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Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti was such a fun and fabulous read! I too have an “Earl Crush” on Arthur Baird, Earl of Strathrannoch…My Lord indeed! There were so many little things about this book to love – the pining, the espionage, fake marriage – it kept me hooked until the very end. After reading Ne’er Duke Well I was very excited to read Lydia’s story – and this did not disappoint. It was everything to see her blossom from the wallflower she was into such a brave and fierce woman. The slowwww burn of this book was also exquisite. I found myself smiling and laughing throughout a majority of the book because there were just so many perfect and funny moments. I absolutely LOVED the epilogue – I’m a sucker all day every day for some epistolary parts of a story and could read ALL the letters Arthur and Lydia write to each other.

Highly recommend you add this to your TBR or just read it immediately.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Alexadra Vasti and St. Martin’s Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

This was so freaking good. I cannot wait for others to read it and to text me at the point that I had to reach out to TWO of my friends that had read the book. I will truly never be over that way she had me GASPING!

Here is what you need to know: Lydia has been writing political pamphlets through Belvoir's library ran by her bestie (see Ne'er Duke Well) and has become pen pals with a Scottish earl. She sets out on a journey to take control of her life as a woman to propose marriage to said earl and it just gets better and better from there! *cue the zebras*

Alexandra Vasti (or should I say professor?) is a gem and her writing is truly such a good time. The historical care she takes to weave true events into her writing is magnificent- this is a plug to read/listen to the authors note! Her writing feels like if a Tessa Dare book and a Beverly Jenkins book had a baby!

Arthur is DOWN BAD, Lydia is fierce, demure, and all around a badass, and together, my goodness, they are precious. I am probably more of an extrovert than Lydia, but I found myself relating to her need to reassurance. Arthur MUST BE PROTECTED.

If you are a fan of spicy historical romance you need to add this to your ever growing pile of books to be read! 3-4 open door scenes.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alexandra Vasti has reignited my love and enjoyment of historical romances. There is such a good vibe to everything she writes. I’d love how her stories have a action plot with a commitment to romance! She does a great job of adding modernity to the historical stories. We all love the historical romances from the 80s and 90s, but they can be sometimes out of touch with reality today. Vasti does a great job of giving all of her books are really modern vibe while remain true to the historical times. Once again, a very enjoyable love story with a strong focus on female friendships.

Thank you #Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alexandra Vasti has done it again! The Belvoir series is only 2 books in so far, and yet it is already one of my favorite historical romance series. You get the nice cozy feels of a good regency romance, but also a modern touch and some action.
In Earl Crush, we get to watch two adorable and intelligent humans with very poor self esteem come together and raise each other up. I ADORE Arthur and the fact that he does his best to protect Lydia without actually sheltering her. He appreciates her mind and ability to know what she can and cannot handle. I also love the he falls first trope and Arthur fell HARD 🫠 Lydia herself is fun to watch develop from an anxious wallflower into someone who finds a way to do what needs to be done, even if it isn’t spectacular. That in itself makes this book feel so realistic.
We also get some espionage and conspiracy action in this book, which was super exciting. Lastly, Huw and his menagerie of abused animals stole my heart. I love it. I cannot wait to see where we go next and I hope we get a story for Georgiana at some point. I also wouldn’t mind more Hope-Wallace brother appearances.

This is a raunchy regency era romcom where the reader gets to follow a strong female lead as she embarks on the adventure of a lifetime. She travels to Scotland to marry the Earl of Strathannoch whom she has exchanged many letters with only to find out she’d been deceived. Arthur and Lydia decides to work together in order to find his brother and stop his scheme before it’s too late.

I’m happy to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The mysterious letters and missing invention adds a fun element and sets this book apart from your typical historical romance. Along with Lydia being a very capable woman who’s not afraid to take risks.

That said Lydia and Arthur’s chemistry is palpable and their relationship was definitely the highlight of the story for me. The one thing I wish would be different is the third act breakup. I don’t think it’s needed.

I think most people would enjoy this book, even those who don’t generally read historical romance.

Read this if you like
💜Historical romance
🫶🏼Strong female characters
🔥Spice
💫Mysteries

This was a super fun, quick read!

I loved how both characters were so accepting and loving of each other. There was never any judgement about each other's flaws, and instead they made the other feel seen and acknowledged.

