I love Regency books, so I was excited to read The Unassuming Curator. Bessey is able to make the story come alive with her writing. I could see myself in the balls and dancing along side her characters. The mystery was an added bonus as the characters aren't just trying to find a match in London's season, but Henry has other problems he has to face. Of course there is a happily ever after ending making the story a fun, light and engaging read. I will definitely read more by this author. 3 1/2 stars!

Yay! We get Emily’s story! (We first met Emily in book 3 of this series.)
Emily & Henry’s story was sweet. They are perfect for one another.
Aunt Milburn is a hoot and I love the humor she brought.
It was interesting to learn more about history of the British Museum and how he got its start.
I loved that there wasn’t a big miscommunication moment between our MCs.
Overall very enjoyable and cute!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I started this book back a few months when it first came out. But have you ever had one of those books that just didn’t speak to you? That was this one.. at that time.

Then last week, I found the book on audible and listened to it. Oh my gosh! It was perfect. Just needed to read it at the right time, and for me, listening to the audio version was what I needed. (Totally use the audio if that’s your type of reading preference. Sian’s books have great narrators).

So don’t feel bad if a book that is being raved about doesn’t for you. Sometimes it’s not a good fit, period; but other times (like this one) it’s not a good fit *for that time*. Remember, reading is for enjoyment.

This book is #5 in Sian’s #georgianromance series, and just like the others, it does not disappoint. I love how she included the color-blindness aspect and how it was new as that time. And like the others, there’s both romance and adventure elements within the story.

Why read this book?
🦋Color blindness
🦋Museums
🦋Plot twits
🦋Found Family
🦋Botany
🦋Rare artwork and manuscripts

Fun, paced well, and wholesome characters bring this story to live. I loved all the history included in the story, most especially "Daltonism" or Color Blindness. When I first heard the main character had this affliction and was a museum curator I wondered how well it would be written. Sian does no disappoint as she blends the condition seamlessly into the story. If you enjoy adventure, romance and natural history this book is for you. If you like heaping on intrigue, matchmaking aunts, and protective older brothers then you've found the right book.

I'm not sure why, but I kept picturing Henry as short, balding, and more round than not. Honestly, I kind of picture him as Zoloft from the Captain America movies. Why? I have no idea. But I had to keep reminding myself that he was not an aging scientist, he was a young, most likely good-looking bachelor. It's funny the way your mind creates pictures of characters in books, even if they don't fit the description given at all.
Anyway, enough about Henry's looks. I enjoyed this latest installment in the Georgian Gentlemen series. I always like to touch base with characters from previous stories, as well as get to know new characters better. Henry and Emily's first meeting was definitely amusing - also something I really enjoy in a novel. I related a lot with Emily. I too would rather lose myself in a good book than deal with large groups of people.

"She was as pure as she was kind, as intelligent as she was beautiful, and if his current feelings were anything to go by, he had fallen headlong in love with her."
When Henry and Emily initially meet, they are both intrigued, but don't expect to see each other again. Emily is on her way to London for her first season, and is filled with nervousness as she faces all that is ahead. Henry is a curator for the British Museum, and is hiding a secret while trying to keep up with all that his job entails. When the two meet again, they are pleasantly surprised, and begin a friendships that continues to grow the more time they spend together.
I absolutely loved this story. Henry and Emily were two delightful characters whose journey was so wonderful to get to watch. I enjoyed how they were so different, and yet so suited to each other. Their idiosyncrasies endeared them even more to each other. I also thoroughly enjoyed Aunt Millward, who was so kind and authentic, and funny! I always look forward to reading books by this author and I loved every minute of this one! It is mostly a love story, with a dash of intrigue thrown in, and I can't recommend it enough!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The Unassuming Curator is book five in the Georgian Gentlemen Series. It's such a sweet addition to the series. I loved how well the main characters Emily and Henry fit together. They both loved learning about new things and were studious. This is originally what brought them together. Henry is a curator for the natural history British Museum. I was very interested in the many things Henry was working on. I would love to go there someday. Emily loves reading and really doesn't love the whole "society" thing. It was fun seeing how their relationship developed.

I also loved having Phoebe and Adam from a previous book included in this novel. I also adored Henry's, Aunt Millward. Everyone should have a vivacious and smart Aunt to help them navigate life. She stole every scene she was in.

This book can be read as a stand-alone and enjoyed by readers. As I always say though, you will enjoy reading the whole series in the written order as many characters are seen in the other books. The Unassuming Curator is another lovely romance written by Sian Ann Bessey filled with humor, mystery, artifacts, and of course love.

