I loved this audiobook! Murder mystery, historical romance, and a bit of comedy... what more can you ask for. Overall it was a very fun read and one I would highly recommend for those who enjoy cheesy, quick, lighthearted romance. The characters were great and east to root for. I especially enjoyed some of the side characters.

While this is book 2 of the Byronic Book Club series, it can be read as a standalone (though you will leave it wanting to read all the rest).

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Dreamscape Media for an ARC of this audiobook.

A bluestocking botanist and an earl acting as an undercover agent fall in love in the latest historical romance from Amy Rose Bennett. Miss Lucy Bertram spends her days writing articles on plants for her father, overseeing his household, and reading Gothic romances. While she misses her disowned brother, Monty, she is otherwise content with her life until a certain handsome Scottish groom joins her household staff and her father begins pressuring her to marry an uptight industrialist with a cruel streak.

William Lockhart, Earl of Kyle, has gone undercover for the Crown before, but there is something about this particular murder case—and about Miss Lucy Bertram—that is different. Can he solve the case before others are killed? Can he keep his attraction for Miss Bertram in check?

This one is a fun romp with a bit of intrigue. I like seeing women with scientific and intellectual pursuits in my historical romance novels as well as heroines that are well past their first season, and this book serves up both. We also get some more glimpses into the friendships between the ladies of the Byronic Book Club but not as many as I would have liked.

I listened to the audiobook version and am wondering if perhaps I would have enjoyed the book more if I had read it instead. Sasha Higgins vocal choices for the basic narration are pleasant, but her voice for Lucy’s dialog is breathier and higher pitched than I was expecting. Her Scottish brogue is heavier and more exaggerated than I was expecting, as well, especially early on in the story.

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

My first book by Amy Rose Bennett and I really enjoyed this historical romance. This isn't my usual genre but I was entertained from start to finish and liked the main characters a lot. Great on audio too. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Book 2 of the Byronic Book Club series. Completely works as a stand alone.

Lucy is a spinster at 28. She never wants to get married. She loves science and helps her father with research, specializing in botany. Then, Will Armstrong, the new groom shows up. Lucy finds herself attracted to him. But she is the daughter of a baronet and he a servant. While fighting their feelings for each other, Lucy is fending off a terrible suitor, Will is trying to solve a murder, and they are also trying to find Lucy's estranged brother.

I liked this better than book one. I liked both Lucy and Will. BUT- it felt unoriginal to me. The heroine being a botanist reminded me of [book:The Duke's Quandary|20697886]. But, even more than that, I got [book:The Duke and I|110391] vibes. <spoiler>Especially Will's insistence to allow the dukedom to die by not having an heir. Though he was less stuck on that than Simon</spoiler>

Sasha Higgins narrates this audiobook, and again, she seems too young. And the whole breathy thing is annoying.

I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Net Galley for an audio ARC of Curled Up With an Earl by Amy Rose Bennett. This is historical romance with a side of mystery. I thought that it was executed well and i did enjoy it. I loved Lucy's independent nature.

3.5 stars
The mystery subplot of this story is very intriguing and I enjoyed it. Lucy and Will are interesting characters who drew me in. Will is the type of book boyfriend that I love – protective, observant and smart. Lucy is sweet, smart and a nerdy kind of heroine. Together they find trouble and are fun to read. I enjoyed getting to see the other members of the Byronic Book Club. I’m looking forward to reading Jane’s story and seeing where things go next.

I listened to this on audio and enjoyed it. The narrator was easy to listen and understand.

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

4.5 stars rounded up.

Miss Lucy Bertram is happy to spend her time with a gothic romance novel or working on botany papers as her scholarly father’s research assistant. She’s definitely not one for society, so when her eccentric father, Sir Oswald, starts trying to foist a wealthy industrialist on her as a way to save their family from his own poor financial decisions, Lucy knows she must do something. If her brother, Monty, were around he’d help her, but since he’s been disowned by their father, finding him means venturing into the rookeries of St. Giles.

