4.5⭐

𝘏𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘏𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘣𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺. 𝘏𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘷𝘰𝘸.
•
•
•
Earl Crush is a captivating Regency romance that combined political intrigue with a marriage of convenience. When Lydia Hope-Wallace, a secret political pamphleteer, arrives at Arthur Baird's castle proposing marriage after years of correspondence, she discovers she's been writing to his brother instead. Though initially resistant, the reclusive Earl finds himself working with Lydia to locate his brother, who's entangled in dangerous espionage.

I ate this up. This was so good, I couldn't put it down. Lydia's character just spoke to me. She is incredibly brave–braver than she thinks she is. Her compassion and determination to help Arthur shines through despite all of her self-doubt. Arthur is a gentle giant whose gruff exterior masks a tender heart, making him the perfect match for Lydia 🥰

Their chemistry was sizzling and the spicy scenes were incredibly steamy, but it didn't overshadow the central mystery plot or character development.

I loved all the side characters here. Lydia's brothers reminded me of the Bridgerton family. Georgiana was such an interesting character and I hope we get her book next!

Though not without minor flaws, Earl Crush is an unputdownable blend of romance, mystery, and a little bit of chaos that will have you both swooning and giggling.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC.

Read if you love:
✨regency era
💕historical romance
✨zebras
💕fake marriage
✨mystery

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffith for this advanced copy! You can pick up Earl Crush on January 21, 2025.

This was a super fun and sweet (yet spicy) historical romance! I loved how relatable both Lydia and Arthur's characters were (especially Lydia's social anxiety), and how they complemented each other in the best way. Their romance had the best tension, but it was also supported with true emotional attachment too (not just insta-lust). Their journey to uncover Davis's past and its repercussions really brought them together, and I love how Alexandra Vasti's books always have a healthy plot in addition to a scorching romance.

I enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was excited to read this one! I love the twist Alexandra Vasti puts on regency romance. Her stories feel more modern, though they’re still meant to reflect the time period. While some of the details are a little far fetched for a regency (the presence of an openly gay couple and a lack of concern for chaperoning an unmarried woman were two examples I felt would never have been overlooked in that day), there is still a lot of historical research and fact put into the plot, which makes it believable. The plot is rich and wove together several storylines and made the book fun to read. I’m giving it 4 stars because it didn’t feel like a book I will remember or think back on, and while I really enjoyed it I also don’t feel like it’s one I’m dying to tell my friends about. It’s a fun, easy, unique regency romance that I think is worth reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Earl Crush is the perfect regency romance, infused with the much-loved flair of Shonda Rhimes’ storytelling. The story holds true to its regency-era roots, with the societal expectations of the period, but it’s the bold, contemporary elements that truly shine.

At the heart of the story is the dynamic partnership between Lydia and Arthur Baird. Arthur, a supportive and gentle giant, provides the perfect counterbalance to Lydia’s fiery independence. Together, they embark on a journey of growth and healing. Lydia evolves into a quirky, self-assured woman unafraid to take what she wants, while helping Arthur confront and overcome his insecurities.

This will be one of my top regency romances for years to come and one I can see my self re-reading time and time again.

⅘ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Earl Crush
Author: Alexandra Vasti
Regency Rom-Com

Another Netgalley Arc to kick off my January reads! Loved this. I really enjoy the more modernized regency romances I am discovering. This one was great and it releases on the 21st of this month! A stranger shows up on an earls doorstep claiming that she has been exchanging letters with him for three years. The last letter our FMC Lydia received from the Earl of Strathrannoch basically said he was on the brink of financial ruin, so she concocted a plan to help. However she is confused when she shows up and he has no idea who she is at all, and claims he has not been writing to anyone. Lydia proposes her hand in marriage to try help him out.. and he’s reluctant to accept. This book was a serious delight, and also it was surprisingly full of spice. I am so grateful for the ARC and I’m really hoping to find more books like this to add to my never ending TBR. I loved both of the characters in this, and the touch of mystery added to our romance plot. Thank you so much St. Martins Press and Netgalley for this ARC! ❤️

*sighs* this started out exactly up my alley: bonkers bananas with a zebra stampede, a degu roaming a Scottish Castle on its little lonesome, a zany spy/stolen blueprint/tracking down a degenerate brother plot. And for the first…30% or so I was all in! But much like Ne’er Duke Well (which I DNF’d), I grew bored. Like listen, I get that Vasti isn’t writing like bodice ripper romances and I don’t expect more grit in a rom-com, but I needed Arthur to have some personality trait other than A Very Nice Man. He was very nice…and very boring. And I really needed to see these two on page together spending time with each other not chasing down his brother. We’re told they spend a week in each other’s company getting to know each other while plotting how to find his brother. Then BAM we’re making googly eyes at each other and I felt zero chemistry. But because we don’t actually *see* that time together I’m not convinced they actually know anything about each other besides Arthur Is Nice and Lydia Likes Politics.

