This is the third story in the Secret Scientists of London series. It stars Margaret Gault and George Willis, the Earl Grantham. They were childhood friends and shared difficult childhoods. George was the abused son of a man who abused his mother and him. Margaret was the daughter who favored science and disappointed her widowed mother at every turn.

After a childhood breakup due to George's fear that following the drum after him would ruin her future, Margaret goes off to France to be an engineer. She marries, and is widowed, but never manages to convince her father-in-law that she can run the firm. After he closes it, she returns to London to open her own engineering firm.

Meanwhile, Georgie has grown up too. He's served in the military and inherited the earldom from his grandfather. His own life experiences make it essential for him to do something about children like himself and he finds himself working for reform in Parliament.

When Margaret is hired to build a new Thames tunnel by a man who loudly hates the idea that women would ever be able to work outside the home and who has caused trouble for the Athena Society, she is in conflict with George who is opposed to everything her new boss stands for. Her decision also causes dissention in the Athena Society as women take sides about the future of women.

I enjoyed the romance between Margaret and George which looked like it wasn't ever going to come right because each character was so bound up in their insecurities. I liked the political landscape which seemed hopeless for women who wanted the right to be treated as human being with equal opportunities.

Fans of the series will enjoy glimpses of the main characters of the previous two books. New fans will enjoy it too.

Two best friends, soul mates really, reconnect after years. One, George, is a young Earl trying to reform English education. The other, Margaret, is a talented engineer who wants to become successful on her own terms. It’s 1820 though, when the rich English class doesn’t think that everyone should be educated and women aren’t hired to design bridges. Both seem to be making headway though, but there are issues around every single corner.

My heart went out to these two, both individually fighting their own battles. All the while, reviving their friendship and becoming closer than ever. But it seems they can never really be together.

I really liked this story. George is funny. Margaret is serious, but she does have a sense of humor. They are so lovely together. The villain(s) were rather obvious and they threw some serious wrenches into George and Margaret’s plans. Ultimately, the pair will have to figure out that they accomplish more together than they do apart.

It was a bit murky as to how things got from the last chapter to the epilogue. And the story did not end like I wanted it to, but it ended as it needed to. The book includes hints about what happened in the first two books of this series and may impel you to read them. However, the story stands well alone.

I love the writing in this story. It is mostly straight-forward prose, but occasionally, Ms. Everett throws in an inciteful, almost poetic, phrase or paragraph. They accent the story with elegance and charm. And also make me want to read more from this author.

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book. My review is my honest opinion.

Thanks to the publisher for inviting me to read this book. However, every time I try a book by this author, I find I just can't get into their writing. Rating does not reflect a true opinion.

I REALLY enjoyed this third book in the Secret Scientists of London series. A steamy, dual POV, women in STEM, feminist, second chance historical romance between two former childhood sweethearts. I loved these characters! Maggie was unapologetic and George was the SWEETEST!

The gender swapping of stereotypical roles was so well done, plus throw in some intrigue and great cameos from past characters and this book was a pure delight. Highly recommended for fans of Manda Collins and Evie Dunmore and great on audio narrated by Elizabeth Jasicki! Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Romance for an early digital review copy in exchange for my honest review!

This third installment in The Secret Scientists of London series is just as wonderful as the first two. Margaret and Grantham were friends as children and fell in love as teenagers. Margaret's heart was broken when, instead of marrying her, he joined the military. Years later he is now an Earl and she is a widowed engineer who has never forgiven him. Her dream is to open an all-female engineering firm and the offer to head a project to build a tunnel is too wonderful not to accept. Even if the funding is coming from the leader of the Guardian's of Domesticity. A group of men determined to stop women from taking jobs outside the home. These men have been trying to destroy Athena's Retreat, a secret society of women scientists posing as a women's club. Their scientific talent must be hidden or society won't accept them. Margaret takes the job but is sickened at the thought of telling her other scientist friends. I have to say I was appalled at first by her decision too! It's refreshing that Grantham is about the nicest, most supportive guy ever. He wants to pass reform in Parliament that will allow girls to be educated along with boys. The Guardian's want to stop him. He still loves Margaret and tries in various charming ways to woo her. You'll forgive Margaret for working for the enemy when you learn more about her insecurities and goals. It's heartbreaking the way her parents made her feel she was never enough, too tall, her intelligence made her unfeminine. The condescension of most men for a woman thinking she could more than a wife and mother is infuriating. Margaret and Grantham's love is rekindled with an exciting conclusion showing you can find happiness taking a different road through life than you expected.

