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Earl Tangled With Star

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** NEW RELEASE ** Sometimes we need to slow down to allow destiny to catch up with us . . . a new romantic comedy from bestselling romance author DG Rampton.

"The whole book has a 'Love, Actually' vibe and has a lot of the British humor that I love. . .There are moments where misunderstandings lead to a comedy of errors that had me laughing out loud. Reminiscent of 'Pride and Prejudice' and other Austen books. . .The writing was witty. The banter was very funny." Book Lover Judy Lynn Blog

World-famous classical pianist, Gabriela Baxtor-Huntington, is exhausted after years of prioritising her career. All she wants is some time to herself, away from the limelight and her commitments. But when her PA persuades her to run off to London for a holiday – incognito – what ensues is more than she bargained on. And though rest is finally on the agenda, peace is another matter.

Notorious and crusty Scottish Earl, Murdoch Barclay Buchanan, has learnt the hard way to keep a low profile when it comes to the English press. These days, he likes to keep his life simple and his mind on his work, dealing with the Buchanan family’s numerous business interests. The last thing he wants is to spend time babysitting his sister’s friend from Australia. But what starts off as a begrudging duty soon turns into something as unexpected as it is complicated.

With secrets on both sides, can two people from different worlds discover a love to overcome all obstacles?


NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

To ensure that this contemporary Rom-Com finds its tribe, please note that the story contains:

- sexual references and innuendos
- mild drug use
- occasional swearing

This is not a clean story compared to my Historical romances, although it does not contain any sex scenes.


Praise for DG Rampton from her readers:

"This author is now firmly entrenched in my top five."

"I wish that I had read more slowly to have it last longer. That is the hallmark of an amazing author!"

"One of my favourite things about this author is how talented she is with the dialogue between the characters and how she brings them vividly to life on the page."

"I throughly enjoy DG Rampton’s writing, the way she uses one clever word instead of a sentence and the witty banter between characters."

359 pages, ebook

Published April 2, 2023

124 people are currently reading
93 people want to read

About the author

D.G. Rampton

7 books135 followers
Bestselling author DG Rampton writes romantic comedy – historical and contemporary – featuring strong-willed heroines, dashing men and sparkling banter.


DGRampton.com


I have always been a creative creature at heart, with a passion for storytelling. But, by some mischievous twist of fate, I found myself studying engineering (the driest and most analytical of subjects) and followed that up by working in the construction industry for ten years. What possessed me, you might well ask! But eventually the call of my creative inclinations proved too demanding and I started to write.

If it wasn't for the wonderful reviews I have received from my readers, I may have never continued my writing journey, so a huge thank you to anyone who has left me a lovely review!

xDG



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5 stars
173 (47%)
4 stars
99 (27%)
3 stars
56 (15%)
2 stars
27 (7%)
1 star
6 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
Profile Image for Kim.
832 reviews1 follower
April 6, 2023
I read this book in one day, staying up late to finish it. I felt invested in the characters’ happiness and had to see how it would end. Ela, a world class concert pianist, is taking a much needed break from touring by staying with her assistant’s brother Murdoch in London. She doesn’t tell anyone her true identity and he’s hiding his noble heritage as well. She makes new friends and develops a crush on Murdoch which she thinks is unrequited. There are a few complications on the way to HEA, including Murdoch himself who is a very stubborn Scottish Earl. He provokes Ela to dramatic lengths, but she has help from her friends and doesn’t give up. It’s set in the year 2000, so there are some fun references to pop culture of the day. This is a little more edgy than my normal romcom read. Be ready for occasional foul language, crude humor, drug and alcohol use, kissing but otherwise closed door. 3.5 stars rounded up for the engaging writing and likable grumpy/sunshine main characters.

