5 stars

I was absolutely charmed by this book. The characters were so well developed and easy to root for (including the side characters). The relationship between the two main characters was so sweet. They go from strangers to sort of reluctant friends to being fake married to being actually in love. But make no mistake, there was some serious pining from the start. Arthur was down bad for Lydia (we love to see it). Lydia was also very socially anxious and I loved how Arthur helped her with that.
The theft/espionage subplot was also well done and I liked how everything tied together and how all the trouble the main characters got into helped bring tj together.
This was such a fun historical romcom that I could not put down and had me giggling the whole time I was reading

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Publishing for the ARC!

Hello Book friends!

Today I’m reviewing Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti. In the second novel of Vasti’s Belvoir’s Library series it’s wallflower heiress Lydia Hope-Wallace to find her happily ever after. And when she boldly turns up in Scotland to propose to the man she’s been secretly writing to for three years (gasp). Things don’t quite go the way she planned them.

Oh, Alexandra Vasti, you’ve done it again.

A delightfully enchanting book about two people who want something more than what society expects of them. A hermit Earl who would rather be helping his tenants and restoring his crumbling castle than interact with nobility, or anyone really. Arthur Baird’s estate is clearly in desperate need of funds. Enter the shy intelligent heiress Lydia Hope-Wallace who would be able to provide and proposes just that (along with marriage) the moment he meets her.

The catch…

He’s not the man whose been writing to her.

Earl Crush is a romp of a novel. It’s a fast paced, character driven romance, with cameo’s from the first book! Fans of the first novel will be screaming (happily) “kiss already,” “wait… where are you going,” and “I am a puddle of so many happy emotions.”

Plus, the love letters at the end are absolutely the BEST!

I highly recommend pre-ordering this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Another standout from Vasti, I love this series of smart, headstrong heroines and the men who pine after them.

I saw myself in Lydia’s social anxiety and swooned at the way Arthur tended to her needs. This is what good romance novels are made of!

Zany hijinks, particularly those zebras, could have been distracting but it’s all in the spirit of fun and reminds me of much loved works by Virginia Heath.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6612167016

Well that was a perfectly charming book. It's now the fifth thing by Alexandra Vasti I've read and the first book I've read via NetGalley. This is my first review in ages so uh...it'll likely be a bit clumsy.

I just recently dove into Vasti's work and couldn't help but get the feeling that I'm catching someone right before they'll hit their stride to becoming a standard favorite--a Julia Quinn, Coutney Milan, or Eloisa James just before they're noticed and specific style loved.

Onto this book in particular: <i>Earl Crush</i> is the second book in a new series by Vasti, following <i>Ne'er Duke Well</i>. It is what I've come to think of as Bluestocking Regency Romance. I uh...really love this genre--think Laura Lee Guhrke's Girl Bachelor series. Women are clever and men love their cleverness. I love their stories.

And the FMC and MMC in this book do not disappoint. They are clever people who have their faults and an internal dialogue of strength and human frailty that is lovely. And you learn about them through the telling--rather than the stating. They have depth and background. I not only like them, but I roll my eyes at their choices sometimes--because people aren't perfect and are informed by a wealth of personal history. And Vasti reminds us of that through her storytelling.

That said--I can definitely see where bits felt rushed. Read this book. It's worth it. You'll be happy to catch Vasti early.

This is my second Alexandra Vasti book, and it delivers fun characters with very compelling chemistry. Earl Crush is about Arthur, a penniless Scottish earl who invents in his spare time, and Lydia, who is shy in public but very forthcoming as an author of seditious pamphlets. Arthur and Lydia are great together and the banter really jumps off the page.

The story itself didn't work quite as well for me, though, and the plot felt both unevenly paced and contrived at the same time. There's so much going on in this book, with a plot against the government mixed with espionage mixed with a laundry list of family dynamics. All of that is well and good, but it feels more like window dressing for the romance than a truly thought out story on its own. And then it ends without giving you some real emotional beats!

I keep reading these books because the chemistry is so good, and maybe that's why I like the Halifax Hellion novellas better. I had similar plot complaints with Ne'er Duke Well. But if that's less important for you and you prefer chemistry to plot, then you will probably enjoy this book just fine.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.
A absolutely wonderful read - I loved every second of this book. Both protagonists were really flushed out characters and expertly written characters just take a book to the next level. I can’t wait for the next one.

I have mixed feelings about the Earl crush . The beginning was really great, funny, relatable and smart heroin. But after maybe one quarter of the book it completely changes it becomes only scene about the two protagonists pining on one another and a plot with too many characters that seems to go in all the directions at the same time. I stopped at three quarter of the book.

ARC REVIEW (thanks NETGALLEY!)

