A lovely and heartfelt romance between two people who are looking for their places in the world and find mutual support, love, and joy with one another.

I’ve always been interested in archeology, so I loved the premise of a regency era story featuring an intelligent, focused young woman with a passion for history, searching for proof that the Anglo-Saxons indeed encamped on her family’s property. Elfreda was truly the central heart of her family, not only focused on keeping her beloved grandmama’s legacy of scholarship alive but also taking care of her little sisters and her self-obsessed, miserly father. I can’t say I have any sympathy for Elf’s father - he was a constant disappointment, and the way he and his colleagues dismissed Elf’s work and worth at every turn was so frustrating, even though I know that is exactly what happened to women back then (and still happens today).

Georgie was a delight, and their “banishment” to their country estate was exactly what both they and Elf needed to push them out of their comfort zones and to a place where they were ready to seize their own happiness. I’m so glad we hopped back and forth between Elf and Georgie’s points of view, because I loved seeing each of them fall in love, hearing their memories from childhood, realizing that their rivalry was all misunderstanding and the sensitive hurt feelings of children. Their moments together, once they’d realized neither truly hated the other, were full of joy, passion, and true happiness, as they grew increasingly closer and more honest with one another about their feelings.

I really appreciated the author’s sensitive handling of Georgie’s gender, both in the text with their conversations about pronouns and in the intro and author’s note. As the author noted, words like non-binary and they/them pronouns weren’t used back in the regency era, but non-binary people existed back then, as did queer people. I enjoyed this glimpse into what a happy life could look like, outside of the roles society expected of women and men. Georgie also had some deep thinking to do about their future, and being around Elf was a big help in that regard. Not only is Elf’s all-consuming passion for history adorable to them, Elf could see Georgie more clearly than they could see themself. Having that outside perspective and support telling them that they bring joy everywhere they go, and that their ideas are good and not silly, was the kind of grounding Georgie needed to start taking themself seriously as well.

For my romance readers, I’d say this is probably 2/5 on the spicy scale, though it does escalate rather quickly, considering Elf hadn’t even thought about kissing a girl until she saw Georgie’s friends, lol. Nothing felt out of place, though I can’t imagine a world where a pile of blankets on the roof of an ancient house that’s practically falling apart is comfortable haha.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for a copy of this book for review purposes. It just came out a few weeks ago, so you can grab a copy from your favorite local bookstore or library today!

A Rare Find - @joannalowellauthor 

✨Queer historical romance
✨They/them rep
✨Enemies-to-lovers
✨Treasure hunt

Let’s set the scene:
Elfreda Marsden = no-nonsense archaeology nerd, family breadwinner, has probably threatened at least one Victorian man with a shovel

Georgie Redmayne = scandal-soaked stage darling, nonbinary icon, chaotic bisexual with charm for days

These two? ENEMIES.
But now they’re partnering up to excavate an ancient Viking treasure.
And maybe each other’s emotional walls. 😏

This book has everything:

🧭 Enemies-to-lovers slow burn that simmers

🎩 Genderqueer historical rep that’s affirming, beautiful, and never treated like a plot twist

🪙 Viking relics, cursed amulets, and just enough mystery to keep the tension crackling

📖 Found family, supportive sisters, emotional healing, and delicious mutual pining

🔥 And yes… historical spice done right. Did I mention the face sitting? Because, babes. 👀

💬 Favorite moment? Georgie’s gender journey explored with such softness and respect—plus the banter is peak Regency rom-com.

Joanna Lowell doesn’t just write queer historicals, she reclaims the genre, lovingly inserting the messy, joyful queer lives we know have always existed, but rarely get the spotlight.

So if you’re craving:
🌿 Big queer feelings in a dusty museum coat
🎭 A chaotic, charming enby who steals scenes AND hearts
🛠️ Strong women who dig for relics and respect
💋 A romance that builds tension like it’s laying bricks

Then A Rare Find belongs on your Pride stack, no questions asked.

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the free book and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

Elfreda wants to pursue archaeology and digs around her family property following her grandmother's journal and stories. Her neighbor Georgie is banished back to the family estate after a scandal. And while they give Elfreda a hard time, they also join together to search.

I found the treasure search fascinating. The ensuing fight against the patriarchy of such pursuits was also well written. And I appreciated a nonbinary character in this historical romance. The author's note addressed the historical time and likely accuracy quite well.

However, I was less entranced by the actual romance. It seemed to progress quickly and be grounded more in the physical than in emotion. And there were some aspects with secondary characters that felt both outlandish and unnecessary. This one didn't quite live up to the promise of A Shore Thing for me. But I will continue to read further books from Joanna Lowell.

