Summary
Archie, Simon, and Effie are finally off on their annual 2-week Earls Trip when their path crosses that of an old family friend of Archie’s. The Morgans were family friends long ago, but Archie can’t say no to Sir Albert’s request for help.
The Morgan daughters – Clementine and Olive – have gone missing. Olive has run off with Clementine’s fiancé, and Clementine has gone after them. Archie feels compelled to help, and Simon and Effie insist on accompanying him, even though it throws off their annual trip.
Once the ladies are “rescued” and the cad fiancé is sent off with threats of bodily harm, the earls continue on to their getaway “castle,” Olive and Clementine in tow. As long as the ladies keep to themselves, the gentlemen can keep their much-needed escape, and no one will accuse anyone of improper behavior.
Review
This book was both enjoyable and a struggle for me. I was reading it at a time when I felt pressured to “read faster.” And this felt super long without a necessarily “driving” plot. I kept telling myself I would just skim to the end in order to finish. But every time I sat down to read, I got caught up in the conversations and the relationships of the core five characters. I couldn’t actually make myself skim anything.
So the book is great! The writing is enjoyable, and the characters are terrific. But it’s not a particularly fast paced or action packed story. I needed to be on a beach or some other vacation setting where I felt I had all the time in the world to just let the story unfold without pressure.
If you love character-driven love stories with a found-family sort of cast, I can’t recommend this enough. I loved the three gentlemen and their relationship almost immediately. I don’t often get to enjoy stories with this sort of male friend group (Think Bromance with more gentlemanly esteem and less sass – although there’s still some sass, but appropriate for the time period. The Ted Lasso quote at the beginning also calls to mind the Diamond Dogs). And I grew to love the sisters as they reconnected across the novel. The romance is lovely – one of those “caught by surprise by love” sorts that I found satisfying. But it’s the brotherly/sisterly relationships that really shine here.
Do yourself a favor and let this one unfold on its own timetable. Enjoy the ride. While the book is long, the story is worth savoring. I will absolutely be checking out the sequel, Manic Pixie Dream Earl, in 2025! (Sex)
Rating: ♥♥♥♥*
*♥♥♥♥ – Great!