Book blurb: Miss Jane Quayle excels at invention. How else could the sheltered daughter of an English gentleman create lurid gothic novels so infamous someone wants their author silenced forever? Fortunately, Jane has taken steps to protect herself, first by assuming a pen name, and second, by taking up residence at remote Dunnock Castle, surrounded by rugged scenery that might have been ripped from the pages of one of her books. Her true identity remains a secret, until one dark and stormy night . . . After years of spying for the British army, Thomas Sutherland doubts the Highlands will ever feel like home again. Nevertheless, thanks to a quirk of Scottish inheritance law, he’s now the Earl of Magnus, complete with a crumbling castle currently inhabited by a notorious novelist. When the writer turns out to be the woman Thomas once wooed, suspicions rise even as mutual sparks reignite. As danger closes in, can Jane and Thomas overcome their pasts to forge a future together?

OMG, this book! So the blurb about the book really doesn't give a good idea of what the book is about, at all! Jane is living at Dunnock Castle after her family had cast her out of her home years ago. Thomas is the new Earl and he is ordered by his superior to go to his new Earldom and to put things in order. He finds Jane there and then the story took off. Yes, they had met before, but it was really brief (and insta love). This second meeting is SO much better than the first. They were both very young during that first meeting, especially Jane, so I'm not sure they woould have worked at that time. I do think that since Thomas is a spy, he should have been able to figure out Jane's "secret" sooner, but it didn't keep the story from moving forward. I will say that I was shocked at how different and really good this book was. I haven't read anything by Susanna Craig before and I am so glad that I have found her on Net Galley. I cannot wait to read more of her books. This one is 5 stars!

I expected more from this book. Maybe because it is a book one in a connected series, I felt it be a little dull and slow at the beginning. It tries to mix the aspects for a romance, spy and thriller-like (in the figuring out who wants to kill the heroine). And that all sometimes gets a little muddled up for me. It's still cute and has its sparky moment, but I expected better writing in terms of possible humor.

Who's That Earl, by Susanna Craig, is the first in her new Love and Let Spy series. Thomas Sutherland is a spy who, through a quirk of inheritance, suddenly becomes the Earl of Magnus, the castle near the small Scottish village where he spent summers growing up. Since he has no interest in giving up his profession, he goes to Dunnock castle to sort things out and get back to spying. However, the castle is being leased to the reclusive writer of scandalous Gothic novels, Robin Ratliffe. Robin Ratliffe, though, is none other than Jane Quayle, the girl Thomas fell for seven years ago before being called away on duty. Robin is receiving death threats, and Thomas is ideally trained to get to the bottom of the situation.

This was a really fun, quick book to read. I really enjoyed both Jane and Thomas, and the way that Susanna Craig handled the tension between them was very well done. I sympathized with both characters' struggles - Thomas being reluctant to drive a wedge between his new title and his old friends; Jane craving her independence. Jane's dogs were an adorable addition to the story as well.

The mystery of the letter-writer seemed to be wrapped up rather quickly - I would have enjoyed having more hints or a bigger glimpse into his motivation, but recognize that the true story is Jane and Thomas.

I really enjoyed Who's That Earl and will definitely be reading more by Susanna Craig!

Thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for the review copy!

Who's That Earl by Susanna Craig is a historical second chance romance with a very small touch of mystery.

Ms. Craig's descriptive provided a vivid backdrop of Dunnock Castle and the Scottish highlands for this story. However, I found the mystery to be easily solved as I knew who it was just based on a character description early in the book. Jane and Thomas's relationship seemed to be based more on their past rather than their current knowledge of each other. Ms. Craig did develop them well at the beginning of the book but once the mystery was resolved the rest of the story seemed to be rushed as Jane and Thomas resolved their feelings, faced her abusive father and returned to the castle. The one character who truly intrigued me was Thomas's commander who seems to be more than just a brilliant strategist for the British army.

This was my first Susanna Craig book but it definitely won’t be my last!

The rekindled romance between Jane and Thomas was lovely. The plot was interesting with a bit of mystery thrown in there. The gothic novel that Jane is writing - the bits we got of that were just as good as the actual book! The writing style was very readable, it kept my attention the entire time.

I recommend it for anyone who likes Regency era books with a well developed romance with an equally engaging storyline.

Bonus points for a lovely cover!

3.5 stars-- There's a lot of elements in this book I really enjoyed! The characters & their banter were great. I loved the snippets of the gothic novel (honestly could have done with more of that), and I loved the rugged Scottish castle setting! Overall, I think this book would have benefitted from having a stronger mystery element in the plotting, because I thought that pacing and plot were the weakest points of the story. Still, this was quite a charming historical, and it felt like something a bit different, which I appreciated

Lieutenant Thomas Sutherland is a spy for the British Crown. Seven years ago he met a charming young lady in Sussex and lost his heart. He left for the West Indies, she disappeared. Jane Quayle left Sussex sevens years ago. She made a life for herself as a writer of Gothic novels. Living under two assumed names, she lives independently as she pleases. When Thomas returns to Dunnock Castle as the new laird the last person he expects to see is the young lady he never forgot Two cosseted spaniels who love cheese, threatening letters, an eccentric lady writer and a sexy humorous new laird. AMANUENSIS
"God bless you!"
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I thought that this story was so interesting!
I loved the reunited love story, the depth of the characters, and the mystery of it all :)
This is my first time reading a book by Susanna Craig, but it definitely will not be my last! I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.

This story was much better than I expected as I have never read a book by Susanna Craig. I thoroughly enjoyed it, I was engaged all the way with Jane and Thomas. I also love a 'rekindled romance' story with a hint of mystery or danger thrown in. I'll be looking to read more of Susanna's books.

