Book Review: Curled Up With An Earl by Amy Rose Bennett

About the Book:

Title: Curled Up With an Earl

Author: Amy Rose Bennett

Series: The Byronic Book Club #2

Page Length: 368

Publication Date: Feb. 7, 2023

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Synopsis: Miss Lucy Bertram is content to spend her days writing scientific articles or curling up with a Gothic romance novel. Indeed, she’d rather stick a hatpin in her eye than attend a ball. But when her father, the eccentric botanist Sir Oswald, insists she accept the suit of a wealthy but stiffer-than-a-poker industrialist to save the family from penury, Lucy decides to act. She’s certain her disowned brother, Monty, will take her side. But first she must find him in St. Giles’s cutthroat rookeries.

A covert agent for the Crown, William Lockhart, the Earl of Kyle, is on the hunt for a ruthless killer determined to destroy the Linnean Society. Sir Oswald, a botanical poisons expert, is the prime suspect. Posing as a groom in the baronet’s household, it shouldn’t take Will long to unearth the evidence Scotland Yard needs. If only the beguiling Miss Bertram wasn’t so damn distracting…

As an unexpected but undeniable passion flares between Lucy and Will, confidences are exchanged and dark secrets come to light. But will a murderer, determined to stay hidden, destroy their chances of finding a happy-ever-after?

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon

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My Review:

This is the second book in The Byronic Book club, and it is as romantic and entertaining as the first one. I loved the characters and the romance as well as the intriguing mystery.

After a falling out with her father, Lucy’s brother has been missing for months. Her family seems to be struggling financially, and her father is pushing her toward a man she has no interest in. Lucy is perfectly content becoming a spinster, traveling, and working on her botanical goals even though she doesn’t get credit for the papers she writes for her father. When Lucy meets Will, their new stableman, she has no idea how much her life is about to change.

Will is an Earl and a spy for the crown charged with investigating Lucy’s father, a suspect in a case Will is working on. Posing as a stableman, Will has easy access to her father’s home, which helps his investigation and allows him time to get to know Lucy. I love Will! He falls for Lucy so fast and so hard, and he is beyond distracted by his feelings. It’s so sweet to see this capable, strong man become so unraveled by her. And Lucy is equally drawn to him. I think it helps that he is pretending to be a stableman. If she had met him in a formal setting with other members of the elite, I have a feeling their relationship would be quite different.

Lucy is intelligent, awkward, and shy, but when she’s around Will, her timidity begins to fade. It’s so wonderful to see Lucy go from being reserved, uncomfortable, and apprehensive to self-assured and willing to speak her mind. She reminds me of myself in many ways. She has anxiety and struggles with social and new situations, and she doesn’t like conflict. She is also a people pleaser and tries really hard to appease her family. Her budding relationship with Will gives Lucy the confidence she seems to lack.

I adore the romance between Lucy and Will. They have amazing chemistry, and they see each other in ways that no one else does. It’s a new experience for them both. Their love story is filled with yearning and longing, and there’s some steam too. Some of my favorite scenes are when they take secret peeks at each other, and when you can tell they are ready to burst with love for each other but try to resist. It’s so sweet and angsty and endearing, and it made their eventual HEA all the more romantic.

The mystery is also intriguing, as Will tries to determine who is threatening members of the scientific society, and Lucy tries to find her brother. Will also has to reveal his true identity to Lucy, and I was curious to see how she would react to that. Their journey takes them into some dangerous situations, which adds to the mystery and suspense and makes the story even more entertaining. I was eager to find out if my predictions were right, and I enjoyed the botanical aspect of the investigation and Lucy’s pivotal role in solving the mystery.

I thought this was a great addition to the series and loved that the characters in the first book are also in this one. However, even if you didn’t read the first book, you can easily read this one. They both can be read as standalones. That being said, I enjoyed and recommend them both! Special thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.