In Alexandra Vasti’s newest Regency rom-com, a reclusive earl’s life is turned upside down when a stranger shows up on his doorstep with an astonishing proposal—and an inconvenient connection to espionage. For three years, wallflower heiress Lydia Hope-Wallace has anonymously penned seditious pamphlets. And for almost as long, she’s corresponded with the Earl of Strathrannoch, whose political ambition is matched only by his charm. When Arthur’s latest letter reveals his dire financial straits, Lydia sets out for Scotland to offer him the only salvation she can think of—a marriage of convenience. To, um, herself. Unfortunately, the Earl of Strathrannoch has no idea who she is. When a bewitching redheaded stranger offers him her hand in marriage, Arthur Baird is stunned—but when he learns that his traitorous brother has been writing to her under Arthur’s name, he’s bloody furious. He’s content to live alone in his moldering castle, and he has no desire for a provocative, radical wife. (Or at least, he shouldn’t.) But Arthur is desperate to track down his brother, who’s become dangerously entangled in British espionage, and he needs Lydia’s help. What he doesn’t need? The attraction that burns hotter each moment they spend together. As Lydia slips past his defenses and his brother’s mysterious past becomes a very present threat, Arthur will have to risk everything to keep her safe—even his heart.
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Unfortunately, things go sideways very quickly, starting with zebras running amuck and almost taking out Lydia and Georgiana. Not to worry, Arthur saves them both and enlists Lydia's help in finding his missing brother. It seems the Earl's brother has become involved in some sort of conspiracy. Arthur and Lydia must follow his trail to uncover the truth of it all, if they can overcome their building passion long enough to track him down.
If I had to pick just one word to describe this book it would be fun. Like the first book, we get dual, third-person POV from both Arthur and Lydia. The way that Alexandra Vasti writes men's desire and passion is everything I want in future romance novels. She builds genuine chemistry between her characters so well and these two just could not keep their hands to themselves. There is definitely some pining but not much slowburn in this installment, unlike the first book.
Earl Crush would also be easy to read as a standalone novel, if you happen to pick this one up first. I actually read about 20% before I realized it was the second and went back to read the first. It gives more context to Lydia, Georgiana, and Belvoir's Library, but you wouldn't find yourself lost.
I also love that in this book we get to see Lydia come out of her shell and not in a "she realized she could because a man told her she could" type of way. I would've loved to get more from the side characters though, see their motivations, relationships, and history but I understand that the story had so much going on already, it might've been hard to fit in.
I can definitely see myself re-reading this for an easy, fun palatte cleanser with open-door, explicit spicy scenes, which makes it easy to give Earl Crush 4/5 stars.
I can't wait to see what the next book has in store for us, fingers crossed for Georgiana's story!
Thank you to St. Martin's Publishing and NetGalley for an eARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.
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