very much like My Fair Lady. I think that marketing it as such was a bit of a mistake since I might have enjoyed it more had I not had preconceptions about the story. I found the pacing a bit slow but thought that the romance progressed a little bit too fast in terms of their attraction to each other, although I was surprised at the lack of spice in the book, which again I think should have been advertised a bit better! I like the relationship between the sisters though, and thought it was sweet.

I was not a fan of the (fairly obvious) twist which not only makes the ruse pointless but negates the whole message of the book. A big part of class difference romances for me is the struggle for the couple to be together and the breaking of social norms when they choose each other but this didn’t really happen here.

It was a quick and fun read overall though, I just think that with better marketing it would have been more enjoyable.

With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing an ARC.

"My Fair Lord" by Elisabeth Hobbes is a delightful Gilded Age retelling of the classic story "My Fair Lady," filled with charm, wit, and unexpected romance. Set against the backdrop of English society, Hobbes transports readers to a world of ballrooms, debutantes, and societal expectations, where Miss Florence Wakechild finds herself torn between her father's desires and her own independence.

The premise of the story is both clever and engaging, as Florence devises a plan to prove to her father that titles and noble birth are meaningless by transforming an ordinary working man into a gentleman. Enter Ned Blake, the unlikely candidate chosen by Florence to play the role of a viscount. What follows is a captivating tale of transformation, as Ned learns the intricacies of aristocratic behavior under Florence's tutelage, while also challenging her own perceptions of class and love.

Hobbes excels at crafting vibrant characters, and Florence and Ned are no exception. Florence is a spirited and independent heroine, determined to defy societal norms and forge her own path in life. Ned, on the other hand, is a rugged yet endearing protagonist, whose authenticity and integrity gradually win over both Florence and readers alike.

The chemistry between Florence and Ned crackles with tension and longing, adding depth and emotion to their burgeoning romance. Hobbes skillfully navigates the complexities of their relationship, exploring themes of identity, class, and self-discovery with sensitivity and insight.

While "My Fair Lord" follows a familiar storyline, Hobbes injects it with her own unique flair, infusing the narrative with humor, heart, and a touch of poignancy. The pacing is brisk, keeping readers eagerly turning pages as Florence and Ned navigate the glittering world of high society and confront their own inner demons.

Overall, "My Fair Lord" is a charming and enchanting read that captures the essence of its source material while offering a fresh and compelling twist. With its engaging characters, sparkling dialogue, and swoon-worthy romance, this book earns a solid four stars and is sure to delight fans of historical romance and classic retellings alike.

My review:⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a play on 'My Fair Lady's and is set the Gilded Age, but with less singing!

I enjoyed the storyline and the settings, which starts in Liverpool.

I found it to be a fun story, and was a quick read, with a very feisty female lead who is struggling to find her place in her family, and in the world.

The clash of the wealthy Americans coming to Britain, looking for titled husbands for their wealthy heiresses, whilst the British have titles but could very much do with an infusion of cash is story that is told often, but I've often encountered it from the side of the British, rather than the American, so that was enjoyable!

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to One More Chapter.

My Fair Lord is a retelling of My Fair Lady with a unique spin .great characters a very enjoyable light hearted read Than you to Net Galley for my ARC

Florence Wakechild travels from New York to England, her father Clayton made his fortune manufacturing dye, he returns to London to visit his eldest daughter Cordelia, or Lady Griggs the Baroness of Goreswarth and her husband Tremlow. Despite their marriage being arranged, they have developed feelings for each other and Florence is delighted her sister is happy.

Florence doesn't understand why her father is in such a hurry to marry her off, he wants her to find a British aristocrat, many marry American heiresses to boost the family coffers and it costs a fortune to keep their, cold and drafty houses maintained. Her father hates being classed as being from ‘new money’ surely having one daughter married to a Baron is enough to improve his status and why can’t her father be content with that?

Florence comes up with a plan, she wants to train an ordinary working man to behave like a gentleman, to fool her father and prove that titles are meaningless and pointless. Her choice is Ned Blake, she met him in Liverpool, he's a private investigator and she’s sees no harm in her idea and starts giving Ned lessons. He has no trouble learning what cutlery to use, how to bow, surprisingly Ned's not a bad dancer and maybe being a pugilist has made him light on his feet?

I received a copy of My Fair Lord by Elisabeth Hobbes from HarperCollins UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Set in the gilded age, it’s the authors take on My Fair Lady, I really liked the characters in this story, Florence and her maid Dottie, Ned, Cordelia, Tremlow and waif Alfie.

A light and fun read and there's more to Ned than Florence thinks and he's keeping a secret, will he steal her heart and make her believe love isn’t a waste of time? Four stars from me, I have read and enjoyed the author’s previous novels Daughters of Paris and The Secret Agent and this narrative is very different to her other books.