I always love a good historical romance novel especially when it’s part of a new series! I was super excited to read this one and knowing it was by an established author made me even more excited to read it. But I have to admit—I have been having a really hard time getting into Everett’s other series The Secret Scientists of London. By all accounts, the Secret Scientists of London should be a series that is 100% up my alley but I have tried reading the books and they just haven’t held my interest.

Now I know I am in the minority with readers of that series. But just because I couldn’t get into that series doesn’t mean that I was fully ready to write her off as an author. When this book came up for review, I was like ok here we go a fresh slate something new and different to try. This book is similar to the Secret Scientist series as it too has a STEM and science-y feel to it which has been a hot trend lately and I think that Victorian London really worked well as the setting for this book.

If you love historical romances, especially books with a STEM/science feel, then I think this book will be an exciting start to a new series. I think there are a few little things to figure out but overall I enjoyed this one more than I liked the other Secret Scientist books. Reading new series is one of the reasons I LOVE book blogging because I don’t know if I would have picked this one right right away had it not been floating around the blogosphere!

Summary

When a Victorian apothecary hires a stoic private investigator to protect her business, they learn there’s only one way to treat true love—with a happily ever after.

When Lucinda Peterson’s recently perfected formula for a salve to treat croup goes missing, she’s certain it’s only the latest in a line of misfortunes at the hands of a rival apothecary. Outraged and fearing financial ruin, Lucy turns to private investigator Jonathan Thorne for help. She just didn’t expect her champion to be so . . . grumpy?

A single father and an agent at Tierney & Co., Thorne accepts missions for a wide variety of employers—from the British government to wronged wives. None have intrigued him so much as the spirited Miss Peterson. As the two work side by side to unmask her scientific saboteur, Lucy slips ever so sweetly under Thorne’s battered armor, tempting him to abandon old promises.

With no shortage of suspects—from a hostile political group to an erstwhile suitor—Thorne’s investigation becomes a threat to all that Lucy holds dear. As the truth unravels around them the cure to their problems is they must face the future together. (summary from Goodreads)

Review

I really liked how this book just jumped right into the ‘meet cute’ between the two main characters. I loved Lucy and thought she had a lot of spunky and pluck which I love in female leads. I also liked Thorne’s characters. I thought he was sexy and yet has this grumpiness about him that makes him even more charming, I will say though I read him as older than he was which at times felt……weird. But here’s the bigger thing—-I didn’t love them together. Don’t get me wrong I thought there was certainly chemistry between them and I loved the hotness of the sex scenes however I felt like in the end he didn’t do enough to deserve her. I don’t want to give any spoilers here but for me I think he needed to work a little harder to get back on her good graces. Plus because I read him as older than he was some of the scenes were a little weird but if I didn’t think about that too much then it was fine.

I was also expecting this book to be a bit more lighthearted. It did have some pretty heavy content that I was NOT expecting. Again no spoilers but I was surprised that there was some heavier stuff in a book that I was expecting to be a little more on the fluffy side. That’s not to say I didn’t like it, I just found it surprising. Overall I felt like this one was OK. It has some issue that I think need to be ironed out and I hope the series doesn’t continue be similar to this but I didn’t hate it and I felt invested enough in the book and characters to add the next book to my TBR list.

When I read the Bridgerton books, the first book The Duke and I, was just OK for me too but the second book I LOVED and it cemented the series for me. If I stopped reading every series just because I felt like the first book was just ok then I would have missed out on some great book series. I think there is a lot of room for this series to grow and develop. If you have enjoyed Everett’s other book series then I think you will enjoy this book. It’s a solid start to a new spinoff series and I liked how it started but if you are looking for something light and fluffy this might not be the book for you. I am looking forward to reading more from this series though.

Format 352 pages, Paperback

Published March 19, 2024 by Berkley

ISBN 9780593550465 (ISBN10: 0593550463)

Free review copy provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 3 stars

Genre: historical romance

I really wanted to love this but I just couldn't connect with the story and Lucy and Thorne. I ended up DNFing but I do think there are people out there that would love this. I loved the atmosphere of this world so I definitely think I'll read the next in the series to give it another go.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the free e-book.

What a lovely little story!

I was looking for something to fill the Evie Dunmore-shaped hole in my heart since the League of Extraordinary Women series finished and while those books are always #1 in the Historical Romance Department of my heart, this was a pretty good new entry.

