This was so good! I loved that there were multiple mysteries and like the first book this kept me intrigued throughout the story.

I think I may have even enjoyed this more than the first book. I loved Lucy and Will and I loved that Will was always so supportive of Lucy and the career she wanted to have.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Darwin's controversial views are connected to murders within the Linnean Society members. An expert in poisons, Sir Oswald Bertram, is their number one suspect. William Lockhart is a covert inquiry agent for the Home Office and Scotland Yard. Bertram's daughter, Lucy, is a distraction that William can't afford to have, but can't resist. A religious fanatic pursuing Lucy with her father's permission, threatening letters sent to members of the Linnean Society and her missing brother must have some connection. William and Lucy give into their passion and work together to catch a murderer. The ending seemed a little anticlimactic. Too much information that cluttered the story? I enjoyed the verbal dynamics between Will and Lucy and their very steamy sexual encounters.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Curled Up with an Earl by Amy Rose Bennett is book two in the Byronic Book Club series. Lucy Bertram has always been shy around people, except family and best friends. She is a keen botanist, helping her father with his work, and working in the garden where they grow some very dangerous plants. She is saddened that her dear brother Monty is estranged from her father and has no idea where he is, add to that the fact that the family is struggling financially. Add in the fact that her dear father, Sir Oswald, is pushing her to marry an industrialist she has no interest in, to help with the coffers. Lucy must do what she can to find her brother; she knows he will help her. When Lucy meets Will, their new stableman, she has no idea how much her life is about to change. As an undercover agent for the crown, William Lockhart, Earl of Kyle, is sent to the Bertram home as a groom, under the alias of Will Armstrong, to investigate the murder and threats of men from the Linnean Society. Sir Oswald, an expert on poisonous plants, is their main suspect, and the man Will is investigating. Posing as a stableman, Will has easy access to the house, which helps his investigation and allows him time to get to know Lucy. Will falls for Lucy fast and hard, and he is slightly distracted by his feelings as is Lucy.

Lucy is intelligent, awkward, and shy, but when she’s around Will, her timidity begins to fade. It’s wonderful to see Lucy transform from being reserved, uncomfortable, and apprehensive to self-assured and willing to speak her mind She has anxiety and struggles with social and new situations, and she doesn’t like conflict. She is also a people pleaser and tries really hard to appease her family. Her budding friendship with Will gives Lucy the confidence she previously lacked.

Lucy and William work together to uncover just who poisoned her father's colleagues in the scientific society and why her father is so determined to see her married to Mr. Thorne. While Will seeks to find the person who is threatening members of the scientific society, Lucy tries to find her brother. Their journeys take them into some dangerous situations; adding to the mystery, intrigue and suspense.

Ms. Bennett wrote a vibrant and sizzling historical romance that should not to be missed. She provided a tale with intrigue, amusing banter, magnetic attraction, sizzling chemistry, sparks, and charming characters giving Lucy and Will a chance to find the truth as well as happiness, love and a future together. I definitely recommend Curled Up with an Earl to other readers and look forward to Jane’s story.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

I usually love historical romance, but this one wasn’t really for me. I thought it was too slow and ended up quite bored while reading it. I didn’t care about any of the characters or the plot, so that probably didn’t help either.

This series is absolutely so cute. Don't be fooled by the cover...this series has so much angst and incredible spicy scenes.

Curled up with an Earl is the second in the series, but can be read as a stand alone. This one follows Lucy whose father is attempting to marry her off to a man who seems to have a hold over her father.

William Lockhart has been sent to investigate a murder. But when the two of them meet, theres an instant connection.

I devoured this book!

What an amazing story. I love these kind of books with intelligent and strong women fighting for their independent future.

Mysterious disappearing of the heroine's brother, botanics and blackmail, investigations of a poisoning and strong Scot with heart of gold. What would you wish more for?
That everything awaits the reader in this book and so much more. I can only recommend to everyone with a love for historical mysteries and independent strong women.

I don't even know how to start this review...

The romance was dull, in my opinion. I'm not gonna lie, William is a charming Scotsman but he's not a male character that stood out to me. And Lucy also had potential aside from the fact that she was a virgin expert in sex(?) There was nothing groundbreaking or flashy about their "love" except for those statements William made to her from time to time so yeah, nothing special.

