Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for the advanced reader copy and to PRHAudio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

This is a book set when women are working for recognition of their work in science and engineering, jounalists debate the use of the press to inform or persuade, and men claim views they don't believe in to convince working men to join their cause. Did I mention this was a historical romance? Because it all feels quite relevant today.

A Love by Design is the third book in Elizabeth Everett's series, The Secret Scientists of London. This is a second chance romance. Maggie and Earl Grantham grew up together. Their social circumstances have completely flipped, and now they are back to spending time together because of their mutual friend.

I really enjoyed the story and especially how intent he was. The romance was great, though with just a bit more miscommunication than I prefer. And I especially enjoyed all the other aspects of the plot and characters.

The audiobook was narrated be Elizabeth Jasicki. She did a great job with clear distinction among the many female voices.

The author's note at the end absolutely got me, and I am so grateful it was also included in the audiobook. I definitely recommend this book in any format.

3.5/5
Now widowed, Margaret Gault returns to London with big plans; establishing the first woman-owned-engineering firm. But nothing is easy, especially for a woman and especially with the Earl Grantham who is more than happy to be reunited with the woman he’s loved since childhood. Margaret doesn’t need that distraction and even less considering how that same man once broke her young heart. Between secrets, political conflicts, and a world set against women, Margaret will have to fight to take her place, and Grantham will have to fight even more to have a place in her heart and in her life.

This was my first book from this series (yes, it’s a bad habit of mine, if I see something I like, I kinda want it now no matter if I should wait and read the first books before). I really enjoyed meeting all the characters and I’m surely intrigued about all their stories now! George was simply wonderful. Funny, wise, caring, he’s really dreamy, honestly. I loved the banter between him and Kneland. And seeing him always brightened up the pages! Margaret is a strong woman, that’s for sure. She made her way through life and accomplished great things. And maybe she wants too much to succeed on her own. Sharing and asking for help should never be negative, and I hope she knows now, there were some great quotes about that and how hard it can be, I loved it a lot! I wish she had a more evident evolution, I feel like by the end of the book she was starting to see it more that way but it did not really show in her actions. I did enjoy the plot, it was strong and I particularly enjoyed the second part of the book. I feel like it might have taken me a while to get into it but then it started to be more entertaining and I was looking forward to getting to know what will happen and how our characters will be able to make all of it work. Definitely worth reading!

Thanks so much to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I just REALLY love this series. Maggie and George might be my favorite characters of this series so far. Grantham is a pure cinnamon roll and I love him so much 😭

Obviously women supporting women is a major theme for the series, but I really enjoyed this version where the line between right and wrong was so blurred. It was the most divided we'd seen Athena's Retreat and it was a very interesting dynamic.

I'm also obsessed with best bro frenemies Grantham and Kneland. They were hysterical and I could read a whole series about them a la the Bromance Book Club.

Thanks to Netgalley & Berkley for the advanced e-book!

Review: The Secret Scientists of London is one of my all-time favorite series, and this newest installment was just as awesome as the previous books have been! Margaret was a fantastic lead character. Grantham was a cinnamon roll hero, who I adored. Their romance was so sweet! I was so happy that Violet and Arthur played a big role in this book, I loved getting to read about them again. The epilogue was great. I can't wait to read whatever Elizabeth Everett writes next! Overall, I highly recommend this book!

I received an e-ARC via the publisher.

Sometimes I can’t believe there was ever a time where I didn’t like a second chance romance, because what’s not to like? Two people who were each other’s everything wrenched apart for whatever reason, forced back together again and they still find a way to make it work through the pain and misunderstandings of the past to forge a new future. I love that! So of course I loved ‘A Love By Design’. Maggie and George are such wonderful characters. We meet them when they both have done so much work on themselves, personally and professionally, to grow and establish themselves as the people they want to be. And yet there’s a little more room to grow together, for the better. Maggie is such a force of a character, prickly and determined to establish the first woman-owned engineering firm in England even as she must go head to head with the man she once (still!) love. George is my favorite kind of love interest because he knows exactly what he did wrong and has grown into the kind of person who can accept the responsibility of his actions and grow beyond. This was as great read, and since I wasn’t aware it was third in a series, I’m looking forward to backtracking to the first two!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

** 3.5 Stars **
I have glanced down the list of reviews and ratings for this book and quickly learned I am in the minority. So, feel free to quit reading at this point if you like. I met and liked Earl Grantham in earlier books and was looking forward to an exciting, romantic, whiz-bang story for him. I was also looking for an exciting, no-holds-barred, wrap-up for the series. I don’t feel I got any of that, so I am sad about that. Don’t get me wrong – I think George is about as romantic as they get, I just don’t think his story was.

