This novel was absolutely beautiful and everything that I could have hoped and wished it to be. This inclusive love story does a lovely job of subtly exploring different sexual identifications and orientations during a time that people had to be much more secretive and cautious about their true selves. I think Erica Ridley takes time and care in exploring these ideas, she crafts her characters out of love and respect and she weaves together a story of hope and beauty. This novel is very well paced, accessible and excellently consensual throughout. I was immediately drawn into this love story, charmed by all the characters, teared up when things looked hard and cheered when love and lessons are hard earned and won.

Tommy, is a master of disguise and she has been in love with Philippa from afar for awhile. With the encouragement of her siblings she decides to disguise herself as the Baron in order to gain the confidence (and Philippa's mother's consent) to talk to her. Philippa is a bluestocking, she has no dreams of marriage but she feels obligated to make her parents happy and they are demanding that she marry a lord. When Tommy reveals to Philippa her true identity, they both enter into a scheme to help Philippa and the Baron to gain notoriety in society while working together to unmask a villain.

This novel is richly woven with lots of discussions around learning to be true to who you are no matter what. This love story is absolutely stunning, two people learning to respect and understand someone's heart and truly seeing them. It is delightfully sweet the way Tommy is absolutely charmed by Philippa and this admiration only grows as they spend time together, converse and explore a more physical side to their relationship. I really enjoyed watching Philippa internally explore and understand that she is a passionate and feeling person when it is being explored and expressed with someone that she trusts and finds attractive. I loved that Tommy knows who she is, she is comfortable a certain way and that she will only accept a partner who also sees the true her, wants the true her and does not ask her to change. This novel is wonderfully sensual, Tommy and Philippa are both so open with each other and always checking in with the other to make sure that they feel taken care of and comfortable, not only in their everyday interactions but also when they are exploring a more physical expression of their feelings. Tommy and Philippa's love story is only supported and better uplifted due to the beautiful Wynchester siblings who know who Tommy is and never questions that, as well as being so accepting and understand of Philippa as soon as she enters their sphere. It is a true thing of beauty to see this and the understanding of what home and love should really mean.

I so highly recommend this novel, it is absolutely worth your time. I think you will find a beautiful acceptance between these pages no matter who you are, what your sexual orientation or identity is. You will learn to "Trust yourself. Believe in yourself. Live for yourself." (as stated by Graham Wynchester).

This book is absolutely fabulous. It’s technically the second in a series (which I didn’t realize going into it) and though I haven’t read the other books yet, I feel I was able to understand everything well enough without the first book.

Tommy Wynchester is part of a Regency-era found family dedicated to righting wrongs, destroying patriarchal conventions, and living authentically. Tommy is a master of disguise. Throughout the book we see them as a number of characters from senile Great Aunt Wynchester to the rakish and charming Baron Vanderbeam. Tommy has been smitten from afar with Philippa York, a high-brow bluestocking (i.e. bookworm) who has made it through five seasons without being married. Is this of Philippa’s own volition because she is not interested in men or are her parents picky?

What unfolds is a queer Regency romance unlike any I’ve ever read. I would personally categorize it as a f/nb romance because Tommy frequently mentions that she feels like both and neither male and female (though female pronouns are used). The main characters of Tommy and Philippa are *so* easy to fall in love with. I tend to stay away from historical queer fiction because I find the homophobia suffocating, but I think Erica Ridley was able to maintain the topic conversationally and seriously so that it wasn’t overbearing.

In addition to the two, I also loved the side characters. The rest of the Wynchester’s are incredibly lovable and I’m excited to see their romances. Philippa’s bluestocking reading group is also full of strong, interesting women who provide the brunt of the outside plot of this novel. Overall, I enjoyed every page of this sweet, smart, hot, and feminist queer Regency romance and I’m excited to see what else the Wynchester family will get up to.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Erica Ridley, and the publisher for a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is absolutely darling. Somehow I missed reading the first book in this series but now I’ll have to go back and read it. The Perks of Loving a Wallflower tells the story of Thomasina “Tommy” and Philippa. Philippa’s family is desperate for her to marry a title but she is a wallflower more interested in her books than anything else. Tommy has been in love with Philippa for a while but has been in disguise as other people when they’ve interacted. One of Tommy’s disguises is a Baron and she and Philippa soon find themselves faking a relationship so they can spend more time together and solve a mystery behind letters hidden in illuminated manuscripts. The pair grow close and Philippa must choose between her family’s expectations and love.

