Elizabeth Everett has regaled her readers with a new series. It is the Damsels of Distress, and the first book is The Love Remedy. In this historical romance we have another STEM heroine, much like the heroines in Everett's The Secret Scientists of London series. This book is the first in a new spinoff series where women are not fitting into the molds of society of their time. Instead, their love of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is their focus in love, with romance entering into the picture.

Lucy is an apothecary. What is more is that her father left her the business, instead of one or both of her siblings, and that would include her brother David. David was certain the business would pass onto him, but even so, he and their younger sister Juliet all work together in one fashion or another. In this story, Lucy is beside herself when her lover Duncan wanted much more than she was ever prepared to give. In fact, keeping her family's apothecary running might just come to an end when Lucy discovers that Duncan has stolen a critical formula from her. Lucy hires Jonathan Thorne to retrieve the formula. Although acting in the capacity of private investigator, he comes into the family's business as their new bookkeeper.

Both Lucy and Thorne present as strong and independent people. Lucy, fighting in a field usually left for me. With regard to Thorne, he had a young daughter out of wedlock and chose to have her as a huge part of his life, paying close attention to her care and education. Of course, society simply did not bode well for those born 'on the other side of the cloth'. For Thorne, his daughter Sadie is everything to him and it was refreshing to read a historical romance where this was the case.

Lucy and Thorne are perfect for one another. Besides the fact that they are both as smart as a whip, they are impossibly drawn to one another, with the sexual tension between them nearly jumping off of the pages. I definitely look forward to continuing with the second book in this series.

Many thanks to Berkley and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

The Love Remedy, by Elizabeth Everett (March 19, 2024) Many thanks to @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for the gifted digital and audiobook copies - here is my honest review!

Lucy Peterson has a knack for developing formulas for her family’s apothecary. When her formula for a salve to treat croup goes missing, she is confident that it is another sabotage from a competing apothecary and hires a private detective from Tierney & Co, Jonathan Thorne, to help. Thorne has helped everyone from governments to wronged spouses with his signature grumpy demeanor. But something about Lucy’s strength, independence, and modern sensibilities disarms Thorne and his young daughter. As Thorne investigates, his desire to help Lucy save her business grows, as does his attraction to Lucy, but he has secrets of his own. Can Thorne overcome his past to help Lucy protect her future?

I’m generally not one for historical romances, but this one had some excellent elements that made it enjoyable. First, Lucy isn’t a damsel in distress or a delicate flower. She is intelligent, strong, and passionate. Likewise, gruff Thorne has a soft side. The world of medicine during this period was fascinating. I liked how the issues they deal with in the book are also a social commentary about today’s society - from women-owned businesses to access to reproductive care; Everett deftly uses the past to make a statement about the present. I liked the personal growth of both Lucy and Thorne when it comes to family. Lucy navigates loss and relationships with her grown, not-always-wise-decision-making siblings. Thorne is raising a daughter alone and letting go of the past with his family. This is the first book in a series, and I’ll absolutely try the next one.

This was an enjoyable read. I liked the plot, historical setting, STEM heroine representation and the romance. It moved a little slow for me at times but overall was a fun story! Thanks Berkley and Netgalley for my copy.

Lucy Peterson’s recipe for throat lozenges has been stolen and now her salve for croup has gone missing as well. She thinks she knows the culprit and wants it back as her family desperately needs the money that would come from the patent and sales of the remedies, so Lucy goes to Tierney & Co. for help.

Jonathan Thorne is an agent for Tierney & Co solving tricky problems like Lucy’s, but he’s not happy about his assignment to help her because Lucy is beautiful, and Thorne doesn’t need the temptation. After several years of debauchery that led to tragedy and left him a single father, Thorne tries to keep on the straight and narrow.

I really felt for Lucy, working so hard, as the neighborhood apothecary, she was basically the doctor for all that ailed the people around her. She was talented and smart in her field, working out the throat lozenge and croup recipe, so I was outraged by the theft! I wanted Thorne to get to the bottom of it and restore the recipes back to Lucy! I feel like the matter wasn’t fully resolved and didn’t fully address the culprit’s hand in things.

I felt like there were a lot of threads in this story including women’s rights over their body, and I do appreciate that, but it felt like a lot of things going on. I feel like the pacing suffered by shoving in several issues.

The romance between Thorne and Lucy was a slow burn and I enjoyed their chemistry. Nice and unexpectedly spicy! I did get a little exasperated over the miscommunication in the end. It felt like it dragged out a bit, but I knew everything would turn out by the end.

