The premise of The Love Remedy was so promising. Another feminist historical romance from Everett with a female apothecary, a former gentleman prizefighter single dad, and a stolen medicine formula was bound to be wonderful. And all of those things *were* wonderful. Add in an adorable kiddo, a trans side character, a bisexual brother, and an abortion/reproductive health clinic and this had the makings of a perfect story for me.

Unfortunately, I was just…bored. A lot of the story is Thorne, our MMC, walking around investigating the missing formula without us actually seeing him make any headway. Or Lucy, our FMC, treating people that come into the shop and then lamenting her stolen formula/the apothecary’s slip into ruin. There’s not much happening. And I don’t even necessarily have to have a big ole plot going on. But all of these scenes didn’t feel like they were doing much besides taking up page count. Plus I felt exactly zero chemistry between Thorne and Lucy, no matter how much I wanted their to be.

I mean, Everett nails the historical research as always and I’m always a bit sad when I don’t enjoy a historical romance in this vein. Because the historical part is awesome and really digs in to pieces of history I don’t know as much about. Plus it highlights the fact that queerness, women’s healthcare/bodily autonomy, and feminist movements aren’t something new.

The execution just fell really flat and I couldn’t get the book to hold me interest.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an ARC as a Berkley partner! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

A lonely apothecary meets a grumpy private detective in this historical romance. I'd recommend you give this book the time it deserves to set the stage for the story, as the second-half is better than the first. Romance blossoms, a mystery unfolds and secrets are revealed in this love story. The Love Remedy story line features inspiring aspects such as women in science, a single father and fear of letting go for love.

There's plenty of tension, angst, and a bit of spice I didn't see coming. Its scary we are still battling many of the same health issues Lucy and her sisters fight so hard to provide women of this time.

Look forward to the next installment in the The Damsel's of Discovery series.

Thank you, Berkley Publishing Group.

I really enjoyed this story and the slow-burn romance between Lucy and Thorne. I loved Thore, he is grumpy and filled with soft squishy marshmallows, especially regarding his daughter. She was adorable, and I loved watching her discover her love for scientific things. I really enjoyed Lucy and how hard she worked to help the people in her community, and what she was willing to do to uncover/prove who she thinks the person is who stole her formula.
Her frustrated rants, when she goes to hire Thorne, had me laughing out loud. I had a lot of different feelings for her siblings. It felt like a lot of things between them could have been resolved if they just had a conversation, and when certain things came out they were forgiven pretty easily and I would have liked to have seen them grovel at least a little bit. I loved all the customers who came into the shop and loved Sadie, Thornes's daughter.
I thought this was a sweet romance with great side characters and a pretty decent mystery. I would read more by this author.

THE TENSION AND ANGST IN THIS ONE!!!!

What a thoroughly enjoyable and addicting read! This was a page-turner for me, and I stayed up reading so I could finish it. The premise was so interesting and I did like a lot of the plot, but what I most enjoyed was the chemistry, banter, and tension between Lucy and Thorne. I am not a single-dad lover, but I loved this one, even though he is very flawed and throughout the book has to wrestle with his society-set biases. Lucy is a great main character also, and I love how she and her sister confront (what I imagine to be) real issues with medical care that were present in their time period.

This book was spicier than I would've thought, but I actually really liked the smut and the tension leading up to it made it even better!

I wish the ending hadn't been so rushed, because I didn't feel completely satisfied by the resolution but overall I really liked this and will definitely read more from Elizabeth Everett.

The Love Remedy is the first in a new series by Elizabeth Everett. Everett has become an auto-buy author for me as I love all of her stories and don't expect that to change. They feature strong female characters in a time when women weren't necessarily in charge of their world and I'm here for it.

Lucy is our fmc and she owns / runs an apothecary. When her recently perfected formula for a salve to treat croup goes missing, she is convinced the thief is someone who wronged her in the past. To get the proof needed (and her formula back) Lucy hires a private investigator. Enter Jonathan Thorne.

