I loved Alexandra Vasti’s Ne’er Duke Well, and somehow Earl Crush is even better!

Earl Crush follows the romantic adventure of Lydia Hope-Wallace, first introduced in Ne’er Duke Well as Lady Selina’s brilliant, but socially anxious friend. After exchanging letters with a man who shares her radical political beliefs, Lydia decides he is the perfect candidate for a marriage of convenience. She would be able to maintain her independence and political writing, while he would receive the funds from her wealthy family to renovate his crumbling estate.

Only there’s one problem. The letters are signed by the Earl of Strathrannoch. But when she shows up on his doorstep with her marriage proposition, he has no clue who she is and insists he hasn’t written any letters!

And so, Lydia’s adventure begins. She joins the Earl in a hunt for his missing brother who wrote the letters. As they follow the clues, the mystery becomes more complex and more dangerous.

I love when a book combines different genres, which I think is why Earl Crush managed to surpass Ne’er Duke Well. The addition of a significant mystery to this historical romance really drew me into the story. And it was such a joy to see Lydia, the shy wallflower, on a grand adventure. Investigating the mystery puts her out of her comfort zone in so many ways, but she excels marvelously, showing both her intelligence and ability to adapt quickly.

I strongly recommend the first two books in the Belvoir’s Library series on audiobook. They both have the same narrator, Mhairii Morrison. Morrison voiced Lydia’s quietness and hesitation, as well as her determination, beautifully. She truly brought her personality to life. I’m hoping Morrison continues to narrate the series. Although I love these books so much, I’ll probably read my eARC of Ladies in Hating before the audiobook becomes available.

Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti is a fun, flirty Regency romance with a modern edge. It follows Lydia, a shy heiress secretly writing radical political pamphlets, who ends up in a fake marriage with a grumpy Scottish earl after a case of mistaken identity. She thinks she’s been writing to him—turns out, it was his brother.

The romance is a slow burn with great chemistry, witty banter, and just the right amount of steam. Lydia is smart, anxious, and brave in her own way, and Arthur is gruff but surprisingly sweet. The Scottish castle setting (with zebras!) adds a whimsical touch, and there’s a light espionage subplot that keeps things moving.

It’s heartfelt, funny, and perfect for fans of character-driven love stories. Think: fake marriage, grumpy/sunshine, secret pen pals, and lots of charm.

Heads up for: gun violence, vomiting, mentions of homophobia, and the death of a parent.

I missed the window on giving feedback but I loved this book and bought a copy. The plot was so fun and the characters so well written. I was giggling the entire time. Alexandra Vasti is an insta-buy author for me now.

I've enjoyed Alexandra Vasti's other books, and was excited to see her newest book, "Earl Crush." This particular book is the second in Vasti's "Belvoir's Library" series, and it centers around Lydia, who is very shy but has been having a long-distance relationship (through letters only) with the Earl of Strathannoch. When she realizes that he's in financial trouble, she decides to offer that they get married so she can help him economically. However, when she shows up on his doorstep and discovers his brother instead, she realizes that this could actually be a blessing in disguise. And as Lydia and Arthur get to know each other, they are shocked to learn just how well-suited they are.

This was a fun and enjoyable book, and I look forward to the next one in this series. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

A delightful Regency romance that blends political intrigue, mistaken identity, and sizzling chemistry. There is humor, tension, and plenty of heart.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Earl Crush
By Alexandra Vasti

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️

𝑯𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒅 𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑. 𝑯𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒂 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒛𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒂.

Do you like regency romance, fake marriage, espionage, & zebras? Then Earl Crush is the book for you!

Lydia is introduced in Ne'er Duke Well as a wallflower who writes political pamphlets that are distributed through Belvoir's Library. In doing that, she ends up as a pen pal to an Earl. Well what's a girl to do when she's been on the marriage mart for several seasons and has no prospects? Travel to Scotland and propose to her pen pal of course!

Lydia is so fun in this book. She is pushing herself out of her comfort zone and taking control of her life even though it's hard. I love seeing her really embrace her fiery spirit and go after what she wants, even when it makes her uncomfortable.

Arthur, the Earl of Strathrannoch, has all the qualities we like to see in a man— tall, reserved, & pathetically down bad. He takes one look at this "mad English ginger" on his doorstep and he starts to fall. Unfortunately, he's not the person Lydia's been writing to for years— it was his brother who is now missing.

These two introverts are never going to get together without some help. Throw in a road trip to solve the mystery of the missing brother, and we get all the delicious tension and forced proximity we need to really get things going. And boy do they get going 🥵🥵🥵 the spice in this is a delicious good time!

I had a fantastic time listening to this book. The narration is terrific and it brings all the hijinks and shenanigans to life. I highly recommend this book in any format, and then you should go read the Halifax Helions as well because everything Vasti writes is fantastic.

𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓. 𝑾𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆. 𝑪𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕.

Read April 23-24, 2025

Phenomenal second book in the series. It had the same powerhouse female characters with witty dialogue and love struck make characters. Looking forward to book 3!

Oh my god, where do I begin? With every book Alexandra Vasti writes, she somehow takes my breath away more and more. EARL CRUSH completely consumed me in the best way, and I devoured every page.
Lydia comes to Scotland with a marriage of convenience proposal to an Earl she's been sending letters to. Except, he tells her that he's never written a single one of those. It was his brother instead. So they team up to find him, lots of shenanigans ensue - including pretending to be married, and yes of course there's a lot of "my wife" and "my husband" moments.
Their romance is utterly perfect, the tension, the chemistry, and their emotional connection. They're absolutely meant for each other, and watching them fall in love is a delight. And the yearning? *dreamy sigh* Not to mention Alexandra Vasti's writing is romantic, funny, and deeply entertaining. So if you want to read a historical romance that you'll fly through and swoon over, you need to get this right now.