Margaret, Violet, and George were childhood friends – and Margaret and George were childhood sweethearts. Margaret and George had planned to run away together and marry so she could accompany him to Canada as a soldier’s wife – except – he ended it on the morning they were to leave. Why? Since it would be a bit of a spoiler I won’t tell you, so you’ll just have to read the book to learn why. Since Margaret couldn’t marry George, she left for France to become an apprentice engineer and there she married the son of her mentor.

This book begins several years later when Margaret is back in London as a widow and George has inherited an earldom. George still loves Margaret – he never stopped loving her, but Margaret, on the other hand, doesn’t think she wants anything to do with George. She is adamant – absolutely nothing and no one will get in the way of her starting her engineering firm and being the first female engineer in England. She is ruthless in pursuit of that goal – and even accepts a contract that is backed by the man who has openly tried to harm her fellow scientists. She doesn’t even tell them what she is doing. That smacks of dishonesty to me.

Poor tongue-tied, fumble-footed George is bent on wooing Margaret. He is so funny, entertaining, caring, and loving. You couldn’t ask for a lovelier hero – he is perfectly content to be the rug on which she wipes her feet. Finally, after a bit of danger, Margaret figures out where she needs to be.

I found the story to be a bit draggy and flat when it could have been so exciting. We spent page after page learning about engineering when we could have been learning about the plot to ruin Margaret and get rich. We could have seen more machinations from Victor Armitage and his Guardians of Domesticity. But we didn’t get any of that and I found myself skimming page after page.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Will they find the right equilibrium to make it work …

Oh my !
I just love Georgie, or George.
He is such a sweetheart in a big teddy bear suit.
Because or thanks to his upbringing, he has become a man who understands women’s plights and their struggles to come out of the boxes men put them in. He grew up with two clever specimens of bigger intellect than himself. They were his best friends, two girls who had a war in front of them if they wanted to be heard.
Why he fights for their rights but it is a harsh battle as the era is still not ready to accept women are able to ponder and think beyond the scope they are classically defined.
Why it is not surprising to learn , he has loved one and only woman his whole life, one he hurt when he left her. Now close to a decade and half later, she is back, thus how to win her forgiveness when words have always failed him to express his thoughts.
Margaret left everything behind when she had been turned down by the boy she cherished a her friend and her first love. She found her path, married a man who saw outside his sex’s prejudices. Yet she is still the young girl unsure of herself, too tall, hardworking but her specialty is a man’s prerogative, why she faces wall after wall. So when she finds an overture, she is not very mindful, she has now the means to make a name of herself, to in some way promote that women can be as brilliant as any man.

They are so great together, he stands by her side, she sees beyond his quips and pranks.
And while she wants her name to shine, as she a woman can succeed like any man, he fights to give every girl the right to choose her future, to give them all options and choices.
Of course there is the background plot with the villain of the previous book, as while I wondered when the second shoes would drop, he was also offering Margaret a way to show she was more than the being her sex labeled her to be.

An exiting and fascinating foray in the historical STEM field where women had to fight every equation and every step, where they were denied everything.
Margaret like all her friends and colleagues had to make choice about her private life, so how can she fit in a peer’s world when she works for her living. Luckily for her, George is not the usual nobility, he sees beyond the closed scope of his peers.
4.5 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 onscreen lovemaking scenes

I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

A Love by Design by Elizabeth Everett is a delightful and breezy contemporary romance. The delicious sexual tension between the two main characters adds spice to what is otherwise a lighthearted tale. At its heart, this novel offers up an infectious message about taking risks and embracing change in order to build new beginnings. Put simply, it's escapist reading at its very best!

What can I say? This whole series is so much fun and this new installment is no different!

A female regency-era engineer? Check! A sweet earl who has always held out for his one true love and has an endless need to gift outrageous gifts to a baby? Check! A pair of violent geese? Check!

