This was such a fun read! Lydia believed she was corresponding with an earl (Arthur) from Scotland. When she shows up at his doorstep in an attempt to help him financially, he has no idea who she is. The story then dives deeper into the earl's brother's motives, espionage, and then some other fun quirks like zebras, and oh the castle. Finally, there is romance, and lots of it. The characters were all enjoyable, and I felt Lydia and Arthur had a lot of chemistry. There is a lot to unpack in the book, and I for one enjoyed it all!

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

When a marriage of convenience proposal turns into a manhunt what could possibly go wrong?

Earl Crush is a fun and thoroughly entertaining read! It has stolen identity, best friends, adventure, espionage, romance, and plenty of zebras.

I can’t wait to see what Alexandra does either the next book!

i loved this so much!! the perfect short and sweet romcom that will leave you swooning. i loved the characters and their chemistry. the pacing and writing were also fantastic. i would read more from this author

Alexandra Vasti has done it again!!

This has to be one of the most romantic books I have ever read. Arthur is just absolutely obsessed with Lydia and I can’t get enough of them. There’s so much pining, the perfect amount of suspense and also it’s just super sexy. Give me a hulking Scotsman with curly hair any day!! This book also has one of the sweetest epilogues I’ve ever read, I will never get tired of love letters written in regency romance books.

The pub date cannot come fast enough, everyone go preorder this book right NOW!!!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for an eARC and thank you Alexandra Vasti for another masterpiece 💕

There's something about Alexandra Vasti's writing that just does it for me. I discovered her Halifax Hellion series about a month before her debut novel Ne'er Duke Well Came out, and I absolutely devoured them.

Her talent for creating characters that seem real and fleshed out is, in my personal opinion, some of the best in contemporary romance. I see this especially with the male characters, who can often feel cut and paste to me from one book to the next. She gives here characters real flaws and allows them to make mistakes, but that doesn't get in the way of the plot (or get reduced down to the often used third-act breakup, which I can take or leave, but most of the time leave).

The background plot of Earl Crush had me hooked the whole way through - I don't want to give any potential spoilers, but it almost felt like a mystery romance novel, and I was trying to figure it out alongside of the characters. It was also interested to have a FMC that might be viewed as "weaker" - she faints, gets nervous around people, is tongue tied, etc - but still has her own agency, and comes into her own by the end of the book. I love a plucky heroine as much as the next person, but this was also a nice change.

Vasti is also immensely talented at writing the romantic scenes. I will say this book felt slightly tamer than her other ones, but still beautifully written (and hot!) sex scenes.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and can't wait to see what she writes next!

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️

This is what a regency romance should be! Lydia and Arthur are top tier characters. Lydia is so smart and Arthur is *obsessed* with her brain and how clever she is - every bookish girl's dream. And he is a gentle giant with a huge heart.

Featuring:
*mistaken identities
*a Scottish zebra stampede
*anxiety
*one bed at the inn
*spies and intrigue
*several crises (iykyk)

Thanks to netgalley and St. Martin's press for the ARC

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of Earl Crush.

I loved this book! Lydia and Arthur were such great main characters. I loved watching their love story play out. I also loved Georgiana as the side kick.

I couldn’t put this book down. It pulled me in and kept my attention the whole time. I recommend this to all!

Once again a wonderful and loving story from Alexandra Vasti. She's an auto buy for me and this second installment in her Belvoir's Library series is no exception. You have the curmudgeonly lord who's secretly a softie, the spunky spinster who's timid but grows to love herself through the story, the supportive and loving friends and family, smarmy villains, seriously every character is well fleshed out and adds to the story. The twists were a bit predictable, but honestly it's a fluffy romance so I wasn't expecting (nor did I want) stressful revelations. Loved everything about this and can't wait for the next in the series!

Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti - 5/5 star read for me!

This story begins with our FMC Lydia practicing her proposal for a marriage of convenience to the Earl of Strathrannoch, who she has been exchanging letters with anonymously. Once she arrives at the Earl's castle she is shocked to discover that the Earl, Arthur, has no clue who she is and is not the one who she has been corresponding with! Our cast of characters uncover that it was actually Arthur's brother writing the letters (in the Earl's name) and said brother has gone missing with something very important from Arthur. Lydia agrees to help Arthur find his brother and hilarity (and love, obvs) ensue!

This is the first book I have read from this author but I guarantee you it will not be the last. I have not chuckled out loud this much in a book in so long. As a fan of the historical romance genre, this book is everything you could want with some lovely quirks thrown in for wonderful entertainment. Lydia is so idealistic but not naively so. She starts so anxious and shy but you really see her blossom as the story goes. Arthur is just a cinnamon roll of a Scot! He is an Earl but all he wants is to make sure those he loves are taken care of and provided for. He is just as insecure as Lydia in the beginning but they both find their way to bravery and the outcome is delicious! I was pleasantly surprised at how steamy this was, as well. Well written with good tension and build up.