The plot and mystery were engaging and intriguing. I felt like there was a good balance between the relationship and the plot development. However, once the intimate scenes started, they were quite frequent and it felt a little overdone.

Overall, a great read and a super fun time!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an eARC of this book!

Lydia Hope-Wallace has been writing to Arthur Baird, the Scottish Earl of Strathrannoch for three years. She rushes to Scotland after receiving a letter about being in financial straits with hopes they might marry. But to her surprise Arthur doesn’t know her. They quickly figure out she’s been writing to his younger brother who has taken off while stealing Arthur’s designs for a new rifle scope. The two join together for a goofy and fun-filled cross country trek to find the brother and stop whatever espionage plot he is involved in.

Lydia and Arthur are delightful together. Vasti’s characters are a bit modernized. Arthur can year and pine and the love scenes can be steamy and fun. This is a sequel to Ne’er Duke Well (July 2024) although it isn’t listed that way. Lydia was introduced as the friend to Selina who becomes a Duchess. And Selina appears in this book as they continue their friendship. There is a lot of humor in the story. And of course if they find the brother, which one will she choose? I love that the epilogue is written as letters between the couple. This is light escapism reading.

Thank you to @stmartinspress @alexandravasti and @netgalley for this ARC. It really was just the book that I wanted.

Lydia Hope-Wallace has endured seven seasons with no husband in sight. Her crippling social anxiety causes some rather unfortunate side effects, sweating and vomiting and whatnot. However, she has a big secret - she’s been writing seditious political statements that are scandalously published under a pen name. AND she’s got a pen pal, the Earl of Strathrannoch, a Scottish gent with a crumbling castle. He’s as salacious as she is, politically, so she figures she’ll solve her wee husband problem and his wee finance problem by offering herself up for matrimony. After all of these letters, she figures there’s enough of a connection to build on after the wedding.

So she goes, and lo and behold, the big Asa Makepeace of a man, Arthur (the Earl of Strathrannoch) is NOT who she’s been writing to at all. Arthur’s brother Davis is the one writing Lydia, pretending to be Arthur, and now he’s done a bunk! Arthur begs Lydia to stay and help him lure Davis back to Strathrannoch, because you see, Arthur is an inventor (in addition to being big and dirty mouthed). Davis has stolen Arthur’s sniper gun thingy, and this is verra verra bad.

Lydia does NOT agree, even though there are charming gay men as surrogate fathers, but then there is a herd of zebra so she changes her mind. She WILL help solve the mystery of a missing Davis. There is one issue though… she and Arthur pretend to be married to do so. And repeatedly, there’s only one bed. Dinna fash, readers, they bang.

BUT DO THEY FALL IN LOVE? Obvs yes. Of course they do. It’s romance novel, but also a romp!

I had a great time with this book. It spoke to me with its plausible wackiness, and the gay surrogate dads, and the siblings issues, the circus animals, the busted castle, Georgiana’s disguise, and Lydia’s brigade of big bossy brothers. You should read it too! It’s a great distraction from the things!

Read if you like: fake dating, historical romance, historical mysteries
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Lydia travels to Scotland to meet the man she has been anonymously writing to for the past few years in the hopes she can convince him to marry her. But when she arrives, she meets the real Earl, and learns that his brother has been impersonating him. Lydia agrees to help Arthur find his brother, who has gone missing.
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This book was so fun and I am so glad I read it. I loved the build up of tension and the development of Lydia and Arthur's relationship. I also liked reading from both of their perspectives. The mystery was also fun and this is a perfect example of the balance between romance and a fast paced plot. Definitely recommend if you like historical romances.

I actually read this first before the first in the series and I knew I had to go read the first one ASAP because of how much I loved the story. It did contain minor spoilers for book one but didn't ruin either story by any means.

Lydia and Arthur's romance was so fun to read and their chemistry was off the charts. I loved seeing how their relationship developed and how they worked on their communication and trust between one another.

I highly recommend everyone checks out this series!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alexandra Vasti is such a gem! I love everything about this book, from the punny title to the mystery elements of the plot. Vasti does a great job balancing lighthearted interactions with real stakes. This author's books are a joy to read and I'm always looking forward to what she comes up with next.

