Ever since I read "The Duke Undone", Joanna Lowell has become an instant favourite!

I love Georgie and Elf, how they are both so strong-willed and true to themselves. They truly brought out the best in each other in a time when neither of them fits the general public's opinion on how they should behave.

Elf gave Georgie the grounding they needed, not letting them get swept away in every flight of fancy and providing them a sense of home they likely hadn't felt in a while. Meanwhile, Georgie helped Elfreda to stop being so serious and to find the joy in all aspects of life, not just in her passions.

I do wish there had been a bit more focus on the archeology. There was a lot of hunting around and a little bit more toward the end, but I would have loved more time spent describing the actual dig and discoveries made through objects unearthed.

As with the other books by Lowell that I have read, I loved the main characters, and I had a lot of fun with all the side characters. I also thought Lowell did a wonderful job letting the characters be themselves while also introducing a lot of the struggles afforded by the time they were living in.

Would definitely recommend any novels written by this author! Especially for fans of queer historical romances that still have a light, fun tone despite some of the harder topics.

A Rare Find is a charming historical romance—full of heart and whimsy— set on the banks and bluffs of Derbyshire.

If you adored Tessa Dare’s Spindle Cove series (perhaps my all-time favorite HistRom), I highly recommend Lowell’s “A Rare Find.” From the idyllic English countryside to the archaeological hunt subplot, I was charmed by Elfie and Georgie’s multifaceted story.

Here’s what you can expect:
- pining/slow burn
- forced proximity
- “enemies” to lovers
- historical and archeological elements
- found family
- lost artifacts/mystery

I enjoyed the care and detail put into every seemingly small scene, all of which added up to a captivating story. However, the pacing of the romance itself felt a bit rushed. The slow burn elements were very well done and had me invested, but the romance seemed to go from zero to 100 in the blink of an eye — somehow managing to be a slow burn that also flirts with instalove. (This was particularly jarring for Elfie’s character, who we are to believe is naive for most of the novel.)

Based on the description, I was anticipating more of a focus on the treasure-hunting aspect; and while that took a backseat, the historical elements and narrative whimsy carried this plot, and I was utterly charmed by Lowell’s story. Additionally, the author’s note was so well done and not something you’ll want to skip.

Thank you to Joanna Lowell and Berkley for the eARC of this read in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing Group for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I DNF'ed at 30% of the way through

Neither of the protagonists were appealing--both were self-centered rich brats. I felt bad for Elf at times, but then she would go back to being a jerk. Georgie shoved Elf into a pond and made Elf lose an important artifact and THAT super pissed me off! Who shows up and just shoves someone in a pond?! Especially if you were childhood friends with them? That felt more like harassment than friendship. I know it's enemies to lovers, but that's pretty ridiculous.

I would've preferred more treasure hunting from Elf but we got a lot of boring dialogue and nonsense. Georgie really got on my nerves a lot--babbling about nonsense. I know Regancy books do a lot of talking about nonsense but this was PURE nonsense and no plot or character development. I don't want to read about Georgie talking about the weather for 5 pages. I didn't like how often Georgie just never paid attention to anyone but themselves--they didn't even know the names of their servants...geez.

Definitely not for me even though I love queer regency romance.

‘A Rare Find’ was such a fun read! Incredibly cute and the palate cleanser I needed after a short reading slump. Our main characters are endearing in their own ways, though I will admit it took me a bit to feel any sort of affection for Georgie. If something bad can happen, it absolutely will happen to Georgie. It’s amazing they ended up capable of anything with such natural bad luck! But the more you get to know them, the easier they are to love. Elf and Georgie forever.

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

Joanna Lowell is one of the best writers, period. Her characters are beautifully written, the dialogue is snappy and clever, and the plot of the book is enjoyably informative.

This book is for anyone who loves historical romance, anyone who loves queer stories in general -- but especially in historical romance. This book, "A Rare Find,' is Joanna Lowell truly in her element.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers, Berkley, for a copy of this title.

This was my first Joanna Lowell and it wasn't exactly what I expected. This Regency era sapphic romance is heavy on the plot and low on the steam. Elf (Elphreda) and Georgie are enemies to lovers. It is the sort of enemies where they didn't get along as kids and there's a bit of misunderstanding between them, but genuinely, Elphreda does not like Georgie at the start and a couple of incidents really show you why. After a while they begin to get along and work together. Georgie has a queer girl friend group and uses they/them pronouns, dressing both in dresses and breeches. There's a great conversation that is true to the time period about this in the text. They are usually in London among the balls and Vauxhall fireworks, but they're back in the tiny village they grew up in, somewhat reluctantly at first.