Ahhh!! This was so cute! I have to be honest and say I wasn’t too hopeful for this one after reading Ne’er Duke Well. The beginning kept me skeptical with the wacky herd of zebras but once they get out the way this book is amazing. I loved Arthur and Lydia. I could relate to Lydia and her social anxiety and loved how attuned Arthur was to her needs. I usually don’t care for mystery and whatever in my romance but this had enough to keep me intrigued and not bored. Their letters to each other in the epilogue are what dreams are made of. Swoon central. ❤️

Adventure. Romance. Spice. An unlikely heroine that charms her way into your heart and a Scottish love interest that respects her. Swoon. I could not put this book down. It was cute and fun and steamy. This author had a way with creating relationship’s and move stories that make you feel like you’re a part of it. I loved it!
Romance: 💜💜
Spice: 🔥🔥

i loved this story! the tension between the main characters was delicious. the story moved along quickly and the adventure added to the overall story, without being too distracting from the love story. enjoyable steamy scenes, not too graphic.

Aww, this was adorable. An introverted heiress with social anxiety proposes to her pen pal. The only problem is that her pen pal, Davis, has been posing as his brother, Arthur. Hijinks ensue when Lydia and Arthur decide to work together to figure out where Davis is and why he would lie about being the Earl of Strathrannoch.

The plot was fun and Lydia and Arthur were charming as individuals and wonderful as a pair. Overall, this was a delightful read.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

I was a HUGE fan of Vasti’s short stories, and sadly Book 1 was a disappointment for me. So imagine my RELIEF that I gave this second book a try, because this was GRAND. Arthur was GONE for Lydia and absolutely adored him. A Tessa-Bailey coded hero. I adored their relationship so much!

I don't usually go for historical novels, but this one was a pleasant surprise! It was fun, intriguing, and SO SWEET.

I loved the protagonist, Lydia. She's aptly described as shy but not timid, and that's about right. I also loved how she found her courage throughout the story. It would have been cool to have a little more included about her pamphlets, because that part of her storyline seemed interesting to me, but not touched on all that much. Still, she is a strong protagonist and I loved reading about her development.

As for Arthur, I feel similarly. His lines were swoon-worthy (especially the little intros at the beginning of the chapters), and I didn't think that the conflict near the end of the book was out of nowhere nor out of character for him, so that was pleasant. I would have maybe liked to know more about his relationship with his brother, though I did enjoy the details we got. The supporting characters were also lovely in the ways they added to the plot and character relationships.

Regarding their relationship, I think the pacing was a little fast in the beginning, but I loved it regardless! Alexandra Vasti has a beautiful way with words, and I really think her writing style added to the emotions here. The epilogue made me so happy, and I thought it was a unique and clever way to wrap up the story.

So sweet and so fun! I might just try more historical romance going forward.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with the ARC for this book.

I adore this series and Alexandra Vasti has become a new favorite Regency romance author! The stories are both sweet and spicy and filled with feminist characters! I love that Lydia is hopelessly shy around strangers but that doesn't make her timid. She has been writing political pamphlets and dives right into the mystery, uncovering spies along the way. The mystery in this story was surprisingly excellent and the reluctant romance was spicy and lovely to read. I had such a great time reading this story and can't wait to read what she writes next!

Thank you to Netgalley and St, Martin's Griffin for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I was not a fan of her first novel but a huge fan of her novellas. I went into this so hesitant but this was amazing. I loved it so much. Truly love a man completely gone for his partner. The epilogue brought tears to my eyes

Could this be my favorite historical romance EVER????? I think it is. Arthur was on some Anthony Bridgerton levels of down-badness and I was obsessed with it. I think my ONLY complaint was that I wish we had the resolution scenes between Lydia and Davis and Arthur and Davis, but this was so fun and romantic. I love Alexandra Vasti and will read everything she writes forever.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC! I screamed when I got the approval email.

Alexandra Vasti is in a hisrom class all of her own. I hope she never stops writing them! Although if she picks up another genre I’ll happily read that too.

I loved the premise the characters, the slower burn and the hijinks - zebras. The connection between two misunderstood “outcasts” was so perfectly written. I really loved their chemistry. Side characters were great.

The only part I didn’t like was the suddenly spy storylines. This might just be a personal preference, but it felt jarring from this sweet romance to home office spies storyline. Otherwise I loved it.

Alexandra Vasti is a must-watch writer and EARL CRUSH is a must-read tale for fans of swoony histroms with wit, intrigue, and characters you will simply adore. I devoured this in hours and can.not.wait for Vasti's next charming story. Huzzah!

I was so excited to read this and realize it was connected to a previous book that I read. I enjoyed the general story line and the mystery and love the basis in fact. Romance was cute and enjoyed it, maybe not enough details leading into love, especially since he was not the letter writer. Overall i was sad when it was over.

Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti is a delightful Regency rom-com where Lydia Hope-Wallace, a reclusive heiress and secret pamphleteer, sets out to propose a marriage of convenience to the Earl of Strathrannoch. When she arrives in Scotland, she discovers that she’s been writing to the earl’s deceitful brother instead of the actual earl, Arthur. This twist leads to a whirlwind adventure filled with mistaken identities, espionage, and a journey across the Scottish countryside.

As Lydia and Arthur join forces to track down the rogue brother and recover stolen property, their initial friction turns into a deep, passionate connection. Vasti’s novel combines humor, romance, and intrigue with memorable characters and witty dialogue, making it a captivating read for fans of historical romance with a modern twist.