Someone get me a love letter like Arthur’s. I would never recover. This, second in the series, sequel to Ne’er Duke Well kept me well fed.

A delightful romp and another great book from Alexandra Vasti! i do wish more time was spent at the house because what is with the zebras but I enjoyed the story regardless. Can't wait for more!

I loved the style of writing in this historical, it was sexy and swoony but not silly or over the top. The author creates her heroines to be witty and fun, and I loved Arthur! There are lots of swoony moments I devoured and enjoyed, like Ne'er The Duke, I needed a copy for my shelf! Excellent work and cannot wait to read more of this authors books in the future.
Opinions are my own. Thank you to the publisher and author for this arc.

I am at a nearly full brain capacity on other things and although I love regency-era stories, I need stories that I don't need to focus on every little detail about to keep knowing what's going on. I really wish I could read this but I just don't have it in me.

This was a cute marriage of convenience, mistaken identity, epistolary story.

The penpal relationship between a widow and an earl leading to her appearance on his doorstep with the marriage of convenience proposal, so she can help him financially while he helps as a male face for her pamphlet writing, just to discover that her correspondence had been with someone using his name…someone close. A cute story about a grumpy recluse and a wallflower who has a lot to say, and who both get entangled in an espionage situation!

I enjoyed the read and it was a great follow up to Ne’er Duke well. I’m looking forward to Ladies in Hating, book 3 in the series! Definitely recommend picking it up. Vasti is a talented author.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin), for the early read copy. This is my honest feedback.

It took a while for me to get into this book but once I did, I was pretty hooked. I enjoyed that Lydia got to be brave and go after what she wanted despite her anxieties. I found Arthur rather refreshing as a hero since he's not some confident rake, but a very gentle giant, unsure of his own worth and appeal. I loved the antics these two got up to as well as the hilarious supporting characters. Arthur and Lydia's sweetness to one another was also lovely, though they could've done with discussing/admitting their feelings for one another sooner, but with both of them being so insecure, it's rather a miracle they got together at all. I do wish the third act breakup trope hadn't been employed here, but thankfully it was brief and resolved with very little drama as I think life is dramatic enough without adding into my light-hearted Regency romps.

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

Thank you to NetGalley, SMP and LibroFM for the ARC in exhange for an honest reivew

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f historical romance
-roadtrip
-fake dating
-slow burn
-he falls first

This was great on audio. A swoony historical romance, hijinx and adventure.

Thank you SMP Romance for my copy! If Alexandra Vasti writes it, then I’m going to love it. That’s just a fact. Her writing is so joyful and whimsical and compelling. I found myself laughing out loud several times and swooning at others. Her characters have instant chemistry and I loved watching them fall for each other. This series is such a fun romp and I highly recommend checking out the first book Ne’er Duke Well too! I have read both and listened to the audios -,you can’t go wrong with any format- just read these books!

I’ve read this twice. I got an ARC and then after it came out I listened to the audio book. I really loved it. I loved the incredibly shy FMC taking control of her own life and cracking out of her shell, and the MMC being absolutely bowled over by her, all while the two of them have to work together to solve a problem. This author has quickly become an auto-buy for me.

"Earl Crush" was such a fun read. As a fan of historical romance, I felt that this was so heartwarming and chaotic at the same time.

I think so many people will have a blast reading this absolute page-turner. Regency rom-coms are such a great subgenre of the romance world and I think that Alexandra Vasti does an excellent job of building this world. I can't wait to see what is next.

Thank you St. Martin's Griffin for selecting me for this ARC.

Alexandra Vasti continues to hone her craft and much to my delight this book is better than the last one.

Heiress Lydia Hope-Wallace is an introvert with social anxiety to such a degree that she vomits in potted plants when feeling overwhelmed. But she is also a highly intelligent writer of seditious political pamphlets. For three years she has been corresponding with a man she this is a like-minded Earl. When she learns he is short of funds she hies herself off to Scotland to propose a marriage of convenience to someone she considers a friend. BUT, when she arrives at the castle she finds that her pen-pal has not exactly been truthful. He is in fact NOT the earl, but rather his brother who is on the run after having stolen something from the actual earl. And oops, the man she proposes to has no idea who she is. Embarrassed beyond reason, Lydia tries to run away and forget any of this happened but is waylaid by the earl's pack of zebras.

With her attempt to flee foiled, Lydia and the actual earl, Arthur, must continue talking and soon agree to work together to solve their mutual problems.

The two embark upon a rousing adventure, aided and abetted by well-meaning friends and servants. Watching this earnest couple, who have so many doubts about themselves, fall in love and see the other in only the best light, is moving.

While this book is full of shenanigans, humor and heart, Vasti also expertly weaves in well-researched historically accurate facts.

In addition, there is an epistolary component that is one of my favorite elements of this book.

I'm so glad Lydia got her own book! I appreciate how her social anxiety is depicted in a way that acknowledges it but doesn't make it the entire focus of the story. Her relationship with Arthur is adorable grumpy-meets-sort-of-sunshine (cloud?); while there are some stalled moments, the slow burn and development is satisfying. The adventure is engaging, and I'm glad the issue of Davis is resolved with some finality.

