Alexandra Vasti has delivered another delight in the Belvoir’s universe. Lydia and Arthur get down to business — in more ways than one — as this fun, steamy, funny, and fully entertaining story plays out with a touch of suspense in what becomes a race against time. They’ve got a mystery to solve, and oh, they end up having to pretend to be married to do it. It’s delicious.

I loved and felt a kinship with Lydia. As the youngest and only girl in a family with multiple brothers, I know that brand of chaos around the home and how easy it is to become the “quiet” one. I could empathize with her anxiety and feelings of discomfort when thrown into large groups of people and expected to converse. I admired the way she handled stressful situations and rose to the occasion when people she cared for were at risk. Seeing her find her strength and her place throughout the book was one of my favorite things.

Arthur. Sweet, sweet Arthur. I adored him. I know he’s not a king but I’m prepared to serve on his court. The found family element of his story was so lovely, especially once he realized that’s what he had. His constant support and encouragement of Lydia was so endearing. He was unwavering in his belief that she could handle herself, even as his worries were front and center. He still gave her the opportunity to spread her wings and do things she didn’t believe she was capable of but he knew she could do. We love non-toxic masculinity.

Lydia and Arthur together were explosive. Their chemistry was undeniable, no matter how honorable Arthur might have tried to be. Their intimacy came in many different forms and the emotions tied to it in each moment were key to where they were in the journey. It was so well done and, yes, hot.

I also loved the humor in this book. There are so many moments of dryly delivered one-liners and offhanded asides that are my exact brand of humor. I loved the rapport between Lydia and Arthur, as well as with all the secondary character, who all added depth to the story.

I can’t wait for more to come in this series. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alexandra Vasti quickly became one of my favorite historical-romance authors with her novella series, so it’s been a delight to be an early reader for her series of full-length novels.

Her writing, as always, is *chef’s kiss*. In this story, we’ve got a shy writer who’s stronger than she thinks, and a burly Scottish earl who lives in a run-down castle. As if that weren’t enough, Vasti throws in tons of humor, mystery, and slow-burn steamy romance.

This book is witty and romantic, and I highly recommend it.

4.5 stars.

I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

"Was it not still possible for her to change? Was this not a chance for her to do something - to thrust herself into the world instead of hiding from it, to take action instead of waiting fruitlessly for a life that never quite seemed to begin"

I find such ease reading Alexandra Vasti's books. I started the book and a couple of hours later I finished it. I was fully invested and just couldn't put the book down. There's this inexplicable pull that Vasti has with her writing, that is so rare, and it makes her books so compelling. I read the first book of the series earlier month, and was very happy to jump straight into Earl Crush. .

Arthur and Lydia's story is filled with political intrigue, an unravelling mystery, the glory of a Scottish castle, and a supporting cast of gripping characters. However, we truly got to see Lydia break out of her comfort zone and command the story. I also want to commend the cover artist, I appreciate how every cover (so far and I hope it continues) has been based on a moment of chaos for the two main leads. It’s hilarious and such a fun way to visually present two characters. In this case I never thought zebras would ever make an appearance all the way in Scotland.

I loved that we got to revisit Belvoir! Selina's such fiery character and her business and political acumen makes a presence in the book. I also caught several easter eggs, Vasti's definitely setting up Lydia’s brothers for solo books while expanding the narrative. Could we possibly see Jasper and Georgiana soon? Something I'm personally cheering for!

Thank you so much St. Martin's Press for providing the ARC! I can't wait for the next instalment.

I was given Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti in exchange for my honest review by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley.

Earl Crush is a fast paced novel of Regency romance with the added bonus of a moldering castle, spies, and a herd of zebras. What more can reader want?

The novel follows Lydia Hope-Wallace as she travels to Scotland to offer her hand in marriage to the penpal she has never met in person. Once there, her dreams are dashed to discover that the Earl of Strathrannoch is not the author of her letters, but his missing brother is the dubious penpal. What ensues is nothing short of delight.

