In this Victorian mystery romance Lucinda is an apothecary whose newest drug, a salve, has gone missing. She hires Jonathan Thorne, a private investigator, to help her find the culprit who stole it. But the biggest part of what they find is each other. Both live societally unacceptable lives. Thorne is raising his mixed race daughter from his lover, not his wife. And Lucy is a female apothecary, one of only two in the country at that time, I believe I read. The anti-female brigade is out and protesting at her apothecary. The book, though set in the late 1800s, shines the light on a lot of what is happening today.

Thorne is a wonderfully flawed character. He is a fighter who no longer fights, a libertine who has created tight lines circumscribing his life. But he is an ethical man. When confronted by his own prejudices he takes it in and eventually adjusts his moral compass. There is a lot to be said of a character or a novel that allows the MC the time to come to terms.

Lucy is just a hero. ‘Nuff said. Ok, not really. She is working so hard to keep things afloat, to take care of patients, to take care of the shop, her sister and her brother. And then her salve formula is stolen- a salve she could patent thus earning an income.

The sex is hot and has a slight kink to it in case you care. This is the first in a new series, Damsels of Discovery. Beware, it’ll probably make you want to search out the previous series, Secret Scientists of London, for the joy of reading more by Elizabeth Everett.

The Love Remedy has everything that you could want in a historical romance, combining a fierce and real protagonist with the vocabulary and environment of the times. This will be especially loved by anyone who appreciates a good grumpy-meets-sunshine trope, or who are interested in the ways that medicine was practiced by women in the past. After reading, I wanted to get every Elizabeth Everett book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Elizabeth Everett & Berkley for a digital ARC of The Love Remedy.

I was super excited to be approved for this title as not only the synopsis intrigued me, but also the gorgeous cover.

The Love Remedy is Book 1 in The Damsels of Discovery series and I am not DYING for the next in the series.

This story follows Lucinda Peterson who owns an apothecary from which formulas are being stolen and come up missing; and Jonathan Thorpe, a P.I. who Lucinda hires to help her get to the bottom of who or what is sabotaging her business. And just maybe some sparks fly between the intriguing apothecary owner & grumpy P.I.

I was kind of getting Ali Hazelwood STEM vibes, mixed with other stories such as The Lost Apothecary and the earlier works of Simone St. James. And the actual product of this story did not disappoint.

This story was incredibly atmospheric & followed a great pace. Everett gave us a perfect grumpy vs. sunshine romance trope with well-developed characters, main characters & supporting characters, as well as fabulous chemistry between the MC.

I love that this wasn't just your typical, thoughtless romance. The cast of characters made this such a delightful read. They made me laugh out loud & smile so much throughout this book. At the same time, this story allowed us to see the importance of women in history and how women contributed to every day life without the proper recognition.

This was a full 5-Star read for me and I cannot wait for other readers to be pulled into the magical story. Thank you for the opportunity to read this gem of a novel!!! And Ms. Everett, please type quickly for the next installments!!

Elizabeth Everett’s new series was an unexpected delight. I read the three books in the Secret Scientists of London series and they were just okay for me. The Love Remedy, the first book in the Damsels of Discovery series, had more humor and witty repartee. A clever example is Lucy using only her foot to communicate while stuck in a window. The writing in this book isn’t as dense as Everett’s other books. The flow is better and while still intelligent, it is more enjoyable to read. For me this book was more engaging than the other series.

The Love Remedy is a Beauty and the Beast trope situation as Jonathan Thorne is disfigured from his prizefighting days and is seeking redemption from his past by imposing boundaries and limits to the detriment of his happiness.
Lucinda Peterson struggles with her late father’s expectations, helping her community and supporting her family to the detriment of her happiness.

I adored Thorne’s daughter Sadie and how she blossoms when she’s around accomplished and compassionate women

I didn’t want this to end and I want more from these characters. Perhaps Lucy and Thorne will feature predominantly in subsequent books in this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fun and satisfying read! The blurb describes the story line accurately, and I enjoyed the way the action, characterization, and resolution were worked out. I enjoyed the characters, each flawed but ultimately needing each other to find wholeness. And I enjoyed the unexpected way the author set up the mystery and then worked out the resolution in an unexpected way.

