Althea had no idea what would happen when she persuaded her rambunctious friend Connie to help her force her fiance Oliver to break their engagement. While the premise is a bit far fetched, the chemistry between Connie and Oliver is wholly believable and fun. This opposites attract romance works really well. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Just the novel to relax with.

Bethany Bennett’s "My Best Friend’s Earl" is a charming Regency romance that turns the classic opposites attract trope into something fresh and fun. The story follows Constance Martin, a bookseller with a knack for chaos (and what seems to be ADHD), who is recruited by her friend Althea to sabotage the latter's engagement to Oliver Vincent, the Earl of Southwyn. The series of hilarious schemes to annoy the stuffy earl quickly becomes complicated when Constance realizes Oliver isn’t the bore she imagined, and worse, she might actually be falling for him.

The chemistry between Constance and Oliver is the heart of the book. She’s a whirlwind of energy, flitting from one idea to the next, while he’s rigid, methodical, and obsessed with order. Watching Oliver’s carefully controlled world unravel thanks to Constance’s antics—like foisting a feral kitten on him or secretly swapping out his meticulously planned wardrobe—is a lot of fun. And I do feel like this is a thoughtful portrayal of neurodivergence in a time before it was understood. Constance’s struggles with focus, her tendency to start projects she never finishes, and her frustration with societal expectations feel relatable and real, even now. Bennett handles this with care, showing how Constance’s quirks aren’t flaws but part of what makes her who she is.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC!

3.5 stars

In My Best Friend's Earl, Althea seeks out her friend Connie to break up her engagement with the Earl, Oliver Southwyn. Except things don't go as planned, as Connie and Oliver end up falling for each other.
I really enjoyed the first half of the story. It was moving along a good pace, keeping things interesting. However I think at one point it slowed down a bit, and then my interest started waning, to the point of skimming the last few chapters.
It's well-written, although a bit wordy to my taste. Loved the ADHD rep!

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I am cursed to always read books without realizing they're part of a series. I am excited to go back and be able to read about Dorian and Caro's romance and get to enjoy the characters from this book as well. I won't lie, this story started off slow, which is my fault for not having read the first book, but once I finally got into the book, I enjoyed every last page.

I'm a sucker for romance, and I seem to fall for just about every male lead, and this story is no different because I absolutely adored Oliver. While he is duty-bound, he's also thoughtful and caring and wants to genuinely love and be loved. I also found myself relating so much with Connie and her struggles of feeling disorganized and living her life sporadically until the moment comes where she needs to pull up her bootstraps and finally get serious. I love the close-knit family vibes that all of the characters give off and how protective they are of each other.

I love finding new historical romance authors to follow, and I cannot wait for Hattie's story as well as seeing what else Bennett has up her sleeve for future stories.

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.

This second book in the series was a lot of fun ! When Constance agrees to help her friend break off her engagement to the stuffy Earl of Southwyn, sparks start to fly, and an adorable kitten steals the show 😂

i LOVED Bennett's release last year - Good Duke Gone Wild but this one didn't quite hit for me in the same way. while the premise set up for some good hijinks it felt like it took too long for the two main characters to even really get in the same room as each other - it took too much time to finagle the story into getting them around each other that i became impatient for the book to just get on with it a bit. I also just felt like we didn't get enough of the yearning build for each other i was hoping for because we'd lost so much time to set up.
i LOVED the neurodivergence rep in this though - in the author's note Bennett talks about how Constance wouldn't have known she had ADHD in this time period let alone how to manage it and i loved that it was a thing Oliver celebrated her for as opposed to wanting to fix her.
This is a small thing but I also wish the woman on the cover resembled more of what Constance is described as looking like in the book - she's described as being smaller and fuller, and a tall lithe blond protagonist graces the cover and while she's lovely it does a disservice to the body diversity Bennett is writing in her novels.
Despite not loving this one as much as the other I'm still so excited to get (I assume) Hattie's book next! there was a nice nod to what i think will be the start of her story toward the end of this one.

This was a fun historical romance. I enjoyed the premise of the story and how the couple worked to finally be together. It was lighter on the spice side, but the tension was great.