Jonathan works for Tierney & Co but he hasn't always. His past includes being a rich wastrel and a boxer. But as a single father, he has changed his ways and now does whatever he can to provide for his daughter. When he is assigned a case to find a missing formula, he meets Lucy and is intrigued. As they work side-by-side to find the culprit, they are drawn to each other in more ways than they expected.

I truly enjoyed this story. Both Lucy and Jonathan have been beat up (literally and figuratively) and they are doing whatever they need to in order to survive. But it's hard and they form a connection that eventually turns to more than just a friendship. I loved the side characters in this story too - Lucy's brother and sister, Jonathan's daughter, and all the customers that engage at the apothecary, they all had a role to play and only enhanced the main characters and their stories.

As I said, I'll be picking up more from Everett in the future. Her books pull me into the character's lives and won't let me go until I turn the last page and I love that about them. If you're looking for a new historical romance, definitely pick this one up and don't forget about the other books too! They all have a secure place on my bookshelves and I look forward to adding more.

Lucinda Peterson, a pharmacist at her wit’s end, is trying to keep the family business going. When her missing Rx recipes turn up at her former lover & rival pharmacist’s shop, making him rich, Lucinda is determined to set things straight. Enter private investigator (and bookkeeper) Jonathan Thorne who lends Lucinda a hand in her business and personal affairs. This Victorian romance has smart women, an “ugly” leading man, and steamy sex scenes. Romance fans will love the first book in this new Damsels of Discovery series.

A spirited, but lonely apothecary meets a grumpy former fighter-turned-private agent in this historical romance.

This was a nice, easy read for me. I finished it in a day and am floundering between rating it three stars or four. I have settled on three for now, but that could in fact change. I did enjoy the book, however, there were aspects that I think could be improved upon.

The romance, for example, was underdeveloped. I believed in the two main character's chemistry and attraction to one another. But I never quite bought they were fully in love versus lust. Secondly, the resolution to the ongoing "mystery" was lackluster and honestly a bit silly. And lastly, so many issues could have been avoided if the siblings had just sat down and had an honest conversation. Half the time it felt like the most mature person in the room was Sadie, Thorn's nine-year-old daughter.

That being said, overall, I liked Lucy and Thorne as individual characters. I only wish we would have seen a little more growth on their end. Still, I was entertained so I'll probably check out the rest of the series in the future.

This is an engaging story about two people who are each carrying heavy burdens learning to let each other in. There are fun cameos from the women scientists books if you recognize them, but you can also read it without reading the other series.

I really liked all the characters. They were complex and felt very real. I loved Sadie and her gleeful recounting of all the facts she learned at her science school. Lucy was strong and determined but also bent to the point of breaking under the weight of her responsibilities. Thorne was closed off and rigid and desperately in need of someone breaking him out of his self-imposed shell.

The romance wasn't swoony but was more subtle, a gradual and reluctant giving in to a partnership of mutual appreciation and aide. I really liked that. I prefer a quiet partnership to a grand passionate romance anyway.

What I appreciate most about this story though, is how fiercely feminist it is. Lucy is determined to continue running the apothecary and providing real cures to people who can't afford them. Her sister Juliet works to provide medical and reproductive care to women in need. Her brother David seems flighty but has his own crusade. Lucy is also determined that every woman should be given the method and means to prevent pregnancy and induce menses if that choice is taken from them.

All of this flies in the face of Thorne's upper-class upbringing of what a 'good' woman should do and know, and serves to create the major conflict between them. Lucy refuses to compromise on her ideals and she shouldn't have to.

The author's note at the end brings that struggle into even starker relief. Elizabeth Everett makes it very clear where she stands on the issue of women's reproductive rights and more power to her. It's an issue that deserves fighting for and taking a strong stance on.

I would say that the writing and character development of this is even better than the women scientists series and I look forward to her next book.

