The Earl's Lady Geologist

4 stars

I haven't read this author before but I enjoyed this story. I also usually like a bit more passion but this was a sweet read. Cassie lives near Lyme Regis and enjoys fossil hunting. Her father encouraged her hobby and she also helped illustrate his lectures. She meets Lord Rothbury who initially seems to be a bit stuffy. There's a move to London for Cassandra to join the marraige mart but she's not really keen as she's petrified about childbirth. Cassie lost her own mother through complications. She does not see why she needs to live that life as she's quite content to be a spinster thaat is until she starts to fall for Edward. We get to hear her mother's opnion as she'd left posthumous letters to be opened by Cassie at special moments.
For those fans of fossils Mary Anning makes an appearance.

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

The Earl's Lady Geologist is a sweet Regency romance featuring an unconventional lady (who is a geologist, as the title implies) and a nobleman who is also interested in geology. We were prepared to sit back and enjoy a slow burn romance, and that was indeed present. In the tradition of Georgette Heyer, historical figures also make appearances in the text - specifically Mary Anning, who made many fossil discoveries in Lyme Regis. Jane Austen's books are also heavily referenced, which will please any Austenites reading the book.

While the characters were appealing and the premise of the book was enjoyable, we found that the plot was a bit scattered. Cassy is determined to remain a spinster; Edward is determined to pursue her - at first, for a marriage of convenience, and then for a love match. While Cassy plays hard to get for most of the book, towards the end Edward also takes on the mantle of the romance hero who has determined never to love again. In addition to the interpersonal conflict, there is also a villain whose appearance did not seem to add much to the plot.

Although we found this one uneven, we look forward to reading more from Alissa Baxter.

Great story about an woman Geologist finding love and trying to keep her independence. I loved the heroine but I wish it was more spicy scenes, however it was a beautiful romance and story.

I really enjoyed the very smart, strong and outspoken Cassy. She knows how to be a proper lady but would rather find fossils on the beach and stay a spinster doing just that. I loved all of the research the author did about ladies of the time making these great discoveries and being looked down upon/ getting no credit because they were women.
The Jane Austen and Robert Burns references/ themes were great.
Warning this book deals with miscarriages and loss. This was very well done by the author.
I enjoyed the characters in the book and look forward to seeing more in upcoming books.
I recommend this book to those who enjoy clean historical romance, geology of the times.

PG-
language- none
violence- some
Sensitive on loss of parents and miscarriage

"I received a complimentary copy of this book from Vinspire Publishing and NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

The Earl's Lady Geologist was a sweet and original romance, containing interesting details about geology, fossils, and scientific societies in the early 19th century England.

Cassy, a young, independent lady from Lyme, Devon, is invited to stay with her extended family in London for her first Season, where she meets the son of her aunt by alliance, Lord Rothbury. Both are passionate about geology, which stays a recurrent theme in the first part of the book, but is a bit less mentioned towards the end unfortunately. The story mainly takes place in two settings: London and Lyme, and it was a pleasure to discover life in a small seaside town of the South of England and how its society and rules compare to the big city. There, we also discover some historical characters, which gave more depth to the book and gave us an interesting look into the challenge of being a spinster, a lady scientist, etc. at that time.

Although I appreciate a slow romance, this one dragged on for a bit too long for my taste. I was also not fond of the characters, especially Lord Rothbury: he isn't very affectionate, he seems pretty haughty and condescending with Cassy (calling her "girl", "mouse", etc.). I did appreciate the word plays with "mouse" all along the books though, as well as the numerous cultural/literary references along the story.

Despite its few faults, I appreciated this romance, notably its originality and the research that went into it. I would give it 3.5 stars.

The earl's Lady Geologist by Alissa Baxter

Cassy has to travel to town to stay with her aunt to get ready for the season. Now she is coming out of mourning the death of her father. She isn’t really interested in finding a husband as she’d rather stay in Lyme Regis to study the fossils as they are her first love as a very knowledgeable geologist. Before for leaving she meet renowned geologist Lord Rothbury and sparks tend to fly as the have very different points of view.