A Love by Design is another fantastic installment in The Secret Scientists of London series. Once again, Elizabeth Everett takes readers into the world of 19th century women scientists and their struggles, this time adding a delightful second chance romance too.

Margaret “Maggie” Gault and George “Georgie” Grantham were friends since they were 8 years old, then each other’s first loves. But what happened that lead Margaret to go to Paris, get married and become an engineer while George joined the military then became an Earl? Now that Margaret is a widow, she’s returned to London to stay with her other BFF Violet at Athena’s Retreat, the safe space for women scientists. Margaret plans to form her own engineering firm, but the challenge is severe for a woman on her own, and she makes some difficult choices to establish herself. And George is trying to make his time in Parliament worthwhile. But what happens when the two meet up again and their old feelings coming rushing back?

George is very clear: he wants his Maggie, he only wants her, and has always only wanted her. He is completely gone for her from the moment he lays eyes on her, and will do anything for her. Maggie has a harder time showing her feelings, mostly because she knows that any emotion is a black mark against her competence. Together, though, they bring out the best in each other.

This books is the third in the series. While there are recurring characters from earlier books, it easily works as a stand alone. I adore the women of STEM who make up Athena’s Retreat. Grantham and Kneland’s bromance is a comedic highlight, and I loved every minute of their bickering and heartfelt conversations.

I adore Maggie and George, and watching them rediscover their first love while building their individual careers was a delight. These wonderful characters, along with the women of Athena’s Retreat and their engaging stories make A Love by Design a 5 star read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Love by Design is book three in the Secret Scientists of London series by Elizabeth Everett and if you haven't picked up this series yet, I highly recommend that you do. I enjoyed this one just a much as books one and two and if you read the first two, you won't miss out on the references that flow throughout this book.

This book focuses on Maggie and George. Along with Violet, they grew up together and had a relationship well before we are introduced to them in this series. With that said, things didn't necessarily pan out for Maggie and George (for reasons that come to light in the book) but now that Maggie is back in London and involved with Athena's Retreat, she is seeing George more often and it is bringing back old feelings.

While their relationship is an important part of this book, the other plot line to note is that Maggie is an engineer. She spent years working at her husband's firm and when he passed away, she tried to get her father-in-law to pass the firm on to her but that didn't pan out because of course, she's a woman. When makes the decision to move back to London, she is engaged by a group to build a tunnel underneath the Thames. The issue is that Maggie finds out who is funding the project and while she definitely has second thoughts about doing it, she moves forward knowing it might cause some issues with her friends.

As the story moves forward, not only do George and Maggie start to talk with each other about their past, but they move ahead and realize they still have strong feelings for one another. With their roles reversed now (he is a Lord and she is a working lady), they have to figure out what's truly important. On top of that, the project Maggie has been working on has some weird things going on and as she gets into the middle of it, she finds out just how much danger she is in.

That's about all I can say - there are some great characters and a well-written story within these pages and I recommend picking this one up for your next read!

A LOVE BY DESIGN is the third book in an entertaining, science-filled historical romance series. In this book, we follow Margaret, who is on a mission to start the first woman-owned engineering firm in London. Thrown into complicate things is her childhood first love, George Willis, who we've come to know and love in the first two books. I really enjoyed this book! All three books in this series have been delightful reads with more than just romance at their plot; I particularly love the setting of Athena's Retreat and the friendships that form among its members (who coincidentally are the leads in each book), I enjoyed seeing Margaret work towards her goal of building an underwater tunnel and the challenges it brought about. I think you could enjoy this book regardless of whether you've read the other ones, but you'll know a bit more about the characters and appreciate them a bit more if you pick up the first two beforehand. I would highly recommend both this book and the series as a whole!