I really liked both Tommy and Philippa. I desperately want to join Philippa’s group of “bookish-and-proud-of-it ladies.” I loved Tommy’s oddball family and her ability to change her appearance and blend into whatever situation she needs to. I love that the two love each other for who they are. I was especially impressed by the intimacy in the book. The terminology was all anatomically correct and there was a strong emphasis on consent. I am also glad that the mystery didn’t take over the whole story but kept the plot moving and kept Tommy and Philippa on page together and working toward the same goal.

Thank you to Forever for the gifted copy and Forever and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Bluestocking Philippa is more interested in finding ancient manuscripts than she is in finding a husband. Her social-climbing mother, unfortunately, disagrees. Philippa is expected to marry by the end of the season, even though no man has ever given her the fluttery feelings associated with attraction.

Thomasina Wynchester, aka Tommy, is a master of disguise. Too nervous to approach Philippa as herself, she pretends to be her adoptive father's noble heir. As Philippa gets more embroiled in the Wynchester family's latest investigation, the bond between her and Tommy grows. Can Philippa break free from expectations to build the life she chooses?

What a lovely, joyful sapphic romance this is. Not to mention laugh-out-loud funny. Like, I finished this yesterday, and I'm still laughing. Tommy is a unique and brilliant character, yet she never upstages Philippa. Their relationship is enough to carry the story, yet there's also a fun caper that's like a bonus. It's more intrigue than suspense, without a high level of danger. This is an entertaining and emotional novel with some steamy scenes and excellent nonbinary representation.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

***Sapphic, non-binary Regency romance!!!***

A delightfully heart-melting tale for fans of Bridgerton. The Perks of Loving a Wallflower has all the tried and true tropes: Regency romance, fake courting, and secret identities abound. There is a society of literary-minded womenfolk and a found family with Robin Hood-esque morals. Not to mention Philippa’s mother desperate to marry her off fervently enough to make even Mrs Bennett do a double take.

To top it off, not only is this a sapphic romance, one of the protagonists also identifies as non-binary—explicitly stated in the text, even if the modern term is not used. Tommy’s loved ones are utterly accepting of both who she is and who she loves. And while Philippa makes plenty of missteps and assumptions regarding Tommy’s identity, love and enlightenment ultimately win out.

Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys slow-burn romances with lots of pining and emotional growth. I am a new Erica Ridley devotee.

Thank you to Netgalley & Grand Central Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ★★★★ stars

"Be careful. Disguises are useful when used strategically, but if you wear them for too long... you can lose who you really are."


✍️ One Sentence Synopsis: Self-declared investigator & expert of disguise Thomasina Wynchester stumbles upon a case involving her long-time crush Miss Philippa York, who is being pushed by her mother to find a husband, and together they expose the imposter at the center of their case while also discovering their feelings for one another.

💭 Overall Thoughts: This book had so many aspects I loved, and I was thoroughly amused at the dialogue while reading. I found Philippa and Tommy's dynamic to be positively adorable. The romance was very prominent in this story, and the mystery more of a side plot, which I appreciated because the romance carried the story. This book put a silly grin on my face!

What I Liked:
👍 The Romance: Philippa and Tommy had the hilarious "refined woman/rugged man" dynamic, with a lovely f/nb sapphic spin on it. I felt the pacing of their romance was so well done, with Tommy reveling herself as a woman in one of their first official meetings, and the romance taking a slow and steamy pace after that. It saved us from a boring "you've betrayed me" plot, and instead we could focus more on the scandal of their relationship. This romance had STEAM, ranging from uber-tense hand brushes to explicit sex scenes. I loved the range!
👍 Characters: Tommy stole the show for me. Their smart-mouth and smooth talking had my mouth drop open several times. If I were Philippa... I would not have lasted as long as she did before falling in love. PHEW. Philippa herself, while at times a bit clueless and independent on her mother, was very relatable. I resonated with her desire to please her parents, while also seeking what her heart wanted most. The Wynchester family was hilarious and full of banter, and they have my interest piqued to read more of them!
👍 The LGBT+ Representation: I felt the sapphic relationship was very well-done! Tommy and Philippa's relationship felt so real, especially the moments where they felt stifled by societal expectations. Within this unwelcoming setting, Tommy and Philippa found a safe place to be themselves and live without judgement. I loved the happiness they found! While I can't speak from a first-hand perspective to the quality of the non-binary representation, I also felt is was very respectful. Tommy explaining how she sometimes felt masculine and feminine and then carefully correcting others who misconstrued her preference for appearance, were aspects that were so refreshing to hear from a main character.