I loved this book so much. It is a refreshing take on the Regency romcom, and truly brought me so much joy while reading.

*Sigh*
Another quality delivery from Alexandra Vasti. A shy wallflower with hidden courage and vast amounts of cleverness coupled with a gruff, tormented, gentleman-in-name-only? Yes please.

This dual POV novel delivers all the romance and charm you’ve come to expect from this author, but this one also tosses in enjoyable gifts like spies! Intrigue! Danger! So.much.fun. It was literally one of those books that kept me up past my bedtime because I couldn’t put it down (a.k.a. ‘just one more chapter!’ syndrome).

Readers can rely on Vasti for her entertaining rom-com storytelling…but what you’re also getting is her skill (for what might possibly be the best in the genre) for the tormented MMC who falls first. It’s truly a pleasure as a reader to feel what the MMC is feeling rather than just be told (and often left unconvinced).

This book (and its predecessor, Ne’er Duke Well) aren’t specifically titled as part of a series, but they are indisputably linked in the Vasti-verse (same characters, continuing storylines, etc). It seems fairly evident that this book is setting up for a third story (without spoilers: Another character introduced in Ne’er Duke Well is reintroduced in Earl Crush, set up to play a nice juicy role here…but I feel like that ‘juicy role’ opportunity wasn’t fully taken advantage of within these pages).

Despite this, I will be first in line to read whatever Ms. Vasti publishes next! Take this adventure out for a spin and enjoy the trip.

Recluse grumpy Scottish Duke who's also a blacksmith and inventor with a heart of gooey chocolate? Sign me up! A clever, feminist, courageous heroine ready to take on her own future in a fiercely manner even though she's super shy? Heck yep!

Loved this even more than the 1st book in the series and I thought that was difficult to top.

Earl Crush is one for the keeper shelf!

The story's both heart melting and heart breaking, hilariously funny and deadly serious, wonderfully relatable and strangely odd, totally sweet and scorching hot - and all this makes it such a complex, highly entertaining, and swoon worthy historical romance.

The moment I read about the unusual animals, I knew that it must be based on real life examples - and I was not disappointed! I just adore the research that went into the book and that we as readers can benefit from it.

I'm very grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me the opportunity to read Alexandra's book ahead of the publication date.

A reclusive Earl and a wallflower Heiress unexpectedly find love in this adorable, humor filled regency romcom! I absolutely loved this book with a capital L. The dry humor, the found family, zebras, the grumpy teddy bear MMC, and romance was the best. I also liked how it had a little mystery sprinkled in the story! Would highly highly recommend!!

Such a fun historical romance! Normally I don't enjoy Scottish love interests but this one felt less like a caricature than most. Lydia and Arthur made such a fun pair!

this was a quick easy read,, a little mystery with the romance. The characters were good and the setting in Scotland was great.

I really loved NE'ER DUKE WELL, and have read and enjoyed Alexandra Vasti's novellas. However, I was somewhat worried that Lydia would not prove herself as strong, compelling, or likable as Vasti's other heroines. Her crippling social anxiety we were introduced to in NE'ER DUKE WELL made her relatable but not an altogether aspirational character I usually look for in historical romances. I was oh so pleasantly proved wrong!

From page one Lydia takes charge of her life. Her social anxiety is still a major factor (as her poor silk slippers will attest to), but that only makes her determination and agency all the more exciting. Again and again she puts herself in (often hilarious) situations that range from uncomfortable to potentially dangerous as she strives to actually live her life. She already knows she has the intelligence and gumption to make changes in the world (through her anonymous pamphlets circulated through Belvoir's), but now she is ready to actually put herself out there in the REAL world. Her choices may seem rash, but they pay off beautifully.

Arthur is just amazing. It’s easy to expect that a highland hunk will be an all-aggressive alpha male. However Arthur subverts expectations by being as kindhearted as he is brawny. He's vulnerable, but never whiny, and the perfect romantic counterpoint to Lydia as they both begin truly living in their own ways.

