The last time I read historical romance that didn't have supernatural/gothic/time travel elements was apparently 8 years ago (!). I admit, I rarely read this subgenre and prefer historical romance with some fantasy aspects but I remembered that back then I like Lord and Lady Spy by Shana Galen. Earls Just Want to Have Fun is the first book Covent Garden Cubs with some interesting premise because the heroine, Marlowe is a thief from Covent Garden gangs. But Marlowe is not a mere thief. She's believed to be Lady Elizabeth Grafton, the lost daughter of Marquess Lyndon that got abducted when she was 5 years old. So, imagine the building headache that our hero, Maxwell Derring, Earl of Dane have because he must teach Marlowe the nobles etiquette while also fight his growing attraction to the hellion.

What make Earls Just Want to Have Fun, although the earl that want to have fun is just one person so forget my limited grammar, interesting is Galen's view about class systemic and hierarchy regarding the nobility, working class and especially the poor. Dane have a classism views. He disdain the poor and want to pass the bill in the Parliament about the treatment of the poor because he believe the poor are lazy. Such a jerk. Galen manage to redeem him through Marlowe, and as corny as the power of love concern, Dane really change for the better because Marlowe change his perspective. In order to help Marlowe to free from her thief gang leader, Dane agree to follow Marlowe's plan and in the process Dane's eyes were open when he go to the rookeries. I think the change are well written and show that even start as a jerk, in the end Dane become a better person.

Another thing that make me love reading this book is Marlowe. While she was a noble but through the story, Marlowe think herself as a thief, the lowest of the class. That where it's so amusing to read when reading her try to adjust with the noble's lifestyle. Some parts can be comic reliefs and I assure you, the genre of this book is not a comedy. But the way Galen write it definitely make me laugh a bit because of Marlowe's antique. Marlowe also the epitome of confidence and naivety, mix in one package. She didn't hesitant to go one on one with men because all her life she just try to survive to life, while she's also naive in the love (and sex) department. Marlowe is truly the gem of this book although I got some difficulty to read her dialogue because Galen try to differentiate Marlowe's dialogue with the rest of Dane's family because of Marlowe's upbringing in the rookeries. As for the sex scenes, it's steamy but also have tender moments as well. The story itself pretty much fast paced and the romance itself can be categorized to insta (because happen in days), but I don't mind it.

If you love a rags to riches tropes and some interesting take regarding the class system in Regency historical romance, I will suggest to read this one.