Member Reviews
Another great installation in the Wynchester series!
I don't know how accurate Ridley's portrayal of chronic illness is but I liked her portrayal of Elizabeth and her percentages. She was such a fun character, even from previous books you got a strong sense of who she is, and it was incredible to see a heroine go after what she wants and tell her SO what she needs from them.
Stephen was a great match for her sometimes I felt that his empathy and asking for consent for everything were heavy handed but then it fits so well with these too.
Did I totally understand the plot at the beginning? No.
Were there romance reasons? Probably.
Was it one heck of a fun ride? Absolutely.
If you like humor like The Big Bang TV series and swords, this is for you!
The fun title of this book caught my attention right away and I wasn't let down because I loved it!. The story is a blend of humor, wit, and just the right amount of action I was hoping for in a fun Regency romance.
Stephen won me over with his immediate chemistry with Elizabeth, who is hilarious and knows how to handle herself in a fight despite suffering from chronic pain constantly.
I can't wait to dive into the earlier books and learn more about the rest of the Wynchester family!
Overview: Elizabeth Wynchester (aka Beth the Berserker) is on a mission to find a missing will for a client. She will need to work with the eccentric Stephen Lenox, who has taken up residence in the castle in place of his cousin, the earl, who is in line to inherit the castle if the will is not found.
Thoughts: This was such a quirky book!! It took me some time to get into it, as I had trouble keeping track of all the members of the Wynchester family and Elizabeth as a character felt a bit cartoonish and one-dimensional. However, the story did pick up a bit once she met Stephen. The parallel storyline of the missing will was a great plot device to force Elizabeth and Stephen to work together. At first I wasn’t convinced about them as a couple, since their attraction seemed purely physical in nature, but as the book went on I appreciated how they complemented each other intellectually. On a side note, I found the portrayal of Elizabeth’s debilitating lower back issues to be realistic and made her more relatable.
Take home message: Hot Earl Summer is a wacky and hilarious historical rom com featuring a grumpy female lead who is overly enthusiastic about using violence to solve any issue and a grumpy inventor who would rather design murder rooms and other contraptions than socialize with other humans. Other tropes include opposites attract and forced proximity.
Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Regency romps are always so much fun. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this one!! I especially loved how I didn't realize this was a book 5 (!!!) in an interconnected series until right before I started. I didn't feel lost at all and I instantly fell in love with this (found) family ☺️ The Wynchesters kinda give me "Umbrella Academy" x Bridgerton vibes for lack of a better comparison (minus the magic powers, although one could argue the Wynchesters are pretty badass anyways)
The characterization of Elizabeth was probably my favorite part of the book. Her inner dialogue and how she explained her chronic pain in an easy-to-grasp way (ex. "I'm 60% or 100% Elizabeth and climbing" 🥹) & don't even get my started about Mr. Stephen Lenox!!! No wonder Elizabeth constantly thought this man was flirting with his nerdiness and press-ups. LOL
I will say the sub/side plot was a bit outrageous 😂 I wish we focused a bit more on the riddles and puzzles, but alas.
Thank you so much Forever pub and netgalley for the arc!
I have not been able to stop thinking about this book since I received the ARC in the spring. Now that it’s officially released I need you all to read it!
It’s the perfect amalgamation of Monty Python, A Knight’s Tale and Princess Bride all wrapped up in this hilarious and perfect historical romance with the hottest nerdy MMC and a bada** chronically ill, sword-wielding heroine. Elizabeth and Stephen are truly my favorite couple this year.
Special thanks to @readforeverpub for the ARC.
This is the fifth book in the wild Winchesters series. All of the siblings in these books are fascinating and it’s definitely an interesting family. Elizabeth is Kirby and has a weapon and shows up at the earl of Densmore home in order to find papers that would help an orphanage. Stephen, who is an inventor is there supposedly helping out his cousin who’s been missing for several months and end up needing Elizabeth help to guard him from those that are trying to hurt him is such a fun dynamic and it’s great to see such a strong female character in historical romance , I love Elizabeth family dynamics because you can see how much they all love each other even though they’ve all come from different places in life. It’s a book that has action and romance and hijacks so in that way, it’s an entertaining read from start to finish.
"Hot Earl Summer" is historical romance gone slapstick. Which, to be clear, is not a bad thing. This book returns us to the fabulous and clever Wynchester, with Elizabeth "Beserker" Wynchester seeking out the possibly dastardly Earl of Densmore - only to learn that the earl has absconded and installed his eccentric inventor cousin Stephen in his wake. Which turns out to be quite the turn of luck for Elizabeth and her libido.
Anyway, this book is mostly just fun. The entire Wynchester clan makes cameos, and Elizabeth is the epitome of an incredibly strong woman whose body often doesn't cooperate. Yet she keeps going. And Stephen sees her strengths, accepts her moments of lesser percentages, and loves her through them all.
The case aspect of the story is entertaining and I really enjoyed the ending Battle Royale. A worthy read.
4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. These opinions are my own.
This series is such a fun spin on a regency romance and Hot Earl Summer did not disappoint!