Elf is an antiquarian who is convinced there's something to be found on the lands. She's a scholar and a researcher but her father doesn't take her seriously at all. Her interests run in the family as her father and her grandparents both were studying the historical aspects of the land and translating things, etc. Sometimes I felt a bit bogged down by the language and emphasis on this aspect of the story, but I do appreciate the historical research and I love a woman in academia even if she wasn't really allowed to be. Her dad sucks, and I wish he would have gotten a little more of a consequence at the end... this man is a downright negligent parent and while Elf is grown, she has younger sisters who are not.

A tender romance between Elf and Georgie wherein they both grow and figure out what they'd like to do next in their lives. I also always appreciate a historical romance without anyone who is titled.

Stuck at a crumbling manor with her father and sisters, Elfreda doesn't have any friends or acceptable hobbies, which might explain the lack of friends in rigid Edwardian England. Instead, Elfreda's passions lie in archaeology, specifically in her quest to find proof of a Viking army camp near her family's property. As she digs one day, she discovers that her neighborly nemesis, Georgie, has returned from London to lark about the countryside for a while. Elfreda is equally annoyed with and grudgingly charmed by Georgie's laissez faire attitude and self-confidence, and soon a relationship of attraction and curiosity blossoms, much to their mutual consternation.

The idea of a romance heroine trying to buck gender norms and make a name for herself in a male-dominated society isn't by any means a new one, so that element of this book doesn't really forge anything new in the genre. However, there aren't a whole heck of a lot of nonbinary leads in historical romance novels, so that element is a bit fresher (though it's also done in a somewhat clunky way). An enjoyable enemies-to-lovers tale, but nothing to write home about.

I really enjoyed this. It was slow, and it took me a long time to finish, including putting it down for a few weeks in the middle. I think part of that was that I was reading this (very slow, sapphic, regency) at the same time as I was listening to a different (very slow, sapphic regency) and I started to get the characters confused.

Once I picked it back up though, and had time to devote to it, I was hooked and read the second half in one sitting.

I really like Georgie's depiction as a nonbinary person who used they/them among friends when this wasn't accepted in the wider community. She was rather flighty, however, and it took her a long time to settle down enough to really connect with Elf.

Elf was so determined to become an archeologist in her own right, and so thwarted by her overbearing and at the same time absent father, that it was sometimes painful to read her struggles. I think Georgie helped her see a bigger future for herself in the end which I really appreciated.

Their romance was slow to begin and then developed rather quickly, but overall I enjoyed it and think they brought out the best in each other. Once they moved past bringing out the worst in each other, that is.

I really enjoy queer historical romance and Joanna Lowell is going on my list of authors to check out whenever a new one comes out.

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

A Rare Find was...fine? Honestly it pains me to say this but this book was really boring. There just wasn't a ton going on and the characters weren't super compelling. Could've shaved off 4 hours off the book, I didn't need all the meandering in the countryside. That said, showing queer characters thriving in a historical setting will always be a thumbs up in my book.

This was historical romance perfection. Joanna Lowell has definitely become a must-read romance author for me after batting yet another queer historical romance novel clear out of the park. Georgie is my everything and I love them desperately, and right from their first mucky re-introduction at the beginning of the book the chemistry between them and Elf is undeniable. This was everything I have always loved about historical romance, and why it remains my favorite subgenre: wild mystery goose chase (or not so goose chase, as the case may be) underpinning a sweetly human story about two people who couldn't be more different finding that maybe they really do belong together after all, with a healthy dose of character development for both of them before the end. 10/10 for endless shenanigans and the best love story.

Lowell's writing in A Rare Find is lush with thoughtfully drawn characters and rich historical details. I loved how the story explores identity and gender roles. This is a very character driven historical with poetic prose and a leisurely pace. Personally, I found the pacing to be a struggle. The story and the romance are a slow burn in every sense, and while some of the emotional beats landed beautifully, there were moments I found myself drifting or losing the sense of urgency to keep me hooked. I can see where this romance will resonate with readers who love a gentle, historical romance. I admire Lowell's historical accuracy and thoughtful author's notes. I'm looking forward to reading more of her backlist.

