What do you think?
Rate this book
Excess in Essex: A Cunningly Compelling Regency Erotica Novel
313 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 4, 2026
1 person is currently reading
2 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 8, 2026
Marcus (young Duke) is a bit spoiled, reckless, and really a partying playboy. His guiding sister, Meredith, is busy sacrificing her life to hide her brother's flaws and guard his secrets. However, she begins to discover that she has wants and needs (other than being her brother's keeper) when their new neighbor, Lt. Colonel Wheaton, arrives in Essex. He inherited his late sister's estate and quickly became interested in the neighbors. I enjoyed this story. BTW, the Audible (narrated) version is a nice option and sounds great.
February 4, 2026
I loved these disaster bisexuals so much! This book has everything: Regency-era setting with well-researched attention to period details, rich and complex characters you'll fall in love with, surprise twists and turns, and blazingly hot sex. Excess in Essex is the queer valentine I didn't know I needed.
February 6, 2026
Thanks to Booksprout for a copy of this story and this is my freely given opinion.
Fascinating historical story that is a love story but so not traditional in any sense of the word. It is rather graphic and involves a mixing of partners, and multiple partner scenarios, and two of the main characters are twin siblings; a brother and sister. Intriguing is it not? Don't worry, graphic, but not incestuous.
His Grace, Marcus, the Duke of Essex and his sister, Meredith, live together in Essex. They are young not yet 20, and Marcus inherited the title a few years before, when his brother and father died in a carriage accident. His father lived long enough to express his ire and disappointment in young Marcus inheriting, as he felt his son was not capable or deserving of the title, and lived long enough to make a long-term trusted employee a recent to care for the duchy until Marcus came of age.
Marcus comes across as a carefree libertine and dilettante who focuses his interest seeking pleasure. Meredith, the older siblingy by 7 minutes, is much more reserved, but passionate about supporting her brother and he is very dependent on her guidance, and she loves Marcus very much, supports him and protects him.
This story is about their relationship and what occurs when other people become involved in their lives, and they develop feelings for two other characters, and this puts their life at risk in various ways. Meredith learns things about herself that she never expected, and both she and Marcus find love. But their love interests and relationships are unexpected, unconventional, and fear of exposure, and fear of how the other will react cause them to keep secrets from each other, and undermine their relationship with each other and with the people in their lives. Until they are brave enough to admit the truths of themselves and what they desire to each other and the people important in their lives and work together to fight for the life they want. Throw this in the context of Societal restrictions, prejudices, and expectations of the Regency and you have a rather fascinating story of convoluted, confused relationships and alternative love, as well as the bonds of sibling love.
A very different story from a traditional love story.
Again, very graphic with FF, MM, and multiple partner scenarios so if that is not to your taste, be aware of that please.
4 stars out of 5
Fascinating historical story that is a love story but so not traditional in any sense of the word. It is rather graphic and involves a mixing of partners, and multiple partner scenarios, and two of the main characters are twin siblings; a brother and sister. Intriguing is it not? Don't worry, graphic, but not incestuous.
His Grace, Marcus, the Duke of Essex and his sister, Meredith, live together in Essex. They are young not yet 20, and Marcus inherited the title a few years before, when his brother and father died in a carriage accident. His father lived long enough to express his ire and disappointment in young Marcus inheriting, as he felt his son was not capable or deserving of the title, and lived long enough to make a long-term trusted employee a recent to care for the duchy until Marcus came of age.
Marcus comes across as a carefree libertine and dilettante who focuses his interest seeking pleasure. Meredith, the older siblingy by 7 minutes, is much more reserved, but passionate about supporting her brother and he is very dependent on her guidance, and she loves Marcus very much, supports him and protects him.
This story is about their relationship and what occurs when other people become involved in their lives, and they develop feelings for two other characters, and this puts their life at risk in various ways. Meredith learns things about herself that she never expected, and both she and Marcus find love. But their love interests and relationships are unexpected, unconventional, and fear of exposure, and fear of how the other will react cause them to keep secrets from each other, and undermine their relationship with each other and with the people in their lives. Until they are brave enough to admit the truths of themselves and what they desire to each other and the people important in their lives and work together to fight for the life they want. Throw this in the context of Societal restrictions, prejudices, and expectations of the Regency and you have a rather fascinating story of convoluted, confused relationships and alternative love, as well as the bonds of sibling love.
A very different story from a traditional love story.
Again, very graphic with FF, MM, and multiple partner scenarios so if that is not to your taste, be aware of that please.
4 stars out of 5
February 11, 2026
Thoroughly enjoyable, low-angst, moderate spice, Regency romance
Story: 3, Narration: 4, Overall: 3.5
Jasper Bennington's audio narration was really good. I've not listened to an audiobook that he has narrated before, and I don't see any others he has done on Audible, but I will definitely keep an eye out for more of his work in the future.
'Excess in Essex' is the first book I've read or listened to by Agatha Love and I found it quite enjoyable. The four main characters were likeable, the chaos of their interactions and miscommunications was highly entertaining, and it was fun trying to guess where the storyline was going to go to next. Each of the four main characters at some point has a sexual or "romantic" relationship with two of the other main characters. While this provides a lot of plot, it unfortunately doesn't leave a lot of time to develop any emotional depth to any of the relationships, and I feel that is probably what was missing the most for me. It could use more angst, or emotional bonding. The book opens from Wheaton's point of view, so one could argue that he is the main character. He falls in love with both Marcus and Meredith, but it seems his love for Marcus is at least a little stronger, so it could be argued that if one wanted to identify a single central relationship in this story it would be Wheaton and Marcus, yet I feel like their relationship was seriously underdeveloped. They barely had two conversations with each other before they were declaring their love for each other. Their connection was based on nothing more than unconsummated lust.
I know this is likely meant to be a standalone story, but I would love to know what happens next with these characters, perhaps because I feel I didn't get to know them well enough in this book. I feel that Marcus has huge potential to help other couples with sexual issues in their marriage. I was almost expecting him to offer to help Mr. Chambers with dom training to help him please his wife. What better use of Marcus' time and resources could there be that would also ingratiate him with high society?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Story: 3, Narration: 4, Overall: 3.5
Jasper Bennington's audio narration was really good. I've not listened to an audiobook that he has narrated before, and I don't see any others he has done on Audible, but I will definitely keep an eye out for more of his work in the future.
'Excess in Essex' is the first book I've read or listened to by Agatha Love and I found it quite enjoyable. The four main characters were likeable, the chaos of their interactions and miscommunications was highly entertaining, and it was fun trying to guess where the storyline was going to go to next. Each of the four main characters at some point has a sexual or "romantic" relationship with two of the other main characters. While this provides a lot of plot, it unfortunately doesn't leave a lot of time to develop any emotional depth to any of the relationships, and I feel that is probably what was missing the most for me. It could use more angst, or emotional bonding. The book opens from Wheaton's point of view, so one could argue that he is the main character. He falls in love with both Marcus and Meredith, but it seems his love for Marcus is at least a little stronger, so it could be argued that if one wanted to identify a single central relationship in this story it would be Wheaton and Marcus, yet I feel like their relationship was seriously underdeveloped. They barely had two conversations with each other before they were declaring their love for each other. Their connection was based on nothing more than unconsummated lust.
I know this is likely meant to be a standalone story, but I would love to know what happens next with these characters, perhaps because I feel I didn't get to know them well enough in this book. I feel that Marcus has huge potential to help other couples with sexual issues in their marriage. I was almost expecting him to offer to help Mr. Chambers with dom training to help him please his wife. What better use of Marcus' time and resources could there be that would also ingratiate him with high society?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews