ARC Review: The Lady Sparks a Flame by Elizabeth Everett
Pub Date: March 25th

Thank you to @berkleyromance for the #gifted copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Phoebe has returned to London after being banished to the continent in order to help her sister and mother sell her father's estate after his death. She wants to get them settled and get back to the continent ASAP. But what she doesn't anticipate is her old friend's brother, Sam, who ends up helping Phoebe and attempting to court her sister to help increase his own station in life.

This book definitely has a slow pace - it took me a bit to get into it and get invested in the characters. This is a crossover with her Secret Scientists of London series and I do actually think you're better off in this book if you've read that series. This book does explain what happens in the past books which is why Phoebe has been banished from the country, but coming in with that knowledge was helpful for understanding that piece. Though it took a while to get going for me, I did enjoy the relationship between black cat Phoebe and golden retriever Sam. He is such a sweetie and understood her so well!

Elizabeth's books always have the things I look for in historical romance - immersive, witty, romantic, and sweeping. While this one wasn't a new favorite of mine, I can appreciate all of the things I love about her books!

A lady with a past, a man with ambition, and the most unlikely romance in all of London society! Lady Phoebe Hunt never anticipated returning from her exile, not after the damage she did but with her father's death and the revelation of his debts... she has to come back to not only save her mother and sister, but finally get rid of her father's cursed home. Phoebe intends to solve it quickly and escape back to America where she can be free and unburdened by her past. Samuel Fenley is ambitious and determined to secure the perfect wife that would enable him to get more connections and wealth.... and that perfect wife happens to be lady Karolina Hunt, Phoebe's younger sister. Sam is determined to win over the easy going and sweet Karolina but that means getting Phoebe's approval... Phoebe who is as icy cold and sharp as can be... yet Sam can't seem to get her out of his head. Sam is the perfect person for Phoebe to have solve her problems, if he buys their home from them it'll solve the issue of debt and if he marries her younger sister, it'll secure her sister and mother. The only problem is that the more time Sam spends with the family the more he's realizing he's falling in love with the wrong sister and the more he is determined to break down all of Phoebe's walls despite the fact that she is determined to go through life alone... but something about Sam is melting down her very walls. This was a really cute romance, and I do appreciate an older FMC x younger MMC romance. I loved the grumpy x sunshine vibes and just how much Sam was smitten with Phoebe and worked to prove to her that he loves her. Sam gets her and despite how much she pushes and how much she tries to distance herself, he's patient and willing to do whatever it takes to show her he loves her. This one was a really fun book and I actually loved it a lot more than the first one. The romance in this one was really well done and I had fun reading it. I loved the chemistry between the two characters and how their romance was depicted was really well done.

Release Date: March 25, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

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

I have really enjoyed all of Elizabeth Everett’s previous books that I have read. This one didn’t really work for me unfortunately. It was just kinda slow and never grabbed my interest. I’ll definitely read her future releases still

The Lady Sparks a Flame by Elizabeth Everett
The Damsels of Discovery #2 🎉

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Elizabeth Everett's writing gets more beautiful with each book!

I did not realize this book would be a crossover book with The Secret Scientists of London! So those of you who loved that series will be very happy with this redemption arc we didn't know we needed!! I honestly went straight into this book without ever reading this synopsis, because. . .it's Elizabeth Everett and she is an auto-read author for me!

• I'm pretty sure Phoebe is what you call an "unlikeable heroine" but it's hard to tell since I absolutely love her with my whole heart.
• I want to tell you all my favorite parts, but I don't want to spoil anything! Just know that there are several scenes that had me literally looking for a place to sit down to swoon safely. Swooning again just thinking about 'em!
• The steamy bits were so healing and so beautiful.
• Just a fun bonus: Phoebe and her family are Lithuanian--me too!
• The deep, raw feminine rage. It is impossible to not be moved! And the way Sam sees Phoebe's sadness and anger and he becomes the softest, safest man for her.
• I read the grand gesture with wet, blurry eyes. Everything about this whole book filled me to the brim with emotion. I already look forward to reading it again.
• Okay, I just reread the declaration of love and it has to go in my top 5 declarations of love of all time! Just has to.

Thank you for writing, Elizabeth Everett! Thank you thank you thank you

This could have been a 5-star book for me - I was really enjoying it - and then there was an inexplicable and unnecessary 2-chapter-long sex scene. Just. Why?

Other than that, though, I enjoyed the slower pace of the book. The first 60% or so is better than when they start getting physical, because the anticipation and attraction and getting-to-know-each-other part is really well-written.

I like how Elizabeth Everett takes her previous villain and turns her into a sympathetic love interest. All of the characters in this are really well-done. I liked the cameos from previous book characters as well.

I think the book makes more sense if you've read Everett's previous books, but there's enough backstory given that you might manage to read it without having read them. I don't think it would hit as hard emotionally though.

I really appreciated how Phoebe used her skills she learned in America working for a detective company to help with Sam's impromptu escape plan.

I really respect Phoebe and her mother and sister and half-brother for their ability to hold it together in her father's abusive house while cataloguing the belongings to be sold. They are all very strong - which is something that Sam has to learn because they first appear to him to be weak and frail.

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

Phoebe has returned to London to help prepare her family's estate for sale following her father's death, and one of the first people she encounters is her former friend Letty's brother Sam. Words and sparks fly as they work together on a solution to her family's financial woes, but she's also fighting accusations from her past that have come back to haunt her.

I was a little disappointed in this installment of the series. While this series is able to be read as stand-alone novels set in the same world with some of the same characters, there was little involvement or mention of characters/situations from book 1 that would have left the reader feeling more familiar and comfortable with these new characters. This second book was much more heavy-handed in the political information dumping, which took away from the flow of the plot. There was also a severe lacking of chemistry between the two MCs, which is a vital part of any romance novel. This, along with a lack of emotional connection to any of the characters, left me unsatisfied by the ending of the story.

On the positive side, the covers for this series are beautiful and will catch the eye of a bookstore browser. These are also a good introduction to politics of the time if one doesn't mind partial explanations of changing laws and class dynamics.

Recommended for fans of the first book, and possibly for those looking for other women in science romance novels.

"A Lady with a past. A man with ambition. A romance far from London society that might bridge their divides.

Lady Phoebe Hunt never anticipated returning from exile. A fatal choice drove her from England, but the death of her father - and the revelation of his debts - has brought her home. Once she settles her father's estate, she will return to America, where she has reinvented herself. There's no reason to remain, not even for one gravitationally challenged but deliciously tempting entrepreneur: Sam Fenley.

Samuel Fenley is all ambition. Rising from shop boy to wealthy investor, he's left knocking on doors that open only for those with a title. Unless he buys the damned door itself - and the estate that goes with it. Sam offers to relieve Phoebe of her burdens, but is her crumbling mansion all Sam wants? Or is it the Lady herself?

When threats from Phoebe's past spark new dangers, Sam and Phoebe discover that neither is what the other expected. Standing on the edge of disaster, the disgraced Ice Queen will have to decide if she wants to forge through life alone, or let an unlikely hero melt her heart."

Come on, new money and old falling for each other, who doesn't love that?

This is the second book in the Damsels of Discover series but to me it's really book 4 of the Secret Scientists of London series. It's a continuation of plot points from that series and includes all of the characters from that series. Phoebe was exiled to America from England four years ago for a truly heinous act. (again Secret Scientists of London.) She risks prison by returning to England without permission to help her mother and sister sell the family's estate at the death of her father. Phoebe is a complex character. A brilliant scientist, full of rage, dismissive, and sarcastic. She survived physical and emotional abuse from her father, and is infuriated by the oppression of women. She's scarred from cutting herself as a source of comfort. Sam initially thinks he'll marry Phoebe's sister Karolina, the daughter of a Marquess, as a step up in the social order. As the son of a merchant, even though he's extremely rich, he misses out on business opportunities among the aristocracy. Sam is all things light. Handsome, charming, cheerful. He's also clumsy, always tripping and falling. Maybe not the brightest. Karolina takes to speaking slowly to him! He soon realizes it's Phoebe he prefers. I'm not sure why. She's never nice to him. So expect some darker topics. Mental illness, abuse, death, self harm, ghosts, oppression.

