Review - - Earls Trip

Earls Trip

by Jenny Holiday

Publisher: Kensington

Release Date: April 23, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

Even an earl needs his ride-or-dies, and Archibald Fielding-Burton, the Earl of Harcourt, counts himself lucky to have two. The annual trip that Archie takes with his BFFs Simon and Effie holds a sacred spot in their calendars. This year Archie is especially eager to get away until an urgent letter arrives from an old family friend, begging him to help prevent a ruinous scandal. Suddenly the trip has become earls-plus-girls, as Archie’s childhood pals, Clementine and Olive Morgan, are rescued en route to Gretna Green.

This…complicates matters. The fully grown Clementine, while as frank and refreshing as he remembers, is also different to the wild, windswept girl he knew. This Clem is complex and surprising—and adamantly opposed to marriage. Which, for reasons Archie dare not examine too closely, he finds increasingly vexing.

Then Clem makes him an indecent and quite delightful proposal, asking him to show her the pleasures of the marriage bed before she settles into spinsterhood. And what kind of gentleman would he be to refuse a lady?

PJ's Thoughts:

In thinking of words to describe this book, the ones that came immediately to mind were fun, poignant, and endearing. All three could describe not only the story but the characters as well. The antics Clem and Archie got up to were fun. The friendships depicted - not only between Clem and Archie but among the three men - were infused with humor but also endearing. And the scenes with Archie's mother were simmering with poignant emotion. Anyone who has had a loved one live with dementia or Alzheimer's will be able to relate. 

It took me a while to get into the story but once the ladies entered the picture it took off and kept me happily reading until the end. While the romantic focus is on the slow-burn, reunited friends to lovers journey between Clem and Archie, there are other relationships and storylines explored that are just as important. I enjoyed the evolution of the friendship between Clem and her sister, Olive, a character who turned out to be surprisingly different from what I had first expected. The men, friends since school, were also different from the characters who typically appear in the Regency romances I read. Their steadfast friendship - more of a chosen family situation - touched my heart, especially in regards to how they love, support, tease, and accept one another as they are. Very much a found brotherly dynamic going on. All three have a sweet, cinnamon roll hero feel to them. It will be interesting to see if that continues to play out in the next two books or if we will see a different side to them.

If you enjoy a Regency set romance with plenty of humor, forced proximity, a country setting, emotional depth, and two reunited friends who are the last to realize they've fallen in love, give Earls Trip by Jenny Holiday a try.