Gah, I don’t even know where to begin this review except to say that I absolutely, positively adored Earl Crush. Smart, funny, vivid writing coupled with characters that are as relatable as they are lovable—and a touch of romantic suspense to boot—made this one an utter joy to read.

Lydia is a quietly fierce, socially awkward, passionate and compassionate heroine who more than deserves the soft, gentle giant that is Arthur. He’s a man who cares deeply but hides behind a gruff exterior. And though he aches to protect her because he sees her value, he stands back, asks what she needs, and watches as she is brave and wonderful because he sees her value. I can’t emphasize that enough—he helps her be the best version of herself and the best version of herself is the kind of heroine of which historical romance needs more.

A colorful story complete with a collapsing castle, unexpected zebras, a mystery that needs solving ASAP, and a love that grows from mutual admiration, respect, and (of course) a slow-burning-but-undeniable attraction, this ride through regency Britain might take a few liberties but ultimately hit me right in the feels.

If you are a fan of Bridgerton and/or regency romances in general, then this review is for you. Before I go further, I would like to clarify that I have not read a regency romance in a long time and it took me a couple of chapters to settle into the lingo and tone of the era.

Coming to the book, this was my first experience of Alexandra’s writing and once I got past the initial hiccups, I enjoyed it overall. This is the story of Arthur, a reclusive almost penniless Scottish earl and Lydia, a shy introverted rich woman, who has a hard time in society but secretly is the author of seditious pamphlets.

The banter and chemistry between them is pretty good, infact there is lot of spice of the regency kind, as expected. Though some of us appreciate it for sure, I would have preferred little less of spice and more of emotional moments and a bit shorter length. What I enjoyed apart from this, was the bit of historical events intertwined with shades of espionage and mystery, which was a subplot to the book. It kept me engaged to see how it all ends. The side characters are all done well, not over the top or unnecessary. Overall it was a good time.

I would like to thank @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the arc. This comes out January 21, 2025.

I will be posting this review to my bookstagram: @booklover_swii during the release week in Jan 2025. I have posted the review to my Goodreads.

I don't read a lot of regency romance but I enjoyed this and it was so charming! I absolutely loved the characters (especially Huw and Bertie) and how the mystery is based on actual historical events.

My only complaint would be the lack of development between Lydia and Arthur in the beginning. Their relationship felt a bit insta-love but the yearning from Arthur throughout the book definitely pulled on my heartstrings...

Overall, I would recommend this book if you want to dip your toes in regency romance!

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

This book is a delight from start to finish. The characters are engaging and entertaining. I would definitely read more books by this author.

Earl Crush is a fast-paced, steamy regency romance full of hilarious shenanigans and action packed adventure! Out January 21!

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 4 out of 5 (details at the bottom)
⚠️ content warnings at the bottom

This is the second in a series but could also be read as a standalone! For those of you that read Ne’er Duke Well, you’ll be happy to hear that Selina and Georgiana (and sir Francis bacon the dog) are a big part of this book!

Lydia’s anxiety has prevented her from finding a husband in the traditional way. So she decides to propose a marriage of convenience with a Scottish Earl who she’s gotten to know via letters discussing their progressive political beliefs - but she’s never met him. Turns out it wasn’t the Earl (Arthur) she’d been writing to, but his scoundrel of a brother who had been lying to her. Lydia and Arthur set off on a quest to track him down and stop his evil plan - while of course falling for each other along the way!

The plot was super fun and inventive, but I especially loved the characters. They were mature and smart but still had their insecurities to overcome. Of course the giant Scottish Earl who’s actually a teddy bear was fantastic, but I loved Lydia even more. She really struggled with her anxiety, especially with the pressure of being part of a wealthy and well respected family, but she was still able to find a way to speak out against injustice and make her mark in a world where women were supposed to keep quiet.

I love that the author loosely based this on real people and events - she talks about it a little in the author’s note!

Highly recommend to anyone who likes a regency setting but wishes the treatment of women was a little more modern, and doesn’t mind a lot of spice!
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⚠️ Content warning: non-graphic threatened violence and historical firearm usage, as well as brief references to homophobia and past parental death.
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🌶️ Spice details: around 5 open-door scenes (I lost count). It felt excessively spicy to me, to the point that it took away from the plot a little. You could probably skip the open-door scenes and still enjoy the plot, but the book would be a lot shorter. 😅

Another fun historical romance by Alexandra Vasti! Dare I say I enjoyed it even more than Ne’er Duke Well? I knew I was in for some unexpected twists when Lydia showed up in Scotland for the wrong brother. Even though Lydia seems like the shy type who doesn’t love to socialize, she’s always been smart and outspoken through her writing and she really grows into herself and becomes more confident throughout the book. Lydia and Arthur fall for each other while trying to figure out what her brother and his brother are up to and if each of their siblings are ultimately who they think they are. I really enjoyed the family aspect of this book, especially Arthur recognizing he has his family despite not ever letting himself hope for more than the bare minimum from the people he cares about. Arthur and Lydia are a great match for each other and despite neither being sure that they are enough for the other, the love between them ultimately says all they need to say to each other. Highly recommend this cute and enjoyable historical romance!

I read this while also listening to portions of it while on walks, I like Vasti's recent books so much and i'm excited for this series to continue.

"Say my name."
Lydia is a sweet, smart, gifted fmc who has been over-protected by her family. She writes political tracts that would get her arrested in her time.

Arthur is a recluse and a very intelligent inventor/farmer/renaissance man who just wants to be left alone.

Lydia shows up at his house, mistakenly thinking that he's been corresponding with her by letters. She is such an endearing character especially when everything that could be embarrassing happens to her.

This is a great couple. He turns into being her biggest champion and is head over heels in love with her. She gains confidence over the course of the book which is very beautiful to see.
I look forward to Georgianna and Cat's book next!
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

Earl Crush is another five star historical romance by this author. Lydia Hope-Wallace is a rich heiress who loves to right scandalous pamphlets on politics and women’s rights. She feels that there would be safety to be had in a marriage of convenience with her pen pal the Earl of Strathrannoch. She has money and he needs money so she knocks on his door to propose a mutually beneficial agreement. Arthur Baird hasn’t been corresponding with anyone but it seems his rascal of a brother has been up to his old ways. Agreeing to finding the Earl’s brother places the two in close proximity and their chemistry sizzles as they wonder if they can make a real go at marriage. Lydia is the best kind of wallflower and blue stocking and Arthur is very crush worthy for another lovable duo with a sweet and well deserved HEA. The book is a little steamy but not over the top while the story moves quickly for a fun and adorable historical romance. My voluntary, unbiased, and non-mandatory review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

*I received an advanced copy for review. This is my own opinion.

Gosh, I love when historical romance is accessible without feeling anachronistic. And all of these characters are a delight (Huw and Bertie 🥹). I love how the story wasn’t just balls and drama, but friendships and relationships, and…spies? And zebras? This was a super fun historical romance, and I really enjoyed it! I also love how Lydia wasn’t a blushing virgin (I mean technically she was but she didn’t have a complete lack of knowledge because of Belvoir’s Library, which I think is wonderful).

So far, I’ve loved both of Vasti’s books, and I can’t wait to see whose story we get next!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc! Loved this one. ❤️

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 🤭