A well written book and steady read .

A charming read with a bit of intrigue thrown in.

this was a new author to me and i have to say i will be looking for more of her books. i enjoyed this very much lots of historical detail lovely character's and a n exciting goings ion towards the end.
I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review

A sweet and fun romance that made me want to learn a lot more about the Lady Geologists of Lyme Regis. A plucky bunch wholly unappreciated by History it would seem. I loved that this book referenced Persuasion too as an Austen fan this tickled my fancy. Chaste but fun with a likeable array of sub- characters.

Not a rip roaring romp, but a lovely relaxing read for a rainy February day.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a historical fiction set in regency England. It was a sweet romance with some geology information in the storyline. A bit slow to start but got better!

THE EARL'S LADY GEOLOGIST - Alissa Baxter
Perfect 10
Vinspire Publishing
ASIN: B08QYSJK7Q
ISBN-10: 1-73415-079-3
ISBN-13: 978-1-73415-079-7
2021, February 28
Historical Romance

Lyme Regis and London, England, 1817

Cassandra Linfield does not want a 'come-out' or marriage, not after what happened to her mother who suffered so many miscarriages that eventually ended her life. Cassy has a sizable inheritance she will receive in a year making her independently wealthy, and she is happy with her life in Lyme Regis and her frequent trips to the shoreline to find fossils. It also lets her escape her judgemental cousin Agness who lives with her since her father's recent death. Other single women friends like Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot search the beaches for fossils, too. One day a very handsome man approaches Cassandra while she is on the beach and insists that she return to her home as the shore's cliffs and tides make it dangerous, and it is no place for a single young woman to roam. He is Lord Rotherbury and is family although not a blood relative. His mother, Ella, was widowed early and then married Cassandra's uncle Barnaby Linfield, who is her guardian. Now her Aunt Ella insists Cassandra come to London for the season.

Edward, Earl of Rotherbury, initially finds Cassandra unattractive but her intelligence and interest in fossils entice him until he realizes she is very attractive. He asks her to draw some of his fossils for a paper he will present to the Geological Society of London. And when he becomes aware she is gaining interest from other men, he proposes a marriage of convenience. She rejects him. It is shortly afterward he realizes that he loves her.

Cassandra loved Edward before he proposed, but she rejected his proposal, not only for its lack of emotion but also because she feared marriage. Edward soon learns he loves her, so becomes determined to marry her creating an interesting romance story. What is also fascinating in this story is the fossil hunting. The characters Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot were real women. Mary made some astounding fossil discoveries in Lyme Regis which is part of Dorset's 'Jurassic Coastline,' including the first Ichthyosaur skeleton. While they could sell their fossil finds, because of their gender, they could not join any scientific societies. This adds some interesting historical perspectives to the story.

I enjoyed this sweet period romance. With a background in Geology, I appreciated the scientific detail and the fact that it didn't overshadow the story but instead helped move the story forward.

Cassy Linfield is content with her chosen path in life - a spinsterhood spent discovering fossils at Lyme Regis. The arrival of Lord Rothbury is not only the catalyst for her being sent to London for her Season, but the catalyst for her heart to begin overruling her fears. Their mutual love of geology will soon not be the only thing they share.

This was a very pleasant read - the romance was sweet and comfortable and I was very interested in the geology side of things. I suppose it's unsurprising that a novel set predominantly in Lyme Regis would lean heavily on Austen references and even Austen's style, though at times I found it to be a bit too much. Fans of Persuasion will love it, however.

The crop of books in the last month is slowly turning me into a historical romance reader. The Earl's Lady Geologist, which a year ago I wouldn't have bothered to pick up, was another I enjoyed, though it isn't my favorite of the bunch. I really appreciated Baxter's inclusion of history and science in this book. The banter was fine. Some of it felt contrived, but it never really distracted me from the story. The chemistry between Cassy and Edward was... all right. I wasn't in love with them as a couple, but neither was I appalled.

