Having not read the first 2 books in the "series" I found it very easy to jump right in. I could tell that there was some context missing for the background characters but it didn't detract from the book at all. It felt like there was something missing, though I can't quite put my finger on what it is. Overall, definitely a great read that I highly recommend!

After reading the first two installments of the series I couldn't not read this one, and it didn't disappoint. I'm so glad we got to see a story about Jo and Emily. The contradiction in Emily, in particular, was well done in this book. The sapphic element is one I'm just now exploring as a reader in historical romances, and Jess incorporates that very well in this book. It isn't just a repetition of the same sorts of things you'll see in books with achillean elements. This book is sweet, humorous, and just a lovely read all around.

i LOVE this freakin series man. jess everlee never misses for me. these victorian queer romances are so !!!!!! just !!!!! hard to articulate in words how wonderful they make me feel and how much fun i have reading them. i loved jo in the first two books, and boy am i so glad we finally got her love story, especially since it was intertwined with the story of her lavender marriage and his paramour and more found family vibes. i loved any mention of our previous couples (david and noah, and charlie and miles) bc of course i did. i love the happy endings that everyone carves out for themselves. i love the reminder that queer people have always been here, no matter what. a heartening reminder these days.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity.

Wonderfully unique.

Such sapphic angst and simmering attraction! I ended up taking this one in small doses because it felt slightly combustible, but loved the characters and humor along the way.

First, thank you to the publisher for the chance to read this early. I didn't get to finish this before the archive date but what I was able to read in the time I had was just as delightful as the other books in this series. So good!

This one was a tough one. It took some work to get into it, but once I got over that hump, it was a fun read. Joe and Emily are grumpy and just as stubborn as each other. The romance was mostly off-screen, but there was some. I truly enjoyed the supporting characters. They had strong personalities and could pinpoint people in my life similar to them, which I love when I can draw those parallels.

I really enjoyed the first 2 books of this series so I was excited to learn a third (sapphic) book was coming. I really enjoyed the writing and I loved getting to see past characters show up. I think the only reason this one gets 4 stars is because it felt a little slow at times and there were some scenes that we're told happened rather than getting to see them happen, which always disappoints me a bit. However, if you're looking for a solid sapphic, historical romance, I definitely recommend giving this book a try!

This book is a decent choice to read if you're looking for something fun, but nothing terribly gripping or memorable. It definitely has its place when you just need something fun and easy at the moment. I found some of the characters unlikable at certain points, but nothing that completely ruined the story for me.

Finished 07/21/2024 || Book 3 of Lucky Lovers of London: A Bluestocking's Guide to Decadence by Jess Everlee || #ABluestockingsGuidetoDecadence #LuckyLoversofLondon #NetGalley #Sapphic #HEA #HistoricalRomance

Thank you NetGalley, Jess Everlee, and Harlequin - Romance | Carina Adores for making this e-ARC available!
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author and myself.
All of my thoughts are my own~

5 Stars

CW: neglect from parents (mentioned), emotional abandonment from parents implied/mentioned, police brutality mentioned, mental health, grief, death mentioned, pregnancy, difficult pregnancy, loss of baby in childbirth mentioned

We come back to the world that author Everlee has built for us of the queer, historic-romance Lucky Lovers of London series, set in the late 1800's. This time we are following the story of Jo Smith and Dr. Emily Clarke, Noah's twin sister. Noah Clarke was our focus in Book 2: A Rulebook for Restless Rogues with his lover David, where Emily showed up as she lived with Noah, and lesbian Jo Smith has been showing up since Book 1: The Gentleman's Book of Vices. I am so excited that we got a book about these lovely ladies, as I have been so into Jo and her personality since book 1, and watching her and Emily fall in love was so satisfying.

Everlee has really found her footing and voice as an author and her writing truly shines bright in this installment. There are multiple characters we have either seen previously or new faces never before seen who really won my heart! Namely Paul's paramour Vanessa and her sweet and trusting personality. I loved when Vanessa was given time to speak her mind and I really agreed with her sentiment of what a good and real family is made of.

**SMALL SPOILERS HERE**
Honestly, I had so much fun reading Jo and Emily finding themselves and each other amidst all that was going on and getting to see each of them heal their own wounds and mend their own issues up, essentially banishing the ghosts of their pasts- all so that their futures could better align. I truly adored this installment and all that came with it!

I loved this! I really enjoyed Jess Everlee's previous books, though there was always something about them that missed the mark for me. I was a little hesitant about this book because historically, when an m/m author writes a sapphic book it doesn't always live up to its predecessors in quality. This time however, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this surpassed Jess Everlee's previous books. I came away from it thoroughly enjoying the story and without any "but here's where it missed the mark..." qualifications.

I found Emily and Jo instantly endearing. Emily is prim and proper and has spent her life stepping up to do what needs to be done. She strikes me as neurodivergent in her mannerisms and ways of thinking. While she needs encouragement to let her hair down, Jo needs encouragement to stop running and hold on to the life she wants.

