Audiobook Review: Earls Trip by Jenny Holiday

Author: Jenny Holiday
Narrator: Harry Frost

Title: Earls Trip

Series: Earls Trip #1

Genre: Historical Romance
Format: Audiobook

Published: April 23, 2024
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)


Summary: 

Even an earl needs his ride-or-dies, and Archibald Fielding-Burton, the Earl of Harcourt, counts himself lucky to have two. Archie (the jock), Simon (the nerd), and Effie (the goth) have been BFFs since their school days, and their annual trip 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. Archie’s childhood pal Olive Morgan must be rescued from an ill-fated elopement—and her sister Clementine must be rescued from rescuing Olive. Suddenly the trip has become earls-plus-girls.

This . . . complicates matters. The fully grown Clementine, while as frank and refreshing as Archie 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?

Review:

A few people I know have read this, and they all had vastly different experiences with it, so I was a hair hesitant to finally listen. Weeellllllllllll, a road trip is the perfect time to just do it. 

Archie and his friends go on a yearly "earls trip" to get away from it all. This year, Archie is eager to get away. His mother's health and mind are slipping faster and faster. However, an urgent letter arrives from an old family friend. It begs him to help prevent a ruinous scandal. His childhood friends, Olive and Clem, have both run away. Olive is with a man, and Clem is trying to stop this marriage. Suddenly, this trip will have the two ladies with them. What complicates matters more is that Clem is now a fully grown woman and is complex and delightful. Uhoh. 

I do have some mixed feelings about this. I honestly felt like I was on a roller coaster. 

One minute I'm IN LOVE with the story. The next minute I was yawning. A page later I was right back in it and wanted the narration to go faster! Theeeennnnnn I was just wanting it to be over. And yeah...so on and so forth. 

I liked Clem. Archie was...okay. He def got better near the end. 

The romance was alright. This felt more like a historical fiction with a sprinkle of romance. It took FOREVER for them to even admit they kinda, sorta like each other. Love a slow burn, but this was like rubbing two sticks together in the rain. Eventually the flames happen, but it takes a while. I think I liked everyone better as friends. It was a fun story watching them all interact! It was charming. 

The narrator did a fine job. His girl voices felt too similar.

But yes, mixed feelings for sure. 

Loved some bits. Some bits...meh. 

I'll give this 3 stars. 

Reading Challenges

- Audiobook #44