Hot Earl Summer by Erica Ridley book review

This was an unexpectedly fun and ridiculous ride (in a good way). This is a historical romance with a delightfully quirky, nerdy couple. I am not sure how I missed out on the previous books of this series, but I have to go back and read them all. I jumped into book #5 and loved all the characters! The Wynchesters are siblings, found family and are investigators in Victorian England. Sword-wielding Elizabeth is a bit rough around the edges, but an excellent fighter. She does have an issue with her joints, but throughout the story readers will see how she copes. 

Elizabeth is tasked with finding a will for a castle that was supposed to be an orphanage and school. The Earl lost the castle in a card game after his mother’s death, but the will needs to be found so that the wager will be invalid. Elizabeth arrives at the castle to find that the Earl has fled and the castle is occupied by his inventor cousin. He has the place booby-trapped because his neighbor is trying to seize the castle. Between Elizabeth's sword fighting and Stephen’s machines, they are going to try to hold off the invasion (for which tickets were sold!). As they get to know each other, they find they are perfect for each other. The writing is funny and the situations are crazy at times, but this makes for a very entertaining read. I love how Stephen tries to accommodate Elizabeth, without knowing the whole story. Swoon. Lots of action and comedy in this book. A definite series to add to your TBR pile.