Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced reader copy of the eBook in exchange for my honest review.

Sometimes we do judge a book by its cover and in this case very much by the adorable title. This was a very cute and funny read. I did not realize this was the 5th book of a series and I had not read any of the other books in the series prior to this one. I doesn't read as a standalone, but I was not exceedingly lost either, though it was a bit tricky when all the siblings were together. Based on this book, I do plan to read the rest of the series.

A badass sword yielding FMC? Sign me up. I also really appreciated the representation of a main character with what seems to be some sort of AutoImmune issue, as I have both Fibromyalgia and Lupus.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In Hot Earl Summer by Erica Ridley, the fifth installment of the Wild Wynchesters series, readers are treated to a rollicking mix of Regency romance and adventurous hijinks. The story centers on Elizabeth Wynchester, a bold and curvaceous heroine with a hidden sword in her cane and a passion for justice. Despite societal expectations and chronic pain, Elizabeth tackles her missions with flair. Her latest task leads her to the Earl of Densmore’s castle, where she finds herself trapped alongside Stephen Lenox, a reclusive inventor impersonating the missing earl. Their chemistry ignites as they navigate hidden traps and a burgeoning romance.

Ridley’s signature blend of humor, romance, and action is on full display as Elizabeth and Stephen team up to locate a missing will and defend the castle from sinister threats. The witty dialogue and playful banter between the protagonists add a layer of charm, while the depiction of Elizabeth’s chronic pain provides a thoughtful touch to her otherwise swashbuckling persona. Although the story's pacing may feel a bit uneven at times, it delivers a satisfying mix of laughter, passion, and daring escapades.

Bold, curvy Elizabeth Wynchester loves cuddling hedgehogs almost as much as she adores vanquishing villains with the sharp blade concealed inside her cane. Despite others’ opinions about her body and gender, nothing will stop her from seeing justice done. When her next mission drops her at the dastardly Earl of Densmore’s castle, she’s prepared to duel like gentlemen—only to be locked inside! Her trusty sword cannot defeat the castle’s hidden traps… or protect her heart from the devilishly handsome rogue guarding the keep.

When reclusive inventor Stephen Lenox agreed to impersonate his cousin for a few days, he didn’t expect the earl to vanish altogether. Nor could Stephen predict mounting death threats… or the arrival of a beguiling, blade-wielding spinster who declares herself his new bodyguard. As the earl’s enemies lay siege to the castle, Stephen fights his way past Elizabeth’s defenses. She’ll share his bed, but when the adventure concludes, she vows to sever their affair. Unless he can somehow convince a swashbuckling siren to surrender her heart…

This is what the book Hot Earl Summer by Erica Ridley is about. It is a historical romance with a modern touch that I have really grown fond of. It is currently the last part and an interconnected standalone of a five-part series that can be read without the previous parts. The story is written in the third person, which didn't bother me at all. At times, it is funny and I was entertained the whole time.

Hot Earl Summer features the 5th Wynchester, Elizabeth, who suffers from chronic pain and measures herself daily on scale of "how much Elizabeth is she feeling." It's always great to see chronic pain representation in a book, but Elizabeth felt like an uneven character to me: she didn't want to be defined by her pain and at the same time she's judging and talking about it all the time. (While I personally experience pain on a regular basis, my arthritis has yet to reach chronic levels, so perhaps my personal view as an athlete with pain will change in the coming years....but also I'm thankful for the miracle of ibuprofen and anti-inflammatories.) For me as a romance reader, the unevenness and one-dimensionality of Elizabeth distracted from the swoon of the story.

I do enjoy parts of the Wynchester series, but this was a bit more of a miss for me than I'd hoped, since I love the rep for chronic pain and also the nerdy inventor. Unfortunately this just felt uneven and a little mechanical overall, missing the magic from the Wynchesters that I've really enjoyed.

Hot Earl Summer

I always love Erica Ridley's historical romance adventures! Some laugh out loud moments, some adorable romance, and I loved the social anxiety rep and disability rep.

Thank you to Forever for this eARC! My opinions are my own

Thank you NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book! Hot Earl Summer was published earlier this month!

Of all the Wynchester siblings, Elizabeth is best in a sword fight, even while managing chronic pain. When she is the only Wynchester available for their newest mission, she travels to a castle to confront a dastardly Earl but instead finds the Earl’s cousin, Stephen Lenox. Stephen is a reclusive tinker who has built traps all over the castle in response to looming threats, but when Elizabeth appears with battle axes and a plan to return the castle to its rightful owner, Stephen joins her noble cause. Working in such close proximity leads to a romantic affair that Elizabeth vows will only last for a short while, but Stephen is determined to win her heart forever.

