Manic Pixie Dream Earl (Earls Trip, #2) by Jenny Holiday

When not writing, poet Edward Astley, Viscount Featherfinch, spends his time fending off the young ladies of the ton—and some of its young men—and avoiding his cruel father. As heir to the earldom, Edward knows he must marry someday. Alas, he is already hopelessly in love with someone. Hopeless because not only is Miss Julianna Evans not a member of the aristocracy, she is employed. She is a magazine editor—the only one to publish his work. Also, in all their years of increasingly personal correspondence, they’ve never met.

Also, she thinks he’s a woman. Named Euphemia.

Rating: *****
Feels: Adorable, Humorous, Scandalized, Heart totally Warmed
Style: Romance, Regency Romance,
First published May 27, 2025: 353 pages, Kindle

This was just such an adorable, fun and heartwarming regency romp. The lgbtqia rep throughout paired with the strong sense of found family was just everything in this read. The way the MMC describes found family is the cutest thing ever. I loved the way the themes of finding yourself, setting boundaries, following your dreams and of course true love (!!!) were explored in this read. The regency setting really pulled this together in the cutest way possible. I read this book before the first in the series and it worked perfect as a stand alone. I can’t wait to see what all the Earls get up to !!!

Favorite quote: He had so much love in his heart. If this was what love felt like, love was exhausting. "I have come to understand that for me, a bond of friendship is a precondition for love."

This book has:
Friends to Lovers
Cinnamon Roll MMC
Regency Vibes
Forced Proximity
Found Family
Mistaken Identity
LGBTQIA Friendly

Thank you to Hambright PR, and NetGalley for this gifted eARC

✨𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌✨
📖: Manic Pixie Dream Earl (Earls Trip Book 2)

Manic Pixie Dream Earl is a standalone novel in the Earls Trip series. The series centers around three wealthy best friends who attend annual trips and bond over life and love. In this installment, Edward Astley, an heir and poet, is secretly head over heels for his magazine editor Julianna.

But more divides them aside from class, since Julianna is under the impression that he is in fact as she. When Julianna decides to seek out her pen pal poet, she uncovers the truth and antics ensue!

Tropes:
👀Dual POV
💕Friends-to-lovers

👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏼 Mistaken identity 

💌 Love letters

🍩 Cinnamon roll hero

✨ Cross-class romance

👑 Regency era

Julianna is a quirky and ambitious self-declared spinster and editor of a women’s magazine. On a whim, she decides to meet Effie in person during a holiday to Briton. Effie is a sweet and charming cinny roll MMC who is so down bad for Julianna. But is he ready to walk away from a life of privilege and obligations to pursue his love or dreams?

I adored the bromance as much as the romantic storyline! This Ted Lasso meets Bridgerton inspired historical romance delivers a unique narrative of unbreakable friendships and bonds while exploring sexism, classism, and taking chances. Manic Pixie Dream Earl is delightfully witty Regency romance romp!

Huge thanks to the author, Hambright PR, Kensington Publishing, and NetGalley for the e-ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This book was so much fun. It was a great follow-up to book 1. I'm excited for book 3 and to get another chance to be in this fun and accepting universe that the author created.

This was such a fun read. I picked it up on a whim and ended up totally wrapped up in the world Jenny Holiday created. The blurb had me curious- a Regency-era poet writing under a female pen name accidentally falls in love with the editor who thinks he’s a woman? FANTASTIC! And it delivered on every bit that setup promises.

Effie is a total sweetheart of a hero- earnest, a little anxious, and deeply in his feelings in the most endearing way. Julianna is grounded, and practical. Their relationship unfolds so beautifully. The way they see and understand each other made their romance feel realistic. There's a quiet intimacy in how they connect through their writing, and that slow-build payoff is the chef's kiss.

The story has lightness and sincerity. There are laugh-out-loud moments, some emotional gut punches, and a few swoony scenes. And I appreciated how it wove in queerness and identity without making it feel like a lesson- just part of who these characters are.

This one hit all the right notes for me: romance, humor, and heart with just the right amount of history. It's a beautifully written story that makes you feel good while still giving you something to think about.

