A bold bookseller tries to matchbreak her friend’s engagement to an earl . . . until she finds herself falling for him instead.

The one thing Constance Martin wants most to avoid is a boring life. She walks her cat with a leash in Hyde Park and even called off her wedding at the altar to stop what would have been a monotonous marriage. So when an aristocratic friend comes into the store asking for help throwing over her fiancé, Constance is both sympathetic and eager for the excitement to come. What could be more fun than plotting ways to get a stuffy—but very handsome—earl to break an engagement?

Oliver Vincent, Earl of Southwyn, likes his orderly life of duty and logic. Everything’s falling into place; all that’s left is marrying the girl next door. Except that the girl next door is increasingly reluctant. But marriage is a business deal, after all, and Oliver is determined to keep moving forward with the plan. If only he weren’t so distracted by her friend—a stunning woman best described as chaos incarnate. She thinks marriage should be an adventure, and he views it as a transaction. But Oliver can’t seem to remember the downsides of falling when Constance is near. . .

Titles in the Bluestocking Booksellers series include: Good Duke Gone Wild ~ My Best Friend’s Earl ~

This is an adult 18+ story that contains language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Title:  My Best Friend’s Earl
Series:  Bluestocking Booksellers #2
Author:  Bethany Nennett
Published:  August 12, 2025
Publisher:  Forever
My Rating:  4 stars

My Best Friend’s Earl is the second title in the Bluestocking Booksellers series, bringing us Constance’s and Oliver’s most unconventional (and humorous) romance.

I liked Constance and Oliver, yet both have some… issues.  Oliver is so regimented, so proper, such a rule-follower, and such a stickler for, well, just about anything he believes should be done in a “just right” manner.  Frankly, it got old fast, although I liked him far more by the book’s end, and a lot of that had to do with one mischievous semi-feral kitten.  It should be obvious that Constance has ADHD, and we spend some time in her chaotic mind, witnessing how she deals (or just moves on) with her life.  Nothing shall be boring, and if it is, well, it gets left behind.  I want to call her quirky and adorable, but acknowledge that ADHD is a very real thing, not to be taken lightly.  She and her friend, Althea, who is unhappily engaged to Oliver, are working on schemes to get Oliver to call off the wedding… but he’s not co-operating, for a deal has been struck and he will stick to it.  Until he falls for Constance, there might be some wiggle-room in his regimented world.

There are some fun moments in My Best Friend’s Earl by Bethany Bennett.  I enjoyed myself, yet often felt as if I’d been set down in the middle of a scene that I didn’t understand the nuances of.  I don’t want to sound mean, but it was so often frustrating that I took far too many breaks in reading this one.  I believe it’s a good story.  I just had to accept that there was going to be chaos that I had no control over and just go with the flow.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, and I sincerely thank the author or publishing house for their trust.  It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This title is available at Amazon (affiliate link)