I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Sadly, the streak of “mid” books in Erica Ridley’s Wild Wynchesters continues with book 5, Hot Earl Summer. And considering all of them have the same issues for me, I wonder how much of it is me coming to these with the wrong expectations, and how much revolves around technical issues, as while I’ve consistently enjoyed most of Erica Ridley’s self-published work, most of those are shorter in length, and I feel like her struggle to consistently write tradpub novel-length books for each member of a large family is exposing her weaknesses as a writer more and more. I simultaneously feel like there’s a lot of infodumping to establish who everyone is, bogging the book down, yet it also feels like each book would be hard to read without grasping the relationships formed over the last several.
But the family element does remain the strongest part of the book. While it’s always zany and ridiculous in a good way, I do like the genuine bonds that continuously form as the Wynchesters pull off these wild capers. And each new member, courtesy of the star Wynchester of the book pairing off, is seamlessly integrated, and that’s absolutely the case here too.
Speaking of which, the characters are another strength. I see quite a bit of myself in the reclusive, awkward Stephen. While I’m nowhere near the genius he is, I love his sentiments about not fitting in with the world, and how meeting the Wynchesters was him “finding his people.”
Elizabeth is also delightful, and I love her daring, swashbuckling nature. She also deals with chronic pain, and I appreciate how her desire to be useful and prove her value was navigated, both as it relates to struggles disabled and chronically ill people deal with daily, but also as it parallels Stephen's own desire to find purpose for his life.
But while they are cute together, I found the romance generally tepid at best. And while there are some high-stakes hijinks, I never felt the sense that these two needed to be together for everything to work. The story also utilized one of my pet hates, having the characters begin a casual affair, without backing it up with emotional reasons I should invest in this being more than that. They also didn’t have a ton of physical chemistry to begin with, so either way, I wasn’t won over, and he could have just become another Wynchester brother through them “adopting” him.
With the increasingly lackluster nature of the series, I don’t know if it’s worth continuing, even if I do want to see more adventures with the family. But if this aspect is something you enjoy and you’re not bothered by a very low-stakes historical romance, I’d recommend giving this a chance to see if it works better for you.

The Wynchester's series is always a fun romp and sure to have laugh out loud moments and this book in the series is no exception! It's not my favorite of the series between the insta lust and the secondary plot which just didn't super interest me, but I'm really excited for Jacob's book!

I adored the disability rep as well as the social anxiety rep and thought the conversations about how Stephen could support Elizabeth when she wasn't feeling her best were really sweet. I loved Elizabeth's penchance for violence and swordwielding abilities and Stephen's tinkering.

Thank you to @readforeverpub for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Not my favorite in this series, but still a fun & wild time! The best part is definitely the Wynchester siblings as a whole and our protagonist Elizabeth in particular. Despite having a chronic illness, she participates in missions with the rest of them and loves to wield blades. She and Stephen meet when she attacks the castle he's staying in to win it back for its rightful owner. Though they begin as enemies, they grow to realize that they might have some common interests.

I tore through this book. The Wynchesters continue to be a delightful quirky group to read about and this one was no exception. I love stories when two people who are truly themselves find each other. This was quite silly and I loved every minute of it

Dive into a historical romance that's as hilarious as it is heartfelt. Meet Elizabeth Wynchester, the sword-wielding heroine, and Stephen Lenox, the hermit-like genius. They're the square pegs in society's round holes. Sparks fly and banter ensues, making for a love story that's as unpredictable as a duel with dessert spoons.

The author weaves a tale that's a delight to read, with a world so rich you'll feel like you're wearing a corset. Elizabeth and Stephen's tug-of-war is a dance of wit and warmth that'll have you rooting for love's victory. For a tale that tickles your funny bone and tugs at your heartstrings, grab this book. It's a rom-com with a historical twist! I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I so loved reading, Hot Earl Summer. It gives off Umbrella Academy, vibes to me.
Elizabeth has a condition that leaves her with muscle spasms that make it so she is unable to move without pain. Never do find out what causes it. This causes her to not be 100% Elizabeth. Stephen aways sees her as 100% Elizabeth. He wonders what his life will end up like without Elizabeth in his life. He sees a future with her and wil do what it takes, even taking his shirt off, to win her.

Rompy and adventurous and so exciting! I may be biased towards this series because I am so enchanted by this series. Elizabeth is so authentic and bold while Stephen Lennox is her perfect mirror. He is also unhinged but perhaps a bit more gentle-natured than Elizabeth. The portrayal of chronic illness meant the world to me; living with a chronic illness limiting your ability to live life on your terms is something so difficult of an experience to encompass but her body's limitations do not limit Elizabeth's passion.
The Wynchester's are one of my favorite fictional families and with each installment, I feel that the world grows richer and the bonds between Wynchester's grow deeper. This series has a sense of silliness that makes the reading journey fun!

Hot Earl Summer by Erica Ridley is a delightful and humorous read. The main characters are intricately developed, adding a realistic and nuanced touch to the story. Overall, the novel is completely enchanting.

This was such a fun read. I laughed so much and the banter was done so well. Elisabeth is such a spitfire and I love her. They’re both somewhat awkward but worked so well together. Now I want to read the others in this series!

When Elizabeth Wynchester is sent, axes in hand, on a solo mission by her family to investigate an earl who gambled away an estate that was wrongfully willed to him, she finds an imposter at the end of her sword. Elisabeth and Stephen must hunt for a missing deed before the estate is completely overrun by a hoard of over enthusiastic war reenactors, a battalion of over the top inventions, and Elisabeth’s entire family.

I think that Elisabeth’s story was one that I’ve been hotly anticipating since the beginning of the Wild Wynchesters series— who could possibly be the perfect match for the absolute force that is the biggest spitfire of the family. Did I ever consider it being a quiet inventor hiding away in his cousin’s estate? Never. But does it make absolute perfect sense? Completely.

I adored this book as a continuation of a series that I know and love, but as it stands on its own, Hot Earl Summer is a wild romp starring characters who not only embody opposites attract, but provide a very well-rounded view of Elisabeth’s experience with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome on both her good and bad days with it. It is both laugh out loud funny and genuinely tender, and I cannot recommend this series enough.

HOT EARL SUMMER is a steamy regency romance and the fifth installment in the WILD WYNCHESTERS series, though it's not necessary to read the other books to understand this one. when elizabeth (otherwise known as beth the berserker) is sent on a mission to the earl of densmore's castle, the last thing she expects is to find herself trapped inside with the reclusive inventor stephen lenox, who's been pretending to be the earl while his cousin has been missing.

this is the most chaotic, fun and hilarious historical romance i've ever read and i absolutely adored every minute of it. i have only read one of the other wynchester books but you bet i'm going to go back to read the rest now, based on how much fun i had reading this one!! i also loved how both elizabeth and stephen were neurodivergent, and that, along with elizabeth's disability, only added depth to the romance between the two of them.

read if you like
- big swords (not a euphemism)
- castle siege but make it sexy
- socially awkward MCs

thanks to forever for the advanced copy! HOT EARL SUMMER comes out august 6.

this book was Camp with a major Capital C lol

I didn't realize until about 20 percent in that this was part of an interconnected standalone series and perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if I read the previous books. I found the plethora of characters overwhelming and all a bit quirky, and I think if I had the context of the previous books I may have enjoyed them more.

In terms of historical romance, this book is certainly atypical which is great, but I personally found a lot of the elements a little too focused on humor and slapstick rather than the romance development.

honestly I probably would have rated this a 2.5 but the title gives it a half point because it's such a good title

The Wild Wynchesters series has everything you could hope for in a Regency romance. This one was no exception. Also, as someone dating someone with chronic pain myself, it was such a wonderfully accurate portrait of the issues that go along with it. Stephen is a really fun love interest and this was a page turner!

This book is Elizabeth's story in the Wynchester series - and I loved it! What I loved most is how strong Elizabeth is portrayed as being despite her disability. I enjoyed the antics she gets up to - and how Stephen embraces the chaos that she is. This novel was the perfect weekebd read for me - it was fast-paced and made me chuckle. The book definitely is one that uplifts your mood - and is the perfect addition to a series that I love.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this ebook and this is my freely given opinion...

Seriously, how did I pick up this series from the middle, and miss the earlier books? This was such a fun read that I have to go back and read more of the Wynchesters and from the beginning.

This is a swashbuckling, sword wielding adventure love story with a theme of misfits/outcasts/acceptance, a bit of enemies to lovers vibe. The writing and dialogue was sparkling very brightly with wit and humour and I absolutely loved how the characters interacted and how their inner thoughts were expressed on page. This made me laugh and smile as I was reading it (and made a nice light break from deeper, heavier reading).

Elizabeth Wynchester is a bold, blood thirsty sword wielding warrior goddess in the making - a woman undaunted in her desire to conquer the world and overcome her foes, ideally with them bloody by her blade. But each day, the foe she seems to have to fight first, is her own body. She suffers from some kind of joint/muscle disorder (I am guessing some kind of autoimmune inflammatory condition such as fibromyalgia, a juvenile arthritis or some such), but after having been misunderstood, mistreated, and not valued by her own family, she refuses to allow anyone in her life now to pity her or allow her illness to identify her. Being a part of the Wynchester family gave Elizabeth a chance to find a new family, one who loves and supports her and she likewise is fiercely loving and loyal to them.

But as their renown grows, their caseload grows, and when they are approached by a woman seeking to gain her rightful inheritance to a castle, from her wastrel nephew, the Earl of Densmore, Elizabeth finds she is venturing outside of London by herself to solve the situation. Time is of the essence, as he has been rumoured to have gambled away the property, and the new owner to making noises to take what he believes is his. Ideally by finding the proper will and deed, proving the Earl was not the legal owner and could not gamble away what does not belong to him... Or with negotiation and diplomacy; not Elizabeth's forte. Or, ideally in her mind, by force and the edge of her sword, in a duel to the death.