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the advanced digital copy of this book, in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This is the 2nd book in The Damsels of Discovery series (interconnected standalones) and while there is some plot overlaps, Everett fully explains them and I was never confused despite not having read Book 1 (which is now prominently on my TBR!).

I really LOVED the romance in this one! Lady Phoebe Hunt is a black cat FMC, forced to be cold, sharp-edged, and self-reliant due to an abusive father and some legal troubles in Book 1. She is a flawed heroine at the best, and a “ villainess of majestic proportions” at her worst.

Sam Fenley is her opposite; a happy, funny, ambitious, and self-made man without a title, but with a loving family. When Phoebe returns to London to sell her family’s assets after her father’s death, Sam offers to assist in the hopes he can finally purchase their estate. As they work to catalogue Phoebe’s family’s belongings, an unlikely friendship and attraction develops that defies all social expectations and possibilities.

My thoughts; while there was a bit of mystery and plot here, the real showstopper was the interactions between Sam and Phoebe. Isolated at a northern crumbling estate, these two were able to slowly learn about one another’s pasts, scars, and explore whether or not their connection could derail their future plans. So much verbal banter, forced proximity/physical tension, and heaps of ‘I shouldn’t want you, but damn it all, I do.” Sam is the golden retriever of men, with clumsy energy combined with an affable personality full of jokes, antidotes, and the ability to melt Phoebe’s armor.
“Phoebe was practiced at numbing herself to the injuries a man’s words could inflict, but Sam Fenley rendered her skill useless. Each second in his presence robbed her of another half inch of armor. Love, she was learning, was a knife. It cut away her defenses, so she was bare to the world, a mass of nerves and sinew.”

“Women like me will never run the world. We are a man’s worst nightmare.” Sam’s head jerked in response. “What nonsense is this? Beautiful. Brilliant. You are a man’s dream, Lady Hunt.”

With swoony grand gestures, charming secondary characters, this has been one of my favorite historical romances in a long time!
CW: off-page domestic abuse, nonsuicidal self harm. Read with care.

The Lady Sparks a Flame is another addictive historical romance by the talented Elizabeth Everett.

I love Elizabeth’s books. They are this fabulous combination of wit, romance, chaotic shenanigans, and smart, courageous women who are capable of great things. This book is connected to many of the characters from Elizabeth’s previous series, The Secret Scientists of London, and I’ve been trying to decide if reading that series would benefit readers before diving into this book. To be honest, I am on the fence. Elizabeth briefly catches readers up with what Phoebe did to get expelled to America, and she also gives readers the background story for many of the characters in this book. So, I would feel confident that readers would be able to understand what is going on and why certain characters interact with each other the way that they are. But if you are a fan of historical romances and are looking for a new series to dive into, then I would highly recommend reading the previous series and then reading this book; you will grasp what is happening on the pages faster and will not flounder with the story that is unfolding on the pages.

Now, let’s talk about what made this book so spectacular. Once again, Elizabeth has written a story that is interesting, filled with heart, and possesses many twists and turns. The first few chapters are a bit slow, but once the story starts to move, it becomes hard to put down. Everything in this book is well-balanced and works together to create something that is entertaining and has a lot of depth. I did find that this was a more serious book than Elizabeth’s previous books. There are a few fun shenanigans that happen at Phoebe’s house, but overall, it wasn’t the fun, chaotic read that I have come to expect from Elizabeth. Now, I am not saying it is a bad thing; it is a fabulous story, but if you accept similar vibes in this book that Elizabeth’s previous books had, you might be slightly disappointed.

Phoebe is an interesting heroine. Others around her have deemed her as a villain. She doesn’t fit into that typical heroine mold that society has created. She is distant, cold, and stand-offish, and many consider her to be unlikeable. But I loved her. She actually reminds me of Nesta from the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. Phoebe is incredibly misunderstood by those around her. There is this rage inside Phoebe that is hard to contain, and her anger for the world makes her a prickly person. And to be frank, there is a part of her that wants to see the world burn. She feels so much, and those emotions are hard to control. Without giving any spoilers away, Phoebe and her family also had to deal with abuse from her father, and Phoebe developed some unhealthy coping mechanisms in order to survive living with an abusive father. I really liked her character, and her journey in this book was heart-wrenching at times, but it was also wonderful watching her fall in love with Sam.