This author sure can make historical romance fun and spicy! A regency rom-com that has includes a marriage of convenience when Lydia shows up on the doorstep of the reclusive Earl, Arthur, and proposes a mutually beneficial relationship. Although they’ve been in correspondence for a while, he has no idea who she really is. Their shenanigans are hilarious as their marriage turns from convenience to real and as they truly get to know each other and themselves. The characters are top notch—each with their own charms and faults. The slow burn development of their relationship with all the tension and banter is stellar. A truly entertaining series for historical romance!

I really liked this book. The characters felt real, and I got invested in their relationship pretty quickly. The romance was slow-building but in a good way, and the emotional moments really landed for me. I liked the heroine a lot — she was kind and smart without being over-the-top. The earl was very reserved at first, but you could tell he cared deeply underneath it all.

The setting was nice, and the story moved at a good pace. Nothing felt rushed, but it never dragged either. I also appreciated that the writing was clear and easy to follow.

✨𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰✨

“𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩. 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙧. 𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙡𝙡 - 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙞𝙩, 𝙇𝙮𝙙𝙞𝙖 𝙃𝙤𝙥𝙚-𝙒𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚, 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
𝐏𝐎𝐕: 3rd person
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Single
𝐊𝐔: Yes

This one didn’t quite work for me. Personally, I preferred Book 1. I just couldn’t get into the plot, which really affected my overall enjoyment. I also found myself mixing up the characters, likely because the storyline didn’t hold my interest enough to keep the details straight.
Maybe regency romances just aren’t my thing. If you enjoy that genre, this book might work better for you, it has a solid story and the. Unfortunately, it just didn’t capture my attention, and I don’t think I’ll be continuing with the series.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

I loved this book! Lydia was such a different main character than we see often in historical romances, and I loved it. Her and Arthur were such a great pair and the plot/conflict of the story really kept it moving along and their relationship development felt natural and easy.

I love Vasti, and this book was even better than her debut! Full of fun, longing, and adventure, I admire how Vasti weaves in history throughout her novels. She's a must read author for me!

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted eARC. My opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Lydia has been corresponding with the Earl of Strathrannoch for 3 years or so she thinks, but when she meets him, he has no idea who she is or why she’s proposing marriage to him.

Read this for:
- fake marriage
- herd of zebras
- British espionage
- protective brothers
- queer side characters
- crashing house parties

My thoughts: Lydia is above all else a practical person, even if she’s maybe slightly in love with the writing of the person she thinks is Arthur. So meeting him and finding out he’s not who she’s been writing to, she has a panic attack. I totally get her, I love her practical side and then her slow fall in love with the actual person. Arthur is a reclusive person who loves his chosen family, while he works to prove he’s capable of taking care of the castle. Putting the two of them together and giving them a mystery to solve was perfect. I so enjoyed reading their story.

Highly recommend for historical romance readers who love regency era stories that don’t include ballrooms.

4.5 stars

I quite enjoyed this book! For whatever reason, this one worked a lot better for me than Ne'er Duke Well did.

This is a fun, mistaken identity, secret identity mix-up, where Lydia Hope-Wallace thinks she's been corresponding with the Earl of Strathrannoch, but when she shows up to offer her hand in a marriage of convenience, it turns out that she has in fact been corresponding with the Duke's brother. Together they set out to figure out what the heck is going on, while maybe, just maybe, catching feelings for each other along the way.

I really liked that Lydia writes seditious pamphlets that are distributed by Belvoir's Library, which is featured in Ne'er Duke well. She's also had numerous unsuccessful seasons and is totally okay with that.

Arthur Baird, the Earl of Strathrannoch, also isn't your typical Earl, preferring to stay on his estate in Scotland and invent things to make his life as a farmer and landowner easier.

Overall, a fun road trip story with two characters that I really enjoyed and was really rooting for!

"This is what I ought to have said: You stagger me. Your wit, your courage, your wide and tender heart.
- From the papers of Arthur Baird, rejected draft"

Your honor, I love them!!

I finished this one ages ago but still think about it regularly. How could I possibly convey just how sweet and lovely this romance is combined with a wild road trip plot?

Lydia has been corresponding with an Earl about her political pamphlets, which are quite progressive for the time. When she decides to go visit him and propose, she discovers that she wasn't actually writing with the Earl but someone else! Hijinks ensue, including an escaped pack of zebras!

Both of our main characters, Lydia and Arthur, are pretty reserved but when they have to hide who they are while looking for clues, we start to see more *feelings* emerge beyond attraction. At each stop on their journey to solve the mystery, things continue to go sideways (in more than one way 😉)

The epistolary elements of this book add sweetness to it. At the top of each chapter we get unsent notes by the character whose POV we are in, as well as little thoughts from side characters. The absolute yearning in these little snippets was perfection!

So if you're looking for a rom-com road trip with two introverts trying to solve a high-stakes mystery, check this one out!

Thanks to the publisher for the e-arc!