Quick Breakdown:
-Dual POV
-Historical romance
-Mistaken identity
-Mystery
-Open door- moderate detail

This book was SO GOOD. I adored everything about it. The storyline was so engaging and the characters were sublime. I love a clever FMC that goes against the stereotypes of her time. Lydia was such a joy to read. And Arthur? Forget it. He’s the perfect hero for our girl. Fierce yet cuddly, he won my heart over immediately. And the line where he says it not about height, but reach?!?! I was dyinggg. A confident protector is my favorite.

If you love a good historical romance with a dash of mystery, do yourself a favor and pick up this book. Charming and fun, you won’t regret it.

As always, special thanks to Netgalley and Publishers for my ARC of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

A regency romance with a dash of mystery…YES!

This one brought the spice and I loved it!

She is a socially awkward heiress that secretly publishes political papers and has a pen pal. She goes to propose marriage to the man she has been writing for years and accidentally proposes to the wrong brother!

There is a dash of mystery, a lot of spice and historical romance at its finest!

Thank you the author and NetGalley for allowing me to read this as an ARC!

I hate historical fiction and it stopped me from reading historical romance. But, once I tried one, I realized it was totally different and now I am obsessed. When I was explaining this to someone they said but why isn't it boring? They assumed historical romance were either just smut or very conservative. But I think Alexandra Vasti's historical romance is a perfect example of why that is historically incorrect but also just not true of the genre. This is my second historical romance from her, and like the first, it was sexy, fun, and hysterical. The entire premise of shy Lydia deciding to marry the man she has been secretly writing and instead ending up fake married to his brother and on an adventure to steal back a newly invented rifle scope. The story was fast paced with a wonderful cast of characters. Will be recommending this to anyone who likes romance, even if they have never tried a historical romance. (Thank You to Netgalley and St. Martins Griffin for the ARC)

Lydia Hope-Wallace has struck up a pen-pal romance with the Earl of Strathrannoch. She decides that since she is wealthy, he is near destitute, and they are both in need of a spouse, that she will road trip to his estate to propose marriage. When she gets there she discovers the Earl is NOT who she has been communicating with, but she's been writing instead to his younger brother. The two set off to find the errant brother who it seems has become caught up in dangerous espionage.

Vasti has a particular talent for writing two idiots hopelessly in love and entirely unable to talk about it. Lydia is so painfully shy. Arthur is entirely convinced his brother is and SHOULD BE the object of her affection. Surely the other does not return the attraction! She keeps you waiting just long enough to build the tension and then rewards you with the most delightful spicy scenes. *swoon* I also really loved that every chapter started with a letter and that the epilogue was letter formatted as well. (Also, what a delightful epilogue oh my goodness).

This book stands out as a bit different than what I've come to expect from Vasti. I feel that I'm used to her books centering side plots around interpersonal relationships and even feminism, but the addition of political intrigue here was something entirely new.

I love to recommend Vasti's books as an intro to historical romance. She is so true to the genre but her writing is charming, inviting, and feels modern enough for the inexperienced reader to get by with a few google searches.

Alexandra Vasti's clever writing works remarkably well in her continued forays into historical romance. Funny, clever, and romantic.

Earl Crush is a delightful Regency romance that had me hooked from the start. Lydia's boldness in proposing marriage to a stranger, only to discover a case of mistaken identity was well-written and well-conceptualized. The chemistry between Lydia and Arthur kept me reading, and loved watching the chaos that they went through. One of the best parts was the short excerpt from a letter/ journal before each chapter-- it really allowed the reader to understand the characters on a deeper level. Overall, it was thoroughly enjoyable read that blends romance, intrigue, and humor seamlessly.​ Shoutout to the epilogue! It was well-done!

Stampeding zebras! Yes, you read that right! Alexandra Vasti brings the fun and charm once again in Earl Crush. Lydia Hope-Wallace is sending letters back and forth with the Earl of Strathrannoch until he reveals he is having financial troubles. Lydia rushes to Scotland to offer a marriage of convenience but she is in for a big surprise of her own! You won’t be disappointed to go on the MC’s journey to solve a mystery and fall in love!

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Peerfet follow up to her first novel in the series. I thought it was funny, sweet and sentimental with a good plot flow.

3.5 rounded up to 4.

The narrator really pulled through on this one for me. The first half is slow. It does pick up on the back end, but it was hard to keep invested for the entire book. I might not have been able to finish if not for the audiobook.

It does start off giving Bridgerton vibes but doesn’t go as hard on flowery language or misogynistic ideals towards children. If that sounds good to you, you might very well love this.

What an amazing romp. Trying to describe any bit of this plot sounds so silly and then Alexandra follows it up in her author’s note with receipts showing her art following life. Sorry I’m getting side railed on how generously educational this author is. Her characters are always so earnest and desperately in love but I did especially love Lydia, the chronically shy wallflower, as the fearless chaos leader while still managing to not lose her natural shyness. All of Alexandra’s books fit together like puzzle pieces and it’s so great to see past characters while still being a book easy to read on its own. I’m excited to dig in to her next book in the series.

I love Alexandra Vasti’s writing, and this book is her best one yet! I am obsessed with Lydia and Arthur and their slow burn romance. I loved all the small ways they fell for each other, and the way Vasti writes the inner worlds of the characters makes even the larger miscommunications and conflicts feel rooted in reality. And the steamy scenes definitely don’t disappoint either — sensual without feeling gratuitous. I’m already so excited for the next novel in the series and will be recommending Vasti’s work forever.