The Earl Who Isn’t is the final book in the Wedgeford Trials series about reluctant nobility in a small English enclave of people of Asian descent in the nineteenth century. I’ve enjoyed every book in this series, but this one is probably my favorite.

Andrew Uchida is many things – a lover of plants and distributor of seeds to Wedgeford, a loving son, cousin and nephew, a joker. What he most certainly is not, no matter what evidence might crop up, is the only legitimate son of the Earl of Arsell. Andrew’s parentage is a carefully guarded secret, which is helped by the fact that the Earl’s family has destroyed all known records of the marriage. Andrew is very happy to live in obscurity, cultivating his library of seeds and working at his family’s inn.

The return of Lily Bei shatters all of Andrew’s plans. Lily’s grandfather sent her to Hong Kong years earlier, after she got involved with the suffragette movement. She was also Andrew’s lifelong crush. Lily returns to Wedgeford with a printing press and a mission, as well as a surprise for Andrew: a record of his parents’ marriage that evaded destruction. Lily thinks she is bringing him a gift, the proof that he is his father’s heir, but Andrew wants no part of it. Somehow, he has to find a way to deal with the evidence, not give away his secret, and keep himself from falling in love with Lily for a second time.

I loved both of the protagonists of this book. Andrew is familiar to readers who have read the previous two books in the series as Naomi’s cousin, but we get to see below his jovial surface in this story. Andrew likes to make light of situations, but he is fundamentally a very cautious and thoughtful person, always worried about others and rarely offering himself the same level of consideration. Lily is equally dear to me, as someone who is also ‘too much’, and as someone for whom social cues are often a mystery. I loved how hard she tries and I also loved that the women of Wedgeford make space for her to be herself. I loved her gumption and her ambition, both of which make her who she is.

Stories like this, where the main conflict is based on what information everyone has, can become frustrating because you just want everyone to TALK TO EACH OTHER. However, The Earl Who Isn’t has so much tension between the characters about the conversations they need to have, and the stakes are high. We know that there is space between them for trust and affection and love, and they just need to get there. The pacing makes the revelations feel organic and earned, and the protagonists bring equal amounts of humor and feeling to every line of dialogue. I particularly loved the family relationships, which really give the story texture and depth. I also like a bit of larceny for a good cause! I did not see the exact end coming, but I’m so delighted this series makes happily ever afters that occasionally subvert reader expectations while leaving everyone where they should be.

The Earl Who Isn’t is a satisfying and amusing conclusion to a fun, interesting series. If you enjoyed the previous Wedgeford Trials books, you will love this one.