This was fantastic - I loved both main characters and felt like they both changed from knowing each other. It was a romance between two adults who weren't sure how that romance would fit into their lives. And the club and all the women were entertaining. A great new author find and I can't wait for her to write something else.

Total winner. Brilliant and brave widow running a secret club for a gaggle of eccentric fellow female scientists falls for the gruff and guarded man hired to protect her. Take my money.

There’s a lot to love in this book. First of all the women and STEM plots are among my absolute favorites. I love that these women are literally blowing stuff up. Secondly, the chemistry between Violet and Arthur is most excellent. There are a lot of characters to keep of track of and in the beginning I worried that the pacing wasn’t going to work for me but in the end it wasn’t a problem. I enjoyed this one a lot.

Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and advanced copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Lady's Formula for Love gave me big "A League of Extraordinary Women" series vibes with a STEM-twist and I am here for it! Lady Violet leads a women's society that secretly are just brilliant ladies creating and researching (my researcher heart adored seeing this!) but when she starts working on a top-secret project, Arthur is hired as her bodyguard to ensure her, and her works, safety.

I really enjoyed Violet and her character in this story. She wants to push boundaries and pursue what makes her... her! And all the other women in science she works with (I hope we get more of them in this series!) and how they all fit together in hopes and societal expectations. This book also had a mystery element (who behind the attacks on Lady Violet?) that was a fun bonus to the romance storyline.

I am a sucker for multiple POV in romances (I'm selfish and want to know what both sides think!) and I loved seeing both Violet and Arthur's perspectives with the exception that the POV changes weren't as obvious as they should be which pulled me out of the story wondering "wait who is this now?" However, my biggest issue was that it jumps right into action which actually left me a little confused for the first bit of the book as I got my bearings with the time period and characters.

Good book. I like reading romance, but especially romance that emphasizes that a woman can have love AND her own passions (whether that be a career, a hobby, an outside interest of any kind). It was especially interesting to read such a romance novel set in this particular time period.

I did enjoy this book, and the steam (I’m a sucker for steam in a romcom, just needs to be done )

I loved both characters, the story premise behind the chemicals fell a bit flat for me, whereas the bodyguard story line did not - I’m all for that - and have never seen it before which made it very fun to dive into. I couldn’t felt the love a tad more between them, but it got there in the end. Moved a bit slow in the beginning but once things started picking up between them I didn’t want to stop reading. I would give this a 3.5 or 3.75 stars, and will be reccomending to my friends as well, who doesn’t love a good Jane Austin bodyguard novel -

“How terrifying when dreams walk the earth. Perfect in their imperfections: messy and flawed and more beautiful for it. When you let a person in, they mattered, and when you lost them, worlds ended.”
— A Lady’s Formula for Love, Elizabeth Everett

Violet Hughes is a widowed scientist who spends her time presiding over a household and a secret club surrounded by other likeminded women. She is a shell of a woman.

Arthur Kneland is a government agent hired by Violet’s stepson to protect her from an anarchist society in exchange for enough money to buy a farm back home in Scotland and retire away from the rest of the world. He is a shell of a man.

When these two literally crash into each other, sparks fly. But their relationship isn’t easy, with one of them fighting their feelings and the other not confident enough to express their deepest desires. Will they find a way to make it work, or will their chemistry blow up in their faces?

The only thing that made this fall short of a five star read for me was the fact that the plot felt choppy and underdeveloped at times. While I enjoyed watching their relationship unfold, I also thought that the romance between Violet and Arthur felt rushed. Hopefully these issues will be addressed before its release!

Thanks to Evie Dunmore, I have become such a huge fan of historical romance, and when this comes out on February 9th, it will be welcomed into the fold with open arms. I am sure everyone will thoroughly enjoy it.

Violet has spent the past five years building up her women's club for scientific advancements. She is focused, she is driven, and she is incredibly intelligent. When her life becomes threatened, her stepson hires her a bodyguard for protection. Arthur has been defending political officials for over twenty years and he's hoping that this is his last job. He can't help but be awed by the brilliance and drive of his charge and though he tries to fight it, he can't resist their connection.

If you read Bringing Down the Duke, this one is very much in the same vein. I think that's the best way to explain it. It was an enjoyable read, but not as much back and forth as I would like from a book of this genre. I didn't mind the historical inaccuracies but this felt much more like a contemporary romance set in a historical period than a historical romance. Which is great in itself, look at the cover and know that this is a much more modernized attempt that can definitely appeal to many different audiences. If you're a hardcore regency romance fan though this probably won't be what you're looking for. But if you're a big contemporary romance fan then this would be a much more enjoyable book.

I think it went a little hard on just trying to convince us that Violet is perfect but not too perfect. She's quirky, but in a completely appealing way. She can't be social except when she's in social situations and even though she's awkward she's charming. It just felt like too many lines were being straddled in an attempt to make her as likeable as possible. I liked her well enough without all the additional commentary about it.

