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fivecatsinacoat's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
To be honest, this one wasn't for me. I didn't feel any connection between the two characters and the side characters felt very one-dimensional. I even found myself skipping through the spicy scenes (which weren't all that spicy) because they didn't have the connection and there was no tension.
To be honest, this one wasn't for me. I didn't feel any connection between the two characters and the side characters felt very one-dimensional. I even found myself skipping through the spicy scenes (which weren't all that spicy) because they didn't have the connection and there was no tension.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Violence, Classism, Transphobia, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Deadnaming, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Murder, Medical content, Grief, Death, Fatphobia, and Child death
laheath's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed the premise of a secret society of female scientists in the early 1800's, which actually had some historical accuracy. The female characters are strong but limited by their station and the status of women in England at this time. Their work towards betterment leads to a mystery which develops into a romance. A fun read once I got into it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and Sexual content
Minor: Physical abuse, Body shaming, Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, and Gun violence
juvball3's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Child death
jess_justmaybeperfect's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A Lady’s Formula for Love is book 1 in the The Secret Scientists of London series. It’s the story of Lady Violet Greycliff, a brilliant scientist, widowed young by an older man who swept her off her feet only to quickly turn around and break her spirit. At 30 years old she’s founded a club for scientific women and dabbles in work for the government through her beloved step-son. Grey.
Grey, fearing that Violet may be a target because of her government work, hires a colleague, Arthur Kneland, to be her bodyguard while she works on a high level government project.
At 40 Arthur has just retired from his government role and is ready to start a new life (and avoid a decades old scandal) with the money Grey gives him to protect Violet.
A simple job keeping his eye on some ladies? Yes? Not so much. Arthur’s got all kinds of problems, friends with secrets, loyal servants, fanatical radicals, potential suitors, and most of all the insta lust and very soon the deep respect he has for Violet. She returns those feelings and well, they get to it.
I loved a lot about this book. A older STEM FMC reaching for joy meets an emotionally reserved protector who has forgotten happiness completely. The club and its inclusiveness are great. The villains are very well done. The sex is 🔥! And I always love when a MMC can’t help but listen to the brilliant FMC hypothesize 😏 or just watch her think.
Unfortunately the book felt mildly disjointed to me. Arthur’s sudden switch to shockingly astute emotional intelligence just wasn’t believable to me. Some growth is to be expected, but I guess I just didn’t buy the complete transformation. He’s still a wonderful man without all the flowery language that just didn’t seem to fit his personality. Also, the story wrapped up too quickly for me.
I’m definitely reading the rest of the series though. The other books sound great and I’m willing to bet on the transitions I found rough being smoothed out as the series progresses.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Deadnaming, Transphobia, Violence, and Gun violence
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and War
shannon_magee's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Deadnaming, Gun violence, Transphobia, and Blood
iamamyyyyy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Overall I liked this book, but I struggled at times with wild shifts in the tone. There were moments that were supposed to be comic relief that just felt too out of place to me. The main couple each went through meaningful growth that was satisfying. The romance was solid, a whole star was taken away for "sweet syrup."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism and Sexual content
Minor: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Deadnaming
stressedoutreader's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death and Physical abuse
eamily's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Sexual content, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Moderate: Dysphoria, Deadnaming, Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Cursing
Minor: Murder, Blood, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Infertility, Animal death, Outing, Eating disorder, Chronic illness, and Death
megloveswords12's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Sexual content and Sexism
Minor: Gun violence
allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
*warning: I ultimately address transphobic content in this review*
Unfortunately, I had three major areas of concern regarding this book, which I've organized from least to most heinous. For one, protagonist Violet has friends that maneuver her for the betterment of their scientific society and to fit their ideal of what's best for her. There's no open communication or support freely given outside of scientific discovery. Her childhood friend is also seeking engagement with her to protect Violet from the way she embarrasses herself in society, which is terribly demeaning. The fact he intends to get a lot of benefits out of the match removes any shine of altruism. I can see groundwork for personal growth in these side characters' own forthcoming stories in the series, but it comes at the expense of anything likable in the present. While Violet's deceased husband is the major force behind her low self-esteem, I can't help but feel that all her so-called friends are chipping away at it, as well, with the way they try to handle her like some self-sabotaging, ticking time bomb.
