I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

The Viscount Made Me Do It is the second in Diana Quincy’s Clandestine Affairs series. It can be read as a stand-alone, but I did also enjoy the first book, so I would recommend it as well.

I really enjoyed meeting another Arab heroine in Hanna, and the fact that she’s a bonesetter added to her appeal. I’ve read before about how physicians who went through university looked down on apothecaries, bonesetters, and basically anyone else in the medical field who acquired their knowledge through other means (such as apprenticeships), and I appreciated the portrayal of that prejudice here, especially given that it overlaps with the very sensitive issue of cultural prejudice against Arabs, which while different contextually back then than today, still existed.

I appreciated how Hanna valued her profession and would not give it up for anyone, even if she married, which would have been expected of her. I did wonder why she constantly said that if she married, she would be expected to marry an Arab, as this was never shown to provide justification. Another man whom she works with approaches her brother to ask for her hand, and he does not express any misgivings for this reason, and there’s the fact that her cousin Leela (the heroine of book one) is both the product of an interracial Arab/English marriage and recently married a Duke herself, so further clarification would have been appreciated.

I also really enjoyed Griff as a character. He is trying to resolve what happened to his parents, and who killed them, and a clue is what brings him to Hanna. I truly felt for him due to the way the murders were pinned on him and how his perceptions of what he knew changed with every revelation.

The romance does feel a bit unbalanced at times, with him leaning on her a lot due to all the twists and turns and his discoveries about his family, and her pulling back from committing due to her reluctance, but as historical romance relationships go, it’s one of the more endearing, and they do work well together.

This book is a refreshing take on the historical romance genre, and combines the core passionate romance with social commentary and a compelling mystery with ease. If you love historical romance, I definitely recommend picking this up.

A bonesetter is a fantastic vocation for a woman in Regency England. I really like that about this series. Characters who are not the norm is a real draw. Hanna was such a great character who was to be respected and really wanted to help others. Enter Griff, a skeptic who learns she knows her stuff. This is where I had a bit of a problem. I was not enthralled with Griff. I won’t go into it but let’s just say that he was kind of wishy washy. There is a little mystery but it does not distract from the remaining of the story (I would have liked more information). I am not sure why they got together. I hate that I did not love this book because I absolutely loved the first book.

My first Quincy and I was delighted. I loved the setting of this book. A viscount dealing with past trauma and a bonesetter who is Arab. I had never heard of a bonesetter and it felt refreshing in a historical romance. I love a good working woman and a gentleman. I think Quincy writes the perfect balance between the tension of the romance and the storyline of the mystery. I think it is always good when I want to read both the romance part and the main storyline. I think this had a different feel with the medical side and the two different cultures. It made for a fun page turning read! I was curious about the title and really felt it didn't fit the story but it was not that big of an issue.

The Viscount Made Me Do It is book 2 in Diana Quincy's series, The Clandestine Affairs and it features the story of the mysterious Thomas Ellis, Lord Griffin (aka Griff) and an English born Arab woman named Hanna Zaydan who is also an incredibly gifted bonesetter.

This story starts off with a very exciting and promising bang... Hanna shows up to aid a young man's wrist that he claims was put out. When she arrives, she realizes very quickly he and his bros are doing it under the guise to expose her as a fraud and make advances... so she puts his wrist out for him. Griff is there at the same teahouse and is naturally taken by her (she's of course pretty) but what really catches his eye, is the fact that she is wearing a sapphire necklace that belonged to his mother - she was wearing it the night she & Griff's father were brutally murdered.

I thought the premise was so fascinating - so much detail in Hanna's work, and the mystery of who killed Griff's parents - but the story as a whole fell short for me. Griff was so plain and boring, almost nothing about him grabbed me. He also seemed to be quite daft... Hanna was fantastic, until she wasn't. She was adament about avoiding scandal and impropriety to preserve the validity of her bonesetting practice and her desire for her own dispensary in which to treat her patients in private. Griff of course shows up, skeptical as hell, to have her treat a years old war injury that no doctor, not even his awful uncle, could fix. Hanna helps him and essentially cures him. Griff being fascinated with Hanna seemed so surface level, their romance wasn't believable to me at all. And Hanna throws all her goals and dreams out the window the second Griff comes around for some kisses on the sly.

