Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

I read Joanna Lowell’s last book and was so excited for this one! I need more and more queer historical romance! I’m also a sucker for friends to lovers. This was more friends to rivals to lovers, but I love it all. I love Joanna’s blend of historical context and romance. I always learn a lot from these books and I’m always interested in how real it feels. This was just as good as the last and I’m excited for more!!

I have quickly become a fan of Joanna Lowell's queer historical romances and especially her author's notes.
Elfreda Marsden wants to become a member of the Albion Archaeological Society, and she's been working with her father for a long time in an attempt to earn her membership. She finally has a breakthrough on their property that she believes will cement her place in the Society, only to have the chance ruined by the return of her neighbor Georgiana Redmayne after years of absence. Elf is convinced Georgiana has returned simply to vex her and be in her way. Georgie has returned home after a disastrous end to an engagement, and they've spent the past years learning a lot about themself and who they are. Georgie promises to help Elf gain her rightful place in the Archaeological Society, and upends a lot of assumptions Elf has made about life in the process.
I loved the way Georgie found ways to express who they are that felt completely natural for the historical setting while still allowing for the fact that the terminology we have now wouldn't have existed at the time. I also loved Elf's introduction to queerness and the expansive possibilities of life outside the structures of her historical society and the ways that also gave her power to divest from her dreams of joining a men's society and instead dream larger. Elf and Georgie's journey from neighbors at odds to reluctant allies to lovers was incredibly charming. While the plot of this one isn't as page turning as A Shore Thing, offering a much more pastoral and character driven arc, I was still eager to see the end of their story.
I do feel there are a number of loose ends in this one, and it isn't quite as easy to tie up with an HEA due to the historical parameters on Georgie and Elf, i was satisfied with their happy-for-now and know that they'll continue to strive to live and create the lives they want to be leading.

A delightful book. I read and loved A Shore Thing and was so excited to find out that Joanna Lowell would be doing another queer romance. As in A Shore Thing, A Rare Find weaves a fun time with touches of queer history and queer normalization for the time. Elf and Georgie were the best kind of estranged best friends to lovers. They had such shared history that they knew exactly which buttons to push while simultaneously being constantly reminded why they were friends in the first place. Their chemistry was delectable and their ability to truly be themselves with the other person and to have that person see them was so joyous to witness. And Georgie's group of all-queer friends? And they say historical romance isn't realistic.

I hope Joanna keeps giving us the queer regency romps we need.

4.5 rounded up

A Rare Find by Joanna Lowell is a charming and fun queer historical romance with a treasure hunting twist. Elfreda is a determined, awkward archaeologist who just wants to be taken seriously. Georgie, their childhood rival, is stylish, flirty, and hiding deeper feelings. When an ancient amulet is lost, the two team up to find Viking treasure, and maybe love along the way.
I loved the mix of humor, romance, and real emotion. Elfreda’s passion for history was inspiring, and Georgie’s charm made their growing bond so entertaining to read. Their chemistry felt natural, and the slow burn build up was totally worth it. The historical setting was rich but easy to follow, and the conversations around gender and identity felt modern yet believable for the time.
This was a lovely, lighthearted read that still had depth. Perfect for fans of historical romance who want something inclusive, warm, and adventurous.

This was such a lovely historical romance! I LOVED all the history references and the plot was very unique and fun, the romance was also really heartwarming and well done. It was a bit slow moving at times, but overall I deeply enjoyed this!

P. S. Don’t skip the authors note!

*I received an arc in exchange for my honest review*

A sapphic romance that was everything light, bright, and sparkling— with a treasure hunt! A Rare Find felt like a frolic more than a romp.... if that makes any sense whatsoever, and the way Joanna Lowell treated queerness felt relatable to a 21st century reader, but you could also imagine people back then having these nuanced conversations and complex feelings on gender and sexuality.

Elfreda is having a tough time all around— she manages a crumbling household, a narcissistic intellectual of a father, and three messy sisters. She dreams of discovering a hoard of Viking gold, but her naivete in believing that a roomful of men will happily accept her anthropological contributions is tough to stomach...

