I hate historical fiction and it stopped me from reading historical romance. But, once I tried one, I realized it was totally different and now I am obsessed. When I was explaining this to someone they said but why isn't it boring? They assumed historical romance were either just smut or very conservative. But I think Alexandra Vasti's historical romance is a perfect example of why that is historically incorrect but also just not true of the genre. This is my second historical romance from her, and like the first, it was sexy, fun, and hysterical. The entire premise of shy Lydia deciding to marry the man she has been secretly writing and instead ending up fake married to his brother and on an adventure to steal back a newly invented rifle scope. The story was fast paced with a wonderful cast of characters. Will be recommending this to anyone who likes romance, even if they have never tried a historical romance. (Thank You to Netgalley and St. Martins Griffin for the ARC)

Lydia Hope-Wallace has struck up a pen-pal romance with the Earl of Strathrannoch. She decides that since she is wealthy, he is near destitute, and they are both in need of a spouse, that she will road trip to his estate to propose marriage. When she gets there she discovers the Earl is NOT who she has been communicating with, but she's been writing instead to his younger brother. The two set off to find the errant brother who it seems has become caught up in dangerous espionage.

Vasti has a particular talent for writing two idiots hopelessly in love and entirely unable to talk about it. Lydia is so painfully shy. Arthur is entirely convinced his brother is and SHOULD BE the object of her affection. Surely the other does not return the attraction! She keeps you waiting just long enough to build the tension and then rewards you with the most delightful spicy scenes. *swoon* I also really loved that every chapter started with a letter and that the epilogue was letter formatted as well. (Also, what a delightful epilogue oh my goodness).

This book stands out as a bit different than what I've come to expect from Vasti. I feel that I'm used to her books centering side plots around interpersonal relationships and even feminism, but the addition of political intrigue here was something entirely new.

I love to recommend Vasti's books as an intro to historical romance. She is so true to the genre but her writing is charming, inviting, and feels modern enough for the inexperienced reader to get by with a few google searches.

Alexandra Vasti's clever writing works remarkably well in her continued forays into historical romance. Funny, clever, and romantic.

Earl Crush is a delightful Regency romance that had me hooked from the start. Lydia's boldness in proposing marriage to a stranger, only to discover a case of mistaken identity was well-written and well-conceptualized. The chemistry between Lydia and Arthur kept me reading, and loved watching the chaos that they went through. One of the best parts was the short excerpt from a letter/ journal before each chapter-- it really allowed the reader to understand the characters on a deeper level. Overall, it was thoroughly enjoyable read that blends romance, intrigue, and humor seamlessly.​ Shoutout to the epilogue! It was well-done!

Stampeding zebras! Yes, you read that right! Alexandra Vasti brings the fun and charm once again in Earl Crush. Lydia Hope-Wallace is sending letters back and forth with the Earl of Strathrannoch until he reveals he is having financial troubles. Lydia rushes to Scotland to offer a marriage of convenience but she is in for a big surprise of her own! You won’t be disappointed to go on the MC’s journey to solve a mystery and fall in love!

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Peerfet follow up to her first novel in the series. I thought it was funny, sweet and sentimental with a good plot flow.

3.5 rounded up to 4.

The narrator really pulled through on this one for me. The first half is slow. It does pick up on the back end, but it was hard to keep invested for the entire book. I might not have been able to finish if not for the audiobook.

It does start off giving Bridgerton vibes but doesn’t go as hard on flowery language or misogynistic ideals towards children. If that sounds good to you, you might very well love this.

What an amazing romp. Trying to describe any bit of this plot sounds so silly and then Alexandra follows it up in her author’s note with receipts showing her art following life. Sorry I’m getting side railed on how generously educational this author is. Her characters are always so earnest and desperately in love but I did especially love Lydia, the chronically shy wallflower, as the fearless chaos leader while still managing to not lose her natural shyness. All of Alexandra’s books fit together like puzzle pieces and it’s so great to see past characters while still being a book easy to read on its own. I’m excited to dig in to her next book in the series.

I love Alexandra Vasti’s writing, and this book is her best one yet! I am obsessed with Lydia and Arthur and their slow burn romance. I loved all the small ways they fell for each other, and the way Vasti writes the inner worlds of the characters makes even the larger miscommunications and conflicts feel rooted in reality. And the steamy scenes definitely don’t disappoint either — sensual without feeling gratuitous. I’m already so excited for the next novel in the series and will be recommending Vasti’s work forever.

Sadly, I didn't enjoy this as much as I have Alexandra Vasti's other books. I think the mistaken identity trope just doesn't work for me.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for my ARC.

I adore this writer! Lydia was a fantastic FMC and I loved the unexpected Arthur. Very well paced story with great intrigue. It kept me up reading to late in the night, but pretty much morning.