A Love by Design by Elizabeth Everett is the third book in the author’s popular The Secret Scientists of London series. However, this can be read as a stand-alone novel. My advice is to read the entire series as it’s all so much fun.

Story Recap:
Margaret Gault returns to Athena’s Rest after working at her husband’s firm in Paris. Now, after his untimely death, Margaret’s father-in-law, won’t let her run the company. Margaret has plans to start England's first women-owned engineering company, but she faces opposition at every turn.

George Willis is now the Earl of Grantham, and he’s happy to see that Margaret has returned to London and Athena’s Rest. George and Margaret were friends as children, long before George became the Earl of Grantham. But, when Margaret gets commissioned to build a new project with his political archnemesis, his work to hurt his business rival, may destroy Margaret’s chances to be the first woman to design a tunnel under the Thames river.

My Thoughts:
So far, this is my favorite book of the series. And it’s all about Lord Grantham, and his charming ways. He accepts Margaret’s intelligence and he knows she’s more intelligent than he is, but that doesn’t harm his ego one single bit. Margaret is a widow and doesn’t need the distraction of George, and besides, she can’t trust him because he broke her heart many years ago.

It’s clear that Margaret and George are meant to be together as they balance each other out. And they still love each other as they did when they were kids. Margaret is thoughtful and methodical, as you would expect an engineer to be. And she’s also very determined to own her own firm, but she has so many obstacles and has to make a decision that could hurt her friends at Athena’s Rest.

A Love by Design is heartwarming, exciting, humorous and just delightful. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

Recommendation:
I highly recommend A Love by Design to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A Love by Design is the third book in Elizabeth Everett's Secret Scientists of London series, and unfortunately my least favorite of the trio. I really enjoyed the first two books in this series but A Love by Design fell a bit flat for me. The text seemed to drag on a bit, with lots of seemingly unnecessary details about bridges and engineering and not enough action moving the plot forward. I am a sucker for a second chance romance so I was super pumped for this one but the chemistry between Margaret and George felt a bit lacking. While I liked them together conceptually, I found myself feeling a bit apathetic while reading their, seemingly few, scenes together. Big fans of historical romance will enjoy the incredible detail Everett put in, after I'm sure very thorough research. Fans of the series will also enjoy cameos from past books favorites like Violet and Arthur. If you are thinking about starting the series, I'd recommend it still, but know book 3 was not a favorite for me. Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! I'm such an idiot. I didn't realize this was part of a series even though I've seen the previous books before. Well, now I have to go back and read the other two because Elizabeth's writing was so good. I also loved George and Margaret as characters. They were so interesting, and I really enjoyed their backstory, and love a second chance romance when done well. This was great!

I was so excited to find this ARC as I love historical romances. I appreciated that this series is about smart and accomplished women who get to have the careers/aspirations, while also finding love.

This book was so funny- I found myself laughing out loud multiple times. George was so sweet and adorable, while giving also giving all the mischievous and rake energy. He's definitely one of my top historical romance love interests.

This story was a joy to read. I truly enjoyed this story so much and I cannot wait to read more by this author.

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

Mrs Margaret Gault has returned to England after losing her husband, and her father-in-law selling the family engineering business. Ready for a new adventure, she reconnects with old friends, and lands her dream contract. But when George Willis, the Earl Grantham, reappears, it opens up old wounds, and Margaret is conflicted on whether to go after her dreams, or think about her friends and loved ones?

