I really love The Duchess Society series because it has some strong female characters in it mixed with lots of fun romance. This one is no different as we see Neccesity, a famous landscape gardener sent to fix up Ollie's neglected country estate gardens. Having met briefly a few years before they have an instant attraction, and a closed door arrangement sees them building a connection they both deny is possible.
I like the flaws and vulnerability of both of these characters. And I really enjoyed the interactions with all our favourite characters from the previous stories. My one issue is that many of the romance descriptions seemed to be overly described in a way that was a bit too hard to understand and comprehend. I would recommend this series for anyone who loves a Regency Romance with a headstrong female.
Thanks to Wolf Publishing and Netgalley.com for my eARC copy.

Tracy Sumner is a new favorite of mine, the emotional intensity and ability to build sexual tension reminds me a lot of Kleypas, a rare jewel in historicals for me! So many of them come across as really shallow or insipid, this book runs deep and you really feel Ollie and Necessity's passionate natures in every exchange.

This book is steammmmy and the sex is super hot. You've got a slow burn with a haunted ex-rake giving sex lessons to his feisty gardener, 'my first orgasm at another's hand' I mean ...👌🏻😍 They can't keep away from each other and you can FEEL it, it's delicious.

This can be read as a stand-alone, although it is part of a series. Be advised though, as a stand-alone, there are a whole host of characters you're gonna need to sort out and somewhat keep track of. That being said, they're a lovable bunch and I definitely want to be adopted by the Leighton Cluster or whatever they're called. The interplay between Ollie and his baby nephew are adorable.

My only hiccup was getting used to her writing. At first, I found the writing clipped/abbreviated and a little difficult to understand. I was re-reading a lot of paragraphs because it's so different. However, once I fell into the rhythm, I quickly found myself sucked in, and relishing this gorgeous prose! Some passages were just hauntingly beautiful.

The romance takes center stage here, in spite of her having a career, which I really love. Their love leaps off the page. There is no dumb misunderstanding causing the third act breakup, everything here makes sense and gets resolved eloquently. I'm really impressed and can't wait to go back and read the rest of the series now, this being my first book by this author ever.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

We love The Duchess Society and the Leigthon Cluster, each character is a new ideal protagonist to discover and fall in love with.
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Necessity Byrne had as much my heart as Oliver, Tracy Sumner makes me fall in love with their characters and put all my hopes in their relationship every time
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Oliver has several traumas and injuries from the past, but the one that made a difference was the scar on his cheek, not only from receiving it to save his brother, but also from the brief conversation with Necessity Byrne, the woman who came to heal his wounds with herbs and left a very big impression on him
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Three years later she appears at his home, sent by her brother to put their estate gardens in good repair and an opportunity to know more about her. But Necessity Byrne has other plans in mind and they are far from falling for Ollie's attraction
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I like that the heroines are not ashamed to express and do what they feel, that the male characters give in and learn to love other aspects of the heroines that they did not know. As always, it is a pleasure to read about their characters and how they form a group of belonging and their own families
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Thanks to Tracy Sumner and Wolf Publishing for give me a copy of this beautiful book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion

This novel follows Necessity, the best gardener in London, and Oliver, an Earl whose fraught childhood and horrible father have left him with all kinds of scars.

These two had explosive chemistry from their first meeting. The tension between them was palpable and I couldn't wait for the fireworks between them to finally go off. Watching them both slowly bring their walls down was a delight, and I loved how multi-faceted they both were-- I was never sure what exactly one of them might say or do next.

Sumner has a deft hand with detail and description. We know that Necessity smells of rain and earth, and that Oliver's eyes are moonlight striking stone. She also gives each chapter a diverting title-- sometimes I wanted to skip ahead just to see what the next one would be. My personal favorite was 'Where an Intrepid Gardner Seethes and an Arrogant Earl Persists."

Necessity is a very strong main character, the exact kind of female I love to read about in this time period. She is independent and would rather remain so than settle; she's interested in exploring in the bedroom and not ashamed of that, and she has many interests outside of Oliver to keep her busy and happy-- though of course, she just might come to decided that she's happier with him.