...Which Georgie recognizes immediately (they uses they/them pronouns, and there's actually a great dialogue on pronouns in the English language early on in the book), because they're socially canny in a way Elf is... not, but they have their own reasons for helping Elf find the treasure. I LOVED the low-grade tension between Georgie and Elf, due to a series of childhood misunderstandings (and an almost-kiss??)— it's humorous if not fairly relatable, considering Elf was basically the local weirdo growing up, and Georgie was the popular one who ran off to party it up in London the first chance they could.

The interplay between the socially-awkward, earnest Elf and the rakish, enormously charming Georgie is a delight, especially as they begin their hunt for the artifacts and enter this very ambiguous state of "hey we're friends now but also.... KISSING friends??" It's not that they don't... recognize that being long-term partners is an option (there's definitely family precedent there), but it takes longer for them to realize they want permanence in each others' lives.

The sex:

Elf proves real fast that she's a virgin who *can* drive— the poster child for "it ain't much but it's honest work", complete with a facesitting moment(!!)— before Georgie does what rakes do best, namely, taking the reins and being all "it's MY turn now". It takes a little while to get to, but once they get going, all bets are off.

Overall:

Joanna Lowell is writing the kind of historical romance that's VERY accessible to people new to the genre, and perhaps more specifically those who feel historical romances are only about cis-het white people. And it's genuinely such a fun book— light and romantic, if on the sweeter end of things. I'd go as far as to say I'd recommend it to anyone new to the genre who'd like to begin their historical romance journey.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Rating: 4.25/5
Heat Level: 3.25/5
Pub Date: June 10th

I cannot think of a more perfect book to read during Pride than A Rare Find. This book exudes queer joy. It is the childhood rivals to lovers, swoony, tender-hearted, funny, quirky cottage-core gender-fluid romance you need to add to your bookshelf.

As a novice antiquarian (see archaeologist), Elfreda Marsden exudes Woman-fighting-an-uphill-battle-against-the-glass-ceiling™️. Her father uses her discoveries for his own advances and yet she still idolizes him, Elf is expected to take on all the motherly duties for her siblings with little respect, and she is brushed off when she attempts to validate her Grandmother’s papers and research. Add to that, Elf’s childhood antagonist, Georgina Redmayne has returned to Twynham and causes her to lose her most recent find. I loved the initial enemies-to-lovers tension between Georgie and Elf that plays out so beautifully as Elf discovers her impressions about Georgie were wrong. Several of the characters in this book are queer and exist in the most natural unquestionable and uncomplicated way that permits Elf to discover she too is queer, and that’s OKAY. Queerness felt personified as cozy; a warm blanket and a cup of tea that just exudes comfort. When Elf makes a discovery under the wisteria bower, she not shocked so much as intrigued and she begins to see everyone around her in a new light.

Lowell excels at writing small town romance. There is so much humor and joy in every side character from Mrs. Alderwalsy to Charles Peach and his dimples, to the ferocious wolves living as little twin girls. It was so easy to fall in love with the people of Twynham, (save one or two) and I felt like I was on the adventure hunt for treasure just like Georgie and Elf. And the prose? Simultaneously magical and exquisite the way so few words can be used to express an emotion or thought. I fell for this book in the best way and it’s already been frequenting my thoughts since finishing. I received a copy from the author, all opinions are my own.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Steam: 🪭🪭.5️⃣
Period: Regency Derbyshire
Vibes: 👌👌👌👌👌

love the vibes! the characters were so fun (great cast of secondary characters, too) but the story dragged a bit.

4 stars and my thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!

Elfreda Marsden has made the discovery of her life: an ancient amulet that might prove a Northman army camped near her home before moving on to continue pillaging England. When her neighbor and nemesis Georgie Redmayne bumps into her and the amulet is lost, the two have to team up to find more of the treasure so that Elf can be taken seriously as an archaeologist and Georgie can escape the country life back to London.

