It is Pride month and I started with reading a F/F romance. I have been loving historical fiction so I was excited for this. The romance didn’t work for me because there was insta-lust. Otherwise I really enjoyed the book and Sophie’s character development. I felt that Maddie could have been more fleshed out. I would read the author again.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

The Hellion’s Waltz is the conclusion to the Feminine Pursuits series, and while they can all stand alone, I think they’re all worth reading, and with them all being so different, you’re bound to find one that you mesh with. For me, I liked this one a bit more than book one (too heavy on the science), but not as much as book two (that one felt like it had more focus on the feels).

I really liked the central relationship in this one, following a group of weavers (of which Maddie is one) running a con, and Sophie, who ended up losing her family’s livelihood to a con artist. It presented a compelling conflict, and while there was more focus on the passion than yearning, it still worked. Add to that a fun supporting cast, including Sophie’s supportive musical family, and it ended up being quite sweet.

However, while I liked the intent of fighting for justice against a unscrupulous businessman, the strong focus on that, while moving the plot forward quite a bit, did start to wear on me, and at times it did feel like the romance-external plot balance felt a little off, with it feeling more like the intent was to heighten the stakes as much as possible. In all the action, the romance, as interesting as it was, felt a little neglected.

I’m a bit torn about how to feel about this book. On the one hand, this was compulsively readable and consistently engaging. But on the other hand, I still felt something was a bit lacking. It is still a pretty well-developed and researched story, and while not my favorite of the series, I can see why it would be a hit with other readers of historical queer romance.

The Hellion's Waltz sucked me in pretty immediately into this small town England romance set maybe a little after the Regency? I'm not all that well versed in the actual history of England but this is set at one of the times when there wasn't yet freedom to strike or organize for changed labor practices. I mean, I'm honestly just assuming those things exist now, but tbh, I don't know.

ANYWAY, all that to say, this book brought in some historical context similar to Courtney Milan's The Duchess War, which appealed to me immensely. But mostly what I loved about this is that these women team up to commit a heist! Well, sort of. There's a lot more plot than that, but I was into it. I also really liked how basically immediately after seeing Madeline, Sophie is like HER, I want. This book is sexy and fun and just an all around good time.

If you're trying to find a fun romp of a book this book definitely qualifies! Now there is a heavy undertone in some ways of angst because of some past scars, but the balance is exactly how I prefer my romance novels so I would still highly recommend!

I'm mixed on this one! It does happen occasionally that I encounter a romance where the least interesting part is the romance. This is one of those times. And it's not just because the romance part didn't really grab me by the emotions; it's also because the character work and the main plot were very good! But still. I came here for the romance, and I wasn't really satisfied by it, personally. If you like romances where the two main characters are instantly attracted to each other and act on it before they develop feelings for each other, you will probably like this.

I personally prefer a slow burn, where the emotions come first. It's the rare book these days that can get me invested in a couple that just hops into bed right away because they're so hot for each other's bodies, or whatever. It's so emotionally empty for me.

But so! What we've got here is silk weaver Maddie Crewe and her Weaver's Guild, who are currently perpetrating a scam on Mr. Giles, a cloth-seller, because he is a thief and a liar who takes advantage of the class system to make money. He refuses to pay workers for their labor, and he once had a weaver transported for trying to take back the cloth he hadn't paid her for, and he deserves what's coming to him. But when new to town Sophie Roseingrave finds out that a scam is being perpetrated, she makes it her business to put a stop to it, because her family was nearly ruined in the last year by a swindler in London, which is why they are now in the small town of Carrisford, trying to recover emotionally and financially.

LIke I said, I loved the plot, loved the secondary characters, loved Maddie and Sophie on their own. Waite does such a good job populating her world with characters who have believable livelihoods, and there's so much fun historical detail. I learned about silk weaving! And how modernization affected silk-weavers in the 19th century! And about how to tune a piano (Sophie's family are musicians, and her father builds pianos). I just think I would have preferred a book where I didn't feel the need to skip the main couple's sex scenes because I was bored, and whenever they started getting schmoopsy with one another, wishing that they would get back to planning their scam (Sophie finds out what a shithead Mr. Giles is, and wants in on everything).

So, I liked this one, but it could have been much better for me. Maybe other readers will feel differently.

[3.5 stars]

When pianist Sophie spots a beautiful weaver at a linen-draper's shop, she's instantly smitten. But Sophie soon realizes that Maddie is out to swindle the draper. Can Maddie convince her that the cause is just, and seduce her into joining in the scheme?

