Earls Trip by Jenny Holiday is a light historical romance with a mournful beginning. (By “light” I mean light on the historical details and with modern-sounding dialogue, which can be a feature or a bug, depending on your tastes.) Archie is the Earl of Harcourt. His mother no longer remembers who he is, and though he feels guilty about leaving her with her competent, kind companion, he truly needs the break of his annual vacation with his two best friends, one an earl and the other an heir to an earldom who are very clearly destined for their own books. However, they haven’t gotten far down the road when they’re interrupted by a mission to rescue his childhood friends, the daughters of his deceased father’s best friend, from a potentially reputation-ruining elopement; one is eloping, the other attempting to rescue her while wearing male clothing.
Archie hasn’t seen his best (female) buddy Clem in years, and he’s surprised by his attraction to her. While she rediscovers and deepens her relationship with her younger sister Olive, she also finds that Archie has become someone with whom she’d like to share intimacies. Their friendship and outdoor rambles resume despite a few bumps, and together they negotiate issues such as Clem being a vegetarian while Archie loves the hunt.
It’s a fluffy and sweet book which was a welcome escape from a stressful week.