I was immediately drawn in to this book solely on Elfreda and her narration. She was smart, savvy, and just desperately wanted to be taken seriously in her field. An almost impossible task in a time when women's only profession in pleasant society is one in the home. I just wish she could have stood up for herself just a little bit more. Been a little bitch about the fact that it was all HER find.

Georgie took a bit for me to get into mainly because I couldn't really get their motivations. They've always been in love with Elfreda? I kind of didn't buy it. But god, once the two got together, fireworks. I loved their relationship, their partnership.

This was a beautifully executed romance. We have childhood enemies, Elfreda and Georgie, disastrously meeting again as adults back at their neighbouring family homes.

Elf is a studious archeologist. Her father is awful. A self centred know-it-all who takes credit for Elf’s archeological work.

Georgie is a chaotic and endearing character who charms everyone she meets.

Their story is lovely as they slowly open up and get to know each other better. And excitement abounds as they search together for a hidden ancient hoard.

Their friends and family (apart from the father) are delightful.

I love Joanna Lowell’s story telling and her author’s note is, as always, well worth the read.

✨Do you remember when you were a kid you liked someone so much that every time you’re around them things just never went your way?

Or am I the only one who had (or still has 🤪) this kind of luck?😅

In A Rare Find by Joanna Lowell, Georgie Redmayne experiences this often when it comes to her neighbour, Elfeda Marsden, She’s always trying to get her attention, but always failing and making herself look like an arrogant show off! Definitely not the way to your loves heart!❤️

Thus, Elfie is under the impression that she and Georgie are enemies (!!! News to Georgie!)… that is until Georgie returns to the countryside from galavanting across the London social scene on a forced rustification and proximity and the little force by Georgie pushes them together! It’s enough for Elfie to start thinking maybe they’re not enemies… Maybe there something more!💕💕💕

This was a delightful enemies to lovers romance with fun and unique characters. Elfie dreams of being finally recognized for her archeological finds, and getting the respect and recognition from her father and other archeologists was a great contrast to Georgie, the carefree and popular socialite. They made a perfect opposites attract pairing and really brought out the best in each other.

This was a cozy stand alone read that’s I highly recommend you pick up next week after it’s released!

A Rare Find 4.5 Stars
A neighborly frenemies to lovers situation, but make it regency era and full of queer joy. Sound good? Then pick up A Rare Find for an absolutely delightful treat! Oh, you want a side of capers and mystery? Good news! One of our MCs is an archeologist and the other a rather rakish heiress. If only it had lovable side characters having their own shenanigans, you say? You won’t believe it… but it has that, too! AND near feral little sisters and so much swoony tension you wish you had a fan in your reticule.
Seriously, this book is super fun. Elfreda wants to be an archeologist more than anything, but she’s a woman and we know how fussy men are about such things. Georgiana is her carefree neighbor who has done nothing but rankle Elf since childhood. But Gorgie has their own struggles and when they’re forced out of London and back to their childhood home the unlikely duo falls into a partnership in search of an ancient hoard that has been nearly lost to lore. These two are a hoot. They are messy messy in the best ways and I love getting to know them both as they get to truly know each other for the first time.
And there’s so much happening in the background. Burly neighbors, angsty sisters, dead parents, meddling aunts, academic rivals… the whole shebang! I hope we get more of this world because it was a pleasure to dig into. HAH! Oh, self. The side characters truly were delightful and I want to know more about them. When you’re rooting for the side characters you know you’ve got a great cast. I really enjoyed the historical information within the historical setting. It was like a historical STEM nesting doll of discovery. But most of all the self-discovery discussions were beautiful and never rushed. You get to sit in these feelings with the characters instead of them being assigned queer characteristics for the plot.
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley, and Joanna Lowell for a copy of this book for review.

A even 3⭐️

A sapphic historical romance that was a little too light on the treasure hunting, but really heavy on the awesome representation.

Book Stats:
📖: 360 pages
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Berkley
Format: FMC Dual POV
Series: Standalone

Themes:
🪏 :Proving your worth
🪏: Being a woman in a man's world/career

Representation:
💎: Non Binary/Lesbian main characters
💎: Queer Side Characters

Tropes:
💗: Treasure Hunting
💗: Slow burn
💗: Childhood rivals to lovers
💗: Dueling Families

🥵: Spice: 🌶️
Potential Triggers: misogyny and sexism **check authors page/socials for full list.