As I made clear before, the relationships between the characters weren't all that impressive to me and neither was the story itself. I didn't find the book entertaining in the romantic aspect or the "mystery" (yes, because you have to take into account that a murder is being investigated and they are also looking for the missing brother of the protagonist) There is a case to be solved that didn't even need a such a long completion process, they already knew who the murderer was, come on...

Regardless, I didn't hate 'Curled Up with an Earl' I just didn't like it. If you want to read it because you're a strychnine fan like me, do it. And read other reviews if that helps make up your mind.

Easily my favorite installment in the Byronic Book Club series so far, Curled Up With an Earl serves big "adults acting like adults" energy, with a heaping side order of smoldering chemistry and hot sex scenes. Lucy and William are a wonderfully balanced couple who commit to being honest about their feelings almost from the get-go. While each is forced to keep a few secrets, neither allows those external factors to interfere with the intense feelings developing between them -- a refreshing, delightful departure from all-too-common miscommunication or secret-keeping tropes.

The mystery at the heart of the external conflict was nicely compelling, though the twist/reveal in Act III seemed like a bit of a strange flex. Without giving away any spoilers, the twist/reveal gave all our good characters a chance to show us how wonderful they are despite the prevailing cultural mores of the time period, and gave our bad characters a chance to be truly despised by contemporary readers. I don't mind, per se, but the story as a whole might have seemed more cohesive if Monty weren't absent for so much of it. Tracking him down is an essential plot point, but we learn too late that his actions are germane to the core conflict. Did it all come together in the end? Absolutely. But did a few components of Act III feel like they flew in from left field? Yeah, they sure did.

4 stars.

I have been absolutely adoring this series by Amy Rose Bennett. I can definitely say that Bennett's writing works for me and I am excited and eager to continue watching this series grow! Bennett's writing is clear and accessible, I find her characters charming and interesting, and the plots of this novel was intriguing and interwoven with tropes I delight in. Curled up with an Earl is the second installment in the Byronic Book Club series that have savvy and smart heroines who might be overlooked by society, but are interesting, strong, dedicated woman who are so interesting to follow and root for. If you love a well plotted historical, with a sweet and charming romance at its core, then you must pick up this series by Amy Rose Bennett!

Lucy is content with her life of scientific research and gothic romance novels, but when she is pressured to entertain a wealthy industrialist to save her father, she knows she must seek out her brother to support her. Will is an earl and an agent for the crown, who is currently working undercover as a groom in Lucy's household in order to unmask a ruthless killer. Lucy and Will are very attracted to each other and they have a really wonderful level of understanding and comfort with each other. I really love that Will never oversteps Lucy's knowledge of who he is before they enter into a physical relationship. I love that Will also is open, understanding, and sees Lucy's strength and treats her as his equal. The relationship between Will and Lucy is fairly low angst, they both have an ease with each other which organically grows into a physical relationship of respect. I really enjoyed watching these two work together hand in hand to unmask the mystery Will is trying to solve as well as find Lucy's brother. I love that these two are on each other's sides from the beginning, and that they implicitly trust the other and have such confidence in the other that they never question their feelings and then strength of their love. This novel has a lovely level of sensuality and the physical side of their relationship really helps to highlight they foundation of consent and trust these two have built with each other.

I adored this novel. I adored this relationship! I so highly recommend checking out Bennett's work and this series. I think if you are a historical romance lover you are sure to find some new favorite books and a new favorite writer in Amy Rose Bennett!

This book had a great "who dunnit" element to it. Slow burn. Very much enjoyed William and Lucy. She is very tenacious! And William's attraction to her is super swoony!


Story 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice 🔥🔥🔥
Swoon 😍😍😍😍
Angst 💔💔💔

I am very fan of Amy stories, because she might repeat one or two things in her books but does in a way that it still feels different, she as an amazing writer and this story is just a proof of it.

Back with the Byronic Book Club after Artemis's romance in the first book, this book is with her friend Lucy.
I always appreciate an Earl (Duke) in disguise. Though this one is a spy for the crown and trying to stop a murderer before they strike again. In his undercover work he meets Lucy, a Baronet's daughter and her old spinster self is feeling the feels for the first time. So at 28 Lucy is well on the shelf lol. Though her father is trying to push her off onto some gross guy (honestly no one likes that guy), and she's desperately searching for her brother who left a year ago and hasn't communicated.
Loved the reveal of the Earl, the sweet budding love lol sorry, this was steamy and they was being real improper. Love the multi pov so you can see inside his thoughts cause in these books the gentleman is usually so rigid 😉 you don't know what they are thinking.
Read if you like:
💞 Duke in disguise
💞 Multi POV
💞 Stem ladies

Thank you sourcebookscasa and netgalley for the e-ARC for the honest and voluntary review.

