Ridley is one of my favorite authors but I'm having trouble getting into this one - my brain must be resistant to fun romps right now ~sob~ Looking forward to giving it another go closer to the release date.

So cute! Elizabeth and Stephen were so much fun. I loved all the inventions and traps. It was such a different historical romance! This whole series has been very good!

Huge thanks to Erica Ridley and NetGalley for the ARC. *Sigh* What a great book in terms of visible representation for a character dealing with what we now know as a chronic illness. As a person who was recently diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and whose symptoms are very similar to what Elizabeth goes through, I loved how Ms. Ridley stayed very true to the daily struggles.

Elizabeth and Stephen were such a joy together and my only complaint is that I could have used a few or a ton more spicy scenes. Hot Earl Summer is now tied with The Duke Heist as my favorite Wynchester book. This series has been such a fun ride, and I highly recommend everyone read from the beginning. But this book can be enjoyed as a standalone.

4.5/5

I happen to have a deep, abiding love for regency romances with strong feminist vibes, and this was fantastic. This is book five of the Wild Winchesters series, although it is a strong standalone. I enjoyed it so much that I’m going to go back and read the previous books in the series.

Elizabeth Wynchester is a strong, fiery heroine, who happens to have a disability that causes her chronic pain. Because of this, she ends up developing strong sword skills, which she is ready and eager to use at any one time.

Stephen Lenox is a brilliant tinkerer, who spends his life inventing a delightful array of machines and contraptions for a myriad of uses. He finds himself in the odd position of living in a castle, impersonating his cousin, an Earl. When Elizabeth is sent to the castle on a mission to retrieve a will, she ends up also having to protect Stephen and the castle itself. As is to be expected under such circumstances, sparks fly.

This book was tremendous fun. In my experience, regency era romances tend to either be solidly of the regency, with a strong attention to historical context and accuracy, or to use the regency as a backdrop for a set of characters and situations they encounter, who may otherwise have rather modern sensibilities. This book was firmly in the latter camp. This was apparent going in, and happens to be a style I enjoy. I was especially impressed with how Elizabeth’s disability is handled; that her identity wasn’t solely her disability, even though it was a strong part of her. I also loved the communication between Elizabeth and Stephen. It was refreshing to have characters think and talk through a conflict of differing perspectives.

This is the first title I've ready by Erica Ridley, and although this is the fifth in the series, it read fine as a stand-alone. The author did an excellent job of filling the reader in to pertinent information from the previous books without making it cumbersome for fans of the series. This book was utterly delightful and an absolute joy to read. Elizabeth is a fierce character with an endearing personality. She's witty, intelligent, and strong. The two leads had excellent chemistry with well-crafted sexual tension. I really appreciated that this book contained disability representation, something that is often lacking in regency-era romance. I think fans of Sarah MacLean would really enjoy this title!

This book was witty and charming and I loved it. The representation of chronic illness was wonderful and well handled. I appreciated the unusual grumpy vs. grumpy and how it worked so well. There was lots of sword swinging and booby traps and laugh out loud moments. But plenty of learning to love and found family and what it looks like to be vulnerable. It was a delight and I'm glad I grabbed this book.

Thanks NetGalley for my review copy.

Oh my gosh this was an absolutely hilarious romp of a book and it ticked all my boxes! I adored Elizabeth from chapter 1. She's 31, bi, doesn't want kids and believes that all problems are best solved with her sword. She was such a unique main character to have in a historical romance. I hadn't met anyone like her before. Too often historical heroines are meek and shy which is not for me so Elizabeth was a breath of fresh air in that respect. The dialogue and prose of this book were absolutely hilarious. I found myself cracking up and reading quotes to my sister cause I couldn't keep the jokes to myself. Not only is this book hilarious but it's also full of heart. Both MCs are on the fringes of society and haven't quite found their place so it's heartwarming to see them find a home with each other. Rather than relying on pure sexual chemistry, Erica Ridley masterfully shows why these two characters belong together. Their opposites attract romance was so compelling because it was clear how their differences actually made them perfect for each other. This book also includes some fantastic representation - specifically some top tier chronic illness rep. I adored the way that Erica Ridley addressed the emotional implications of having a chronic illness. My best friend deals with chronic pain and this portrayal was so similar to her experience. If you're looking for a swoony, hilarious romp of a historical with a modern feel this is the book for you! I'll definitely be reading more from this author because I was absolutely delighted the whole time.

"Hot Earl Summer" is the fifth book in Erica Ridley's "The Wild Wynchesters" series. This series has followed the eccentric Wynchester family, with this particular book centered around Elizabeth Wynchester. Elizabeth is known for her love of adventure, particularly solving mysteries and using her blades. When her newest case requires her to work closely with Stephen, a reclusive inventor of all sorts of machines, she's surprised to meet someone just as creative and eccentric as she is. And she's even more surprised to discover that sparks are flying between them.

I thought this was a cute, easy read but I wouldn't say it was my favorite in this series. I do enjoy how the Wynchester family works together, and I appreciated the thoughtful way the author described Elizabeth's physical maladies. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

“Hot Earl Summer” by Erica Ridley
Delightfully Imagined Romp
I loved this story of two so very opposite characters that truly loved, appreciated, and accepted their differences. This can be read as a stand-alone. But if you do, you will want to go back to the beginning and read all the Wynchester adventures. Happy Reading ! !

his is the 5th book in the Wyld Wynchesters series. If you wanted to read this as a standalone you could, Erica does a great job filling in the blanks of previous books without it feeling tedious. Personally, I recommend reading the other books because they are delightful.