The Love Remedy is a spinoff of Everette’s previous series, The Secret Scientists of London, a series I enjoyed as well. Athena’s Retreat, The Guardians of Domesticity and a few previous characters show up again. I look forward to the next installment, which features Sam Fenley and Lady Phoebe, a sort of villain in the previous series. I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy courtesy of Berkley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A spicy slow burn that is so.so.good.

A historical romance about an apothecariast who is determined to be taken seriously despite someone trying to sabatoge her shop.

When Lucy seeks the assistance from Johnathan Thorne her world will turn upside down.

A rich, captivating story of strength, desire, women's rights, and the chance to make a difference.

This is the first book in a series involving strong-willed, pioneering women of earlier times in London. The story not only highlights the challenges for women in the advancement of medicine, but adds romance and humor in the mix. I found myself laughing out loud and getting questioning looks from people around me. I found Lucy wholly endearing, caring and entertaining. A great beginning to the series!

After her foppish ex-beau makes a fortune patenting and selling her throat lozenges and then her newly-created formula for croup salve also goes missing, apothecary Lucinda Peterson hires a private investigator to track it down. Agent Jonathan Thorne, however, is not what she expected.

First of all, why does he have to be all big and manly? Secondly, why must he scowl like that? Thirdly, she was not expecting him to be a doting single father. And fourthly, how does he seem to understand exactly what she needs?

It’s a forced proximity, workplace romance with a STEMinist heroine (🙌🏻) and The Gentleman Fighter hero. It takes on societal rules and expectations and makes the characters reevaluate their own self-imposed restrictions. AND it takes a stand on reproductive rights.

My favorite character in the story is Thorne’s daughter Sadie. She’s inquisitive, entertaining, and insightful.

I appreciated how Thorne helps Lucy get out of her head during the love scenes.

And I enjoyed the tie-ins to Everett’s The Secret Scientists of London series.

I did struggle to stay engaged in the story, however, and found myself getting very frustrated with Lucinda’s siblings. That being said, though, the things that did not work as well for me may work for you. I have several friends who absolutely adored this book.

I received an advance copy of the book from Berkley and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

Historical romance readers are sure to swoon over the latest scintillating novel by Elizabeth Everett – The Love Remedy.

Being a female apothecary in Victorian England is tough and nobody knows this better than Lucinda Peterson. Her intelligence, ingenuity and meticulous attention to detail has certainly garnered attention – of the wrong kind! A rival apothecary is determined to do whatever it takes to sabotage her business and when the formula to treat croup goes missing, Lucinda knows who is behind the latest misadventure. Angry, outraged and desperate to save her business, Lucinda has only one other option – a private detective who is the perfect man for the job: Jonathan Thorpe.

In his line of work, the single father detective is used to accepting commissions from a wide variety of clients. However, nobody has intrigued him quite like Lucinda Peterson. Spirited, resourceful and resilient, Lucinda is like no other woman he has ever met before and she quickly gets under his skin and charges through the iron-clad defenses which he had built around his heart. But with this case taking a decidedly dangerous turn, will their burgeoning flirtation end up being a casualty of this investigation? Or will Jonathan and Lucinda find a way to build a future together?

Elizabeth Everett’s The Love Remedy is a spellbinding Victorian romance full of sizzle, sparkle and sensuality that aims for the heart and does not miss. A beguiling historical tale with a deliciously brooding hero, a terrific heroine and suspense, tension, pathos and passion aplenty, Elizabeth Everett’s The Love Remedy is a must-read for romantics everywhere.

The Love Remedy is the first book in a new historical romance series focused on women in STEM. Lucy Peterson is an apothecary whose formula for treating croup has been stolen. A former suitor - who is also a rival apothecary - previously stole her formula for throat lozenges and is now taking credit for her work so she's certain he's the one responsible for this new theft. When she hires private investigator Jonathan Thorne to recover her stolen croup formula, they both get more than they bargained for.

This was well-written and the premise sounded interesting but it took a while for me to really get into it. The author did a good job incorporating important subjects such as women in medicine and women's healthcare into the story and I appreciated Lucy’s dedication to her field even though it went against everything society deemed “proper” for a woman.

While I liked Lucy and Thorne as characters, I wasn’t really feeling the chemistry between them so I didn't care much for the romance. I preferred the mystery part of the story but was a little disappointed with how everything played out.
There were some good side characters but Thorne's daughter Sadie definitely stole the show.

I'm curious to see what the next book in the Damsels of Discovery series will bring!

