Book Review: A Lady's Formula for Love (The Secret Scientists of London #1)

A Lady's Formula for Love

Elizabeth Everett

3/5

Violet has spent the past five years building up her women's club for scientific advancements. She is focused, she is driven, and she is incredibly intelligent. When her life becomes threatened, her stepson hires her a bodyguard for protection. Arthur has been defending political officials for over twenty years and he's hoping that this is his last job. He can't help but be awed by the brilliance and drive of his charge and though he tries to fight it, he can't resist their connection. 

If you read Bringing Down the Duke, this one is very much in the same vein. I think that's the best way to explain it. It was an enjoyable read, but not as much back and forth as I would like from a book of this genre. I didn't mind the historical inaccuracies but this felt much more like a contemporary romance set in a historical period than a historical romance. Which is great in itself, look at the cover and know that this is a much more modernized attempt that can definitely appeal to many different audiences. If you're a hardcore regency romance fan though this probably won't be what you're looking for. But if you're a big contemporary romance fan then this would be a much more enjoyable book.

I think it went a little hard on just trying to convince us that Violet is perfect but not too perfect. She's quirky, but in a completely appealing way. She can't be social except when she's in social situations and even though she's awkward she's charming.  It just felt like too many lines were being straddled in an attempt to make her as likeable as possible. I liked her well enough without all the additional commentary about it. 

I think it just barely missed four stars for me, it would've been a lot better if we had seen more of her expertise and her role. But I really did love the emphasis on how a couple can have completely separate interests but still love what those interests bring out in one another. I also loved the character's authenticity with themselves and think that it was a cuter love story for it. Big thank you to NetGalley for providing me an early copy!