This is a really quick great summer read. Elizabeth Wynchester is on a solo mission to find the missing will for a castle. Only once she arrives at said castle, she finds herself trapped inside with wily inventor Stephen (who is decidedly not the Earl who claims to the own the castle). Elizabeth spends her time searching the castle and trying to manage her chronic pain....while also lusting after Stephen.

First off, thank you for having representation of not just living with chronic pain, but body autonomy when it comes to managing that pain. The representation is on point. I love that Stephen doesn't try to health Elizabeth or diminish her pain. The one time he crosses her boundaries in the name of helping her, Stephen accepts that he was in the wrong and they grow together. Healthy communication and a swoon worthy possibly a little autistic man? Was this book written for me?

If you want a sexy, regency era romp with great representation of chronic illness, this is gonna be your jam.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed reading this story. It kept me turning pages right to the end. The story flows very smoothly and is easy to follow.

This book was crazy fun. A ridiculous noble neighbor trying to take possession of a castle by force with silly war reenactments, a crazy hot reclusive inventor, and our beloved Elizabeth who we are all hoping gets the chance to run someone through with her sword. 😆 The romance was cute with these two oddballs falling for each other’s oddities. I love stories that involve castles and treasure hunts. I thought the ending was going to stretch more than I wanted but it ended up being hilariously silly. A really fun romp of a story!

Thank you Erica and Netgalley for the arc! Can’t wait to add a copy to my collection!

A whimsical continuation of the Wynchesters and their journeys to love and acceptance. It was a very interesting cute story.

This is a historical romcom that is at times ridiculous and other times sweet, but a delightful romp regardless. Part of the Wynchester series that follows a diverse group of siblings, this book can standalone or be seen as the penultimate story of each sibling finding love.

The Wynchesters are hired by a woman who planned to turn a castle into an orphanage and school. The castle had been left to her in a Countess’ will that went missing. The new Earl lost the castle in a card game after his mother’s death. Finding the will should prove the Earl couldn’t wager the castle.

With the Wynchesters busier than ever with jobs, sword-wielding Elizabeth Wynchester, travels to the castle alone to find the will. She arrives to find the Earl has fled and his cousin, investor Stephen, is holding down the fort. Elizabeth and Stephen have to find the will and hold off the man who thinks he won the castle from the Earl. Between Elizabeth’s fighting skill and Stephen’s machines, they plan to defend the castle. Of course, they fall in love along the way.

The writing is funny and outrageous at times. I was thoroughly entertained! There were many touching moments, too. We see two characters used to being alone navigating being in a relationship and articulating needs and boundaries.

The varied personalities and talents of the Wynchesters are on display in the finale scene and in a few chapters after. We also see Elizabeth’s disability described throughout and there are touching scenes with Stephen figuring out how to support her.

The epilogue lets us see the happily ever after and sets up the last sibling’s book.

I just was not able to get into this book. It felt too long, but I did like the characters.

I think part of the issue is that I read a Bridgerton novel right before this thinking I was in my like regency era.

I couldn't really get into it. The characters were great and the story line interesting, but something about her writing style bothered me. It was just a personal opinion, and I hope plenty of people read it!

"I more than like you," he said in a rush. "I am an utter fool for you. I like you so much that it shuts down my logic and makes me react with emotion, which is not a thing I believed myself capable of, until you battle-axed your way inside the castle."

🏰 regency read
🗡️ forced proximity
❤️opposites attract

Elizabeth Wynchester is a force to be reckoned with. Despite her constant chronic pain, she can still easily use her sword disguised as her cane to fight. Her new mission leads her to a castle and into the trap door invention of Stephen Lenox ⚙️

Stephen and Elizabeth had such great chemistry. The way they were so different but also balanced each other out perfectly. This was a fun and action packed read 😊

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for this ARC!

4.2⭐️

I looooved loved loved this book!! It was top-tier Erica Ridley, and flowed very well with the other books in the series. It was witty, funny, and super unique, while still staying true to the regency time period. Loved the physical and mental health rep, and of course seeing all the Wynchester sibs back at it again!

🌈Queer rep: Bi female main character. Secondary FF couple with a lesbian woman and a queer woman who is nonbinary-coded.

This scratched a very specific itch, and reminded me how much I love the genre of silly, wildly inaccurate depictions of historical fiction. There were many laugh out loud moments, and I’d be interested to read the other books in the series.

Stephen Lenox is a brillant man who just can’t seem find his place. So he just stays inside his house and keeps inventing. That is until his cousin gets in some trouble he doesn’t know how to get out of.
Elizabeth Wynchester Is the sword wielding fiend. Excellent in almost all she does or puts her mind to, which is usually violence, but hey no one is perfect. Now that almost all the Winchester’s have found the other half she almost seems like a fish out of water. So when this new client approaches with what seems like an ideal opportunity she jumps at the chance. Both Stephen and Elizabeth have their weaknesses that they will need to overcome and admit to before this adventure can be conquered.
Wonderful engaging story with lots of surprises for our sword wielding heroine. Loved this novel and although it can be read by itself you will want to go and find out who these extraordinary people are.
I received a complementary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review.. the opinion I have given is my own. I am disclosing this according to the guidelines.