UGH I feel bad, this was an ARC from NetGalley, there's no excuse for being his late on the review. I don't do these often, all opinions are my own, and it shouldn't be surprising why I literally JUMPED on this ARC as soon as Vasti noted it was available on NetGalley.

Which is to say, I have fallen hook link and sinker for Vasti and her writing, because I am in love with all the Halifax Hellions.

Finding an author whose entire oeuvre you seem to like is...magical. There are many authors whose books I will read without question (Emily Henry, Brandon Sanderson, Naomi Novik come to mind right away but there are more as well). But that's not to say that you love all their work, just that their average output is something that you enjoy. And even if you do enjoy everything you've read by them, doesn't mean that you rush to read them (see: Sanderson, and my glacial pace through the Cosmere). And there are some authors who used to be on that hallowed shelf but over time have slipped down.

Vasti, however, has blown into my life like a breath of fresh air and firmly established herself as an author to read. As I was telling my friend Evin, it's like there are multiple forks in the road in every romance novel, and the characters can pick either logic or drama. Both are great! Books need both! It's not often than an author always picks the one you want and is able to pick both. Plus excuse me if I say that her choice is also the right one ;)

Earl Crush is no different--here we meet Lydia, one of Selina-from-N'er-Duke-Well's friends, and her perfectly reasonable, not-at-all-harebrained scheme to offer herself in marriage to a man she's only ever corresponded with about her seditious pamphlets advocating for womens rights and other nonsense. She sets off to Scotland, finds zebras, and everything else is a bit slapdash and silly and overall wonderful. Is it somewhat unrealistic? Yes, for sure, but we have to stretch a bit to enjoy ourselves in this era.

Earl Crush is the latest book by Alexandra Vasti. I have absolutely loved each and every one she's written so far. Lydia has been firmly on the shelf after 7 years of socially disasterous seasons. She writes political pamphlets in secret and has been corresponding with the Scottish Earl for years. She decides to run away to Scotland and reveal her identity to the Earl while offering him marriage. She knows from his letters that he is destitute and the castle is in need of repairs. Once she arrives, she is shocked to learn she hasn't been corresponding with the Earl but his flighty brother. Arthur is the Earl of Strathrannoch but he inherited a castle in shambles. When a pretty woman knocks on his door and claims they've been corresponding for years, Arthur doesn't know quite what to do with her. Que a menegerie of animals, road trips, secret identies, and undeniable chemisty.

Vasti is such a fun writer. She has a way of making each book a fun romp with witty banter. Her writing reminds me a lot of one of my favorite historical writers, Tessa Dare. I cannot wait to read the next in the series; which will be a sapphic romance.

Thank you to Alexandra Vasti, NetGalley, and St Martin's Press for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own. #netgalley #alexandravasti #earlcrush #stmartinspress

Perfection. So much fun. Lydia is me in the 1800s 😅. I love historical fiction/historical romance and this is one of my new favorites! And I love how much Lydia and Arthur write letters to each other in the epilogue, just so damn sweet. I love them so much! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital ARC!

EARL CRUSH was such a fun historical romance. One of the things I love about this author is that she creates such interesting stories and characters from this well traveled genre. But every time I pick up her novels, I feel like I am reading the genre for the first time.

This book follows Lydia Hope-Wallace, a shy socialite and also radical feminist who writes and publishes pamphlets meeting Arthur Baird, a Scottish earl, who Lydia thinks she has been writing to for a number of years. Hilarity ensues, with the fun tropes of secret identity and fake marriage intermixed with mystery.

I personally enjoyed everything about this book. From the character development, to the story, everything felt new and fresh. The author can clearly write, and what makes her a new favorite author of mine is the fact that she can bring in new ideas to the genre without it feeling forced. I loved the blossoming relationship between Lydia and Arthur and their witty one liners. I loved the multiple POVs. I loved the side characters. And I loved the story.

Overall, this was a great book for those that love historical romance and are looking for a story that is well written and also engaging. To me, this one is worth the read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Absolutely LOVED. Couldn’t put it down. Adorable, romantic, delightful, fun, adventurous, and swoon worthy. I want to turn back and read it all over again. I’m just sad that I don’t have any more backlist titles of hers to read. I need more, ASAP!

What a delight! This book was sexy, warm, and hilarious, and also had a surprising amount of adventure. Thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Earl Crush is even better than Ne'er Duke Well! I loved Lydia (social anxiety/radical-pamphlet-writing queen) and Arthur (reclusive burly Scot is probably my favorite type of aristo MMC). I laughed throughout, couldn't figure out the twist until it was right in front of me, and I teared up at the authentically sweet epilogue. Alexandra Vasti continues her track record of giving us socially-aware, historically interesting, and just plain FUN romance novels.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! Almost everything about this book worked for me - the characters, the pacing, the banter, the plot (zebras! A mystery!), and a sweet romance. I had needed a historical romance like this in my life and this came along at the right time. This is my first book from Vasti but it most certainly will not be my last - she’s really great at the perfect blend of historical romance in my opinion - fun, steamy, sweet, and thoughtful. I highly recommend this book for fans of historical romance and fun. One of the best historical romances I have read in a while.

I loved this book. The writing was great, the story was super fun. I loved Arthur so much. This was my first book from this author and I'll definitely read more.

This was such a fun, rollicking romance adventure! I thought Ne'er Duke Well, Vasti's first novel was fine, but this was definitely a big step up! I loved Arthur and Lydia, and I loved how each of them made the other a better person. Lydia's friendships with the girls are also super heartwarming.

