Elizabeth Everett’s A Lady’s Formula for Love (Berkley) is a delightful historical romp with a decidedly feminist twist.

The setting is London, 1842, and widowed viscountess Violet Hughes runs Athena’s Retreat, a secret social club for women scientists. They are preparing to put on a public exhibition when Violet is hired by the British government to develop an antidote to a new chemical weapon in the hands of a violent group of radicals. Her mission makes her a target for threats and sabotage, so her stepson, Grey, hires protection agent Arthur Kneland to watch over her while she’s working on the formula.

As a favor to Grey, Arthur takes on what he believes will be a simple job before he retires to the Highlands, but he discovers Violet has made some real enemies. He quickly becomes captivated by her brilliant, passionate mind and her enthusiasm for her work. Violet is a forward-thinking woman who is willing to indulges her physical attraction to her handsome protector, but there is more between this unusual pair than can be satisfied by a casual affair. Can the lady and the bodyguard find true love?

A Lady’s Formula for Love is the historical romance for readers who don’t think they like historical romance. Everett’s debut weaves a satisfying tale of love and mystery, with two likable characters who are a bit older and more experienced — they know what they want, and they’re going after it. Violet and Arthur complement each other perfectly, and their story is tender, smart, and passionate.

3.5 / 5

If you are looking for a historical romance featuring a bodyguard with a troubled past, a STEM heroine who is feeling lost, an impressive group of brilliant women looking for a place to belong, not to mention laugh out loud moments, sexy interludes, and interesting history, then this is for you! A Lady's Formula For Love was a lot of fun and was a welcome addition in my quest to read more historical romance. I'll be on the lookout for the sequel!

In my opinion the first few chapters of this book--which I assume were supposed to start off the action with a bang!--were kind of a mess. There were way too many characters, a flurry of activity, and so much going on, that I was just confused. After a bit everything seemed to calm down and I began to enjoy the story and the two main characters. But then again, after about half-way through, the book seemed to lose it's focus. I couldn't tell if the author was trying to give us clues to the "mystery" in a much too heavy-handed manner, or if things were already being set up for sequels, or what. The main conflicts between the two main characters were confusing, as well. I really didn't understand what the big deal was about why they couldn't be together. This book was just not for me.

A Lady’s Formula for Love, by Elizabeth Everett, was a very charming read. The author takes us back to a time when women had to hide their scientific abilities. Lady Violet is one progressive woman and gives these scientists a place to work and converse on all things science. Lady Violet is a respectable widow and is taking a huge risk to afford herself & these ladies, the career the 1840’s won’t let them attain. Their is suspended at all turns, as who projects are being done for. Also love is found. Lady Violet & Arthur Kneland are brought together , when the club starts gaining the wrong attention. He is there to protect the ladies, the club and the secrets inside. Both are alone in the world and one wonders if love can find its way between the two. I liked the author’s writing and character development. I really did like what Lady Violet represented.
There were parts that got a little confusing to me, keeping all the characters straight. But overall I found this to be an interesting love story. This story is about the underdog, second chances and finding love in the least expected place. This was a four star read for me. I have shared this book on my Instagram page and reviewed it on multiple sites. As always I want to thank Netgalley & Elizabeth Everett for my ARC, for an honest review. The is always such a pleasure to read all kinds of genres by different authors. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

This is my first historical romance book and I laughed throughout! This was such a delightful read! It was a little steamier than expected, but very fitting to the main character's development.

Thanks so much for my advanced copy!!

I loved this book! It was such a fun take on historical romance. I really enjoyed the science-y nature of the story and all of the characters were a lot of fun to read. I can't wait to read more from this author.

I received an ARC from Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Lady Violet lives for science. It's where she feels most alive. After marrying an elder gentleman, she was forced into smaller and smaller spaces within herself. Now in widowhood she can finally pursue her passions which include starting a science retreat (of sorts) for other like-minded women. Together the are making scientific discoveries.

Arthur has served these past years as a protections officer in service for the British government, and now retired but taking one last private assignment for a friend. This assignment is to protect Violet, who is tasked to discover the antidote to a new chemical weapon.

