Reviews

Ok this was phenomenal?!

Agatha Griffin is a 45-year-old widow who took over her late husband’s printing shop with her son and her apprentice. When she goes to the other print shop in Meliton she finds one corner overrun by bees. Her mother-in-law introduces her to 43-year-old Penelope Flood who is well known for her skills with bees. Over the course of getting Agatha’s hive settled and bonding over the other hives in town, a romance gradually develops between the two women.

There is a ton about this book I loved. There is a great balance of history, discussions of class, the impact of the marriage laws on women, and political activism! Seriously so cool. There are also other Queer couples and it is discussed how they have to hide the true nature of their relationship.

This is a slow burn romance, but I am a huuuuge fan of slow burn romances. Their relationship developed so naturally from friends to lovers. I also deeply prefer historical romances that pack in lots of politics and history, so I obviously was the target audience for this book haha.

Overall this was absolutely stellar and I can’t wait to dive into the next book!

P. S. You will learn a lot about bees 🐝

akoala's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

gh_st_books's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

skycrane's review against another edition

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5.0

I enjoyed this book even more than the first one. The romance is even better, and I think the story about traditional English popular protest is more engaging than the previous novel's focus on scientific societies. There's a village riot, formal appeals to the monarchy, libelous handbills, and more. The author has written Agatha's life as a printer and Penelope's as a country gentlewoman to include a variety of characters and conflicts, so this book feels larger in scope.

eagoldberg's review

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hopeful lighthearted medium-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

kshertz's review

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I loved the first in the series and this is just as adorable. I love queer historical fiction that’s very light on the history 😬. I enjoyed the characters, fell in love with them and rooted for them. There was smut but it was soooo far at the end of the book. Good smut though. I’ll probably continue with the series. Queer love stories have me so happy right now.

Content Warnings

barefootsong's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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? No

3.75

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