Like all the Wild Wynchester books, this can easily be read as a standalone! Stephen might be one of my favorite additions to this ever-growing family, and he complimented Elizabeth perfectly. I have been having a difficult reading month(s), but this was a light read with an enjoyable scavenger hunt! It felt a little slow and repetitive compared to other books in the series, and my favorite sections are always those that include the entire family!

I honestly didn’t think historical romance was my thing until I got hooked on Bridgerton. Once I realized that historical romance might, in fact, be my thing after all, I started looking around for another book to try. When I listened to Dana at Forever give a talk about Hot Earl Summer, I knew this was the book I had been looking for!

Hot Earl Summer is the fifth book in Erica Ridley’s Wild Wynchesters series but it works great as a standalone. The story follows Elizabeth Winchester, or Beth the Berserker as she is known. Although Elizabeth was born with some physical limitations, she more than makes up for those with her sword wielding abilities. Elizabeth is quite fond of stabbing villains and looks for every opportunity to do so.

When the story opens, a new client, Mrs. Oak, has arrived at the Wynchester’s door seeking assistance. She was meant to inherit a castle from her late sister so that she could convert it to a school for orphans, but the only copy of her sister’s will cannot be located, so the property has been given to her nephew, the Earl of Densmore, and no one can find him either.

Since all of her siblings are busy working on other cases, Elizabeth sets out for the castle to find the will and help Mrs. Oak get what is rightfully hers. When Elizabeth gets there, however, she finds herself face to face with Stephen Lenox, a handsome reclusive inventor who Densmore asked to stay at his castle until he returns. After some initial hostility, Stephen and Elizabeth agree to work together to try to find the missing will. As they work together to follow the clues that will lead them to the will, Elizabeth and Stephen struggle to fight their attraction to one another.

I had such a good time reading this book! It’s filled with hilarious antics, sexy scenes, and also plenty of heartfelt moments & a wonderful found family vibe.

I can’t wait to read more of this series!

DNF . I didn’t connect with her heroine. She’s a bit too bloodthirsty for me. She is quite independent which is an anti heroine trope for regency, gave it a try. Just not for me,

“”Stephen sighed. “I know that there’s a 0.000152 probability of you finding the earl before he intends to be found. Indeed, I am three hundred and eighty-nine percent more likely than you to divine his whereabouts. Yet despite my having collated and analyzed all the—” She nudged a battle-axe into his cravat. “Stop flirting with me.” His eyes widened with interest. “You interpret my use of logical reasoning as...flirtation?”
“Everyone shows off when they’re flirting. If you don’t mean for it to be arousing, then cease doing so.”””
-
This is a long quote and hopefully not spoilery but this was the vibe these two put off. They were so quick and feisty, smart and incredibly capable. I love the Wynchester siblings with their incredible back stories and family that was forged in friendship and plotting. Thank goodness for a benefactor that saw some good in each of them and talents to hone.
Elizabeth has a hidden disability that is only visible on low days when she needs a cane for assistance. Getting to watch this adorably handsome and hunky tinkerer fall head over heels for her was perfection. She was so strong and fierce and could best anyone with a sword. Just loved every bit of their adventure and the battle reenactment response was so entertaining.
Loved how the siblings already knew all about Stephen the tinkerer from her letters and all his many many inventions he’s patented. He even created some for them in the course of searching for the clues.
He’s not who she envisioned for herself but he’s definitely the one for her. He just thought he would be alone the rest of his life but he has found like minds with them.

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for the eARC of Hot Earl Summer! All opinions in this review are my own.

It is no secret that Erica Ridley is one of my favorite authors and Hot Earl Summer is another fantastic addition to the Wynchester series! Packed with inventions and a scavenger hunt set in a castle, Elizabeth and Stephen's story is filled with humor and passion. Ridley is able to once again make lovable characters that you can't help but root for. While there is no way that I can pick a favorite Wynchester book, I think my favorite couple is Tommy and Philippa and I was happy to see them make an appearance in this one!

I am sad that there is only one Wynchester left but I am looking forward to Jacob's story!

I DNF'd this book at 20%. The writing was light and easy to read. Some fun humor and physical comedy. I just didn't connect to the story or the characters. I did appreciate the inclusion of the main character's chronic illness. People might enjoy this book if they are looking for a fun, light hearted historical romance, with humor and a bit of a mystery.

Thank you to Forever for this eARC! I have had SO much fun with this book. E.lizabeth reminds me of a friend who also suffers with chronic pain - a badass to her CORE even when her legs are screaming at her to calm down. But girl she has a cane with a sword and she has people to mow down!! The Wynchesters are such a remarkable family and Elizabeth and her tinker man Stephen and his lovely little machines are just so to die for. This is fun and light and lovely and also epic and sweeping and AWESOME! What a good read!