Effie (Edward) is heir to an earldom he does not particularly want. He is a poet, an artist, and wants to be free to be himself. His editor at a ladies magazine, Julianna, is his closest friend. They write to each other several times a week, and in fact, he has fallen in love with her. The problem? She believes he is Euphemia, a female poet, and she absolutely does want to be married. When Effie and his dearest friends embark on their annual Earls Trip, Julianna decides she'll finally take a holiday and attempt to meet her friend, Effie. Their introduction is surprising, to say the least. They find they know so much and nothing at all about each other, and Julianna wonders if perhaps her adages of "you can't have what you don't allow yourself to want" and "the magazine above all" are no longer applicable. Is staying together worth giving up parts of themselves they've always assumed they needed?

I love a historical romance, and this one is too cute. I love that the story centers around an annual Earls Trip. This group of male friends is just so endearing; a true found family. The little details - from the traditions of the times, to the parrot, to the role playing, were engaging and fun. Effie and Julianna were so sweet together. Friends first through their letters, they respected each other immensely and truly wanted what was best for the other (though it took Julianna a bit to get there). The bisexual rep was done well and added to Julianna's character in particular, focusing on past hurt and just the reasoning behind it due to the times. I loved the theme of desiring freedom and free will, and thought the ending was perfect. You'll love this if you want some spice, strong friendships, forced proximity, and quirky yet sweet details.

Heat Factor: First pining, then some supposedly non-emotional hanky panky

Character Chemistry: So immediate it might as well be fate

Plot: Effie and Julianna, after corresponding for years, finally meet

Overall: This book is So. Earnest.

I learned some things about myself in reading this book:

If a book is marketed as being inspired by Ted Lasso, it’s probably not for me
Manic Pixie Dream Girls/Earls are very irritating
Competent heroines are my jam, especially when they’re on the grumpy end of the spectrum
Let’s break it down.

1. Ted Lasso
I’ve never actually watched Ted Lasso. But from what I understand, the vibe is cishet men are in touch with their emotions plus sports. There are no sports here, but this series is about male friendship—and specifically, about cishet men being in touch with their emotions and talking to each other about them.

I am all about cishet men being in touch with their emotions IN REAL LIFE. But I found the way it went in this book exceptionally tedious. I don’t want to read scenes where people are mutually supportive! Where’s the tension in that? And honestly, I wouldn’t want to sit through a conversation in real life where someone explains the concept of found family through a food metaphor (some people are like salt, and some people are like strawberries, and if you’re in a salt family and you’re a strawberry, things are going to be hard until you find some cream people). Yes, there are definitely people who would read this and feel seen, but I am not one of them.

Other people might find this book thoughtful and heartfelt. To me it felt like a surfeit of earnestness.

2. Manic Pixies
Here’s another confession. I dislike the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope not only because of the way it centers the male gaze and the hero’s journey, but also because I find the Manic Pixies themselves exceptionally irritating. They are just so twee and quirky and do cute things like cut up throw pillows with knives and wear adorkable dresses and make me personally feel like a Bad Woman because I like the idea of having structure in my life. I guess this is all part and parcel of the trope because Manic Pixies will never nag you like your mom does.

What that means in this case, although this Manic Pixie Dream Earl is his own person and doesn’t only serve as a catalyst for Julianna to stop being a sad workaholic, in order for the story to be legible as a spin on the trope, Effie has to have strong Not Like Other Earls energy, and he was A Lot.

Yes, he wears quirky clothes. Yes, he writes beautiful poetry. Yes, there is a pillow fight scene.

Actually, maybe it was just the pillow fight scene that did it for me. Pillow fights are so unfun and stressful.

3. Hypercompetent Heroines
What saved this book for me was Julianna, because she was such a great character. But as with my other hang-ups with this book, this is entirely personal, because I love a good competent but somewhat grumpy heroine. (In this case, the heroine obviously had to be this way, so that she was the proper kind of foil for the Manic Pixie who taught her how to live.)