I really loved the romance in this book. The characters were compelling. It was lovely to see how Sophie's plot unfolded as she gained confidence in herself as a musician. Maddie's plot was interesting but a bit convoluted. It did provide an unusual take, though, on the struggles workers faced in the wake of Peterloo.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The Roseingrave’s lives were turned upside down when they became the victims of a conman, causing them to lose their piano company. A year later, it still hurts Sophie to so much as look at a piano. Now that Sophie and her family have relocated and are trying to start over, playing the piano is almost completely out of the question because it just brings back the shame of what happened in full force. Then she meets Maddie Crewe, a beautiful yet suspicious woman who is running a con. Sophie is torn between what her mind and body are telling her until she finds out that the Maddie’s con has heart behind it.

While this is the third book in the series, each book follows a new cast of characters, so each book can be read as a stand alone without any confusion. I started this book expecting a good romance novel and quickly discovered that it exceeded my expectations. There’s romance, friendships, good family relationships, and breathtaking worldbuilding. I will be checking out the first two books in the series for sure.

The characters are absolutely wonderful and fun to follow. I loved the Roseingrave’s family dynamic, especially the relationship that Sophie had with her parents. They’re just wonderful, supportive, and talented people who care deeply about their children. I kind of want to hang out with them! I particularly loved Sophie and her dad’s relationship, which pulled a bit on my heartstrings without actually being sad. I also love Maddie, her friends, and how much she cares about the other women working in the textile industry.

I thought the con that Maddie and company were running was interesting, especially because it was to take down a greedy and vile character who is all about making money at other people’s expense. She’s doing it for the greater good with revenge mixed in, which I found to be an interesting plot. I enjoyed watching it develop and eventually reach its peak.

All in all, I think this is a wonderful read and I’m excited to check out the other books in the series. If you’re looking for an LGBT historical romance, I think this is something you’ll want to pick up.

Heat Factor: There’s some passion
Character Chemistry: It’s obvious that they like each other
Plot: This swindle keeps getting more and more out of control
Overall: It was kinda busy

Sophie’s family has recently moved to the smaller town of Carrisford, after losing everything to a con artist. So when she witnesses the opening gambit of what is clearly a swindle while shopping for a new ribbon, she can’t help but intervene. She accosts Maddie to warn her off—if someone is swindling the draper, that means that her new home isn’t safe for her family as they slowly build a second-hand musical instrument business.

Too bad Sophie is also intensely and immediately attracted to Maddie.

Of course, it turns out that Maddie is a righteous, Robin Hood type swindler, who is targeting that specific draper because he’s spent years cheating the weavers who supply his shop with silk and ribbons.

The details of Maddie’s and Sophie’s work were fascinating to read about. Sophie works as a piano tuner and teacher, so there are lots of details about early 19th-century music. Maddie is a silk weaver at a moment in time when the British weaving industry was in flux, as skilled handloom weavers were rapidly being replaced by machines in factories. All of the information about their labor, and its intersection with changes in technology and the market create a really rich backdrop against which the rest of the story is set.
Unfortunately, the rest of the story didn’t quite work for me. The scam Maddie is running is extremely complicated and involves a dozen different people, all of whom are named characters and several of whom Sophie meets by herself, leading to the impression that the whole damn town knows that the weavers’ collective is out to get the draper. Like, the random young female clockmaker that Sophie meets while visiting an elderly musician just *happens* to also be helping Maddie make some fancy-looking scam loom. Also, pretty much every secondary character is tidily partnered off through the course of the book with an appropriate helpmeet. It was a lot, and I frankly couldn’t find myself caring about any of the secondary characters, with the possible exception of Sophie’s parents. There were just so many of them, and none of them felt well-developed.

Furthermore, Mr. Giles, Evil Draper, wasn’t a very ominous villain. Literally every single person the reader meets hates him, so the claims that he has all this power through bribery might be true—but it feels hollow because we never see it.

The romance also fell a bit flat for me. There’s so much focus on the criminal plan that there’s not a ton of space for character development. Sophie and Maddie have an instant connection, despite having different points of view about thievery. I can buy instalove, but I can’t buy Sophie’s complete about-face about the swindle. She discovers that Mr. Giles lied to her while making a sale (not about anything important, just telling an emotional story about a ribbon pattern he’s trying to sell) and then is 100% behind Maddie’s criminal endeavor. I frankly needed more space for her to start seeing the world in grey. Or, speaking about the relationship between Sophie and Maddie, more interactions between the two of them as they go from 0 to 60.

