Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this book! Normally I don't gravitate towards romance, but I was intrigued by the Gothic story lurking. (Thank you, Jane Austen and Northanger Abbey!) While the romance story was alright, I loved Jane's story- a female author writing popular Gothic novels with a complicated past. I would love to read the next book in the series if the protagonist is as interesting!

This was delightful! I was immediately sucked in and ended up finishing it in one evening and enjoying every minute of it. The writing was excellent, the story witty and clever, the side characters interesting and amusing, and the hero and heroine relatable and easy to sympathize with.

We have a hero who is a spy and has just become an earl and a heroine who is secretly a very popular gothic novelist. Of course they fell in love 7 years ago and were torn apart by circumstances, and of course their feelings are very much still there. And of course they start off by lying to one another. Better yet, each knows the other is lying, but not about what they're hiding. And so begins a delightful game of attempting to discover the other's secrets without giving away their own.

The threatening letters plot is a little thin and the villain becomes obvious rather quickly, but it's so much fun I didn't care about that.

Thomas Sutherland spent years as a spy, then finds out he has become the new Earl of Magnus and is ordered to go home to his land. He finds the castle he goes home to has been leased to a notorious gothic novelist. He finds the girl he's been dreaming of for the past 7 years, Miss Jane Quayle, there as an amanuensis to the novelist, but is that all she is? Suspicious letters arrive wanting to silence the novelist forever. Thomas wants to stay and protect Jane even though the threats are against the novelist. Both characters have their secrets but can they overcome them and find a future together?

A lot of times I have trouble reading historical romances just because of how they are written, but I had no such problems with this delightful novel. The end of the book sets things up beautifully for another novel in the series, which I look forward to reading,

#WhosThatEarl #NetGalley

There were a lot of elements in this book that I enjoyed. First, that cover that attracts attention combining historical and contemporary romance with that powerful color. the main characters and their witty banter. the location. the style of writing and the vividness of the description.

I just think that in relation to the mystery I could have a little more work. But in general it was a good and different historical romance, which is appreciated in a fictional world full of damsels in distress.

Thomas Sutherland has spent the last 7 years in the Dominican as a soldier and spy for the British Army. He has spent most of his time alone with the thoughts of the girl he left behind. Surely she's married with family of her own by now...
Thomas has been summoned home by his General to be given the news that whether he likes it or not, he has inherited the title of Lord Magnus. He is to travel to Dunnock Castle and take over the position of Earl. Much to his surprise, he learns that there is a tenant currently residing in Dunnock Castle. Not just any tenant, it's Robin Ratliff the highly popular author of Gothic novels.
Jane has spent the last few years residing in Dunnock Castle making a name for herself. Her family may not approve of what she is doing but becoming Robin Ratliff has helped her find herself and become a self-sufficient woman. When she gets wind that there is a new Earl on the way to lay claim to what is his, she worries that her secrets will be discovered. She NEVER expected to see Thomas Sutherland again. it has been 7 years since their kiss and the promise of more before he disappeared. What brings him here now?

This was such a fun read and I CANNOT wait for the next installment! I really enjoyed the little bit of mystery element we got in this story and the snippets of Jane's novels were such an awesome addition,I just wish there were more of both! And the relationship between Thomas and Jane...I mean, STEAMY! I loved it.

*Thank you to Net Galley and Kensington Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
*All opinions are my own.

At first I found the pacing of this book a little slow. I was a little unsure about the secrets they were hiding from each other because that kind of thing can get tiring fast, but I was happy when that element of the book didn't drag on for too long. Once they revealed their true identity to each other, I started to enjoy this a lot and became truly invested in Jane and Thomas' romance. They had great chemistry, the steamy scenes were very well written and full of tension, and I loved the banter between them.

I love books about writers and that's what originally drew me to this. I've never read a historical romance about a writer before and I really enjoyed the snippets of Jane's gothic novel, and also the discussion of how difficult it was to be a female writer in those times, as well as how controversial it is to be an unmarried woman living alone (so much so that Jane pretends to be a widow).

The weak point of this book, for me, was the mystery element - Jane (or rather her pseudonym) is being sent threatening letters because of the kind of books she writes, and Thomas helps her track down who the culprit is. Unfortunately the reveal was kind of weak with almost no shock factor and was overall a bit of a letdown.

