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A review by rjordan19
Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖 (I loved a lot about this novel, but it did feel like it went on longer than I wanted)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes
Perspective: third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? I feel like it was a really balanced mix – first half is more character and the latter half is more plot
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: Pretty soon in – chapter 1 of 31
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, and it’s so cute – it’s done through letters throughout the following years (1819, 1821, 1821, 1824, 1826, 1826
Format: listened to an audiobook from the library (Hoopla) and read an e-book version through NetGalley (switched between the two)
Why I chose this book: I love Vasti and want to read all her books!
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
Should I read in order?
I think this okay to pick up alone! But you do get to meet the heroine in book 1 of this series.
Basic plot:
Lydia goes to Scotland to offer marriage to the Earl of Strathrannoch – but when she arrives, she finds she’s been terribly misled...
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency (didn’t catch a date but this takes place after book 1 in the series, which is 1815)
- Scotland setting
- English heroine / Scottish hero
- politically minded heroine
- must kiss you to avoid discovery
- fake marriage
- some road trip vibes with one bed and one horse
- heroine has social anxiety
- mystery to solve together
- mid to higher steam – I might be off a bit because my notes were sketchy but at least 4 full scenes
Ages:
- heroine is 26, didn’t catch hero but think he’s around 30?
First line:
“Based upon our respective financial situations, our mutually agreeable political interests, and the general compatability of our persons,” Lydia Hope-Wallace said, “it seems to both our advantages that we unite in holy matrimony.”
My thoughts:
There was so much I adored about this book. Vasti’s writing is really wonderful. I love her dialogue and how she develops her mains. I really fell in love with both of these main characters. Lydia is just adorable, I feel for her so much (and understand) her social anxiety. And Arthur was just the best. I love how he slowly lost his mind and heart over Lydia. I fell for him hard the moment he grabbed Lydia up and rescued her from the zebra stampede.
My favorite parts of this book were more centered in the first half of the book. I wasn’t super into the mystery-ish/spy plot of this one – I did like it overall but thought it drug on a bit too long for me and I found myself ready for the book to be over before it was...but when the mains were together and focused on each other I was so in love. The spice was super delightful to me – Arthur was so emotional and obsessed with Lydia and he just melted my heart repeatedly.
So definitely a fun read but the espionage plot took it down a bit for me.
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 5
Average rating: 4.8 stars
Favorite book: In Which Matilda Halifax Learns the Value of Restraint
Quotes any typos are my own! I am bad with typos, I apologize
He was an enormous fellow, tall – considerably taller even than Jasper, the tallest of her brothers – and probably twice as broad about the shoulder as Jasper as well. His hair was a goldfish sort of brown, curly and rumpled, and his face was obscured by a haphazard growth of whiskers.
---
“I am here,” she said, “to marry you.”
No, that wasn’t how she’d written it out. Strathrannoch made a faint choking sound, and, at her size, Georgiana did as well.
“I have money,” Lydia said desperately.
---
“My name is Lydia-Hope-Wallace,” she said finally, “and this is my friend Lady Georgiana Cleeve.” She looked down and gestured at the dog. “And this is Sir Francis Bacon.”
Arthur did not know what to do with that information. He elected to nod.
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- some minor scenes of violence
Author content warnings? This novel contains non-graphic threatened violence and historic firearm usage, as well as brief references to homophobia and past parental death
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex: No
How’s the consent? It’s good
Pregnancy/children in story? No children or pregnancy in the story, but babies in the epilogue
Chapter 12 – kisses
Chapter 13 – kisses
Chapter 16 – 🔥 fingering for her, dry humping against a door
Instinctively, she spread her legs, and then moaned as his tongue made a hot swipe down the side of her neck.
“Hush,” he said. She felt his fingers bunched in her night rail, the silk pulling right across her hips, and then one hand was beneath, sliding up her inner thigh. “Lydia, my love, you cannot be so loud – ah God you feel – ah fuck -”
Chapter 19 - 🔥 fingering for her, handy for him outside
He dragged his teeth along her skin and yanked her bodice down, baring her glorious breasts. “You’ve no idea the things I want to do to you.”
“Do them,” she gasped. “All of them. Don’t stop.”
Fuck, he thought, oh fuck, because her nipple was in his mouth and she was making those sounds again, eager and frantic as he flicked the taut nub with his tongue and then sucked.
Chapter 22 – 🔥 her on top while she holds the headboard
”I will never regret it,” she whispered. “Never, Arthur. I want everything you said – Strathrannoch Castle and the meadowsweet and your hands in mine. I want you. I care for you. I -”
He surged forward and pressed her up against the wall.
She gasped. His body was large and hard. His hands went to her waist, pulling her up, his knee sliding between her legs.
“Thank Christ,” he rasped. “God forgive me, Lydia, but it would have killed me to let you go.”
Chapter 24 - 🔥 oral for her, her on top
”Say my name,” he said hoarsely.
“Arthur,” she murmured.
The sound of his name on her lips felt almost like a release in itself – a physical pleasure, a throb of need.
He pulled his fingers from her body and she made a wordless sound of protest. Her lashes fluttered open, her eyes all dazed dark blue as she found his face.
“Say it again,” he ordered.
“Arthur.”
He thrust his fingers into her and heard a groan, a gasp, hers, his – he did not know.
