A slow paced historical mystery that was well paced and satisfactory wrapped up. The title intrigued me but the story wasn't as good..

There were a few things that I did enjoy: Saffron’s research of poisonous plants and her best friend, who was supportive but also gave her much-needed reality checks. The ending was quite satisfying as the pieces started coming together.

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari is a perfect fit for readers who delight in historical mysteries with a strong female protagonist, a dash of romance, and a richly detailed setting, as this debut novel masterfully weaves together themes of botany, murder, and societal expectations in 1923 London.

Special thanks to Crooked Lane Books for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 2.5 stars

I probably should have DNF this but I was already feeling guilty that it is so overdue that I powered through it. I was also hoping that the writing would get better and the main character less irritating but unfortunately, that didn't happen. I had previously tried picking this up several times but it never seemed to hold my attention, and although I chalked that up to not being in the right reading mood, it seems that this book just wasn't for me. That said, I seem to be in the minority with my feelings on this as it seems to be a well-loved enough series.

To start with the positives: I did love the fact that Saffron is one of the lone women scholars at University College at a time when it was still rare to find women on campuses. She is strong-willed, curious and is not easily cowed by intimidating men—even when said men have taken advantage of the power imbalance by exploiting it. I admired her tenacity. Other than her, Alexander was an interesting counterpart (a tamer Watson to Saffron's frenetic Sherlock) and I enjoyed his addition to the storyline. There's a bit of a romance that develops but it's a slow burn and thankfully doesn't distract from the mystery. Again, his level-headed personality balanced out Saffron's and I liked what we learned about him and how he was her stoic supporter, even with the more ridiculous of her ideas. The book's biggest strength is its knowledge of botany. I'm not even a mild botanist but I did find it interesting in the context. If you like reading about botany, there will be a lot for you to enjoy in this book!

Unfortunately, several issues made it hard for me to enjoy this more. I wish the author had done more showing than telling yet most of this was told down to the minute details of Saffron's daily activities and not only was it uninteresting, but it was also poorly written. There were times when I noticed that the protagonist's name was repeated an excessive number of times in one paragraph. The more I noticed it the more it took me out of the story because it irritated me so much! Aside from the botany, the "telling" aspect made it difficult to connect to the characters and made it hard to care about the finger-pointing and mystery. I cared very little about the characters... They were dull caricatures. While I found things to like about Saffron, the more I read about her amateur sleuthing and rash actions, the more she irritated me; particularly when it came to her "theories" being discarded and pulled apart so quickly because she would jump to the first conclusion she landed in believing it was true when it's clear to everyone that it's not. I also did not understand why she continued searching for the culprit—I mean, of course, she wanted to know who set this all into motion but the lengths she went to solve it didn't make sense since it would undoubtedly jeopardise everything she worked so hard for. Her "act now, think later" attitude was also baffling for a scientist and I just didn't buy any of it...

Ultimately, the culprit is caught, justice is served and all things end well and good. It was such a neatly packaged ending it honestly felt a bit anticlimactic. Sadly, despite having an interesting premise, the execution of this was lacking and I don't think I'll be continuing with the series.

This book was fun and different! I found it entertaining and loved the different topic than I’m used to!

I loved the cover of A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons, and this is what initially drew me to the book. It is cosy and atmospheric, but I did struggle a bit to get in to it as it is quite slow paced. I did like the characters and though it was well written, but I don't know if I will pick up the next book.
Thank you Net galley for the ARC in exchange for a review.

The very first intriguing part of this book was how beautiful the cover is! Secondly, the fact that the story takes place in London in the 1920's, which is by far one of my favorite eras for style and fashion, was a dream. I felt Kate Khavari did a wonderful job and the book was very well-written, but I found myself wanting more and felt the story was dragging a bit. I still look forward to the next book in this series to see how it progresses.

A super fun new cosy mystery series set in the 1920s, a bit over-the-top at times, but definitely an enjoyable read!

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons is a delightful, charming mystery, brimming with academic intrigue, sassy characters, and charming characters with a pinch of romance.

My favorite aspect of this book has to be the fiery female protagonist (Saffron) and the chemistry between her and the male lead Alex. The author astutely portrayed the struggles that Saffron faces in the highly male-dominated academic world.

The murder party mystery twist only highlighted my delight and proved a useful catalyst for the plotline that involves a good old-fashioned "Who dunnit mystery."

Saffron, who is more of a heart-first leap into danger first hand girly is tempered very nicely by Alex and his strong headstrung ways.

With a decent plotline and fantastic characters, this book is a definite must-read.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review. You can follow me on IG @JessicaReadsIt.

Though not my usual genre of choice, I really enjoyed this book. The pacing was well done and the prose was beautiful. The book kept me engaged and guessing the whole way through. Very entertaining, and with a beautiful cover to boot.

In the Roaring Twenties, London University. Saffron is a young assistant to a professor of botany who needs to gain the respect of her peers by navigating with both force and diplomacy. She meets Anthony, a bacterium expert, at a fancy dinner meant to mark the beginning of a new expedition to the Amazon, and she instantly falls in love with him.
The university's offices serve as the setting for the main plot, which is expertly portrayed. I was taken back in time to those stifling rooms brimming with potential and literature. The mystery is not too complicated, and Saffron and Anthony's budding romance is a bonus. The text is as vibrant, intricate, and humorous as its lovely cover suggests. An interesting read for me.

