Book Tea with a Side of History: Earl Crush
I pulled up the world clock and counted down the minutes until this book would download onto my Kindle. I love all of Alexandra Vasti’s novellas and often recommend them to new readers of the genre. This book was no exception and a highlight of my January reads.
Book Tea
Lydia Hope-Wallace, is a woman with a brilliant mind, but a weak stomach. Since the last time we met her in Ne’er Duke Well, she has become a prolific radical pamphleteer distributing her writings through the mysterious Belvoir’s Library. While she is confident in sharing her ideas in print, she struggles with anxiety in social situations. Over the past three years, she has been writing to a man believed to be the Earl of Strathrannoch and a supporter of her political ideas.
Arthur Baird, the Earl of Strathrannoch, lives his quiet life in a rundown castle. He lives with a small staff, whom he treats more like family, and a strange assortment of rescued animals. Have you heard of a Degu? He has spent years trying to bring his estate back from financial ruin in order to help his tenants and the villagers. His only brother, Davis, has recently burned him, thereby sealing his determination to not seek assistance from others.
As an heiress, Lydia proposes a marriage of convenience to Arthur, believing him to be her penpal. She is shocked to find out he has no idea who she is, and he has most definitely not been writing letters to pamphleteers. They quickly discover it is his brother who has written to her this whole time and they suspect that he has alternative motives. They must find him to put a stop to whatever he has planned.
She’s Done it Again
Okay, I am a bit of an Alexandra Vasti fangirl, but I do admit that Ne’er Duke Well is my least favorite of her publications. While I love the premise of Belvoir’s Library, Peter and Selina’s connection was a bit lacking for me. However, I took a huge sigh of relief when I realized that was not the case with this book. Earl Crush demonstrates the same mastery of romance that is present in her novellas.
I was nervous at first when we found out that the past three years of Lydia’s budding relationship was actually with Davis. It seemed like a loss, until we realized the instantaneous chemistry between her and Arthur. I was happy to witness their romantic development from the very beginning, rather than being dropped into the story at a later point.
Neither one of them is the most charismatic person in the room. Arthur has always been more reserved than his politically-minded outspoken brother. But his sensitivity and compassion for people strengthens his bond with Lydia. After a heroic rescue involving zebras, he offers Lydia protection in more quiet ways, creating space for her in overwhelming social situations.
The spicy scenes were some of my favorites, and not just because they are spicy. During these moments, their relationship evolved with their internal thoughts about the other and their wants and needs in the future. I appreciate that these scenes are not skippable, but are significant additions to their love story.
A Great Cast and Memorable MMC
I’m a girl’s girl. When I read historical romances, the FMCs are almost always more memorable than their male counterparts. Vasti’s ladies are, without a doubt, amazing. I was thrilled to see a lot of the mysterious and crafty Georgiana in this book. (I really cannot wait for her own book, Ladies in Hating.) It was fun to see Selina (and Iris) again and visit Belvoir’s library. It is a pleasure to see the members of this girl squad throughout the series, rather than characters being absent before and after their own love stories.
Arthur is not outshined by Lydia and I found him equally memorable. There’s no quick way to describe him. He’s just out here trying his best, occasionally dabbling in blacksmithing or fixing fences. Still, there is something special about him that sets him apart from other MMCs I have read recently. He doesn’t need one kitschy characteristic. He’s just Arthur and it's lovely.
Perhaps, it is the depth of his character that makes Arthur a highlight of the book. Despite the manipulative treatment from his father and being used by his brother, he is still driven by his need to serve others. He helps an unmarried mother by offering her employment, as well as Scottish highlanders relocated after the clearances. Although hesitant, he still allows himself to be vulnerable and receive help from people who care, such as Bertie and Huw (love them), and of course, Lydia. He has a heart of gold.
My Worst Fear: The Love Triangle
I knew going in that the premise of the book meant a potential love triangle. Love triangles make me sick to my stomach. I felt tricked by this book. I thought we were in the clear, until we weren't. I’m not going to give away the plot, but if you read it, then you know. Although it is settled quickly enough, love triangles hurt feelings, and my feelings were hurt for a hot minute.
Thankfully, I was able to continue reading until it was all settled. If I hadn’t had the time to keep reading, I think my day would have been ruined! This is a warning to my fellow love triangle-phobic readers. It is worth the read, but make sure you write off all your other obligations and responsibilities. The laundry can wait!
Genius Epilogue
Okay, so once we get through the love triangle scare of Earl Crush, we get the sweetest victory lap. I love an epilogue. I think all books need epilogues, and this one is nothing short of perfection. It had me in tears.
So rarely do we get to bask in the light of a couple’s Happily Ever After. Many novels end right after the couple comes together, which makes me scream internally. This epilogue gave us multiple glimpses of their life several years into the future, which made me sob audibly. I felt we were given the gift of a second, third, fourth, etc. epilogue all rolled up into one.
What made it even more soul-lifting was that Arthur finally has found the perfect words. Even though Lydia has exchanged letters with his brother for years, Arthur has left nothing unwritten. He is the one who gets to be her forever penpal, not his brother. That is romance.
A Side of History
Although Arthur’s estate is in the Scottish Lowlands, there are several references to the Highland Clearances. As someone who hasn’t delved into the highlander romance books yet, I was curious to learn more.
The Highland Clearances
The Highland Clearances were a series of events that led to drastic changes in the population of the northern part of Scotland, aptly named the Highlands. Landowners were drawn to the profitability of wool and wanted to replace the tenant farmers called crofters that occupied their lands with large, lucrative sheep pastures. The farmers were given short notice to relocate. Sometimes landowners burned the farmers’ homes so they could not return. One particularly hard set of evictions were prompted by the future duke of Sutherland, having evicted thousands of families. Not only did this depopulate much of the area, it also weakened the Scottish clan system and Gaelic culture.
Where did they go?
Many of the Highlanders were resettled into small coastal crofts in order to participate in the kelping and fishing industries. This was a big change for them, having experience inland as tenant farmers. While some of them found financial success, it was short lived. A sudden decline of the kelp industry and the potato famine led to severe economic hardships for these coastal farmers.
William Conor, The Kelp Gatherers
Landowners found it financially easier to relocate these crofters again, to countries such as Canada, the United States, and Australia, often as indentured servants than to support their farms. Many of them also moved to urban areas and the Scottish Lowlands.
What is kelping anyway?
Kelp is a type of brown seaweed that contains large amounts of iodine. This had important medical uses, such as in antiseptics, as well as uses in dyes and photography. Large amounts of kelp have to be burned to extract just a bit of iodine. It was a labor intensive process involving drying the kelp, shaking the sand out, and burning it for long periods of time. With the end of wartime trade agreements and high import rates, the price of kelp fell dramatically, making the business unprofitable.
References
Britannica Highland Clearances
Antrim History, Kelp Burning in the Glens of Antrim by Douglas Harper
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