Thank you, St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley, for my eARC of Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

This was such a fun regency romance! I loved that our FMC is such a strong badass, and loved the chemistry between her and our FMC. Earl Crush was such a fun mix of mystery, spice, and adventure.

The fake engagement trope is hit or miss for me, but it was well done in this book and really worked for me. The book started out with Lydia proposing a marriage of convenience to the Earl of Strathrannoch, Arthur, whom she's been corresponding with through letters for almost 3 years, only to find out it wasn't *actually* Arthur but his brother. Mayhem ensues as they attempt to find Arthur's brother, and I was rooting for the couple throughout the book.

It's written in a dual POV which helps us see the pining the MCs are going through for each other, and helps understands with miscommunication throughout the book.

I recommend this one if you're into historical fiction, regency era books, or regency romances.
Thanks, St. Martin's Griffin!

The chemistry between these two characters made this book even more amazing, especially for someone like myself who loves the romance genre. I will say this historical romances were the only type of romance that I used to read when I was younger, so this is where it started for me, and this book did not disappoint. It reminded me so much of those times where I used to get excited and falling more in love with the characters.

Lady Lydia has been corresponding with an Earl who shares familiar taste in politics, and also he has a struggling estate, and he confides in her, so little by little they are falling in love pretty much but through letters only. She decides to go all the way to Scotland to ask for his hand in marriage. but instead, she ends up bumping into his brother Arthur, who is actually Earl of the estate, so if he isn’t the man she’s been writing to then who is it? Well it’s Arthur’s brother, and he’s gone missing, with something that belongs to Arthur. So they decide to work together to try to find this man.

Now, these two go on an adventure that was too good!!! The chemistry is felt throughout this book these two have the hots for each other and it’s fun to read, but then when they actually ACT on that????? 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵 spicy spicy spicy! I love a marriage of convenience, with a twist, romance.

This opening rescue mission might be one of my very favourite meet-cutes! It perfectly set the tone for a story full of adventure, with a headstrong heroine and a disgruntled hero who clash in the best way. Lydia, in particular, was a wonderful character! As the second-richest unmarried heiress in London, she spends her time anonymously writing political pamphlets filled with radical ideas. I absolutely loved her bravery, wit, and determination!

When Lydia arrives at the Earl of Strathrannoch’s door expecting to meet the intellectual kindred spirit she’s been corresponding with, she’s shocked to discover it wasn’t the Earl she’d been writing to, but his brother! The twist deepens when it’s revealed that this traitorous brother is missing, along with a very important invention—a reveal that sends Lydia and the Earl, Arthur, on a thrilling mission to find him!

The mystery surrounding Arthur’s brother was a lot of fun! There was plenty of intrigue and clue unraveling, all of which led to some unexpected relationship developments. That said, I wish I had enjoyed the romance more. While I liked these characters a lot, it focused heavily on their physical attraction. Much of their interactions were driven by lust and their constant need to jump into bed together. Sigh. Still, they were undoubtedly a fiery pairing I know others will enjoy!

A modern take on old-school historicals.

There was a lot here that reminded me of historical romances from, I'd say, the '90s: a wallflower heroine, a hero whose mom died when he was a child and an emotionally abusive father who died when the hero was just becoming an adult, carriage rides to Scotland and back, villains, and danger. But, it does feel more modern--the hero is more vulnerable (and not a jerk), there's two side characters in a long-term gay relationship, there's progressive (radical for the time) politics, and something about how the main characters' sexual relationship progresses strikes me as more modern than a 1990s romance. Anyway, the important thing is that this is a fun, rompy romance.
(This is an open-door romance and very sexy, but not as sex-forward as I remember her novellas being. (and first novel? but I don't really remember off the top of my head.))

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with an advanced reader's copy for my honest review.

Thank you St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the eARC of this book!

Earl Cush, the second full length novel from Alexandra Vasti, is a delight! We are reintroduced to Lydia Hope-Wallace and taken on an ad venture to Scotland where she hopes to enter a marriage of convenience with her Earl correspondent. But she finds that the man she has been writing is not who she thought he was. What ensues is adventure, hilarity, political intrigue, and a little miscommunication.

I loved this book! It started a touch slow for me, but once I got into the story, I couldn’t put it down. By the end, I was absolutely smitten with the main characters and fully invested in their story. Vasti writes yearning beautifully and the spice (multiple open door scenes) was so well done!