This series has consistently been a favorite of mine from Sian Bessey and this sweet book was no exception. Sian knows just how to weave a tale with interesting characters, rich historical settings, romance, and with that signature dash of mystery riddled with in.

This book tells the story of Emily and Henry, two people who don’t fit the mold of society, but find friendship and support with one another.

Emily is a bit of a recluse and nervous about entering society, when she stumbles upon Henry, digging up flowers of all things, they find themselves in a moment with both of their guards down, and an instant attraction.

Henry is a curator at the British museum and I loved this aspect of the story. Having frequented this museum, it was thoroughly interesting to see it through the lens of Georgian society and how some of the artifacts came about. I loved Henry’s passion for what he does, and how he was able to share that with Emily. I also loved learning more about color blindness, and how isolating and alone it could make people feel, especially in this time period.

I appreciated the growth and pacing of their relationship. I thought it felt organic and natural, without any unneeded angst, and a refreshing dose of truthfulness and respect for each other.

If you are a fan of the series, I think you’ll continue to love it, and if you’re new to it, I wholeheartedly recommend it. You could read this as a standalone, but there are some reoccurring characters so starting at beginning will help you appreciate it more. I especially loved getting to see Adam, Phoebe, and Aunt Millward again as their book was a favorite of mine from this series!

I loved this story by Sian Ann Bessey. The characters and storyline were amazing.

I just reviewed The Unassuming Curator by Sian Ann Bessey. #TheUnassumingCurator #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Yes - read it!

There were lots of different nuances that seem to permeate every chapter. It's a very nice to encounter something different as you read along.

Interesting characters that you like to root for & a storyline that keeps your interest. I enjoyed it!

I received an ARC from Netgalley to help me prepare my honest review.

Henry and Emily, you are some of my favorites!

Flowers, history, and a love of museums (and all the things in them) are what brought this couple together. More specifically, red campion (which isn't really red). Emily is in London with her brother and his new bride, staying with her sister-in-law's aunt, whom I absolutely adore! Aunt Millward has a spunky streak to match Emily's and this duo provided me many smiles and laughs, especially as Aunt Millward subtly (or not so subtly) steers Emily towards a match.

Bessey does a lovely job of writing such engaging characters, with immoral villains and swoon-worthy heros. I'm half in love with the mysterious Mr. Toole, the Bow Street runner who has made a few timely appearances. Henry's disadvantage was interesting, especially considering his line of work as a curator.

Blossoming love and sweet interactions are the crowning glory of this book. This beautiful, lovely story is part of a series and doesn't necessarily need to be read in order.

Content: mild romance; mild moments of peril/danger

*I received a complimentary copy through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and were voluntarily given.*

This was a lovely edition to the Georgian Gentlemen series! We got to learn the whereabouts of sweet Emily from book 3! This story was delightful and actually had a bit of intrigue lightly woven in! Just perfect!

I loved this book. I loved the sweet unassuming romance. I loved the uniqueness of the characters.

I felt like though Emily was intelligent and frank, she wasn’t over exuberant, or out spoken. Sian gave her individuality, separate from mainstream blue stockings of that time. I liked her immensely.

Henry was a good blend of odd and refined, an interesting combination that Sian again, created and blend quite well.

I loved the twists in suspense and the desire her descriptions gave me to visit the British museum.

I loved most of all the way Sian’s characters bring awareness to things.

Sian writes Henry’s struggles with how he sees the world and the way it makes him feel isolated with such emotion. It motivated me to strive for more compassion.

A book that can do all that is a story to be commended. It was really a beautiful novel.

Another wonderful historical romance by Sian Bessey! This series is absolutely incredible and and gets better and better with each book. The amount of research into each story put these on a different level than other historical romances in my book. This newest addition is no exception!
You can’t help but learn so many interesting things as you read about Emily and Henry. Everything from plant collection, to the British Museum, to the discovery and study of color blindness. Following these two characters throughout their story was enlightening and enjoyable.
And I haven’t even mentioned their sweet romance! Starting at their adorable first encounter you’re swept away in their love story. With the basis of friendship and common interests to bring them together I couldn’t help but swoon at how Henry and Emily come to love each other.
Emily is so sweet and her positive outlook and continued attempts at trying her best just made her more endearing. Plus I absolutely loved her love of reading and learning more. Henry is such a hard worker and I loved his perseverance despite his handicap, he’s adorable and I loved seeing his own realization that he’s falling in love.
Another huge bonus in this book is all the side characters. I loved seeing Adam and Phoebe again and even getting glimpses of other characters from past books in the series. And I couldn’t write this review without it mentioning Aunt Millward! She was an absolute hoot and I loved her strategies and finesse in working the many different social situations the characters find themselves in.
In the end, I think this is a wonderful historical novel with the perfect amount of romance.