Well, this book took me by surprise a little. I loved A Lady's Formula for Love and A Perfect Equation, and though I enjoyed this book, I felt it was lacking some of the spark present in the previous ones. Growing up together, Margaret and George found love, and were all ready to elope together and travel when George enlisted. But, for some reason that Margaret doesn't quite know, George called off the whole thing, and left her heartbroken. She channelled that heartbreak into her work, and after marrying, became a sought after engineer in France. However, she longs for England, and her friends, so when Violet offers her a place at the Athena Retreat, and she gains a contract for a new Thames crossing, she jumps at it. But the contract is not quite what she imagined it would be, and she's working for the man who wants to vilify and bring down the retreat. I liked that Margaret was a morally grey character, and she made some bad choices and decisions which she later regretted, and rectified. Her and George's romance though, could've been better in my opinion. They really needed to talk more, and explain what happened in the past, and what was happening now. Seeing more of Violet, Arthur and baby Mirren was wonderful, and George as the mischievous godfather wanting to spoil the little bairn was so cute! Not the best book in the series, but still enjoyable nonetheless.

Thank you Berkley Romance and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are that of my own.

Oh how I loved this book. I'll be honest with you, I have read the first two in the series (A Lady's Formula for Love and The Perfect Equation) and enjoyed both of them but there's something in the softness and tenderness of this book that just builds it up so well. This one is much more reliant on the character development than the first two. George and Margaret were childhood friends that bloomed into more, but decisions broke them apart. Now Margaret is back from Paris and they're trying to be civil around their mutual friend (Violet) which is going so well.

Here's a run down of why this book needs to be on your radar:

-George has immense gold retriever energy
-SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE WITH ALL THE PINING
-Margaret is a Professional TM and nothing stands in her way
-George and Margaret's backstories are just *chef's kiss* combo of "aw" and tragic
-Spoiler-ish one at bottom of review****
-George is too pure for everyone and does not want the Earl title
-Margaret wants to prove herself as a woman engineer
-POLITICAL PLOTS! ie awful men don't want women outside the house, women want to do things and are smart...
-Emotions. Prepare to swoon and aw and everything else

Ok, I think that about covers everything amazing about this book. I loved every minute reading it and it was truly a highlight of the year. I'm conflicted if I like this one or the second one more, but they're so vastly different that it's hard to compare them, which is an amazing feat by an author. To have three books that are so vastly different?!? Like incomparable different, in my opinion.

If you like smart women, men who are trying to do the right thing, conflicting feelings on multiple levels, political intrigue, second chance romances, and a beautiful array of secondary characters, I highly highly HIGHLY recommend picking this book up!





****** SPOILER: Virgin Hero and Widowed Heroine, it was perhaps one of the sweetest little love scenes I've ever read. It was so freaking tender and soft.

Thank you for an advanced copy of this book! I love this series.

Star Rating: 4⭐️
Genre: Historical Romance'
Pub Date: January 17, 2023

I was so excited to receive an arc of this book! This series is one of my favorites, and the first two books are amazing! I'm happy to report that book three is also a winner!

First, I really liked these two main characters in Maggie and Georgie (because yes, I'm on pet name status with both of them :) ). I loved Maggie's representation for women in engineering and how hard it is to work in a man's world, essentially. I feel like Maggie's story and efforts in her field (albeit a historical perspective) have a lot of parallels to today, especially how she was taken advantage of and pushed to the wayside so often. Georgie was so fun! His banter with Arthur was so cute, and I loved their little competition regarding "baby Georgie." I missed Arthur's character being in the second book, so I was glad to see him back in this installment!

Second, I thought the second chance romance between Maggie and Georgia was one to pull at the heartstrings. Georgie was so pure of heart that I really found myself just wanting to pat him on the shoulder and tell him it would be okay when he worried or stressed about things. I also wanted to tell Maggie she didn't have to be so strong all the time because I just knew Georgie would be there if she stumbled! The connection and chemistry between them was so well-written, and while I didn't get a carriage scene between them 😂, I did get a sexy drafting table scene that was 🔥.

Overall, I think this book is a great addition to the series. It has wonderful women in STEM representation, lots of fun banter, a charming male main character, and a strong female main character. What else could you want??