Together they instantly had sparks and their banter and innuendos were so much fun. I always love an epistolary love story and this one was perfect. Everlee doesn't shy away from a few sex scenes but also doesn't get too bogged down in them, which I appreciated. I know some people will want more, but thought it was an appropriate amount. (I usually skip or skim them, but that's pretty much impossible to do when listening to an audiobook.)

I was a little disappointed that we skip over the resolution of all the plotlines and go with an epilogue after everything has worked out instead, but it was clear where everything was headed so maybe not strictly necessary to see it happen.

*thanks to Carina Adores for providing an early copy for review.

This was not for me. Overall I found it slow and dry, and never connected with Emily. Between the odd illusions to Emily's religion, the "ghosts", the drama with Paul and Vanessa and baby, and the scandalous printing press, there was a lot going on - but none of it was exciting or engaging.

Jess Everlee is becoming an auto-buy author for me! A Bluestocking's Guide to Decadence is the perfect wrap to the Lucky Lovers of London series. Jo Smith is happily in a lavender marriage until an unexpected pregnancy threatens to disturb her pleasant life. In steps Dr. Emily Clarke, an established bluestocking working at a small hospital outside the city. When they work together to give the pregnancy a fair shot, they grow closer along the way.

Jess's characterization of all of the characters is truly a highlight of her writing. All of the characters feel fleshed out and taken care of, even if they are background to the main plot. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a great queer historical romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Adores by Harlequin Romance for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not sure if it is just this series or this author in general but their stories are good but they're not memorable. They are fun stories to escape into for a little bit but that's it and there's nothing wrong with that but that doesn't equate a five-star read for me.

I really was looking forward to this book after reading the first two and I did like it and I would bet money that one of the MCs is autistic and that was awesome but I didn't love it. It's a good book. It's cute and romantic but there was nothing gripping about the characters or their relationship that held my attention or care.

Thank you author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book!!


I definitely enjoyed this book more than a lot of the historical romances I've read in the past. The main characters were witty and fun. I loved their backstories and the found family vibes.

I feel like the stakes felt so low so it all just felt cozy.

Thank you to Carina Adores (Harper Collins) and NetGalley for the ARC of this title.

A lovely sapphic historical romance that leans into the lives of everyday people at the time (1880s) Victorian England. Mrs. Jo Smith and Dr. Emily Clarke get off on the wrong foot, but through giving each other another chance and through the power of writing letters they forge a relationship. While this isn't particularly steamy and honestly it could have been a little bit longer to give space to all the different plots going on I definitely will go back and read more from Jess Everlee and appreciate the focus on non titled people in historical romance. We need fewer Dukes and more of this where we have a doctor who is a bluestocking and a printer and these folks are generally middle-class but maybe have known poverty in the past. There's a lot going on here with family, loss, a heroine in a lavender marriage, being taken seriously in the workplace, sapphic societies and the increasing scrutiny and raids that are occurring in printing houses and towards folks who are non-conformist. While there's a lot of banter and wit here, Everlee doesn't avoid the reality of the time. She of course has her heroines get their happy ending, but she's realistic about the political moment in history and the fact that cops suck.

CW: not the heroine - woman who is pregnant and having a difficult pregnancy, loss of a parent (historic, off-page), parental abuse/disowning (historic, off-page)

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for this copy in exchange for my review.

From their first meeting the sparks between Jo and Emily are immediate, though maybe not necessarily positive. Both women are headstrong in their own right, with familial responsibilities and past baggage that make their first meeting less then spectacular. But through tea, a few letters, and a 'lesson in decadence' the two start to see one another in a much different light and see their lives open up to new possibilities.

Both women are amazing and flawed and dealing with the issues of their era: Emily is struggling to find her footing in the male dominated field of medicine, despite her own brilliance in the matter) and Jo is in a marriage of convenience that is threatened when her husband's mistress becomes pregnant and Jo worries she'll lose everything. They are surrounded by a very colorful cast of characters and the found family trope is extremely strong in this, which I love.

If you're looking for something sweet, with a tinge of spice, and just enough angst and worry to keep you turning the pages (without over doing it) then I cannot recommend this enough. Once I got started I could not put it down, until I found out what was going to happen to everyone.

One of my favorite books of the year so far! This series just keeps getting better and better. Jo and Emily are both absolutely amazing together.They're both strong characters that you can't help but fall in love with.

This book is filled with witty banter, humor, plenty of steam, and simply superb storytelling. With Emily learning to loosen up on her responsibilities and Jo learning to let others in, they ended up with a truly beautiful HEA!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A solid sapphic historical romance, and we still need so many more of those. I found the chemistry between the characters a little lacking, but overall an enjoyable read. It could have easily been another 50 pages to develop that relationship more.

Low spice, mostly fade to black. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

historical queer romance that doesn’t shy away from the actual time period issues they used to face? sign me right up!!

thank you netgalley for the e-arc!