Publication: 6th February 2025 – Corvus
Right girl. Wrong Earl.
Lydia Hope-Wallace’s secret life as the anonymous author of rebellious political pamphlets has led her into a correspondence with the charming Earl of Strathrannoch. When she learns he’s in dire financial straits, Lydia sets out for Scotland to offer him a marriage of convenience – to, erm, herself.
Arthur Baird, Earl of Strathrannoch is stunned when a bewitching stranger offers him her hand in marriage. But when he realizes that his traitorous brother has been writing to her under his name, he’s bloody furious.
Desperate to track down his estranged sibling, Arthur needs Lydia’s help. What he doesn’t need? The attraction that burns hotter each moment they spend together. As Lydia slips past his defences, Arthur will have to risk everything to keep her safe – even his heart…
Earl Crush was such a fun and witty read. There is a socially anxious heroine who pukes in the plants when she has to attend a ball, but who writes strong political pamphlets that seem to have drawn the interest of an earl. There is also a big strong Scottish hero, a fake marriage, and a chase around the country in search of a possibly dangerous weapon. I couldn’t put it down!
The protagonist, Lydia, is an heiress, but her shyness has made for disastrous Seasons and she is still a wallflower. Her solution is to propose a marriage of convenience to the Earl of Strathrannoch, with whom she’s been corresponding about politics for the last three years and who is in financial trouble. However, when she reaches his Scottish castle, she finds out that not only it’s overrun by zebras, but also that the man she’s been corresponding with is not the earl, but his younger brother, who’s now run off with a deadly weapon. The real Earl of Strathrannoch, Arthur, had no idea that his brother has been using his name and now asks for Lydia’s help in finding him before he does something irreparable.
Earl Crush is my second novel by Alexandra Vasti and she’s quickly becoming a favourite. I enjoy her writing style and her characters are entertaining and interesting. Lydia is very introverted, but also smart and determined, not afraid to put herself in danger for the sake of others; Arthur is grumpy and gets easily annoyed, but he can also be caring and kind. I also liked the secondary characters, especially the interfering servants. There is swoony romance and also suspense with a few twists and I loved how each chapter starts with an extract from letters. Highly recommended!
A huge thank you to Rachel and Corvus Books for inviting me to join the blog tour in exchange for my honest opinion.
Alexandra Vasti loves coffee, beignets, and books, in no particular order. She is the author of Ne’er Duke Well and the Halifax Hellions series. In between writing swoony Regency romances with hijinks and heart, she teaches British and Caribbean literature in New Orleans.
Social Media Links – https://www.instagram.com/alexandravasti/ – @alexandravasti
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