Alexandra Vasti wrote an incredible sophomore novel. I loved our FMC, Lydia Hope-Wallace, in Ne're Duke Well. And then we got a whole book about her? It was just an incredible book. Funny and smart.

This was my first read of Vasti's, and what a fun read it was! It was also my first venture into the regency-esque romances and I will definitely be coming back for more! Arthur and Lydia were so perfect for each other and I loved getting to watch them fall for each other over the course of the book. It was fast paced, adventurous, and so steamy!

This was fun! Alexandra Vasti is a good writer and I enjoy her plots. I’d read one of her novellas previously and was glad to get an early copy of this one from NetGalley (thank you!) to read!

Loved Lydia and Arthur! Very intrigued about Georgiana, and I desperately want Jasper (and now Davis) to get their own books.

Earl Crush is an amazing historical romance. Alexandra Vasti takes an epistolary, mistaken identity plot, adds a grumpy Earl and his shy and clever love interest, and finishes off the perfect story with a bit of mystery and suspense.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Quiet heiress Lydia Hope-Wallace spent years corresponding with Arthur Baird, Earl of Strathrannoch. So when he mentions his dire financial situation, she decides that this is her chance to make her own choices, and heads to Scotland to propose to the Earl. Only, when she gets there, Arthur has no idea what she’s talking about. Turns out, his missing younger brother has been chatting with Lydia under his name. While obtaining Lydia’s help to find his brother, mystery and intrigue leads to fake marriage and eventually an only one bed situation. As the pair spends more and more time together, is it even possible to ignore their mutual attraction?

I love a mystery/suspense subplot in my romance, and how characters react to their love interest being in danger. I don’t want to give too much away, because the way the plot unfolds is brilliant, but it hits all the right beats in all the best ways.

One of the best things about Arthur and Lydia is that while there is plenty of physical attraction, Arthur is gone for Lydia because he loves how smart and clever she is. And for Lydia’s part, having someone who treats her as an equal and doesn’t coddle her debilitating shyness is the best quality she could want in a partner. And did I mention their sizzling chemistry?

Earl Crush is fantastic. Any romance reader, whether you love historicals or not, should read this book. Lydia and Arthur are equal partners, and the way they work together and fall in love too is a treat. Alexandra Vasti is an author that seems to get better with every book, and I can’t wait to read what she writes next.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Loved it! So much humor and dry wit in this story. I loved the throwaway lines from the secondary characters. A case of stolen identity and a missing thieving brother lead to all sorts of problems for Lydia and Arthur. Arthur's reaction to Lydia is hilarious as he's in a fog whenever she's near. And his two friends/servants conspire to throw them together as much as possible. Once he saves her from a zebra stampede, (Yes. You read that right.) they are fated to be. . . something.

Earl Crush is the second book of Alexandra Vasti's that I've read (the first being Ne'er Duke Well) and I can solidly say I am ONBOARD.

This book does a really interesting twist on the pen pals to marriage of convenience trope that shows up in a lot of historical romance: after the first 10% everything that happens is a total surprise! One thing I think is really unique about this book and Vasti's characters in general is how truly well matched they are, not in the stereotypical "he's quiet, she's loud! so it works!" way but in the sense that Lydia and Arthur recognize strengths in each other's "quirkier" traits.

LYDIA IS SO REAL IN THIS. i love that she is doing all of these super brave things and her internal monologue is just her freaking out 🥹🥹 it was refreshing to see this type of strength in a badass heroine!! she does it and she does it scared!!!

ARTHUR 🧸 🫶🏼. i really the internal emotional depth he has, especially in the relationship with his brother and with his own purpose. this grounds his connection to lydia in a really sweet emotional tether, which made me grudgingly accept the insta-lust they have for each other 💀💀 also he stays quiet and gives lydia the space to collect her thoughts before she speaks......yeah i love him ❤️

My one gripe about this book is that it feels somewhat untethered in time, both in the context of the series and the book on its own. It's mentioned that three years have passed since the first book, but little to no info is given about Lydia's life in that time period except that she's been writing political pamphlets and letters, which threw me off a bit especially since she wasn't focused on a ton in the first book? There is a lot of telling rather than showing in terms of plot: for example it's mentioned that Arthur and Lydia have nightly fireside study sessions in which their relationship builds......why was not a single one on the page.......The only way I can describe it is that I kept wondering if I was starting a spinoff series that i should've read before picking this up, but to my knowledge there isn't.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti was a book I've been waiting for from the moment I finished Ne'er Duke Well. I'm so glad we got to have Lydia's story next!

