4 stars for A Lady's Formula For Love by Elizabeth Everett
Synopsis:
Lady Violet Greycliff is keeping secrets. First, she founded a clandestine sanctuary for England’s most brilliant female scientists. Second, she is using her genius on a confidential mission for the Crown. But the biggest secret of all? Her feelings for protection officer Arthur Kneland.
Solitary and reserved, Arthur learned the hard way to put duty first. But the more time he spends in the company of Violet and the eccentric club members, the more his best intentions go up in flames. Literally.
When a shadowy threat infiltrates Violet’s laboratories, endangering her life and her work, scientist and bodyguard will find all their theories put to the test–and learn that the most important discoveries are those of the heart.
"How terrifying when dreams walk the eart. Perfect in their imperfections: messy and flawed and more beautiful for it. When you let a person in, they mattered, and when you lost them, worlds ended."
A Lady's Forumla For Love was The Romcom Book Club's April book choice (I know, I know, this is super late again) and we really enjoyed it. It had some of the regency, Brigerton vibe and was also really sciency. None of us could say how accurate the science was, but it was nice to have a romcom full of women scientists. It had a bit of mystery to it as well, making it more than just a traditional romcom. It led to some great conversation within the group.
"It would do no good; dreams were sticky things, not easily banished."
Violet is fully dedicated to her scientific pursuits and the running and preservation of Athena's Retreat. So dedicated that she often forgets to eat (and sleep) and neglects her duties as a society lady. After being married to a man who took every opportunity to demean her and keep her from her passions and dreams, meeting Arthur is a breath of fresh air. Arthur is immediately taken by Violet and finds her passions, while often lacking in safety, absolutely mesmerizing. While I loved the idea of Violet and Arthur finding in each other someone who accepts and loves them for who they truly are, insta-love is still not my favorite trope. They also have an element of forbidden love though, which I Iove. The additional passion accompanied by the sneaking around nature of a forbidden love helped add some spice to the story.
Set in England and with Violet being a lady of higher social standing, meant one thing to me: afternoon tea. My dad and stepmom had just visited over the Easter holiday and we had an incredible cream tea in Bath after exploring the Roman Baths and wandering around town. It may have taken me almost two years of living here in the U.K., but I am finally thoroughly obsessed with afternoon tea. I used a classic scone recipe from BBC Good Food (obviously one of my favorite recipe websites) and I won't lie, I was very impressed with how the scones turned out! But to be fair, what wouldn't you eat slathered in clotted cream and strawberry jam. :) You can find the recipe here: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/classic-scones-jam-clotted-cream. I'm looking forward to making more the next time we need a little breakfast (or afternoon) treat!
Thanks for stopping by!
-Kim
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