I did appreciate Lydia’s social anxiety on page! Throwing up in potted plants? Me in every social situation ever. Relatable!

This just wasn’t for me (and I’m starting to think I only enjoy Vasti’s work in novella format?).

We're starting off the new year with a bang! (no seriously, though)

I'm writing this immediately after finishing the book... and I have absolutely no words right now. Books very rarely leave me speechless but this one - the prose, the plot, the pining - was stunning! It deserves an infinite number of stars. Alexandra Vasti's books are becoming some of my favorites. If you love historical fiction/Bridgerton, or if you want to give historical romance a try, then these are an amazing place to start! You will not regret picking this one up.

Synopsis: Lydia Hope-Wallace, a London wall-flower, has been in correspondance with an earl from Scotland struggling with finances. She decides to journey to his estate and propose marriage. But upon arrival she discovers that Arthur, the Earl of Strathrannoch, has no idea who she is! Now forced within proximity, Lydia and Arthur work together to find answers to their questions and fight the undeniable attraction between them.

Again, I'm just absolutely speechless after reading this one. The plot is fast-paced and grabs your attention immediately. I simultaneously read the book and listened to audiobook and I felt completely absorbed into the story. I gasped, and swooned, and cried right along with the characters. And speaking of crying, the ending was the absolute cutest thing I've ever read in my life. The letters!!!? I sobbed like a baby. The mutual pining, the spice, the declarations of love, the humor. All of it was perfect.

Lydia was the perfect mfc for quiet anxious girlies, and she reminds us all that we are strong and brave and smart enough. Arthur was the perfect mmc because he is patient with Lydia, and he see the parts of her that no one else does. His internal dialogue sent me into orbit! We LOVE a man obsessed. I don't think I've ever highlighted so many quotes in my LIFE. Their love was so sweet and pure. I adore them.

Tropes -
- pretend marriage (not quite a marriage of convenience, more like fake dating)
- mutual pining
- forced proximity
- spicy!!!

thank you st. martin's press for the arc + alc!!

In a case of mistaken identity through seditious pamphlet and letter writing, Lydia Hope-Wallace finds herself evading zebras and other outrageous menagerie inhabitants at the estate of the Earl of Strathrannoch in Scotland and proposing marriage to the wrong Baird brother. Where she lacks confidence in drawing room antics, Arthur Baird lacks confidence in family and love. It is revealed that his brother penned the letters to Lydia whilst masquerading as his brother the Ear, but what they cannot figure out is if Davis is indeed involved in a nefarious plot of treason, so they must work together to find him. Oh, and pretend they are married at the same time.

In Alexandra Vasti's second novel with some familiar characters, she has brought the steamy and sweet romance of the Regency era back to life! Lydia is shy, which a lot of us can relate too, and Arthur is not sure he's the right brother to be the Earl, and his insecurities are also relatable. I love the snippets of writings from both characters that headline each chapter. We are given a glimpse into their hearts and souls through their own words. It is also fascinating to learn from the author's note at the back of the book that many of the elements in the story are indeed based on true happenings. Some are so outrageous, you almost have to believe them to be true!

I look forward to the next offering in which Vasti will give us the story of Lydia's friend Georgiana. It promises to be as much of a fun and exciting read as the first two!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

After really enjoying Ne'er Duke Well, I was very excited to read Earl Crush. And let me tell you, it exceeded my expectations!

Lydia Hope-Wallace is an heiress from a well to do family in London, but she's also the anonymous author of many radical pamphlets. For the past several years, she has been corresponding with Arthur Baird, the Earl of Strathrannoch. The two get on well, so after learning of Arthur's financial distress, Lydia concocts a plan: she is going to travel to Arthur's castle in Scotland and propose marriage. She is wealthy and a spinster, so why not enter a marriage of convenience?