What I Didn’t Like:
👎 Ease of Reading: There were times that this book felt a bit dry to me, and I had to stop myself from getting distracted and go back to reading. I wish it had been a bit more gripping in certain areas (the start, parts in the middle/middle-end)!

💞 Read this if you liked: The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite

⚠️ Content Warnings: Nothing notable I can think of!

Now that she'd experienced passion, she wanted it.
And the world wasn't built to let her have it.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Thomasina Wynchester, or Tommy for short, can do just about anything, and be just about anyone, but put her in front of Miss Phillipa York, she becomes so tongue-tied, and can't get her words out. As soon as she met Philippa with her sister, Chloe, Tommy has been in love, but she can't let herself be herself, without risking it all. Philippa knows her parents want her to marry well, and gain a title, but after losing the Duke of Faircliffe, she has been told she will marry, and soon. She needs to rescue her friend from the clutches of her power hungry uncle, who is using her friend's intellect for his own gain, and only with the help of the Wynchesters, and Tommy in particular, can they win. And for Philippa, who has never felt anything when with a man, the things she is feeling when around Tommy, in any disguise, makes her consider whether marrying a man is the right thing for her.

Ever since I met Tommy and Philippa in The Duke Heist, I knew I needed to read their story. They had such a fantastic love story, with it ups and downs, and I was so happy with how the book ended. Tommy wasn't born a Wynchester - none of the family were - but after the late Baron Vanderbeam found them, and brought the family together, they have been inseparable - until Chloe married. Now Tommy is drifting, and she continues to use the newly inherited guise of Baron Vanderbeam for her own gain, but especially to be around Philippa. I felt for Tommy so much. She didn't really know where she fit in life, and it seemed like most people, including Philippa, wanted her to be someone, and something she wasn't. But luckily, Philippa did see the real Tommy underneath, and loved her, just as she was loved in return. This book is such a roller coaster of emotions: from the highs and the lows, the laughter and the angst. I also loved the mystery and the intrigue that the Wynchesters and reading club were involved in - and the cliffhanger was a perfect menace. I need more, but will have to wait - somewhat impatiently - for Graham's story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever of Grand Central Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC!

Content Warning: homophobia, misogyny, death.


Philippa York is a certified bluestocking. She spends her time running her book circle, chatting with other ladies of a similar disposition, something she'd like to spend her whole life doing -- but her parents are forcing her to marry a man with a title. The Yorks are well-off, and Philippa's father is in the House of Commons, but without a title, they're limited in their status. On the other hand, there's Tommy Wynchester, who spends her time going on capers with her adopted siblings and disguising herself in various costumes. The Wynchesters are a family who have a passion for righting wrongs, and so when one of the women in Philippa's reading circle is the victim of plagiarism by a man who is not only a fraud but outright villain, it's up to Tommy and Philippa to save the day. There's just one problem: Tommy is hopelessly, desperately in love with Philippa, and hoping to win her heart...
I was so excited to read this Regency romance between two women, and I can tell you in no uncertain words that I was not disappointed. Full of wonderful, captivating historical detail, a fun and clever mystery, and two main characters who will win your heart effortlessly, I cannot believe I'd never even heard of Erica Ridley before! Although I didn't read the first book (which is about Tommy's sister, Chloe), I think I will be reading the rest of the series, as well as probably going back to read Chloe's installment, too!

The romance that flourishes between Tommy and Philippa was enough to make me sigh and smile. Although there's many difficulties on their journey, and countless obstacles, this book is both contagiously fun and moving in its depth of emotion. Although the main pull of this book is the main romance, there's also plenty of other intrigues to be found, and that's something I personally like in my romances -- it makes it feel more fleshed out, and also serves in helping the characters to seem more real. I loved all of Tommy's siblings; the dynamics were well-written, and I loved the fact that they felt so authentic to my own relationship with my sister!

Like all books in this genre, there's a few misunderstandings between Philippa and Tommy, but they were realistic (given the attitudes of the time) and I found myself able to sympathize with both sides when they fought. They don't go on for an excessively long amount of time, either, which was such a huge relief. Instead of raging at one another, they tried their best to communicate and put themselves in the other's shoes. Not only does that make for good reading, but it made it especially easy to root for their happy ending!

