This was so freaking good. I cannot wait for others to read it and to text me at the point that I had to reach out to TWO of my friends that had read the book. I will truly never be over that way she had me GASPING!

Here is what you need to know: Lydia has been writing political pamphlets through Belvoir's library ran by her bestie (see Ne'er Duke Well) and has become pen pals with a Scottish earl. She sets out on a journey to take control of her life as a woman to propose marriage to said earl and it just gets better and better from there! *cue the zebras*

Alexandra Vasti (or should I say professor?) is a gem and her writing is truly such a good time. The historical care she takes to weave true events into her writing is magnificent- this is a plug to read/listen to the authors note! Her writing feels like if a Tessa Dare book and a Beverly Jenkins book had a baby!

Arthur is DOWN BAD, Lydia is fierce, demure, and all around a badass, and together, my goodness, they are precious. I am probably more of an extrovert than Lydia, but I found myself relating to her need to reassurance. Arthur MUST BE PROTECTED.

If you are a fan of spicy historical romance you need to add this to your ever growing pile of books to be read! 3-4 open door scenes.

Audiobook review: The audio was phenomenal. It was narrated by Mhairi Morrison and was fantastic. I loved all the accents that were used and I thought the flow was perfect. You could clearly tell the differences between all the characters in how Morrison narrated and I would for sure recommend listening. I know that some people have a hard time with female narrators doing male voices, but I didn't even notice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Cute and fun regency, historical romance with some shenanigans! We get a road trip, only one bed, found family, fake marriage, queer rep, and pining!

This felt fresh and fun! I received an audio ALC from the publisher, all thoughts in this review are my own!

I loved this fake marriage of convenience Regency romance between Lydia, a socially anxious wallflower and secret feminist and Arthur, the Scottish Earl she thought she'd been writing to for the last three years. A wealthy widow, Lydia, proposes marriage to Arthur so her money can help his crumbling estate and he can help revive her social life. There was excellent mental health (anxiety + panic attack rep), lots of action, mistaken identity, forced proximity, hilarious hijinks, exotic animals, and spicy open door scenes to keep readers enthralled from start to finish. Great on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Evie Dunmore! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio and digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I am SUPER excited for Vasti's upcoming Sapphic Regency romance!

Really enjoyed this one!

This was fun and sweet and silly and I was here for all of it. I really enjoy Vasti’s writing style and found myself reaching for this. I love a fake engagement trope, and the characters had really great chemistry.

I made this my first read of 2025 for a reason. Alexandra Vasti has done it again, and this book is absolute perfection. The pining, the shenanigans, just everything.

And as she did with Ne'er Duke Well, Mhairi Morrison has done a fantastic job narrating. The earl's accent - just swoon!

I will read anything and everything that Vasti writes and I cannot wait for Georgiana's book later this year!

This review is for the ALC (audio version) I received from NetGalley.

First of all this is a really cute historical romance. It's got so much to love. I went back and forth many times on whether or not I would give this 3 or 4 stars but ultimately the several times I bumped up the speed to 3x just to get through the parts that lagged made me go with 3. I think it's just the case of a book being a tad too long and dragging quite a bit in some parts.

That said, it was really enjoyable. Lydia is a shy introverted but extremely bright and progressive and Arthur is a sweet cinnamon roll of an Earl and they come to meet because his brother has been writing her letters for years, and now he's missing. There is mistaken identity and fake marriage and a chase, and lots of really beautifully written spice.

The narration was very good and I enjoyed the performance.

I loved the epilogue of letters despite the children. :P

In Earl Crush, Lydia Hope-Wallace heads off to Scotland for a surprise marriage of convenience to her penpal, the Earl of Strathrannoch. They’ve been corresponding through letters passed through Belvoir’s Library, the lending library that distributes Lydia’s political pamphlets, and Lydia has decided that a marriage to the Earl will be beneficial to them both.

He needs money; she has money; and her crippling shyness hasn’t done her any favors on the marriage mart.