I did not start out reading this book knowing that it was tied to an earlier series by author Everett (The Secret Scientists of London) which I had read and enjoyed, and I had overlooked that this was the first of a new series, The Damsels of Discovery. So this novel is perfectly satisfactory as a stand-alone, though it is made richer by the other readings. I continue to wince at the graphic sex, which I think detracts from the overall enjoyment of the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley (love their publications!) for the chance to read this title in advance. Publication date is currently set for March 19, 2024. I highly recommend this for your TBR list!

Rating this one between 4.25 and 4.5 stars. The story was exactly what I hoped it would be: well paced, with charming characters and a minimum of misunderstandings to get the plot moving forward.

Lucy’s just my favorite kind of protagonist, the hard-working person who carries the world on their shoulders but remains kind, and Thorne was just grumpy enough to fit the trope but also very endearing. The mix of grumpy-sunshine and single parent tropes worked perfectly and the protagonists’ chemistry was great.

There’s a nice cast of supporting characters, but I felt like their individual plots could’ve been better developed. And although the author hinted at several solutions/conclusions to the issues around the relationships between both protagonists and their respective families, I thought they were rushed and poorly conceived.

But all things considered, I had a great time with this story. It was a very good start to the author’s new series and I might check out their previous works while waiting for the next one.

Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another winner from Elizabeth Everett. I don't usually read historical romances but Everett does such a great job of drawing you into her world it was as if I could picture myself back in those times. The chemistry between Lucy and Thorne was so raw and real and the plot kept me turning pages. Highly recommend for any one looking to get lost in a time they don't know about, with a love story that will tug at your heartstrings.

Another fantastic book from Elizabeth Everett! I absolutely love that this series is starting with Lucy and getting a glimpse into how women helped their neighbourhoods and used their brains and empathy to assist with taking care of the people around them. I’m absolutely a sucker for the grumpy and sunshine trope and Jonathan does not disappoint as the MMC. He is the grumpy bookkeeper/investigator who also wants to protect Lucy from others and herself. The two MCs work well together to solve the book’s main mystery. And there is great character development and fantastic side characters who are not only there to help the MCs but also make the reader laugh (looking at you, chicken). Overall a great read that not only has steam but also makes the reader think about how it was for working women who wanted to be seen more for their brains than good looks.

First we have Lucy, she is the middle child but the eldest daughter. Our good sis is the very embodiment of “Are you the eldest daughter or are you ok?” She’s trying to keep her family’s apothecary afloat after her parents’ passing. Then we have Thorne, former boxer, single-dad and investigator with a face only a mother...Lucy...and I...could love. He has no relationship to his family after he showed up at their door with his bi-racial daughter. He wouldn’t mind marrying to have a mother for his girl but marry for love? Not so much.

Lucy employs Thorne to help her find a formula that’s gone missing and the sparks between them are slowly ignited against their better judgment. I’d classify this as a slow burn but it was heavy with other topics. Thorne helps Lucy relinquish control (in some creative ways) and Lucy helps Thorne realize that all of his rules for living were keeping him from having a full life.

These two challenge each other and I daresay there are some topics in the book that will challenge the reader as well.

Also, when you realize what happened to the stolen formula, you will want to fight the air (and fictional character). I’m still dwelling at the highest height of PISSEDIVITY! This book is in the same universe as her Secret Scientists of London series which I thoroughly enjoyed (and Book #3 in that series lives RENT FREE in my brain)

So brilliant. Once again, a well researched and developed historical romance written to perfection. Who knew I could love this genre so much 😂
The way Everett fits politics and science into her books, the character development and growth, the plot twists and story arcs, the chemistry between her characters!!! It’s all so good. Her discussion of a woman’s right to choose was done so flawlessly through her characters.
Just loved it. And loved getting more snippets of favorite characters from her other books - can’t wait for the next title in this series!

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC!

OMG BEST ROMANCE OF 2024 I'M CALLING IT ALREADY. I swooned, I cried, I laughed, I was like "why won't you two dummies just tell each other you love each other?!" This book is the epitome of why I love historical romance. The modern commentary is on point without being didactic. The plot is page turning. The romance sexy.