Earl Crush is such a cute historical romance! Alexandra Vasti delivered a swoony story perfect for hisrom readers, or – dare I say it? – romantasy readers!

This is my first by this author, but I don’t feel like I missed anything skipping to the second book in this series. The set up is so fun – Lydia is a wealthy heiress wallflower who has despaired of finding a love match. So she proposes a marriage of convenience to the Earl of Strathrannoch, Arthur. She’s been corresponding with someone of that name for several years, but she only discovers when she visits his remote Scottish castle that it wasn’t him on the other end of those letters. Turns out, it was his brother, who’s on the run and wrapped up in dangerous espionage.

Arthur and Lydia set off to find him, and lots of fun hijinks ensue. They pose as a married couple, which just adds even more fun to the marriage of convenience trope. There’s so much sexual tension, and then lots of spice. Arthur falls HARD and I loved him and Lydia as a couple.

There is a lovely amount of character growth, with both characters coming out of their shell as they grew closer to each other. I loved the feminism and critiques of the aristocracy in this book – Lydia writes political pamplets and they definitely fall in love with each other’s minds too.

I ate this one up! I’ll definitely be reading more by this author.

Delightful, had me giggling and kicking my feet! I really enjoyed Vasti’s novellas and this did not disappoint.

I loved every minute of this book and couldn't put it down! So glad I didn't have to work today, so I was able to read it in one sitting 🙂

Lydia is the author of progressive pamphlets that are being distributed throughout London, which are obviously being published under a fake name. She has been corresponding with the Earl for several years and decides to go meet him for the first time. And propose to him right after introducing herself. I guess that's one way to do it. 🤷‍♀️ Turns out, Arthur has absolutely no idea who she is and definitely isn't the person who has been writing her.

There is tons of smut, for those who want to know the smut level before reading it.

I have a million books on my to read list right now, but I will definitely be looking up more books by this author!

Thanks to NetGalley for the free kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are freely given.

The perfect blend of In Which Matilda Halifax Learns the Value of Restraint and Ne'er Duke Well with all of it's own story line for Lydia and Arthur. I love it, like I love all of Alexandra Vasti's books and I can't wait to own my physical copy in a few months!

Another amazing book by Alexandra Vasti! I could not put this book down, I read it within one sitting. The mystery and suspense throughout the book had me on edge! Also, the chemistry between Lydia and Arthur! I loved how their relationship flourished and grew to be so sweet. Lydia has traveled all the way to Scotland to propose a marriage of convenience to Arthur because of letters they had been exchanging. However, it turns out that it was Arthur’s younger brother who had been impersonating him! Now they both need to find out why he has done this and Arthur needs Lydia’s help to find him before something bad happens.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are my own!

Earl Vasti's life is changed when someone shows up at his door with a connection that will change his future.

Lydia is an anxious but determined mess. Arthur is Country Strong™ and throws her brothers around like hay bales. Will these two self-sacrificing idiots find love, or will they be trampled by zebras? (It’s more likely than you’d think.)

If every book as its target audience, I think Alexandra Vasti wrote this one for me. Earl Crush is stuffed with so many of my favorite tropes and strung together by a truly balls-to-the-walls storyline. Vasti grounds this wild ride with sweet, swoon-worthy dialogue — and I don’t think I went a single page without highlighting or bookmarking something.

Miscellaneous Thoughts:
- I did not realize how many details relate back to real historical events until I read the author’s note, which made me appreciate it even more. I know the author is a professor of British Lit, and that author’s note made me want to take a whole seminar with her. Okay, Dr. Vasti~!
- This is a steamy one! It’s not so excessive it takes away from the plot, but the author definitely delivers on the spice.
- I love the presence of meddlesome elder gays — they were very much giving Cogsworth and Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast, and I found their dynamic with Arthur so endearing.
- I need a regency detective series from this author. Vasti incorporates mystery elements into her plots already, but it would be cool to see her lean into the mystery and action even more.

Anyways, this is my #1 romance of the year.

I honestly had no idea what I was getting into when I started this book. It was a bit unbearable when it started. Who was I to root for the typical smart girl who was too smart for her own good? If you go into this read as you should -- suspending belief that Lydia needs to conform to convention for the time -- maybe, just maybe Lydia can have it all.

The mystery plot was really so much fun, and I found myself enjoying this read for what is, a romantic comedy with a bit of mystery. I could turn my brain off and just cruise right through it. I had so much! This was my first Alexandra Vasti read, and I will be recommending this in the future.

If you're looking for something light and delightful; if you want a read that will transport you for a slight thrill and some romantic lust, this will be it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

Just finished this and nothing like a good grovel!
I really loved Earl Crush! I will be sure to rate it on GoodReads. I have the first in the series already on hold at my library and a excited for the next installment with Georgina and Cat.
Perfect mix of historical setting, plot, character development, and spice.

This is my first read by Alexandra Vasti, but it will for sure not be my last.

The main characters are sweet, yet flawed. But so likeable. The sexual chemistry is on fire.

There were times when the plot moved so fast I would get confused what was happening. Any downtime between the H and h, small conversations, small innocent moments were glossed over--I wanted more of those moments, those moments when they connect on a deeper level. That's my only complaint, the only reason to take 1 star away.

The language and flow of the book was fantastic, and the humor made me chuckle out loud a few times. If you want a sweet yet adventurous historical romance, this is for you.