Short Synopsis:
Elfreda (Elf) is desperate to prove herself a competent archaeologist by discovering next big dig. But her father who has been in the field for decades doesn't see her worth or her talent because she is a woman in a male dominated field. When Elf discovers an amulet that could change the face of archaeology and the history of their local town, she is desperate to bring it to the attention of the guild of archaeologists. However, she runs into one big obstacle. Georgie. Her childhood rival who's back in town against their will knocks the amulet out of Elf's hand and into a pond. In order to make it up to Elf, Georgie says that they will help her find a Viking hoard, and they start off on an adventure to find a buried treasure.

General Thoughts:
I desperately wanted to love this novel. Unfortunately, it was not at all what I expected it to be. Based on the synopsis, I was looking for a high adventure treasure hunting novel. Unfortunately, that just never materialized within the text. The story was much more heavy on Elf and Georgie getting to know each other and falling in love versus actual treasure hunting. I ended up spending the majority of the book waiting for something adventurous to happen.

That's not to say there wasn't things to love in this novel. The representation was so well done. Georgie and Elf have quite a few very interesting and historically relevant conversations concerning pronouns, being queer and being non-binary before non-binary was actually a recognized representation. I thought those conversations were very eye-opening and relevant to the time in which this story was written.

I did like the characters overall. Georgie and Elf were very interesting characters that absolutely captured my attention. I was felt very endeared toward the characters and their journeys overall. I loved how Georgie was unapologetically themselves, explaining that they sometimes feel female, sometimes male, sometimes neither. And I loved that the representation within the book show Georgie dressing and acting in a way that backed up those conversations.

Overall, I would have to say that this is a historical romance that had great queer representation. However, unfortunately, fell flat when it came to execution of the promised synopsis and failed to hold my attention throughout the book.

Disclaimer: I read this book as a e-book with a partnered audiobook as a free ARC/ALC from NetGalley, Berkley and the Penguin Random House audiobook influencer club. All opinions are my own. This is my honest involuntary review.

Thanks so much to netgalley and publishers for this ARC!

What a precious little love story. I love a good rivals to lovers, and this was a delight. The perfect little historical read for pride month as well! This was so much fun to read.

This was the perfect read right at the start of pride month, Elfreda and Georgie were the sweetest couple, and I love their love! Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, I always think it’s so much fun to watch the characters relationships evolve!

This is a lovely book with delightful and interesting characters, treasure hunting, finding one's place in the world, all with a lovely atmosphere and the beautiful English countryside. Think Sapphic, archaeological romance, with the vibes of The Dig (a most excellent film that I highly recommend).

I really enjoy Joanna Lowell's books, so I was very glad to be able to read this eARC.

The setting of the novel takes place in the bucolic, English countryside, and feels so lovely and airy and full of sunshine. Despite the challenges and difficult things both Elf and Georgie must deal with, there was also a joy and lightness between them.

It was truly lovely seeing Elf come into her own. She epitomises so many aspects of the competent, yet overlooked and under appreciated eldest daughter. Her desire to keep her family afloat, while also desperately seeking the recognition she deserves as a dedicated and aspiring archaeologist. I loved seeing her realise certain aspects of this desire, but also seeing the work of other women in her family who had also been working on this path.

Georgie was also a complex and interesting character. I liked that they tried to include and assist those around them. While Georgie had some elements of immaturity, I think that a lot of it was also misplaced direction and energy. Once Georgie found their stride, or purpose, so to speak, they really showed bravery and tenacity.

I also really enjoyed the side characters and smaller plotlines. As I'm writing this, the thought also popped into my head that there is a slight "Midsummer Night's Dream with a dash of comedy and good will" feeling to this novel. I really enjoyed it, and I hope you will give it a try.