I received a free ebook from the author and voluntarily leave this review. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Christin.
828 reviews23 followers
April 10, 2023
2.5 stars The author put out a disclaimer for this book saying it was still not sexually explicit but wasn’t as wholesome as her regencies. I figured I’d be okay but I really disliked some parts. Primarily, I just don’t agree that in order for someone to “grow up” or “find themselves” they need to drink too much and try drugs. And the last 20% (the reputation misunderstanding) just felt like an effort to add pages. The rest of the book was cute and I liked Gabriela (I actually didn’t mind sweet Gabriela and didn’t really agree that she was just so repressed because she was nice. But clearly we have different worldviews). I didn’t appreciate the casual drug and sexual references. One or two, okay fine, but it was a lot. Like ha ha some lady was waiting in his house in lingerie. Fine. Not my fav of course but I get what you’re going for. But the girls just casually smoking, drinking to excess every day, crudely mentioning that a girl must be good at sexual acts in order to be kept around, etc. it got old. The irony being that Murdoch was pretty straight-laced.

I do think DG Rampton can write fun characters and dialogue and is good at a romantic tension but this sorta felt like a Sex in the City episode where you truly become a human when you realize sexual freedom or freedom from morals and I never liked those either lol
Profile Image for Booklover Judy Lynn.
1,644 reviews30 followers
May 13, 2023
#modernhistorical #romanticcomedy #bestfriendsbrother #grumpyhero

This book is a standalone and ends with a HEA. It is written from a third person POV, which allows insight from many of the characters. There is a large cast of characters in addition to the H & h. Set in the mid-2000's, I would not consider this a full contemporary as much as a modern historical. There are several references from that time period that include TV shows and music. The whole book has a "Love, Actually" vibe and has a lot of the British humor that I love. Because it is set in more current times, the characters are not pure and virginal. They use modern vernacular that includes some swear words and crude talk. Though the MCs do become intimate, it is only referenced and there are no explicit scenes on the page beyond kissing and heated groping.

At the beginning of the book, Ela is exhausted from years of touring as a star classical pianist. Her life and schedule have been dictated to her for many years and she is fried. Her best friend and assistant, Susan, makes it possible for her to escape for a while and stay with Susan's brother in London. Ela has been a little sheltered and carries a naivete that was endearing. I loved her perseverance when she goes after what she wants. Certainly, she would not have the success she has achieved if she did not have such a strong will. I adore the relationship she forms with Murdoch. He is grumpy, and he has good reasons for that. They become friends and Murdoch develops a protective instinct for Ela that is sometimes to his detriment. Murdoch's yearning for Ela was one of the enjoyable events in this book. More than anything, I loved Ela's journey to taking control of her own life and fighting for herself. Though she uses a radical plan to achieve her goal, it does work in the end. The HEA was wonderful.

There are moments where misunderstandings lead to a comedy of errors that had me laughing out loud several times. Reminiscent of "Pride and Prejudice" and other Austin books, I appreciated the modern take amongst the cast of characters. (Trivia night was one highlight among many.) Each secondary character is important and developed to capture the reader's interest. Lesley is a Bohemian. Kat is a radical. Lady Buchanan is a tough Dowager Countess with high expectations. Susan is a good friend with potential for her own story set up within this book. Meredith and Sienna both deliver as solid girlfriends with a "Love, Actually" friend feel. Richie and his cousin also have their roles and made the friend circle complete. I felt like the cast of characters really represented that time period and they made me a little nostalgic for that time (nearly twenty years ago). The writing was witty. The banter was very funny. The comedy of errors was entertaining.

This author reached out to me to read this book and I was happy to do so. I don't read a ton a "clean" romance, but I am not opposed to it either. Because there are sexual references included on the page, the author was certain to make sure readers know that this book is not as "clean" as her regency historical romances. Personally, I felt like it was the perfect blend for this setting and this book. The intimacy between the characters is what made the dark moment so much more devastating. It also made their HEA that much more rewarding. This was a very enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more by this new-to-me author.

Profile Image for Beth Green.
885 reviews11 followers
December 17, 2025
At first, Murdoch and Ela were a likable grumpy-sunshine pair with fun banter, genuine care, and interesting friends.