Well this book melted my heart and filled me with the softest fluff! You really cannot go wrong when sparks fly right from the meet cute and the electricity between MCs zaps you into attention. The secret identity had me squealing and I adored how the reveal was handled! Give me angst with low drama any day and I’ll be happy.

Lucy was so fun with her poisonous botanical “hobby”—ahem secret career. Will was a swoon-worthy covert agent of the crown with an additional hidden identity (gasp!). They fit so perfectly together my heart squeezed with each little moment between them. Their chemistry translated into some fantastic steam and their connection had depth so I really felt they were MFEO. I wasn’t really paying attention to mystery plot by the end since it was too obvious but I was satisfied with the ending.

Steam: 🔥🔥🔥

Thank you to the publisher for the advance reader copy via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

I enjoyed this story a lot.
Miss Lucy Bertram is content to spend her days writing scientific articles or curling up with a Gothic romance novel. But when her father, the eccentric botanist Sir Oswald, insists she accept the suit of a wealthy but stiffer-than-a-poker industrialist to save the family from penury, Lucy decides to act. She's certain her disowned brother, Monty, will take her side. But first she must find him in St. Giles's cutthroat rookeries.
A covert agent for the Crown, William Lockhart, the Earl of Kyle, is on the hunt for a ruthless killer determined to destroy the Linnean Society. Sir Oswald, a botanical poisons expert, is the prime suspect. Posing as a groom in the baronet's household, it shouldn't take Will long to unearth the evidence Scotland Yard needs. If only the beguiling Miss Bertram wasn't so damn distracting...
I like this book better than the previous one. Will is such a great character. I immediately fell in love with him. He is brave and looks after Lucy all the time. I liked her too. She is smart and witty, and they work really good together. The book was well written, with great steamy moments and funny dialogs. It's also sweet and easy to read
We get to see Artemis and Dominic from the previous book and the elusive Monty.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Wallflower, Miss Lucy Bertram spends her days, studying and writing botany, and her nights dreaming of the new groom and Gothic heroes… She is perfectly at peace until her father starts hinting towards a match between her and an odious colleague of his!

Thankfully, the new groom isn’t a groom at all! He is actually the Earl of Kyle, and was stationed at her home to spy on her father who is a suspect in an attempt against Charles Darwin! With his cover blown, he’s willing to jump into a fake engagement with Lucy to save her from this dismal match her father is set on, with the benefit of adding her scientific skills to his investigation!

This book was all over the map, full of bonkers drama and I loved it! From the fake engagement, to the undercover earl, to Gothic villains and family drama, this book is full of twists and turns so much fun! This gave the book an old-school romance vibe that played out well with this gothic plot.

Curled Up with an Earl is the second book in the Byronic Book Club series and I think this is my favourite so far! If you haven’t read the first book, don’t let that stop you from jumping into this one. This one can easily be read as a standalone and it’s too fun to miss!!

Big thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for my review copy.

#CurledUpwithanEarl #AmyRoseBennett

Botanist Lucy is happy writing scientific articles under the name of her father, a specialist in poisons. Nobleman Will disguises himself as a groom to investigate a series of murders her father might be implicated in. Can the passion between Lucy and Will overcome the secrets that threaten to tear them apart?

This is a flawless Regency romance. It's got intrigue, great characters, a little spice, and a lot of heart. I also enjoyed the audio narration. Highly recommend!

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

“ His fingers tightened about her waist.
“I willna just ruin you. I will devastate you.”
“I can hardly wait,” she whispered.