Also - the villain seemed so obvious to me right away, and Griff being so obtuse was a giant source of frustration, though I do slightly understand why but.. man, QUESTION PEOPLE. You're a grown man!

I enjoyed book 1 more than this one, even though this story initially grabbed me more. I can tell Ms. Quincy is gifted, but the relationship was sorely lacking for me. She of course has me even further intrigued by Hanna's brother Rafi & Griff's childhood friend Selina, as well as Hanna's cousin, also Leela's (book 1) brother. I'm absolutely intrigued by the story, the class differences, the race & religious differences, which to me felt more hashed out and interesting and though provoking than the relationship itself.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Fourteen years after the murder of his parents, Thomas “Griff” Ellis, the Viscount Griffin receives a package with a ring belonging to his late mother, a ring that was stolen the night she was killed. In an effort to track down the sender, he visits the post office, hoping for a lead, but is sent away empty-handed. He visits a nearby coffeehouse and is shocked when he sees a lovely woman enter, wearing his mother’s necklace. The woman stops at the table of some young noblemen who apparently requested her services as a bonesetter to mock her. Angry, the woman dislocates the man’s wrist, telling him to visit her office to get it fixed, and storms out.

Griff learns her name and due to a war injury, has an excuse to visit her offices, even though he doesn’t believe she will be able to help him, since his former guardian is a respected doctor and wasn’t able to alleviate his pain, nor had any of the specialists he has seen. So he is shocked when her treatments work. They form a friendship and he confesses his true reason for seeking her out and she offers to help any way she can.

Hanna Zaydan is the daughter of immigrants from the Levant, most of her family is involved in the cotton trade, but her father was a bonesetter and taught her the art, much to the dismay of her mother and grandmother, who hoped she would marry a nice Arab man and start a family. Hanna truly has a gift for bonesetting and will not give up her practice, therefore she believes marriage and a family are not a part of her future. Her attraction to Griff is inconvenient and impossible, even if he wanted to marry her, her family would never approve. But that doesn’t stop her from helping him solve the mystery of who murdered his parents and why.

Almost as soon as they start digging into the past, ugly truths begin to emerge and everything Griff has been told seems to be lies. Add to this, his former guardian seeming to have a vendetta against Hanna, and a secret he has kept for years coming out and forcing him to offer marriage to save a friend’s honor. All of these combined seem to ensure that there is no possibility for a HEA with the woman he has come to love.

This was a well-written, fast-paced story with wonderful characters and a fresh and original plot. The book is filled with secrets, lies, betrayal, murder, interesting facts on bonesetting, class/station differences, prejudice, warm love scenes, help from unexpected sources, and finally a HEA that seemed impossible. This book achieved the perfect balance of mystery and romance, with neither aspect overpowering or detracting from the other, resulting in a well-balanced and gripping read. There were some typos and title errors, but this was an uncorrected proof, so those errors may be corrected before publication. This is the second book in the series, but it can be read as a standalone title with no problems.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

3.5/5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

I'll start by saying this was just an okay read. I also have to say I'm a little disappointed in this book. I didn't love it as much as I loved the first book in this series. While I enjoyed the overall plot and the characters were okay, I find that the romance was really lacking something for me. I just didn't feel the chemistry between the two main characters. Sure they liked each other but the passion and tension just didn't feel like it was there. I just wanted and expected more because I completely adored the first book. I will continue to read more books by this author and any more that are released in this series. Overall it was easy to read and the plot kept me intrigued as did the heroine in this book. I would still recommend giving!