I have only read books 3 and 4 in this series prior to The Unassuming Curator. Each book follows a different couple so the stories aren't entirely dependent upon each other. I rated both of the previous books 4 Stars. Each one had a couple and a love story I could root for. Each one also had a mystery to be solved and a bad guy to be apprehended. I liked that the love stories took the largest portion of the previous books, but the mysteries detract from my overall enjoyment of a book. Knowing that this book would be no different and knowing that I'm not all that interested in a curator of a museum--especially one so concerned about flowers and plants--led to me feeling less enthusiastic than I might have. But I've liked the previous books so I figured I would probably enjoy this one as well. And I did.

Emily is the sister of Adam, the leading male character from An Alleged Rogue. She is finally ready for a Season in the London marriage mart. Emily, Adam, and Phoebe have traveled to London to Phoebe's aunt's house to visit. Phoebe's Aunt Millward agrees to introduce her to her friends and contacts in the city. One of those such contacts is Aunt Millward's nephew, Henry. Emily is different from most women in London. She has a hunger for learning. She truly seems eager to devour any and all knowledge she can collect.

Henry is as the description and title state, a museum curator. While I don't find that job all that fascinating from my own personal interests, I was interested in the history of the museum itself and how Sian Ann Bessey chose to make this hero colorblind. This wasn't a condition much known about during this time period. As a matter of fact, no one really understood it yet. Henry has kept this knowledge a secret, but he finds it easy to confide in Emily as her hunger for knowledge is attractive to him, especially since she's just as interested in his work as he is.

Of course as I stated, there has to be a mystery, and I won't ruin any of that for you. I never find this aspect of the story to be my favorite, but I don't generally read mysteries at all for that reason. Sian Ann Bessey does a great job of including them and having them be a true part of the story without having the mystery take over or feel forced where it doesn't fit.

Favorite quote:
-The recent change in his colleague's attitude toward him made sense now, but understanding the reason did little to lessen the loss.

I liked this quote so much because it's so true. We can often understand people's action and even their motivations. But understanding doesn't change the fact that sometimes we are hurt by others. Sometimes things hurt us, even though we understand why they happened. It doesn't lessen our pain or our experiences.

The Unassuming Curator was exactly what I've come to expect from Sian Ann Bessey. I enjoyed it. I read it quickly. I found the inclusion of Henry's colorblindness interesting and unique. And I also enjoyed the information about the museum. I didn't enjoy the mystery as much as the rest of the book, but I never do. That's just a personal reading preference of mine. I will continue to seek out the rest of this series and Sian Ann Bessey's other work. The Unassuming Curator gets 3.5 Stars. Have you read The Unassuming Curator? What did you think? Let me know!

Loved this book! This whole series has been wonderful! I have read them all but this could be read as a stand-alone and you would be just fine.
I loved hearing about the museum and all of the artifacts. I also liked that Emily wasn’t just an empty headed debutant- she was smart AND Henry liked that about her!
It was interesting to hear about the color blindness- I guess I’ve never really thought about how they dealt with it in regency times. The author definitely did plenty of research on it- it was fascinating.
The plot was fun and the ending was wonderful. I can’t wait for more from this author.

Sian Ann Bessey’s books are like a cozy afternoon in front of the fire with a hot drink. The Unassuming Curator is the fifth installment in the Georgian Gentlemen series. It can be read as a stand-alone but revisiting characters from the previous books makes all much better. This book was a beautiful love story from beginning to end.

Emily prefers books to the London season. Henry would rather spend time with his plants and cataloging than with people. After a curious meeting Henry encounters Emily at his family’s dinner party. Finding in each other a kindred spirit, a friendship starts to blossom. As the two get to know one another, friendship turns to love and companionship. But intrigue and tension at the museum might put in jeopardy Henry’s plan to woo Emily.

Emily and Henry’s relationship develops slowly; giving each time to get to know each other and grow into their feelings. Their romance was gentle and warm and it just gave me all the cozy feelings as I was reading it. There was no miscommunication and no heavy angst. It’s the perfect book to read when you want an escape from the real world.

Henry’s colorblindness hinders his ability to do his job, a curator for the British Museum. He is very resourceful in finding ways around it to do his job. I loved how Bessey incorporated colorblindness into the story and showed what little was known about it at the time and how research into that field might’ve begun. As a character, it made Henry that much more interesting and admiring. He found ways around his disability to do the thing he loved most.