Ros Watt narrated the audiobook admirably.

3.5 stars rounded up

Elf needs a friend. A confidant. Someone who can listen and see her dreams.

Instead, there's Georgie. The bane of Elf's existence.

And they are growing more important to Elf every day.

"Vengeful fury. There was no point. In truth, she didn't feel vengeful or furious. That was all gone. She felt tired. She went to the chair and sat."

This book is, indeed, a rare find. Austen-ite, in the best way.

Even though it wasn’t the book I expected to be, and it took me a while to get over that disappointment, I still enjoyed A Rare Find for what it was.

Let me start with what this isn’t. The blurb is heavy on the treasure hunting aspect, talking about a proper excavation, a hidden hoard of Viking gold, and unexpected adventures, but that’s something that’s talked about far more than explored. The actual treasure hunting scenes are scattered few and far between, and there’s really only one that has any sense of tension or excitement to it. There is some strong history behind it, with some interesting research into the possibility of treasure, but even that is mostly surface level.

Now, as for what it is, this is a historical romance that delivers on the relationships. Elf and Georgie have a deep history, and it makes their enemies-to-lovers journey even more exciting. Wrapped around that relationship is deep discussion about gender, gender roles, and gender politics at a time when women weren’t free to choose their own path, and their circle of friends brings fantastic color to the scandalous opportunities of their world.

The story is low-stakes and slow-burn, but the supporting cast of characters bring enough life to the story to keep it moving. Not my favorite WLW regency romance, but still a pleasant read.

A Rare Find is a sweet historical fiction romance about an archaeologist wannabe and her next door neighbor frenemy who team up for a treasure hunt. This was silly and lovely with such a sweet romance between these two young women. I loved the quirky characters and I loved the theme of finding yourself. Pub day is today!

This is the second book I've read by Joanna Lowell, and it has cemented the fact that I can rely on this author for cozy romantic historical goodness!

One of my favorite things about this book was the comedic tone of the narration. Joanna Lowell always excels at crafting characters that are wacky, quirky, and chaotic that you can't help but love. Not only are Elf and Georgie delightful narrators, the cast of supporting characters- from Elf's sisters to Charles Peach and Phipps- make the story shine from start to finish.

I simply loved Elf and Georgie together. The two have such good chemistry from the start, and talk about a meet DISASTER after so many years apart!! It's not every day you meet your soulmate when they PUSH YOU INTO A FREAKING POND, but that's precisely what I loved about the scene (what can I say? I love chaos). Elf and Georgie are pretty opposite, which makes their connection work even better. Elf, an aspiring archaeologist, is very serious, and bears the weight of helping raise her family on her shoulders. She also does not do well in social situations, which makes Georgie so perfect for her. Georgie is a born showperson. They are charming and witty and love to act, and their London lifestyle seams leagues away from Elf's quiet life in the country. At the start, Georgie is desperate to get back to the city, but over the course of the story they build a life in the country that they don't want to leave.

In short, this story was like a warm hug from start to finish (despite how annoying Elf's father was). Between their hunt for buried treasure and the chemistry between the two leads, it's a historical romance that needs to be on your TBR!

This was fine, but unfortunately never fully captured me. Though I enjoyed reading a historical romance that felt fresh with its conversations on gender, pronouns and the non-binary spectrum, and I liked Georgie and Elf well enough, I felt like the plot was lacking. I expected more treasure hunting than what this was.

After meeting the author at Spill the Tea this past April, I’ve been wanting to dive into her books more! One incredibly cool thing she does is teach a class on romance books at Wake Forest University!

A Rare Find features:
🪏Elf, our female main character who is an archaeologist who hopes to join the Albion Society of Antiquaries, which is not open to females. She hopes to gain entry by proving the existence of lost treasure horde of a Norse army’s encampment on her family’s property.
🎭Georgie, her nonbinary neighbor, and a longtime menace, pest, and enemy of Elf. They have just returned to their family’s estate after dramatic events both off and on the stage.
💕Georgie must change Elf’s mind about their character and past events to win Elf’s heart. Elf conversely must come out from under her father’s shadow, find her voice, and courage to step into who she really is and wants to be.

This story felt poignant and was full of heart, and a gentle, soft love story. This is a perfect read for Pride 🏳️‍🌈month, or any month of the year.

An aspiring archaeologist teams up with her childhood enemy for a treasure hunt.

