This was a cute novella about a girl who fell in love with her brother's handsome valet. Lilli had been unlucky in love until her Grandmamma gave her the rose quartz crystal. Apparently, the crystal had a special power. Whoever possessed it would meet the man they were destined for. It had already been successful for all of Lilli's cousins. After a bit of searching, I learned that this novella was originally part of the anthology "Love be a Lady's Charm." The anthology has the stories of the other cousins. At the end of this story, Lilli promises to loan the crystal to her new sister-in-law when the time comes. I was able to read this delightful story in one sitting.
I received a free ARC on NetGalley and this is my honest review.

Lady Lilliana is delighted that the necklace her grandmama swears helps the one wearing it find their true love is finally passed to her, but the only snag in her plans of finding true love? Her and her family are leaving London to go reside in their country estate for the summer. Lili can't find true love buried in the country.
Upon arriving at their country estate for the summer, Lili goes for a walk in the woods and gets her foot stuck in a hole. Her brother's valet Tristen, rescues her and when Lili feels his touch on her ankle as he frees her leg and looks in his eyes she feels like lightening has struck. But no! This has got to be wrong, Destiny would not be so cruel as to make her fall in love with a valet, for she cannot pursue a relationship with a servant without scandal leaving her reputation in shreds.
Help with her growing feelings for Tristan, comes in the form of her loving grandmama, matchmaking so Lili and Tristan can spend precious moments together.
This is a sweet heart-warming romance that takes a look at the differences in the classes and how we overcome said differences in the name of love.
I recommend Tristen and Lili's story and am hoping for a new installment for Iris' story when she is the recipient of the rose quartz.
Thank you to the author and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

Another fun quick read from Sophie Barnes. This is a republication of a novella that was in another book.
Liliana wants to find a husband but after having no luck she uses the power of a family crystal to attract her soul mate. Tristan is her brothers, Valet at his country estate. Their paths are destined to cross after Liliana gets stuck in a trap that Tristan made to catch dinner. No matter how attracted to each other they are, they can be together because of Tristan's status as a "servant".
It was nice to have the roles reversed where a women falls in love with the servent for a change. It is an easy read but it was fun to see how they would manage their relationship.
If you like Regency Romance's then this is a great quick read.
Thanks to Netgalley.com and Sophie Barnes for my complimentary eARC copy.

Imagine my surprise when I started reading this novella to realize that I had read it before. No where does it state that it was previously published in an anthology called A Lady's Charm. I really feel that an author needs to disclose this when reissuing the novella in a solitary release..
That having been said, this is a story that centers around a rise quartz that has been passed down thru the family to help the young ladies find their true love.
In the previous stories, Lady Lilliana's cousins married an Earl and 2 Dukes. So why is Liliana so attracted to her brother's valet. Something must be wrong because the daughter of an Earl cannot marry a valet.
Tristan, although not titled is landed gentry. But his father has gambled away much of his inheritance. So out of desperation, he takes a well paying job as a valet/secretary. The last thing he expects is to fall in love with the Earls daughter.
Is the rise quartz right in bringing these two together or is the class distinction too great?
I enjoyed the story for a second time.
4⭐⭐⭐⭐
I want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

I love a class-difference romance, and this novella definitely scratched that itch! Only the Valet Will Do is a short and sweet novella perfect for an afternoon of reading, and it has some tried and true tropes that I personally love. Insta (magical) love, a meet-cute, a well-read character; I was entertaining in the short time I knew the protagonists and got the happily ever after and Regency vibes I was expecting. I would definitley recommend this book, and read Sophie Barnes again! It's a great read for Valentine's Day and beyond, and immersive for those who read but don't have a ton of time on their hands!