William Lockhart, the Earl of Kyle, has been working as an undercover agent for the Crown. His latest case, the search for a killer out to destroy the Linnean Society, has brought him to Sir Oswald’s door. Since he is an expert on botanical poisons, Sir Oswald is the top suspect in the case, so Will is posing as a groom in the man’s household in an attempt to gather enough evidence for Scotland Yard to make an arrest before anyone else is murdered. His mission would be much easier if he wasn’t so distracted by Lucy.

Neither expects the connection that sparks to life between them, but neither Lucy nor Will can deny that they feel something. As secrets come to light, Will and Lucy must work together to get to the bottom of the murders if they want a chance at a happily-ever-after together.

This was just the low-angst romance with a bit of mystery that I tend to enjoy. Romantic suspense is what got me into reading romance in the first place so I’m usually thrilled when there’s some sort of mystery for the MCs to solve, especially when they wind up working together against an external threat as was the case in this book. Will and Lucy made an excellent team and I loved how open and honest he was with her despite this being a hidden identity trope. He kept only what he had to from her and soon brought her into his confidence so it never felt like he was being untruthful with her and made their relationship feel like a real partnership. Lucy was a bit immature sometimes, especially for her age, but thankfully not often and she was happily very aware of herself and what she wanted, even when that changed from what she’d always thought her goal would be. She was quick to rearrange her goals and listen to her heart and her feelings for Will and was open with him about them, which I loved. These two came together with little fuss or angst and that’s always fantastic for me as I personally prefer external conflict.

I was fortunate to be able to both read this book and listen to the audio, which helped when I got to the point that I didn’t want to put it down. My only complaint is that the narrator has quite a high-pitched voice and it made Lucy seem younger and more immature and naïve at times. She also mispronounced some words that caused me a bit of confusion and some that I just found a bit irksome, for instance wanton was pronounced like wonton. Otherwise, the audio was still great and helped me stay invested in the story.

I loved Will and Lucy as a couple and I was very much here for their open communication. As much as I enjoyed the first book in this series, this one was even better for me and I look forward to the next story.

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

Detoured this book like a fiend, it was so good. I lived the banter, the witty characters, the determined heroine and the swoony Scottish accent. I could not rave about it enough

I love historical romances and I love a STEM or academic FMC but I also like her to be strong willed and I just felt like Lucy wasn’t that. She felt naïve, and sometimes silly.
I listened to the audiobook. And I felt that the book itself was a little bit more cheesy than I would like, and it didn’t help that the narrator didn’t voice the characters well. When she was speaking for Lucy, her voice was really high-pitched and sounded really flighty and then when she was talking for Will him it was a really bad Scottish accent.
I’m the end I gave it 3 stars bc I thought the smutty scenes were good. If I had to describe this book in one sentence it would be a murder romance mystery with a glass of smut.

A bluestocking by choice, our protagonist Lucy is intelligent, grounded and knows what she wants. And that is to travel, study the world, and write about her scientific discoveries. Marriage isn't a part of that plan, even when she finds herself attracted to the new servant her father has hired on. But, an unwelcome suitor, a missing brother, and murders afoot seem to be throwing her life into chaos.

This book tackles the unfairness of life as anyone but a straight, white, male, and though appreciated, it was a bit heavy-handed. The characters are well developed and complex, I was rooting for them all the way. The plot seemed to drag on a bit and the murders and investigation seem to weigh down the story without bringing a lot of interest to it. But, otherwise I really enjoyed this work and will definitely be eagerly awaiting book 3!

I received a complimentary ARC, but all views expressed are my own.

Curled Up With an Earl is the second in the Byronic Book Club series by Amy Rose Bennett. This book follows Lucy, the daughter of a well known botanist. Lucy is her father's research assistant and is perfectly happy never getting married and instead continuing her scientific endeavors. Her horse and carriage get stuck in the mud one day and she is rescued by Will, her family's new groom. However Will is actually William Lockhart, Earl of Kyle and heir to a dukedom. He is undercover in her family's household to figure out who has been poisoning members of the Linnean Society - and Lucy's father is the number 1 suspect.

