4 stars

A tragic, decades old love story, a Robin Hood-esque plot to swindle a notorious swindler, & a love that draws together two talented young women. This is a beautifully written f/f romance, with lots of music & musicianry (& some silk weaving!) involved.

[What I liked:]

•There are lots of creative story elements: Jenny Hull, the “electrical” silk, the jacquard loom, Mr. Verrinder, etc. It’s not a cliched or predictable story.

•I love textiles. I love fabric & spinning & weaving & lace making & embroidery, & several of the characters & one MC all work in the textiles industry. That was fun for me to read about! And reasonably well researched & described. I’d say the writing about music & instruments is even more intuitive & nuanced, though I’m not much of a musician myself.

•There are so many great women characters who are independent, have dreams & ambitions, fall in love, and are seen as equals by family members & lovers & friends. It’s refreshing to see nuance here, rather than just a stereotype of an “independent woman” being a tomboy who hates any conventionally feminine pursuits. Nothing wrong with tomboys of course, but imo femme women can be strong & independent people too.

•The romance is sorta...well not exactly insta-lust, but the lust happens before the feelings show up so it’s not really a slow burn romance. More of a learning how to trust again romance. It’s nice, though, & well developed & paced.

•Not only is there an f/f couple, there is also a poly relationship. Yay, representation. For a historical romance, I think the writer found a nice balance between the characters being aware of the consequences of being “out” in a homophobic/monogamous-only society, while managing to not put too much emphasis on homophobia/intolerance as part of the plot. (Always nice to have a not-so-depressing queer love story.)


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•Mr. Giles, as a main villain, could have used some more development. His motives were believable, but he would have been more, say, ominous if he had more depth.

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

I received this book for an almost review from netgalley #netgalley

This was my first time reading the lgbtq themed book especially romance. But I was captivated by the characters. I really appreciate this book for it's breaking boundaries and opening my eyes as well.

I received this as an ARC from Avon and Harper Voyager through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Olivia Waite continues the Feminine Pursuits series with her third book, The Hellion’s Waltz. In 1824, the Roseingrave family moves to Carrisford after losing their money to a swindler’s scheme, in order to set up a new piano shop. The eldest daughter, Sophie, soon stumbles upon a beautiful con-woman, Maddie Crewe. What follows is a sweet, late Regency love story, mixed with intrigue.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel! The romance between Maddie and Sophie develops naturally and doesn’t seem forced. The characters are diverse with well-developed personalities. Also, maybe this is more of a fault of my own reading habits, but it was refreshing to read a regency novel that is wholly separate from the life of the wealthy. Waite also expertly weaves in great insight into the life and times of the tradespeople of the early 1800s—including the widening gap of the rich and poor and the development of labor laws.

A cute and enjoyable read. Taking place in 1824, this late Regency period novel feels like a F/F Courtney Milan story. Instead of focusing on the ton, Maddie is a weaver who is agitating for the rights of her fellow artisans, and Sophie is a young piano teacher. Both women are white and in their early to mid-twenties. The cast is full of people of color; it feels that those characters are Indian based on their names. The villain is the dastardly Mr. Giles, who Maddie is set on swindling and sending out of town. Sophie, who had previously been swindled herself, agrees to help when she realizes how terrible Mr. Giles is. This is an enjoyable read, has a heist element, and the sex scenes are not graphic.

Delightful historical fiction, f/f romance. This is the third in the Feminine Pursuits series and I found it the most enjoyable to me. Sophie Roseingrave's family was taken advantage of by a con man and sold everything to pay debts in London. They are starting over in smaller Carrisford opening a musical shop. Sophie tunes pianos and teaches piano lessons. She becomes suspicious when she sees an odd transaction involving Maddie Crewe a silk weaver and Mr. Giles a shop owner. Maddie is continuing her mothers goal of helping the weavers' union against unfair factory owners and shop keepers. Sophie and Maddie make a wonderful pair as Maddie explains their cause and invites her help.

Every time I read Waite I learn things about the time period and laws of the day. This touches on plights of factory workers and unions. Making the story about a large con made for a very fun read. I was happy to see the supportiveness of Sophie' s parents to her relationship with Maddie. And Waite makes it all feel true to the time period. Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This book is the third in the Feminine Pursuits series and it's just as delightful as the other two books. Maddie and Sophie are smart, cunning, and wonderful together. Discovering how their swindle is going to play out, and ultimately does, is as fun as watching one of the Ocean's movies but with queer women at the center.
Highly recommend this romp.

OOOH!!! Y'all. This book gave me heart palpitations. You need to read this, recommend it, push it on every historical fiction and romance reader you know. So darn good.