I think it just barely missed four stars for me, it would've been a lot better if we had seen more of her expertise and her role. But I really did love the emphasis on how a couple can have completely separate interests but still love what those interests bring out in one another. I also loved the character's authenticity with themselves and think that it was a cuter love story for it. Big thank you to NetGalley for providing me an early copy!

The chemistry between Lady Violet Hughes, a well-to-do widow and brilliant scientist, and her bodyguard Arthur jumps out of this novel from the beginning. Arthur is tasked with keeping Violet safe and while on assignment, you can see the feelings developing between the two. I really enjoyed this novel. The characters were enjoyable, the setting was great (I love books set in the UK), and the secret society of women scientists in 1800s London was fantastic. At the beginning I was worried because, for me, it started off a little slow. There were also a lot of different characters and I thought it would be hard to keep them all straight. However, by about the 25% mark I was fully invested, not only in Violet and Arthur, but on who was behind the attacks on Violet and her secret society, Athena's Retreat. Also, the growth of Violet and Arthur throughout the novel seems natural and not forced, which I really appreciated. This is the first in a series, and I will definitely be picking up the next book! Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for an advanced copy.

Lady Violet is the head of the Athena Club, a collection of scientific bluestockings who deduce and experiment in the relative safety of the Club's building. Experiments start going wrong and things start going missing, leading protection agent Arthur to be hired for investigation into the wrongdoing.

The synopsis read like something I would really get into, but it did not grab me as expected. Connections were lost in the shuffle and the characters' motivations seemed muddled.

This historical romance takes place in London in 1842. Violet Hughes, Lady Greycliff, is a young widow and a scientific genius. After the death of her elderly husband she founded a club for other ladies of scientific bent with two good friends - Lady Phoebe Hunt and Miss Letty Fenley. She also works for the government through her stepson who is a government agent. Her current task is to develop an antidote for a new chemical concoction used by radicals who are trying to bring down the government.

Her stepson Grey has hired Arthur Kneland to be her bodyguard because someone doesn't want her to succeed in her chemical quest. Arthur has been a bodyguard for about twenty years and is getting ready to leave the profession for a quiet life. He can't go home again because his family home in the Scottish Highlands is gone. The enclosures have made the whole area sheep farms.

Violet and Arthur would seem to be an odd couple. They aren't of the same social class. Violet is more open-hearted; Arthur is very closed off. But Violet is just recovering from a very bad marriage in that her husband tried to make her change everything about herself in order to try to win his love. She failed and over time became sure that her failures were her fault. She became very introverted and uncertain. Arthur also has a troubled past that he has spent years trying to overcome. His relationship with the wife of the man he was supposed to be guarding distracted him enough that his client died. It was assumed that Arthur and his subject's wife had an affair and the rumor is resurrected when he begins to get close to Violet.

I enjoyed the setting of this story wherein the rights of women (or rather the lack of rights for women) is a major part of the plot of the story. The book is funny in places and really romantic in places. It was emotionally intense with lots of dangerous situations.

Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this story.

Some romances are just plain adorable, and A Lady’s Formula for Love is somehow both adorable and action-packed, a delightfully fun romp that brings the reader the best of both worlds.

Widowed Violet Hughes, Lady Greycliff, created Athena’s Retreat as a secret social club for women to develop their scientific knowledge without scrutiny.  They’re very close to putting on their first public exhibition, and Violet wants them all on their best behavior.  Violet is also working on a confidential and clandestine mission for the government.

Bodyguard Arthur Kneland works with a secret group where Violet’s stepson William (aka Grey) also works as an agent.  Arthur yearns for solitude, and he plans on retiring to the Highlands to get it, but William asks Arthur for one last favor as he heads out the door; Violet has begun to receive threats, and he asks Arthur to watch over Violet for a month while she launches the Retreat and finishes her mission.  Nothing could be simpler.  Except that they meet when he tackles her to the ground after someone throws a chair through a window at her head.

As Arthur spends time with Violet, he begins to learn about her passion for science – and develops a passion for her.  They are drawn together, but professional and personal lines should not be crossed… should they?

Well, It’s a romance, so you know they’ll be kissing before long!  But A Lady’s Formula for Love has fun getting there.  You want older leads having a steamy, tension-filled relationship in which they slowly become lovers?  This novel has it in spades, and it has great action scenes, brainy characters and an interesting plot to boot.

I liked Violet’s grown-up practicality and her staunch feminism.  Arthur, and his wonderfully serious starchiness, compliments her perfectly. They had both been different people in their youths – idealistic, heedless – and both experienced disappointments, she in marriage, he in duty – but now, in the second act of their lives, they’re trying to figure out who they are. The narrative doesn’t fear allowing them to express regret and longing in the same long, deep breath.  Violet and Arthur are so good together that it’s impossible not to root for their glorious union.

There is wonderful yearning here – and a great mystery.  There is genuine suspense as we try to figure out who wants to stop Violet’s foundation in its tracks, and Everett milks it for every last drop.