My goodness is this one going to sit on my heart and mind for a very long time! Witty, tender and steeped in care Hot Earl Summer is Ridley at her best!

This zany Regency romance is the fifth novel in the Wild Wynchesters series by one of my favorite romance authors, Erica Ridley. While the stories interconnect, each book focuses on one couple and can be enjoyed on its own.

The Wynchesters are a delightful family of memorably idiosyncratic characters, all orphans adopted by a baron from Balcovia, a small foreign country. This book, and the entire Wild Wynchesters series, is populated with delightfully quirky, smart, funny characters who are each in their own way trying to do good. I adore them all.

The main characters of this story are ardent swordswoman Elizabeth Wynchester and inveterate inventor Stephen Lenox. Elizabeth has suffered from a fibromyalgia-like condition since childhood, and I enjoyed reading about how she copes with and communicates about her condition. Stephen charmingly copes with loneliness and anxiety by compulsively exercising and creating Rube Goldberg-style contraptions. These two were so perfect together, and I loved their unique courtship approaches.

Elizabeth and Stephen engage in a treasure hunt to find a missing will while defending his relative’s castle from an entitled neighbor determined to possess it, and of course engaging in outrageous flirtation. Can they find the will, defeat the dastardly neighbor, and overcome their own insecurities to find lasting love? They may need some help from the rest of the Wynchesters.

It is always a pleasure to watch the Wynchesters engaging in wild hijinks to solve mysteries and right wrongs. It was also a delight to watch Elizabeth and Stephen’s relationship evolve and to see them both grow as individuals. The book strikes a very nice balance between humor, action, and romance.

The story is told in chapters alternating between Elizabeth and Stephen’s perspectives, which worked well. I recommend this book for fans of Regency romance, rom-coms, treasure hunts, and found family.

I received an advanced reader copy of this ebook via NetGalley and volunteered to provide an honest review.

This provided a very entertaining reading experience. The writing is divine. The author does an excellent job of crafting the characters, setting, plot, and the dialogue is sublime.
I frequently laughed out loud and rooted for the leads from the beginning. The dual point of view provides the reader with both perspectives, permitting the reader a chance to fall in love with both Elizabeth and Stephen’s quirks. The banter in this book was top tier - I couldn’t help but highlight several passages so that I can refer to them easily at a later date. This could maybe fall under the banner of insta-love, but I can sure any future readers that it feels like these two MCs have known each other forever, as they just click.
The story was unique - I have never read any historical fiction like this. If I went into details I would give too much away, so all I can do is encourage people to pick up the book and experience it for themselves.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Forever for a digital arc of the book. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, and Grand Central Publishing for this advanced copy!

Hot Earl Summer was such a fun and enjoyable read. This is the first book I’ve read about the Wynchesters and I will be going back to read all the others. The banger between the two main characters was fantastic, and the respect they had for each other was a refreshing take that you sometimes do not always see in current romance books. I loved Beth so much!!!

Action adventure and regency romance? The perfect combo in this delightful feminist romp. With a bold and curvy heroine and a dastardly Earl, only the best hijinks will ensue!

Gotta love those Wynchesters! They are quite a bunch! Quirky and unconventional, but thick as thieves. They all have unique personalities and gifts that they use together to solve any crime. Every story in this series is witty and clever which makes for a most entertaining read.

I thought this book was full of laughter and fun, but I found myself having a difficult time seeing past it being so goofy. Don't get me wrong, I love a good romance and has me swooning and laughing but i don't know why this one just was a little too much silly for me. There were some parts of this book that dragged, but felt that I was dragged in with the puzzle solving parts of the storylines. I don't read many romance novels with that factor in there, so i did enjoy that in this story. over all, i thought this was fine! i didnt realize it was a interconnected standalone. definitely shouldve noticed that and wouldve liked to read the other ones before, my fault though!

Berserker Beth!

Another delightful Wynchester story. This time Beserker Beth takes on a case trying to find a lost Will to a disused castle. Arminia, wife to the Earl of Densmore, left Harbrook Castle to her sister to turn into an orphanage.
Unfortunately the current heir has gambled away the castle (which he has no right to) to a pratt of a Viscount’s son, Richard Reddington who keeps on re-inacting battles from the past. He wants the castle.
The Earl of Delamere has fled leaving his look alike, marvellously inventive, cousin Stephen Lenox to hold the fort um castle.
Beth of course becomes involved and what follows is hilarious, eye rolling repartee, and Circque de Soleil action.
A fun read!

A Forever (Grand Central Pub.) ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)