Chapter 29 - kisses
Total Chapters: 31
Readability: 📖📖📖📖 (I loved a lot about this novel, but it did feel like it went on longer than I wanted)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes
Perspective: third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? I feel like it was a really balanced mix – first half is more character and the latter half is more plot
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: Pretty soon in – chapter 1 of 31
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, and it’s so cute – it’s done through letters throughout the following years (1819, 1821, 1821, 1824, 1826, 1826
Format: listened to an audiobook from the library (Hoopla) and read an e-book version through NetGalley (switched between the two)
Why I chose this book: I love Vasti and want to read all her books!
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
Should I read in order?
I think this okay to pick up alone! But you do get to meet the heroine in book 1 of this series.
Basic plot:
Lydia goes to Scotland to offer marriage to the Earl of Strathrannoch – but when she arrives, she finds she’s been terribly misled...
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency (didn’t catch a date but this takes place after book 1 in the series, which is 1815)
- Scotland setting
- English heroine / Scottish hero
- politically minded heroine
- must kiss you to avoid discovery
- fake marriage
- some road trip vibes with one bed and one horse
- heroine has social anxiety
- mystery to solve together
- mid to higher steam – I might be off a bit because my notes were sketchy but at least 4 full scenes
Ages:
- heroine is 26, didn’t catch hero but think he’s around 30?
First line:
“Based upon our respective financial situations, our mutually agreeable political interests, and the general compatability of our persons,” Lydia Hope-Wallace said, “it seems to both our advantages that we unite in holy matrimony.”
My thoughts:
There was so much I adored about this book. Vasti’s writing is really wonderful. I love her dialogue and how she develops her mains. I really fell in love with both of these main characters. Lydia is just adorable, I feel for her so much (and understand) her social anxiety. And Arthur was just the best. I love how he slowly lost his mind and heart over Lydia. I fell for him hard the moment he grabbed Lydia up and rescued her from the zebra stampede.
My favorite parts of this book were more centered in the first half of the book. I wasn’t super into the mystery-ish/spy plot of this one – I did like it overall but thought it drug on a bit too long for me and I found myself ready for the book to be over before it was...but when the mains were together and focused on each other I was so in love. The spice was super delightful to me – Arthur was so emotional and obsessed with Lydia and he just melted my heart repeatedly.
So definitely a fun read but the espionage plot took it down a bit for me.
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 5
Average rating: 4.8 stars
Favorite book: In Which Matilda Halifax Learns the Value of Restraint
Quotes any typos are my own! I am bad with typos, I apologize
He was an enormous fellow, tall – considerably taller even than Jasper, the tallest of her brothers – and probably twice as broad about the shoulder as Jasper as well. His hair was a goldfish sort of brown, curly and rumpled, and his face was obscured by a haphazard growth of whiskers.
---
“I am here,” she said, “to marry you.”
No, that wasn’t how she’d written it out. Strathrannoch made a faint choking sound, and, at her size, Georgiana did as well.
“I have money,” Lydia said desperately.
---
“My name is Lydia-Hope-Wallace,” she said finally, “and this is my friend Lady Georgiana Cleeve.” She looked down and gestured at the dog. “And this is Sir Francis Bacon.”
Arthur did not know what to do with that information. He elected to nod.
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- some minor scenes of violence
Author content warnings? This novel contains non-graphic threatened violence and historic firearm usage, as well as brief references to homophobia and past parental death
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex:
How’s the consent?
Pregnancy/children in story?
Chapter 12 – kisses
Chapter 13 – kisses
Chapter 16 – 🔥 fingering for her, dry humping against a door
Instinctively, she spread her legs, and then moaned as his tongue made a hot swipe down the side of her neck.
“Hush,” he said. She felt his fingers bunched in her night rail, the silk pulling right across her hips, and then one hand was beneath, sliding up her inner thigh. “Lydia, my love, you cannot be so loud – ah God you feel – ah fuck -”
Chapter 19 - 🔥 fingering for her, handy for him outside
He dragged his teeth along her skin and yanked her bodice down, baring her glorious breasts. “You’ve no idea the things I want to do to you.”
“Do them,” she gasped. “All of them. Don’t stop.”
Fuck, he thought, oh fuck, because her nipple was in his mouth and she was making those sounds again, eager and frantic as he flicked the taut nub with his tongue and then sucked.
Chapter 22 – 🔥 her on top while she holds the headboard
”I will never regret it,” she whispered. “Never, Arthur. I want everything you said – Strathrannoch Castle and the meadowsweet and your hands in mine. I want you. I care for you. I -”
He surged forward and pressed her up against the wall.
She gasped. His body was large and hard. His hands went to her waist, pulling her up, his knee sliding between her legs.
“Thank Christ,” he rasped. “God forgive me, Lydia, but it would have killed me to let you go.”
Chapter 24 - 🔥 oral for her, her on top
”Say my name,” he said hoarsely.
“Arthur,” she murmured.
The sound of his name on her lips felt almost like a release in itself – a physical pleasure, a throb of need.
He pulled his fingers from her body and she made a wordless sound of protest. Her lashes fluttered open, her eyes all dazed dark blue as she found his face.
“Say it again,” he ordered.
“Arthur.”
He thrust his fingers into her and heard a groan, a gasp, hers, his – he did not know.
Chapter 29 - kisses
Total Chapters: 31