A review by menshevixen
The Heart of a Bluestocking by Renée Dahlia

4.0

Slight tangent: when I was a kid I was super into [b:The Serpent's Shadow|13997|The Serpent's Shadow (Elemental Masters, #1)|Mercedes Lackey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1406635564s/13997.jpg|2616], which has some issues with Orientalism, exoticizing characters, and troubling racial tropes. So part of why I liked The Heart of a Bluestocking so much was that it reminded me of some of the best things about The Serpent's Shadow (Victorian lady doctor! biracial main character! suffragettes!) while clearly containing a lot more thought and sensitivity toward portraying its British-Indian characters. Other things I loved: an even-keeled, educated heroine who knows her worth; a charismatic, funny hero who's super invested in his lady's pleasure; top-notch banter; SANJAY, the low-key fave; queer supporting characters; and a good old-fashioned bookie scheme. I'll definitely be checking out the other books in the Bluestocking series!