I enjoyed the romance in this book. Sam has this goofball, golden retriever personality. He is the complete opposite of Phoebe’s character, which I found absolutely delightful. I love watching characters with polar-opposed personalities interact with each other because you know they are going to clash in the most spectacular way. I enjoyed their chemistry, and their banter was this great mixture of wit and spice. It was heartwarming and sweet watching as Sam got past Phoebe’s barriers and saw and loved the Phoebe she was hiding from the rest of the world.

The Lady Sparks a Flame is a rich and addictive historical romance bursting with smart and capable women.

I read this without having read the first book, and it mostly stands alone. It was a diverting few hours.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing (Penguin Random House) for the free advanced reader copy.

Firstly, thanks go to Berkley Romance and Netgalley for an advance Kindle copy of this book, in exchange for a genuine review.

This is apparently a stand-alone second book in the author's "The Damsels of Discovery" series, and the relevant plot points that involve these characters are more than adequately described therein, where the reader doesn't feel like they're missing crucial parts of the story for not having read the book before it.


Phoebe Hunt is the unwitting villain of said first book, where she's made some awful choices and been exiled to America. When her father's death brings her back to England to settle his estate, old feelings surface for Phoebe, prodding wounds that just won't heal. With a lot of trauma and baggage from her childhood pried open yet again, her self-esteem is trash, and she's never felt like she fit into this world of nobility and prestige. She's ready to just throw in the towel and return to live under an American rock.

Sam is an up and coming self-made man, who lacks only for a peerage title to lend respectability to his name, which can open doors that the fortune he built himself, alone, cannot. He offers to buy the estate from Phoebe, and makes clear he'd be interested in offering for her younger sister's hand in marriage, neatly helping them both out of their respective problems.

However, Phoebe's return to England cause more trouble for her, and Sam's forced proximity to the family slowly allow him to see inside her the hurt woman to her true core and perspective, causing him to fall in love with her over time, totally up-ending best laid plans.

This is a "grumpy/sunshine" trope written backward, as Phoebe is by far the more bitter and disillusioned of the two. Sam's coaxing and helping her wrestle with her past seems to steep them both in powerful emotion, drawing them to each other like moths to a flame. Every single scenario with the two is well written and makes sense for who they are and what they've experienced.

It's easy and breathtaking to see Sam's golden heart fall in love with her, sweetened even more by how he helps her fall back in love with herself.

Definitely a recommended read. Thoroughly enjoyable.

The Lady Sparks a Flame is the 5th book from Elizabeth Everett, second in her new series, and my new favorite.

Set in Victorian England, it tells the story of Lady Phoebe Hunt and Mr. Sam Fenley. Phoebe is a “villain” from a previous book banished to America and back in England to help her mother and sister deal with the financial fallout of her tyrannical father’s death. Sam is an entrepreneur from the merchant class and has designs on rising above his station perhaps even with a titled wife. When the opportunity to help Phoebe's family gives him a chance to court Karolina, Phoebe’s sister, he jumps at the chance. As you might imagine, his designs on Karolina don’t last very long and Karolina’s feelings are decidedly unhurt.

As Sam learns more about the Hunt women, and deals with his own preconceived notions about what those with privilege may also endure, Phoebe confronts the awful reality of her past, including the mistakes she made and the horrifying abuse she, her sisters, and mother suffered at the hands of her father.

While Phoebe and Sam navigate cataloging the Hunt home and belongings they realize their attraction is more than it seems. Sam’s joyful, nearly goofy, personality gives Phoebe the opportunity to laugh without restraint for the first time, in, well, perhaps ever. He also gives Phoebe the space she needs to come to terms with the impact the abuse had on her and to forgive herself. Phoebe’s reserve and steadfast loyalty to her mother and sister show Sam that not all families are the same and that smart, brave, complicated, and serious women are in fact some of the best kinds of women.