Such a great slow-burn romance. Griff, an injured and abandoned viscount, is looking for clues in the hopes of solving his parent's murder. Hanna, the intelligent, capable and passionate bonesetter is pursuing healing - against her family's, and society's wishes. When these two are brought together, their attraction to one another is instant - and unavoidable. Theres simply no denying it.

Overall, this was such a thoroughly enjoyable read. And while this was my first Diana Quincy, it won't be my last. I can't wait to see what comes next.

I loved this book. The history of bone setting was very interesting. The story was fantastic. I loved the plot. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

I enjoyed this a lot. Hanna was a great heroine - I loved her knowledge and passion for her work, and enjoyed her interactions with her big, lovingly intrusive Arab family. Griffin took me a bit longer to appreciate – while he has plenty of good reasons for his angst, I didn't like his deception of Hanna in the early chapters. I also enjoyed the secondary characters, particularly Griffin's childhood friend, Annabelle. The murder mystery subplot was more of a how-and-why-dunnit than a who-dunnit, but it still worked. And I enjoyed all the medical and hospital politics. A solid historical romance with some nice diversity.

The Viscount Made Me Do It
Book 2 in the Clandestine Affairs Series
Rating: 4 stars
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

The Viscount Made Me Do It was such a wonderful story! Hanna Zaydan has such a cool profession. Bonesetting was considered a fraud profession at the time, but it did help so many people relieve their pain that medical doctors could not cure. It is due to this profession that she meets Lord Griffin. They are instantly attracted to each other and enjoy flirting with each other. They are each in a situation in their lives that being together is not possible, but fate continues to bring them together because they are helping each other with trying to solve the mystery of how Hanna ended up with Griff's mother necklace and ring that both went missing when his parents were murdered.
I loved Hanna. I think she's such a brave and independent heroine and was not afraid to do and give up in order to be a bonesetter. Griff goes through a lot in this story. He finally confronts those events from his past that drove him away from society.
This story had a sweet and hot romance and mystery. Also, the scenes with Hanna's family were fun to read. Her Citi, grandmother, was a character that reminded me of my grandmother.
Looking forwards to the next one!

Full disclosure, I received an ARC of “The Viscount Made Me Do It” from NetGalley to read and provide my unbiased feedback and thoughts on.

Fans of Kleypas’s Dr. Garrett Gibson in “Hello Stranger”, and of female doctors in historicals in general, are going to love this book. The heroine, Hanna, is a bonesetter and Quincy has obviously done a lot of research to building out the background of her life and career. Overall, she is a strong and interesting character that is paired with the perfectly imperfect hero, Griffin. Their chemistry is burn the pages hot.

Advisory: the hero is the victim of extreme gaslighting. If this is something that could be triggering to you, please be advised.

I really enjoyed the book even though I figured out the villain early on, it still kept me on my toes with the plot twists that occurred before the evil plot was fully revealed on page. This one is a solid high 4 star for being unique and interesting throughout.

I think this is my first historical romance with a British born Arab descendant as a main character. Hanna Zaydan, is a bonesetter (similar to an early chiropractor). It is a trade skill mainly held by men but Hanna apprenticed under her father. She loves the work she does and the community she serves. But her skills are not recognized by the established medical professionals. Viscount Thomas Ellis (Griff) visits her after recognizing a necklace she is wearing as belonging to his deceased mother. He goes under the guise of getting treatment for war injuries and to his surprise her treatments work.

There is much to stop a romance between the two. Her family will disown her for marrying outside her culture and faith. The ton will never accept her. The two become more connected as Griff tries to unravel who killed his parents and the necklace is a clue. I like the cultural elements brought into the story. I especially enjoyed learning about bone-setting its existence in the time period. Hanna is great as a strong independent woman. The mystery unfortunately overtakes the romance in the story and Griff seems very slow at getting it solved. I honestly didn't care if they got together by the end as it didn't seem to be a priority for either of them.