Lydia was introduced to us in Ne'er Duke Well but with social anxiety, she isn't one who truly likes to be the center of attention. What we come to find out is that for the last three years, she has been writing (anonymously) seditious pamphlets and also has been writing to the Earl of Strathrannoch who is politically like-minded. But when his most recent letter reveals that he is in financial straits, she sets out for Scotland to offer him a marriage of convenience. Unfortunately, the Earl doesn't actually know who she is.

Arthur Baird, the Earl of Strathrannoch is stunned when he finds a beautiful redheaded lady in his castle offering to marry him. But he is furious when he finds out that his brother has been writing to her under his name. He just wants to be left alone but he is desperate to track down his brother as he has become entangled in British espionage and stolen something from him. Arthur believes that Lydia can help him track him down but what he doesn't plan on is the attraction that grows the more time they spend together.

I loved these two together. It was clear that Arthur saw her anxiety immediately for what it was and he did everything he could to help her through it. He was the grumpy, Scottish Earl hiding out in his castle and when Lydia came storming into his life, everything changes. The way their relationship evolved and the way they ultimately came together was well done. Of course, there is more to this story than just the relationship between Lydia and Arthur. There’s the who espionage twist and trying to track down Arthur’s brother and then there is also the relationship Lydia has with her brothers and the secret one of them happens to have that seems to have something to do with Arthur’s brother.

All that to say, I enjoyed this book and I encourage you to pick this one up when you can if you are looking for a historical romance. Alexandra Vasti has quickly become a favorite author and I’ll be looking forward to future books by her.

Alexandra Vasti has been my introduction to historical/regency romance and I love how she writes! Her stories are funny, clever, and sexy. I loved her novellas about the Hallifax sisters, so I was excited to read Earl Crush. It had really lovable characters and the romance was so sweet and innocent, but also super steamy and filled with pining and longing. There is a mystery tied into the story and it got a little confusing for me at times, but the romance and growth that the characters experienced made up for that. If you are new to the genre, I highly recommend trying her books. I will definitely be reading more by Vasti.

She’s an on-the-shelf spinster (at 26). Lydia Hope-Wallace is a political writer (secretly), an heiress, and has been in correspondence with the Earl of Strathannoch, whose estate is fairly destitute. The communication is such that Lydia makes her way to Scotland, accompanied by her friend, to propose marriage. When she arrives at the estate, and proposes to the earl - he’s stunned and has no idea of who she is.

*Lydia is a terrific MFC (and so relatable to this reader with social anxiety)
*Arthur ❤️
*wonderful (and wonderfully intrusive) household help
*a menagerie of animals
*mystery
*swoony longing
*oh, those declarations - please, excuse me while I go find a fainting couch

I loved Earl Crush - a purely fun read and wonderfully romantic 😍


This is the third novel I’ve read of the author’s and I’m definitely a fan now - can’t wait to read more of her work 🙂





Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the DRC

this was honestly such a silly fun time and the overall vibe reminded me of experiencing a guy ritchie film! the plot was rly well thought out & i appreciated the nods towards actual historical events that helped bring this story to life. there were times some explanations were cut a bit short so i found myself confused & having to reread a few lines only to find an over-summarization and not an oversight.

what rly took me out of the story was the insta-love/lust between the leads. it was difficult to pick up on an emotional connection or truly enjoy their dialogue moments because we jumped so incredibly fast into their interest towards each other.

i still had a blast with how jamie fraser coded the mmc was though 🤭

This book was a delight from start to finish. There’s a fake relationship, young ladies somewhere they’re not supposed to be, road trip, spies, a castle that’s falling apart and a grumpy Scot who just wants to be left alone to invent shit.
I loved Lydia and Arthur. It’s funny & sexy & so well written.

I really enjoyed this story, so much so that I went and read the first book in the series. The story was intriguing and well paced. I never had a point where I was hoping for the story to move faster. The only thing I didn't like about the story was that there didn't seem to be any closure between Lydia and Arthur's brother. He obviously has feelings for her and asks her to marry him but that's all there is. Suddenly the story is right back to Lydia and Arthur. What does she say to the brother to turn him down? How does he take it? How does it affect his relationship with Arthur? Maybe it's covered in the next book which i gather is his story. I guess we will see.