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book! It took a lot for me to stay connected to this book, its characters and the story line. I even considered it a “DNF” but I also didn’t want to give up on it! In the end, I am glad I finished it.

The romance is a slow burn as well as the story plot. I really kept reading to figure out what happened to Lucy’s stolen formula. The romance was okay. The answer for the stolen formula seemed to be up and down. It was sort of dry and then all of a sudden it was figured out and just like, oh okay. All is forgiven. The ending was cute and I am happy they ended up together, but it all seemed thrown together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

What a delightful story! It's one part mystery, one part romance, and one part bodily autonomy wrapped up in a glorious historical background.

I enjoyed reading about Lucy and Thorne as they come to realize the feelings they have about society and the feelings they have for each other do not need to be based in a particular set of rules. They are able to live and love how they want and reject the notion that society forces them to be inferior for reasons beyond their control.

The story was fun, but I do wish the mystery part of the book had a more satisfying resolution than what it did. The scenes between Lucy and Thorne were funny and tender. And I thought the prose was incredibly well written.

An excellent book with a lot of great characters.

Thank you @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own.

I love that Everett writes about women scientists in historical romance. In The Love Remedy, an overworked apothecary, Lucy, believes a traitorous ex has stolen her formulas for lozenges and croup. She hires Jonathan Thorne to help her solve the mystery. I really liked the grumpy Thorn and his daughter who move into apartments above the apothecary. Lucy gives so much of herself to her business and her family. It was nice to see someone there to support her. I liked Lucy’s frank conversations about sex and contraceptives. It’s frustrating that women are struggling with the same issues now as we were then. This is the first in a new series and I can’t wait to see what’s next!

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and the Berkley Besties program, all opinions are my own.

This was a super fun Victorian historical romance following a female apothecary and the private investigator she hires to recover something she's lost. Lucy Peterson is a rare female apothecary, who runs the family business with her brother and sister. She made the mistake of sharing her formula for a revolutionary new medicine with a fellow apothecary whom she fancied, and his shop is now thriving while Peterson's is barely scraping by. Lucy is certain this dastardly fellow has stolen another formula that can save her business, but she doesn't have proof. Enter Jonathan Thorne. Thorne is a agent for a firm that takes on cases for wronged women, and he has been hired under the guise of keeping Lucy's books. While he sorts her papers and gets her finances in order, Thorne is also gathering information from the locals in the hopes he might find who took the missing formula.

This tackled alot of subjects: women in medicine and STEM, women's healthcare, religion, sex education, class, race, and so much more. In a time where propriety reined supreme, Lucy is left to inherit the family business, when women did not work and train as apothecaries and in medicine. Lucy wants to run the shop while her sister who is also an apothecary wants to treat patients, their brother wants nothing to do with either. This leaves Lucy feeling isolated, frustrated, and abandoned. I was frustrated with Lucy because she never communicates that to her siblings, she has a hard time communicating in general. She has lots of big feelings, but has a hard time asking for help and expressing her wants and needs. That paired with the betrayal of her former beau and her failing business she is a bit overwhelmed. She is actually pretty realistic. Thorne is a man of few words, but he has lots of rules that he lives by, I liked that Lucy challenged him on his standards and rules and made him take off his rose tinted glasses. He is a single dad so he is trying his best to be a good father and role model for his delightful daughter, but in turn he is missing out on

Overall this was a fun, slow burn romance. I really enjoyed the characters as they navigated society and each other. Lucy and Thorne's attraction does eventually lead to some spicy scenes. I thought they were pretty tame compared to other spicy romances I've read, however it does fit the time period and writing style of the book.

When Lucy discovers her popular lozenge formula has been stolen by a rival apothecary she turns to private investigator Jonathan Thorne to take back what is hers. Rough and broken from his boxing days, Thorne is now a reformed single father doing what he can to help the right people. When he agrees to help Lucy Thorne’s his eyes are opened to a new reality. He is introduced to intelligent, scientific and fiercesome women who don’t apologize for not complying to societal standards. But will his aristocratic past prevent a true relationship with Lucy?

This book has so many layers and does not shun from controversial issues, primarily a woman’s right to choose but also females in the sciences both of which still is a poignant issues today. The strong message of feminism has always made me love Elizabeth Everett and this new series has not changed that in the slightest!

I am not normally a historical romance reader, but I enjoyed this one. Maybe it was the mashup of romance, mystery and STEM that kept me intrigued. Lucinda is a strong woman that I could relate to. And who doesn’t love a single father, especially when his name is Thorne? A Victorian story taking place at an apothecary set the mood for me.