This one started out so good and slowly lost me. I don’t think the plot was strong enough to hold my attention for the length of the book (370 pages). This was also a slow burn and I can’t believe that I am saying this BUT when we finally got to some smut it almost felt too smutty for the book? Overall I had an okay time reading this book but wasn’t a super memorable read unfortunately.

read if you like:
- lighthearted historical romance
- banter
- slow burn
- enemies to lovers
- queer

quotes:

“Elfreda willed herself to expire on the spot.”

“If you have ever an interest in joining one of my excursions,” he said, turning his hard gaze on Elfreda, “know that I am honored to receive you.”

thank you so much to Berkley for allowing me to be an early reader. All thoughts are my own!

Firstly, this cover is absolutely beautiful and swoony oh my goodness!

I absolutely love historical romance and archeology, and as soon as I heard about this book, I just knew I needed to read it!

Ms. Lowell's writing is incredibly descriptive, visceral, and immersive. Each and every element jumps right off of the page, and her writing is thoroughly well-researched.

Oh my goodness, Elfreda and Georgie!! They start out as enemies, but, the more time they spend together and the deeper they get to know one another, their relationship and story melds into one full of so much mutual love, respect, and support for each other. So many moments had me absolutely swooning, and these two beautiful people truly bring out the best in one another.

Furthermore, I learned so much from the "Historical Note" written by the author as well.

Truly, this book is such a viscerally and breathtakingly written queer historical romance. I highly recommend this book, and can't wait to read what Joanna Lowell writes next!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the e-ARC of this book, it is incredible, and to Berkley Publishing Group for having me on the Blog Tour as well! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Elfreda Marsden has grown up a love of history and antiquities thanks to her grandmother and father. She wants to be officially recognized as an archeologist, but male-dominated society won’t consider it. Elfreda is determined to complete her own dig and procure timeless artefacts to prove she has what it takes as a female archeologist. When Elf discovers an Anglo-Saxon relic near her estate she must try to convince her newly returned neighbor and nemesis Georgie to let her use their land. As the two come together to search for the hidden treasure Elf and Georgie realize the facades each have been putting on for society and family have been grossly misjudged by the other. As Elf and Georgie slowly reveal their true selves the closer they come to finding the treasure. Will Elf finally be able to pave her way one of the first female archeologists? Will Georgie tire of the countryside once their adventure is done and head back to London?

I fully connected with Elf with being socially anxious and getting tongue tied in a group setting. I also understood Georgie just wanting a place to belong and feel accepted. I will read any historical romance Joanna Lowell writes, not only for the sweet and sensitive romance but because of all the historical detail and research she includes.

I liked this but I didn't love it. Unfortunately, I can't quite put my finger on what it was that held me back. Maybe there wasn't enough conflict or the pacing was too slow? I'm not exactly sure.

I really liked Elfreda and Georgie. Georgie is so exuberant and rushes in and just enjoys life. It's refreshing because I am so opposite to that haha. Elfreda is shy but passionate about her family and archaeology. She is determined to make a discovery that will earn her a spot in the local archaeology society. At first, it seems like Elfreda and Georgie couldn't be more different and they do get under each other's skin. But over time, we see how well they actually complement each other. And the other characters are a delight as well - Phipps, the twins, Agnes, Mrs. Alderwalsey. I think the twins were my fave because of their antics.

Overall, I would recommend this one if you like historical romance, opposites attract, and/or second chance romance.

Thanks to Berkley for the free advance copy!

The beauty of this queer historical romance is that Joanna Lowell's written it in a way that really makes the love story feel possible.

Thank you to @BerkleyRomance, @netgalley & @joannalowellauthor for the free #gifted copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: A Rare Find
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Joanna Lowell
𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬:368

𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:
𝙀𝙡𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙖 is an archaeologist who is working under her fathers name with the Society of Antiquaries. She is the oldest of 4 daughters and has to often take care of her younger sisters since both her mother and grandmother have passed. She found some of her grandmothers riddles that give hints as to where the Vikings have hidden their treasures/artifacts.