The majority of this book took place in summer, so it didn’t give me the holiday vibes I expected from the cover calling it a Christmas romance. Only the last 15% of the story happens at Christmas time and there are no cozy vibes. It could be any other time of year.

The main miscommunication between the two MCs dragged on for too long and wasn’t to my tastes. It was pushy with a disregard for consent and a cavalier attitude toward outing people. The last conflict had more substance but Murdoch wouldn’t even be a grownup and listen to her when she tried to resolve things. At that point I didn’t even care if they got together. She didn’t give up then but destroyed her public image on purpose to prove to him tabloids didn’t matter. It was odd and didn’t work. After that, she still had to chase him repeatedly, making him unlikeable and her desperate.

There were several brief conversations that felt like the author wanted to make a point about social issues but they were a bit random and unnatural.

The writing style was mostly easy to read, but the 3rd person POV occasionally became disorienting due to head-jumping.

This book strangely hooked me to the end but left me scratching my head.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for CeCe.
3,612 reviews109 followers
August 18, 2023
I just finished reading another British rom-com which I loved so I wanted to jump right into another one. So I found this one. From my rating you can see that it did not work for me. I love sunshine/grumpy reads. This all felt forced.
I wish ARC reviewers would be honest. Let’s be honest and not lie. My opinion. Moving on.
Profile Image for Kim Dobbs.
20 reviews1 follower
April 26, 2023
This is a departure from Rampton’s other books which are set in the Regency period. I was pre-warned about some “language” and sexual innuendos—and I appreciate that she was true to her word. They were not off-putting (Shakespeare is full of such!!). Rampton takes us on a romp through London—drinking, drugs, parties, etc. while the main character, Ela, takes a respite from her renowned career. Ela grows into a stronger woman in spite of these negative (in my view) influences. It is a cute story and has you cheering for the inevitable couple along with all their friends. A couple things I didn’t like (being from Texas aka the South)—don’t feed me your politics—I’m not a fan of PETA, I have a deer head on my wall and don’t criticize Christianity (via Kat) while talking about your various new age alternatives. I just want to enjoy a good story—and this talented writer can deliver!!
234 reviews
April 13, 2023
Good Book

This author writes modern romances as well as she writes Regency romances. This book was fun, sweet, and romantic. This book is a winner, I enjoyed it. I can't wait for the next one.
313 reviews
November 24, 2023
2.5⭐

I hate giving low reviews. This is someone's idea and work and I feel like my opinion is just that. It's just how I related to this story.

Some parts were cute and really fun, but when you piece the whole thing together, it felt like there were big holes. The main characters actually only spend two days on speaking terms in a relationship of any sort before they're engaged. He goes from calm and no pressure, to adoring and pursuant, to over the top reactive and recluse, only to be certain on their forever. It just felt like there were really good moments, but their whole relationship timeline was totally chaotic. The slow burn build was great, but once things came to a climax, it went off the rails for me a bit. All the plans with the tour sabotage and how few attempts were ever made to just communicate without some grand risky gesture, made the story feel imbalanced for me. It my brain wasn't so literal, I might've been able to just ignore it and have more fun with it. It really was pleasant, just lots of things that seem important and completely drop off and other things that had no bearing that were given a lot more attention than needed. (Like Kat is bipolar for one paragraph and then never again mentioned...?) Also, I felt like for as long as it took to settle their relationship and how intense their feelings supposedly were, it ended in such a lighthearted trivial way with him like throwing her over his shoulder. Cute moment, but not what I thought for their big milestone.
I loved the other book I've read of hers, which brought me to this one. I think I'm more interested in the pacing and plot of the other story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Vibliophile.
1,591 reviews130 followers
June 7, 2024
Stumbled over its potential

I've mostly enjoyed Rampton's Regencies, though they're a bit uneven in quality, but this contemporary was disappointing.

The author's writing style is engaging as always, but locker room talk between buddies is off-putting whether it's guys OR gals.