I will say that Sophie’s character development as she reembraces music in her life is really beautiful. And Waite really nails that moment when a character shows her love by making that perfect romantic gesture (Maddie telling Sophie she’s a nightingale; Sophie writing a waltz based on her relationship with Maddie). Neither moment wrung a tear from my eye, but they were still lovely.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

I haven't read any of the other books in the Feminine Pursuits series but it still works as a stand alone. I love that the tension in the book doesn't come from any coming out/"we can't be together" but from the main conflict. It's a good novel but the very fast romantic burn was a little too fast for my taste and ultimately didn't 100% work for me.

I couldn’t put down The Hellion’s Waltz! Like the other two books in this series, I loved the strong female characters. This book features a wild deception and righting of wrongs. I adored this book and this series.

4.5 stars

This was a fun, sexy, and mysterious read! I loved the heist storyline, and appreciated how headstrong both protagonists were and that they both knew pretty immediately that they were interested in the other one and went for what they wanted. I will say that I tend to prefer my romances much more of a slow-burn, so Waspish Widows is going to stay my favorite out of the Feminine Pursuits series, but that's me, and I still loved this one! Olivia Waite's descriptions of the music and the dresses made me want to hear them, to watch the performances, to see the dresses and run my hands over the silk. It's so immersive! More importantly, she continues to bring me beautiful queer historical romances without the sharpest edges of homophobia (it's there, but doesn't cut) and with familial knowledge and acceptance and love!! And ALWAYS queer background characters, including a cozy polyamorous triad in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC!

I will always and forever love this series. I believe this latest installment is my favorite so far. The historical setting was incredibly interesting, and Waite's writing keeps getting better and better.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the e-copy for review.

A master storyteller, Olivia Waite crafts a stirring romance between a shy, passionate pianist and a ribbon weaver amidst a clever revenge plot. A compelling pageturner.

The Hellion's Waltz combines a talented pianist still struggling to recover from humiliation with a weaver interested in revenge. As characters, I appreciated how Sophie struggles to find her music and voice again. To realize that being silent and retreating to the background won't heal the wrongs of the past. That it won't make the pain and betrayal leave. At the same time, I adored Maddie's feisty spirit, the way she has found family with the weavers, and how she's trying to fight against a system of exploitation.

I will always support conwomen. Especially those who have been wronged and are just trying to enact a form of justice. But whereas I could not stop reading the other two Feminine Pursuit novels - The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics and The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows - it took me longer to get through The Hellion's Waltz. I think part of this was that of the characters in the series, the ones from The Hellion's Waltz felt the youngest and their romance was the most instantaneous - in terms of attraction and chemistry.

2021 Spring Bingo (#SpringIntoLoveBingo🌷): Queer Historical

"Not for the first time, Sophie thought what a shame it was she couldn’t marry a woman. It’s not that men didn’t please her—Sophie liked a strong nose and a well-turned calf and a man who knew what to do with his hands—but there were just so many lovely women around. Such a waste to have to discount them as possible spouses."

Now that the Feminine Pursuits trilogy is over, it's interesting to analyze all three installments and marvel at how different they are. Whether it's a slow-burn friends-to-lovers with an epistolary element or a witty heist to swindle the rich, the books are wildly different in character backgrounds and pace. I know readers who adored Celestial Mechanics but were put off by Waspish Widows' languid romance (and vice versa for different reasons!) — the author doesn't want to write the same book over and over again, choosing to experiment with new styles and character experiences. Yet the books share a similar core that binds the series together.

Operating as standalones, they (A Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics, The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows, and The Hellion's Waltz) share a love for craft and a gentle determination to improve the community. Waite isn't interested in writing misogyny-free historicals nor denying other evils of British society, but what makes the series so satisfying are the small victories that don't feel small at all. No, no one is toppling the aristocracy or changing the course of history. But in the relatively small scope of the book's setting, the triumph over Terrible Men before the HEA creates a biting pleasure. Biting because my rejoicing over a fictional villain's misfortune is equivalent to my pleasure in witnessing the romantic resolution.

I don't want to spoil too much about The Hellion's Waltz, but it has a (relatively) fast romantic burn compared to earlier installments. I loved how most of the conflict stemmed externally and not "oh no, we can't be together because X [our family, society, etc] will object!" The community was so... accepting, and I nearly cried at how lovely Sophie's rambunctious family was. Apparently good fictional families make me weepy because they are scarce in my recent reads! Someone smarter than me should write about the music/craft aspects of this book, because my expert opinion is "it was good." 😅 I was going to compare it to The Queen's Gambit (without the substance abuse and drama) because both TQG and Waite's romances have an immersive ability to make me care about a craft that I lack interest/knowledge in.