Despite this, there were a few things that prevented me from giving this a 5-star rating. One is superficially petty--I could not fully get over the heroine's name. I understand the concept of virtue names, but this one is so uncommon as to be confusing. Often paragraphs would begin with her name and I'd initially not fully grasp that they meant a person-- I'd be thinking what necessity? Where? The cutesy nickname of 'Nessie' bestowed on her by Oliver didn't make the name any better for me, but at least eliminated my confusion.

My other complaint concerns the wider story beyond the romance. I feel that it's incredibly important for books in historical romance series to be able to stand alone. If you following a series and are able to gain additional enjoyment from seeing the characters you fell in love with in prior books again, that's amazing, but it shouldn't be necessary to the book you are currently reading. When it is, I think it's a huge barrier to new readers and even to old ones who may not vividly remember characters from prior books. There were several moments when it was difficult for me to follow the dynamics and relationships between Oliver, his friends, and their wives. I found myself first trying desperately and fruitlessly to understand what was going on with these characters backstories, and then just skimming past them to focus on the romance and the relationship between Oliver and his brother. I wish the author had done the same.

I would recommend this to fans of Historical Romance, but if you haven't read the other books in the Duchess Society series I think you have to brace for not always fully understanding who's who and what's going on with the wider cast of characters.

One Wedding and an Earl is the fourth book in Tracy Sumner’s Duchess Society series. Necessity Byrne has overcome the loss of her entire family, and being orphaned at the age of 12, to become the most sought-after gardener of the ton and in London. Oliver Aspinwall, Earl of Stanford, returned from the war with injuries and became an addict. Necessity and Ollie originally met after he is involved in an unfortunate accident, and they are reacquainted a few years later when she is hired by Ollie’s half-brother to revitalize the gardens at Ollie’s crumbling estate. The spark that was there when Necessity treated Ollie is rekindled when they are re-introduced. The slow burn between the characters soon becomes a blaze!

I admit I have not read all the books in the series. Although the book can be read as a standalone, and the first couple chapters give a little information into Necessity and Ollie’s backgrounds, I felt a little lost until part way into the book. I finally figured out all the secondary characters, who are a large part of the story. I wish a little more background information had been included in the story. However, from this point on, I truly enjoyed the story! I loved how Necessity took on any challenge presented to her and how Ollie fought to show her she was worthy of being his Countess. I loved Xander playing Cupid for his younger brother and the camaraderie and love among all the men. How else do grown men end up in a group brawl one minute, and laughing about it the next? The women of the Duchess Society are no different. A group originally formed to help women on the cusp of society and on the cusp of marriage find a partner. They are now best friends, all married, but still trying to help others find their soulmates.

Tracy Sumner is a wonderful storyteller and provides great details in her stories. The emotions are palpable, and you can picture yourself in the story with the characters. Her League of Lords series was amazing!

One Wedding and an Earl is definitely worth reading! If you have read other books in the series, you have the advantage of knowing the characters. If not, you may benefit from reading at least book #3 where Necessity and Oliver are introduced; however, the previous books aren’t necessary to enjoy the story. Thank you to Tracy Sumner, Wolf Publishing, and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy. All thoughts and comments are my own.

Who can resist a roguish rake and a rebel from the rookery?? One Wedding and an Earl has just about all the check offs a romance reader is looking for.
Dissension ✔️
Steamy love scenes ✔️
Likable characters ✔️
Lots of conflict ✔️
Lively banter and dialogue ✔️
The Earl is throughly hooked and caught by the end✔️
And of course, the happily ever after ✔️

It was a pleasant way to while away a rainy dreary afternoon.

he 4th book in the Duchess Society series follows Oliver aka Ollie (Macauley’s brother) and Necessity, a female gardener who has made her love for plants a very successful business. They met 3 years ago when Ollie was injured during an altercation - thus being known as The Scarred Earl. Nessie was the one that took care of him during his injury and nursed him back to health. Now, with the intervention of Macauley, Nessie is back to help bring the Earl’s estate to the splendor that it was known for, much to Ollie’s open displeasure.

Necessity is one of my favorite heroines in the series, she has had a traumatic past and still moves forward with an astonishing purpose. Her drive is what Ollie needs and propels him to move on from his past. He is the first tortured hero in the series with past opium addiction and self-destructive tendencies that brought him to self-isolation. The banter and interaction between these two are amazing and memorable! One would think that a series can’t get any better and here comes Ms. Sumner to prove me wrong.