These characters felt very real to me and fleshed out. You could see their contradictory desires and their love for the people around them. Even when side characters were doing things contrary to the goals of the main couple, they made total sense. I especially love how Thorne was misguided but used his heart and sound reasoning to learn and adapt and change his mind. It’s an attitude that’s sorely lacking today and felt very positive to read.

While this is a romance first and foremost, I appreciated the discussion of women’s health and how it was rooted not in doctrine but in genuine care for the wellbeing of others.

I wanted a little more DEEP ACHING YEARNING than there was but the We Shouldn’t Be Attracted to Each Other But We Can’t Help It dynamic was still nice.

I received an arc on NetGalley, but it was after it already came out and I read a finished copy, not the galley. That said, this book very much needed another copy editing pass, there were errors (both typos and continuity issues—in one scene it says they’re in one room and then actually they’re in a different room, once one character is referred to by a different name just the one time, etc) up the wazoo.

DNF @ 20%.

Great premise, but I just couldn’t get into the characters. This would’ve probably been a better fit for me if there were more “shop talk” about the apothecary than romance. That being said, this will be a fun, light historical mystery for the right reader.

First off, this cover is gorgeous! It has really great details connected to the plot too, so that's a bonus!

I love a story of a woman scientist fighting for her research/business and finding love along the way. This story has that in addition to so many other layers- from the experience of the first women apothecaries to single fathers in the 1860s, to how women's healthcare at that time was managed. Reproductive health was addressed here, and it was done so well! Many other historical tidbits are sprinkled in to add depth to the plot and what the characters are experiencing. Plus, you can also look forward to a mystery about a stolen formula, too.

There is so much going for this book, yet I struggled with it. It was difficult to buy into the romance, and the mystery felt more like an afterthought. Lucy and Thorne each grow a lot, but I don’t know that I would say they grow together. She gains more confidence and bodily autonomy, while he learns to let go of his prejudices. Each is important independently, but I wanted them to grow more as a couple! It seemed like they were always at arms-length unless they were alone together. Maybe that’s more historically accurate?

I think this story is so important- especially in its discussion of consent, reproductive health, and how some things haven’t changed much since the 1860s. I think this would be a good book to jump into if you are more of a historical fiction girlie, but want to try a historical romance with a bit of spice! I’m looking forward to the next one!

3.5/5

Our story begins in an apothecary set in England with a WOMAN apothecarist as it’s owner! *gasp* When one of her formulas is presented by a rival apothecary shop and an additional formula goes missing she immediately has a suspect! From here she enlists the services of a private investigator to prove her case. Enter our MMC.

I really enjoyed the slow burn in this historical romance, but most especially the graceful attention to innovative practices and stereotypes. Following my completion of the read I really reflected on all it addressed: women in medicine during this time period, contraceptive rights, women business owners, ,single fathers in nobility and innovations in medicinal practices. Sometimes when introducing these points in historical romance it can feel forced, but Elizabeth Everett always displays such ease and grace with entering these concepts.

I’ve never read from this author before and was super excited to pick this up. There were many things that I loved about this book, but a few that kept it from being a new favorite. I really enjoyed Lucy’s character! As a female apothecary in a male dominated world I loved following her story and my favorite parts of the novel were when she was at work. I found her to be a strong main character while still being relatable in many ways.

I did enjoy the romance between Lucy and Thorne for the most part. I think my biggest wish is that we had seen them spend more time together. I felt the intrigue and passion between the two (this book does have it’s steamy moments!), but didn’t feel much of a connection beyond the physical. Thorne’s opinions on certain matters were a bit of a turn off at times. Yes, I know this is a product of the time, but it didn’t match the character we grew to know over the course of the novel and seemed like a way to create conflict. That took me out of the story a bit, and I would have preferred to see a bit more groveling (Lucy is far more forgiving than I).

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a review copy. I will definitely be picking up the next book in this series and hope we see some of these characters again.

In The Love Remedy, Lucinda is a working pharmacist, having inherited the business from her father. As a pharmacist, she not only dispenses drugs, but also helps with mostly minor but sometimes major medical issues. As a woman in a male-dominated profession, she deals with prejudice, harassment and outright threats.

Lucinda is also a scientist, creating pharmaceutical therapies for her customers. When one of her original formulas is stolen and a second goes missing, she calls for help from Tierney & Co. They send Thorne, refugee from nobility, former boxer, and father. He finds clues by straightening the office and looking at the books. This sends both Lucinda and Thorne down separate paths that will converge. All this occurs while the two are falling for each other. Even if they think they should not.

Thorne is something of a prude when it comes to his societal-driven opinion of how women should behave and how his daughter should be raised. Lucinda has no compunction to exposing him to the hard reality of most women’s lives. And in the shocking ways they can overcome prejudice.

The Love Remedy is the first of a new series that is a spinoff of the author’s Secret Scientists of London series. Readers of that series will recognize references to Athena’s Retreat and several characters including the ever present Earl Grantham. The London 1843 setting appears to be a social step down from the more privileged society the Secret Scientists belonged to, making it more accessible to the average reader.

Even more than the first series, The Love Remedy is incredibly relevant. The lessons included should be taught to every generation and what better way to do it than in the form of this charming historical mystery/romance.

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

A more melancholy start to a new series from Everett, but filled with characters to root for and a romance that felt so stark and refreshing amid so many others in the historical genre. I was overall less invested in the mystery/investigation component and more compelled to return to Lucy and Thorne’s building dynamic, which ultimately tipped this one into a four-star read for me over, say, a 3.5. And that ENDING was such a sweet balm after the angst and loneliness.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this edition from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

**Many thanks to Berkley and Elizabeth Everett for an ARC of this book provided via NetGalley!**

In a world dominated by men, Lucinda (better known as Lucy) Peterson is determined to stand out. She works at an apothecary and is INCHES away from finding the cure to a very common malady: croup. Lucy's business is a family business, making it even more vital for her to do her father proud, and working in tandem with siblings Juliet and David, she feels certain this new discovery will cement her and her family as the most beloved and innovative apothecary in town. So imagine Lucy's surprise when she learns her secret formula has been STOLEN...and in an appalling twist that adds insult to injury, she learns it is none other than her former flame, Duncan, who has taken the goods.

Furious, Lucy is MORE than ready to get her formula back before it's too late...and she enlists the help of a gruff PI, Jonathan Thorne, to help in the effort. Working as the apothecary's bookkeeper, he slowly gets to know Lucy and her family...and the two can't ignore the fiery sparks between them. But with a tortured past that has left him a single father, Jonathan keeps his heart firmly under wraps. As Lucy and Co. continue to fight rival political groups over a woman's right to choose and Lucy struggles with whatever feelings may or may not be lingering between her and Duncan from the past, her passion for Thorne continues to grow...and she wonders how long she can suppress her feelings...or if she even WANTS to hold back anymore. Will Lucy restore her rights to her formula, take on croup once and for all, AND find love in the end? Or will Thorne be a 'thorn' in her side after all...leaving her formula-less...AND brokenhearted?

I'll be the first to admit I've never read anything resembling this sort of book before...and after finishing this one, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. I'm always game for a strong female protagonist, and it is refreshing to read STEM representation more often in the genre, if not simply to give us as readers a change of pace. Female scientists of all sorts have been pushed to the footnotes of books for FAR too long (that is, if they were included in the book at all!) and a more complex, intelligent heroine is always more fun to read than a swoony, "I'm a woman and therefore NEED saving" sort of MC any day of the week. Throw in some feminist rep (with Lucy's pro-choice support, which was potentially even MORE of a hot button topic in the Victorian era than it is today, although at this point it's probably a toss up!) and this book seemed to have the foundation for a thought-provoking, interesting, but still comfortable, predictable HEA romance.

So...why couldn't I exactly ENJOY this reading experience?

For starters, the characters in this one felt simply...inaccessible. For a woman who was so brilliant, Lucy seemed to have forgotten that she could both possess book smarts AND common sense...and this led her to a lot of decisions I couldn't really understand or connect to at all. Her siblings were even more of a mystery, as neither of them felt fully developed at all and were simply names on the page for most of the book. To be honest, a week after finishing this, I had to LOOK UP what their names were: they were that forgettable. And then of course there's Thorne, the almost stereotypically stodgy yet devilishly handsome single dad who to me read more like a sixty year old man than a Casanova...I just didn't get the appeal.

And this dialogue? Just did not work for me. It felt very much like the author was making an effort to make it seem as though it read 'of the time period'...but at the same time, the characters randomly would say things that felt very 'of' the modern day...especially in the bedroom scenes. While I'm not suggesting that this talk never happened, to go from the very stilted formal dialogue to rather explicit language between the sheets just felt very odd. For instance, all of Thorne's chat about condoms (which he sometimes called condoms and other times prophylactics) which was APPROPRIATE...but still felt strange to hear coming from the mouths of these characters. Because Thorne read as older to me, it made it even MORE strange to 'witness' a romantic rendezvous between the two...and almost a bit icky.

Which leads me to the most torturous aspect of this book...its slow moving plot. I could have sworn this book was at LEAST 100 pages longer than it actually was, because it just felt like it took so LONG for anything to happen and there was so much extraneous detail and unnecessary conversations...not to mention times that took me out of the romance entirely. For instance, Sadie and Lucy OFTEN talk about some pretty gross things...including fecal matter of animals. So there's that. Don't believe me? Here's an example:

"Did you know that a frog's poo can measure a quarter of its body size?" Sadie exclaimed after a rushed greeting. "Can you imagine if that were true for people?"

Thorne most likely could imagine but preferred not to.

...

Yeah, I'm all set here too, Thorne.

Buried amidst all of the forced romantic overtures and entanglement between Thorne and Lucy, there WAS the potential for a truly impactful and insightful story...and there WERE crumbs of this discussion sprinkled along the way to keep me interested...I just hoped that the plot itself would lead to a more exciting and unexpected end. The 'mystery' was never the focus (which also could have led to more of an unexpected conclusion, and for me as a reader, the 'romance' had all the sizzle of a forgotten pan left on a cold stove. No amount of Bondage Lite was going to be enough to overcome all of the issues I had buying Lucy and Thorne as a duo.

But I'll leave you with some of the 'pillow talk' between these two lovebirds and you can decide for yourself if you think this relationship will be the 'remedy' to cure the 'not quite Spring because winter won't let go' blues:

Thorne: "That was incredibly satisfying. Please, never tell me if you were thinking about Mr. Gentry's tumor while I came. I will never survive it."



3 stars, rounded up from 2.5

As the proprietor of her family's apothecary, Lucy has discovered that the formula for at least two of her cures have been stolen. As a woman in Victorian England, she has little recourse, but is determined to keep it from happening again. So she hires John Thorne, an investigator. This historical romance was fun and I enjoyed the interactions between the two leads, as well as the people who frequent the apothecary. This is the first I've read by Elizabeth Everett, and I believe it references a previous series she wrote. Although I felt that Lucy was a little too righteous in her anger at times, I really enjoyed the world Everett created, with its forward thinking and emphasis on female equality. I'll definitely read more by her.

I have never been tempted to pick up an Elizabeth Everett book but I am now kicking myself for the lack of good judgement. Or maybe it was just this book? Everything about The Love Remedy is perfection. The apothecary setting, the mystery of the lost/stolen formulas, the struggling family business, the secrets to unveil. But at the core, I loved the strength of our female protagonist. A woman that cares deeply about the work her business does for others. Strong enough to face the roles society places on her and women. And badass enough to go after what she wants, especially in love.

The romance is sweet, sexy and breathtaking. A scarred fighter turned private investigator. But a sweet single father wanting to do what's best for his child. Truly a hero with a heart of gold as you uncover more about his past.

This pairing was just perfection. The story and setting felt like you could just crawl inside the pages and cozy up to the smells of herbs. I can't wait to read more from this author and in this series.

THE LOVE REMEDY by Elizabeth Everett is a must read!

From the cutest of meet cutes (okay technically it's their second encounter that I'm calling a meet cute but it's RIDICULOUSLY ADORABLE) to the solid relationship building to the *chef's kiss* ending, I couldn't stop grinning.

I also couldn't stop reading and stayed up WAY too late two nights in row but who's counting? It was totally worth it!

And yes, there is a not-at-all-subtle message throughout this completely fantastic love story. One woman is struggling to keep her family's business together in a society that disapproves of women in STEM. One unmarried man with a checkered past is trying to be better for his mixed-race daughter in a world that sees women, children born out of wedlock, and non-white people as "less than". Did I get mad that women have been treated like second-class citizens for centuries and there are days it feels we've gone backward as a society? Yes! Did it take away even one iota from this feel-good romance? HELL NO.

To recap: Sweet. Spicy. Romance. Drama. A little light cravat play (IYKYK). This is one of those books that you'll want to tell all your friends to buy too so you can giggle and swoon with your besties while you read.

Thank you to @berkleyromance and @netgalley for my advanced copy. This is book 1 in a new series of women in STEM called The Damsels of Discovery.

Lucy is a London apothecary who is missing a few recipes for new lozenges. Struggling to hold together her business, her free spirited siblings, and her sanity, she suspects her slimy ex stole them and she hires Thorne, a private investigator, single father, and former boxing champion.

I was excited for a mash up of the genres of historical fiction, romance, and mystery but unfortunately I didn’t love this book as much as I hoped. I liked the cover and premise but the romance between Lucy and Thorne fell very flat and I wanted more in both that area and the mystery. This book took a look at women’s reproductive rights during that time and I felt it didn’t balance the look at the social issue with plot or character development. For being such a feminist book, the reason behind the mystery felt inconsistent. My favorite part of the book was Thorne’s daughter, Sadie, who reminded me a lot of my own daughter’s curiosity and sweetness.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for my complimentary eARC of The Love Remedy.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Love Remedy was the perfect blend of Victorian romance, mystery and (the lack of) women’s rights.
Lucy and her siblings are the perfect advocates for women’s rights at a time when women were treated as second class citizens.
I am always humbled when reading books set in the Victorian time period. What I considered to be my rights as a woman are only possible because of those who came before me. So thank you to Lucy, Juliet, David,Thorne and Sadie.

Thornes speech was so romantic and it made me love him even more than I already did. He is an amazing single Dad and will do anything for his daughter.

I was not expecting the spice at all. But it does play an integral part in Thorne and Lucy’s relationship.

“Rules about how women are compelled to live by a separate code of morals than men, and the one-sided consequences women are to made to endure when men take away their ability to choose”
Make sure to read the author notes at the end for more information.

Perfect if you enjoy:
Victorian historical romance
Combined romance/mystery
Single dad
Grumpy sunshine
Women in STEM

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley publishing for providing me with a copy of this book.
The Love Remedy was okay.
The premise of the story sounded very intriguing and the beginning started strong. The relationship between the MMC and FMC just sorta happened there was no true build up, even though the intimate scenes were well done. I did enjoy Sadie and Thorne’s relationship, she was such a delightful child and I found my self laughing at her antics. The ending felt rushed and unsatisfying. Most of the problems between the characters could’ve been avoided if they’d just communicated with each other.
This book makes a great palette cleanser or a short read if you just want to take your mind off things

I liked this Victorian era mashup of mystery and romance. I especially liked the historical and feminist issues that are highlighted in this book. The romance and spicy scenes make it a fun read. Overall, I think this book had a good balance between mystery and romance.

I can’t wait to read the next in the series!

‘The Love Remedy’ is one of the few historical romances I’ve read that successfully pairs historical fact and modern sensibilities. There were definitely people, women in particular, who were pro choice, believed in science over mysticism and treated patients accordingly. Just as there were people who were and are raised in the church with those sensibilities and grapple with what they have been taught, what they know and what is actually set before them. This seems really complicated for a romance but Elizabeth Everett makes it feels seamless. Lucy and Thorne’s individual and collective struggles as well as their romance just feel natural. The reader feels the characters real world struggles while also completely believing the romance and its developments. I think it’s very easy to make a romance with this subject matter preachy or to put the romance itself on the back burner but that’s not the case here.

TLDR I really liked it, it was written incredibly well and I’m really enjoying my journey through Elizabeth Everett’s work!

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

This was a fun read! I love Everett's fierce females. Its all very "smash the patriarchy" and I am here for it!! This is a great story between a female apothecary and a male PI. Oh, and he is a single dad! Its all set in regency romance and, therefore, charming! I loved Thorne because he was a true crusader for all rights, and he had been through so much in his life. And Lucy is a brilliant, progressive woman who is helping other women with birth control. Love it!

This new series from the author is in the same universe as The Secret Scientist’s of London series, so there’s a few familiar faces that pop up. I really liked how this book tackles what were (and continue to be) some very real challenges for women including reproductive rights and access to education.
The highlight of the book, for me, was Sadie, the young daughter of the MMC, John Thorne. I loved every scene she was in and would love to see her have a book one day!

I'm excited to see what comes next in the series!!

Thanks to Berkley for an eARC of the book; all opinions are my own.