Let's take things up a notch. Despite Violet and her society's supposed enlightenment, there are a lot of weirdly snide, classist remarks at odds with Violet's familial relationships with her staff. Violet admits to never considering her privilege before, and there is no further conversation after this epiphany. The author's messaging gets further tangled by setting up a group of political activists as villains. Somehow, the labor movement has gas weapons they are using on police. *take a moment for your shock* The complete upside-downness of the premise really took me aback. To make things worse, there's a feeble proclamation about kindness and patience at the end aimed at social change that made me incredibly sad.
The final point is about what I expect are good intentions to include a trans character gone disastrously awry. Our trans character is Henry, a footman working for Violet. His gender identity is revealed to the readers during Arthur's investigation of the villainous labor activists, when Arthur deadnames him to get a reaction mid-interrogation. If that weren't bad enough, we are forced to see Henry confront the brother who doesn't accept him on-page, a brother who uses the wrong pronouns and identifiers and tries to emotionally manipulate him into not presenting as his true self. Arthur muses that if his younger sister had "made the same choice," he would have been "conflicted" but not abandoned her. I hate this messaging about choice in regards to queerness and the centering of Arthur's feelings as if he gets to have an opinion. Also, not abandoning someone is the lowest possible bar for love and devotion, far off from full support and respect. Henry's feelings and experiences are not addressed with any depth, nor is he offered any happy plotline aside from enjoying his place of employment. His trauma reads like a plot device that furthers the villain's motivations and our cis straight couple's love story.
I'm a bit shell-shocked by what a major bummer this book was, and I'm disappointed at the hype.
Unfortunately, I had three major areas of concern regarding this book, which I've organized from least to most heinous. For one, protagonist Violet has friends that maneuver her for the betterment of their scientific society and to fit their ideal of what's best for her. There's no open communication or support freely given outside of scientific discovery. Her childhood friend is also seeking engagement with her to protect Violet from the way she embarrasses herself in society, which is terribly demeaning. The fact he intends to get a lot of benefits out of the match removes any shine of altruism. I can see groundwork for personal growth in these side characters' own forthcoming stories in the series, but it comes at the expense of anything likable in the present. While Violet's deceased husband is the major force behind her low self-esteem, I can't help but feel that all her so-called friends are chipping away at it, as well, with the way they try to handle her like some self-sabotaging, ticking time bomb.
Let's take things up a notch. Despite Violet and her society's supposed enlightenment, there are a lot of weirdly snide, classist remarks at odds with Violet's familial relationships with her staff. Violet admits to never considering her privilege before, and there is no further conversation after this epiphany. The author's messaging gets further tangled by setting up a group of political activists as villains. Somehow, the labor movement has gas weapons they are using on police. *take a moment for your shock* The complete upside-downness of the premise really took me aback. To make things worse, there's a feeble proclamation about kindness and patience at the end aimed at social change that made me incredibly sad.
The final point is about what I expect are good intentions to include a trans character gone disastrously awry. Our trans character is Henry, a footman working for Violet. His gender identity is revealed to the readers during Arthur's investigation of the villainous labor activists, when Arthur deadnames him to get a reaction mid-interrogation. If that weren't bad enough, we are forced to see Henry confront the brother who doesn't accept him on-page, a brother who uses the wrong pronouns and identifiers and tries to emotionally manipulate him into not presenting as his true self. Arthur muses that if his younger sister had "made the same choice," he would have been "conflicted" but not abandoned her. I hate this messaging about choice in regards to queerness and the centering of Arthur's feelings as if he gets to have an opinion. Also, not abandoning someone is the lowest possible bar for love and devotion, far off from full support and respect. Henry's feelings and experiences are not addressed with any depth, nor is he offered any happy plotline aside from enjoying his place of employment. His trauma reads like a plot device that furthers the villain's motivations and our cis straight couple's love story.
I'm a bit shell-shocked by what a major bummer this book was, and I'm disappointed at the hype.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Sexual content, and Transphobia
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Infertility, Abandonment, Classism, Sexism, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, and Infidelity