𝙂𝙚𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙚 is Elf’s neighbor and childhood nemesis. She is the opposite of Elf in almost every way. She is a loud, adventurous spitfire who is sent back home after some drama in London. Georgie is non-binary and has been in love with her since they were kids. Unfortunately, due to a misunderstanding she was thought to be mean and hurtful to Elf

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐬:
Historical Romance - Regency
Small Town
Enemies to Lovers
SlowBurn
Found Family
Sapphic Romance
Treasure Hunts
Dual POV

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝:
• Beautiful Cover
• Great side Characters
• I loved how Georgie explained the “they/Them” pronouns
• Grandma’s riddles/clues for the treasure hunt
• I loved the cozy feel of it all
• Fantastic ending

𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: I really enjoyed this book! It is the first book that I have read by Joanna Lowell and I cannot wait to read more! I do feel that there were a few pacing issues and at times I was confused as to who was telling the story but I loved the historical accuracy. The only thing that I truly did not like was Elf’s father. He was horrid - I hated that he took credit for her work, how he treated his children and how he did nothing to fix the home that was literally falling down around them. Overall, this is a lovely summer read that has some great character growth/discovery and lots of great banter!

𝐂𝐖: Sexism, Misogyny, Child Neglect

A Rare Find by Joanna Lowell is a standalone novel that celebrates queer joy, following the story of Elfreda (Elf) and Georgina (Georgie)—neighbours whose childhood rivalry evolves into understanding, attraction, and love.

There is so much to love about this novel. Lowell excels at demonstrating that queer people have always existed in our world. Being LGBTQ+ is not a new way of being, nor is identifying as non-binary. By setting her characters in the Regency period, she highlights how they navigated a society that did not accept or sanction them, finding ways to live authentically while remaining safe within restrictive norms.

I really appreciated how Lowell explored Georgie’s non-binary identity. Learning about the evolution of they as a singular pronoun was fascinating. Having a non-binary family member, I’ve become accustomed to they/them pronouns in speech but seeing them used consistently for a character in writing took some adjustment. However, it was well worth the effort to fully embrace Georgie in the way they were meant to be seen.

Elf’s journey was equally compelling, particularly her awakening to her feelings for Georgie and her growing awareness of her place in the world. The subplot centred on Elf as an aspiring archaeologist—dismissed and diminished because of her sex—effectively underscored the constraints placed on women within the patriarchy. Watching Elf and Georgie join forces to validate her grandmother’s discoveries, as outlined in her journal, was enthralling. The search, the discovery, and its aftermath all served symbolic purposes that I deeply appreciated.

What I found somewhat lacking in this novel, however, was emotional depth and connection. At times, the pacing felt off, reading more like a historical account than an emotionally charged love story. I wanted to experience more of the characters' emotions firsthand. That being said, the ending was outstanding and truly made the story shine. I also thoroughly enjoyed the historical notes.

Overall, A Rare Find is a recommended read. It’s groundbreaking and illuminating—borrowing a term from the historical notes, it’s “edutainment” well worth exploring!

This was a nice quick read, but ultimately it didn’t pull me in like I would have wanted.

There was some fantastic queer representation in this book, which I really loved. It was cool to see how someone like Georgie would have navigated the world with their identity in this time period. I loved the conversation around pronouns that they had, and about how to some they may not seem important, but how much they can affect a person.

The treasure hunt aspect of the story was a fun inclusion, and I thought it was well paced, but what I was missing the most was tension. I never fully felt that pull between the two main characters, so overall the book fell a bit flat for me.

Ooh this was a delight. I instantly connected with Elfreda and fell for her passion and determination to reach her goals. And then in strolls (or lunges really) Georgie and I knew there would be a lot of fun trouble ahead. Despite what drove Georgie to return home, their ability to make anything and everything seem light and fun and nonchalant made this book such a breeze to read. The banter between Elfreda and Georgie never let up, even in the most disastrous situations, and they way it led to longing and passion made this book feel cozy at all times. It was quite a slow burn, though being inside each character's heads made it feel less slow and honestly I appreciated how quickly they did share their attraction especially in this time when it could be so dangerous to do so. I love how safe they both felt, and how all the queer characters made it feel like a cozy, happy, safe place to be who they are. The sisters and thwarted suitor made for a lot of levity and there were plenty of laugh out loud moments. This book is both fun and tender. I really loved all the historical notes and setting and even the discussion on why learning about the past is so important to Elfreda in the way she understands the present.

Slow burn enemies to lovers (and neighbors). I enjoyed having a nonbinary MC in a historical. I appreciate Lowell’s low stakes adventures. I was very frustrated by Elf’s horrible father. This was fine.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC!

I loved Joanna Lowell’s A Shore Thing, so I was super excited to get my hands on an early copy of A Rare Find. A Rare Find is a gentle, easy enemies to lovers romance. This book was rather heavier on history than romance, and I found it to be a bit slower than Lowell’s other works. I did find myself rooting for Georgie and Elf, and I loved the cast of secondary characters. As per usual, Lowell’s author’s note is excellent, and includes a love letter to historical romance in addition to tidbits about the history of the book.