Everett uses this book (written two years ago mind you) to tackle tariffs, misogyny, incels, and women’s careers along with sisters, friendship, family, forgiveness, and overprotective men (who we love but who need to chill out).

The Lady Sparks a Flame is at times a difficult read. The abuse Phoebe and her family suffered and how Phoebe dealt with it is brutal but also brutally honest. Everett acknowledges the cycle of abuse while giving her characters the opportunity to find their way out of the cycle.

Sam is kind, warm, industrious, ridiculous, forgiving, delightfully clumsy, really a nice himbo/golden retriever mix. Phoebe is smart, crass, sharp, hilarious, self protective, devoted, and powerful. Also she’s older than him. Whoop! Like the rest of Everett’s books, the sex is so good and it’ll make you think. And the epilogue, oh my goodness!!

The Lady Sparks a Flame (and book 1 in this series) is set in the same universe as Everett’s first series. You don’t have to read book one or that first series to enjoy Phoebe and Sam’s story, but you’ll be happy if you do.

After designing a weapon that was used in a bombing that killed an innocent man and then accidently shooting Arthur Kneland, Lady Phoebe Hunt, one of the founding members of Athena’s Retreat, was exiled to America and warned not to return without permission. But when her father dies, she does return to sell off the unentailed estate and ensure her mother and sister are taken care of. She approaches Sam Fenley, brother of her once best-friend Letty, to post an advert in his paper about the estate auction, never expecting any further contact with him. But when Sam shows an interest in both the estate and her sister Karolina, it is clear that she isn’t going to get rid of him any time soon. They travel to her family’s estate, Prentiss Manor in North Cumbria, a place of unknown horror and pain. Phoebe has to come to terms with the past and fight her attraction to Sam, but that is easier said than done. When they return to London and learn that there has been another bombing, one that Phoebe is a prime suspect in, it becomes clear where Sam’s affections lie. Phoebe admits to herself that she loves Sam, but with her past and the new accusations against her, she believes she is not worthy of him and thinks it would be better if she just returned to America.

Sam Fenley is a self-made man, but he longs for acceptance among the upper echelons of society. When Lady Phoebe askes him to place an advertisement in his newspaper, he sees an opportunity for success and insists on helping Phoebe. He makes an offer on the London townhouse and makes his interest in Karolina known. He then offers to accompany the ladies to Prentiss Manor to catalog the contents of the manor. Raised in a loving family, he is shocked by the air of despair and horror lingering in Prentiss. Slowly, he begins to chip away at the thick shell encasing Phoebe and finds himself falling in love with her. But Phoebe has no intention of making their road to HEA easy, but lucky for her, Sam can be just as stubborn as she is and never gives up on what he wants – and he wants Phoebe.

This story was a lot darker than I was expecting and featured a sort of reverse Grumpy/Sunshine trope. I loved Sam, he was so gentle and kind with Phoebe. I will be honest, I had a hard time liking Phoebe, I understood her pain and tried to be compassionate, but she doesn’t make it easy for the reader or Sam. She fought him at every turn, but ultimately, he won her heart. This book is filled with emotion, secrets, past abuse, self-harm, kindness, compassion, steamyish love scenes, forgiveness and finally a very hard-won HEA. This story does touch on some dark issues and may be triggering to some readers, I would strongly suggest reading the content warnings before reading this book especially if you are sensitive to self-harm and physical/emotion abuse. This is the second book in the spinoff series, and while it could be read as a standalone title, you will have a better understanding of Phoebe if you have read The Secret Scientists of London series.

3.5 stars

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

The Lady Sparks a Flame by Elizabeth Everett is a captivating romance novel that serves as a heartfelt tribute to women who defy the constraints of patriarchal society. Set in the Victorian era, this book beautifully showcases the power of love in overcoming adversity and shedding light on the most shadowed corners of society. It is a story that will undoubtedly linger in my thoughts long after I have finished reading it

My favorite of Everett's books to date, Phoebe's story is everything I could have hoped for her. A Villainess of Majestic Proportions, Phoebe is given a character arc we see often in historical romance but almost never for women. I can think of a hundred romances with deeply scarred and traumatized male main characters who have acted violently out of misplaced rage, but it wasn't until reading Phoebe's story that I realized how rarely we allow women to be vengeful, angry, violent and wrong on page. Phoebe's decisions hurt people she cared deeply about and the violence she engineered did not achieve the ends she hoped for. There is nothing glamorous about her actions and no moment of catharsis, and this feels so unique to this story.