I was a tiny bit surprised, as often romances don't make it into the five-star range for me, but this was truly special. Every aspect of it felt sweet, heartwarming, populated by characters who leapt off the page. There's steam, too, and the tension between Philippa and Tommy will definitely have your heart racing. Tommy in particular was insanely dreamy: pure-hearted, flirtatious, sensitive and brave, all rolled into one. You'll definitely be looking for you own Tommy after this!

This lovely novel comes out on October 26th, and I urge you to give it a go. It's everything you can possibly dream of in a historical lesbian romance, and if you're like me, the addition of a small mystery and taking down arrogant misogynists will definitely make this a five star for you, too!

Great book! The cover art alone is stunning. Erica Ridley gives us another thrilling tale about the Wild Wynchesters!
This can be read as a stand-alone as there is quite about mentioned as far as the back story in it to fill the reader in. Some might not like that it is female/female romance but I say give it a chance. The writing is so superb on this, you will want to read it for the great adventure and awesome characters. The romance is a bonus!
The side characters (Tiglet in particular) just make this story and series all that much better and extremely well done. Having smart females and a mystery to solve only adds to the enjoyment. You will find yourself cheering for Tommy and Philippa.
I honestly do not have much in the way of critique for this as it is so very well done. I think perhaps the one nit-picky thing that annoyed me was the constant mention that Chloe 'stole' the duke away from Philippa.
Cannot wait for the next book of this series!
I received an e-ARC in exchange for my review

Disguises, Romance, Adventure.
Misfit and master of disguise Tommy gets her gal. Never read a f/f romance before but found this novel thoroughly enjoyable. I adored the nonsensical banter between the siblings and when Tommy and Philippa first meet. Of course with it being the Wynchester family there is also a wrong to put right and the reader gets to follow the adventure and indulge in the madness of the Wynchester household. Cannot wait for the next book about a missing parcel who Graham believes is actually a woman!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love this family. The Wynchester’s are all about finding a found family, and it really resonated especially through this book.

While this is not the first queer historical romance book I read, this is the first F/F. And it was so perfect. I fully expected the book to go in one direction and was so happy it ended the way it did.

Each of the Wynchester siblings are supremely unique and I cannot wait for them each to have their own HEA.

“I don’t want to be the passive recipient of someone else’s decisions,” Philippa said. “I don’t want you to bring me flowers. I want to help pick them. I want to hold the shears from time to time.”

Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

After a year spent pining over Philippa from afar, master of disguise and co-investigator Tommy Wynchester finds their paths crossing again as they work together to prevent injustice. With some meddling from Tommy’s siblings, the two find their affections for each other growing.

I. Loved. This. Book. It was everything I was looking for in a sapphic romance, with plenty of pining and mischief and, most importantly, a happy ending. All of the Wynchester siblings were whimsical and endearing, and Philippa felt like the perfect compliment to them. The plot perfectly combined adventure and intrigue as they worked to take down the Captain, and a sweet and charming romance.

One thing in particular I want to compliment this book on is how well the challenges of the Regency era were handled. The difficulties women faced were not overlooked or downplayed, nor were the hardships for queer people. There were countless challenges that the heroines had to overcome before they could be together, from their own perceptions to their families to society itself. Philippa’s journey in particular was overall handled well, and I loved watching her learn how to choose herself.

My critiques are minimal: there were a few parts that were a bit dry, and some lines that seemed to cross the line between endearingly cheesy and too cheesy. The main conflict between Philippa and her parents felt a bit too downplayed by some of the characters—it was treated like a simple decision by everyone besides Philippa, when it was clearly nuanced and would’ve been difficult for anyone. Similarly, I felt that this conflict was resolved a bit too easily. This stuck out to me, I think, because of how well the other societal conflicts were handled.

Overall, this book had me smiling throughout and excited to pick it up again every time I put it down. Tiglit the homing kitten, this ones for you.

I love the Wild Wynchesters. With a very distinct Umbrella Academy vibe, the Wynchester series is filled with wonderful characters, lots of adventure and so much swoony romance. This F/F love story between master of disguise, Tommy, and bluestocking, Philippa, is just fun from beginning to end. There is a ton of character development that slows the story down a smidge in the first half,. When the plot thickens and the story heats up, it's definitely worth the wait.

The most important point is that I absolutely ADORED this book. I was hoping Erica Ridley would get an f/f (or perhaps more properly sapphic f/nb) regency romance right and she definitely did. I absolutely cannot wait for the next Wynchester novel.