A round of applause for Macauley who doesn't give up on his brother (even do what happened when they were kids) and to the Leighton Cluster who don't a fig about being grown-up children with kids! And to the ladies who love them all the same.

“I love you with everything I have. There isn’t more I can give you because you already have it. My heart, my soul is there for the taking. If only you’d open your heart and let me in.”

One Wedding and an Earl…wooo weee…looka here…looka here…I enjoyed this installment of the Duchess Society. Ollie and Nessie are amazing. Two volatile folks, both stubborn…forced to put up with each other despite a combustible attraction to one another. I simply loved their chemistry and interaction with one another. The two of them together… EXPLOSIVE. Nothing but fireworks in and out of the bedroom. Both are verbal assassins lashing out at one another to protect themselves from hurt.

Although not my favorite of the series (that title goes to the Wicked Wallflower)…One Wedding and an Earl is good. So good I’ve read it twice already. Ollie and Nessie are fun. If they aren’t fighting, they’re humping. I also loved seeing some of our Society favs like my husband Xander and of course Dash throughout the book. And y’all…we are introduced to Jasper Noble…a guy so charismatic that I don’t know if I can remain faithful to Xander. I fell in love with him during the brief time that he graced the pages and can’t wait to see what Tracy does with him. I know it’s gonna be HAWT! Anywho…back to Ollie and Nessie....

Oliver Aspinwall, 6th Earl of Stanford is a man scarred both inside and out. A troubled childhood and an even more trouble adulthood has left Ollie jaded, moody and suspicious. Sequestered alone in his dilapidated estate, Ollie is hiding out, putting himself and his estate slowly back together again when his brother decides to intervene.

Necessity Burns, a rookery born chit with a spine of iron is a woman to be reckoned with. She’s beautiful, smart, feisty as hell…and use to doing things HER way. Orphaned at a young age, she’s pulled herself up by her bootstraps and made something of herself. Famed around London for her skills with plants and dirt, Nessie is hired by Xander Macauley to repair Ollie’s gardens. And if she just happens to repair his heart, well that’s good too.

Watching Ollie and Nessie fall in love is fun. Both want the other; however, neither knows the best way to move forward. If you haven’t read any of the other books in this series, I advise you to do so, especially the book before this one where we are initially introduced to these two characters. You’ll love both and be glad you did.

Another excellent book from Tracy Sumner! I thoroughly enjoyed the pair in this story - Ollie and Nessie. It was a little slow getting to the good stuff but it was worth the wait. This is part of a series but everything you need to know is explained in the beginning.

The new book in Duchess Society series is wonderful . It demonstrates how two broken souls can come together even when being scared along the way. Oliver and Necessity are two lovers that are so different but have lived similar experience of loss and fear that they have a deep understanding of how frailty of connections.

I continue to love how the secondary characters show up in the books and add vibrancy to the story (no matter what book is the focus).

Can’t wait to see what happens to Dash and Jasper!

I really liked the first few books in this series, but I have found my interest waning over the past few. This one had such promise but, in the end, just did not fully deliver for me. I liked both characters but wish I had gotten to see the big conversations that made them fall in love (rather than just lust) with one another. It is mentioned that they talked and really opened up to one another, but we get to see very little of that. Necessity has a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy problem and is so convinced that nothing permanent could ever happen between her and Ollie that she doesn't really fight for him or their relationship. Even seeing that other people in her social circle have married people thought "unfit" for them she doesn't really believe she could have the same thing. And if ever there were two people unable to be open and honest about their feelings it is these two. A little more relationship development and a little less sex might have made this a better, more complex story.

3.5 stars

Not sure where the wedding of the title came into the story. Ollie is the Earl, ex opium fiend and general rake. His step brother is a gambling den owner. Ollie first meets the heroine Nessie after his cheek is wripped open by an assailant at the back of the den. She's a horticulturist and gives him some herbs to minimise the scarring. Years later Nessie has a thriving business in part due to mutual friends who have set up a duchess school.
The step brother pays for Ollie's gardens to be renovated by Nessie in the hope that they make a match. Macaulay is like Nessie from the poorer parts of London. I found his mate and innit rather annoying as I don't think people would have spoken like that...there are a few other idiosyncacies that bought me out of the story. I'm not convinced that Gum trees, prevalent in asia will be successful in Derbyshire, Quite a bit of sex and general passion. There's not much jeopardy as the other would be claimant for Nessie's affections is her friend. Nessie has had one other Lover before Ollie which was refreshing but the trope of the sexually experienced hero showing the heroine all his moves I feel is a bit old hat IMO. There's lots of characters from the rest of the series in the book. I realised that I'd read book 1 but not sure I'm that engaged with the series sufficiently to fill in the gaps.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

With every book, this series gets better and better. Honestly, who turned up the heat in here? Tracy Sumner delivered on this. More than delivered, if I'll be honest.

