Olivia Waite

Lady astronomers! Textile arts! Queer book clubs of the 19th century! Truly a novel with something for everyone.

Waite is a fantastic writer; this novel has some of the best prose I've encountered in romance fiction. As is fitting in a story about art and science, Waite takes a genuine interest in the sensory details of this world, from decorative tableware to the ammonites of Dorset. Just as the book is grounded in the physical world, the depiction of women's experiences in the arts and sciences felt realistic and nuanced. This is solid historical fiction, giving equal attention to the women's professional and romantic lives, and I dug it.

Lady's Guide is a very cozy novel, and perhaps a bit slow, but I was happy to enjoy the quiet domesticity. That said, I think I wanted a little more from the romance. I liked Lucy and Catherine but they are both very bad at communication and emotional intimacy, which meant the dreaded miscommunication trope reared its head at certain points. I applaud Waite for being realistic in the depiction of two characters with trust issues, but the result made the relationship feel fragile in ways that made me doubt the HEA.

All in all, this was a top-notch read, and I think this would be an excellent entry point to historical romance for folks who are new to the genre.… (altro)

Lucy Muchelney learned astronomy under the tutelage of her late father. She finds an opportunity to translate a new astronomy text from French, but is turned down by the gentleman's science society on the basis of her sex. Instead, the widow Catherine, Countess of Moth becomes her patron allowing Lucy the luxury to create a translation with her own commentary. Soon the two women are drawn to more than the stars, and form a romance. But will the conniving of the scientific men ruin Lucy's reputation? And what about Lucy's former lover who jilted her to marry a man but now wants her back? There is a twist at the end of the novel that's telegraphed early but nevertheless satisfying. This is the first feminist Regency romance about sapphic scientists that I've ever read, but it's a pretty good one.… (altro)