“Beautiful and important.”—New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn 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 clear: they must face the future together.
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1 primary bookThe Damsels of Discovery is a 1-book series first released in 2024 with contributions by Elizabeth Everett.
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(3.5 stars) A cozy, modern twist on a Victorian era romance with a bit of mystery, some science, and plenty of defied expectations.
This book will appeal to readers who enjoy historical romance but wish it included a more modern representation of present day values. A lot of the conflict that comes up directly parallels current day debates, particularly around women's bodily autonomy and reproductive rights. Lucy and her sister are both working to claim their place in previously male dominated professions. There's a small amount of queer representation included in side characters presented in a normal and accepted way.
Based off the summary, I expected the mystery to be a lot more prominent than it was. It's probably an 80/20 split of Romance/Mystery. You gets bits and pieces here and there but it's primarily focused on the relationship between Thorne and Lucy. Its more cozy romance than detective. There is a lot of info dumping. Backstories for characters are told in large chunks of text, all at once. This is particularly heavy at the beginning as this series seems to have spun off from a previous one but does still occur occasionally throughout the series.
In general this book was a really interesting mix of feminism, science, and faith. There's a strong Christian element that I was not expecting. It's so present throughout the book that I'd borderline consider it Christian fiction if it weren't for the explicit sex scenes and pro-choice plot. It's not really preachy, mostly just quoting of bible verses and their applications on the topic of being a good person. I do think this will narrow the book's appeal down to a very niche audience. It's going to be a little too progressive for a lot of Christian readers, and a little too religious for some of the people looking for those progressive ideals.
I'd recommend it for readers looking for a Victorian era, grumpy/sunshine, single parent romance with a modern twist. The side characters are charming (Sadie in particular is a delightful little weirdo), the mystery is compelling (if light), and there's something fun about watching two people who have sworn off love find themselves right in the middle of it.
This ARC was provided through NetGalley from Berkley Publishing Group. All the above is my own, honest opinion.