With all this said, I do want to acknowledge that Holiday does a good job of playing around with the Manic Pixie trope; some of the emotional beats she hits are pitch perfect. For example, there’s a scene at the end of their sojourn in Brighton where Julianna tells Effie that she’s too busy to have an affair back in real life—just in time for Effie’s parrot to blurt out his love for her. It’s absolutely in line with the trope—but also in line with the characters as they’ve been developed beyond the vague trope outlines AND a complete gut punch of a scene. Holiday’s got the writing chops, but this project is just not my cup of tea.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

Jenny Holiday took me on another entertaining and surprising journey with book two of her Earls Trip series. I expected a rom-com, bromance, mistaken identity romp and there are parts that fit that description but it's also so much more.

First, I love the long-time friendship among the three earls in this series and especially how they all accept and support one another for exactly who they are. In Effie's case, that's a sweet, somewhat naive, fashion-loving, poetry-writing, nightmare-plagued man with some deep emotional baggage.

Julianna, Effie's editor and letter friend (they've yet to meet in person), is the object of heart's desire. A businesswoman, she's ten years older, sexually experienced, and wholeheartedly against marriage (just what's in it for a woman, anyway?). On paper, they seem the most ill-conceived couple ever but in real life the feelings that these two share are deep, endearing, and under a time constraint. What happens in Brighton should definitely stay in Brighton, right? Maybe not.

There seems to be no way this cross-class romance will work (and truthfully, I had no idea how it would) but Holiday pulls it off. Their happy ending is unconventional but oh, so perfect for the two of them. I didn't see the twist coming that made it possible but it absolutely works.

I'm already looking forward to discovering what Holiday has planned for serious Simon in the next Earl's Trip novel and, of course, catching up with my favorite characters from books one and two. If you're looking for something a little different with both humor and heart, give Manic Pixie Dream Earl a try. I also recommend book one, Earls Trip.

*ARC received from publisher via NetGalley
Fair and unbiased review

I enjoyed the first book in the series and was excited for the opportunity to read this one in advance of publication. Overall I enjoyed the book but it was a bit too anachronistic for me. I also felt like the main characters were a bit one dimensional, quirky rich artist chafing against society and determinedly independent woman who can't let anyone love her.

This historical romcom by Jenny holiday is my first book I ever read from her and it has to be one of my favorite regency romances.

Tropes:
-found family
-hidden identity
-swoon worthy moments
-representation

I really enjoyed the characters and loved how all the earls were so different from each other. This book had everything ! It was a quick fun read where you see friendships, romance, some banter, and representations.
The yearning that this book had !! Chef’s kiss!! 💋 thank you so so much Hambright for the arc copy

I hadn’t read book one but honestly didn’t even know it was a sequel until I started writing the review on Goodreads. I feel like there may have been subtle references to book 1 that went over my head but overall didn’t detract from my enjoyment of Manic Pixie Dream Earl. Jenny Holiday’s humor had me not wanting to put my kindle down (except I unfortunately had to for work). I definitely recommend this book for anyone who wants a funny/feelgood seaside romance. I loved the friends to lovers trope and, as a bi woman myself, loved the queer representation.

Edward Astley, Viscount Featherfinch, known to his friends as Effie, has a secret. He’s been writing poems and answering a married woman’s advice column for a small magazine edited by Miss Julianna Evans. They have become close friends via letters, and Effie has fallen in love. However, Julianna thinks Effie is a woman. When a problem with the printing press gives Julianna an unexpected week off, she decides to travel to Brighton to find her long-time friend who is on holiday.

Manic Pixie Dream Earl is the second unusual historical in Holiday’s Earls Trip series. Effie, Archie, and Simon take an annual trip for a fortnight every September. It’s a chance to reconnect and unwind. Their friendship is unique and special because the men are open and honest with themselves and each other. They have a rare friendship, even by today’s standards. They share fears and joys; they rely on one another for advice and support. I adore how close they are. I love when Effie confides in his friends his desires for Julianna and seeks advice on how to “do the act,” as he is a virgin. There is no shame, no teasing, only an honest and direct conversation.