I loved both George and Margaret. I'm not usually one for second chance romances, but something about the fact that 13 years had gone by in between and both had lived separate lives and grown in that time, made their reunion so much sweeter! Some readers pointed out that they weren't as interested in the smaller sub plots, but I actually found them to be a nice source of comedic relief!

The one thing that stuck out to me was that a fairly legitimate conflict was brought up as a reason why they couldn't be together and instead of resolving it fully, it felt like those reasons were glossed over so that we could get to our happily ever after. I would have liked to see that resolved a little more.

However, I still greatly enjoyed my time reading this book and would absolutely recommend!

Another fun addition to this world. I enjoy that not all science is the same just like not all the tropes used to bring the heroes together are not the same.

I have so enjoyed Elizabeth Everett’s series - it is so much of what I love about romance - but specifically historical romance. The weaving of real events, playing with contemporary ones, and at the heart of it all - all the feels. This one totally delivered. Between a giant himbo with all the emotions and a negative amount of game, a prickly heroine who is brilliant - but also awkward as heck. Conversations round selling out, what one must do to get ahead when you are at a disadvantage, not to mention realistic villains. I can’t say enough good things - this honestly is pretty coherent despite the annotations I have from reading.

TL/DR Review
Stars: Five Perfectly Engineered Stars
Series: The Secret Scientists of London book three - read them all for full effect
POV: dual third
Steam: medium - slow burn but it burns, virgin hero, swoon kisses
Tropes: mutual pining, childhood friends to lovers, himbo MMC, women in STEAM, everyone is tall, competence kink, found family
For Fans Of: Science and Eve Dangerfield’s himbos
Theme Song: She Blinded Me With Science by Thomas Dolby
Subgenre: historic
CW/ TW: references to toxic family situations, references to death, misogyny, some one page threats of violence

"All this time, and it was always only you."

In the third book in the Secret Scientists of London series, A Love by Design follows engineer Maggie Gault and her childhood love Georgie Willis (Grantham). I enjoyed the first two books in the series, but it took me a hot minute to get my brain back into the world and to remember all the characters and their connections to each other.

I loved the historical aspect regarding reform movements for education and child labor and especially that Grantham was so dead set on equality for all. But what I fell in love with most about him was how he would give up anything in order to make Maggie happy. He had no qualms not being in charge in society or in the relationship if it meant Maggie could succeed. On top of this, he was incredibly sensitive and emotional, which is something you don't see very much in male leads, especially in regency romances.

Everett's female leads are always strong and fiercely independent and Maggie is no exception to that rule. She tightrope walks the line of having real power, but also having to pay a price for that power as a woman. It was interesting learning about the world of engineering. I felt like the steamy scenes were incredibly well done and I loved the little surprise Grantham had for us.

My only complaint with the book was that while the romance was very well done, some of the other plots felt underdeveloped. There was a lot going on and it didn't feel like everything was completely essential to the overall story. But just like the previous books, there is a bit of suspense, but I liked the suspense element in this one the best out of all three books.

A Love By Design is a second chance, he falls first steamy regency romance. Thanks to Berkley for the gifted eARC.

A Love By Design – Elizabeth Everett

Margaret Gault is determined. Widowed, she returns to Athena’s Retreat to work alongside her fellow female scientists to be established as England’s first woman-owned engineering firm. Being back in England also means she runs into her childhood best friend and the first love of her life who left her heartbroken; George Willis, The Earl Gratham. While navigating her feelings towards George, she decides to sign a deal to engineer a tunnel even though it’s being backed by greedy, misogynistic investors. How will the occupants of Athena’s Retreat react when they find out? How will George?

This was such a sweet and empowering book. It was smart and inspiring. I really admire Maggie’s drive and can understand the decisions she made in this book. I also wish there are a lot more Georgies in the real life world. I’m obsessed with his character and his hilarious personality.

Hope you enjoy this book as well as the first two in the series!

Pub Day – Jan 17

I loved many things about this novel. First would have to be the characters. It was fun to revisit the characters of Athena's Retreat, and I loved seeing George and Arthur "fighting" (in other words: expressing best-friendship) about George's increasingly ridiculous gifts for Violet & Arthur's baby. I loved George as a character in general - he was so sweet and funny and had an absolute heart of gold. He cared and was trying to do good with the title he'd never wanted. I loved Margaret as well, though she was a bit pricklier and also incredibly stubborn. If she'd let people in and asked for help earlier in the novel I wouldn't have been so frustrated at her decisions... though it also would have meant there would be less story. She is strong and bold and determined and yes, stubborn. I also loved the bit we get of Sam, who I remember loving in the previous book.