I definitely enjoyed Violet’s fellow chemists, and Grey is both roguish and gently fond of his stepmother.  They’re quite close in age, and have a certain amount of life experience between them, but they’re willing to try again with each other.

This is simply a great little romance novel, with genuine suspense and style, and two leads who are likable and absolutely wonderful to root for.  A Lady’s Formula for Love is a beautifully written book with a swoonworthy romance that makes the heart sing.  It comes highly recommended.

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4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it

I enjoyed the story of Lady Violet, her scientific friends, and the man assigned to protect her.

Lady Violet is a widow who loves chemistry and learning new things. Her step son has asked her to to work on an antidote to a chemical weapon that has been used by a local group trying to overthrow the aristocracy. Due to the threats possible, her step son Grey has asked Arthur Kneland to protect her until she can discover the antidote. The story was great for getting to know the characters, even as they got to know themselves!

I wasn't thinking going in that this would be more than a historical fiction love story, but it definitely had steamy scenes! Be prepared for that if it's not your jam.

A fun read - strong female protagonist, and I loved the secret club of female scientists! At times the storylines could be a little confusing, especially as there were many characters. However, some of the lesser explored plot lines could easily lend themselves to be further developed in sequels.

The first in it’s series, A Lady’s Formula for Love is Elizabeth Everett’s debut novel and it was a great one!

Not only did this story have swooning moments between scatterbrained but charming Lady Violet and her hired bodyguard, the stoic Arthur, it also played out as a perfect comedic movie. The timing of the quick witted and humorous writing were perfect and provided the right balance of lightheartedness and mystery.

I couldn’t help recalling the movie, The Bodyguard starring Whitney Houston as the love stories are similar; the leading lady falls for her protection officer and they come to terms whether they should continue their affair or not. I loved that movie so I did like how the love story played out in this book.

The only qualm I have with the story is that it felt a bit too much like insta-love, which isn’t my jam.

This book is sweet, funny, and adorable. I’d recommend this book to someone who enjoys historical fiction, a strong female lead, hilarious situations and romance. It Really is a romantic comedy. There is a light story line and juicy love scenes.

Debut author Elizabeth Everett is a spectacular talent. Set in 1842 England, A Lady's Formula for Love introduces readers to Athena's Retreat, a women's group that doubles as an underground save haven for women scientists. The sparkling cast of characters, particularly the club's founder, Violet, captivates from page one. Intrigue, suspense, and humor support an emotionally engaging romance between Violet and her bodyguard, Arthur, that (rather deliciously) defies societal standards of the time. Their love connection is as profoundly satisfying as the self-love and self-acceptance that they eventually learn to show themselves.

Liz Donatelli., host of Reader Seeks Romance, romance novel talk show on YouTube

4 stars. I enjoyed this interesting take on the bodyguard trope, as it was something I hadn't encountered in the historical romance genre yet.

If you’re guilty of binge-watching Bridgerton (like I am) and are looking for more historical romances to make you swoon, this book is for you

Picture this: We’re in Victorian England. You're a 30 years old widow and a brilliant scientist. You've assembled a secret club for the most brilliant female scientists in England and are working on some pretty important projects. When your life is threatened, your step son hires a protection officer to keep you safe. Enter Arthur Kneland -a rough, stoic man with a mysterious past. You can probably guess what happens next.

Historical romance is having a major moment, and I am here for it. I absolutely loved this book. I read it in a day because it was exactly what I needed. It was the perfect mix of serious and sweet.

Thank you Berkley, for providing me with my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable read with a strong emotional core, however I felt like the plot was a bit messy and a bit inconsistent in places. Full review will appear on Smart Bitches, Trashy Books closer to the publication date.

R E C O M M E N D A T I O N 💫
Thank you so much to @netgalley & @berkleypub for the e-ARC of A Lady’s Formula for Love by Elizabeth Everett in exchange for an honest review. Pub date 2/9/2021.

A Lady’s Formula for Love is all about female scientists, with the focus on one of the noblewomen involved and her bodyguard! As soon as I realized this was about women in STEM and a rugged bodyguard, I knew I was going to thoroughly enjoy this!

We have Violet, who is one of the most brilliant scientists in her time and is using her genius on a confidential mission for the Crown. She’s assigned a protection officer, Arthur, who has learned the way to always put duty first and to never acknowledge the feelings of his assignments. But as Arthur continues to spend time with Violet and the eccentric club members, the more his best intentions go up in flames quite literally. With a threat looming Violet’s work, Arthur and Violet find themselves caught up in tangles of their feelings.

Off the bat, Violet is such an endearing character. She tends to always put others before her and sometimes she doesn’t necessarily see herself as others do. She’s someone I would have loved to keep reading about! She’s a literal genius and deserved so much more than what she got from her first marriage and society as a whole. Arthur was such a grump and honestly, I loved it so much! He was the complete opposite of Violet and they truly brought the best out of each other.

I gave this romance ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars! This was such a breath of fresh air when it comes to historical romance. It’s so different from other Victorian novels, demonstrating that women have the ability to make great strides in the STEM field in this era.

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