Great historical fiction mystery set in the 1920's in London. Saffron Everleigh is a young woman botanist, struggling to make a career for herself in a male dominated society. While attending a dinner party, Saffron witnesses a woman fall into a coma after sipping from a glass of champagne. The professor she's been studying under is soon arrested for this crime and Saffron makes it her duty to uncover the real villain and free her friend. It also helps that the new (and handsome) biologist, Alexander Ashton, becomes her friend and co-conspiring detective in the case.

I loved Saffron and Alexander's characters as well as the setting for this mystery. This is book 1 in a series and I'm definitely invested enough to keep reading! The romance was sweet and clean, just the way I like it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely loved the setting!London in 1923 sounds like a fun place to read about.

I also really liked the science aspect to the story. Loved the strong female character.

It was a good mystery but it did tend to read pretty slow and I think it made the story drag a bit.

I think I personally would have preferred a bit more action.

While I really liked the setup and premise of this book, it ended up not working super well for me. I was bored throughout parts and wasn't sold on the romance

This book reminded me a bit of Agatha Christie's works of mystery and crime. It's fast-paced and the characters are both sharp and lovable, contributing to a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience. Amidst the crime-solving narrative, it manages to strike a relaxing balance, providing ample tension to captivate readers without pushing them to the edge of their seats.
Saffron, especially, emerges as a standout character—fierce, determined, and brilliantly portrayed. Her inspirational qualities add depth to the narrative.
I wholeheartedly recommend it to historical fiction enthusiasts who appreciate cozy (if there is such) mysteries.

Saffron Everleigh, a research assistant at the University College of London, believes she's the only hope at proving her mentor, Dr. Maxwell, is not behind the murder by poisoning of a fellow professor's wife. Time is of the essence with a research expedition to the Amazon on the horizon. She enlists the help of fellow researcher, Alexander Ashton, as the evidence mounts against the suspected professor. Set in 1923, this cozy mystery was a delight to read. Saffron comes from a well to do family, but despite their disapproval, has decided to follow in her late father's footsteps, the and research of botany. Her skills and knowledge come in quite handy as she and Alexander search for answers to solve the crime--just what was the unknown poison used and who is behind it?

Saffron is an intelligent and capable woman, although, admittedly, she takes risks with her own life that had me seriously questioning her judgement a couple of times. I liked her flat mate, Elizabeth. The two women have a strong friendship and look out for each other. Alexander is an interesting character with a complex backstory--a veteran who was injured in the first world war. I liked that the author doesn't shy away from the effects war had on the returning soldiers. The mystery itself was entertaining, the possible budding romance between Alexander and Saffron well played, and I couldn't wait to find out how everything would turn out. This novel was well researched, both in science for the sake of the crime and history to bring the setting to life. A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons was a great start to a new series.

When Saffron Everleigh's mentor, Dr. Maxwell, is wrongly accused of attempted murder, she sets out in search of the answers to which toxin caused it and who was responsible for the crime.
Once again, the wonderful netgalley with the arcs for me to read made me get to know the first book in this series.
At the end of the book I was sad because I wanted to read more and then happy because I remembered that there's another one out and one to come.
I liked the writing especially when the author was describing the specific moment when we could see how the poison worked, I kept imagining the scene as if it were a movie.
I felt that the book was very quick and easy to absorb the events.
Saffron was a character I loved so much, it had been a while since I'd read a character and I loved the details. The other researcher, Alexander Ashton, was a worthy partner and I hope he's in the next book in the series.
As it was the beginning of the series, there were points that bothered me and that I hope will be fixed with the next books.

This book is an historical mystery set in the 1920's. I highly enjoyed the historical setting of the book. We follow Saffron Everleigh, who is a research assistant and the University College of London. At a dinner party someone is poisoned, and Saffron decides to try and find out who did it. Not without consequences.

The focus on botany in this book gave me a lot of joy. It's different from what I've read and gives a new twist to a mystery book. Although maybe there could've been even more talk about plants combined with the scenes in the greenhouse. That's a personal preference.

I got quite a quick start into the book, but halfway to three quarters I struggled a little bit and lost my pace. The ending was exciting though and definitely got me back on track.

As the start of a series, I think this is a great book. It'd be interesting to see how botany gets involved in other mystery stories.

I enjoy historical fiction novels and thought parts of this book had great pacing, page turning parts, but then in other sections, the pacing of this book was a little off for me, particularly through the middle. I acknowledge however that this was the first book in a series, and it is probably necessary to set up the world and events, but it made it slow going in the middle and honestly Saffron…she did some really dumb things, is the worst amateur detective, and clearly academically smart but completely lacking in the other areas.

I am unsure how I feel about the ‘romance’ in this one. Mainly because I am not sure if I’d prefer it just being her to try and right some wrongs and investigate mysteries, or if the romance adds to the story.

The academia setting and plant/botany information was interesting, but I would have liked it to be a bit more fast-paced to maintain my interest.

I really like the main character and the early chapters showing her investigating and analyzing plants and their potential dangers are excellent. The major crimes of the book were not as interesting to me, I wasn't enthralled by the decadent youth suspects. But I think the premise and main characters are very good and I will keep reading this series.