As a couple, Emily and Henry were beautiful together. Their romance was so sweet and and everything felt natural. Their interactions were a lot of fun! They work so well together. I loved how they complemented each other in areas the other was lacking, like Emily helping Henry to identify plants.

One of my absolute favorite characters was Aunt Millward! I need an Aunt Millward in my life! Such a fun lady to read. Her wit and quick thinking (and matchmaking machinations) are a delight to read!

If you’re a fan of clean historial romance that just give you all the feels, I recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley for a complimentary e-copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Unassuming Curator - Georgian Gentlemen #5 / Sian Ann Bessey
Released 4/11/23

Very Good, Clean Story Featuring Color Blidness.
I recommend reading the Author's Note at the back BEFORE the story to gain some wonderful insight.
I found the story and characters very interesting and entertaining. Henry is the 1700s version of an adorable, kind nerd, often lost in his own discoveries and work at the British Museum. Emily is INCREDIBLY observant of both her surroundings and the needs of others, as well as shy, without experience in Society.
Aunt Millward is the bit of comedic relief we hope for among the Ton.
"Aunt Millward had perked up considerably. “You shall have your distraction. I am uncommonly good at those.”"
Tea Quote:
"She’d sat beneath the vast domed ceiling in St. Paul’s Cathedral and enjoyed a cup of tea at Twinings after spending an afternoon visiting Phoebe’s favorite modiste."

Only one reference of faith: (he offered a silent prayer. At this point, prayer was all he had left.) I note this because the publisher is Covenant Communications & I had hoped for more faith moments; still a good read.

I am pleased to recommend this new-to-me author's latest release. 4 Stars.

I received an eVersion from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are mine alone without expectation or compensation.

Pending reviews to my blog: BlueJeansAndTeacups.blogspot.com,
Amazon, B&N, Kobo, My IG, My Pinterest

"Her spirits lifted. With a good book in hand, she could escape almost anything." I completely agree with Miss Emily Norton. I love escaping into wonderful stories like this latest one from Sian Ann Bessey!!

Emily isn't like the other young ladies who are in London for the Season. She loves learning about new things and will read just about almost anything, she loves nature and doesn't mind getting her hands a little dirty looking at plants (the horror! Don't let the tabbies in the Ton find out about that one.) Her curious nature is what leads to her first meeting with Henry. It's a simple and completely innocent interaction but the connection it makes between them lasts throughout the book.

I loved Emily and Henry!! Their attraction to each other and road to love was so natural and sweet. There wasn't any miscommunications or angst. Just a sweet romance. I loved that we got to see Emily's brother and his wife again--it's so much fun to see characters from the previous books show up. One of my favorite characters is Aunt Millward!! She's the best and I wish I had an Aunt Millward in my life. I loved the mystery/suspense element in this story and I was completely surprised by the reveal.

I always learn something from reading this author's books and this time I learned about the British Museum and colorblindness in the Georgian era. It must've been so difficult to live with a medical condition no one had a name for or a known cause, and we see Henry struggle to keep anyone from learning about his condition.

If you're a historical fiction or romance lover, I highly recommend this book. The entire series is amazing although each can be read as a standalone. I received a complimentary ecopy from the publisher via NetGalley, but also bought a copy for my personal library. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

#BookRevew: THE UNASSUMING CURATOR by Sian Ann Bessey

I am glad I picked up this fifth book in the series. I didn’t know that I would be revisiting the characters from The Alleged Rogue. Emily was Adam’s younger sister and Phoebe’s friend. I can’t forget “red campion” now and I’m sure it’s an unforgettable flower for Emily and Henry as well. I searched for it and it is indeed pink, not red. (see photo above) It was also good that the book discussed color blindness. It was unheard of during the regency era so Emily’s help was appreciated by Henry.

This was a slow burn romance of two nature loving individuals with a touch of mystery and suspense. I liked that there was no big drama and misunderstandings between the two of them. They were humble and smart people too. I delight in their topics about plants and butterflies. I’d love to visit the British Museum someday. The varied collections are interesting.

I have enjoyed Aunt Millward so much. The worm scene at her house was so funny. She made everything fun and less awkward. She had a loving and caring nature too. I look forward to reading the author’s backlist and future books.

Rating: 4.5 ⭐
Series: Georgian Gentlemen Book 5
Pub date: 11 Apr 2023

Thank you Covenant Communications and #netgalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.