This was a little slow to start for me, but once I got into it, Joanna Lowell's ability to craft rich emotional and physical intimacy while still embracing comedic elements and never ignoring the consequences of queer relationships and identities in the early 19th century. Georgie is particularly a revelation, in part because it is so rare that we get to see such a well rounded and realized nonbinary character in historical fiction--let alone historical romance--that is not just someone coded as queer or gender nonconforming. Elf is the perfect foil for Georgie's expansive self-confidence, and it is a pleasure to watch her unpack her assumptions and misunderstandings. By the end of the book I was tearing up. Such a "rare find" of a book and a worthy addition to the queer literature canon!

Joanna Lowell does it again! I didn't think she could top A Shore Thing, but A Rare Find might be fighting for my favorite. I love seeing these diverse stories in historical romance and would love to see more. I'll be for sure recommending this book to my customers.

i really wanted to love this but i was quite bored most of the time! truly upsetting because georgie and elf had are some feminist baddies! the characters were pretty charming, the story was just sloooww

DNF/NFN at 41%

I enjoyed A Rare Find when I first started the book, but as it went on, I found myself getting into a reading slump because of it.

I’ve really been in the mood for a books with a lot of action and a fast moving plot, and A Rare Find is a story that involves more heart to hearts and slower conversation. While it makes sense in the story itself, the misogyny was starting to take over to the point that it was making me depressed.

I may give this one another try when I’m looking to settle in with a slower-paced historical romance!

Thanks to Berkley for letting me read and review this book early. All thoughts are my own!!

A Rare Find follows Elf, an archaeologist, who is struggling to be taken seriously by the men around her. Her childhood enemy returns home for a bit, and the two team up to discover hidden treasure and maybe fall in love on the way??

I adored this book so much!! I will immediately be reading anything and everything from Joanna Lowell. I loved her writing style and the way she wrote these characters. I wasn’t able to binge this book the way I wanted to, but when I did get time to read it, I DEVOURED IT!!

Elf’s journey through the book, trying to honor her Grandmother’s memory and make progress as a woman in that time was so emotional and rewarding. In my head, she’s autistic. I saw so much of myself in her, and I noticed some things that make me head-cannon her as autistic.

Georgie, MY LOVE, I adore them with my whole heart. They brought so much laughter and joy to this story, and I want them to get everything they want forever. Together, Elf and Georgie are so precious to me, and I would read about their adventures until the end of time.

2.5
As much as I really wanted to love this, I was honestly pretty bored reading it. There are some cute character moments and I love seeing queer rep in historical romance (especially a main character with they/them pronouns), but it just didn't work for me. I realized that I dnfed two of Joanna Lowell's other works, so maybe her writing style just isn't for me?

Elfreda and Georgie don't get along, particularly when Georgie causes Elfreda to lose a priceless amulet that was her ticket into an elusive archeology society. Can they cooperate long enough to uncover an ancient treasure even more priceless than the amulet?

🎩 Bookish Thoughts
I really wanted to love this one. I’ve been in my queer historical romance era lately, and this had so much potential! It just didn’t quite delivery.

I adored Elfreda. She was a total baddie archaeologist, even when the men in the world don’t recognize her or take her seriously. I just wish we got more treasure hunting and adventure that was the part I was most excited for. Also, I really disliked Elf’s father! 😭

There was a lot happening that didn’t feel connected to the main plot, and the pacing was too slow for me. I do think readers who enjoy a slower paced book will enjoy this more than I did.

✨ What You Can Expect
• Enemies to lovers
• Queer historical romance
• Opposites attract
• Nonbinary MC
• Slow burn

📖 Final Score: 3 stars
📅 Pub Date: June 10, 2025
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

Cozy English countryside sapphic academia vibes!! This is Joanna Lowell at her best: smart, dreamy, nerd banter, the warmth of queer community in a world still learning how to accept us. A beautiful follow up to A Shore Thing. I can't wait to read whatever Joanna writes next. No one is writing histrom like her right now.

Thank you to Berkley for an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A treasure hunt that leads enemies to lovers. This is an easy read that can be pretty slow at times. It has good queer representation. Not my favorite read but not the worst.