Only the Valet Will Do by Sophie Barnes, 137 pages. Sophie Barnes, 2023. $7.
Language: R (47 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - NO
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Lady Lilliana (19yo) is thrilled to get the rose quartz crystal necklace passed to her, even though she knows nothing is likely to happen until her family returns to London next season. The crystal has helped several of her family members make love matches – including three of her cousins in the past year – and Lilli is ready for her own romance. Until it creates an impossible situation with a servant.
I felt like the entire book was about the tension between Lilli and Tristan, which made for weak conflict and storyline. The two characters are convinced they are in love at first sight and rationalize away the reasons they should be responsible adults. Furthermore, Lilli, her mother, and her grandmother put too much stock in this magic crystal and fate. If you want a happily ever after romance, it’s here, but don’t expect anything of substance.
All of the characters are English. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, innuendo, intense makeout scenes, and sex. The violence rating is for mention of guns and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

🌹 Class Difference
🌹 Hidden Identity

Lady Lilliana has had a number of failed seasons so it's now her turn to wear the "magical" amulet which helped her sisters find their one true loves. But...it leads her to the man she cannot have - Tristan, her brother's valet.

Although Tristan's family come from gentry, they have recently fallen into dire financial straits. Intent on supporting his family and protecting his sisters from being married off, Tristan seeks employment as a valet under the pretense he's from the working class. When he rescues his employer's sister in a very charming meet cute, there's an instant attraction between them. As time goes by, the harder they try to ignore their connection, the stronger it grows.

This was a very sweet, endearing read. I really enjoyed the class difference aspect with this couple and how they'd stop at nothing to be together. I liked Lilli's character a lot - she was very outspoken and boisterous and I enjoyed her close bond with her grandmother! Tristan's love and protection of his sisters was also very admirable.

Love conquers all, even class distinctions

Lilli is an earl's daughter, and is therefore expected to marry within the aristocracy. Tristan is her brother's valet, thereby making him wholly unsuitable as a suitor. Ah, but true love knows no boundaries and there's always more to a man than how he supports his family. Theirs is a sweet romance, despite the inherent opposition, and the solution that finally coalesces in the end was very satisfying and full of promise.

This author is one of my favorites, and the story is exceptionally well-thought-out and intriguing. Tristan is exactly the kind of hero every woman wants, a man who will stop at nothing to take care of those he loves. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley, and these are my opinions.
Lady Lilliana, an earl's daughter, falls into a trap in the woods and is rescued by her brother's valet, Tristian. They are attracted to each other, but the disparity in their stations says they should stay away from each other. However, Tristian is hiding a secret. His family are gentry, who have fallen into hard times from his father's gambling.
This was cute novella with a very satisfying ending.

I enjoyed this story. It was a quick read for me and exactly what I expect from Sophie Barnes, a sweet story, that is an easy, fun read. I loved the twist in the story line, instead of having two "status holding" people finding love, you have a daughter of a dike falling for the valet of her brother.

Charming read. It was relatively short or rather the pacing moved fast; it did feel like I needed to have read the previous books to explain the jewel. The characters kept mentioning other couples, and I found myself getting curious to their stories (if they have them) as well.

The premise, to me at least, was unique. I do not recall having read a book with a plot similar to this. The instant chemistry and love at first sight aspect actually worked well for me. Admittedly, I am not always a believer of the latter, yet it worked well within this story.

ARC provided by BookBuzz.net/Independently Published via NetGalley, and I have given my honest and voluntary review.

Historical romance. Regency England. Standalone novella. Lady Lilliana has a meet-cute with her brother’s valet in the woods and feels an instant connection with him. Unfortunately, the disparity in their stations means that it won’t work out and she should stay away from him. However, he may be more eligible than he seems. Tristan is part of the landed gentry and considered a gentleman, but his father’s gambling debts have forced him to seek out employment. Hiding his true identity, he becomes a valet to a viscount and meets his sister Lilliana. Tristan has very little to offer with his diminished circumstances, so he also tries to stay away from the lady who has captivated him. But this is a novella, so it all works out pretty quickly and neatly. Enjoyable read if you need a low-angst bit of fluff.

I loved the aspect of a well-born individual falling in love with a member of the household staff, however... I called it early that the valet was well-born, and the entire book moved so quickly that the ending seemed abrupt.

I enjoyed this book. The characters were well written, there was a good plot, there is a twist that you might not see coming and it was not overly sexy, it actually has a plot that captivates your attention. I did stay up waaaay past my bedtime to finish it! 😂

I normally love a story where the heroine is rich and the hero is poor. It’s my favorite trope that’s rarely ever done so I was so excited to read this. Unfortunately I didn’t really like it. The writing was a little weak and the entire thing with the stone was just too fantastical to be believable. The characters fall in lust because of this magical stone and it feels like a plot device to avoid bonding the characters emotionally. I’m so sad this was a disappointment because I really liked the premise. Maybe the fact that it was a novella hindered it and the author felt like they had to rush the relationship along. Perhaps this story would’ve benefitted from being a full length novel.

This is a joyful story of young love and innocence and also family drama. The valet, we know is suffering hard luck and supporting his family, and is trying very hard to be indispensable to his 'master' as a result. So falling for the sister was not on his to-do list. but as this is a romance and as the title indicates, only the valet will do for her. There is drama and threats and kisses and inappropriate discussions and behaviour. as one expects from a Sophie Barnes story. Her stories are always sweet but not cloying and always have a happy ending. Her writing style is clean and has good grammar and her settings are reasonably accurate.
Always a joy to read if you have a spare afternoon - they are shorter in length.

A charming novella! Anybody who is a fan of Sophie Barnes will enjoy this. There's mystery, romance, adversity, and finally hea. It's a short but wonderful journey, and the best character is the grandmother. When you read it, you'll see why.

Thanks to NetGalley for access to this ARC, which was voluntarily read and reviewed.

Only a Valet Will Do is a novella that was originally released as part of an anthology, Love Be A Lady's Charm, which follows each of the Doweger Countess of Stratham granddaughters.

Lilliana, or rather Lilli as she prefers, is the only daughter of the Earl who has been given far more freedom that most. But when she falls for her brothers valet, that is a step too far. Yet fate will not be swayed.
Tristan had taken in the responsibility of trying to get his family from dire straights. Although he had the best intentions , he misrepresented himself. And herein lies the issues, as Lilli is the one he wants to be with her circumstances may keep them apart. Sometimes, you have to trust that everything will work out.

When Lilli decides to wear the necklace that has helped others in her family find their true love, she is dismayed to find that person is a valet. Tristan, a poor in debt nobleman, is immediately attracted to Lilli. Neither is suitable to marry each other. I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review.

Sophie Barnes is a must read historical romance author for me. I know when I pick up one of her novels I will find myself swept up into the story that will leave me with cozy feelings, a smile on my face and warmth in my heart. Only the Valet Will Do, is such a charming and delightful addition to the Sophie Barnes catalog of works. This story is a sweet, insta love story that has the mystic charm of true love. I adore that this novel deals with a class difference between the hero and the heroine, and I love that this class difference although acknowledged by them both is something that they both refuse to see as an obstacle that they are not unwilling to overcome.

This story will entertain you from the beginning, a charming meet/cute between the hero and heroine instantly sparks into an understanding and attraction between the two. Barnes is able to take the insta love of their fated relationship and imbue it with a depth of curiosity and understanding that these two gain as they gather moments of knowledge about the other. I love that Barnes know that just telling the reader they are in love is not enough and she is able to craft the small moments they have together to show the reader that these two are equals in their minds and that they would make the perfect partner to the other. Barnes masterfully weaves together this story by putting the heroine and hero at the center of the story. These two are able to have stolen moments that give them deeper insight into the other. These two, although they both feel the instant draw to the other, also reflect and take the time to make sure that the others wants and needs are in the forefront of their minds. I love that these two never underestimate the other, that they both stand up for themselves and the other, and that the trust whole heartedly in their feelings.

This novel while low on the steam, only some passionate kisses, is full of heart! I was swept into this story, I was invested in their relationship and I trusted that love would ultimately win. This is a wonderful Sophie Barnes novella, I would highly recommend her, this novella and her extensive backlist!