Here’s the rub, though: when Lydia arrives on the doorstep of the Earl’s crumbling home, he doesn’t know who she is. It appears she has not been corresponding with Arthur, the actual Earl of Strathrannoch. In fact, he’s far from the charming and polished lord she was expecting.

It appears that his brother is the true author of those missives, and that brother is currently in a spot of trouble.

So, as these things go, Lydia and Arthur go on a journey to save Arthur’s brother from the political scheme in which he has become embroiled.

At a glance:
- Dual POV
- Epistolary elements
- Road trip
- Fake marriage
- A mountain of a Scottish man who is a bit rough around the edges but has a cinnamon roll heart of gold
- An FMC who is bold in her writing but socially anxious in person (but she feels comfortable around him 👀)
- Pining and tension (of the chemistry variety)
- Seriously, y’all, the longing (Oh my heart!)
- Heat
- Politics
- Espionage and intrigue
- Mental health rep

I really enjoyed it! There’s just something playful about Alexandra Vasti’s writing that always pulls me in.

I especially liked the epistolary elements of the unsent letters from Arthur and enjoyed the mystery/espionage element, too.

I loved how Arthur and Lydia fit together, and I do so love a fake marriage scenario in historical romance.

As with Vasti's other audiobooks, Mhairi Morrison's narration here is delightful, capturing the British, Scottish, and French accents of the various characters.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Dreamscape Media. All review opinions are my own.

4.5⭐️

Alexandra Vasti is one of my favorite historical romance authors and even though Earl Crush is only her second novel, she's already doing incredibly well in the genre. Lydia and Arthur have the absolutely best chemistry and I'm so in love with their love. I can't wait to see what Vasti does next!

Thank you, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley, for this advanced audio copy!
Instantly charming and funny with a narration that gives you butterflies and leaves you smiling 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘭 𝘊𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘩, is everything you want from a regency romance and then some!
We reunite with Lydia Hope Wallace (a friend of Selina in Ne’er Duke Well) as she travels to the Scottish highlands to seek out the Arthur Baird Earl of Strathrannoch, whom she believed to be her esteemed correspondence. Only the giant bearded man standing out the door has no idea who she is, and she is so anxious she ends up hurling her guts at him. (It's quite the meet-cute.)
When she agrees to help him track down who has been impersonating him, an adventure full of calamity, mutual pining, and tender moments ensues.
The dual POV here was delightful. Arthur was a goner from the moment Lydia fainted on his doorstep. Meanwhile, Lydia experiences such astounding growth with her social anxiety I could not help but fall for a little myself.
Mhairi narrates this book so perfectly! Her voice captures the Scottish burr wonderfully, allowing the listener to be instantly charmed by the grumpy earl. She made him come to life, and I was swooning over Arthur from the beginning! Meanwhile, Lydia’s inner monologue is made clear. The audio also allows for plenty of laughs and a few blushes.
Listening to both this and Ne’er Duke Well on audio, I think this performance and writing are somehow more engaging! I loved that the performances were unique and that I could distinguish each character; audio is a perfect way to read this series.
True to form, Vasti has her regency characters living out of their expected roles and engaging in “progressive” politics. Arthur has the tenacity to work alongside his tenets, while Lydia, author of controversial pamphlets, rejects propriety and wants to participate equally in the investigation with Arthur.
Lydia and Arthur have a dreamy love that begins with tiny sparks and erupts into something beautiful. The snippets of epistolary exchanges mark the beginning of each chapter, and they are so lovely. The romance stands out here and is only enhanced by the mystery subplot.
And the epilogue!! It is captivating, tender, and everything you didn’t know you wanted. The audio rendered it so wonderfully. I cried through the whole thing.
Vasti knocked it out of the park, and I am so excited to read her next book, Ladies in Hating (a sapphic romance), launching in September.