Both Julianna and Effie are unique individuals who have unconventional views of the world. Julianne has a fear of marriage because she doesn’t want to be tied to a man. Yet at the same time, she recognizes her own pain that Effie cannot marry her and will eventually marry another because of his title. Meanwhile, he wants Julianna, but would never suggest marriage knowing her absolute opposition to the institution. But in all else, they let down their guard and embrace an honest connection and sharing of oneself.

Julianna and Effie’s romance is about finding your other half, although neither is incomplete without, it’s just they fit so well together. Effie is unapologetically himself. He’s a poet, a painter, a dreamer. He is fanciful, and he loves with his whole self. I love how he loves to make Julianna happy, but won’t allow himself to live a life less than he deserves. He holds true to himself without being dramatic or ostentatious when he realizes he must let go of Julianna. He’s never cruel, which I adore.

Manic Pixie Dream Earl is such a wonderful, emotional ride about two special people finding unexpected love.

My Ratings:
Story: B+

I like this community that Jenny Holiday has created. I like the characters and their friends. I love their growth and I like that she handles real topics in a way that feels honest and easy to connect to. Effie and Juliana have been pen pals for years. They are deep confidants, but she thinks that he is a woman. When they meet, it's just as magical as they wanted...until it isn't.

They both have things to sort through personally and watching them learn and grow and lean on friends and family to do so is so much fun. The group of Earls is just so great. The pacing was a little slow at times but I think this might have been the cost of getting this story right. Good job, Jenny.

Manic Pixie Dream Earl was so entertaining and lovable! I’m a huge historical romance fan and this book will be added to my list of favorites. The main characters fall in love through letters! The regency era, cross-class, mistaken identity vibes were so fun! This story was charming and witty and I absolutely loved it. I did not read the first book in this series but now have plans to read it asap.

Manic Pixie Dream Earl delivered exactly what the title promised: chaos, charm, and a hero that was incredibly, emotionally earnest.
Edward “Featherfinch” Astley wrote poetry under the pen name Euphemia to avoid his trash-fire of a father and stumbled into an epistolary situationship with Julianna Evans—a working-class editor who thought her literary soulmate was a woman. Naturally, when she showed up unannounced to meet “Euphemia,” things went sideways faster than a drunken Viscount at a regency pub crawl.
The author absolutely nailed the tone—equal parts swoony romance, ridiculous misunderstanding, and buddy comedy with a delightful trio of supportive aristocratic himbos. Edward was all soft heart and anxious vibes; Julianna was pragmatic, sharp, and ready to burn the patriarchy (politely, with excellent manners). Their chemistry sparkled, even when they were fumbling through some confusion, social scandal, and emotional unmasking.
It lost a star only because the third-act drama leaned a tad too hard into “just talk to each other, please,” but honestly, I was too busy giggling at the Shakespearean levels of mistaken identity and swooning over love letters to mind too much.
Bring tea and tissues—this one hits the funny bone and the feels.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Manic Pixie Dream Earl by Jenny Holiday
Earls Trip series #2. Historical romance, romantic comedy. Can be read as a stand-alone but because of the men’s friendships, probably better as part of the series.
It’s another year for the boys annual trip and once again, Edward Astley, Viscount Featherfinch, is not packed or ready to go. At least he’s dressed this year. Effie’s bought a printing press though it’s broken and he hasn’t fully decided what to do with it. Oh, sure, he knows the dream would be to give it to the love of his life, Julianna, but he’s never actually met her. She wouldn’t recognize him either as he signs his letters and columns with a female name rather than his own. Until they see each other on the street and know each other instantly, without ever having met.
He’s of the aristocracy. She is not. Even if he doesn’t want to be Earl, he doesn’t actually have a choice. She manages a magazine. He writes poem and an advice column.
What’s next for them?

🎧 I was able to alternate between an ebook and audiobook which is narrated by Harry Frost. He also did the first book in the series. The audiobook helps to bring the distinct personalities to the surface so the reader knows exactly when it’s Effie, or one of the boys or someone else. Effie’s head is often in the clouds but we can hear his wonder and concern and frustrations in his own life. I prefer to read the two formats together so I do listen at 1.5 or slightly higher to more closely match my reading and conversational speed. This performance seems perfect at regular and my faster preference.

This story didn’t go as expected and I loved it for that very reason. A great romance and solution for Effie. Next up is Simon and I’m looking forward to reading his romance.
Delicious and delightful.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher RBMedia.

A great second book in this fun series - perfect for summer beach reading. Strong characters, a fun story, and friends you don't want to let go of.

Such a fun title—and a refreshingly different take on the Regency genre!
Effie (a.k.a. Lord Edward Astley, Viscount Featherfinch) is far from your typical Regency leading man, and Julianna is equally unconventional as a love interest. But that’s exactly the charm—this is not your standard historical romance.

If you're seeking strict historical accuracy, this may not be the book for you. However, if you enjoy quirky, entertaining characters and a fresh twist on a familiar setting, this second installment in the series is worth a look.

I did feel the plot lagged in places and was not as strong as the first book in the series, which is why I'm landing on a 3-star rating, but I genuinely admire Holiday for bringing originality and flair to a genre that often plays it safe with expected tropes.

Fair warning: there are a few spicy scenes if that factors into your reading choices.

This was an entertaining, well-written Regency romance. It was steamy, fun, charming and held my interest. I enjoyed this Regency romance and look forward to reading more books by this author.

Jenny Holiday's latest romance is the second in her Earls Trip series which focuses on a group of close friends and their annual travels. I missed the previous book, which focused on Archibald Fielding-Burton, the Earl of Harcourt aka Archie. Manic Pixie Dream Earl focuses on Archie's flamboyant bff Effie. You do not have to have read the previous novel to enjoy this story or understand the dynamics between the various characters.

I enjoyed that the story was as much about strong friendships as it was about romance. Effie's is depicted as being demisexual, only attracted to those he has a strong long term connection with. He has developed feelings for Julianna, the editor of a Women's Magazine, he frequently writes poetry and other pieces for. When she shows up at the seaside destination where she thinks her correspondent Euphemia is staying with friends, she is shocked to learn that Effie is actually a man. The pair also are divided by age and class so despite their deep feelings towards one another they still have a number of challenges. Julianna is also hesitant to marry because of past experiences and Effie is coming to terms with childhood physical abuse. Despite the fact that the novel focuses on some deeper issues there is also a lot of light hearted humorous moments. This a historical romance for those with modern sensibilities; fans of Bridgerton should swoon.

In Jenny Holiday's, "Manic Pixie Dream Earl," we follow three Regency-era Earls—Effie, Simon, and Archie—on their annual men-only holiday filled with laughter, friendship, adventure and unexpected twists. Effie, the flamboyant Viscount Featherfinch, is a poet who writes under a pseudonym. He has a correspondence with Julianna, the editor of the magazine that publishes his work. Julianna assumed that Effie (Edward) is a woman. They have been writing letters and have become quite close. When Julianna decides to crash Effie's trip to Brighton, she discovers his true identity, leading to a surprising connection that transcends their initial friendship. As they navigate their feelings, both characters confront their pasts—Effie's struggles with a traumatic childhood and Julianna's issues with societal expectations. Their journey explores the complexities of love, friendship, and identity, culminating in a heartwarming tale of acceptance and growth.

This book combines humor, emotional depth, and queer representation, appealing to romance readers seeking something unexpected and relatable. With a dual POV that allows insight into both Effie's and Julianna's thoughts, readers experience their evolving relationship in a nuanced way. The portrayal of diverse identities—Effie as demisexual and Julianna as bisexual—adds to the the narrative. Additionally, the strong themes of friendship and support among the Earls resonate deeply, highlighting the importance of chosen family. Readers will appreciate Holiday's clever twists on classic tropes, including mistaken identity and reverse age gaps, all set against a vibrant historical backdrop. I like how they break all sorts of conventions in class, swimming, staying in the same house and working. There is definitely an HEA for the couple and their found family. I was hoping for a bit more from the children side of things, but I guess that is what makes this book unique to the historical romance genre. A fun read, a fun cover and definitely some entertaining characters.