I will absolutely read the author again but this romance wasn't overly memorable to me other than for the cultural elements. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Diana Quincy romance (though I adore her Atlas Catesby series under D.M. Quincy) and I loooooved it. The characters are so well-rounded I felt that any of the secondary and minor characters could have a novel of their own. The mystery aspect had a lot of depth but in no way detracted from the romance. And the romance… sigh. Hanna and Griff simply couldn’t do without the other, and it was beautiful.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I found this book to be just another in the new line of authors trying to push an agenda on readers of historical romance. I don't believe for one second a peer would marry anyone from another religion, much less another ethnicity. In fact, it was illegal for a peer to marry a Jewish person until the late 1800's. I can't believe there weren't legal issues with marrying an Arab.

Beyond the wokeness I didn't find the story all that exciting. This is not an author I would read again.

Diana Quincy makes an incredibly successful case for diversity in Regency romance with The Viscount Made Me Do It. While Griff checks all the typical boxes, the handsome, titled black sheep who rebels against the ton, Hanna is a complete breath of fresh air. She has Arabic ancestry, is a commoner from a family of merchants and bonesetters, and practices as a bonesetter herself - serving the poorer folk who can't or won't be helped by traditional physicians of the day. When Griff crosses paths with her and sees her wearing the necklace of his murdered mother they are (naturally) attracted, and come together despite their differences to fight for her right to practice and his search for answers in his parents' deaths. Of course his family, a cousin and guardian who practices medicine, and her family are opposed to the match, but of course they end up together - and who wouldn't be rooting for them? Just about the only down side to this for me was I wish the characters had more chemistry. I love the characters, but I wish I saw more intensity behind their attraction to each other, and that they didn't resign themselves so easily to not being together for most of the book.

Rumors that he killed his own parents have followed Thomas Ellis, Viscount Griffin, for most of his life. A tip about the killer leads him to Arab beauty Hanna Zayden, London’s finest bonesetter. Griff is convinced Hanna is a fraud, but she just might be the person to mend both his injured arm and his broken heart.

This is the second book in the Clandestine Affairs series. This book can stand alone. Hanna is cousin to the first heroine, who makes an appearance.

I thought this story was fantastic! In this time period, people were very leery of bonesetters because the medical community painted them as charlatans. When Griff first encounters Hanna, he spies her wearing his mother's stolen necklace. He uses a war injury as an excuse to get close to her, never dreaming that she could actually heal his constant pain. They had a slow-burn chemistry that was believable and engrossing. The romance and the unfolding events from Griff's past were well balanced.

I also loved the inclusion of Hanna's Arabic heritage, which was weaved in beautifully. There were so many elements of family that I connected to my own Latina culture. Hanna's grandmother was a welcome addition...when she cursed the hero in Arabic, I nearly spit my drink. (4.5 stars rounded to 5)

Tropes: Class Difference, Culture Clash, Working Heroine

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #TheViscountMadeMeDoIt #NetGalley

Living in London, Hanna Zaydan, has endured discrimination for her Arabic heritage, being a woman, and most of all for being a bonesetter. While most doctors believe bonesetters are frauds, Hanna is different. She's a gifted healer. Lord Griffin, Griff, to his friends has been plagued with pain and misery since he was injured in the war. As a last resort, he visits the bonesetter, but initially not for her healing skills. She wears a sapphire necklace that belonged to his murdered mother and he's bent on finding the truth of why she has the necklace. During Hanna's healing treatments, Griff's reason for returning for each treatment begins to change. He's drawn more and more to Hanna, but can he get past the fact that her family could be implicated in the murder of his parents?

I loved Hanna. She's a strong, talented and resourceful woman. She learned the craft of bonesetting from her father and she's very good at what she does. Her Arabic family especially her grandmother add much interest to the story. I wasn't so enamored with Griff. For someone who was falling in love, there wasn't as much sexual tension in the interactions between Hanna and Griff that I would have liked to see. The story is driven mostly by unraveling the murders of his parents. I know who the villain was very early on so it wasn't a surprise when everything is revealed. I enjoy Ms. Quincy's stories, but this one was just okay for me.

