Lucinda Peterson has worked herself to exhaustion to make the London apothecary her father left her a success and to provide for herself and her siblings. Two years ago, a rival apothecary—and former lover—stole Lucy’s formula for throat lozenges before she could patent it. Now, in 1843, her formula for a salve to soothe babies’ croup has gone missing, and Lucy’s certain her ex-lover is the culprit once more.

Jonathan Thorne, a former prizefighter, now works for an agency that helps the palace cover up royal indiscretions and sometimes assists civilians who have been wronged. Hired by Lucy to recover her missing formula, Thorne poses as the apothecary’s new bookkeeper, and he and his nine-year-old daughter, Sadie, move into an apartment above the apothecary.

The sparks between Lucy and Thorne are immediate and intense, but they both hold back. Lucy fears being duped by another man, while Thorne has never forgiven himself for not saving Sadie’s mother from an early death. But as Thorne works to uncover the thief, he and Lucy are irresistibly drawn together, and they must challenge themselves to heal.

Once again, Everett mixes romance with sharp insights into women’s lives in Victorian England—as well as today. She pulls no punches highlighting the unequal treatment of women throughout history, particularly as it relates to healthcare access, freedom of choice regarding one’s own life, and safety. Readers of Everett’s previous series, Secret Scientists of London, will cheer to see cameo appearances from familiar characters while being treated to a colorful and often amusing cast of new ones. Dealing unflinchingly with birth control, abortion, and sexual assault—as well as containing some of Everett’s steamiest bedroom scenes yet—this book is not for the squeamish, but it’s sure to win Everett a legion of new fans.

I really enjoyed this book, and it actually made me go back and find other books by this author, which is a good sign. The incorporation of a single father as the love interest AND a female apothecary taking on the world was a breath of fresh air in the genre. This was such a good blend of cozy mystery and romance.

This book took a minute to really get into (I would say almost 50% in, I got hooked into the story). I liked the plot & character development and the conflict each character had to face. It was a good historical fiction/romance and I ultimately liked the ending where views were changed, people grew (except Duncan) and lives were better for it. Sometimes things you think are true, are not what them seem.

an absolutely sensational book that i think everyone needs to read. it's beautifully written and doesn't shy away from difficult topics

I wanted to love this story SO much.. based solely on the Victorian timeline and women in STEM, as a woman named Lucy who works at an apothecary tries to get her stolen formula.

It was just too slow moving, and the characters felt flat, making it hard to connect to the story.

*many thanks to Berkley Pub, PRH audio, and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

First, I love this cover. Second, I love a mystery/romance blend! Strong-willed apothecary Lucy and grumpy private detective Jonathan were an intriguing match, although I do think that Jonathan was a bit too judgy at times. However, that's my opinion as a woman who doesn't live in the Victorian era. Lucy is determined, ambitious, and willing to do what is needed to help others.

Elizabeth Everett has such a vivid writing style that I was immediately transported to Victorian London as soon as I fell into this book. Lucy and Thorne have a wonderful relationship that truly allows the reader to encounter the a world of less gender equality than our own and highlight how special their relationship is because of that. There was a bit of biting my tongue and swallowing my objections to the way events and Lucy's story was presented, but this is not anything the author did wrong. Again, this is a reaction to the world that Lucy lives in, a world she was created by, and a world that is so different from our own. This is vital aspect of the novel and a key point for the reader to consider. There is are some non-Victorian era aspects to please the modern reader like the spicy scenes and the conflict at the heart of the book.

In a sentence a beautifully written, well researched, and delightful book!

The Love Remedy by Elizabeth Everett is an engaging historical romance that blends elements of mystery and women's empowerment within a Victorian setting. The story follows Lucinda Peterson, an apothecary owner who hires a stoic private investigator, Jonathan Thorne, to uncover the theft of her crucial croup formula, leading to an intriguing mix of romance and family dynamics. While the pacing starts slow, the chemistry between Lucinda and Jonathan builds nicely, showcasing themes of trust and resilience amidst societal challenges. Overall, this book marks a promising start to the Damsels of Discovery series, filled with humor and heartfelt moments.

I wanted to love this novel as many have shared great things about Elizabeth Everett. However; I had a hard time connecting to the characters and couldn't make the emotional thread needed to continue reading. I ended up "not finishing at the 20% mark but hope to try another by this author in the future!