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

Set in Victorian England, our heroine Lucinda Peterson is the owner of the family apothecary and talented and creating formula's to treat a wide range of ailments. When her formula for croup goes missing she hires Jonathan Thorne to investigate. Jonathan has a complicated past but a charming daughter. I usually enjoy historical romances where the heroines are progressive in actions and thinking especially when there is a mystery involved. Lucinda is fighting patriarchy and discrimination throughout the story. Unfortunately, I did not find the investigation and mystery gripping as I had hoped and the story leans more to a romance which suffers from lack of communication. The high light of the story was Jonathan's daughter who was endearing and entertaining. I think this story is a good addition to books that highlight women in science. This is the first book in The Damsels of Discovery series.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley publishers for the review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Lucinda “Lucy” Peterson and her siblings run their family’s apothecary shop, Lucy and her sister Juliet both trained as apothecaries and are members of the guild, but her sister’s true calling is working at a clinic in the slums, and their brother isn’t really interested in the shop, leaving Lucy to keep the shop running as well as her father’s legacy. Lucy is overworked and is fighting to keep her business going, it isn’t easy, especially in a male-controlled world, she and her sister are the only female apothecaries in London – possibly England and face more than their share of discrimination and censure, as they are willing to help women with reproductive issues. Not only does she have the “Guardians” breathing down her neck, but she has already lost one potential money-maker by trusting her lover, Duncan Rider (a rival apothecary owner) with her formula, he took her formulation and patented it, cutting her out completely. So when another formula goes missing and she is convinced that Duncan has stolen it and hires an agent from Tierney & Co to find out if Duncan is in fact the thief. She is determined not to fall in love again, but she didn’t count on being attracted to the man, or liking his young daughter so much.

Jonathan “Thorne” Thornwood, aka Jon Thorne, the Gentleman Fighter is the son of a Baron who was cut off by his family when he refused to send Sadie, his daughter away, as she is the result of Thorne’s relationship with Genevieve, a courtesan of mixed race. Thorne never planned on marrying Genny, but he won’t turn his back on his daughter, so when Genny died, Thorne cleaned up his act, stopped boxing, drinking and has sworn off women – especially beautiful women. Which is why he wants no part of Lucy’s job – as he finds her too tempting. But more than anything, he wants Sadie to have a normal childhood and is considering marriage to his landlady, but when the landlady inherits a cottage on the beach and sells the boardinghouse, he needs a new place to live, and taking Lucy’s job will include an apartment, so he will just have to control his desire – just like he has for the last seven years. He will find out who stole Lucy’s formula, return it to her and then go marry his former landlady – easy-peasy, right?

I wanted to love this story, I enjoyed the previous series and thought this series was going to pick up where that series ended and it sort of does, but this book hit different. The story starts out well, but honestly, I felt like both Lucy and Thorne were emotionally unavailable and had no chemistry – lust, yes, but no true connection and no epilogue. Both had been done wrong by their lovers, and both had plans to marry other people, even while they shared a physical relationship – that is a romance killer for me. Then there was the fact that for a smart woman, Lucy was pretty stupid, she was duped by a nitwit after having an affair and even after that, would have married him. Then there is the fact that the thief gets off scot-free – UGH! I am not sure where this series is going, this book focuses on women’s reproductive rights, discrimination and touches on racial and class discrimination, making the book feel more like historical women’s fiction with sex, rather than historical romance (IMO). The writing is great, the book is paced well and the characters were likable, and I am sure a lot of readers will enjoy this book, but it just wasn’t what I was hoping for in a spinoff series.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

The Love Remedy by Elizabeth Everett expertly blends a captivating romance with thought-provoking social commentary that resonates in today's world. Those seeking empowering heroines who fiercely defend their right to autonomy will find this novel a must-read. I was enthralled from beginning to end! In this tale, a Victorian apothecary enlists the help of a reserved private investigator to safeguard her business, leading them to discover that true love can only be cured with a happily ever after.