Both Violet and Arthur are struggling to find their footing in their changing life. Both are instantly drawn to one another though Arthur, due to past experiences, desperately tries to keep his distance.

This book does a nice job of balancing the romance and the mystery / danger parts. I loved the idea of these women banding together and working on solving a mystery using science. I love that sometimes these experiments went wrong and mayhem - (often) explosions - ensued.

Although there was a difference in rank between Violet and Arthur - and they both are aware of that - they are willing to brave the consequences to be together.

I DNF'ed at the 10% mark. Violet Greycliff's stepson (I think, I had a hard time following all of the characters that appeared in the first few scenes) hires a bodyguard to protect her as she develops an antidote for a chemical weapon being used by radicals fighting for universal suffrage for men. This premise--and especially the way it's treated in the book--felt pretty tone-deaf and, at times, historically revisionist. The main characters bemoan the radical group's use of direct action rather than pacifism, and Violet's friend Miss Fenley says, "Violence won't force the peerage to find their conscience. An attack on their wealth would have more of an impact." This felt like it ignored the direct action behind many civic progress in the West, whitewashing political history as though people gained their rights through boycotts rather than protests and sabotage. Additionally, another of Violet's friends, Lady Phoebe, refers to the radicals as "that rabble" because they're fighting for suffrage for men regardless of socioeconomic status. The discussion of the political movement feels really classist, especially since Violet is working to make an antidote to protect cops from protestors, siding against people fighting for expanded voting rights. It felt really off, and I did not enjoy the writing style enough, or feel connected enough to the characters, to continue reading this.

I had high hopes for this one, but found it to be so unbelievable, I almost put it down after the first ten pages but I soldiered on. I like revisionist history, but this one just had me puzzled. Give me some explanation as to how there were this many educated, women who were able to gather and study this way with no one the wiser. So many undeveloped characters and a trope that I just couldn't get into.

3.5⭐️ rounding up bc couple is v cute

Mixed feelings on this one— I loved EVERY MOMENT of the central romance, Violet and Arthur were so adorable and the chemistry was fire. I also felt like as a debut it was fairly impressive

But I think the author was trying to do too much here— the hero is a spy/bodyguard to the heroine bc she's a chemist helping him with a mission but ALSO she's stressing about her secret society of women scientists & trying to polish the clubs reputation and ALSO there’s a plot against the world by the laborers union and ALSO someone trying to steal one of Violet’s experiments and ALSO she has a düde friend who wants to marry her and ALSO one of her friends has betrayed her and ALSO there’s a trans character which at I really liked but also his narrative largely serves Violet’s (rather than serving his own story) and his brother kept dead naming him & calling him “my sister” and ALSO...

so there were just sooooo many things going on, which made it a little choppy and hard to follow, so I skimmed quite a bit of the last 30-25% 🤷🏼‍♀️ I think if half of the above had been whittled down, it would’ve made for a better book. Nevertheless I really loved the couple and I liked the authors writing, so I’ll be checking out her next book

Not your typical romance novel! I enjoyed reading A Lady's Formula for Love and would recommend it to anyone needing a fun escape for a couple days. Interesting women, dynamic men, and someone out to hurt one of them. Get it if you can! #NetGalley

A very enjoyable historical romance. I loved the chemistry between Violet and Arthur, especially the more they got to know each other. I've heard this book described at The Bodyguard set in Victorian England and I love the comparison and wholeheartedly agree with it. I also loved the focus on brilliant women ahead of their time who are gifted in the area of Science/STEM and how Violet gave them a place to privately hone their skills and conduct experiments. Just an all around satisfying read.

Enjoyed this one!! It was a great modern feeling historical with awesome chemistry & a little mystery/suspense. Very enjoyable.

Did not finish - it was well-written enough, but it didn't grab me. It suffered from comparison with a book by Courtney Milan, also a spicy Victorian-era romance about a lady scientist, *also* named Violet. Thank you for the opportunity.