Fortunately the romance made up for the weaker elements of the book and overall I enjoyed this a lot. I would definitely recommend if you enjoy a good Scottish historical romance!

*I was provided a copy of this book for review on Netgalley (thank you!) - all opinions are my own.

Who's the Earl
by Susanna Craig

Mr. Thomas Sutherland has been in Dominica for seven Years. He is a spy and has been helping the English.
He furtively sneaks up on an officer and sort of disables him. Come to find out he has been sent by his superior officer. He has been called home but he does not know why. When he finally meets his superior officer he finds he now has a title. He is an Earl. He does not wish to Resign his commission.
Miss Jane Quayle, Higginbotham, seven years ago they had dated and he had gone to her father to ask for her hand. Her father said he did not have a daughter. An hour later, he got orders from General Scott. And he was off.
They had such chemistry and neither one had forgotten.
Thomas and Jane.were so surprised to meet up again after so long a period. She was the one he wanted to marry if her dad had been so nasty. The characters were so good together. The secondary characters were equally as good. I love the sound of Scotland and the green trees and grass the beautiful colors. The kilts are so wonderful. It was so good and will require a reread soon. I highly recommend the book, the author has done such a marvelous job keeping our interest and entertaining us.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Who's That Earl by Susanna Craig is a lovely historical romance featuring a well-curved and independent heroine, and a lieutenant recently returned from the West Indies.

My thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy.

Jane Quayle once knew Lieutenant Thomas Sutherland, or thought she knew him. They had a strong connection, but the timing was all wrong, and they did not see one another for years.

They met again, but they were not who they used to be. Jane was then Mrs. Higginbotham, the amanuensis of the famous writer Robin Ratliff, and Thomas claimed to have been hired by Ratliff to investigate some threats he had received.

They were intensely attracted to each other, but both knew there were too many secrets between them.

The couple is adorable. Jane is easy to relate to. Her dreams, her insecurities, and her strength to face the adversities were inspiring. Thomas was a lovely hero: respectful, honorable, and gorgeous.

There was a little adventure, a lovely castle, astonishing views of the Scottish Highlands, and a beautiful community.

My favorite side character was the fierce Agnes, Jane's housekeeper. I also loved the gatekeeper, Dougan, and the dogs Athena and Aphrodite.

A delightful, romantic, and entertaining read!

Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

*This review will be posted on https://lureviewsbooks.com on 08/17/2020*

This is the first book I have read by Susanna Craig. 'Who's That Earl' had elements that were enjoyable to me, however those elements were totally overshadowed by the graphic sexual descriptions. What otherwise would have been a lovely story that included spies, Scotland and overcoming family dysfunction was tainted. I don't understand why authors feel the need to ruin the romance with graphic sex.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Jane is posing as Mrs. Higgenbottom, secretary to gothic novelist Robin Ratliff. Only Jane is the real novelist. Thomas is visiting as the boy who spent summers in Balisaig. Only Thomas is really the new Earl. As Fate would have it, they met ad fell in love seven years in the past before that same fickle Fate tore them apart. Now Jane is in danger. A man is sending her death threats in the mail. But Thomas can help. After all, he’s spent the last seven years as a spy in His Majesty’s service. When will they find out each other’s secrets? Can they find their love again after all this time and separate experiences?
This is a lark of a book. The main characters are deeply drawn and quite likable. The secondary characters, including the books by Jane/Robin Ratliff, are interesting and quirky. The plot takes turns present day readers appreciate. I would recommend this book to my patrons.

I enjoyed this one, but it was not without its flaws. The plot was original and fun, and the characters were well-crafted. Proper attention was paid to the minor characters, as well.

However, there is SO much internal narration and pages of the characters thoughts. I wish there had been more dialogue, and crisper writing. It felt sluggish sometimes because of the page after page of internal narration. I wanted to be showed more and told less.

DNF 61%

The cover is an attention grabber, a bit different pose than a typical historical. The blurb sounded really good, but its not the story it made out to be. Thomas and Jane unfortunately didn't have the chemistry I thought they would have. This book lost my attention and I read more than I probably should have.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This was an okay enough book for me, I found the main character somewhat annoying and some of her decisions just kinda I don’t know bothered me. But I did enjoy myself, I think that maybe there is improvement needed for the plot.