This is not part of a series, however, there are characters featured here that also appeared in Ne'er Duke Well.
Heiress, Lydia Hope-Stanton has been writing seditious pamphlets for over 3 years. She uses Belvoir's Library (run by the Duchess of Stanhope, Selina Kent, to publish these papers. However, Lydia, herself, is painfully shy and has trouble speaking her mind in public. She has, however, been corresponding with the Earl of Strathrannoch, Arthur Baird, regarding all her political leanings and she believes they would suit in marriage. She shows up at his front door to offer herself. (Quite out of character for our Lydia.) However, when the earl answers the door, he has no clue who she is.
It seems his brother, Davis, has been using Arthur's persona to gather espionage, but for who? Lydia and Arthur get dragged into a madcap adventure to find Davis and stop a possible assassination. Falling in love was not part of this plan.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this digital audio e-arc.*

Many thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the free audiobook.

I was unaware that this was the second book in a series as the books are not linked on Goodreads, nor is it specifically mentioned in the synopsis of the book. This is a significant oversight on the publisher's part. That said, it can be read as a standalone, which is what I originally did.

Ya'll, I just loved this smart, funny, and oh-so-steamy regency romance. The audiobook narrator does such a great job bringing the story to life. I also love the literary nature of the series. If you want a sexy, silly, and sweet regency romance I highly recommend this one!

This book was so good that I looked up the author to find one of her backlist titles to read only to discover this book follows <i>Ne'er Duke Well</i> (of which I had received a free audiobook from Libro.fm [thank you!] and had it sitting in my library waiting to be read). Read it I did. I will write a separate review for that book but I will mention here that I think <i>Earl Crush</i> is a slightly better book. I only say that in case readers decide to read the new series in order: just know that it goes from good to great! I already can't wait for the next one!

This book was so much fun. The story was so cute and romantic and funny without taking away from the connection between Lydia and Arthur. It was such a delight to listen to and the narrator did a great job. I look forward to the next book.

Hot, steamy regency romance! Earl Crush is now one of my new favorite historical romance books! I found Lydia and Arthur’s story to be so juicy and unputdownable! It has refreshed my enjoyment for this specific genre. I of course loved the moments such as “my wife” and the fighting between Arthur and her brothers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC

Earl Crush is a fun historical romance with a political mystery twist. I really enjoyed our FMC and was invested from the very first page. I found the letters the MC's write to each other as a brilliant part of the plot. The humor and the romance were equally great and I had a through time with the book.

This was a really sweet book. I have only read two of Ms Vasti's books, but enjoyed them both immensely. I loved the grumpy Scottish earl, who has no idea who Lydia is, even though they have been corresponding for three years. And Lydia was a great character, overcoming her social anxiety. In all it was a really great feel-good book that I will highly recommend to my library patrons, especially the ones who enjoy Bridgeton.

The audio version was very well made and I enjoyed the narrator.

Delightful. From the catfishing plot to the epistolary epilogue, I thoroughly enjoyed Earl Crush. To be honest, I was a little nervous going in because Ne’Er Duke Well was so different from Vasti’s novellas that I felt like I was missing something I couldn’t put my finger on. My worries were unfounded because Earl Crush captured everything I love in historical romance: Vasti’s well researched historical connections, two imperfect MCs who are perfect for each other, a catchy plot that surprised me with its ending, and the steamy intimacy scenes Vasti’s novella lovers have yearned for.

I would tell you to go in blind because I loved the opening meet cute and would hate to ruin the unexpected humor of it. It is from that moment that I was hooked. This is not your typical fake-marriage-of-convenience, but it definitely works wonders at bringing Arthur and Lydia together. Nothing is better than requiring two characters to unexpectedly team up, and I delighted in reading Lydia and Arthur’s “forced” marital interactions. This book was fast paced enough to keep things fresh and interesting and readers that enjoy a bit of a mystery to their romance will enjoy it for the storytelling just as much as the love story. I also think the book got better and better and what could have been a third act break up felt like a love declaration instead (ladies, you know you all want your dunderheaded fellow to realize he’s lost without you).

And at the heart of it all, I truly loved spending time with Lydia and Arthur and felt that their love story is one that would continue long past the end of this book. The epilogue itself is so swoony and a perfect characterization of Arthur and Lydia’s love.