I won't ramble on, but I'm really going to miss this series and I hope Waite writes more historicals. On a light note to end on: I will say the lack of piano sex was a missed opportunity. 😂

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this a lot! Maddie and Sophie were wonderful protagonists, and it was a lovely romance and a lovely heist story. For me the things that really stood out were Maddie's fabrics and Sophie's music, which were both so vividly described and gained great emotional resonance. Sophie's family was an absolute delight, and I'm also quietly a fan of Maddie's stepmother, who is a character I would love to see more of.

Sophie and her family were the victim of a con man. She and her family are forced to leave for a small town where they can start over. Sophie is from a family of talented musicians and she is emotionally damaged by the con to the point where she struggles to play or compose anymore.

Sophie meets Maddie who is running a con of her own on an evil man who has been stealing from the Weaver’s Guild. I don’t quite understand the swindle but I was able to follow the basic outline.

Sophie and Maddie go from a one night stand to a romantic pairing quickly- a little too quickly in my estimation- but once the relationship is established it is beautiful.

This book is about honesty. Honesty, not just in a romantic sense, but every day honesty and it’s power to heal and transform and create. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

This was the first book I've read by Olivia Waite (it can be read as a standalone in the series) and while it wasn't my favorite, it made me want to read more by the author. The parts of it that I loved are often missing in historical romance, which made me excited to read more of Waite's work. I thought the plot was interesting--the conflict is an external one and not internal to the romance which was refreshing. I also loved that both main characters had individual passions beyond one another. I was fascinated by the explanations of weaving work and music, and I also thought the conversations on workers rights during Industrialization were fantastic.

But the romance really fell flat for me. It was very insta-love which I struggle with. This book didn't read as a romance novel to me because very little of the story centered around their romantic relationship. This wouldn't have bothered me if I had still been able to feel their love and passion.

Still, I thought the moments of music and artistry were superbly written and I loved the heist-y bits of the plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Sophie and Maddie have an uncommon love. Sophie hates a swindler and Maddie is one but her swindle is an honest one.
This book is a story of lesbian love.
It was just a good storyline and I read it slowly as I didn't find it interesting. I had never read a book by this Author before and don't think I would read another.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

I’ve read Olivia Waite’s book before and utterly enjoyed it! And this one did not disappoint!

I just love the chemistry between two heroines. And the cover is gorgeous. The writing is so beautiful and smooth. I found it hard to put down the book once I started.

If you like historical romance + ff romance + Olivia Waite’s writing, you are in for a treat!!

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review

The Hellion’s Waltz is a lot of fun, but has a few flaws that knock it out of the DIK bracket and make it the weakest of Olivia’s Waite’s Feminine Pursuits series.  It’s still well worth the read though, though.

Sophie Roseingrave is a piano teacher, tuner and composer with a problem.  All she wants is to make her father proud of her, but with the whole family forced to flee London after they were fleeced out of their music shop, the most important thing is to make sure they manage to keep bread on the table. The large Roseingrave family has started over in the small English town of Carrisford, and they simply hope they can live without losing their shirts.

Ribbon weaver Maddie Crewe is trying to get out of her old life as a thief, but with wages so low and the need to fund her weaver’s union (The Weaver’s Library and Reform Society) she’s tempted back into the world of the light-fingered for one more heist.  The entire union agrees that her selected mark – Mr. Giles, a greedy draper who’s betrayed all of them in some manner or another, stiffing them on money and taking credit for their work – makes a perfect target

Maddie and Sophie meet at the shop where Maddie sells her wares, and it’s lust at first sight.  But Sophie – able to sniff a scam out with ease after being a victim of one herself – is suspicious of Maddie while Maddie decides to protect her plan to take down Giles by seducing Sophie – but she doesn’t expect her heart to become involved.  Let the games begin.

I really liked Maddie and Sophie as individuals - they’re good people, working against hard odds to come back and make their lives better, and improve the lives of the people they know.  I had a problem with the insta-lust-y nature of their story; Maddie walks into the room and that’s it for Sophie, which is such a cliché compared to the way the other love stories in the series play out. However, once their romance settles into a mutual attraction, it’s filled with appreciation and is steamy and sweet in equal doses.

My other main quibble lies with the transparent nature of Mr. Giles, who is such an obvious villain you can practically see him twirling his mustache every time he speaks.  He made me yearn for a some nuance, and a villain with some grey shades.

The other minor characters – Mrs. Money and the other folks in Maddie’s union, Sophie’s family – all ring true and are wonderful additions to the story. And, as always, the interconnection between the books in the series is light enough that it’s possible to jump into this one without reading any of the others.

The Hellion’s Waltz is warm, sensual and lovely at heart.  It’s not perfect – and if you only read one book in the series, pick up The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows – but it’s a damn fine story nonetheless.

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