It has the steam, sass and comedy you expect in an Alexandra Vasti book (aptly called Regency Rom Coms), and a whole lot of heart as well. Highly recommend, and cannot wait for the rest of the series!

A practically perfect historical with a perfect blend of humor and spice with some spy thriller subplot. Good times!

The characters are delightful. We love a self-aware heroine, complete with obvious anxiety and neurodivergence representation. Our grumpy hero soon proves to be anything but, and Vasti did a great job of melding the "woman who wants to dismantle the ton/patriarchy" vs "the reality of working within the system" without having to sacrifice either characters genuine personalities. Using all the favorite tropes (love letters, mistaken identity, he falls first, fake-marriage and more) this romp of a book provides scorching romance and a well executed spy thriller subplot. This is not an easy feat, but Vasti pulls it off.

Fans of the historical genre will love the classic feel, with a side of action and adventure.

This is a really good book. I’m not often a fan of mixing romance with spy/mystery topics, but this book had enough of a focus on romance that it worked for me! Plus, the spy subplot ended up having some fun twists itself.

I enjoyed the character development and the steamy scenes were well written. I liked the connections to the first book, though this one is totally readable as a standalone.

Thank you for the ARC :)

I absolutely loved this book! The perfect mix of romance and comedy and some of my favorite tropes, he falls first and groveling, written in such a perfect way! Earl Crush was remarkably fast-paced and was such an easy, swoon-worthy romance read. Lydia's character development was also great, watching her go from shy to brave when it called for it and Arthur rooting for her in the background was so sweet. In most romance books I cannot stand the third act breakup but Vasti did the "breakup" so well. I will absolutely be buying a physical copy of this when it comes out!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I had so much fun reading this book. It hit all the right beats for me, all the romance I was looking for with elegant prose, humor and intrigue. If you're a fan of Tessa Dare, Courtney Milan, and India Holton, check out Earl Crush!

Lydia is a political activist and spinster who travels to Scotland to propose to penpal and fellow activist, the Earl of Strathrannoch. When she arrives, she discovers that the man she has been writing to is not the Earl, but the younger brother who has stolen and absconded with the Earl's blueprints for a rifle scope. The Earl, Arthur, is the strapping and gruff type who has no interest in political activism or a marriage of convenience. The cast characters are rounded out with some charming side characters, including meddlesome servants, a supportive friend, Georgiana, and Lydia's four brothers and their loveable mother.
The two and some of their sidekicks end up on a road trip in search of Davis, the earstwhile penpal, and eventually end up in Lydia's home after running into <spoiler>her brother</spoiler>. This leads to some classic traveling shenanigans (A Week to be Wicked vibes!) with lots of pining and meaningful touches.

My favorite detail in this book was the epigraphs before each chapter, where we get excerpts of writing from various characters. Arthur's reminded me of Darcy in the best way.

Tropes: <spoiler> spinster wallflower, mistaken identity, silly disguises, sibling triangle, fake relationship, marriage of convenience, forced proximity, road trip/travel, grumpy/sunshine </spoiler>

This is so romantic! I highlighted a dozen passages that I found so moving and heartwarming and lovely. The characters are sweet. And so much happened! I think that kept the pace really snappy, but not overwhelming. Loved it.
Alexandra Vasti has been my author of the summer and I’m so excited I was able to get my hands on this arc, because I was not ready to be caught up on all her works!

4.25 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s for my ARC!

I just adore anything that Alexandra Vasti writes. She has such a way when it comes to sexy, smart regency writing. This one had a lot of moving pieces and a borderline mystery, but the romance was sweet, 🌶️, and swoony like always.

Can’t wait to see what she writes next!!