This novel really drove home the 'rich and powerful men want to control and dominate women and will do anything to undermine them and keep them from succeeding and keep the status quo' point from previous books -- a point which really hits close to home after watching the events of the past few years unfolding. Much like the real-world events, the events of the novel were infuriating and had me rooting for Maragaret and her friends to prove themselves.

The romance was sweet and one of my favorite kinds -- a second-chance romance between childhood friends / crushes. It was easy to get behind it because George was so very gone on Margaret. He was so in awe of her engineering brain and determined spirit and it was so refreshing, with all the terrible men in the story. They all wanted to crush her beneath their boots for the audacity of being a woman with ideas, and he just wanted to worship her for it. It was clear that Margaret loved him as well -- she just had to get past her stubborn self-reliant independence.

The one thing I could have done without was the sex scenes. There weren't too many -- three, I think? -- but they were very... detailed. Luckily they weren't vital and I could skim them (slowing down to read the dialogue in case it advanced the plot, which it occasionally did). And for me, three sex scenes is three too many. I know I'm in the minority here, and in fact I saw some reviewers lamenting that there weren't enough sex scenes -- which, how? -- so I'm going to chalk it up to just the average romance reader apparently liking to read about sex a lot more than I do and not let it impact my rating.

Margaret also dragged the stubborn independence thing on a liiiiiiittle bit too long, in my opinion, and it bogged down the middle 40% of the book. I think some tightening of the plot there would go a long way toward making this flow better and feel more consistent.

Overall though I really loved it. I love stories with smart women and men with hearts of gold, and this delivered that beautifully.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley for providing an early copy for review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC
I really wanted to like this series more than I did.
The writing is fine, I liked the premise of a STEM womens' club, but all that seemed to get trampled under the feet of unlikely romances. I often found the sex scenes out of place and not really in keeping with the tone of the rest of the book.
As another reviewer said, this book ends 'happily' but the protagonists have not made any real progress with their lives I think. Even with all the going on about women scientists, the author seems to relegate her women characters to traditional roles.
I was fascinated by the idea of a female architect/engineer, but it seems like no one really took Margaret seriously.
George, while very fond of her, could not overcome his habit of rushing in to 'save' her.
Fans of traditional historical romance novels may like these, do warn them there is explicit sex.

Looooooved this book! We often say that second-chance romance isn't our favorite trope, but it turns out that when the right authors take it on, we kind of love it? Like, take A Love by Design for example. George and Margaret were teenage sweethearts, but she married someone else and they've been in different countries for LITERALLY over a decade. But now Maggie's back in town and George has finally decided that he should, y'know, talk to her about the past or something.

Elizabeth Everett's series has always been great at pointing out the compromises it takes to be in a relationship, exacerbated by the social class differences and inequalities faced by women in the Victorian era. This book takes it a step further with Maggie and George. George is a hero who verges on himbo-ism, with a sunny disposition that hides an introspective center. He and Maggie both suffer from impostor syndrome, and the different ways they deal with it are simultaneously authentic and heartbreaking.

Also, ummmmmm, not sure how to break this to you if you didn't know already, but the sweetest earl of them all, little Georgie Willis is a virgin because IT'S ALWAYS BEEN MAGGIE (don't mind us we're just swooning. Or maybe screaming? Can you do both at the same time? Cause that's what we're doing.)

Do yourself a favor and read this one.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

Everett's Secret Scientists of London series continues to be a delight. There's a lot of nuance in this entry in particular as the female MC doesn't want her work to be a secret, but is pursing a public profession and the difficulties this presents in the time period are many. Questions about imperfect progress are handled with care and depth. All that, plus the chemistry in the second-chance pairing sizzles.
I've knocked one star off because the ending and epilogue feel both too rushed and too tidy. And there are a few instances of confusing transitions in the writing from a character's thoughts to the scene they are in and vice versa. Relatively small issues overall, and I'll continue to recommend this series to readers. It can work as a standalone, but is definitely better enjoyed in series order.