This historical romance was truly delightful! I loved the unique story and the Arab representation in Hannah and her family. This book follows Hannah, a female bone setter who is passionate about helping people with maladies that traditional doctors can not solve. However her career choice makes her seen as a money grabbing charlatan. Add to that the fact she is female and an Arab and the odds are stacked against her.

She meets Griff, the Viscount who visits her with an arm that he injured in the war and has lived with constant pain for two years. While she repairs his arm the attraction between them grows hotter and hotter, and Griff learns that there may be a connection between the murder of his parents and the beautiful bone setter he can not stop thinking about.

I loved the slow building chemistry between these two and the way that neither could deny the attraction they felt for the other. I also was really invested in the mystery of this one and could not wait to see how it was going to be solved.

A thoroughly enjoyable historical romance with a unique plot and swoony love story.

Well, this is a heroine that is diverse and strong.... I loved reading her journey.. Great departure from the "norm"! She is Hanna, who is a bonesetter. Not only is she practicing medicine in a man's world, her field is not even looked favorably upon--despised really. Kind of like how people used to view chiropractors.... She is a person of color--Arabic to be precise. This ads a whole other layer to her strength as a character, and layers of culture in the story. She treats all her patients well (just like her late dad) and works for the greater good of her community, in spite of some real pressure from more traditionally-minded relatives. This is not to say she is treated well by the community. First scene--where our hero gets his "first sight"... she's called to help an idiot, and our hero sees her necklace. It happens to be one that was last seen around his late Mom's neck. Right here, folks... we are hooked into this story. How can he ask her about it? He witnesses her break the idiot's wrist (love this) and decides stealth will work. Our hero is the Viscount, Griff. He has a tragic past and everyone thinks he offed his family. He has daily pain from war injuries, and he decides to use this to gain access to Hanna... so he can question her... of course. Nothing happening here except trying to get information right? He's done for. This story has so much going on... the mystery of the necklace, the murder of his parents, the kind-of-obvious-villain (hate him from the beginning), a jerk of a competitor for Hanna's affection, cultural differences, serious challenges to Hanna's practice... all of this plus their love story. I was a little worried for them since they had so much to overcome. I love how he stepped up to support her leading role.
I liked their love story and recommend it for a fresh take on romance. Lovely story and unique meet cute for sure!

A historical romance with a heroine of Arab descent who works as a bonesetter?! Sold! And indeed, what I loved about the book was Hanna Zaydan, our strong, smart, capable heroine and all the weaving through of Arabic language, food, and culture. Loved it and I'm thrilled that publishers are finally starting to do more than just white people in regency London. Because guess what? All that colonization make the UK a melting pot of people from all different cultures, backgrounds and races. Even among the ruling classes. And it's about time we start to see that!

The book begins when Griff (the eponymous Viscount) sees Hanna wearing a pendant that had gone missing from his mother's dead body years earlier. Griff has war injuries that have left him mostly unable to use one of his arms. His guardian is a respected doctor and has been unable to cure him. Bonesetters were looked down on as fraudulent but he decides to use his injury as an excuse to interrogate Hanna about the jewelry. Except it turns out he has dislocated joints and she's able to help him. Also they're super attracted to each other.

As I loved Hanna as the heroine and the premise of the story, the book overall was good but not great for me. It took awhile for me to like hero- he comes on pretty strong and arrogant at the beginning and I didn't know why the heroine was into him. (he initially thinks she's a prostitute using bonesetting as a cover. ughh) He did eventually grow on me and I thought the mystery of who murdered his parents was interesting, but the pacing could have been better. It takes forever for them to follow up on clues, and then at the end of the book everything wraps up very quickly and too neatly. Including the way it deals with Hanna's family not wanting her to marry a man who wasn't also Arab. It was made out to be this huge deal and then was resolved almost immediately.

So not a bad book, but not my favorite either. That said, I'm interested to read more from the author and hear that the first book in the series is very good. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.