The heroine's change isn't really supported by the story. Her new friends are varying degrees of mess, & I was at a loss as to why anyone would trust them for life advice. Nothing significant happens that pushes her to begin asserting herself.

The hero's stumbling block is an overused conflict. It might have worked despite that, but he refuses to discuss it with her, let alone employ reason, & by the time the resolution is complete, it's made both of them look bad.

The fact that I was still willing to read it to the end is to the author's credit. It's an engaging premise & story overall; it just has some painful weaknesses

*** CONTENT ***
Secular attitudes towards sex. While there's some graphic talk, the sex is closed door

Regular & repeated misuse of the Lord's Name, though none as curses, FWIW
Author 8 books42 followers
May 19, 2023
Devoured it in one day. Loved it

Humorous, modern romcom that incorporates the best of regency romance in the form of a Scottish earl. I read the blurb and didn't expect to finish it. How wrong I was. It was just so much fun that I resented any interruptions to my reading it.
Profile Image for Maria.
546 reviews4 followers
April 4, 2023
3 stars

Well, it's always going to be difficult for an author to write a book for a new genre. While DG Rampton's previous books are romantic comedies, they have been set in Regency timeperiod rather than modern. I was optimistic - the book description sounded good, I have enjoyed the author's Regency romances, and I do read some modern romances.

Alas, that "some." This novel unfortunately managed to hit several reasons I don't read many modern romances - strong language and crude humor. I don't think there were any explicit sex scenes, although there were several spots where I just went ahead and skipped ahead several pages so I could have missed something.

Okay, enough of the bad, on to things I did like. The writing really was quite good. The characters were vivid and vibrant. I adored Ela's character, The plot was pretty typical. There were a few things I found humorous or witty in this book, which is better than most, although less than I am used to from this author.

Overall, it gets a 3 star, "average" rating from me.
Content rating R for strong language, crude humor, drug use, and attempted sexual abuse
Profile Image for Valerie.
2 reviews1 follower
October 24, 2023
I had read all three of Rampton's Regency "Goddesses" novels and absolutely loved them, so I was looking forward to this one, although unsure if she would do equally well with a contemporary novel. I need not have worried. Rampton is quite entertaining in areas such as plot, but her true brilliance lies in her ability to draw fully rounded characters who virtually jump off the page in their realistic completeness, and in her superbly witty, engaging, and at times downright hilarious dialogue. So, do yourself a favor and read *everything* by DG Rampton! (P.S. Having read more than my share of KU novels *badly* in need of a competent editor and/or proofreader, I am also thrilled to read a book so well edited that I was jarred not even once from my immersion in the story by misspellings, wrong punctuation, or problems with verb tense, subject/verb agreement, etc. Thank you *so* much for that, Ms. Rampton.)
Profile Image for Mary Hale.
889 reviews12 followers
April 5, 2023
Halfway through. Contemplating skipping to the end. Can’t believe this is the same author that wrote the delightful Regency Goddesses books. Those had some originality, humor and wit. This is not that. The whole engineered misunderstanding conflict with Murdoch being gay is eye roll worthy. But I do thank the author for pointing out that Ela is still beautiful and attractive while dressing like a Mormon. Though I’m guessing it was meant to be an insult since you can’t be as beautiful as you could be unless you wear revealing clothing that “shows off your boobs” p179.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for AJ's Book ReMarks.
1,580 reviews41 followers
May 3, 2023
Earl Tangled with Star by D.G. Rampton is a story about a world-famous classical pianist, Gabriela Baxtor-Huntington, aka Ela, who needs a break from her touring. Her assistant, Susan Buchanan, arranges for Ela to visit her brother, Earl Murdock Barclay Buchanan, in London.

This is my first time reading D.G. Rampton; while some scenes were cute, I didn't find them very funny. There was no laughing out loud or chuckling.