A five star read for me is one I know I would return to again and again, and this book fits the bill.

I loved this! It was so much more of an adventure than I expected and also way steamier. I had a great time start to finish and will certainly read Alexandra Vasti again!

4 1/2 Stars! Adult historical romance at its best! Lydia and Arthur's story was a fun read. It kept my interest to the end, and I can't wait for more stories from Alexandra Vasti.

Alexandra Vasti absolutely knocks it out of the park yet again!! Just like everything else she’s written, this book is nothing short of magnificent. Arthur is to die for, the absolute sweetest man. And Lydia is an anxious mess (same) who is brave and brilliant and hilarious. The plot contained just the right amount of intrigue. The romance developed at the exact right speed. It stayed consistently captivating and I could not put it down. I wish we’d gotten to see more of Davis, but hopefully his story will merit its own book!

A big thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review! All opinions are my own.

This is my first book by this author & I really enjoyed it!

I am someone who loves when a book jumps right in, which this one does with an amazing meet cute & immediate drama. I loved Lydia & Arthur individually & especially loved them together. Arthur was deliciously protective almost instantly of Lydia while Lydia had to work somewhat on finding her inner strength, but we get to see that progression in the book & I absolutely loved her journey. The side characters were also all amazing, which has me excited for future books!

I will say that the 3rd act mishap had me wanting to toss my kindle. I wasn't a big fan of it, but I did like that Arthur immediately saw his mistake.

This book is a mix of romance, humor, and intrigue that kept me hooked from start to finish. If you love historical romance, you’ll definitely enjoy this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Rating ♾️/5

Alexandra Vasti has done it again, delivering excellent character development and sharp banter. The mix of romance, humor, and intrigue kept me hooked from start to finish. If you love historical romance, you’ll definitely enjoy this one!

Did I laugh? Yes. Did I tear up? Yes. Did I fan myself? You know it. Did I want to smack the MMC? Of course. AV is a damn wizard when it comes to weaving a tale that is not only intriguing but also involves great main character development, along with supporting characters who aren’t just there to serve the main story but also their own and historical facts that give the reader insight that people back in the day weren’t all the same. Even more importantly to my own interests is the representation of a plus sized FMC who is not defined by her curves or lushness (either by herself or others). The only downfall of this book is the lack of wood chopping and blacksmith forge scenes ;)

I received an ARC of Earl Crush from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.  Alexandra Vasti is a new author to me and I really enjoyed her story. Lydia Hope Wallace is a bold spoken writer but shy and phobic when around strangers and groups. She has been corresponding long distance with the Earl of Strathrannoch and decides to propose to him to.solve two problems with one solution. She needs to marry and is wealthy, and he needs money, and understands and agrees with many of her positions on numerous topics. The only problem is that she has been dreaming of marrying the wrong person. When she arrives at his doorstep, he has no idea who she is and from there on, they must figure out the next step. This is a great story, full of suspense and intrigue and a budding romance. I can't wait to read her upcoming stories.

This was such a charming and fun read!

Earlier this year I read "Ne're Duke Well" from this author and really enjoyed it so I was excited to dive into another Historical Romance and "Earl Crush" definitely didn't disappoint me.

One thing I really love about this author's writing style is that her storylines make you feel a wide range of emotions. The plot is fun, playful, emotional and at times laugh out loud funny.

I loved reading Lydia and Arthur's story and really enjoyed watching their relationship develop and grow.

I look forward to reading more from this author in the future and would definitely add this one to your TBR.

Thank you Alexandra Vasti, Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

"Earl Crush" by Alexandra Vasti is the second installment in an interconnected standalone historical romance series. I was utterly charmed by this book! The cover makes it seem silly and, while it had a few comical moments, it was overall very emotional, heartfelt, and sweet. There is a slightly thrilling plot element that propels the story forward and brings together our main characters, Lydia and Arthur. Highly recommend this book if you're a fan of the genre; you don't need to read the previous book, "Ne'er Duke Well," but it does add more depth to this story.

This story is charming and funny. Loved Lydia’s nod to feminism and Strathrannoch was the perfect compliment. Bertie and his menagerie of animals was probably the best part. Also loved the snippets at the beginning of each chapter and the epilogue. Neat way to share character insight without adding bulk. Definitely checking out Vasti’s backlist.

Alexandra Vasti is fast becoming one of my favorite HR authors. Having just got into historical romances in the past two-three years, I’ve almost finished reading all the trailblazers in the genre and am looking for new things to read. Vasti’s books bring humor, charm, and interesting stories to the regency era. I could tell she was something special with the Halifax twins, then the Ne’er Duke Well introduced us to Selina, this novel gave Lydia the sweetest romance with Arthur, and I can’t wait to read what happens to Georgiana next! Many thanks to the author for the ARC, I sped through this book and look forward to what’s next!