If you’re a fan of either Manda Collins’ Ladies Most Scandalous books or India Holton’ Dangerous Damsels series, then you’d enjoy this cooky take on a historical romcom with a rich action/adventure subplot.
Special thanks NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
It's not you, it's me. I am in such a reading rut. I got through 8% and just could not get into this one. This is my second book in a row I couldn't get into.
Another great book in Erica Ridley's Wynchester series!
Beth the Berserker is a delightful character, a woman who loves her swords and battles and lights up at the thought of potentially being able to stab someone in the quest for justice. Stephen is a tinkerer, an inventor of many entertaining if unnecessary machines (as well as many that are very useful!) and perhaps on paper they shouldn't work, But they do. They balance each other out, while at the same time, recognizing in one another the unique characteristics that many in society deem not to be acceptable. They really see one another, for their strengths and vulnerabilities. And while they have their struggles, they communicate.
The whole premise for the book is also a wild ride of fun. Stephen is pretending to be his cousin, an Earl who gambled away the castle that his mother intended to go to her sister. The Earl has gone gallivanting around who-knows-where, leaving Stephen to literally defend the castle from an advancing 'army' of men, led by a narcissistic aristocrat who thinks he is a war general (he's not) and is intent on taking possession of the castle he won in order to host a war re-enactment. Beth comes to help find the mother's will to prove the sister is the intended recipient of the house, and as she searches the castles for clues to the scavenger hunt left to find the will, she and Stephen end up spending a lot of time together.
I love how Beth's family showed up at the end, ready to literally do battle, but also committed to ensuring the castle was with its rightful owner. This also meant that we got to see Tickletums, the hedgehog!!! yay!!
An entertaining book that made me smile and laugh!
Thank you NetGalley, Erice Ridley, and Forever publishing for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own honest review.
Publication date: August 6, 2024
Print length: 360 pages
My favorite Wynchester to date. A rare 5 stars.
An action adventure mixed with historical romance. Elizabeth is a hoot, a warrior, beserker (love this word), scared, emotional toddler. Her trip from needing no one to being totally 100% in love is a rollercoaster ride. Stephen the reclusive tinker is so cute you want to hug him. Making an elaborate Rube Goldberg machine to make tea is a true tinker pastime. He goes from being happy and resigned to being alone to wanting to be with Elizabeth night and day. His tragic childhood rivals Elizabeths in ugly cry factor, it's all sad. The story is wacky, the characters are wacky, the witty conversations are laugh worthy. The plot is so out there, you'll love the way it unfolds, and the secondary characters are all wacky too. I'm using wacky a lot but it's on par with a screwball comedy. I laughed out loud a couple of times. An enjoyable read from start to finish.
It's nice to catch up with the other Wynchester characters and know that all is ok. Looking forward to Jacob having his own adventure, with his animals by his side has to be interesting.
#NetGalley #HotEarlSummer # The Wild Wynchesters #EricaRidley #Foreverpublishing #historicalromance #romance #wittydialog
POV: Dual
Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️.5
This is my first Wynchester book and while I didn’t need to read the others to enjoy this one, I imagine fans of the family will love this interesting group being back together to fight more crime!
For me, while I liked the humor and action (it was giving princess bride outrageousness) and the instant attraction between Elizabeth and Stephen, I was missing the romance part of the story. It’s strong on family and defending the castle, but weak on the relationship aspect when it had so much potential due to them both being unique characters. I also struggled to like Elizabeth for anything besides her strength in dealing with chronic pain because otherwise she was very immature for a 30+ year old character.
While I love the title and cover, I think this story is enjoyed more if you go into it expecting more of a historical fiction story rather than historical romance.
Unique. Unexpected. Slightly batty.
Just like its FMC and MMC.
Equal parts love story, war story (not the kind you are thinking), and mystery, Erica Ridley’s Hot Earl Summer is an utterly wild take on the regency romance. Two self-proclaimed social misfits set out to solve the mystery of a long-lost last will and testament that could save an estate from falling into the wrong hands.
Ridley’s book represents both chronic illness and mental health—and it reveals the many ways a person might be seen as strong.
Overall, I enjoyed this read - though I wish I would have known it was part of a series. Hot Earl Summer certainly can be read as a stand-alone, but I had the sense that having access to the full found family backstory would make it even better.
Perhaps a bit over-the-top in its plotting, this was still a catchy story with a lovable cast of characters and engaging setting.
Perfect for fans of India Holton or Virginia Heath.
Hot Earl Summer by Erica Ridley
The Wild Wynchesters series #5. Historical romance with a unique family and plenty of humor. Can be read as a stand-alone but better as part of the series.
Bold and curvy Elizabeth Wynchester loves her trusty sword and vanquishing villains. Her family knows her occasional physical limitations and are totally behind her taking on the mission of finding a will somewhere inside the dastardly Earl of Densmore’s castle and handing it over to the orphans. Finding the castle covered in hidden traps, she’s calls on her Beth the berserker motivation to get past the rogue guarding the keep. She’ll find that will if it means breaking doors and making someone bleed.
