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Crazy for the Countess
Destitute after the mysterious death of her husband, Nora St. James, notorious Countess of Havermere, is desperate for a benefactor to support her growing gaggle of orphans. The surest way? Remarry. But, after finally tasting freedom, the thought of trusting her fate to another man is unbearable. And reentering ton society to beg for a handout seems equally daunting—especially when gossips gleefully whisper, “Murderess!”
Sick of blood and death, Farren Cavanaugh flees civil war-torn America to scour England for his missing brother and niece. But a captivating woman keeps turning up at each stage of his quest, proving a sore distraction. Or is she? Might the bewitching countess and her charity home hold the key to finding his family—and healing his wounded heart?
Sick of blood and death, Farren Cavanaugh flees civil war-torn America to scour England for his missing brother and niece. But a captivating woman keeps turning up at each stage of his quest, proving a sore distraction. Or is she? Might the bewitching countess and her charity home hold the key to finding his family—and healing his wounded heart?
362 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 3, 2025
37 people want to read
About the author
Jess Russell
4 books47 followersJess Russell lives in New York City with her husband but escapes to the Catskill Mountains whenever she can. A sometime actress, award-winning batik artist, and accomplished seamstress, Jess loves anything DYI—whether that’s crafting gowns, stories, stage roles, or renovating apartments.
Her debut, The Dressmaker’s Duke, was a double finalist in the National Readers Choice Awards for Best First Book and Best Historical. Mad for the Marquess followed as a RITA® Award finalist in the Long Historical category, and her next novel, Crazy for the Countess, got a stellar review from best-selling author, Fiona Davis. Vexed with the Viscount, the third installment of her Reluctant Hearts series, will release on Feb. 25, 2026! Followed by Daft for the Duke.
Jess loves hearing from readers—visit her at jessrussellromance . com.
Her debut, The Dressmaker’s Duke, was a double finalist in the National Readers Choice Awards for Best First Book and Best Historical. Mad for the Marquess followed as a RITA® Award finalist in the Long Historical category, and her next novel, Crazy for the Countess, got a stellar review from best-selling author, Fiona Davis. Vexed with the Viscount, the third installment of her Reluctant Hearts series, will release on Feb. 25, 2026! Followed by Daft for the Duke.
Jess loves hearing from readers—visit her at jessrussellromance . com.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 14, 2026
Crazy for the Countess is a historical romance that understands how power operates socially and privately and does not soften those realities for comfort. This is not a decorative period piece. It is a story about survival, agency, and the cost of remaining visible after scandal.
Nora St. James, Countess of Havermere, is a heroine shaped by experience rather than fantasy. Widowed under suspicion and closely scrutinized, she moves through Victorian society with clear-eyed awareness of its hypocrisies. Her commitment to protecting vulnerable girls is not sentimental. It is deliberate, risky work that defines both her purpose and her isolation.
Farren Cavanaugh, an American colonel searching for his missing brother, brings his own history of loss and restraint into the story. His relationship with Nora develops slowly and credibly, grounded in mutual recognition rather than convenience or impulse.
What sets this novel apart is its refusal to romanticize imbalance. It acknowledges the danger faced by women without protection and the ease with which exploitation is ignored. Russell’s prose is controlled and assured, allowing wit, tension, and moral seriousness to coexist without melodrama.
Crazy for the Countess is an emotionally grounded historical romance with conscience and depth. Readers looking for character-driven storytelling with weight will find this novel both compelling and memorable.
Nora St. James, Countess of Havermere, is a heroine shaped by experience rather than fantasy. Widowed under suspicion and closely scrutinized, she moves through Victorian society with clear-eyed awareness of its hypocrisies. Her commitment to protecting vulnerable girls is not sentimental. It is deliberate, risky work that defines both her purpose and her isolation.
Farren Cavanaugh, an American colonel searching for his missing brother, brings his own history of loss and restraint into the story. His relationship with Nora develops slowly and credibly, grounded in mutual recognition rather than convenience or impulse.
What sets this novel apart is its refusal to romanticize imbalance. It acknowledges the danger faced by women without protection and the ease with which exploitation is ignored. Russell’s prose is controlled and assured, allowing wit, tension, and moral seriousness to coexist without melodrama.
Crazy for the Countess is an emotionally grounded historical romance with conscience and depth. Readers looking for character-driven storytelling with weight will find this novel both compelling and memorable.
October 21, 2025
Jess Russell’s characters come alive in her books! They become your people! You just want to read more and never want the story to end! Thankfully, Jess plans to continue to work her magic in the Reluctant Hearts series! Happy Reading!
December 4, 2025
CRAZY FOR THE COUNTESS is… Exquisite! Stupendous!
I read CRAZY FOR THE COUNTESS in two days, as if in a waking fever dream. I could barely release it from my grip until completion! It is exquisite, stupendous!
This lusty Historical Fiction from Jess Russell should set the Romance Novel community abuzz-and-ablaze and aching for reams more adventure than is already contained between its covers… and, luckily for us – Ms. Russell already has a companion book in the works!
Here - Best-Selling Author, Jess Russell, far surpasses the accolades and praise she (deservingly) received for her first two novels! Here - Ms. Russell weaves a richly textured tapestry of the vibrant, yet gritty, landscape that depicts Victorian England’s “Ton” (or high) society. All of the “Ton’s” upsides – its good will and great mirth. All of its foibles - the gossip, greed, jealousies, and elitism that cripple and scar. And yes – there is hope, too – desperate, glorious, breathless hope - often fueled by a deep longing in one’s nether regions, or hidden within a wistful heart.