Genre: historical romance
London, 1843 - Victorian Era

Lucy Peterson dreamed of being an apothecary since she was old enough to sweep the floors at her parents’ shop and she started her apothecary apprenticeship as soon as she could. When her parents died, they left the shop to Lucy rather than her older brother (who has charm, but no real apothecarial acumen) or her younger sister (who prefers to see patients in St Giles who have limited access to other care). While they both help with the shop, Lucy is largely on her own, which is how she easily fell into the arms of a rival apothecary who in turn stole and patented her recipe for a throat lozenge. Now, her recipe for a croup salve that could help save the shop’s finances has gone missing, and Lucy wants blood. So she hires an agent from Tierney & Co, single father Jonathan Thorne, to help her uncover the mystery. He’s everything she’s not: a former prizefighter and disinherited aristocrat who likes tidy sums and accounting, while Lucy prefers compassion towards her patients and wild experiments at Athena’s Retreat. But Thorne and Lucy aren’t ones to turn away from attraction, moral principles be damned.

The Love Remedy is a fierce, feminist, and passionate historical romance. I love seeing women with professions, particularly medical, in the 19th century in romances, and Elizabeth Everett bases Lucy off of real life trailblazers Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Elizabeth Blackwell and other women who took risks to apply for membership into the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries. She uses a strong historical background to address the struggles of a woman gaining trust in the medical field as well as learning to trust her own family and her own heart. While this is formally the first book in a new series, fans of Everett’s will recognize characters from her earlier books, hero and villain alike. You do not need to be familiar with the Secret Scientists series to fully enjoy The Love Remedy.

Let’s be honest though, the reason you’re picking up this historical romance is for the romance. And the romance, my friends, is excellent. Thorne is the single father of a natural daughter, and he’s reformed from his fighting and drinking days to build an honest and loving life for Sadie. Because of this, Thorne manifests as the starchy rule-follower, who hasn’t touched another woman since Sadie’s late mother. Lucy is not a virgin, and she’s a staunch supporter of women’s access (including her own) to birth control methods. She’s not ready to connect with her own emotions about romantic love, but she’ll chase her pleasure in the meantime with the handsome agent/accountant renting the apartment above her!

Thorne and Lucy’s relationship builds in parallel emotionally and physically. Their emotional reluctance is initially outmatched by their physical attraction, but as they become more intimate, they build a level of emotional trust which leads to immensely satisfying sex scenes. Even with their past experiences, Lucy and Thorne clearly discover more about themselves as they fall in love with each other.

And a last note: the author's note at the end of the novel is really important for us to consider in our present-day environment. If the audiobook doesn't have the note (I did not have an ALC for review), make sure you go seek out a copy that does. It's only a few pages, but it's a passionate call for reproductive rights and compassionate discourse.

This book is very well written and keeps you wanting more. Lonely apothecary meets grumpy private agent. This story pulls you in and keeps you there till let end. I loved this book.

Wow, The Love Remedy was SO FREAKING IMPRESSIVE. While the romance was beautiful and I loved the historical notes, SO MUCH of this story is relevant to issues going on today that I was highlighting all over the place. An incredible commentary on a wide variety of topics from contraception, SA, and intellectual property theft, I was just floored. Definitely my favorite book I've read by Elizabeth Everett, I cannot wait for people to read this one!

The Love Remedy is set in Victorian London. The Peterson siblings are attempting to run their family's apothecary shop after their parent's unexpected deaths, but most of the responsibility falls on Lucy, the oldest. At the beginning of the story, Lucy is desperately seeking help from Tierney & Co., a "bookkeeping" agency that also functions as a kind of private investigation firm. A rival apothecary has stolen her formulas for some revolutionary treatments after Lucy misguidedly trusted him with her heart. Jonathan Thorne, a former boxer who is trying to turn his life around, ends up assigned to her case, and the two work together to try to unravel the mystery of a second theft. However, as they spend more time together, they find themselves drawn to each other more and more. Is a relationship worth it to two people who have sworn off love?