3.5 Stars
One Liner: Nice but missing the spark

Constance Martin doesn’t want a boring life. She even called off her wedding to avoid the monotony of marriage. So, when a friend, a woman with a title, asks for help to break off her engagement, Constance is more than happy to help.
Oliver Vincent, Earl of Southwyn, wants his life to be orderly and structured. He has it all planned, down to marrying the girl next door, who is very reluctant to say yes. His life would be easy if her friend weren’t such a distraction. With them being poles apart, nothing good would come out of it, right?
The story comes in Constance and Oliver’s third-person POVs.

My Thoughts:
I quite enjoyed the first book in the series and was happy to grab this one. We meet both main leads in that book, so I knew their story would be entertaining, thanks to their contrasting personalities.
The ADHD rep is very well done, which is not surprising since the author has it (don’t skip her note at the end). Connie or Constance is chaotic, forgetful, and may appear flighty, but has a kind heart and yearns to be loved for who she is (her family accepts her ways, but she suffers from bouts of confidence issues).
The MMC’s father was the kind you’d want to avoid at any cost, so he does his best to be the opposite of him. That means he inevitably becomes an idiot in other aspects. While I could see his reasoning, the way he refused to even consider what his fiancée wanted and acted like he knew what was best for her annoyed me. In short, dude wants to be an earl in shining armor even if the damsel doesn’t want it.
The banter and the antics were fun. The scenes with the cat and kitten (yeah, we have both) can bring a chuckle or two. Even the conversations are well-written.
That said, I didn’t feel the spark I felt in the previous book. Somehow, their relationship fell flat, despite having all the drama and angst it should. The spicy scenes didn’t help either, though it’s novel to have a role reversal with a virgin hero.
Moreover, the pacing is uneven. I feel the setup and drama are dragged a bit too long. The story would have been tighter if it had taken out a couple of chapters.
I like the side characters, Althea and the other guy, as well as Hattie, the cousin, and Caro and Dorian (from book one). They play fairly moderate roles, so it will help you read book #1 at some point. The next one should be Hattie’s (I think I know who the hero will be. We’ll wait and see if I’m right).

To summarize, My Best Friend's Earl is an entertaining read for the most part, but it didn’t give me the same feels as the previous book. Still, I’m excited for the next in the series.
Thank you, NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Tropes: class difference; MFC with a past; opposites attract; forced proximity
Steam level: 3
Part of a series, I do recommend reading the previous book first, but this works ok on its own.

3.75 stars rounded up. I've liked this author since her first book, and this has so many ingredients I appreciate in a HR:
--Neurodivergent MFC (she has what we would call today ADHD) who is worldly and working class
--Stuffy but sexy(secretly dirty talking) earl who is not a himbo
--Spicy sex scenes with a nice twist (she teaches him)
--Fun secondary characters (Hoping Hattie and Bixby will feature in the next book)
--Plenty of humor throughout
--Clever plan by MMC Oliver to finally get out of the engagement
--No slut shaming and a safe sex discussion
--A couple of memorable cats (although they sort of disappear by the end)

So why not more stars? I really liked Connie and Oliver, but they don't spend enough quality time together in the first half of the book. There are side conversations and scenes with other characters, ruminations, schemes involving Connie trying to break up her friend Althea's engagement to Oliver, and even steamy daydreams on Oliver's part; meanwhile not nearly enough getting-to-know-you or even crackling banter between our MC's. When the banter and steam finally arrive, they're great. Before the halfway mark, though, I was starting to despair.

Bottom line: the last 25% of the book definitely makes everything worth the wait, but I hate waiting more than Connie does.

I enjoyed the story and loved the chemistry between Oliver and Constance. Boring and dutiful meets chaos and adventurous. An enemies to lovers romance that leads to everything.

I'm floating on a cloud because this was historical romcom gold. Absolutely loved!

Connie is asked by her good friend to break her engagement to Oliver. Connie agrees and hilarity ensues. I thought the plot of this was great and certainly kept me engaged. The stuff Connie and the other women would come up with to mess with Oliver was hysterical. I was super intrigued to see how this was going to end since Oliver seemed determine to marry the wrong woman. I found the plot fast-paced, entertaining and funny.