As soon as I finished, I wanted to go back and start again. This will definitely be a reread in the future!

I cannot wait to read the next book in this series, Ladies in Hating, September 23rd!

A wealthy spinstress who spends her time writing political pamphlets is getting ready to propose to her long time pen pal, the elusive Earl of Strathrannoch... the only issue is that when she arrives it turns out her pen pal is actually the financially broken second son who was using his brother's name and has stolen from him... and now the real Earl needs her help to get his brother and stop him from selling important political secrets and his brother's invention to the enemy. Lydia Hope-Wallace is a wealthy wallflower, she's happy to be a spinstress as long as she has her freedom. she spends her time writing political pamphlets under a anonymous name... until she begins a pen pal relationship with the Earl of Strathrannoch. Lydia and Arthur begin writing to one another and becoming friends and something more, and when she discovers Arthur's financial situation the perfect idea comes to her: she'll propose to him and it'll be the perfect way to maintain her writing and also be in a marriage with a partner who sees and understands her. She decides to go to Arthur's home to propose to him... only when she opens the door and finds the real Earl who says he's never written to her or heard her... they both realize that the real Arthur's brother has been using Arthur's name to write to Lydia to trick her into marrying him so he can steal her money. Arthur has been searching for his brother since his brother stole his invention and who better to help him then Lydia? Lydia begins spending more time with the real Arthur and discovers that she is in fact falling for him. Yet with a ticking clock and the fact that they are getting close and closer to Arthur's brother, Lydia will have to decide which brother she's going to pick. This was such a fun historical romance with a touch of comedy. Lydia and Arthur have such good chemistry and i adore the way that Alexandra Vasti writes her romances so much. The story just sucks you in and has you rooting for the couple so much. I just adored this book and can't wait to see what the author writes next. Both her books have become some of my favorite historical romances that are lighthearted and fun with a touch of spice!

Release Date: January 21,2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I loved this fake marriage of convenience Regency romance between Lydia, a socially anxious wallflower and secret feminist and Arthur, the Scottish Earl she thought she'd been writing to for the last three years. A wealthy widow, Lydia, proposes marriage to Arthur so her money can help his crumbling estate and he can help revive her social life. There was excellent mental health (anxiety + panic attack rep), lots of action, mistaken identity, forced proximity, hilarious hijinks, exotic animals, and spicy open door scenes to keep readers enthralled from start to finish. Great on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Evie Dunmore! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio and digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I am SUPER excited for Vasti's upcoming Sapphic Regency romance!

I’ve really enjoyed Vasti’s work so far, so I hope this review does not come off as overly negative.

She writes strong and unique heroines with a lot of resourcefulness and strength of character. However, so far I think her heroes are just not quite my taste. Or maybe more accurately, the way they fall in love is not quite to my taste.

Don’t get me wrong, I love some male yearning and some regency smut. However this book felt a little too much like insta-lust for me. I appreciate a bit more of the journey explored, and so much seemed immediate here.

That said, I am sure Vasti has a promising career in front of her and I plan to keep reading her historical romances!

Thank you Alexandra Vasti, St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for an ARC of Earl Crush! All opinions are my own.

Earl Crush was an absolute delight of a historical romance from Alexandra Vasti!! Both characters were clearly so well thought out and carefully developed, as was the plot and subsequent mystery. Arthur is truly the lovable and poetic Scottish man of my dreams - I was honest to god breathless over the snippets from his letters describing his love for Lydia in the chapter headings, as well as the entire epilogue 🥹 Lydia was also a perfectly executed example of paralyzing social anxiety, going as far as to make her have spontaneous moments of bravery when the situation gets rough and calls for it.

I’m so excited I got to read an ARC of this after reading Ne’er Duke Well, and can’t wait to recommend it to everyone!!

POV: dual third person

You can expect: brother’s pen pal/pen pal’s brother, Scottish Earl MMC, forced proximity, inventor MMC, opposites attract, regency, only one bed, fake married, he falls first and HARD, found family, intrigue.

Rep: social anxiety, queer side characters, Scottish MMC.

Spice: 3/5

CW: verbally abusive parent (past), assassination attempt, hostage situation, past homophobia (not by MCs)