To understand Phoebe, we have to return to where she came from, and the first half of the book takes us to her definitely-haunted childhood home. It's unsettling and dark and reflective and the perfect gothic backdrop for our black cat x golden retriever pairing in Phoebe and Sam. And as the story moves back out and welcomes back our larger cast (all of our faves from the first series!), the trust they've carefully built through extended time together becomes pivotal. I loved every beat in this, and I'm going to be thinking of Phoebe and Sam for a long time.

3.5 ⭐️ This book started off slow, but once it picked up, I was hooked. Sam is the ultimate golden retriever MMC—funny, clumsy, and completely obsessed with Phoebe, who’s the perfect black cat FMC. Their banter was top-tier, their romance was sizzling, and the found-family vibes were amazing. It had a gothic feel, tackled heavy topics with care, and delivered a beautifully slow-burn love story. Loved it!

THE LADY SPARKS A FLAME was another engaging story set in England in 1845. Sam is part of the rising middle class and resentful of the glass ceiling that separated him from the aristocracy. Lady Phoebe Hunt is the abused and angry daughter of a Marquess. She also a scientist who invented an explosive that was used to kill a man.

Her friends sent her to United States in a sort of exile. She back in England to help her mother and sister close out her father's estate after his death. She plans to return to her life as a detective in the United States as soon as things are settled for her family.

The psychological issues had great impact on the romance in this one. Phoebe turned to cutting to relieve her pain as an abused child. She also turned to anger using her words to cut anyone who tried to get close to her.

Sam is the product of a loving home and the brother to a number of sisters. He is also a stubborn man who won't let the woman he's fallen in love with manage to scare him away.

This is one of a series of romances. We get a chance to catch up on some of the characters in earlier books in this one too.

Thanks to @berkleypub and @berkleyromance for the gifted e-ARC and to @prhaudio for the ALC!

Historical romance is one of my favorite genres. Combine my love of history with the warmth of connection that romance brings and you’ve got a winner! It was fun to read a histrom set not in regency times for a change.

This Victorian era romance is the second book in a series, but references characters from the author’s first series, The Secret Scientists of London. So it’s really basically book five in a series. I definitely felt at a disadvantage, having not read any of the preceding four books. This a redemption arc for Pheobe, who was the villain in a previous book. But without understanding all that history I struggled to understand her character and that affected my appreciation for the chemistry between the two main characters.

I still gave the book four stars because the black cat/golden retriever vibes were on point. Pheobe has a lot of baggage from her childhood, and that was unpacked in a very sensitive way while still being authentic to the time period. The creepy setting of them spending time at her childhood home was very atmospheric and also really illustrated Pheobe’s background. This is very much an opposites attract book with a strong female lead and Sam, a man who is willing to let her lead. Their spicy scenes were so tender but still hot!

I started listening to this one but eventually switched to the ebook. I found the narrator’s accents and voices for the characters to be a bit inconsistent. There were a lot of male characters and I struggled to understand who was speaking from the narration. I found the printed copy easier to follow.

Overall, I thought the story was good, but without the previous four books I was lost for a lot of the book. I would recommend that people read this one after the other books in the series.

Combine an emotionally traumatized exiled scientist with an upbeat and fairly emotionally happy kind of guy, and we get this absolute gem of a book. Phoebe is back in the country to deal with her late father’s estate, after having been exiled off to America for inventing a bomb that killed someone. She’s all sorts of detached and cold to everyone around her, and we learn that it’s because of her horribly abusive father. Somehow, the wealthy shop owner and newspaper owner Sam gets involved in her affairs, first by offering to buy her house and second by trying to court her sister. Sam’s just trying to improve his overall station in life and thinks a titled wife is the way to do it. But of course, Sam is more interested in Phoebe than anything else and wants to soothe all of her hurts. Tons of emotional angst here as we dig up all of Phoebe’s traumas and come to some resolution. Excellent read.