Oh yes Will, you can definitely devastate me as well when you’re finished with Lucy!!!
This was a fun story with a lot of different elements to it: Shy Bluestocking, Spy Earl posing as a luscious groom, a mystery involving murder, a villain, poison, and a brother who has vanished. There seems to be a LOT going on but Ms Bennett weaves it into a good story that is entertaining and romantic. One of the things I liked about Lucy is that although she is shy and anxious in ballrooms when you get her talking in her element of science, botany and poisons she shines and Will allows her to be who she is and falls in love with her because of that. And Will, well who doesn’t love a strapping Scottish Groom/Earl/Detective/spy/Former soldier and heir to a Dukedom (yeah, he’s got a lot going on in his life 😆) who sees this unassuming wallflower for the wonder of a woman she truly is.
Another delightful story from Ms Bennett with memorable lines such as:
“ She was crammed full of rock-hard cock, and it was wonderful”
“You’re inside me,” she murmured. “Aye. To the hilt.” He kissed her forehead. “How does it feel?” She smiled and caressed his beloved face. “It feels right.” “Och, lass.” Will’s answering smile was warmer than a midsummer’s day. “You make my heart ache in the sweetest way.” As he claimed her mouth.
Hmmmm, 😌.
There wasn’t a whole lot of sex scenes, I think I counted 3, but man are they 🔥🔥🔥🔥
And 🌶️. I’m now really looking forward to the next book in the series
I was kindly given an ARC by NetGallery for my honest review

This is the story of William Lockhart, the Earl of Kyle and Lucy Bertram, the daughter to a baron. They meet as Lucy is driving her cart home and gets caught in the rain. Will is on his way to their home to serve as the head groomsman recently hired by her father. Lucy is being courted by a friend of her father's, Zachariah Thorne, a businessman whom she does not have any liking for. Lucy is trying to locate her brother, Monty, who left home after an argument with her father. She approaches Will to assist her in trying to locate her brother in St. Giles. As they spend more time together looking for her brother and while her father is in town spending time with Mr. Thorne, Lucy and Will grow more attached to each other. Neither have any desire to marry but they do like being together and surrendering to the feelings of attraction they have for one another. Will has secrets that he hasn't shared with Lucy and it could prevent them for moving their relationship farther. This is a mystery, a romance story with lots of steam which will keep readers turning the page until the plot is revealed and their questions are answered. Anxiously awaiting the next installment for Mrs. Bennett.

I received the book as an ARC from Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving a review

THE REVIEW
Lucy Bertram is the daughter of a poisonous plant expert scientist, although Lucy writes most of his papers and tends to the garden. She is a shy, independent spinster who enjoys the work she does and would love nothing more than to join the botanical society and travel for scientific expeditions. But, since women are not allowed in to those types of scientific societies, she settles for the accolades her father receives for her research.

William Douglas Lockhart has a tragic past in which he left home and his future as a Scottish duke, after a betrayal by his father and grandfather. He joined the army and then became a spy for the Crown. A job which lead him to Lucy’s door. He poses as a stable groom to spy on Lucy’s father as he believes he is responsible for a murder.

What neither of them expected was the instant attraction they both felt and the trust and friendship that developed into love. Together they search the seedy parts of London for Lucy’s estranged brother, Will helps her evade the attentions of a dangerous man who is trying to court her, and eventually she even helps Will with his investigation!

The first half of the book kind of dragged on a bit for me, but I am not going to put too much emphasis on my feelings about that because it was a weekend full of interruptions. When I start a book, I like to have a few hours of time to get several chapters in so I can focus on the setup. That didn’t happen this time, unfortunately. But, once I got into the action of the second half, I was all in with Lucy and Will! Both independent and the ‘never getting married’ sort, they were a fun couple to read about. They didn’t try to fight the attraction afraid to would lead to marriage, but they came to a mutual understanding. In the end, I think they both changed their minds about marriage when they remembered what it felt like to have a family. Someone to take care of you and worry about you. And I LOVE that type of turnaround; one where the characters are much in love, but it’s even deeper than that, it’s a state of being. A love you create for yourself, not just the love you have for the other person. It was such a sweet romance.

TROPES
Historical Romance, Victorian Era, Country Life, East End London, Detective Hero, Highland Warrior Hero, Soldier/War Hero, Titled Hero, Bluestocking Heroine, Scientist Heroine, Spinster Heroine, Virgin Heroine, Fake Relationship, Instant Attraction, Hidden Identity, Mystery Romance, Suspense/Danger/Murder, Five Star, Three Flame

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, steamy and held my interest. I wanted to find out what was going to happen. This book can be read as a standalone story, though it is book 2 in the The Byronic Book series. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books in this series as well as others by this author.