A Love by Design by Elizabeth Everett is the 3rd book in her The Secret Scientists of London series. Refresher: Athena’s Retreat is a women’s club for female scientists, who are smart, savvy, independent, intelligent, women who work on their own time to practice and learn how to create scientific things. They all support one another, and fight against the injustices that women should stay home and let men do the work. The feminism vibes in this series reflects on these wonderful women that are truly inspiring.

We meet our heroine, Margaret (Maggie) Gault, who has always been independent and determined to succeed in a man’s world. Margaret is now widowed, and returns to Athena’s Retreat, welcomed by her follow scientists and friends; she also plans on establishing the first woman owned engineering firm. She is extremely talented and savvy, as well as a force to be reckoned with; willing to stand up to anyone. With little support from other firms, Margaret is hired by a company to create a challenging project, with a secret donator, Victor Armitage, who is part of Guardians of Domesticity; who want to close Athena’s Retreat. However, Maggie is surprised to see her old childhood flame, who is now a very powerful and wealthy man; and who broke her heart all those years ago.

George Willis, the Earl of Grantham, is thrilled to see Maggie again, and is determined to win her over. But can Maggie forgive his betrayal? George is very supportive of the women’s movement, and as the Earl of Grantham, he wants to stop Victor Armitage, and get his own parliamentary reforms supported. Grantham uses his charm, not to mention his good looks and physique to work on winning Maggie over to his cause.
The slow burn second chance romance pulled on our heartstrings, rooting hard for them to open their hearts. I did love George and Maggie together; as they really made a great couple. The banter between them was fun, as the sexual tension between them grew; with their chemistry off the wall. I really enjoyed the other secondary characters, especially Violet and Arthur, and the banter between Grantham and Arthur.

What follows is Margaret realizing that those who offered her this job, were not true to her plan. She needed to face her friends and work with George to save everything. George was instrumental in finding a way to stop the Guardians of Domesticity and Victor Armitage. A Love by Design by Elizabeth Everett was well written, and a fun read.

Anyone interested in women in STEM + romance + historical fiction?🙋

Then pre-order this mash up of friends to enemies to lovers trope and second chances that will have romance readers delighted as they will be intrigued in this third romance novel of Everett’s the Secret Scientists of London series.

A Love by Design, focuses on the pair to be matched: engineer Margaret “Maggie” Gault and George Willis, Earl Grantham. These two have a history of being childhood sweethearts, though eventually grow apart. I absolutely loved the prologue and the first impression these two made on each other!

But when Maggie returns to England, after her husbands death, she is determined to set up the first female engineering firm and enter Earl Grantham.

Cleverly penned, A Love by Design is a story of women in science breaking down the patriarchy, Gentlemen (George that is) taking on big issues in the political sphere regarding gender and class struggles, to create much needed social reforms, all the while a delicious romance unfolds, with intimate moments that include reproductive choices adding to the brilliance of the story as a whole.

Irresistible, you won’t be able to put this one down.

Happy Reading ~ Cece

This is the third story in the Secret Scientists of London series. It stars Margaret Gault and George Willis, the Earl Grantham. They were childhood friends and shared difficult childhoods. George was the abused son of a man who abused his mother and him. Margaret was the daughter who favored science and disappointed her widowed mother at every turn.

After a childhood breakup due to George's fear that following the drum after him would ruin her future, Margaret goes off to France to be an engineer. She marries, and is widowed, but never manages to convince her father-in-law that she can run the firm. After he closes it, she returns to London to open her own engineering firm.

Meanwhile, Georgie has grown up too. He's served in the military and inherited the earldom from his grandfather. His own life experiences make it essential for him to do something about children like himself and he finds himself working for reform in Parliament.

When Margaret is hired to build a new Thames tunnel by a man who loudly hates the idea that women would ever be able to work outside the home and who has caused trouble for the Athena Society, she is in conflict with George who is opposed to everything her new boss stands for. Her decision also causes dissention in the Athena Society as women take sides about the future of women.

I enjoyed the romance between Margaret and George which looked like it wasn't ever going to come right because each character was so bound up in their insecurities. I liked the political landscape which seemed hopeless for women who wanted the right to be treated as human being with equal opportunities.

Fans of the series will enjoy glimpses of the main characters of the previous two books. New fans will enjoy it too.