This had a really good amount of spicy scenes - more than I expected, honestly! I thought Will's and Lucy's relationship was really sweet and I loved seeing them from their "meet cute" as they grew with their relationship. And as an added bonus for me, there was no 3rd act breakup!! In general this story was very sweet and pretty low stakes. It definitely was on the longer side but I did enjoy it.

Oh, to have had a different narrator. I have a physical copy of the first book so I'm not sure if the narrator was the same. If I had listened to the first, I would have DNF'd in order to read it - the narrator's voice was so high pitched and the dialogue was even higher and the male voice was....just really not working for me at all. The Scottish accent was technically fine but the way she spoke just made me incredibly aware that I was listening to an audiobook, which doesn't usually happen to me.

4.25 stars for the book but I wish I had been approved for the eARC and not the audiobook version. The narration gets 2 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lucy is a 28 year old bluestocking who works as her father's, A baronet and well known poison expert, research assistant. After the death of a lord, William the earl of Kyle has been posted undercover to investigate Lucy's father. When Lucy's father has approved a industrialist Mr. Thorn to court Lucy, much to her dismay because she finds him odious, Lucy settles on the fact that she must find her brother so he will intervene on her behalf. When she finds out that her brother is probably in the rougher part of town she decides to ask her father's new head groom, William who is currently in disguise, to help her locate her brother. William meanwhile has become torn about lying to Lucy is currently considering taking her into his confidence.

I really loved Lucy and Williams relationship, they build a really easy friendship which is fun to see. I also really enjoyed Lucy and her brothers relationship, she accepts him almost immediately without question or judgment which really warmed my heart. I also found the murder mystery and spy subplot a lot of interesting and fun!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I found this book to be ok. I had two main problems with it, the side story involving an undercover agent (Will) trying to find who is poisoning people and the length of the book. The whole story about someone poisoning people was just boring and uninteresting. Because of this side plot I felt the book was to long and not enough romance between Will and Lucy.

I think I would have enjoyed this story a lot more without the narrator. The story was decent. Lucy seems very naive and will seems like he's not very good at his job.

The spicy scenes were very cringey to listen to, they seem very reminiscent of 80's/90's romance books. And the narrators attempt at a Scottish accent ripped me right out of the story.

*Thank you to the publisher for this eARC.

Overall:
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Story:
📘📘📘📘
Narration:
🎙🎙🎙

This is book two in the Byronic Book Club series. I thoroughly enjoyed book one but this one fell short. This verged on “cutesy”, I wished there was a bit more of the mystery. I think a lot of it is the narrator, she has a wonderful voice, but the heroine comes across a very young and naive. I still plan to read book three!

Book two in the series, but can be read as a standalone. Lucy is her father’s assistant as a botanist, only she has a more prominent role as the real brains behind the man. Writing a book and studying the plants in their poison garden, Her father has almost squander away their fortune on his many expeditions, plus he has had a falling out with her beloved brother who she hasn’t seen in months. And now he seems to want to match Lucy to a man she doesn’t like.
Will is working undercover to find out who had poisoned a Pier, following leads of those that are knowledgeable of poisons. As luck would have it he helps Lucy whose vehicle is stuck in the mud, just his destination. Will is to be their new head groom and uses his Scottish brogue as cover.to help hide his true identity. Both reason that they could help one another without letting them know what they are up to. Lucy wants protection and help to find her missing brother so that he will help her with the unwanted attentions of a man she despises. Will that Lucy may have unknown information about who the killer may be. But as the attraction grows between them, they both confess what they are both looking for.
The book has mystery, growing romance with some steamy scenes, of course the evil villain and HEA. I preferred the book to the audio and wasn’t the expected ending, seem more like an ending for the present and not what would have been during the past. Of that’s my opinion. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #CurledupwithanEarl

Will and Lucy met under circumstances that brought them together to be uncover a mystery. Will came to investigate Lucy and her family. During the time they were together they learned to trust each other and became closer to each other. They started to lean on each other and worked as one. During this time they also felt their connection and fell in love.
It was a nice read by the narrator.