I always feel bad about dnfing an arc but when you're at 40% and feel no connection to the plot or characters it's like, eh, there are too many good books to read to dwell on this one.

3.5 Stars — I really enjoyed this steamy historical romance. Sometimes I want shimmering ball gowns and courting, other times I want less glitter in my historical romances. I am a sucker for apothecary settings. I find apothecary stories usually have grit, nerdy science; and something about them feel a bit magical. One of my fave historical romances is The Apothecary’s Daughter by Julie Klassen. Now this is a very different type of romance. 🌶️ 🌶️

They both share strong, intelligent women as the protagonists. Lucy is impressive in her skills but this is a time when she is completely burnt out and feeling alone in running her family’s apothecary. It was nice to follow a story about two people really stuck in their life. Thorne is constricted by all these societal and personal rules and limits he’s imposed on himself for fear of the past. Lucy is stuck financially and eaten up with anger and guilt. As they work together and get to each other, they open each other’s eyes to the possibility that there are alternate ways to feel and live. Following or breaking rules doesn’t make someone a good or bad person.

The sexual chemistry between them is present from their first meeting. They are immediately drawn to the other, which I didn’t love. Thorne is a private person so things felt extra rushed. I needed more vulnerable moments between the two. However, the romance and emotional connection eventually catches up. In the end, I was happy with how the book ends.

Sadie was such a sweet character. I loved when she was on page with her cheerfulness and geekiness over animals. Mr. Gentry was hilarious and too real. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for David and Juliet. They both felt pretty one note to me as they just weren’t on page enough. We barely get any real moments between the siblings. They had good intentions and love for Lucy but they knowingly left her to bear the emotional toll by herself. I’m still salty about that. Lol.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. The romance isn’t perfect but I enjoyed our unconventional lovers. The steamy scenes were pretty good too. 😄

Another great historical romance from Elizabeth Everett! I love how powerful her female characters are and how they fight against the gender norms of the time. I really enjoyed Lucy, and how well her anxiety was shown. Also, Thorne was a great hero who never wanted to change her and was happy to support her. I can't wait to see where this series goes!



Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

Elizabeth Everett is a rock star and you cannot convince me otherwise! I always love her books, and this one was no exception! It was so good and I could not put it down. The characters, the story, and everything in between was perfection. Two thumbs way up!

What a wonderful, strong and resourceful heroine! Lucy is amazing and really stands up for herself, her family and womenkind!

(Lucy) “…doubted any argument he could concoct would convince her to trust him again. A heart could only break so many times before it lost its original purpose.”

I don’t read many historical romances but this regency story was so enjoyable and entertaining!

The Love Remedy is a smart and fun read with so many characters you can love. It is a great start to a new series and I look forward to reading more books set in this world.
-4.5 Stars-

The Love Remedy by Elizabeth Everett is a fascinating historical romance that is sure to entertain romance readers with its’ powerful & intelligent woman at the helm & an intriguing hero to match. I would also say if you appreciate more modern values but wanted to try a historical romance, this is a great suggestion for you.

This is book #1 in The Damsels of Discovery & I am excited to continue reading more from this author.

The Love Remedy is great for fans of…
❤️ Historicam Romance
❤️ Women in STEM
❤️ Single Dad
❤️ Forcef Proximity
❤️ Victorian Apothecary Meets Private Investigator

I always love reading historical romance with characters that are ahead of the time. I appreciated the showcasing of women & their knowledge of science, biology, apothecary & so much more. Even though it is a historical romance, the emphasis on women’s rights & health felt so relevant & important to today.

If you are interested in intriguing apothecary along with romance & curious mystery, The Love Remedy is a great recommendation!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

A wonderful start to a new series. This has one of the steamiest h*mping scene's I've read in a very long time! The last third of the book dragged for me a bit and I was disappointed that there was no epilogue

This is such an interesting and entertaining historical romance. Lucy runs up and apothecary and someone has stolen her formula for a remedy. She asks Jonathan Thorne to help her find out who the culprit is. This book has fascinating characters and being that thorn is a single father. It adds the fun of a single father romance into this historical romance. I loved all the entry that was involved as well as how smart and strong Lucy is and how Thorne finds himself fascinated by her. All in all, I enjoyed this book from start to finish.