Oh this one is a love letter to the regency romance. 😍

For historical romance readers, it’s about the nostalgia. It probably starts the same for most of us: we remember reading a regency before we ought to have. They were those colorful, tattered books you saw in your mom’s magazine rack, next to Good Housekeeping or some sweepstakes mailer or another.

Or maybe these were the first romance novels we checked out from the library. A Jane Austen-loving soul discovering a new set of authors to devour.

But it takes a special talent to make such a tried-and-true genre new again, to make these stories somehow both nostalgic and fresh, comfortable and convicting. That’s what you’ll get with @alexandravasti ‘s work. These two books (here I include Vasti's debut, Ne'er Duke Well) are truly something special.

If this is your genre, prepare to be wow’ed by Earl Crush. As ruined for other works as an unmarried woman without a chaperone in 1816.

And, if you’re new to the genre, these books are an incredible place to start.

Earl Crush was fantastic. Five stars and my favorite regency to date. Sexy and heartfelt. Deeply romantic. Scottish and surprising. With espionage and certain ruin.

-He falls first
-Marriage of convenience
-Adventure and romance on the road
-Mistaken identity and family secrets
-Epistolary elements
-Anxiety rep
-Golden retriever MMC

In Lydia, Vasti delivers another FMC who redefines what it means to be strong. One who is vulnerable, imperfect (dare I say “demure” in the year of our Lord 2024?), and anxious - AND YET SHE IS ALSO shockingly brave, utterly subversive, and profoundly relatable.

Women are never defined by one thing in Vasti’s work - not by their marriage prospects, nor their bodies or dowries, and certainly not by shyness or propriety.

Ultimately Arthur Baird, like Peter Kent before him, is a hero not because he rescues the damsel (though he does) or his swoony/spicy leading man-ness (though he is), but because he lets the rare woman he’s found be herself. And never misses that it’s she who rescues him.

How can you be nostalgic for a place you’ve never been? For time like this?

Read on, regency lovers, and find out.

Thank you to Alexandra Vasti, SMP Romance, and NetGalley for this eARC.

Arthur is pathetically in love with Lydia, and I'm here for it. Here comes a fiery political redhead knocking on his door, asking for his hand in marriage, and he has no clue who she is.
 
I'm sitting here with tears (happy tears, mind you) running down because of how much I loved this book. It started off a tad slow for me in the beginning, and I wasn't sure if it would or could surpass Ne'er Duke. Well. Alexandra Vasti had me laughing, screaming, and crying all within this story of political espionage and mistaken identity. She has definitely made her way onto my must-read list of historical authors, and I absolutely cannot wait to read the rest of this series. (Is it too much to hope for a romance involving one of Lydia's brothers?)
 
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳, 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘦-𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺.

Huge thanks to Netgalley for the eARC.

Alexandra Vasti has quickly become an automatic read for me. I've loved every historical romance she's released since I first stumbled across her Halifax series. Earl Crush has been a bit more jam packed than her previous work but equally as enjoyable, The romance in the story serves is beautifully complimented by the political intrigue subplot. I could have done without the third act separation between our couple but c'est la vie.

Can't wait to devour Vasti's future works.

I absolutely devoured this book. I loved Vasti's Halifax Hellion novellas and I enjoyed her first full length book, Ne'er Duke Well. But Earl Crush brought me right back to that Halifax Hellion feel - cant put it down and full steam ahead. Lydia and Arthur are so perfect they had me kicking my feet with glee! Arthur and Lydia both have a lot of growing to do and I think Vasti did a great job giving them both space to work through their own personal issues while moving the plot along. The tension between the two simmers from the get go and when they finally come together it felt like I could breath again.

An assortment of things I loved:
- she proposes first!
- besotted MMC
- there's a menagerie of zebras?
- wonderfully supportive side characters (I love you Huw and Bertie)
- a fake marriage
- GROVEL
- an epilogue that made me cry

This is one I can't wait to reread. Doesn't hurt to say one more time that I loved it and I can't wait to read Georgianas book next!