If you are a fan of audiobooks, Mhairi McFarlane excellently narrates this story. I loved her Scottish brogue for Arthur and felt she captured Lydia’s shyness. She is who I automatically associate with Vasti’s books and hope she continues to narrate them in the future.
I received an early copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Steam: 🪭🪭
Can it be read as a standalone?: 🙌🏼, but there are plenty of 🐣 for Vasti fans
Narration: 📣📣📣📣

Thanks for Netgalley and dreamscape media for a gifted copy of Earl Crush.

I really enjoyed the narrator. She brought the story to life. And made it hard to put it down.

I loved the story. There was a mixture of mystery and romance which kept the story intriguing the entire time. I loved Lydia for being the badass that she was.


Read Earl Crush if you like
•Fake marriage of convenience
•Regency Romance
•Espionage
•Mistaken Identity
•Botched proposals
•Zebras

Alexandra’s writing just speaks to me. She makes historical romance more interesting by adding radical and outspoken female protagonist’s who value women’s rights and venture outside the norm for that time era. I adored Ne’er Duke Well and have now enjoyed Earl Crush.

Lydia Hope-Wallace has been corresponding via letter with the Earl of Strathrannoch, Arthur Baird. She creates a plan to propose a marriage of convenience to him after finding out about his financial problems. She has the money but no romantic prospects due to her social anxiety, he has the title and a supposed familiarity with her. She goes to Scotland and comes face-to-face with Arthur only to find out she hasn’t been corresponding with him, but with his brother who has gone missing. They work together to find him and uncover the mystery of what his brother is up to.

This was more action-packed with adventure than I originally thought. I loved how the plot always kept me on my toes, but also was full of yearning and angst between Lydia and Arthur. They both worked together in proximity to find Arthur’s brother which helped them find the bravery and confidence to overcome their own obstacles in their path. I loved the way they supported each other & would always lift each other up when needed.

I was lucky enough to listen to an ALC while reading an eARC and can confirm that the narration was so good! the British and Scottish accents while also upholding the 1800s ‘ladylike’ facade was amazing. It made my reading experience more immersive and I found myself getting lost in the story.

read if you like historical romances with a marriage of convenience and some strong, stubborn, outspoken fmc’s. plus SO much tension and yearning from a man who would do anything for her!!! Releases january 28th! Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for an eARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review :)

This book was everything! Arthur and Lydia were just perfect for each other! I loved the mystery element ans how that played into their love story. His Scottish brogue and the way he falls for her....I was melting! Loved the little inserts of letters and writing and how that came full circle. Narration was so well done and she did amazing even with Arthur's voice and accent. Just loved everything about this book and cannot way for the series to continue!

Alexandra Vasti's Ne'er Duke Well was one of my favorite romances last year! It was the perfect combination of regency romance meets feminist history as Vasti introduces the existence of underground libraries where women are able to access both reproductive health information and erotica for their enjoyment. What makes this so fascinating is that this practice, and the very texts referred to in the story, are real, and I loved how Vasti was able to incorporate what I assume to be her scholarly work with these types of texts into a romance novel that gives us fully realized female characters exercising what agency they have at this time to push against the marriage market system they live in.

Earl Crush is just as smart and interesting, but surprisingly delivers a different kind of story. I love that Lydia is the character from the fist novel who is now taking control of her life. After corresponding with an Earl who embraces her activist ideas, she decides to travel to Scotland to propose a marriage of convenience, only to find out the man was pretending to be his brother. So talk about embarrassing, as the book opens with Lydia proposing to the wrong guy! (who may actually be the right guy!).

I just loved the dynamic, the chemistry, and the humor in this book. It turns into a mystery as the two team up to find the missing brother and become embroiled in a much larger plot involving spies and a possible political assassination attempt. It is crazy fun, and it works!

I listend to the audiobook in tandem with reading an e ARC and it added so much to the experience. The narrator does a great job switching between the different accents of the Scottish and British characters. The humor and the spice were both made all the more intense as much of the dialogue is contrasted between what characters want to say and what they actually say. It was simply a great time. If you like regency romance, feminist characters, solving mysteries and Scottish Earls, don't miss this one!