4.5 stars — I loved The Love Remedy! This historical romance is well written, well researched, and deals sensitively with issues of women’s health and women’s rights that are as relevant today as they were in the 19th century. The main characters and their emotional journeys are both believable and relatable, and Ms. Everett has done an excellent job in making them sympathetic to modern readers while still maintaining historical sensibilities.

The plot avoids many of the familiar tropes of historical romances set in the 19th century. To begin with, both main characters are working-class, in their lifestyle if not (in Thorne’s case) by birth. There are no balls, house parties, or soirees; no fake engagement or forced marriage; no huge misunderstanding that could easily be solved with a simple, adult conversation. There is, however, a problem that Lucy needs to have solved if she is to keep her family from sinking into poverty, and Thorne is the inquiry agent she hires to solve it. Lucy and Thorne feel like real people, dealing with real, everyday struggles, loving their families, working out their different views of the world, and doing their best to survive. Their romance isn’t the stuff of high drama, but it’s highly satisfying nonetheless.

And it is set in a London that is diverse and alive, with characters of various ethnicities, races, classes, and gender identities… again, well-researched and written believably. If your mental picture of 19th-century England is based on older traditional historical romances (particularly when it comes to racial diversity), this novel’s milieu may come as a surprise to you—but trust me, it’s more accurate.

Speaking of diversity, I particularly appreciated Ms. Everett’s nuanced and sympathetic approach to her characters’ faith in God. This isn’t a Christian romance in the subgenre sense of the term; it’s not primarily intended for a Christian audience, and it doesn’t preach or hold up Christianity as the best or only true way to think, believe, and live. Instead, The Love Remedy accurately reflects the fact that people believe in God in a variety of ways and to varying degrees, from not at all to deeply. Some people are sustained by their faith; some find it constraining. Although 19th-century London was far more diverse culturally and spiritually than many historical romances portray it, at the time and place when The Love Remedy occurs, the majority of religious believers in London were probably following some form of Christianity. Ms. Everett’s characters are a completely believable mix in this regard; they hold differing interpretations of Christianity, and their participation in it ranges from disinterested to devout. Thorne, a recovering alcoholic, is also a practicing Methodist; he finds Methodism’s strict rules helpful in staying sober. Lucy is not a regular church-goer, but she does believe in God and strives to see the good in everyone, and this belief is reflected in her life and her business practices.

A final note: Ms. Everett explores several women’s issues in the course of the book, from the right to study and practice science and medicine, to contraception, abortion, and the right to control one’s own body. Lucy’s views on “restoring menses” and the question of when human life begins may trouble those in the pro-life/anti-abortion camp as much as they resonate with those in the pro-choice camp. Her beliefs in these matters are, however, historically accurate.

I enjoyed The Love Remedy so much that I immediately bought the first book in her earlier, related trilogy, The Secret Scientists of London. Some of the characters from that series appear in The Love Remedy, and I can’t wait to read A Lady’s Formula for Love. I’m also looking forward to the next book in the Damsels of Discovery series.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for this advanced copy through the #BerkleyBesties program. All thoughts are my own.

Though I have quite a backlist of Regency novels on my shelf, I don't often reach to pick them up before any new contemporaries that come my way. But even though I've been disappointed before by apothecary novels, I'm still always drawn in by the idea of women scientists and the antics they get themselves into.

This was okay, I didn't feel too strongly about it either way. I struggled to find the chemistry between Lucy and Thorne and wished there was a little bit intimacy between the two other than their draw to each other. It felt like the actual mystery of the novel took a bit of a backseat and I wished there was more focus on that. I also wish there was more of a focus on the general doings of an apothecary rather than the discussions of anatomy (I know that Sadie was in school for science but I felt like there was too much focus on animals). This cover is beautiful though and like most, I did enjoy Thorn's daughter Sadie.

I'm curious to see what other books are planned in this series, but I'm not going to make any promises.

3.5, rounded up. I wish the mystery of Lucy’s missing croup formula hadn’t fizzled out, but I suppose the solution was (somewhat) obvious in the end. I do love the amount of agency Lucy has in running the apothecary; Elizabeth Everett balances this well within the historical context. I also think Lucy and Thorne make a solid couple and support each other well.