The best line is a quote from Jane Austen; "For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn."
Profile Image for Flo.
1,156 reviews18 followers
April 2, 2023
Not a good romance

Concert pianist Ely is wiped out. She has been appearing so much she can't take her work any more. Her assistant Susan arranges for her to disappear in London and stay with her brother who is an earl and has a fantastic condo. Of course they become attracted to one another, but then all his sisters show up and the rest is totally boring. Rampton should stick to regencies. Two out of 3 were good.
5 reviews
April 6, 2023
her other books are better

Disappointing. I liked her other books. This was I think an attempt at a modern day Venetia. The reuniting drunk scene was basically exactly from Heyer. Unfortunately while I absolutely love the characters in Venetia, I didn’t like any of these characters nor did I find them believable. I’m sure there’s an audience for this book. It’s just not me. Read her other stuff!!
2 reviews
September 24, 2023
I don't do reviews... but...

I read a huge number of books and usually don't get to the point of doing a review... but this is the 2nd review for this author. Great book, well written and I didn't put it down despite making lunch, going to the park with the kids, walking the dog and putting on supper. It's amazing what you can achieve reading on a kindle app on your phone...
Suspended reality fun and easy going escapism.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
2,906 reviews6 followers
November 19, 2024
This was very readable and had a cute start, but I can't say I like this kind of hero (or heroine, for that matter).

I did appreciate the lack of OP drama and the clean-ish content (no explicit scenes, but quite a bit of raunchy humour), so it gets a solid three stars from me.
17 reviews
Read
December 10, 2025
Oh my gosh!

I started reading this book and was immediately caught up with the story and the characters. I couldn't stop reading!! Great story line, wonderful characters that came to life. I kept telling myself just one more chapter. By the next day I was determined to.finish it as I had become so caught up in their lives. I loved the ending and how DG Brampton encapsulated everything together for a great ending.

Profile Image for Dee.
84 reviews
December 18, 2025
Clean HEA romance

Clean HEA romance. A brilliant composer needs a much needed break. Her assistant arranges for her to stay with her brother. He’s part of a Nobel family, she’s unaware of who he really is and he’s unaware of who is. He’s grumpy and standoffish, she’s naive and friendly. They eventually find out who each are, they have a rough patch however they eventually get together.
Profile Image for Carolyn.
20 reviews5 followers
July 14, 2023
absolutely lovely , a real love story

Delightful and left me with a happy smile-a love story with romance and happiness not just smut. She was accomplished without being a ball buster, smart without being a know it all. I really enjoyed them together and the romance - left me with a smile.
1 review
December 11, 2023
My new favorite author!

This is my first book by DG Rampton and I am hooked! I love the whole story line and how she built up the characters. It was definitely a ton of laughs and I love how it was loosely based on her own experiences. I hope she keeps them coming!
173 reviews
July 22, 2024
brilliant , Roman Holiday but even better

Having read DG Rampton earlier books regency styled I was not expecting this to be as good but can honestly say even better , let’s face it he us gorgeous would love to see a real portrayal of him in a kilt … who would play the part mmmm
Profile Image for Greta Yoka.
55 reviews2 followers
December 14, 2025
A quick read

A quick read of a love story. I love everything Scotland so this book caught my eye. It was easy to see where the story was going soon after it started. It probably could have been a shorter book as I felt the middle dragged on a bit, but I did enjoy the quick read.
Profile Image for Caroline Rust.
6 reviews
May 29, 2023
Great romantic comedy

This was a fun engaging story. The romance was handled very nicely without being sappy or borderline porn as so many are.
13 reviews
October 21, 2023
Fabulous read

This was so well written. Couldn't put it down, I loved the language used. Was really humorous and made me laugh out loud more than once. Love the strong characters.
152 reviews2 followers
February 25, 2024
Earl/star

Witty and sparkling with fun-just what is wanted in a romcom. Also a dash of Scotland never hurts! A must read for romcon fans.
Profile Image for Katie Bateman.
282 reviews
June 15, 2024
I have adored all of D.G.'s other books. Since she switched genres to write this (it's a modern rom-com) I have to say it was lacking. In fact, I would call it trashy.
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