This story was an absolutely zany adventure. The plot involves a roadtrip with many wild mishaps but all the humor is grounded in heartfelt character dynamics so the book never felt unbalanced. As always I adored how sex-positive her stories are and how well drawn her characters are. I fell hard for Lydia and Arthur. They both desperately want to be seen and appreciated for who they are and it was absolutely adorable watching them realize what a good team they make. Like all Vasti heroes, Arthur falls hard for Lydia and it was really sweet to see them both find people that will give them the unswerving admiration and support that they've been yearning for. Lydia charmed me just as much as Arthur did. I loved that she had social anxiety but was still bold in following her convictions. I loved that a heroine was allowed to be fierce while also having anxiety. I appreciated that strength could look different and still be respected. I also loved that Vasti used real wild historical facts when planning their misadventures. If you're looking for something light and fun that will have you swooning this is a great choice!

I was absolutely obsessed with NE'ER DUKE WELL, so I knew I had to read EARL CRUSH as soon as I could get my hands on it and it was absolutely worth the wait. Alexandra Vasti is now an autobuy author for me and I can't wait to read everything she ever writes!! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the advance copy!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. 3.5 stars total.

I enjoyed this, it was rather a mad dash! Lydia was an unlikely heroine, and I loved her energy. I loved her interest in politics and making the world a better place, and I thought many of her desires in regency England mirrored current day issues. I also loved Arthur, a very unlikely hero who just wants to stay home. The way he fell for Lydia and the way he would do anything to help her was amazing.

Good energy, good love story, good chemistry, steamy scenes. I think, for me, the story was a little disjointed in the middle, and it didn't flow for awhile. It got better and it ended on a very happy note. I will check out Vasti's first book.

Delightful. 5 spicy stars for Alexandra Vasti's "Earl Crush"
Lydia and Arthur are both socially awkward. One of my least favorite tropes in romance fiction is that of misunderstandings between the H&H. But in this case misunderstandings lead to deepening commitment instead of petty disagreements. Both Lydia and Arthur have the courage to face their fears, and to stay open to their blossoming relationship.

Their is lots of spice, plenty of humor, and a pile of characters for Vasti to develop in future books. Bring them on!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I can’t think of many things I don’t like about this book. I find the writing witty & smart, the storyline unique, & the characters engaging. There are loads of tropes intertwined into a really fun read. Lydia & Arthur have quite the adventure as they discover they are rather perfect for each other. I like that I didn’t have a clue how things would wrap up in the end. The letters are a perfect epilogue.
I was able to read an advance copy of this book via NetGalley. I’ll definitely be looking for more of the author’s work in the future. I’ve already picked up the previous book to discover more about Lydia’s friend Selina, who helps them out in this one.

UTTER PERFECTION! I swear, this is the best thing Vasti has written yet!

Take the sparkling dialogue and humor from Tessa Dare, mix it with the classic high stakes twists from Lisa Kleypas, and you get something amazing from Vasti. I'm also an absolute sucker for a big Scottish man who is just GONE on the love interest. Yes Please! From the "meet disaster" at the beginning to the big man being a loveable idiot at the end, I was hooked the entire way.

Arthur is just the sweetest man. And I loved how much he and Lydia grew over the course of the book, and each found strengths they didn't know they had. Learning to love themselves and each other was a delight to see. And the steam and spice! Whew! I wanted to smush them together like 2 dolls and make them just KISS very early on. And we were treated to some amazing spicy scenes as well.

Special mention goes to the spying, the zebras, the adorable meddling gay couple running the estate, and Lydia's pugnacious brothers! I loved every single minute.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve read a historical romance and what a book to dump me back in. Quite possibly my favourite historical romance ever? Angst, longing, espionage? And hot, single brothers who will hopefully be written about in the future? Immediately going back to read Ne’er Duke Well- bye!

Reminiscent of Bridgerton, this book had it all: adventure, intrigue, romance, and more. In secret, Lydia is an accomplished political writer but is still unmarried after several seasons. So, she decides to take matters into her own hands. This cute novel shows the resilience of one woman learning to be brave, follow her heart, and stand up for herself in society.
Arthur may be an earl, but his estate is in ruins; his brother has stolen from him, and now an English woman has shown up on his door proposing marriage. Is she the answer to his prayers or just another problem he has to deal with?
If you love strong female leads who also have a weakness and love spicy scenes and regency novels, this book is for you.