A spy returned home to become a lord and the lady he left seven years ago hiding her secret identity as a notorious gothic writer? This was an absolute pleasure to read. The story was fun, romantic, and even had a mystery, I really enjoyed it and I loved the characters. The couple of this story had chemistry and were slowly falling back in love with each other after seven years. This was a nice romance read and I would recommend it for any romance readers out there!

One thing I really enjoyed about this book is that right off the bat both characters knew the other was lying about *something* they just couldn't figure out what. The very beginning of the book is a bit jarring, and I felt it might have worked better as a flashback. I think it is important to know how Thomas lived during is time as a spy, but it's offsetting when starting a romance novel. I also would have liked to see more excerpts from Jane's novels, specifically the ending of the third book in her series after we're left with such a cliffhanger! The writing of Who's That Earl is solid and I enjoyed getting to know the various side characters. It's a good start to a new series, even if I am more interested in the love lives of Jane and Thomas's neighbors than of his fellow spies.

I adored this romance. The perfect historical for me! It was funny and feisty with the perfect amount of snark. I cannot wait to read more form this author.

Oh I really enjoyed this book. The gothic like castle, the stories the heroine write. The slow coming together of the main characters. Entertaining and fun. Will be recommending!

Book blurb: Miss Jane Quayle excels at invention. How else could the sheltered daughter of an English gentleman create lurid gothic novels so infamous someone wants their author silenced forever? Fortunately, Jane has taken steps to protect herself, first by assuming a pen name, and second, by taking up residence at remote Dunnock Castle, surrounded by rugged scenery that might have been ripped from the pages of one of her books. Her true identity remains a secret, until one dark and stormy night . . . After years of spying for the British army, Thomas Sutherland doubts the Highlands will ever feel like home again. Nevertheless, thanks to a quirk of Scottish inheritance law, he’s now the Earl of Magnus, complete with a crumbling castle currently inhabited by a notorious novelist. When the writer turns out to be the woman Thomas once wooed, suspicions rise even as mutual sparks reignite. As danger closes in, can Jane and Thomas overcome their pasts to forge a future together?

OMG, this book! So the blurb about the book really doesn't give a good idea of what the book is about, at all! Jane is living at Dunnock Castle after her family had cast her out of her home years ago. Thomas is the new Earl and he is ordered by his superior to go to his new Earldom and to put things in order. He finds Jane there and then the story took off. Yes, they had met before, but it was really brief (and insta love). This second meeting is SO much better than the first. They were both very young during that first meeting, especially Jane, so I'm not sure they woould have worked at that time. I do think that since Thomas is a spy, he should have been able to figure out Jane's "secret" sooner, but it didn't keep the story from moving forward. I will say that I was shocked at how different and really good this book was. I haven't read anything by Susanna Craig before and I am so glad that I have found her on Net Galley. I cannot wait to read more of her books. This one is 5 stars!

I expected more from this book. Maybe because it is a book one in a connected series, I felt it be a little dull and slow at the beginning. It tries to mix the aspects for a romance, spy and thriller-like (in the figuring out who wants to kill the heroine). And that all sometimes gets a little muddled up for me. It's still cute and has its sparky moment, but I expected better writing in terms of possible humor.

Who's That Earl, by Susanna Craig, is the first in her new Love and Let Spy series. Thomas Sutherland is a spy who, through a quirk of inheritance, suddenly becomes the Earl of Magnus, the castle near the small Scottish village where he spent summers growing up. Since he has no interest in giving up his profession, he goes to Dunnock castle to sort things out and get back to spying. However, the castle is being leased to the reclusive writer of scandalous Gothic novels, Robin Ratliffe. Robin Ratliffe, though, is none other than Jane Quayle, the girl Thomas fell for seven years ago before being called away on duty. Robin is receiving death threats, and Thomas is ideally trained to get to the bottom of the situation.

This was a really fun, quick book to read. I really enjoyed both Jane and Thomas, and the way that Susanna Craig handled the tension between them was very well done. I sympathized with both characters' struggles - Thomas being reluctant to drive a wedge between his new title and his old friends; Jane craving her independence. Jane's dogs were an adorable addition to the story as well.

The mystery of the letter-writer seemed to be wrapped up rather quickly - I would have enjoyed having more hints or a bigger glimpse into his motivation, but recognize that the true story is Jane and Thomas.

I really enjoyed Who's That Earl and will definitely be reading more by Susanna Craig!

Thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for the review copy!