I have enjoyed Grantham's appearances as sort of a lovable oaf in the first two books in this series, and I found his avuncular obsession with getting extravagant gifts for Violet and Arthur's (the couple from book one) new baby to be adorable. Grantham and Margaret have known each other since they were children, when he was Georgie and she was Maggie and they fell in love over a number of years. She planned to follow him to Canada, where he was headed after enlisting as a soldier, but he realized he would be keeping her from her dream/destiny to be an engineer, and he ended things. Fast forward to 15 years later, and Margaret is a widow who established herself as an engineer in France, working for her former father-in-law's firm. Back in England, she's staying at Athena's Retreat, the women's club that serves as a front for women scientists to secretly engage in their work. She and Grantham still have some sparks between them, but Margaret is still stung by his rejection, and the fact that she wants to continue to be a working professional while Grantham is an Earl who needs a Countess is a major obstacle and source of friction. I don't know that this was my favorite of the series so far, but I did enjoy it. I like that Everett is leaning into this pattern of a major dramatic/dangerous situation before the plot resolves, and that scene in this book didn't disappoint.

This is another great book in The Secret Scientists of London series. I loved the characters, Margaret’s swoon-worthy love interest, and second-chance romance!

Margaret opened her own engineering company and is hired to design a massive project, one that will give her credibility and recognition. She is an amazing woman who refuses to bend to the whims of a patriarchal society and instead finds her own strength and independence in having her own career, interests, and agenda. Thank you! Margaret is a force to be reckoned with, and I loved every minute of it. She’s talented and creative, and she deserves way more credit than she receives.

I feel like George’s beliefs meshed so well with Margaret’s, though they go about fighting for their beliefs differently. As an Earl, George wants to use his newfound power and influence to help others. I think his friendships highlighted so many great things about George – his generosity and helpfulness, his determination to use his influence for good, and his willingness to change and grow. And can I just say that I love that he is a feminist? The way he supports women and believes in educating females and giving them a more equal footing in society is just wonderful. He’s the perfect match for the independent and intelligent Margaret, and the way he loves how smart and educated she is made my heart melt.

Margaret and George have a wonderful second-chance romance, and I was totally invested in their story. And she calls him Georgie. I can’t even! They’re just the best! I also loved George’s friendships with Arthur and Violet, and his subsequent spoiling of Violet and Arthur’s daughter. It’s funny and adorable, and these scenes endeared me to George even more. He loves so deeply and is so giving of himself, and he is hilarious with Arthur.

Margaret has some equally special relationships, especially with the other women of Athena’s retreat. Friendships are put to the test when they learn of Margaret’s project and the people who are funding it. The women clash, and Margaret fears she’ll lose her friends and her place at Athena’s Retreat. It’s interesting to see how the women handle contrasting views, group decisions, and more.

I heard through the grapevine that a spin-off of this series is in the works, and I’m super intrigued! I enjoyed all three books in The Secret Scientists of London and am eager to learn more about the next series. Thanks so much to Berkley Books for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Pub for this earc

This book was good. I solid historical romance with a good plot and second chance romance.

The story was good but I just wasn’t completely in love with it.

I like the main characters and how their relationship changed and grew. Grantham and Margaret didn’t jump into to anything. The way that the past had to be explained and how it took them time to trust each other again actually made a lot of sense.

I really liked the friendship between Grantham and Arthur. I found them absolutely hilarious.

I also very much enjoyed the storyline. I liked that not everything was black and white when it came to Margaret’s decisions and how her friends stayed by her side through it all.

I guess this book had a little bit of everything: love, humor and history.

I liked this one! Didn’t know that it was part of a series when I started, but now I want to read the rest! This book has tropes of second chance, golden retriever boy, and stem female character! I love how both characters genuinely loved each other as themselves and grew together as a couple. The soft romance made me melt! 4.5/5

Elizabeth Everett does it again with another smart and sexy romance! Margaret was a wonderfully strong and pragmatic heroine, and Grantham complemented her perfectly. Plus the villain introduced earlier in the series finally gets his comeuppance in a dramatic ending. A wonderful second chance romance with plenty of geekery, swoon, and sly politics!