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vainnerj's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I've honestly never considered myself to be a romance reader but if they were all this solid I could be. A beautiful love story between two women who have been stifled by the time they live in, both characters are dynamic and loveable with a great plot behind them. As I said I'm not typically a romance reader but the relationship felt real and believable and without many of the cliche's typical of the genre.
phitney's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
misszierose's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
donnaratcliff's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this! An enjoyable historical romance between two smart women whilst also addressing the struggles that women had to go through to be even listened to let alone respected within the field of science. How so often their ideas were overshadowed or even stolen by the men in their lives. It also shows how art when done by a man was Art whereas when done by a woman so often it was merely seen as a pastime and of no real value.
jakkofclubs's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
peaches_pages's review
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
mreid25's review against another edition
5.0
Great!
This book was excellent. Captivating and rewarding to finish, never had trouble picking it up and it read quickly! Definitely recommend.
This book was excellent. Captivating and rewarding to finish, never had trouble picking it up and it read quickly! Definitely recommend.
tshepiso's review
4.5
The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics was hit! While I had some problems with the structure of the romance as the plot dragged a tad and the romantic conflict between our leads could have been more elegantly constructed overall it was a great story.
What really endeared me about this book and Olivia Waite's writing in general was its focus on our characters passions. I love romances that dive in to the interests and careers of the protagonists and ties their love story to their vocations. Waite does this brilliantly as our protagonists Lucy and Catherine are an astronomer and artist respectively. Throughout this book we see Lucy fight for a space in the scientific community in London with the passionate support of Catherine. Parallel to this we see Catherine's journey to viewing herself as an artist and take pride in her skills in the fabric arts heavily bolstered by Lucy.
What made the romance so compelling was the unbridled support these two women had for each other's lives and passions. They give each other the confidence to unabashedly pursue avenues that a patriarchal world has told them they have no right to. They love each other through their art and its a beautiful thing to see unfold.
I also loved the philosophical conversations woven throughout the novel about the nature of art and science. This book is honestly very contemplative filled with meaningful discussion about topics like the necessity of making science accessible the intricacies of translation and what it means to be an artist and that was honestly such fascinating things to chew on in the unexpected avenue of a romance novel.
But don't get it twisted The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics is at the end of the day a romance. and its romance was compelling throughout. I cannot wait to dive into more into Olivia Waite's books because if they're anything like this one I'm sure to have good time.
What really endeared me about this book and Olivia Waite's writing in general was its focus on our characters passions. I love romances that dive in to the interests and careers of the protagonists and ties their love story to their vocations. Waite does this brilliantly as our protagonists Lucy and Catherine are an astronomer and artist respectively. Throughout this book we see Lucy fight for a space in the scientific community in London with the passionate support of Catherine. Parallel to this we see Catherine's journey to viewing herself as an artist and take pride in her skills in the fabric arts heavily bolstered by Lucy.
What made the romance so compelling was the unbridled support these two women had for each other's lives and passions. They give each other the confidence to unabashedly pursue avenues that a patriarchal world has told them they have no right to. They love each other through their art and its a beautiful thing to see unfold.
I also loved the philosophical conversations woven throughout the novel about the nature of art and science. This book is honestly very contemplative filled with meaningful discussion about topics like the necessity of making science accessible the intricacies of translation and what it means to be an artist and that was honestly such fascinating things to chew on in the unexpected avenue of a romance novel.
But don't get it twisted The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics is at the end of the day a romance. and its romance was compelling throughout. I cannot wait to dive into more into Olivia Waite's books because if they're anything like this one I'm sure to have good time.
mmc_librarian's review
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75