Necessity and Oliver were made for each other. From the very beginning, that heartbreaking start, to years later. They fit. I love a tragic backstory, as cliche as it is, and they both deliver.

Orphaned female gardener, alone since twelve paired with the scarred soldier, an addicted earl.

It worked so well too. It had the heat, the plot, it was believable. Or as believable as a romance can be. I loved seeing the gang reappear and those relationships grow and develop even more. This will be a hard book to top.

Necessity Byrne was a happy child from a poor, common family until cholera took her family from her. She had to grow up fast and set out to be the best landscape architect that London had ever seen. She was on her way to that title when she first encountered Oliver Aspinwall, Earl of Stanford, also known as the Scarred Earl. She spoke to him briefly when he was injured in order to give him something to help reduce the scarring from his injury. Later they met again when Oliver's brother sent her to him to try and make something of his estate. Oliver's childhood was without love/affection/happiness with the exception of the short time his half brother was there. He attempted to escape his father and memories through war, opium and drink. After his encounter that left him externally scarred, he decided it was time to clean up his act while become a recluse in the country. When Necessity arrives, there are fireworks between the two and it is a constant push/pull as they try to deal with their feelings. I gave this 3 stars since this wasn't my favorite story and I've gotten to the stage where I want more story than sex scenes; however, I liked the story between Necessity and Oliver and enjoyed that characters from the previous books made their appearances. Like the others, this story can be read as a standalone.

Another great book in this series! The Earl of Stanford has appeared in a few other books, but this one really gets into his backstory.

What I like about this series and this book the best is the independent and strong female characters. Necessity really builds herself up from a rookery girls to creating her well sought after gardening business. Her first meeting with the Earl "Ollie" was helping to ail him and she was even dressed in comfortable men's wear. Both characters in this book are a testament to what a little hard work cam achieve.

The romance in this book was definitely steamy. A stargazing Earl and his gardener definitely defied their stations and created some sparks. A checklist of sorts, anyone?

As I have read the other books in this series, I think that it could be read as a stand-alone due to the strong story of the main characters. I do like seeing many of previous characters in each book though. Can't wait for Dash's story next!

This book definitely is sexy and gets a little dirty!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

This is just one delightful read, with multi-dimensional characters, great dialogue, and a scorching romance. I loved every page of this superbly written storyline, flowing with beautifully descriptive scenes, from landscape to love making! I adored Necessity and Ollie together. They gave as good as they got, having me totally routing for them till the very end!

The Duchess Society is an excellent series and I strongly recommend reading the stories in order if possible. Characters from other books frequently appear and knowing who they are definitely enhances the reading experience. This is Ollie and Nessie's story. Ollie is a reclusive Earl and Nessie is a brash gardener. Both have had difficult pasts. Unfortunately, it does take them a bit of time to admit that they are better together than apart. Their relationship is full of humor, deep emotion and steamy encounters. The earl, a rake in his younger days, was an excellent balance with the relatively innocent but highly inquisitive Nessie. Reading this story was great fun and I'm eagerly looking forward to the next one.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

This was a beautifully written story about a scarred, reclusive earl with war wounds and issues with addiction, and his independent, Shoreditch-born gardener. If you love angsty stories with tropes of enemies-to-lovers, class differences between the hero and heroine, miscommunication and assumptions gone wrong along with spicy sex scenes, then you will likely enjoy Ollie and Necessity's love story. While some reviewers have commented that this can be read as a standalone story, it makes more sense when read after the previous books in The Duchess Society series by Tracy Sumner, so that you know who all the players are in the Leighton Cluster and how they relate to Oliver Aspinwall, sixth Earl of Stanford. I'd particularly recommend reading The Wicked Wallflower before this book because it involves Ollie's half-brother, Xander Macauley, as well as the first meeting (apparently) between Ollie and Necessity, three years before the start of One Wedding and an Earl.