With taut flourishes upon the keyboard, Jess Russell wields devilish wit while fostering her heroine, Nora St. James’s, efforts to re-enter the Ton’s “polite society.” And clearly for Nora - she never imagined that a rakish Yank, like Col. Farren Cavanaugh, might upend her heart - or unwittingly interrupt her plans to create a Charity Home for Girls. As for Cavanaugh – his relentless search for lost family, for connection - seems the only salve for wounds that may never heal.
Here – Jess Russell links us hand-in-hand with Nora St. James as she waltzes through grand ballrooms in search of a benefactor to fund her good deeds - and as she trudges the muddy footing of London’s back alleys in pursuit of a phantom waif that might mend her withered soul.
London’s “Coming Out Parties” are in full swing! And the purist “Ton” prepares its purest daughters for gilded men… who trade flesh for status and riches.
With its foundational back-stories and fully drawn characters – CRAZY FOR THE COUNTESS is a welcome romance, a rollicking historical fiction - immediately funny, soulful, heart-wrenching, and brimming with hope.
It further cements Jess Russell’s deserved seat in the pantheon of Romance writers.
Ms. Russell? You. Simply. Amaze!!!
I read CRAZY FOR THE COUNTESS in two days, as if in a waking fever dream. I could barely release it from my grip until completion! It is exquisite, stupendous!
This lusty Historical Fiction from Jess Russell should set the Romance Novel community abuzz-and-ablaze and aching for reams more adventure than is already contained between its covers… and, luckily for us – Ms. Russell already has a companion book in the works!
Here - Best-Selling Author, Jess Russell, far surpasses the accolades and praise she (deservingly) received for her first two novels! Here - Ms. Russell weaves a richly textured tapestry of the vibrant, yet gritty, landscape that depicts Victorian England’s “Ton” (or high) society. All of the “Ton’s” upsides – its good will and great mirth. All of its foibles - the gossip, greed, jealousies, and elitism that cripple and scar. And yes – there is hope, too – desperate, glorious, breathless hope - often fueled by a deep longing in one’s nether regions, or hidden within a wistful heart.
With taut flourishes upon the keyboard, Jess Russell wields devilish wit while fostering her heroine, Nora St. James’s, efforts to re-enter the Ton’s “polite society.” And clearly for Nora - she never imagined that a rakish Yank, like Col. Farren Cavanaugh, might upend her heart - or unwittingly interrupt her plans to create a Charity Home for Girls. As for Cavanaugh – his relentless search for lost family, for connection - seems the only salve for wounds that may never heal.
Here – Jess Russell links us hand-in-hand with Nora St. James as she waltzes through grand ballrooms in search of a benefactor to fund her good deeds - and as she trudges the muddy footing of London’s back alleys in pursuit of a phantom waif that might mend her withered soul.
London’s “Coming Out Parties” are in full swing! And the purist “Ton” prepares its purest daughters for gilded men… who trade flesh for status and riches.
With its foundational back-stories and fully drawn characters – CRAZY FOR THE COUNTESS is a welcome romance, a rollicking historical fiction - immediately funny, soulful, heart-wrenching, and brimming with hope.
It further cements Jess Russell’s deserved seat in the pantheon of Romance writers.
Ms. Russell? You. Simply. Amaze!!!
October 5, 2025
Jess Russell is certainly not a fast writer. A fan may wait years for a new book, but it is always completely worth the wait! Crazy for the Countess is the long-awaited sequel to the excellent Mad for the Marquess and features characters from the first book. Beautiful Nora St. James, the widow of the elderly Earl of Havermere, struggles to find purpose in her life. She works to save orphans and insists that she does not need another man. Then she encounters the brash American, Farren Cavanaugh. His attraction to her is immediate and intense. Their relationship would probably not have progressed except for a complicated mystery that involved them both.
The story is very good and the mystery is intricate. The characters were complex and love did not develop easily. But above all this was the fact that the writing is simply excellent. Jess Russell is a very talented storyteller.
ARC provided by the author.
The story is very good and the mystery is intricate. The characters were complex and love did not develop easily. But above all this was the fact that the writing is simply excellent. Jess Russell is a very talented storyteller.
ARC provided by the author.
September 24, 2025
RITA Finalist Jess Russell is a triple threat: Her heroines are utterly original, smart and scrappy; her plots are rich with Regency-era details that ground the reader from page one; and she knows how to construct a love story that obeys all the rules of romance while at the same time offering a slew of surprises. In her latest, beautiful, kind Nora must join forces with the enigmatic Farren to track down a lost child, and the result is a beguiling, luscious tale, told with a dash of dry wit and a soupçon of scandal.
—Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Queen
—Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Queen
September 25, 2025
A masterfully woven tapestry of passion, danger, and secrets.
Jess Russell delivers a story rich with dynamic characters, sizzling chemistry, and heart-pounding turns. She drives the plot with fresh twists, emotional depth, and rising suspense. Each page propels the reader toward an unforgettable climax.
USA Today Bestselling Author Collette Cameron
Jess Russell delivers a story rich with dynamic characters, sizzling chemistry, and heart-pounding turns. She drives the plot with fresh twists, emotional depth, and rising suspense. Each page propels the reader toward an unforgettable climax.
USA Today Bestselling Author Collette Cameron
September 25, 2025
"A stunningly wrought, deeply felt second chance at love story brimming with passion, intrigue, and redemption, CRAZY FOR THE COUNTESS by Jess Russell is a must-read for fans of historical romance!" - Hope C. Tarr, Author of The American Songbook series: IRISH EYES and STARDUST.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews