The love remedy was certainly not what I thought it was going to be. But I think that’s a good thing. This book covered things that are important and problems that should be discussed. Even if they are uncomfortable and let me tell you this book felt uncomfortable at times. The author managed to capture Victorian England so perfectly that I felt like I was there. The description and word choice all encapsulated the unpleasant period in which the book was written, because it was unpleasant and being a woman was bloody hard.
Going into this I was NOT expecting it to be so profound and historical, I did enjoy those aspects, they just felt unexpected. Perhaps the title alluded to a more light hearted plot, but I enjoyed it all the same.
Lucy was an excellent protagonist and I really felt like the characters were having important discussions in regard to questioning the status quo. Perhaps something that can be applied to our current time.
Overall this story was written in the way that it wasn’t overly romantic. The characters didn’t feel romantic, they were practical- or perhaps the author managed to capture what romance would have truly looked like in the nineteenth century. Albeit uncomfortable at times. A truly profound read that leaves the opportunity to reflect and of course question “the way things are.”

—Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a power couple. They were so freaking amazing. Their occupations were unique. The cover was what pulled me in, isn’t it stunning?
I’m so excited to read more of Elizabeth Everett’s work.

I enjoyed Elizabeth Everett’s first series so I was excited about starting this one too. I enjoyed parts of The Love Remedy, like the apothecary setting and the feminist themes throughout, but there were other aspects that weren’t as satisfying. Finding out who had stolen Lucy’s formula was one of those things, once the mystery was solved it then felt as if it was brushed under the rug. Lucy was a delightful FMC who I really enjoyed. Her romance with Thorne was sweet and sexy. Although, their ending was lacking, I wanted more from him. Overall, this was a good read, but not Everett’s best work, I am looking forward to what’s next in this series though!

I loved the premise but I didn’t feel any chemistry between these characters.

Lucy Peterson, with her older brother, David and younger sister, Juliet, has been continuing her father’s legacy as an apothecary. She and Juliet apprenticed with their father and then attended the college of medicine. They are both accepted members of the Society of Apothecaries but that doesn’t stop The Guardians (a male hate group) from standing outside of their establishment protesting the unnaturalness of women holding a career or caring for women’s health.

Lucy’s heart is still stinging for falling for the lies of Duncan Rider. Not only did he promise marriage after their being intimate but he left with her formula for throat lozenges, which are currently making a small fortune for Duncan’s rival apothecary shop. Now her formula for croup medicine is also missing. A medicine parents would desperately pay a fortune for to soothe their sick children. A formula which would be all the difference to Lucy’s financially struggling apothecary.

Lucy engages the services of Jonathan Thorne, a private investigator, to find out if Duncan stole the formula and if not him, then who?

THOUGHTS
I really liked the idea of this story which features the struggles of the first women who were stepping into a male dominated field when women were still expected to be wives and mothers, or if they were of a class that need to work, they were to be governesses or chambermaids. Being an apothecary or learning science or medicine was more than just an uphill battle for women. If they could find someone who would allow them admission and a graduation, trying to find patients willing to trust a woman was almost impossible, especially when they were focusing on the care of other women. Good to see that nothing has changed.

What I didn’t like here was the main characters. Yes, I understand we need characters to grow but let’s start with the simple fact that these two didn’t really have chemistry which makes it hard to root for them. Lucy is a bright, and very overworked, woman and initially, she falls for a pretty dimwit who is Duncan Rider. Really? First, you don’t question that a rival apothecary is trying to court you. And then, you let him take your very promising formula for lozenges so he can help you experiment. How pretty is he since Thorne pegs him as a dimwit within two minutes? I am disappointed that Lucy fell for this moron while fighting for women to advance in science fields. Shouldn’t she at least be offended that he is a “respected” apothecary while she has more intelligence and has to fight for respect? She then falls for Thorne, and we will get to his issues in a moment. Lucy has horrible taste in men. Lucy also has a case of middle-child syndrome where she won’t ask for the much needed help from her sister and her brother. While she works herself to the bone worrying about the family business, they go off doing things that interest them.

Thorne is supposed to be hot/grumpy but the more we learn about him, the less I like him. Thorne is the third son of a Baron and ended up as a boxer known as The Gentlemen Fighter, boxing to get out his anger issues. Between the boozing and debauchery, he met a former courtesan and had a child with her. After her death, he sobered up for his daughter and has become almost militant with the avoidance of drink, dancing and song, looking down on Lucy and her siblings, if they have a little fun. If I can’t handle drinking, no one should enjoy it. We also learn that some of those prejudices that Thorne learned as an aristocrat’s son are firmly in his psyche. He admits he would never have married his daughter’s mother since she was a former courtesan and men don’t marry their mistresses. And while he has no problem falling into bed with Lucy, we see those same thoughts arise about her, that a woman you married wouldn’t have condoms, let alone use them.

Thorne’s only redeeming grace is his love of his daughter. Thorne doesn’t get redemption until someone he thought he admired points a damning finger at his daughter since she is an illegitimate child of a former courtesan and mixed race. This person thinks she should realize her lowly future, and accept it, while Lucy and her sister had the young girl accepted to a school of science which challenged her and allowed her to dream big. Once Thorne realizes that someone is wrongly judging his daughter does he look inward to his own judgmental prejudices towards Lucy. I say it’s a little to late buddy.

We met several characters in this story which appear to be part of a prior trilogy also incorporating the hidden worlds where women were secretly learning science. It was an interest plot point but Lucy and Thorne were not drawing my into this world for more stories.

The Love Remedy is a mixed bag for me.

On the "pros" list, there's the science, the feminism, the independence, the sibling dynamics, Sadie, and the absolutely gorgeous cover.

On the "cons" list, there's the insta-love (for two people who swear they're not going to fall in love, they get moving fast), the lack of development/development of convenience for most secondary characters (sorry, Katie), the weird "romances" with other people, the conclusion to the mystery of who stole the croup formula, and the rushed ending.

I really did want to like this book. As a scientist myself, I'm loving the trend of STEM romances, and this one is historical fiction to boot, but, for me, there are more misses than hits in this one. I probably won't be picking up Book #2.

3.75/5 ⭐️ 1.5🌶️
If you are fan of historical romances where the female main character is in STEM or breaking free from the norm, like the Bringing Down the Duke series or A Ladies’ Guide to Mischief and Scandal or the Sirens of Sussex series, plus many more, then I think you will also enjoy this book. The FMC and her sister are a part of a secret society of such academically inclined ladies and she hires a private investigator to help find who stole her medical formulas.
Overall, I found this enjoyable, finishing it in one day. I however, did not love it as much as I love this author’s other book, A Lady’s Formula for Love. Though I did enjoy some guest appearances from characters from that series. I think the plot basis was a little weak, like the setting up the FMC and love interest, and the reason why she hired him barely played a role throughout the story. I also thought the fears and misbeliefs of the two characters were interesting, playing nicely against each other. However, I think it could’ve been developed a little more, it felt a little shallow. I loved the secondary characters though. They were my favorite parts.
So, while I may not have loved this one as much as I have others, I still enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone searching for more like those books I mentioned in the beginning. Plus, I think this one might be a tad spicier than the other historical romances I usually read. So that might be good for anyone looking for that.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

Another amazing lady scientists in history romance. Oh the longing! The pinning! The meddling, precocious daughters!

I’m so thankful there are companion books to look forward to.

If You Don’t Read This You Will Regret It

Quote:📖
Why can’t being happy be easy?

Thoughts: 💡
Oh my lord I adore this! The characters were incredibly endearing and I found myself laughing out loud so many times. There are parts that felt so poignantly heartbreaking and relatable that I had to question if the struggles were really so similar between a modern woman and one from Victorian England.
The presence of the overtly stringent patriarchy and the way that they capitalized on common issues with propaganda was both historically accurate and modernly relevant.
I loved that the characters were all multifaceted with relatable flaws and believable circumstances that initiated the changes and development in their character. Every character in this book made an impact from the smart, science-minded, and savvy Peterson sisters, to the taciturn and practical Thorne, to the humorous and ever curious minded nine year old Sadie.
The plot was smart and well pieced together, and the story incredibly well edited; but it was the characters that stole the show.
After all, it’s always fun to see a grumpy male lead fall for the beautiful and brilliant scientist.

Fun Bits:
⚜️ Poignant Insights
⚜️ Relatable Struggles
⚜️ Hilarious Quips & Banter
⚜️ Humors Antics
⚜️ Steamy Angsty Longing Filled Slow Burn
⚜️ Positive Representation & Diverse Cast of Characters

Important Note:✨
This has a great and satisfying ending, but I need more because it’s honestly just that good!

Full Content Warning:⚠️
This book briefly touches on the racism, sexism, and poverty that was rampant for the time period; but it’s addressed in a very tasteful manner.

Stats:📊
🌶️🌶️
Characters 💙💙💙💙💙
Historical Romance: Victorian England, Female Scientist (Women In STEM), Grumpy Sunshine, Single Parent, Getting Revenge
POV: Dual 👩‍❤️‍👨

This was... okay. I felt that this had so much potential and it just wasn't executed as well as I'd hoped.

The first few chapters were really confusing to me. I honestly didn't know where I was or what was going on. I couldn't stop reading, though. The book is very slow and quite boring, but I was still very intrigued. I liked the premise enough to keep going and see it through.

While I was bored, I couldn't put the book down. I enjoyed the writing, the language, the setting, their outfits, etc. I loved the apothecary and Lucy's motivation for it. But the chapters were choppy, things happened without thorough explanation, especially by the end. One minute he believes she'll marry Duncan Rider and the next chapter he's proposing? What is going on?

I thought the relationship development wasn't as good as it could have been. Their reasons for not being together were outright childish and stupid and immature. I didn't care for it. "I will never be with a beautiful woman again" was so corny and a weird conflict for your character to have. The sex scenes were meh, a sprinkle of salt if you will. No chili flakes, no paprika, not even black pepper. There were one or two lines and moments where my jaw dropped but that was it.

Thorne was fine. Apparently he was ugly, but Lucy didn't care about looks. There's not a lot we learn about Thorne besides his cycle of issues---his baby mama who died, his past of prize fighting which never really gets a good story, and his daughter. His and Sadie's relationship was really sweet. I loved how much he loved her and enjoyed those parts. I liked how Sadie grew on Lucy, too, even though she claimed to hate kids.

Lucy was also fine. She was a hardworking woman who cared passionately for her work; it was her livelihood. The little twist with Juliet was fine, I guess. Everything was just fine. I didn't care much for what was going on. Half the time I didn't know where I was.

So I'm pretty disappointed because the premise was promising but the execution was flat to say the least. Blown tire flat, skidding across the asphalt.

This start to the new series was everything I hoped it would be. 2 broken people who’ve sworn off love, trying to put themselves and each other back together, with Everett’s usual dose of wit and social justice. I loved it and I can’t wait for the next!

Love it! Historical romance is one of my absolute favorites. I love that Lucinda is strong and sassy and the mystery thrown in was a perfect touch for this story.

Elizabeth Everett is the queen of unapologetically in-your-face feminist historical romances as far as I'm concerned. Smart heroines who are willing to defy social expectations, plus competent heroes who need to work to deserve them is a winning combination. And this one was set in an apothecary, which has got to be the one of the best settings for any book. I just wish she'd given Lucy a bit more of a break!

✨This book and every character in this book: “He’s ugly. That man is UGLY. That is not a handsome man!” Which I, for one, found to be hilarious and beautiful. Definitely gave a Lisa-Kleypas-describing-Westcliff-vibe lol.✨

Okay, I definitely feel like I have an unpopular opinion right now! Don’t get me wrong, I loved a lot about this book, I’m also just conflicted about a lot of this book. I’m happy my opinion seems to be in the minority though, because Elizabeth is a wonderful writer and the themes are deeply important. So before we get into my spoiler portion, of which there are many, I want to highlight all that I loved about this book.

To begin, if your favorite book in the Secret Scientists of London series is A Lady’s Formula for Love, I think you’ll really appreciate the pacing and romance dynamic set up here. It really made me want to revisit Arthur and Violet again, since I do love Everett’s mature and unconventional characters. The Love Remedy is a bit of a slower and more mellow burn, but the payoff was definitely not.

Elizabeth definitely read my MIND when it came to the sex scenes. Literally, the first scene when Thorne was asking Lucy to “let go,” I was like I think we need some bondage or sensory stuff like a blindfold to really help focus/unfocus her mind, and what did we get??? Her tied to the bed and blindfolded in the next scene! It was so perfect. The sex scenes were super hot

I also loved that Thorne was a single father with sexy spectacles with a good head for account books. I really enjoy seeing characters interacting with spunky and smart children, and Sadie was so charming. I can’t wait to see her grow throughout this and maybe future series! She also helped soften some of Thorne’s rougher edges (for me). She was always a bright moment in the book.

I think if I reread this via audiobook, I’ll have a better experience the second time around and maybe even round up my rating. I didn’t have much time the past week to read this, so it took me ten days to finish. I was reading bits and pieces, so that combined with a rather slow, character-driven plot made it hard to finish. That’s partly on me, so I do wish I read this via audio the first time around. There were so many wonderful parts of this book, I just either wasn’t really the right audience or not in the mood for the type of romance this was.

All of this (and that below) being said, I read the teaser for book two and let me tell YOU. We as a society are not prepared for that book!!! I’M SO STOKED. I’ve literally been wondering about the potential since book one. I’m shook.


⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶️🌶️.5/5


Warning: Below is a very long review which may not even make much sense until you read the book. I probably don’t even recommend reading this half of the review until after you’ve read the book. I had to include several spoilers, including who stole her recipe, because I’ve just been left rather confused. All thoughts are my own and hopefully illustrate how the book made ME feel, rather than what the book was trying to convey—because the message of this book remains super important!!!

***This review contains spoilers below this point.***

It was an important book but it was also a heavy book. Poor Lucy was just so downtrodden by those nasty Guardians of Domesticity and the way that father who lost the child reacted? I just didn’t enjoy having take the misogynistic slander from yet another man for something out of her control. Did that father ever get told what an ass he was being? No, Lucy just had to sit there and take it. And she didn’t even open up to anyone about what happened, not even the hero! Literally devastating.

And then a young side character got raped—yes to show the importance of women’s healthcare—but it just made me even more sad. I think we could’ve still had those important conversations if, let’s say, a condom broke, rather than her being forced to have sex without protection. She was having a consensual encounter until she realized they didn’t have protection; she wanted him to stop, he didn’t.

She was a young woman and seeing the change in her character after was just so disheartening in the middle of the book. This was included to show that it was good for sexually active young women to be educated about prevention and abortions if necessary, and to show some of the hero’s lack of awareness…but I’m sorry women already lost a lot in this book and nothing was ever really done to any of the horrible men? I wasn’t really inspired, just sad, especially knowing where we are currently as a society.

I admire Elizabeth so much for writing this book—which was a direct response to abortion bans, politicians interfering in a woman’s right to choose, etc—but it really just illustrated (to me) how powerless it felt to be a woman then and honestly now. Don't get me wrong, I want all of the abortion access and women's health conversations to be in this book. I just also wanted Lucy to punch the shit out of a guardian of domesticity. Just one little punch! Or maybe some light poison! And for Thorne to K/O Timmy because nothing happened to him! Maybe he didn’t realize not using contraception against Katie’s will was rape but???? He deserves to be at least reprimanded!! So he doesn’t hurt someone else!!

✨

Thorne was kind of an oddity to me. In a book about strong women making decisions about their bodies, he was written to in part push back on Lucy and Juliet’s work. He started the book rigid and it took him very long to change…if he did. He was also a bit religious which wasn’t bad, but it was a bit jarring. I get the juxtaposition of specific religions and abortion, but it just seemed like another layer of things to unpack that were never unpacked.

While I think Thorne ultimately came around to supporting Lucy, it was never really discussed? She was mad at him for a bit but then he realized “love can be easy” and got Katie to enroll in science school and apparently that was it? Does he actually support the sexual health education? I guess it’s realistic, but again, I wanted to feel a bit more empowered? He seemed like a good guy, but did I like him? I don’t really know.

Now, onto Lucy. Oh Lucy, I just want to give you a hug. And then I want to give you a SHAKE. Because how can you look me in the eyes and tell me the premise of this book is based on her hard work being stolen by a man and her desperately wanting it back (because he’s already stolen and profited from her other ideas) and have the mystery end like THAT. Again major spoilers, but her sister literally stole the formula, gave half to the same sniveling MAN hoping that he would be convinced to marry Lucy to get the rest of the formula so she would be happy??? And then she just wasn’t really reprimanded? Because once again Lucy just gave in and forgave her for the better good. It the most polite way, what the FUCK.

I guess Juliet had good intentions, but seriously? It made me so angry and she barely got a slap on the wrist and Lucy was still considering marrying the dude to get it back. Like??? She was blaming herself for not asking for help from her siblings when they didn’t want to help her! She needed to be more selfish, but she suffered from “eldest sister in a historical romance syndrome” which meant sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice. I guess I just really wanted Lucy to yell REALLY LOUDLY at someone. ANYONE. I’ve got a lot of rage and I thought this book would help expel some of it, but alas it kind of created more.

It seriously felt like she was going to let Duncan keep the recipe until Thorne got it back. After all that, the entire book, she was closer to marrying him for the recipe than anything else. She probably wouldn’t have gone through with it, but it still made me sad she even had to consider it that late in the book.

✨

Which brings me to my next point of, why lord WHY did we introduce that plotline of literally both main characters entertaining the ideas of marrying OTHER PEOPLE at like eighty percent of the book. Yes it illustrated what they ultimately loved in each other over the other “right” choices, but I was just so tired at that point. It’s a book where it felt like not much happened but also so much happened, simultaneously.

It was very slow burn and then after they finally got together after many many pages, they for some reason started considering offers of marriage from OTHER people! Bad people! Annoying people! Why??? Took the steam right out of me, and right out of their romance. And then when we got around all of that, Thorne still didn’t believe in love and was still thinking they couldn’t be together. Why? I couldn’t tell ya.

Also, there was no epilogue, so when Thorne suddenly made the shift to accepting love, the book just ended. I just wasn’t entirely convinced they were a compatible couple. I can’t really remember a lot of deep conversations between them, and I’d have liked to see a glimpse into their future life together, to see how they cohabitate. How is Lucy as a mother to Sadie? What’s their day-to-day dynamic? Does Thorne keep bookkeeping or is he still an agent?

✨


Thanks so much to the author and publisher for an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.

A man from a genteel background and a woman with everything to lose? It's a story as old as time, but Everett gave us one of my favorite romances of 2024 so far!! Women-in-STEM meets a slow-burn romance with a touch of mystery!

-- Thoughts: One of the things I really loved about this historical fiction romance is that it's the first time I've read from a gentleman's perspective on how they were wrong to look down on a woman for her start in life. Thorne's past is somewhat murky, and even though he's on the straight and narrow now for his daughter - I loved his growth! Lucinda was also a great character to get to know because she felt so strong and unassuming. The way she handled rowdy customers with grace? Certainly, a character to admire!

Whenever I get an advanced reader copy - I always give it around 30% before I really decide I don't like it. The beginning of The Love Remedy almost had me giving up on it because it felt like so much happened in such a short period of time and I wasn't loving the cadence of Everett's storytelling. If this happens to you - keep going!! I ended up really enjoying Lucinda and Thorne's romance!!

**Thank you to Berkley Romance & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

This one was a fun read! I love how there was an added mystery to the story. The family dynamics were great and the romance was so sweet. I loved seeing older MC's and one with kid too!

I love the way Elizabeth does important topics in the historical romance setting that aren't usually there!!

The sharp-tongued heroine, tight-knit found family, believable act of redemption by a hero who at first appeared infallible, and edgy scenes of intimacy, made me desperate to inhale the next installment.

Absolutely brilliant and impeccably executed.

Recommended for fans of Evie Dunmore, Joanna Shupe and Sarah Maclean.

Full review on Bookbub and Goodreads.

What will happen when a Victorian apothecary meets a grumpy private investigator and seeks his help to solve her predicament? Much more of what they bargained for. "The Love Remedy" presents an unlikely romance and a mystery to solve.

Our FMC, Lucinda Peterson, owns an apothecary she was betrayed and also robbed of her life's work. Time is of the essence to recover her new medicine formula. And trust in any man is quite impossible. But without any choice she has to ask Jonathan Thorpe, to solve her case.
Will our FMCs solve the mystery? And how will they manage their sizzling attraction to each other? You have to find out!

Once again, Everett gifts the reader with a delicious, well-researched and developed historical romance written to perfection. If you like this genre with a little bit of politics and science to the mix, this book is definitely for you.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Elizabeth Everett & Berkley for this ARC!

DNF at 61%

Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish this book. It was slow, and I didn’t care much for either of the main characters, though I did appreciate the feminist themes and the women-in-stem representation. The romance was not my favorite, and it overshadowed the mystery of Lucy’s missing cure, which was what I found most interesting. I think part of the reason I didn’t enjoy this is that it’s a historical romance. I’m much more used to contemporary fiction so this felt odd. The writing was different than I’m used to, and I could not connect to anything — the characters, the story, the setting, etc. However, I think those that enjoy historical fiction/historical romances may enjoy this more.

The Love Remedy by Elizabeth Everett is the first book in a new STEM historical romance series, releasing March 19 from Berkley. Definitely snap this one up and pre-order! It has an interesting mystery, compelling characters, and a superb slow-burn romance.

Lucy Peterson runs a Victorian London apothecary. Unusual for the time, it had been left to her by her father. When the formula for her new croup treatment disappears, Lucy suspects it was stolen by her former beau and competitor, who had previously stolen a different formula and became wealthy from it. Lucy is determined to get the second formula back and hires a private investigator to track it down.

Jonathan Thorne is an investigator with a shadowy past. Initially, he isn’t interested in Lucy’s case. However, he quickly finds himself charmed by her and takes it. He moonlights as her bookkeeper in order to poke around without suspicion from customers or employees. Their working relationship quickly turns to friendship as they find solace in each from the difficulties in their personal lives. Slowly, over burning the midnight oil, their friendship becomes something more.

The book was a joy to read, both characters were interesting with lots of personality and the chemistry between them was strong and well-written. Thorne is an unconventional romance hero. He’s ugly (in the truest sense, poor guy) and in his mid-thirties when most romance heroes are handsome and significantly younger. He does have that “darkening your doorstep” shadowy appeal to him. Additionally, he is a single dad and a huge softy for his young daughter.

Lucy works herself to the bone and takes on way too much, and always worries about everyone else first. Like Thorne, she is flawed but relatable. My favorite part about her is how she is intelligent with an analytical mind but is completely BEWILDERED by her attraction to Thorne. Not because of his appearance, but because attraction in general is nonsensical and she tries to figure out what, exactly, causes it. Of course, she is only human, and can only resist it for so long.

Thank you to Berkley Romance and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book.

📣a historical with great chemistry & an apothecary heroine who’s a champion for her female patients

📖 let’s use autofill with the title: The love remedy is ______. Mine is: The love remedy is not just a simple solution 🤣.

Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

The chemistry in The Love Remedy by Elizabeth Everett totally worked for me, from the second moment our hero sees our heroine—her body is stuck half in & half out of a building she’s attempting to break into—to the 🔥 scenes throughout the book. Woohoooo.

How these characters are portrayed is part of the magic. Lucy’s a beautiful apothecary who creates some of her own antidotes & champions all of her patients, particularly the female ones who have to bear the weight of so much & oftentimes are denied autonomy over their own bodies.

Thorne is not conventionally unattractive, a former prizefighter with brawn whose voice is raspy & who rarely smiles & who needs to remember how to have (responsible) fun. He’s also a single dad.

In so many ways this is a verdant delight of a book, but the thing that keeps me from going into raptures is that I just wanted more external displays of romance for our heroine. The hero does a lot of internally lusting & feeling & there is a gesture at the end, but I felt like she deserved more throughout the book.

That’s partly because she’s characterized so beautifully & I came to like her *so* much.

This is a good one though & I give all the yays for working-class leads!

4 ⭐️. Out 03/19.

Please see a trusted reviewer’s list of CWs.

[ID: Jess, a white woman wearing a gray sweater over a green & white dress, holds an ebook. Below is her reddish-brown & white dog & a dark wood floor.]