3.5⭐
Feminist, swoony, and downright wonderful

When I first read the synopsis of this - secret society lady scientists in Victorian London + body guard romance - I absolutely knew I needed to read this. And it definitely did not disappoint! There was so much I absolutely loved about this feminist historical romance.

1. I loved the emphasis on women finding their own place in a world and society built to make them small. Violet spends a large part of the book coming terms with the trauma of emotional abuse by her late husband. I loved the internal character growth she went through throughout this book.

2. The romance in here was so sweet and fantastic. The chemistry between the main characters was so intense and the pacing was perfect. I loved how they supported each other was rooting for them the entire book.

I only had 2 minor issues. I did think the mystery element was a little lackluster - it's not really a mystery you can solve. There aren't really hints or red-herrings, you were really just along for the ride. However, I did think the romance and character arcs were strong enough to overshadow this.

My other qualm was I personally was not a fan of Pheobe... - and because of that the wrap-up wasn't my favorite. Major Spoiler: (view spoiler)

Overall I thought this was sweet, and fun, and full of amazing female characters. This had some of my favorite HR tropes - grumpy sunshine, bodyguard, class difference, and a widowed heroine! Definitely check this one out if you're looking for a great feminist take on Victorian society!

Although not a book I would purchase in my professional role, it is one that I will be recommending in my personal life! Thank you so much for allowing me to have access to the digital arc!
With all that is going on in the world right now, I am seeking out escapist books, and this smart and witty read absolutely worked for me!

What a wonderful historical romance. I love the mix of science and Victorian era, not something we see often, the romance and friendship is so well written, I just want more!

This book was a delightful romp through the scientific Victorian community. Unexpectedly steamy (in the best way) this romance was smart and the chemistry (heh) was potent. I recommend this to romance readers everyday at work and they love it!

SUMMARY: Young widow Lady Violet Greycliff puts her inheritance to work by establishing a science-focused social club for ladies. But her research has attracted the wrong kind of attention, requiring a seasoned bodyguard to ensure her safety. Will her chemistry experiments extend OUTSIDE the lab? 😂
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I liked this historical romance with a progressive bent! This feels like a trend in Romance—take a traditional setup and add contemporary values, inclusive side characters and explicit consent. If so, I’m here for it!! This book reminded me of Evie Dunmore’s Bringing Down the Duke and Tessa Dare’s Spindle Cove series.
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It’s the first in a series, and I will definitely be reading more. It’s a solid read for fans of historical romance and may have crossover appeal for more contemporary romance readers. Possibly also a good read for people who like Eloise Bridgerton and don’t want to wait four years for her story to play out on Netflix.
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It’s definitely an open door romance at about a 3.5 🔥 level. Come for the 🔥, stay for the women in STEM. 🤓
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⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
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Coming tomorrow, March 4! Thanks to @netgalley and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lady Violet Hughes’ passion is science, but it’s not easy for a woman to be a scientist in the 19th century, where women had few rights. Thus, Athena’s Retreat is formed. On the outside a mostly social club with a little bit of natural science discussion, but secretly the club is refuge to the seriously brilliant women who want to research and study the various fields of science.

Violet needs protection after being enlisted by the Crown to work on an antidote to a deadly poison being used in violence by dangerous rebels. Enter bodyguard Arthur Kneland, a sexy Scotsman. A man determined to be professional in view of the danger. However, the irresistible pull of attraction makes it impossible for Violet and Arthur to keep at arm’s length! These two can barely keep their hands off each other! More than just physical attraction, they connected and saw each other on an emotional level like no one else. Despite the differences in station, “the heart wants what the heart wants”! This is a romance, so we know they must figure out a way to bridge the gap, right?! I was on pins and needles trying to figure it out with them.

Violet was a sweet spunky character, so intelligent and big hearted, yet with the insecurities that plaque women from time to time. I just adored her! Arthur was the perfect fit, protective, but so onboard with Violet expressing her ideas and phenomenal brains!

A Lady’s Formula for Love was a delightful romp with quirky characters, laugh-out-loud moments, and a steamy romance.