Earl Crush simply had everything I want out of a Regency rom-com - what a delight!

Lydia is a radical thinker, whose writings under a penname resulted in a years-long correspondence with a mysterious Earl in Scotland. When she decides to take her destiny into her own hands for once and surprise him with a visit and offer her hand in marriage, he’s definitely surprised… he has no idea who she is. The two then embark on a hilarious journey involving political intrigue, shifty siblings, and even a runaway herd of zebras in order to uncover the mysterious plot of her former pen pal.

I love the dynamics between Arthur and Lydia as they get to know each other and start to understand what it means to be seen for who you are. Highly recommend to anyone who wishes Bridgerton also had a secret government plot to uncover or anyone who has a hard time being themselves around strangers.

Earl Crush is a delightful, Regency, rom-com with a mystery to solve! I appreciated that the main character appears neurodivergent but is appreciated for her differences. Overall, a light, fun read!

Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti is everything I want in Historical Romance-an FMC before her time, an MMC who defies gender stereotypes of the period, well written spice AND a mystery to boot…I can’t ask for more. Arthur gives big Jamie Fraser vibes, and Lydia is the heroine that all introverts wish to be. The cast of side characters is handled just right as well-not so many as to drag down the plot, but each intentional and interesting on their own apart from the main story. I am so excited to have found this author, and will be following her writing from here on out! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Thank you to Alexandra Vasti, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Earl Crush is Alexandra Vasti’s newest Regency rom-com. It follows Lydia, an heiress with a slightly romantic (and a bit questionable) proposal for the Earl of Strathrannoch, the man she’s been penpaling for nearly 3 years. The only issue? The Earl, Arthur, has no idea who she has.
Lydia and Arthur get entangled in a quest to find his brother and slowly get entangled with each other.

Also, special mention for the Zebras because they were cool.

Tropes:
Right Girl, Wrong Earl
Regency
“Marriage” of convenience
Historical Romance

Earl Crush is perfect for those of you obsessed with Bridgerton. Earl Crush is a romance filled with mystery and comedy. This lovely book releases on January 21, 2025!!

If you love love, you’ll love Earl Crush.

Earl Crush sings and sizzles from the very first line, the kind of book where you feel lucky and delighted just to be reading it. With laugh out loud moments, delicious pining, and sharp, smart plotting, it was truly everything I love about historical romance. Alexandra Vasti is one of the best of the genre and I can't wait for the next book!

This was cute, this author's historical romance books are easy to read and fun. I loved how obsessed the mmc was he was great. I loved the mystery and political intrigue aspect that kept me hooked on the story. The romance was so cute I loved that the fmc is the rich one out of them and the proposal between them. Overall this was cute there were more things I wanted with the romance but I'm excited to read more from the writer. Thanks to SMP for this arc.

A rare and fun fun fun delight! 💕 I couldn't put this one of a kind romance down! Lydia and Arthur are my new favorite regency couple! They have spark, mystery, and steamy times to share! I am a BIG lover of all books that have espionage and romance blended like a sweet sweet and spicy cinnamon roll!

The book starts off with mistaken identity and a blind faith that makes the world go round and round! Lydia is the most determined and giving soul! Arthur is protective and has a crunchy and gooey personality lol! 💞

These days readers need an escape into a book that grabs them and takes them on a grand tour de life! And oh does this treasure do! The pace of the book was the perfect combo of leather and lace lol Leather for quick wit detail! And Lace for sweet moments that make your heart simmer! 🎁 This romance book is on my shelf for life!

Bravo!! 🍪

4.5⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book. I love regency/historical romance, and this was an amazing read!

I love a feminist protagonist set in this era, and Lydia Hope-Wallace was a terrific example of one. She’s so brilliant, smart, and funny. Arthur Baird seems to be a grumpy MMC at first, but he is indeed a cinnamon roll and together it’s such a cinnamon roll pairing- I can’t think of two more love interests who are actually perfect for each other.

One of my favorite things about this was the mystery/quest aspect of it all, I didn’t realize it would be as intense as it actually was and I was hanging on the edge of my seat! I can’t wait for the next books in the series!

I'll say it over, and over again, Alexandra Vasti is one of the best voices in historical romances. I would read her grocery list, and I'm sure it would be joyous and spicy. After Ne'er Duke Well, I was really excited to know what would happen with Lydia and I love how this fast forwards to 3 years later, and we get a glimpse into who Lydia has become in that time since her initial growth from the first book. I love all the awkwardness of her meet disaster with Arthur and this whole mystery surrounding his brother and why he kept writing to her. Arthur is grumpy, poor, and wonderful inventor, and the staff at his sad castle are an amazing new set of secondary characters we get introduced to. I love the pace of the book with the mystery that needs to be solved, along with all the situations that bring Lydia and Arthur closer together (the pining!) and how their fake relationship just becomes more and more real (along with the danger). It never gets too dark but it does get emotional near the end with the lot of plot twists along the way. I feel like the cover really captures the tone of the book... fast paced and lots of fun. Bring on the next one (Georgiana perhaps?).
Steam: 🔥🔥
Heart Flutters : ❤️❤️

This was different than what I’m used to yet entertaining. I enjoyed this story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this arc.

I love a story from Regency England. This one had me shelling out cash to purchase the story before this one. I love seeing strong women make decisions for themselves, even at a time when it was not a normal thing. Seeing what a woman could do, even if they had to hide their identity, is a brave action. Even today, some people will not do or say what they really think, if they are worried about how they appear to others.