Oh my goodness, I LOVED Lucy. She's intelligent and forward-thinking, but still understandably overwhelmed by her situation - I would be too. I love that she knows her mind and what she wants, even if it's contrary to thinking at the time. And Jonathan is just amazing. Though he holds some problematic views about women, recognizes when he's wrong and he's willing to listen to Lucy, anticipating what she might need even when she cannot articulate it herself.

The historical asides about Victorian apothecaries and their training was SO FREAKING INTERESTING. Definitely something I had limited knowledge about. I'm also really hoping there is the possibility of a follow-up novel about Lucy's sister Juliet and her work at a local medical clinic, because I'd love to have more details about that too. The discussions about the role of women in society hit a little close to home, but gosh, it's insane that we are STILL TALKING ABOUT THIS TODAY. This book is SO worth a read, I highly recommend!

A Victorian apothecary hires a grumpy private investigator to help her find out who is stealing her formulas, yet what she never expected was for him to steal her heart. Lucinda Peterson is a female apothecarist who has recently had her perfected formula stolen by her ex, who just happens to be the son of a rival apothecary who is now profiting from it. Lucy's heart was broken and she feels cheated and betrayed. She just wants her name on the formula, she doesn't even want the money, but now she's determined to prove that her ex stole it and that means hiring private investigator Jonathan Thorne for help. Jonathan is a grumpy single father who used to be a famous fighter and came from a rich wealthy family until he had a child with a courtesan and was disowned from his family. He now works as an agent at Tierney & Co and has sworn off beautiful women, fighting, and drinking. He wants to be a good father for his daughter and that means avoiding anything that could trigger him. Yet when he meets the spirited Miss Peterson, he can't help but take on her case. In exchange for working the case, Jonathan and his daughter Sadie will live in the rooms above Lucy's shop. Despite how hard Jonathan tries to avoid Lucy and keep her at arm's length, she's found a way into his heart. Yet can they work together to find out who stole Lucy's formula... and when the case is over will they want to be together despite all their differences? This is a historical romance and deals with a lot of heavy topics, especially with having a female apothecarist and the issues of women's rights, treatment of women, and other historical issues. I honestly felt a bit meh about the romance between Sadie and Jonathan, see the more I learned about Jonathan the less I liked him. Jonathan was someone who grew up and held an ingrained prejudice, from not even considering marrying his mistress to thinking less of Lucy for having condoms because married women wouldn't do this. He was so rigid and strict about his rules and what a "proper" woman should be and honestly I got kind of fed up with him. His only real redeeming quality was his love for his daughter Sadie (who was a real bright spot in the book). Lucy on the other hand suffered from middle-child syndrome and constantly wanted to do everything but refused any help, and honestly not standing up for herself with her siblings kind of just made me angry. I get that Lucy is kind and sweet, but come on girl, you could have given yourself an ulcer with the stress and anxiety you were dealing with on top of discovering who stole your formula and why they did it??? I would have been so angry. The romance was okay, I liked that Jonathan got over his prejudices (but seriously, refusing to ever be with a beautiful woman? seriously jonathan???) and that him and Lucy worked out together. I just wish there was a bit more on Jonathan's part and that there was a bit further discussion of what the repercussions of the actions of said thief. The whole discovery and reveal just felt lackluster. It wasn't a bad book it just wasn't as good as it could have been. I enjoyed it overall, but just felt that some parts were lacking and just didn't really vibe with certain aspects. Overall if you want a historical romance with opposites attracts and a bit of a mystery, give this one a go!

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

THE LOVE REMEDY is a good start to a new historical romance series by Elizabeth Everett (which does reference her first series!). We follow Lucy, an apothecary, and Thorne, an ex-fighter hired to solve a mystery as to who stole one of Lucy's formulas. I really enjoyed The Secret Scientists of London series and this was a good follow-up. Because Lucy is a female apothecary, this book deals with some heavier topics regarding women's roles at this time, as well as healthcare, which was interesting to read about. Thorne also has a daughter, and I love this trope/dynamic as well! This did have some more important (and still relevant!) themes, so don't go into it thinking it will be lighthearted--there are entertaining moments, especially with some of the apothecary customers and Thorne's daughter, to lighten it up a bit though. I've been in an "every-romance-feels-the-same" mood recently, and this wasn't super unique, which is why I'm giving it an average rating. I am, however, looking forward to the continuation of this series!

