A review by srivalli
Earls Trip by Jenny Holiday

lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-paced

3.75

 3.7 stars

One Liner: Slow-paced but entertaining

1821

Archibald Fielding-Burton, the Earl of Harcourt, calls himself lucky for having two best friends who would do anything for him. Simon and Effie are his dearest friends and partners in crime. The trio plans an all-men trip every year and calls it the Earl’s Trip to unwind from the pressures of daily life. 

That year was no different until Archie got a letter from Sir Albert Morgan, an old family friend, begging for help. His daughter Olive has eloped with someone. His other daughter, Clementine, has rushed to rescue Olive. Now, Archie has to rescue them both and bring them back safely. 

Archie and Clem go back a long way. They were always good friends, but Archie finds the grown-up even more alluring. When Clem shares a proposal, Archie knows he would accept it. But where will this lead? 

The story comes in the third-person POV of Archie and Clementine. 

My Thoughts:

As the premise suggests, this is a fun book that deals with some serious topics. However, the overall tone is lighthearted and entertaining. 

The beginning is slow but in no way boring. We get enough laughs as the characters are introduced and established. At the same time, we get a glimpse of the deeper emotions these characters feel. 

Dementia/ early memory loss, found family, sibling relationships (between sisters), loss of a parent, dysfunctional families, etc., are some themes explored in the book. Not all of them are prominent, though. A few more tropes are modernish, but it has almost become a norm, so I won’t complain. 

Archie is surprisingly easy to like. He is lively, friendly, mischievous, understanding, supportive, and fun. Yet, he has his pain, uncertainties, vulnerabilities, and doubts. Clem is nice, though not as much as Archie. He is a gem. 

While it is good to have Regency FMC as a vegetarian, even if it doesn’t seem realistic for the period, Clem comes across as a bit too judgmental about others. (I’m a vegetarian, too, but I don’t go around wrinkling my nose at meat eaters). Moreover, she doesn’t seem to make the same effort to understand Archie the way he tries to get to know her thoughts and takes them seriously. 

The relationship takes time to progress. This gives space for enough scenes and conversation between them. Things don’t feel rushed, despite what the blurb states. 

The side characters are developed enough to go beyond what’s initially defined for them. There’s more than what meets’s eye applies here. Olive’s arc is very good. I did like her more than the FMC sometimes. 

The repetition slows down the pacing, which could have been trimmed a little. The chapter length also contributes to the slowness due to the extended length (I like short chapters). 

The book has some steam, though I don’t know why it changed toward the end and skipped over the scene (which was important). Didn’t make sense to me, but maybe they had a page limit to work with (?). 

To summarize, Earl’s Trip is an entertaining book with a loveable male lead and worthy side characters. It works well as a standalone. The last chapter could be considered a lead for the next book, which I would love to read. 

Thank you, Edelweiss+ and Kensington Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

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