Funny, action packed and quirky.

This was a fun and funny read about a swashbuckling heroine, Elizabeth and a serious but cute hero Stephen.

A mission at castle dunsmere puts these two opposites together to create an epic love story. Of the crazy Wynchester family is also here for rhe ride.

Regency era rom-com, LGBTQ+ supporting cast, and Ehlers-Danlos representation in the strong sword-wielding FMC Elizabeth Wynchester. That's what readers can expect from this witty and silly historical romantic comedy that gives Inspector Gadget meets Bridgerton. Fans of Ali Hazelwood's STEMinist romance novels will find a similarly compelling nerdy romantic male lead in this book in the form of Stephen Lenox, a mathematician, inventor, and scientist. And although this book is the fifth in the series Hot Earl Summer can be easily picked up and read as a stand alone without any prior knowledge of the series. A fun read for anyone looking for a regency rom-com with a colorful cast!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in consideration of an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Wild Wynchesters series by Erica Ridley are delightful romps through and through. It really embodies my favorite tweet, "when the hero introduces himself and is like, "I'm one of seven brothers. We're all single and tormented by this ancient curse in our own way.'" Each of the Wynchesters is given their moment in the spotlight and find their romantic match. Hot Earl Summer's is sword-wielding's Elizabeth turn. Watching her and Stephen each overcome their fear of intimacy and letting someone see their weaknesses had me kicking my feet. Plus there are quite a few elaborate action sequences and a hunt for clues to discover a missing will. A true fun summer romance read, highly recommend.

Hot Earl Summer (The Wild Wynchesters, #5) by Erica Ridley
Elizabeth Wynchester and Stephen Lenox - "Beth the Berserker" and the "Reclusive Inventor" - both with tons of baggage just happen to be perfect for each other. This story is a little different because the complete Wynchester family is not on the case as they are too busy with so many new cases. There is angst, laughter, tears, mystery, discovering feelings, and some steam all leading to a HEA.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Action-packed Easy-to-read Entertaining Great world building Happily Ever After Informative Page-turner Romantic Scary Steamy Tear-jerker Unpredictable Whimsical Witty Wonderful characters.

A charming romance where two misfits are the perfect match for one another.

The romance takes place against a mad dash to save an inherited castle from falling into the wrong hands.

Elizabeth Wynchester takes on a client who needs to find the missing will of her sister in order to claim her sister’s castle as her inheritance. Before her death, they agreed that the castle would be turned into an orphanage and the only other copy of the will was destroyed in a fire. The sister’s son, the Earl, has gambled the deed to the castle in a card game and lost to a dandy named Reddington. Reddington wants to take possession of the castle to stage a military reenactment, but to prevent it from happening the Earl has installed his cousin, Stephen, to watch over the castle until his return.

The Earl is gone for months before Beth the Beserker shows up at the castle to demand entry from the reclusive Stephen. She eventually persuades her way into the castle and together, they work to find the missing will. Elizabeth quickly discovers Stephen’s skill as a tinkerer and inventor, something that has always kept him as a misfit and apart from his family and society. She finds him perfect for being so unconventional. And he falls for her, too, for her tough spirit, offbeat personality, and bravery.

When Reddington wages a war to physically take the castle, Elizabeth and Stephen work together with the rest of the wild Wynchesters on several versions of a plan needed to defeat him. In the end, the will is found, Reddington is defeated, the Earl returns, the orphanage is opened, and Elizabeth and Stephen live happily ever after.

I found the romantic moments as Elizabeth and Stephen fell in love to be sweet and lovely. All of the external conflict with the bombastic Reddington, the wayward Earl, and Elizabeth’s unusual family I found a bit over the top. This is my first Wynchester novel and I hadn’t expected such a madcap backdrop for the romance, which I found at times entertaining but at times distracting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my gosh, BETH THE BERSERKER!!! Ok. I know I say this about every Wynchester book, but this one is my favorite. Elizabeth, in all her bloody glory!! Stephen in all his tinkering glory!! Brilliant, full of fun and action and love....and family. I loved every moment.

This book was amazing and I devoured this book in just a few sittings! I loved the character development and how the story progressed.

Ridley is one of my favorite authors but I'm having trouble getting into this one - my brain must be resistant to fun romps right now ~sob~ Looking forward to giving it another go closer to the release date.

So cute! Elizabeth and Stephen were so much fun. I loved all the inventions and traps. It was such a different historical romance! This whole series has been very good!

Huge thanks to Erica Ridley and NetGalley for the ARC. *Sigh* What a great book in terms of visible representation for a character dealing with what we now know as a chronic illness. As a person who was recently diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and whose symptoms are very similar to what Elizabeth goes through, I loved how Ms. Ridley stayed very true to the daily struggles.

Elizabeth and Stephen were such a joy together and my only complaint is that I could have used a few or a ton more spicy scenes. Hot Earl Summer is now tied with The Duke Heist as my favorite Wynchester book. This series has been such a fun ride, and I highly recommend everyone read from the beginning. But this book can be enjoyed as a standalone.

4.5/5

I happen to have a deep, abiding love for regency romances with strong feminist vibes, and this was fantastic. This is book five of the Wild Winchesters series, although it is a strong standalone. I enjoyed it so much that I’m going to go back and read the previous books in the series.

Elizabeth Wynchester is a strong, fiery heroine, who happens to have a disability that causes her chronic pain. Because of this, she ends up developing strong sword skills, which she is ready and eager to use at any one time.