What detracted from my enjoyment of the novel was the miscommunication and arguing between the main characters that goes on throughout much of the story, right up until almost the very end. At one point late in the story, Ollie asks Necessity why they are always arguing, and I could empathize with his frustration about the constant clashing that goes on between them because it is a thread that runs deep in this story - and quite often after their indulgence in mind-blowing sex. I thought they both had chips on their shoulders, Necessity more so than Ollie ( I felt bad for Ollie most of the time, as it seemed he couldn't do enough right in Necessity's mind, when he was a very sweet and sexy man, and often we see Necessity flouncing off in a huff afterward because she's misunderstood and doesn't stay to sort things out with him). After a particularly hot love scene - also late in the novel - Ollie comments that they haven't resolved any of their issues despite their physical intimacy. I would have liked to see them grow together and communicate better, especially since when they meet the first time, Necessity is very kind and gentle with a wounded Ollie. I wanted them to have more soft edges to their intimacy, more tenderness even when they weren't having sex, or at least have it be shown as an evolving, enriching, maturing bond between them. And I'm not really sure that the ending made total sense in terms of how and where they end up, given that whether they will share their seemingly incongruous lives is a huge hurdle for them throughout much of the story.

Still Ollie and Necessity get their happy ending, and Ollie is reported to be healing from having Necessity in his life. My wish would have been to see more gentle, nurturing interactions between them, their growing together as a couple rather than their incessant arguing. For me, this story had huge potential but unfortunately how their story unfolded was not my cup of tea. Other readers who enjoy these tropes as well as angst and miscommunication between the main characters will likely enjoy it more than I did.

I received this novel as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review of the story.

One Wedding and An Earl has proven to me that Tracy Sumner is a pro in the historical Romance world! I love the community, the Leighton Cluster, she has built in The Duchess Society Series. Complex, fascinating male and female characters with believable flaws who fight internally and externally to claim the love of their lives.

Oliver and Necessity are the main characters in the newest book in the series and Ollie is part of the Leighton Cluster by blood. One Wedding and an Earl starts with a heart tugging scene between the two when they were much younger that pulled me right in and made me want to know more!

When they later meet as employer (Ollie, the Earl) and employee (Nessie, garden designer) much has changed. Oliver is a hunk of a man (my words) with silver threads in his hair, a kind heart and “a body under his clothes that doesn’t look like an Earl”! Add his love of astronomy and star gazing and I have my perfect hero.

Necessity, who was born in the Shore Ditch area, has through her intelligence, determination and charm all wrapped in confidence, is realizing her dream of business designing gardens for the English members of the ton. She is the ideal challenge of a woman.

Their life histories influence the misunderstandings they have, the assumptions they make and choices that result. The writing was poignant, and I was touched as each revealed their pasts and in turn, pieces of their souls. Steamy encounters often came after these talks and Tracy gives us some of the best with a combination of playfulness, innocence and the right amount of heart!

Witty banter, tongue in cheek humor and outright yearning framed by a crumbling castle with neglected grounds makes for a first rate read. The developing relationship between Oliver and his older half-brother, Xander Macauley, moves the story along with an artful touch and any scenes with the Leighton Cluster are used to help Ollie and Necessity see what they yearn to have.

The introduction of a new mysterious character, Jasper Noble, looks promising and I look forward to reading the next book in the series!

Thank you, Tracy, for the advanced E book to voluntarily read and review. All opinions are my own.

One Wedding and an Earl is book four in the Duchess Society series. The Earl of Stanford’s life since he returned from the war has been anything but easy for him. Add to that his meddling older brother hiring a female gardener are about to turn everything upside down.

Necessity Byrne has heard the rumors about the Scarred Earl, but then who hasn't. The tales and rumors have been the talk of the ton. Necessity has been flouting convention and shocking society to be the most famed gardener in all of England. The offer to assist a reclusive peer to bring the garden back to glory is a dream come true she would never turn down. In the process a deal is made to explore the many ways to please each other. But will either of them escape unscathed from falling in love with each other.

This was a hot and steamy continuation in the adventures of the Duchess Society. All of these books are great fun and fast reads. Thoroughly entertaining and worth the ride.