Reclusive inventor and tinkerer Stephen Lenox agreed to impersonate his cousin for a few days inside his castle. Three months later, his cousin hasn’t returned and he has multiple people demanding to take possession of the castle which he is mostly trying to ignore other that setting plenty of traps and setting up listening posts around the turrets. When a beautiful and curvy woman starts using a double axe on his castle door, he knows his hiding time is up. She explains her quest for the orphanage and agrees to help repel the neighboring war games threat but she may not be able to keep her hands off him. Those abdominal muscles she accidentally exposed with her trusty sword are lick worthy!
Oh those rascally Wynchesters. They all have their unique skill sets and they are taking on more cases for the underdog.
Fast action, plenty of humor, sexy longings and absurd costumes all lend itself to total acceptance for this do-good family. Don’t miss a single episode. They bring color and joy to life that you won’t be able to resist.
“Did you just say ‘measure the viscosity’? I have never heard a phrase more erotic. Prepare to lose your virginity.”
I received a copy of this from NetGalley.
The most charming and fun historical romance series of all time continues. Elizabeth and Stephen are wonderful characters, and since this one sends Elizabeth on her own mission, there is a little bit less of the Wynchesters as a family whole in terms of scene quantity- but they are still, naturally, critically important to the story. This one is at times borderline ridiculous and over the top, but the balance of chemistry between them, incredible banter, sweet understanding of each other, and a great quest more than makes up for that.
3.5 Stars. I really miss the old covers for this series (of course I miss non-cartoon covers in general). This book continues the Wynchester series and their family's more and more bizarre romances. This one is absolutely ridiculous and I had a good time. There is zero historical accuracy in this romp and every romance 101 rule of society is broken. I liked both Stephen and Elizabeth and they fit really well together, this just isn't what I expect in my historical romances.
If you like a lot of hijinks and a silliness, then this book is an especially good one. Erica Ridley will definitely make you laugh many times in her books. In this one, Elizabeth is a sibling of many other talented siblings who fight crime together. She has a brother whose specialty to caring for a variety of animals. Another who is a master of disguises. A sister is a great pickpocket. Elizabeth is very much brute strength, and loves to wield her sword. I found it very tender that Elizabeth is both shown as strong, and as someone who is dealing with chronic pain. Her pain does not keep her from her adventures. Her pain also does not keep her from her mission of helping a woman find the deed to a castle. Staying in the castle is tinkerer and recluse Stephen. The two of them have great chemistry and banter, and it's really fun to see them fight an absolutely absurd enemy. This book has intrigue, a mystery, and Romance. Quite fun.
Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A goofy, over-the-top farce with the volume dialed up to 11. Which seems *absurd* to complain about, given how I just read and loved Something Extraordinary—surely if anything is dialed up to 11 it’s the Tarletons. But Alexis Hall grounds his farce with deep emotion and intimacy, using it to scratch away at the actual farce of a society that dictates such rigid, preposterous roles.
I feel Erica Ridley wanting to do something similar, but it stays at the superficial level, with ripped abs and lust at first sight and a relationship that’s just as conventional as you please, apart from a heroine with a sword. I applaud the found family and the chronic disability rep, but without deeper character work, this veers into cartoonish and (she winces) boring territory for me.
Hot Earl Summer is the fifth book in Erica Ridley's fantastic Wild Wynchester series. This book focused on Elizabeth as she takes on a solo mission to capture the elusive Earl of Densmore, find his mother’s will, which would validate that Castle Harbrook new owner was her sister, Ms. Oaks. But the Earl gambled it away despite not being the rightful owner. Miss Oak did not have the original document to validate her claim, and she was in danger of losing the property. It is up to Elizabeth to find the lost will hidden in the castle.
When Elizabeth arrived at the castle, she discovered that the Earl’s cousin, Stephen, impersonated the Earl at his request and was unable to leave until the Earl returned. Elizabeth and Stephen quickly team up to find the clues that will give the location of the will. The attraction between them is strong and they soon fall in love.
I really enjoyed this book and liked the fact that it was both a romance and an adventure. The characters were fantastic, and I was pleased to see there is representation for people with disabilities in the story-line. It is full of humorous quotes and wild characters. Elizabeth's family were quirky and eccentric, and it was amusing to watch the mostly conventional Stephen interact with them. I loved guessing what would happen next and cannot wait for the next sibling’s book. Although part of a series, you can read this book as a standalone but reading the previous books will give more context and background. I recommend this to lovers of historical romances.
Thanks to NetGalley, Forever Publishing (Grand Central Publishing), and Erica Ridley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Hot Earl Summer" is a delightful historical romance filled with quirky characters and fun adventures. Elizabeth Wynchester, a bold and competent woman with chronic pain, teams up with Stephen Lennox, an inventive and vulnerable man, to solve the mystery of a missing will and defend a castle. The dual POV allows readers to understand their backstories and vulnerabilities, making them relatable and lovable.
The plot is engaging with a mix of insta-lust, friendship, and banter, keeping things interesting. While the villain feels a bit cartoonish, the overall story is lighthearted and fun. The representation of Elizabeth's chronic pain and joint issues is well-incorporated, adding depth to her character.
The Wynchester family scenes are enjoyable.
"Hot Earl Summer" is Perfect for fans of historical romances with a modern twist.