I reviewed a complimentary copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

For fans of Evie Dunmore! This book follows an intellectual young spinster who has no desire to wed. Her father seems to be pairing her off with a young industrialist who she abhors. To top it all, their staff has just acquired a new groom to unsettle her.

Will Armstrong is posing as the new groom while investigating her father on murder charges for the crown. In addition to being a spy, he is also an earl, in line for a dukedom.

It’s a spicy regency era romance, but it also focuses on the murder investigation. It’s reasonably well-written, and I love a blue-stocking trope.

I would recommend if all of that sounds up your alley!

This book is the second in a series of interconnected books. I did not read the first but it didn't hamper my enjoyment of this book at all. Lucy is a smart but shy daughter of a baronet. When the dashing new groom shows up, Lucy is instantly attracted to him, but is busy dealing with her own problems. Her family is having financial trouble and her father is attempting to marry her off to an awful, judgmental man, Thorne. We find that Will, the groom, isn't who he says he is, and soon Lucy and Will are in an adventure against time to stop her marriage and solve a murder investigation. The main characters were great and easy to root for and the plot and romance were a great ride. I'm ready to pick up the first book in this series to get more adventures with Lucy and her friends!

This is my first Amy Rose Bennett and I really enjoyed myself, she is one of my new favorite authors for historical romance! Her ability to tell an engaging story, keep the romance at the forefront, and weave in steamy hot love scenes is masterful.

This book has a cute setup, Will is a spy posing as a groom who also happens to be an earl (because of course he is, why not 😂) who also has to masquerade as a footman for an evening so he can be closer to Lucy at dinner, awwww 😍

Lucy is a feisty bluestocking, 28 years old and never been kissed, she doesn't want to get married, she'd rather be a scientist instead. Amy Rose Bennett says why not both? Lucy uses a lot of funny madeup words like pernickety and fiddlestick flapdragons, kinda reminiscent of Pandora from Devil in Spring.

Will is my favorite kind of hero: a Scottish cinnamon roll who no one has ever loved besides his mother, he's been alone his whole life and just expects he will continue to be alone... forever 😭😭🥺

This has a nice slowburn until suddenly it doesn't, the heat factor is fairly scorching on this book. There's a great scene where she catches him washing himself at the water pump that had me exclaiming "OH MY GOD" out loud while I was walking my dog. Fairly awkward, sorry, neighbors.

The sexual longing and tension is great, and the dual POV is wonderfully used here. Here's my one and only gripe about the book, and it's just about the audiobook: the narrator does a HORRIBLE male voice like ... I'm not even sure what she was going for? It's bad. Even at regular speed, it's bad. I just tried to imagine the text in my head because the words Will was uttering were delightful, but the execution was just not there, I'm sorry. I will intentionally be avoiding this narrator in the future because I can't deal with her male hero voice.

Ok back to the good stuff: the sex scenes! The slow deflowering of Lucy is just epic. there's a middle of the night kitchen table scene, one in a hackney where he has to "check her knees for bruises" I'm not kidding, and then another where she comes to his groom's quarters because she's scared and can't sleep. Will's dirty talk game is NEXT LEVEL, y'all. These were all so ungodly hot I was whimpering, even with a lot of "wonton"s thrown in by the narrator. No I'm not kidding, this is a "wonton" book 😑

All in all this was great, I really liked the love building between these two, adored Will and his tender heart, and Lucy and her desire for her own independence and also sexual agency. Can't wait to go back and read book 1!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars for the book, ⭐️⭐️ for the narration)

Read this if you love: highlanders, secret identity, bluestocking, suspense, slow burn, open door, dirty talk