Elizabeth Everett does NOT disappoint, I’m obsessed with this new series! A Victorian era whodunit is the novel I never knew I needed. Not to mention the grumpy single dad and apothecary owner who’s convinced she found the formula for love? SWOON. I loved Lucy and Jonathan so much.

I am usually not a fan of historical romances but I really felt drawn to read this. I’m so glad I did. This is grumpy/sunshine (my favorite trope EVER) and the FMC is head strong and fucking wonderful.

The Love Remedy is a fantastic start to a new historical romance series. Elizabeth Everett creates a wonderful world where women in STEM try to right the world’s wrongs while dealing with all the obstacles placed in their path. None of them truly expect to find love along the way, but somehow they always do.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lucy Peterson is a 19th century apothecary in London’s East End. Her former beau stole her formula for throat lozenges, and is making a fortune off them while she continues to struggle. When her new croup treatment formula goes missing, she calls in PI Jonathan Thorne to help her reclaim it. The grumpy former boxer and single dad doesn’t put too much stock in the forthright Lucy’s accusations, but once he gets to know her, he realizes that something is amiss. As the two become closer, can Throne find the culprit and ignore their sizzling chemistry too?

I’m definitely not a 19th century scientist, but Lucy and her experiences are completely relatable. And, Thorne is a three dimensional man of his age. He doesn’t instantly understand why there is an issue with treating women—and different socioeconomic classes of women—differently when it comes to sexual activity. Watching him come to terms with his own hypocrisy is satisfying. It also feels more realistic than other historical romance heroes who seem to magically understand the complicated roles of the women around them.

The Love Remedy is a great example of how to start a brand new series while incorporating the world building from earlier books. It is fun to catch glimpses of favorite characters, but new readers won’t have any trouble keeping up.

The Love Remedy is a fantastic historical romance featuring 19th century women in STEM. If you are a fan of steamy, grumpy sunshine romances that features strong, smart women, Elizabeth Everett’s stories hit the mark each and every time.

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

I struggled with this book a bit. Thorne was so rigid and a bit sanctimonious throughout the vast majority of the book. It made him frustrating to read. And the talk of god and the bible was annoying as well.

I liked Lucy, and I loved that she was an apothecary, and her sister was a doctor. And I loved that they cared so much about women and their community and the people around them! That was lovely. Sadie was also completely precious and wonderful.

All in all, I wasn't thrilled with the book, but I loved the female characters.

This book is fun, sexy and sensual. These two had such wonderful chemistry that sparks when they are together and that tension only grows and grows until they are able to fully meet each other on the equal ground. Hopeless romantics like me would definitely not be disappointed!

This book was absolutely amazing, and I found myself losing myself in this author’s writing. The story was beautiful and it was captivating.

I will always, ALWAYS pick up an Elizabeth Everett novel, and it was such a treat to get an early read of this one. I love Everett's ability to blend a period setting with a modern critique, and the passion behind the critique in this one felt particularly palpable, as the two leads debate the morality of double standards placed on the behaviour of men and women when it comes to education, sexuality, and, perhaps most notably, one's agency to control one's own body, an especially gripping conversation in light of current US politics. Everett doesn't get pedantic though, providing plenty of humour, two families with warm, loving relationships, a sweet love story between two people who are determined not to make the same relationship mistakes twice, and some wonderfully sexy steamy scenes. As always, Everett's prose is sharp and insightful. The historic details feel tangible and create a strong sense of place, time, and atmosphere. The characters are fully fleshed out. The sex is both physically and emotionally rewarding for all participants. And for those who love Austen's P&P for its depiction of a hero who gets a few things horribly wrong but (gasp) admits his mistakes with humility and care, you'll love Everett's Gentleman Fighter, with his big hands and even bigger heart.

Funny, sexy and deeply romantic, The Love Remedy is the perfect cure for any reader in need of a literary pick-me-up. Everett’s writing sparkles and the chemistry flies off the page in this gorgeous historical romance, whose central message is as relevant today as ever. I adored this fabulous book and can’t wait for the rest of the series!

The slowburn romance, here, was just chefs kiss good. It was full of palpable chemistry which builds in intensity throughout the book and keeping on my toes throughout my entire read. I am obsessed with this book.