A review by danajoy
The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

This is a beautifully written and wonderful romance. I love the backdrop of astronomy and the arts, especially in light of the historical setting. It is full of beautiful quotes and imagery. 
I think my favourite aspect of this was the amazing portrayal of consent and the importance of enthusiastic consent when progressing with intimacy. 

"The whole point is to feel excited about one another, isn’t it? If you’re more anxious than excited, then we wait. Simple." 

It IS simple. I love seeing this sort of thing in books! This was the story I read directly after The Duke and I by Julia Quinn which unfortunately has a very problematic, non-consensual scene which really does make it hard to think back on the rest of the story with anything but uneasiness. When I read this story I was so happy that consent was clear and enthusiastic. There are a lot of steamy scenes in here. They are usually a little long, very tender and very hot so if that is something you're seeking out then I highly recommend picking this book up. 

Personally, I found the plot interesting enough to keep me engaged but a bit on the predictable side. The docked half star is for my frustration with a very common romance trope also present in this story -
The third act break up. I personally found it infuriating that both Catherine and Lucy were not communicating their insecurities to one another and just letting pettiness and perceived future problems get in the way.
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