3.5 stars (rounded up to 4). I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, as it’s written by a new-to-me author. However, I love a book with a spy hero or heroine, and I love a book with a hero or heroine who is a scholar or a writer. This book gave me a spy and a writer, so it hit all my buttons. I was also drawn to the cover and title.

I liked the main characters and their romance, but I wanted more of their backstory. I would have loved some richly detailed flashback scenes to show us the extent of the characters’ history and regard for each other. I felt like the author tried to play it both ways at times—the characters had a history that was either very meaningful or not that impactful, depending on what the plot needed at the moment.

I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A perfect Regency romance to spend an afternoon with! It wasn't the absolute best I have ever read but I am very glad I read it as I love a good historical romance. Lots of fun and drama!

I was hooked from the first page. I didn't think I would be at all because Craig is a new to me author and I was counting on being disappointed. But I was intrigued by the young lovers, and then the cat and mouse game that they had going on between them, it was quite obvious it would be a short game but I was hoping it would last more than half way through the book. The characters were rel and engaging, I think I liked the dogs the best. Although I never really like when the chosen career for one of the characters is a novelist, it always seems like I'm reading 2 books in one. The villain was kind of meh, the conflict was iffy. But I felt connected to the little Highlands Village by the characters. The ending was....new, I wasn't expecting a matchmaker. I would read more of this series, but I'm not waiting on baited breath.

#NetGalley #whosthatearl

I'm not even done with the first chapter and I already like it. Author sets such a clear tone to the story. The MC is a crunchy Scotsman living on the tiny island of Dominica, ever watchful of a possible French invasion.

Lt. Thomas Sutherland, a spy for the British navy, is called home because he has inherited a title and needs to take care of his new Earldom. The castle on his land is currently being rented by a famous rich author, who happens to be Jane, the girl he left behind 7 years ago.

They rekindle their relationship by lying to each other- her pretending she's the assistant to the author, and him pretending to investigate some threatening letters sent to the author. He is not comfortable with his new title, and trying to figure out what he wants. She is dedicated to being self-sufficient.

The development of their relationship is sweet and endearing. They have some cute bantering moments and openly discuss their past as they grow to trust each other. The cast of supporting characters is sadly small and not well fleshed out. It leaves the impression of two very lonely people finding each other. They are both forced by their lies to remain alone, and when they confide in each other, it is just perfect.

The book is such a good read. The characters are likeable, not overly angsty and you really see what they love and need in each other. Thanks to Netgally for the ARC of this fun new series.

Craig creates a smooth, if somewhat unremarkable story of two separated lovers back together. The plot and characterization were nice. My biggest gripe is that the story had two denouements: one in the middle of the book and one later. The second felt like an afterthought. Otherwise, this is a fun little read that will while away the time in lockdown.

4 stars

I enjoyed this story. It is also a new author for me. I had visions of Daniel Craig coming out of the waves in 007 when I thought of Thomas. He's a bit Bond like as he's secretive, capable and not that loquacious. Some reviewers have been surprised that Jane should end up living in Thomas's house but I found it credible. A famous author would seek a haven and scotland. It's the sort of location that would have plenty of houses and castles far from the madding crowd. It was a well paced romance and fairly clean for the majority of the story. I'll certainly search out this author again. Goodreads has iitas part of a series so hopefully we will hear more. Needless to say I was pleased that the villains got there comeupance!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Have you ever read a historical romance and you felt like you were going through the motions? It's fine. I didn't hate it; I didn't love it. It's well-written and the meta Gothic nature is cute. But it's nothing special, compared to the billion historical romances that I've already read. Maybe I'm getting genre fatigue. I think most readers would like this.

I loved Thomas and Jane's story. How can a commoner possible become a Laird? These two have a shared past that could lead to a wonderful future if they are willing to reach out to each other. I loved the secondary characters as well. This book doesn't disappoint.

A great start to a new series. Who's That Earl is a fun quick read. Perfect for fans of Regency and fans of witty, amusing romance. I'll certainly recommend to our patrons and buy for my library.

A very enjoyable start to a new series. The author kept me intrigued and rushing to finish so that I could know more about the heroine's backstory and I loved the connection between the two main characters.

Y’all, “Who’s That Earl,” let me tell you-

I chose this book by it’s cover, even though it looks like Jane’s shoulders are either broken or double jointed. The colors are pretty, even though I don’t image a dilapidated castle to be decorated like the French version of a Mommy bloggers white house. The whole effect felt like a happy medium between traditional romance covers and the lame, artsy, cutesy ones that are so popular right now (#thekissquotient).

Anywho, I was excited for this read as it is my first by this author. And it started out really strong. I love love second chance tropes and since this was coupled with a childhood(ish) love trope, I was eager eager. I was almost giddy when Thomas arrives at the castle and they are both pretending to be someone else. I felt it was a very promising start. I had high expectations that for some reason weren’t met.

Part of what I love about a second chance story is the back story or the initial romance. I felt like this aspect could have been built up a little better. I didn’t feel a lot of angst at the reconnection. I would have liked more flashbacks on Jane and Thomas’ time together.

So, I usually don’t like kidnapping or murder attempts on our heroine- it can get ridiculous real quick for me. Well, this book had not one, but two bad guys with nefarious purposes. Two. Good Lord. Why not just combine the two purposes and have the Dad carry them both out?

Although I won’t be planning any re-reads on this book, I would still read the author again in the future.

Alrighty, they have kissed and I've told you about it!