I’ll admit that it took me a little while to warm up to the main characters, but I did and found I was rooting for their HEA and to solve the problem of who stole the formula.

Since I don’t usually read this genre, I found the spice in the prim and proper era challenged my brain and made the scenes a little more exciting. I also found this to be true for the feminist aspect of it. My brain engages a little more when it thinks there are conflicting themes.

I might just have to look up more by this author.

The Love Remedy by Elizabeth Everett, book one in the The Damsels of Discovery series, is a historical romance based in Victorian London, filled with history, mystery, suspense, and romance. This is the story of Lucy Peterson, a female apothecary who uses her scientific skills to help people, and Jonathon Thorne, a private investigator, hired to track down and prove that her ex stole from her the formula to what is sure to be a lucrative tonic. As they work together to solve the case and protect her business, Lucy and Jonathon develop a romantic relationship that challenges the social norms of their time. This series will continue, following the lives of Lucy’s sisters, who are also involved in science and medicine. The book is a great choice for readers who enjoy historical romance, mystery, and feminism, and who want to read a positive and inspiring story.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

3.25 stars

The Love Remedy is an inventive historical romance that is both aware of its historical context and of the current state of affairs in the world. I applaud author Elizabeth Everett for exploring these particular themes in the text, and feel that this type of representation is important given the current landscape.

Without spoiling the plot, I will say that there were things that I responded to, and others that I didn’t. I wasn’t satisfied with the overall narrative arc, but that’s probably because I am an oldest child/sister, and the ways in which Lucy placates and accommodates all of her siblings in spite of their misdeeds hit a little too close to home. The mystery of the missing formula did not unfold in a satisfying way, nor did I feel like the punishment equaled the crime.

I also didn’t quite buy the connection between Thorne and Lucy, and felt like the burn between them was perhaps a little to slow. Overall, though, it’s a good start to the series, and I’m curious to see what comes next.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you @berkleypub & @prhaudio for my complimentary copy. My thoughts are my own.

I generally love stories that take place during the Victorian era, and I was intrigued by the storyline in this book: a 19th century female apothecary whose formula is stolen turns to a private investigator for help. However, it took me awhile to warm up to the main characters and I liked Lucy more than Thorne. LUCY was a strong businesswoman who believed in her career and did her best to help her customers. THORNE was too grumpy, stiff and reserved. I did like that he was a single dad and he tried to do his best for his daughter. Lucy and Thorne had barely met before they took things to the bedroom. I thought this was unrealistic for the time period and the frequent sexual interludes actually took away from the story. The highlight of this book was the information given about women’s reproductive health care in the 1800s.

I recommend the print version over the audio version for this book.

Favorite Quotes:

One thing Thorne learned early on in fatherhood was that lying to your child was the key to domestic harmony. Carrots were what dwarves ate to give them the ability to see in dark mines, and if you ate yours before they cooled, you, too, might be able to spot gemstones in the dark. Baths were necessary because they washed away any leftover bad dreams from the night before. If you didn’t go to sleep, you wouldn’t grow big enough to ride a unicorn. Unicorns lived in Cheshire and only let little girls who ate their vegetables ride them.

Sadie had been the one to precipitate his proposal to Mrs. Merkle, although not as enthusiastically as she’d advocated for him to marry Miss Highland, the milliner (she had a nice smile and Sadie would always have new bonnets), or their neighbor Mrs. Downwith (septuagenarian she might be, but she enjoyed baking biscuits and had a lapdog Sadie found charming).

The commotion amid the congregation this morning rivaled the time Mrs. Inglewood fell so fast asleep that she’d toppled off her pew and woke screaming that the devil had finally come to get her.


My Review:

I rarely read this genre but I would more often if they were all as cleverly penned and compelling a tale as this one. Elizabeth Everett has mad skills and I am her newest acolyte. I fell into her poignant and heart squeezing arrangements of words that were brilliantly peppered with amusing lashing of wit and wry humor as well as insightful observations. Her characters were uniquely drawn while each was deeply flawed yet endearing, hard working, and mostly well intended. I adored them while also wanting to give them a thump or two with my Kindle.

okay this book came out TODAY, so this review is late but here. i really enjoyed this for what it was. what we realized is that unexpected allies and revenge are great tropes but historicals are not for me. i just can never get into the story because the language takes me out of it. this is not bad and if you like books set in historical times then you will like this more than i.