But when she lays siege to the castle, she finds herself entangled in a series of cunning traps - and instead of finding the Earl, she is ensnared by the lusciously bulging muscles, abs, and brains of his cousin instead. Stephen Lennox is a reclusive hermit and inventor, used to being alone except for his gadgets and inventions. As a child, he was mocked and abused by others, including his family, for his talents. Except for his cousin, the future Earl of Densmore. Even when he is frustrated and annoyed by his wastrel cousin, he loves him for his loyalty and love to Stephen. So when Densmore asks Stephen to take his place at the Castle, while Densmore takes a couple of days to deal with some issues, he agrees.... not expecting the couple of days to be a few months and counting. Nor is he expecting an invading army lead by a spoiled nobleman with delusions of grandeur threatening to engage in warfare to take what he believes is his. To protect himself and the Castle, Stephen kits the Castle out in defense mechanisms that turn the place into mass of deadly triggered traps and seals himself and the other residents within. What he does not expect is that there would be a sword wielding warrior goddess to breach the defenses of the castle, and when she gains entrance, the defenses of his heart as well.

This was just a fun, sparkling, read that was joyful to read and made me laugh out loud several times.

4.25 stars out of 5

The fifth story in the Wild Wynchesters, another engaging story in this series. Elizabeth Wynchester is one strong and gentle woman, she meets reclusive inventor Stephen Lenox who has agreed to impersonate his cousin for a few days. When things start getting nasty she becomes his bodyguard. Both of them have things to overcome, if they are to get their happy ending. I found their story to be well worth reading. I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

HOW FUN

Thank you to the folks at Netgalley and Forever Publishing for this sweet treat of a novel!

I've only read Duke Heist, which is the first of the Wynchester series, and I absolutely ADORED this one!
The only warning I'd give to you, if you do end up reading them in a funky order, is that you'll know which sibling ends up with which love interest.
Since I don't mind a wee spoiler here and there, I had a lovely time.

Elizabeth is tough, you might even call her Beth the Berserker tough (and some do).
Stephen is logical, careful, methodical, you might call him a tinker and inventor (and some do).
They both keep away from people as best as they can.

BUT

When the Wynchesters are hired to find the will and deed to a nearby castle, so that a woman may inherit the castle her nephew has taken over, Beth the Berserker, aka Elizabeth, storms the castle where Stephen is . . . castle-sitting? house-sitting? for his cousin.

As the two of them explore the castle,

Elizabeth keeps a sword stick with her at all times, disguised as a cane, and discovers she may like a guy who tinkers, more than she expected.
Stephen keeps Elizabeth with him at all times, since he is helping her look for his aunt's will, and discovers is shockingly into battle-axe wielding redheads.

Stephen lets her into the castle, but will they let each other into their hearts?

Another delightfully cheeky installment in the Wild Wynchesters series!

Elizabeth "Beth the Berserker" Wynchester may not always operate at 100% but she is always 100% up for a challenge. Especially if that challenge should involve swords or bloodshed. When she and her siblings take on the case of a missing will for their new client Miss Oak, Elizabeth finds herself shuffled off to Dorset solo. Her mission? Discover the location of Miss Oak's sister's will, hidden somewhere in Densmore Castle, so that the sisters' dreams of running an orphanage and school can come true. However, Miss Oak's nephew, the Earl of Densmore, and his gambling have left an irritating complication standing in the way.

However Elizabeth arrives at Densmore castle, ready to take the case head on and blade first, only to discover the Earl of Densmore has left his cousin Stephen Lenox behind in his place and absconded to God knows where. Can the pair navigate death threats, treacherous castle architecture, a series of less than obvious clues, and their own growing attraction towards each other in order to find the will in time to save Densmore castle from falling into the hands of another?

This was yet another brilliantly witty Wynchester romance from Erica Ridley. I absolutely fell in love with this eclectic bunch of siblings in her previous novel My Rogue to Ruin and let me tell you, Hot Earl Summer does not disappoint. Elizabeth is headstrong, fearless, and lets nothing stand in her way. Stephen is cooler, more collected, and beyond brilliant. These two make such a perfectly balanced pair and I was in love with them from the outset.

As I've come to expect from Ms. Ridley, the banter is second to none, the shenanigans are high, and the happily ever after is timed out perfectly. If you're a fan of regency romance, this is a perfect addition to your TBR. I don't think I could have asked for more from this novel. And if you're not? I dare you to add it anyway. You may just find Stephen and Beth the Berserker breaking down your barriers and worming her way into your heart as easily as Elizabeth was able to weasle her way into Castle Densmore.

I love the Wynchesters so much! Each one so beautifully original and yet so supportive of their found family.
Elizabeth has been such fun in all the other books that I couldn’t wait to see her match unfold. I loved that he is a tinker and builds mousetrap like contraptions.
I loved the banter and the one upmanship while the fell in love with one another.
It was a swashbuckling read without the high seas.

3.5 stars because I like the characters and was glad that spiky, unlikeable Elizabeth found her HEA. But even knowing this is silly and unrealistic, I found much of the storyline and specific scenarios too over the top and ridiculous.

I would like to know what we would call Elizabeth's condition today. I will look for the next in the series, when the last Wynchester finds his person.