Stephen Lenox is a brilliant tinkerer, who spends his life inventing a delightful array of machines and contraptions for a myriad of uses. He finds himself in the odd position of living in a castle, impersonating his cousin, an Earl. When Elizabeth is sent to the castle on a mission to retrieve a will, she ends up also having to protect Stephen and the castle itself. As is to be expected under such circumstances, sparks fly.

This book was tremendous fun. In my experience, regency era romances tend to either be solidly of the regency, with a strong attention to historical context and accuracy, or to use the regency as a backdrop for a set of characters and situations they encounter, who may otherwise have rather modern sensibilities. This book was firmly in the latter camp. This was apparent going in, and happens to be a style I enjoy. I was especially impressed with how Elizabeth’s disability is handled; that her identity wasn’t solely her disability, even though it was a strong part of her. I also loved the communication between Elizabeth and Stephen. It was refreshing to have characters think and talk through a conflict of differing perspectives.

This is the first title I've ready by Erica Ridley, and although this is the fifth in the series, it read fine as a stand-alone. The author did an excellent job of filling the reader in to pertinent information from the previous books without making it cumbersome for fans of the series. This book was utterly delightful and an absolute joy to read. Elizabeth is a fierce character with an endearing personality. She's witty, intelligent, and strong. The two leads had excellent chemistry with well-crafted sexual tension. I really appreciated that this book contained disability representation, something that is often lacking in regency-era romance. I think fans of Sarah MacLean would really enjoy this title!

This book was witty and charming and I loved it. The representation of chronic illness was wonderful and well handled. I appreciated the unusual grumpy vs. grumpy and how it worked so well. There was lots of sword swinging and booby traps and laugh out loud moments. But plenty of learning to love and found family and what it looks like to be vulnerable. It was a delight and I'm glad I grabbed this book.

Thanks NetGalley for my review copy.

Oh my gosh this was an absolutely hilarious romp of a book and it ticked all my boxes! I adored Elizabeth from chapter 1. She's 31, bi, doesn't want kids and believes that all problems are best solved with her sword. She was such a unique main character to have in a historical romance. I hadn't met anyone like her before. Too often historical heroines are meek and shy which is not for me so Elizabeth was a breath of fresh air in that respect. The dialogue and prose of this book were absolutely hilarious. I found myself cracking up and reading quotes to my sister cause I couldn't keep the jokes to myself. Not only is this book hilarious but it's also full of heart. Both MCs are on the fringes of society and haven't quite found their place so it's heartwarming to see them find a home with each other. Rather than relying on pure sexual chemistry, Erica Ridley masterfully shows why these two characters belong together. Their opposites attract romance was so compelling because it was clear how their differences actually made them perfect for each other. This book also includes some fantastic representation - specifically some top tier chronic illness rep. I adored the way that Erica Ridley addressed the emotional implications of having a chronic illness. My best friend deals with chronic pain and this portrayal was so similar to her experience. If you're looking for a swoony, hilarious romp of a historical with a modern feel this is the book for you! I'll definitely be reading more from this author because I was absolutely delighted the whole time.

"Hot Earl Summer" is the fifth book in Erica Ridley's "The Wild Wynchesters" series. This series has followed the eccentric Wynchester family, with this particular book centered around Elizabeth Wynchester. Elizabeth is known for her love of adventure, particularly solving mysteries and using her blades. When her newest case requires her to work closely with Stephen, a reclusive inventor of all sorts of machines, she's surprised to meet someone just as creative and eccentric as she is. And she's even more surprised to discover that sparks are flying between them.

I thought this was a cute, easy read but I wouldn't say it was my favorite in this series. I do enjoy how the Wynchester family works together, and I appreciated the thoughtful way the author described Elizabeth's physical maladies. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

“Hot Earl Summer” by Erica Ridley
Delightfully Imagined Romp
I loved this story of two so very opposite characters that truly loved, appreciated, and accepted their differences. This can be read as a stand-alone. But if you do, you will want to go back to the beginning and read all the Wynchester adventures. Happy Reading ! !

his is the 5th book in the Wyld Wynchesters series. If you wanted to read this as a standalone you could, Erica does a great job filling in the blanks of previous books without it feeling tedious. Personally, I recommend reading the other books because they are delightful.

This is a really quick great summer read. Elizabeth Wynchester is on a solo mission to find the missing will for a castle. Only once she arrives at said castle, she finds herself trapped inside with wily inventor Stephen (who is decidedly not the Earl who claims to the own the castle). Elizabeth spends her time searching the castle and trying to manage her chronic pain....while also lusting after Stephen.

First off, thank you for having representation of not just living with chronic pain, but body autonomy when it comes to managing that pain. The representation is on point. I love that Stephen doesn't try to health Elizabeth or diminish her pain. The one time he crosses her boundaries in the name of helping her, Stephen accepts that he was in the wrong and they grow together. Healthy communication and a swoon worthy possibly a little autistic man? Was this book written for me?

If you want a sexy, regency era romp with great representation of chronic illness, this is gonna be your jam.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed reading this story. It kept me turning pages right to the end. The story flows very smoothly and is easy to follow.

This book was crazy fun. A ridiculous noble neighbor trying to take possession of a castle by force with silly war reenactments, a crazy hot reclusive inventor, and our beloved Elizabeth who we are all hoping gets the chance to run someone through with her sword. 😆 The romance was cute with these two oddballs falling for each other’s oddities. I love stories that involve castles and treasure hunts. I thought the ending was going to stretch more than I wanted but it ended up being hilariously silly. A really fun romp of a story!

Thank you Erica and Netgalley for the arc! Can’t wait to add a copy to my collection!

A whimsical continuation of the Wynchesters and their journeys to love and acceptance. It was a very interesting cute story.