There is just one problem, Arthur doesn't know who Lydia is. It turns out Lydia has been exchanging letters with Arthur's younger brother, Davis. Davis has gone missing and Arthur is afraid he is in danger, so he asks Lydia to help locate him and shenanigans ensue. Lydia may have intended a marriage of convenience, but instead, she ends up fake married to Arthur.

I absolutely adored this story! It was everything I wanted and needed. Lydia is so endearing and relatable, and Arthur is SO BIG and SWOONY. I was laughing out loud and blushing throughout. These two are classic dummies - completely obsessed with each other, yet they assume the other doesn't feel the same. OH, BUT THEY DO. I just had the best time following them to their HEA.

I believe Georgiana's novel is next, and I can't wait! I also wouldn't mind following Lydia's brothers to their HEAs too...just saying.

This book was fun, sexy and had be at the edge of my seat. And the twist!!!!! I didn’t see it coming at all. Also can we talk about how Arthur was so down bad. Like the most down baddie ever. I loved it. Cannot wait for book 3 by this author!!!

I loved this book so much! The romance was so cute and I loved the main characters so much and they had great development throughout the book and the plot twist was so good!

Every single Vasti I read blows my expectations out of the water. It’s fresh and exciting, characters you connect with. This is an excellent addition to the Belvoirs series but is a beautiful story on its own.

Alexandra Vasti has been consistently pleasing me with her historical romances. I appreciate the wit of the FMC and the MMC's stoic personality but strong character. I happily received both an ARC and ALC from Netgalley and love any good Scottish brogue. Props to the narrators.
The storyline was interesting, including their attempts to solve the mystery of the location and intent of MMC's brother, while aligning with some actual historical events. The plot wasn't so outrageous to cause me to roll my eyes while not being too obvious as to the resolution.

I loved this regency romance. It has all my favorite tropes including grumpy + sunshine, a (fake) marriage with some mild compromising and a little bit of a mystery. I devoured this in a less than a day. Thanks to Net Galley and Alexandra Vasti for the advanced copy.

Just finished reading Earl Crush. I’d describe the book as romance meets mystery. It kept me guessing until the end! Highly recommend!

Alexandra Vasti is just so good!! I read this one while I was really tired/busy so I couldn't really focus my time on it until the end of the year, but once I did?! I had a great time. It is a bit more plot heavy than I prefer in my romances, but when everything came together at the end it was so great.

I loved that Lydia was shy and socially awkward and how Arthur helped her with that.

This one also is a bit bonkers in the best way. Many zebras! Spies! A fake marriage! And that is on top of the premise that Lydia shows up at Arthur's house ready to marry his brother.

The side characters were great too and I cannot wait for the third book in this series.

If a Regency-era romance has Alexandra Vasti's name on the cover, you can go ahead and guarantee that it's going to be a good one. I had a lot of fun with this book! It felt a bit over the top and campy, but in a way that was fun as opposed to overwhelming. Lydia was a phenomenal FMC with a lot of self awareness, empathy, and wit. And the chemistry between her and Arthur could be cut with a knife. Great read!

“Earl Crush” by Alexandra Vasti
A FUN Adventure & Romance read that will keep you reading over-time.
I loved this story. The two primary characters, the Earl & the Spinster both have self-confidence issues. But together they are formidable. You read the description of this story so you know a bit about what happens within it. IF you liked what you read there then I am sure you will enjoy your time within this story. A possible issue could be the spicy scenes, if you don’t like them, skip them, the rest of the story is worth the effort. Happy Reading ! !

Earl Crush is a super fun and steamy historical romance! It involves a potential marriage of convenience gone wrong, a wealthy English woman trying to change her life, and a big broody Scot whose brother may or may not be involved in espionage.

I’m quickly realizing that I absolutely adore a Scottish love interest. The bigger and broodier the better. Arthur was actually such a softie especially when it came to Lydia, and Lydia with her radical ideas and anxiety rep was also great. The spice was sooo well done and their relationship was just the sweetest.

This also has a lot of great side characters and an exciting mystery to solve. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from Alexandra Vasti! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had such a great beginning and just continued to entertain the whole way through. I loved the mystery involved in the story and the way it was intertwined with the romance. It was fun revisiting characters from the first novel and I can't wait for the next installment in the series. I also really enjoy the STEM aspect of the female characters in these books and appreciate their courage. The audiobook is narrated beautifully and is a fantastic way to enjoy these novels.