Alexandra Vasti gives us a historical romance about a heroine who writes controversial pamphlets and is very wealthy. In Earl Crush she approaches Earl of Strathrannoch to offer him her hand in marriage to help him out of his debts. Turns out she corresponded with his nasty brother. As they try to straighten things out they find out they are in love. Period romance with a little crime.

this was my first historical romance and it was honestly such a good freaking time. i’m a big fan of bridgerton and felt as though this satisfied every craving i had for something similar. i’d love to read more of these and will definitely be checking out vasti’s other works in the future!

the romance is at the forefront of this book and it was swoon-worthy and tender, full of chemistry and angst. lydia is headstrong and arthur is just the sweetest little grump, i honestly loved them together. the emotional depth was heartfelt, the character development beautifully crafted. the writing was immersive, a beautiful play between elegant and modern that brought a fresh twist for those new to regency era romance. i am truly in awe. the female friendships and found family are also of note, i deeply appreciated these relationships throughout the book. there were definitely some ridiculous moments sprinkled throughout but it provided good comedic relief and brought a fun twist.

it is easy to read, keeping you pleasantly entertained throughout. some of the middle end’s pacing felt a bit long, however it truly came through by the end. oh and the journal entries at the chapter heads were just so good. obsessed. highly recommend this one to anyone searching for a fun yet profound entry to historical romance!

thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC!

2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

This was such a fun read! Even though I didn’t read the first book in the series it was easy to follow. It is a bit of a slow burn between two shy MCs but oh so much fun to read. The tension between them had me kicking my feet when they finally kissed. And when Arthur told Lydia to “Put your hands on the door,” I practically melted.

Watching Lydia come out of her shell because she had Arthur on her side was heartwarming. He never once put her down for her intelligence or social anxiety. The mystery of Arthur’s brother was well thought out and had me guessing up until the end.

Over all I couldn’t put this book down and immediately bought the first book, Ne’er Duke Well, when I was done.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book so much. Alexandra Vasti’s books are sparkling and hard to put down! I thought the romance was well done. The descriptions were charming, and I would buy this to have on my shelf.

I’m a sucker for historical romance and I really enjoyed this book. It was a little rushed, but overall I liked the characters and it was a cute, easy read.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖 (I loved a lot about this novel, but it did feel like it went on longer than I wanted)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Intimate Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes
Perspective: third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? I feel like it was a really balanced mix – first half is more character and the latter half is more plot
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: Pretty soon in – chapter 1 of 31
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, and it’s so cute – it’s done through letters throughout the following years (1819, 1821, 1821, 1824, 1826, 1826

Should I read in order?
I think this okay to pick up alone! But you do get to meet the heroine in book 1 of this series.

Basic plot:
Lydia goes to Scotland to offer marriage to the Earl of Strathrannoch – but when she arrives, she finds she’s been terribly misled...

Give this a try if you want:
- Regency (didn’t catch a date but this takes place after book 1 in the series, which is 1815)
- Scotland setting
- English heroine / Scottish hero
- politically minded heroine
- must kiss you to avoid discovery
- fake marriage
- some road trip vibes with one bed and one horse
- heroine has social anxiety
- mystery to solve together
- mid to higher steam – I might be off a bit because my notes were sketchy but at least 4 full scenes

Ages:
- heroine is 26, didn’t catch hero but think he’s around 30?

My thoughts:
There was so much I adored about this book. Vasti’s writing is really wonderful. I love her dialogue and how she develops her mains. I really fell in love with both of these main characters. Lydia is just adorable, I feel for her so much (and understand) her social anxiety. And Arthur was just the best. I love how he slowly lost his mind and heart over Lydia. I fell for him hard the moment he grabbed Lydia up and rescued her from the zebra stampede.

My favorite parts of this book were more centered in the first half of the book. I wasn’t super into the mystery-ish/spy plot of this one – I did like it overall but thought it drug on a bit too long for me and I found myself ready for the book to be over before it was...but when the mains were together and focused on each other I was so in love. The spice was super delightful to me – Arthur was so emotional and obsessed with Lydia and he just melted my heart repeatedly.

So definitely a fun read but the espionage plot took it down a bit for me.

While I dnf'd this book because it just wasn't for me, I'm sure others will love it. I was interested in the story and wanted to find out what happen next but I was given this copy for an honest review and was unaware of the sexual content of this book. It's a no for me but if you like a regency rom com type story and don't mind the adult content then go for it.

The book was delightful. I laughed and swooned throughout. I fell in love with the characters from the beginning and rooted for them at every turn.
The growing love and chemistry between the FMC and MMC felt natural. A connection that was built over years of correspondence turned into an impromptu proposal to the wrong man. How could the two not fall in love with one another when they decide to pair up to solve the disappearance of the intended? The story was engaging and the unfolding was unexpected. There were a few minor surprises along the way since I did go into the book blind and with no expectations.
I will be paying close attention to any future releases the author has planned. This is an author to watch for. If you’re looking for a fun, fresh regency romance, then I highly recommend picking this one up. An especially great read if you are between head reads. I will be picking this one up to add to the collection.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a digital advanced copy of the book. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.