Another wonderful feminist historical romance from Elizabeth Everett! Lucy and Thorne are a great pairing of complementary strengths: Lucy is independent to a fault. She's trying to keep her family's apothecary shop running, allowing her siblings to follow their dreams, but spiraling into anxiety by trying to do it on her own. When she suspects her latest formula for a new medicine has been stolen by her former fiance, she hires Jonathan Thorne to find it for her. Thorne is his own brand of independent. Born into an aristocratic family, he is now a single father who's drawn so many boundaries around himself that he's finding it difficult to connect with anyone new. Jonathan was a part of the demimonde for a long time, but he pulled himself out of destructive behavior by holding himself to a "higher standard." But what happens when what saved him then is keeping him from finding happiness? Of course these two find each other.

Everett brings her signature emphasis on progressive issues to the romance: Lucy and her family are involved in treating and supporting "fallen woman" by providing contraception and gynecological services. Their business is also being threatened by a Victorian men's rights group. And the issues that keep Lucy and Jonathan apart for so long are their ideological differences. (This feels especially apt in today's dating world...)

This is also Everett's sexiest book yet. She brings a little bit of bondage into the bedroom. I recently complained about the dry hump in a different book (it was a real letdown) so let me mention that there's a very satisfying dry hump in this book. This is everything I wanted to see in that one!

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

Whelp, this one was a bit of a slog for me to get through.

I did consider DNFing about halfway through, but the women in STEM themes kept me going.

I didn't really feel anything for any of the characters, they were just... there.

I am sure so many are going to love this one, but it just wasn't really for me

Apothecary Lucy Peterson’s formula for a croup salve goes missing only months after her rival stole her lozenge formula, so she knows who’s behind it; she only needs help proving it. Reformed pugilist Jonathan Thorne is the private agent from Tierney and Company that she hires to track down her formula and right this wrong before her business suffers. Will they find who did it? Will it grow into more?

If there’s one thing Everett never fails to do, it’s write complex characters. Lucy and Thorne both have depth to them that brings the reader into their story. They have character flaws that make sense with their background and experiences. And they have clear motivations and react within reason when questioned and put to the test. The Love Remedy is going to have that grumpy/sunshine dynamic, but their personalities don’t rely too heavily on tropes so it never falls flat.

This book definitely felt more relationship heavy (romantic, platonic, and familial) than mystery, but it was still enjoyable. The two don’t necessarily work together to find who’s behind the missing formula (Thorne does most of it on his own while Lucy is working), but they’re around each other during the investigation. If forced proximity does it for you, this one may be up your alley.

Overall, if you enjoyed The Secret Scientists of London Series, I think you’ll enjoy this one too. It’s in the same world, but focuses more on working class than the aristocracy so it feels new.

Lucy is a trailblazing apothecary whose formula has been stolen. When she hires Jonathan Thorne to track down the thief, they both find themselves drawn to one another, despite their very backgrounds and views on life. The author's note makes it clear this book was written because of what is going on with women's reproductive rights in this country and so the subject matter can feel heavy at times. I was sad for the women in this book and so this book wasn't always a fun read. I enjoyed the characters though and learning more about apothecaries and the ways they served their communities. I think the romance lacked a little for me. I couldn't really buy the connection between Thorne and Lucy but luckily that isn't really the focus of the book. A surprise bonus is Thorne's daughter Sadie. Normally kids in books can be a deal breaker but she was actually an enjoyable character. If you like tortured heroes and I mean tortured, you'll enjoy Thorne's story arc and I'm excited for the next book in the series!

Many thanks to Berkley & Netgalley for the ARC.