Review by Gabrielle
Series Name: Earl’s Trip, # 2
Manic Pixie Dream Earl is a wonderful historical by Jenny Holiday.
Favourite Quote:
“Aww, Jules, I’m sorry I was so odd back there. I’m just…overcome.”
“By what?”
“What do you mean by what? By you, of course!”
Synopsis:
When not writing, poet Edward Astley, Viscount Featherfinch, spends his time fending off the young ladies of the ton—and some of its young men—and avoiding his cruel father. As heir to the earldom, Edward knows he must marry someday. Alas, he is already hopelessly in love with someone. Hopeless because not only is Miss Julianna Evans not a member of the aristocracy, she is employed. She is a magazine editor—the only one to publish his work. Also, in all their years of increasingly personal correspondence, they’ve never met.
Also, she thinks he’s a woman. Named Euphemia.
Julianna is baffled. How can her soul mate not want to meet? Could it be that Euphemia is not the simple country girl she claims to be? Perhaps she’s wealthy. After all, she’s never cashed any of the bank drafts Julianna has sent. Perhaps Euphemia simply doesn’t want rank to come between them. Well, no more. Having extracted the details of a trip Euphemia is planning, Julianna squanders her meager savings and surprises her at the scene.
He is very, very surprised. As is she.
Now the two will have to decide what is true, what is not, and whether the truest thing of all—love—just might be worth an earldom . .
Review:
I’ve long been a Jenny Holiday fan, but I missed the first book in this series somehow. Boy, am I glad I didn’t miss the second! Already, I can’t wait to go back and find the first. I’m used to reading Jenny’s contemporary romances, but this series shows her flexibility as a writer. She is just as good at historicals.
This book is just start-to-finish awesome. I loved how she flipped the manic pixie dream girl trope on its head and made it the Earl instead. Edward is just lovely. With his fanciful clothes and even more fanciful poetry writing, it’s hard not to love him. He’s sensitive, and I adored the way he pined for Julianna. If you are a fan of a pining hero, you’ll love Edward. I loved all the Earls, actually. Each one of them is very well developed, and the relationship between them is something really special. I loved reading this stellar example of men’s friendship. Their affection for each other really brought a smile to my face.
Julianna is equally great. Smart, driven and hardworking, she has really given herself to her passion for running the magazine. I liked her immediately. I especially enjoyed watching her go to Brighton and have new experiences for the first time. A highlight for me is when she tries sea bathing for the first time. Jenny does such a good job of describing it that I felt like I was right there. It was clear she had done a lot of research to write it. I enjoyed how Julianna’s experiences opened her up and helped her grow. It felt very relatable to me, as travel always makes me feel that way, too.
The relationship between Julianna and Edward is perfect. They are such a great pair. I really liked the tension between how well they knew each other through all their correspondence over the years and how little they really knew each other in real life. The pace of their relationship felt right and realistic. I loved that they were friends first before their romantic connection.
Absolutely delightful in every way, Manic Pixie Dream Earl is a must-read title for historical-loving romance fans.
Thank you, Kensington Publishing, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
