What Cat Sebastian is for MLM romances, Olivia Waite is for Sapphic romances! The historical setting is so richly researched and vibrant, and the characters are very much products of their time while still being understandable/sympathetic to a modern audience. (So often, historical heroines in modern-written stories feel a little too Millennial/Gen Z-in-corsets to me, but Waite's ladies avoid that vibe, thankfully.) The romance is steamy AND sincere, and I always like me a "thief/con artist with a heart of gold/noble motivations" story, and this delivered that in spades! Love to recommend this one/all of Waite's bibliography to folks who enjoy Bridgerton (but wish it was queerer).

This was 100% guilty pleasure read and my review is 100% biased because I have devoured every single book in the Feminine Pursuits series.

Sophie and Maddie are not my favorite of Waite's couples, but I loved what I learned about the textile industry of the time.

Part of a trilogy with characters who needed a little more development. At the end I still had questions but like to read the rest of the books to connect everything together.

I love all of Olivia Waite's books so much! I get so wrapped up in the story and its characters every time. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who reads romance or wants to start reading this genre.

I think I'm probably the only person in the world who didn't like this book. I genuinely think this was just a case of a mismatch between my expectations and what the book actually offered. Would still recommend it to a friend.

I loved the main characters in this book! Sophie and Maddie were intriguing and complex. I really enjoyed getting to know them. Their chemistry was good and the steamier scenes were great! It was hard to get into the revenge heist aspect of the story though. I loved the creativity of the elaborate dress sceme the ladies thought up, but I just didn't feel like the villain of the story was very well-developed or complex. This was still a fun read though!

I didn't think this title was as strong as the rest of the series. While I loved the side plot, the lack of any tension between the leads felt flat. They were just suddenly in love! It was fine, but the rest of the series was better.

I started reading this series with the Between the Covers romance book club and I've loved every one of them so far. Plus they're such fun books to discuss with the group, and we got to talk to Olivia herself, which was amazing!

This is the third in the Feminine Pursuits series, but I think they work well as stand-alone novels. (Although why wouldn't you want to read them all?!)

Sophie Roseingrave's family has fallen victim to swindlers in the past, so she's come to loathe it more than anything.

Maddie Crewe is definitely up to something. But little does Sophie know, it's for the greater good. Maddie (along with the association of weavers and tailors) is trying to get back at Mr Giles, a greedy business owner who's been getting away with far too much, for far too long. Sophie may well ruin the entire plan, unless Maddie can convince her to join them.

This was a slow burn with some great tension build-up and eventual steam too.

Overall such a great read, with female friendships and the underdogs working together to take on the wrongdoers. I loved it.

[All thoughts are my own] I love this series! I think everyone should check out all three books. They're delightful and gives me all of the fun, gay feelings!

That said, I felt like this was the weakest of the trilogy. It didn't feel like the main relationship got quite the full attention as the ones from the previous books had. It was still a great romp and provided multiple swoon moments.

I love a good “be gay, do crimes” historical, and Olivia Waite is also becoming one of my go-tos for f/f to boot. This one was just FUN, without a lot of angst around the main romance (even if Sophie had her own internal turmoil in regards to her music to overcome) and an entertaining con plot. Not as slowburn as her last book either, which was a nice change of pace, but overall this was a solid series for me and I really hope there’ll be more histroms from Waite in the future because hers are always such a pleasure and a joy to read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ok, so this one didnt grab me in quite the same way that Waite's Celestial Mechanics book did BUT it was still really enjoyable. I really love the way the author characterizes the heroines, they are really well developed and fully realized. I also love how much care is taken to build the historical context and atmosphere, it does not read like a modern book, it reads like a historical romance. Beautifully written.

One of my most highly anticipated reads of 2021, but I found it somewhat sadly underwhelming. I’m not a fan of instalust, which is the driving force in the romance here. Similarly, the conwoman plot wasn’t what I was expecting and developed rather unevenly. Still a solid read, but probably my least favorite Olivia Waite book so far, when I was expecting it to be my favorite of the series based on the premise alone. Ah well — still recommend it for fans of f/f romance.

When I requested this book, I had no idea it was part of a series. In hindsight I didn’t need to read the others first - the crossover is very minor (a couple of very brief cameos) and each book could be read as a standalone. However, I regret nothing! I love this series.

The Hellion’s Waltz - like the others in the series is definitely an insta-love story but I did feel the love between the characters and the development of the relationship, even if it happened very fast. I would have liked a little less con, a little more romance and the con was ridiculous to the point of being silly but Waite owned that when one of the characters laughingly and fondly calling it “beautiful nonsense,” which somehow makes it more fun and less bothersome. I loved Maddie and Sophie, and their families. I love how these books are historical so the sapphic love can’t be out in the open but the characters who matter are all very accepting, moreso than what is likely realistic but it’s more enjoyable that way. Hellion’s Waltz even has some great polyamory rep! Also, the steam is on point! Definitely check out the whole series. I hope there is more to come.

Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I have mixed feelings on The Hellion’s Waltz by Olivia Waite. I absolutely adored the first too books in the Feminine Pursuits series. This one, I just couldn’t get into. I really, really wanted to. The romance in this book felt rushed and a little bit of an after thought.

Good things? It definitely had the sexual chemistry and oomph of their lust. It had the detailed imagery of the time and settings that I expected. I just wanted to be in the story rather than sitting here watching it.

Honestly this was just boring. It either should've been shorter, or longer. We didn't really get too much depth to the characters separately, even if the romance was the only good part.

This historical romance novel is the third in Olivia Waite's Feminine Pursuits series. I loved the first two books, Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics and The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows, so I was really excited when I saw that this book was coming out.

Because I loved the first two books in the series so much, I had very high expectations for this book, and they weren't quite met. I did enjoy this book, but it wasn't at the level of the first two books for me. Part of this was because the romances in the first two books were very slow burn with a lot of romantic tension, which was less so in this book. The romance felt like it was very instant attraction/a bit of insta love. I missed the yearning and tension of the first two books,

Once the romance was more established I did like it, and I really enjoyed the heist/con job aspect of the book. I liked how much Olivia Waite got into past things that happened with the characters and how these things affect them and their developing relationship.

rating: 3/5

I like LGBTQIA+ historicals and I like strong and smart heroines, so I tend to always enjoy Olivia Waite's books!

I loved the first two books in these series however this one was disappointing. I don't know if it was me not relating to the characters or if I just wasn't in the right place for this one. I will definitely be reading the next one in the series.

Olivia Waite remains a master of the Victorian sapphic romance novel. I really enjoy how Waite is also able to speak about the inequity and labor rights of the day without it at all feeling shoehorned in. The allusions to A Little Princess, one of my favorite books, did not go unwelcome or uncelebrated. Another knockout.

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy! Sophie is uptight and wary after losing a family piano shop to a swindler. Maddie is a silk weaver and swindler. This was a light, sweet, fun read, and Waite always does sapphic love stories really well. I thought the plot and paces well, and I always love an adventure regency romance. I recommend this book to anyone who likes romance, adventure, sapphic, regencies.