I don't know that I would bother to buy this one or read it again, but for anyone looking for a clean, historical romance with a deft touch of science and an independent protagonist, I would certainly recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Vinspire Publishing for the ebook ARC of The Earl's Lady Geologist. All opinions here are my own.

This is a delightful traditional Regency with some surprisingly seeming modern ideas. Baxter has been able to use real life circumstances of this time period to create situations that readers can easily identify without modern sensibilities being imposed on someone from the 19th century. It is fascinating to imagine woman discovering fossils in their long dresses. Cassandra is a passionate and likeable character that the reader can easily identify with her frustrations at being excluded from her field because she is a woman and her very realistic fear of marriage because of the threat to health and life due to pregnancy (something that is often brushed aside in Regency romances).

Lord Rothbury, a bit overbearing and obnoxious at times, recognizes Cassie’s intelligence and gifts, even asking her to collaborate on a paper with him. Cassie holds her own with lively banter and putting him in his place when he delivers a certain proposal like a list of advantages. Rothbury was burned by love in his youth and is determined never to fall in love again. Together, they must overcome their trepidations to live life to the fullest without being shackled by fears.

A slow burn smolders in this lively Regency but there are no scenes that would make you blush if caught reading in any audience. It may even shake up your view of the Regency world. This is my first read by Alissa Baxter but won’t be my last. Enjoy everyone.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this sweet, funny and brilliantly researched romance. The characters were wonderful, the banter was witty and hilarious and the love story was totally swoonworthy. On top of that the backstory of geology in Regency Britain was fascinating. Delighted to see it is the first in a series too!

The Earl’s Lady Geologist

Cassandra Linfield, ‘Cassy’ is such a likeable character. She is a recently orphaned heiress, she lost her mother some time before but the loss of her father is recent. They were close, they shared a love for fossils, and their home in Lyme was the perfect place for uncovering new fossils. Although her understanding of fossils went way beyond my own, I saw how passionate she was about every aspect of them, they were important to her. And it endeared her to me, seeing such a passion.
Instead of focusing on marriage and society dances, she pursued her study of geology.
But aside from this, Cassy is very strong in her declarations to never marry. Even if she should fall in love, she will not marry. Cassy has some deep rooted reasons behind her vow, and I loved how they came to the surface throughout the story.

When Cassy is to have her coming out in London, Edward Rothbury (a cousin of sorts) is charged with keeping an eye on Cassy. He shares many of Cassy’s interests in geology. He has even written papers on the topic. But he takes his responsibility of watching over Cassy seriously and comes across as a bit of threat to her freedom. Not landing himself in the best light through Cassy’s eyes. But as they interact, and spend more time together his humour and other qualities come out and he wins us all over, even Cassy.

You can see a love growing between them before they even realize it, but Cassy’s determination to not marry proves to be a roadblock. Edward is not easily dissuaded, he knows what he wants and as an Earl he is accustomed to getting it. And he wants to marry Cassy. So he fights and fights and I loved his character for it. He knew the value in finding love and holding into it. (Putting him up there as one of the best book hero’s)

I have thoroughly enjoyed this book. And I must say, Alissa Baxter did her homework. There is so much history and knowledge throughout the story. So much was inspired by actual history and women of that time. It was a joy to learn some new things and see new places.

Books like this one are why I enjoy reading so much. It is not just a romantic story, it paints a picture of what life was like in the 19th Century, and how beautiful the world is. We can learn about different professions, ones we may even think boring were it not for these passionate characters. There is a little bit of everything, even a little action!

I absolutely recommend this book. It is a clean romance, with some adorable and swoony romantic declarations. Give it a read! You will not regret it.
I cannot wait to read more of Alissa Baxter’s novels.

Thank you NetGalley and Vinspire Publishing for this complimentary ebook in exchange for an honest review.