In the beautiful county of Hertfordshire, the Lady Charlotte Radcliffe has reached the imminent age of marriage. Her father, the estimable Lord Radcliffe, who is in poor health, has proclaimed she must marry a suitor within forty-five minutes of their estate so as not to unduly grieve her mother. When they draw up a list of suitable suitors for her, Charlotte is delighted to find the recent widower, the Earl of Buckland on top of their list. Believing a good marriage is more of station and security than attraction or love, Charlotte proceeds with her parent's plan to make her the Earl’s second wife. Yet when Guy Lancaster, the family’s former tutor, unexpectedly arrives in Hertfordshire, he laughs at her geographical approach to marriage and challenges her to let her heart, and not her lists, decide her future.The Trouble With The Earl is a lighthearted, sweet Regency romance that takes place in the same towns and neighborhoods created by Jane Austen, and features appearances by some of her characters. In the spirit of Jane Austen’s genteel romances, only the tea is steamy. 

Charlotte and Guy have returned to Bennington Park just in time for the annual hunt and ball hosted by her parents, Lord and Lady Radcliffe. Mr. Darcy, his wife Elizabeth Bennet and his sister Georgiana are traveling from Pemberley to attend. Also on the guest list is Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who wants her jilted daughter Anne to marry Charlotte’s eligible brother Hugh, the young heir to Bennington Park. But when George Wickham unexpectedly joins the party, his shared past with Georgiana causes Mr. Darcy to lose his legendary composure, resulting in a country house party its attendees will never forget.