Connie is a sweetheart and Oliver is a bit starchy. They are total opposites. I think their dynamic really added to the comedy and romance. It's fun and incredibly romantic once they do start to fall for each other. Plus Oliver's a virgin (love a virgin hero!). Their chemistry was fantastic and the steamy scenes tasteful but still hot.

Amongst hijinks and escapades is a wonderful love story. A perfect historical romcom!

This was a delightful opposites attract romance!


I am really enjoying this series, with working class female booksellers, it’s a fresh look at historical romances. Especially since we get one that who has ADHD with no diagnosis (it didn’t ‘exist’ yet).

This one was a slow burn, but the payoff was so worth it.
The male main character was so stoic, but he really made the book what it was.

We get a glimpse of what I believe will be the next book’s main characters, and I cannot wait!

4.5⭐️, 2ish🔥
What happens when ADHD meets OCD? Well in the case of Constance and Oliver attraction, lust, and Love!! My Best Friend’s Earl brings us back to the delightful world of Martin’s Booksellers and the fascinating women who run it. When I picked up this book to read I realized it was book 2 in the series and immediately put it down so I could read book 1 and I’m so glad I did. There are so many over lapping characters in each of the books and as much as I want to say you can read this as a stand alone, I just think you will understand all the main and secondary characters better if you read Good Duke Gone Wild first.
Connie Martin has always had a curious mind and never met a hobby, task or subject she didn’t want to try, unfortunately it’s finishing said hobby or tasks that has always been the issue. She just can’t seem to keep track of things she wants or needs to accomplish without making out a list. Oliver, Earl of Southwyn likes his life neatly, orderly and unfussy. We first meet these 2 in book 1 where we know Oliver is betrothed to Lady Althea and Constance just left her fiancé at the altar. With book 2 Althea has become good friends with Constance and asks her to help in “Match-breaking” her engagement to Oliver. It’s through a series of trying to cause some upheaval in Oliver’s everyday life that the MCs get to know (and secretly like/lust) each other. There are some sweet moments with a kitten that at just adorable.
What I really enjoyed about the book was that even though the main characters romance is the focus of the story, it is part of an overall multi story line. We get to know why Althea doesn’t want to marry Oliver, why Oliver needs order and security in his life, why Constance has always felt insecure all her life, despite having a loving family. This may put some people off, but I really like the secondary characters and also revisiting with Caro and Dorian from book 2.
My only reason that this wasn’t a 5⭐️ book was that I felt the solution to how everyone will get their HEA became a bit too complicated at the end. But over all this was a throughly enjoyable read and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, which I felt was set up a bit at the end.
I also want to give a big shout out to Ms. Bennett for writing a character with ADHA in a positive light and how the people around her love and nurture her. It was not surprising to read the author’s notes that she, herself was diagnosed with ADHD.

My Best Friend’s Earl has what seems to be a typical setup: A character wants to escape an arranged marriage.

There’s also a stuffy earl. A friend who’s a bit chaotic and agrees to stage a series of escalating attempts to get the intended groom to cry off. And yes, the plan doesn’t go quite as intended.

But this interpretation is wholly original, and that’s because of the protagonist, Constance Martin.

Connie is a list maker, a quirky multitasker. She’s neurodivergent, likely ADHD – not that she has any way of knowing this in 1816, as Bethany Bennett points out in the author’s note. I don’t have ADHD, but I expect this nuanced portrait will resonate with women who do have it.

Connie’s struggles to stay focused are real – and cause some pain. But her friends and family don’t let her talk down to herself, and part of her growth in the romantic arc is learning the good parts of how her brain works.

Connie is also loyal and wants to be useful. She wants to belong. So when her friend Althea doesn’t want to marry Oliver, the Earl of Southwyn, to fulfill a family agreement from years ago, Connie agrees to try to break the match.

That’s how she gets thrown together with Oliver, who is also a delight. He isn’t actually stuffy; he’s organized and principled and, OK, a little set in his ways. But he has reasons. And he’s got a sense of humor, a strong arsenal of curses and the ability to fall in love with a bedraggled, overly energetic cat. His gradual loosening up is beautiful.

Con's best friend wants her to help her break her parental match with Oliver. While coming up with many unusual ideas, Con comes to be attracted to Oliver herself. Mutually attracted, Con and Oliver must think up a way to break his betrothal to her best friend. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Forever for my honest review.

OMG I loved it. I knew I would because I'm trash for "enemies" to lovers. I love when the uptight guy falls for the "chaos" gal. But I also loved how Bethany Bennett dug deeper into Constance and showed how she, Connie, felt about her inability to focus, her fluttering from hobby to hobby, how it truly felt to be a joke of her family regarding something she couldn't control despite trying. I felt for Connie and I love that Oliver saw her for who she was. That's the best part of romance--when the characters see the other, past the mask, past the airs, past the clothes and the cold attitude. And not only does Oliver see Connie, she sees Oliver for his true self and not the man he shows to society. He's so tired and likely just doesn't really care what she thinks of him, and knows that she's her true self, that he doesn't struggle to be his true self around her. It's so lovely.

He was so set on doing the right thing and marrying the woman (not Connie) who wanted nothing to do with him that I really didn't see (once again!) how Bethany was going to pull this off! Oliver was trying not to be his father but I don't think he realized how much he was being his father by not listening to his fiance's true wishes.

Not the spiciest of books but I did not care because of how well everything else is written and portrayed. Not closed door but not descriptive either. HIGHLY recommend!

Great read. Enjoyed the close friendship of the cousins. The laugh out loud moments were spot on. Story line kept my interest to see what was going to happen next. Was a little confusing at the start, with the names. Took me a few minutes and some back reading to figures out who was who. Will be looking forward to reading more books by Bethany Bennett.

One of my favorite microtropes is seeing a stuffy nobleman come undone by a chaotic woman.

Constance is trying to help her friend Althea break her unwanted engagement to Oliver. Of course, her scheming immediately starts backfiring.

I appreciated the ADHD representation and the beautiful support the Martin family gives each other.

After leaving her fiancé at the altar, Constance has gained a reputation and her best friend, Althea, asks for her help in ending her own engagement to Oliver Vincent, Earl of Southwyn. Oliver has been betrothed since childhood, first to Althea’s sister and then to Althea, and knows marriage is the only way to get back his family’s land. As Constance assists in breaking things off between Althea and Oliver the attraction between herself and Oliver grows, but Oliver still feels honor-bound to do right by Althea even though it may break all their hearts.

I usually love Bethany’s books and for whatever reason this one really dragged for me, particularly the first half. On top of that, it broke one of my cardinal rules of historical romance and name dropped Jane Austen prior to 1817 (book is set in 1816). I did like the juxtaposition of Oliver’s calm and Constance’s chaos and I could feel the attraction between the pair but it just took so long for us to get to the pair’s actual romance. I have read the previous book in the series but it’s been a while and I must admit I was a bit lost at the beginning with so many things starting directly where that one left off. I still enjoyed myself well enough and will read the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Delightful romance with a side of girl power!

In this opposites-attract romance, our inconstant Constance finds herself helping her friend, Althea, avoid marriage to the staid Oliver. Althea has her eye on another suitor, but her parents are determined to gain their foothold in society by having her marry the earl.

I loved how Connie was determined to make Althea intolerable to Oliver, and I wondered at just how much of a gentleman he could be when he was insisting on marrying her regardless of how she felt. However, once the story really gets going, Oliver's motivations become clear and we realize he's truly trying his best to do right by his childhood friend, even if it means forcing her into a loveless marriage.

Once Oliver starts to fall for Connie, however, he needs to come up with another plan, and boy, does he! I loved the intricate, complex solution he found, and was glued to the book as I watched him put his plan into action.

I adored the witty banter between Oliver and Connie, almost as much as I loved the friendship between Connie and Althea, as well as that of Connie with her sister and cousin. The gals really have all the fun in this story, and I loved every madcap moment!

I really appreciated the author's note at the end, how she explained her decision to write a character with what we now know as ADHD. She did a wonderful job of showing both the good and the bad, especially with the compromises necessary to secure the future of the family business, and I couldn't be happier with the HEA for the entire family.