Earl Crush

Following Ne’er Duke Well last summer, Alexandra Vasti is back with the second book in her Belvoir’s Library trilogy, Earl Crush. Wallflower and heiress Lydia Hope-Wallace has been secretly writing radical political pamphlets for years, and has been corresponding with a like-minded Scottish earl. She’s now shown up at his estate in Scotland to propose a marriage of convenience… only to find that the man she’s been writing to is NOT the earl, but his missing brother. Arthur (the true earl) is as surprised as she is, and soon, Lydia is roped into tracking down his brother—and finding a new flame of love along the way.

Why I Chose This Book:

I loved Ne’er Duke Well, and I’ve been excited to continue the Belvoir’s Library trilogy ever since. Lydia is socially awkward and politically progressive, two qualities I think we have in common. And her romance with a Scottish earl—with themes of stolen identity, preventing mayhem, and a marriage of convenience (or fake marriage!)—was equally captivating. Earl Crush looked like it would be a riot!

What I Liked:

• Lydia is shy and socially anxious… but brave in the face of real danger
• Arthur is also an introvert who keeps to himself
• Zebras!
• Tracking down the missing brother who posed as Arthur, Earl of Strathrannoch
• Sibling relationships
• Marriage of convenience?
• Fake marriage?
• Progressive politics of the Regency era
• The epilogue! Swoon!

Audiobook

Mhairi Morrison narrates all of Earl Crush, and she does a great job of capturing the book’s lighthearted tone. She transmits the wit and humor as well as the inner thoughts of our shy characters. Her narration is rather slow: Though I often listen to audiobooks at 1.5-2x speed, for this one, I bumped it up to 2.5x speed for it to feel right. Depending on the reader, an increase in speed may make for a smoother listen.

Final Thoughts

Earl Crush is a lot of fun, with mystery and mayhem abounding from start to finish. I liked getting to see two shy characters find love despite the chaotic situation they’ve been thrust into. It was also a joy to read about their relationships with their respective brothers, tumultuous as they may be. The Belvoir’s Library trilogy has been wonderful so far, and I’m excited to read the final book, Ladies in Hating, later this year.

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy Earl Crush here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti
Series	Belvoir’s Library (#2)
Audiobook Narrator	Mhairi Morrison
Audience	Adult
Genre	Historical Romance
Setting	Scotland; England
Number of Pages	352
Format I Read	Audiobook & Ebook (NetGalley ARCs)
Original Publication Date	January 21, 2025
Publisher	St. Martin’s Griffin

Official Summary

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.