This novel was a joy and a delight to read. Having the Wynchester siblings AND an sapphic f/nb romance in one book -- and genderfluid/nonbinary representation, demisexual representation, AND realistic body size representation all in the same main couple! -- was more than I had ever hoped to see in a traditionally published romance. I felt seen. More than that, I felt loved.

I have always loved Erica Ridley's gift for creating well-rounded characters that jump off the page and then giving them sweet romances where they overcome their own prejudices and doubts in order to enter into a partnership together. I would choose the Wynchesters over the Bridgertons any day. Not only are they a diverse bunch, but they each possess unique skills that they use as a team to (only slightly illegally) bring justice to those not normally served it.

I especially loved how Elizabeth was brought to life in this book. She is still a side character, but she has some delightful lines. In fact, half of my favorite quotes involve Elizabeth. I hope we see her story soon.

As for our main couple, Tommy is genderfluid / nonbinary, possessed of minimal curves, and a master of disguise. Philippa is a bluestocking who doesn't believe she can love, possessed of lush curves (that Tommy is very obviously physically attracted to), and is stifled by her parents ambition. They each own their story and leap off the page, with a love story and life lessons I loved to root for.

I listened to the Duke Heist audiobook to remind myself of the characters before reading this, and I'm so glad I did because Moira Quirk's narration was superb. I have now preordered this book as an audiobook.

*Thanks to NetGalley, Erica Ridley, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing an e-arc for review.

Brief thoughts during and after reading -

‘Pugilistic’ isn’t a noun found often enough in works I tend to read.

Erica Ridley is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine.

I really want a homing kitten. I will name it … oh, you just want to know about the book?


This title (the second book in the Wild Wynchesters series) was a delightful f/f Regency romance. But so much more - the love and true friendships within a created family, the difficulties one can often have with people to whom they are related by blood, the joy of discovering who you are, the wondrousness of finding the person who makes you happy, and don’t forget about that homing kitten!


Thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for an eARC of this title. Opinions shared are influenced by nothing other than my reading experience.

The Perks of Loving a Wallflower was a cute read! I haven't read Erica Ridley before, but I'm always willing to check out LGBT romances whenever I see something new. The characters were fun - I liked the dynamics of the Wynchester siblings as well as Philippa's book club. The scenes between Philippa and Tommy were very enjoyable and I loved watching their romance develop. I think the book fell into some tropes (misunderstandings, status-obsessed mother) a little too far for me, but those are probably fine for people who are more regular readers of the genre. The writing was very quick to read and had a conversational tone that would be appreciated by the right reader, but I found it wasn't exactly to my taste either. However, I still very much appreciate seeing new LGBT romances being published and have selected this for my library to purchase.

I really liked this book and I am so glad I read more in this series! I would categorize this as a “classic historical” with all the fun tropes, but the slight twist makes it even more fun. Not only is this a F/F romance, with period accurate depictions of LGBTQI+ culture, but the overarching background is the Wynchester family and their “Ocean’s Eleven” style heists against the ton. This book explored romance, feminism and hijinks in a way that was entertaining yet plausible. The conflict was realistic, as was the resolution while the romance sizzled. I can't wait to read more in this series, thankfully there are six Wynchester siblings!

This was a sweet feminist story about belonging and accepting oneself for exactly who you are. The story arc of the main character, Phillipa, realizing she is a lesbian and figuring out how to navigate that was well drawn and believable. The Wynchester’s are all a wacky delight and I always want more time in their company.

I wasn’t sure about this book. But Erica does a fantastic job with this love story! Tommy and her lovely family are on another mystery solving mission. Tommy ends up being able to be with her crush. Philippa takes a chance and finds out how to really have a happy life. Wonderful characters and sweet romance.

I received a copy of "The Perks to Loving a Wallflower" via NetGalley and thanks to the Publisher Forever for granting the review copy.

This was my first experience with the Author Erica Ridley so i wasn't completely sure what to expect and she blew me away with a fun, sweet romantic book that was everything i wanted after having finally watching Bridgerton. This was the second main book in The Wild Wynchesters book series and i now want to go read the first novel, both books also have prequel Novella's.

The Romance between Tommy Wynchester and Philippa York was sweet, heartfelt and beautifully woven in the the adventure/mystery and there were some good moments that brought laughter too.
i loved all the characters and am looking forward to more of the series in the future.