I hate ruining a story for anyone, but this was great fun in seeing a woman taking charge and doing what she thinks is right, even when it put her in danger. I felt like I could understand the main character, as she has older brothers, as I do. You sometimes get pushed to the side, but it doesn't mean you are not smart, and strong on your own.

Pick this one up when you need a story about a strong lady, a story you can't put down, and a story that will make you enjoy the read.

Put a Duke or an Earl in any book and I'm happy! I love the time period, love the talk, love the setting, love everything about this book! Well done! Can't wait to read more!

Loved this delightful, breezy, spicy read. Arthur and Lydia and the other secondary characters were so fun to get to know. I do wish there had been more of a resolution to the love triangle aspect (it consumed the H's thoughts throughout the book but just kind of petered out). It'd be fun to meet up with Arthur's brother and Lydia's brother in another book and see what happens with them. Can't wait for Georgiana's story!

My thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC via netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am so happy to have gotten a “Read Now” copy of Earl Crush when it was available for a short time on NetGalley. This is my first Vasti novel and I was so pleasantly surprised! I don’t read a ton of historical romance, and this felt like a perfect encapsulation of the genre for me.

I typically like to read a summary before going into a new book, but for this novel I chose not to. This book did a great job easing the reader into the story while also feeling fast-paced in the best way. The characters were wily and lovable, and the found family aspect of the employees at the castle was adorable - in fact, I wish we had gotten to see more of them.

Vasti’s prose had a wonderful way of seeming true to the era (the early 1800’s) while remaining easy to read. I really really loved the epigraphs at the beginning of the chapter, and thought it was especially clever when the note was mentioned again in the course of the following chapter.

Overall, this was an absolutely lovely romance and I will be reading more from Alexandra Vasti in the future. Huge thanks to Alexandra Vasti, St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lots of tropes in this book:
Forced proximity
Fake marriage
False identity
Secrets and spies

Lydia Hope-Wallace decides to risk it all to go to Scotland to meet the Earl she’s been corresponding with to propose a marriage of convenience. But upon arrival she meets another man who really is the Earl Strathrannoch. The mystery and adventure begins.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another hit by Alexandra Vasti! I loved Earl Crush and seeing more of Lydia's story. The chemistry between her and Arthur leapt off the page, and Arthur is so swoon-worthy!

The mystery of Arthur's brother added an extra level of urgency between the characters, and I loved how protective Arthur became.

Overall, I thought this was an excellent follow up to the first in the series. I can't wait to read more of Vasti's work!

[Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Alexandra Vasti for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.]

Lydia Hope-Wallace has been secretly corresponding with the Earl of Strathrannoch for three years - anonymously, of course. When he reveals his financial troubles, Lydia makes the bold decision to travel to Scotland and propose a marriage of convenience. But upon her arrival, she discovers the letters were actually written by the Earl's deceitful brother. What follows is a thrilling journey to track down the brother and uncover his plans.

As a history nerd, I love how Vasti bases her books on historical realities. She gathers inspiration from people or events and uses that to create these absorbing stories. The blend of humor and vulnerability is perfectly executed. This book has it all - mystery, suspense, mistaken identities, espionage, and even zebras! Plus, some of the most endearing love letters I've ever read. It's easily one of the most romantic stories I've come across and Lydia and Arthur have stayed with me, long after I finished reading.

I was not prepared for how swoon-worthy Arthur was. There should be a disclaimer in the beginning of the book! Seriously - I read this book slower than usual because every time Arthur said something charming or romantic (which happens often, yet never feels overdone), I had to pause and squeal.

Lydia is such a gem of a character. Through her political pamphlets, she gives a voice to the voiceless with the power she has. She is smart and full of grit, yet her social anxiety makes it hard for her to show her true self.

Both Lydia and Arthur struggle with confidence and feel like they haven't lived up to their family's expectations. Lydia believes her dowry is her most attractive trait while Arthur believes his brother would have made a better Earl. Despite their insecurities, they are gentle with each other, always offering support without trying to change the other. They see and appreciate each other for who they truly are.

And the epilogue? Perfection! Seeing Lydia and Arthur so happy together warmed my heart - they deserve every bit of it.

Alexandra Vasti knows what to put in a well-rounded historical romance. This was a sweet and spicy romance that started as a mistaken identity that quickly turns into an adventure through out Scotland and England. Lydia and Arthur learned to be honest with their feelings as they began to trust each other. A great book makes you connect with both main characters and I felt I saw parts of myself in both Lydia and Arthur. They both fought through their shyness to find each other. Also Vasti does a great job of creating a story that is set in the 1800s, but makes it feel modern with its take on feminism and politics.

I'll admit it. If you happen to look at me while I'm reading an Alexandra Vasti novel, you'll see that I can't stop smiling. It's kinda embarrassing but her writing just makes me so happy. And of course Earl's Crush is no exception. I adored both Lydia and Arthur, and the storyline was completely charming!

A road trip with lots of pining? I'm in! Throw in a smart heroine, a crotchety-yet-shy Scottish earl, a crumbling castle, and you have the recipe for one of my favorite reads of 2024.

I want to thank Kejana Ayala of St Martin's Press along with Netgalley for the invitation to read and review this in advance of its publication. As always, my opinions are my own.

Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti was such a tender and romantic read! I'm loving everything that Alexandra Vasti is writing and this was no different at all. It's fun, it's entertaining and definitely very swoony. I think Vasti is a perfect romance writer for anyone looking for a story with a tender heart. I basically read this in one sitting. The characters were interesting, their character arcs were well done and I wanted to see how the story played out. Overall, a fantastic romance read.