Thank you Berkley Publishing and Joanna Lowell for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A thoroughly engrossing and delightful romance -- this time centered around a young archaeologist named Elfreda and her insufferable neighbor, Georgie. Elf longs to be taken seriously as an archaeologist by her father, and by his archaeological society, so she searches her family's property for signs proving that the Great Heathen Army overwintered there. Unfortunately, the amulet that she finds is summarily lost when she's accidentally knocked into a pond by her overenthusiastic neighbor, Georgie, only recently back home from London. The two have a bit of a history as their families don't get along, and Georgie's dramatic personality overpowers Elf's more reserved demeanor -- but they wind up spending more time together in search of more ancient artifacts, and their relationship blooms into something more. Fans of the author's earlier work, A Shore Thing, will find much to love in this queer historical romance.

A Rare Find is an absolutely lovely queer historical romance. With lots of slow burn, antagonists-to-lovers goodness, Joanna Lowell writes a wonderful Regency romance that’s perfect picnic-in-the-countryside reading.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Elfreda Marsden and Georgie Redmayne grew up as country neighbors, with outgoing Georgie sometimes terrorizing shy, quiet Elfreda, before they left for the excitement of life in London. Now Elfreda is convinced that her family’s land once harbored a Viking army. She is shocked when she spots her childhood tormentor Georgie striding around the countryside in britches, and then she loses a valuable piece of archeological evidence. For their part, Georgie is just as taken with Elfelda as they were years before, but still has a tough time voicing their feelings, especially now that their brother has banished them from London. After a few machinations, the two strike a deal: Georgie will help Elfreda find the missing Viking treasure in return for a share of the loot. But while searching, it becomes harder for the seemingly mismatched pair to ignore their feelings towards each other.

While Elfreda and Georgie start the story at odds, it’s easy to see that their feelings for each other are quite different. I especially liked the way Elfreda comes to terms with her feelings for other women; as a sheltered woman of her time, it takes a while for her to find a way to address her attraction to Georgie. And Georgie seems like they’d be tons of fun to pal around with, even while they sometimes struggle with their own identity and their place in society.

The Regency countryside backdrop feels familiar to historical readers, but there is also tons of earlier history that plays a role in the plot. The archaeological gentlemen, along with Elfreda’s infuriating father, are men of their time, and their repeated dismissals of Elfreda’s knowledge and research are frustrating yet realistic.

If you are a fan of a slow burn historical romance, you’ll enjoy A Rare Find. Both Elfreda and Georgie are charming, likable characters who deal with the constraints of their era while searching for a chance at happiness. Joanna Lowell creates a story that’s engaging with sweet, softer moments too, and now I can’t wait to read more of her books.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Budding archaeologist Elfreda is convinced of two things: she can, as a woman, find her way into the male-dominated Society of Fellows, and there is evidence of a Viking army encampment on her family's lands. She even finds an artifact, but a literal run in with her nemesis causes her to drop the ancient tool into a pond, lost again to time. Reluctantly, Elf accepts the help of her neighbor and enemy, Georgie, who has bucked fashion to wear pants, sports a cute gender-free haircut, and adopted they/them pronouns, and they fall for one another as they enlist the help of friends and staff to solve the mystery of the location of the ruins.

Lowell gives voice and weight to queer experience in historical context with meticulously researched content, detailed author's notes, and full disclosure about what's real and what's speculative. The stories are so good and so believable, she makes it perfectly conceivable that women rejected their traditional society roles (and all the trappings) to live non-binary lives on their own terms--at their own peril. The plot is full of adventure, intrigue and drama, the writing has a satisfying amount of flowery flourish, and the characterizations are witty, sharp and bold, if not nuanced. The longing is sweet and the intimate scenes hot.

That said, it had a little too much mystery and puzzling for me; I tend to prefer romance with more introspection and baggage than gallivanting all over the countryside and trying to solve riddles. There were a lot of characters to track, and plot lines to tie up, and I did find myself slogging through and skimming for the good parts in the same way I did A Shore Thing. Queer regency is an important genre, and this is a great readalike for Bridgerton fans who want a bit more diversity in pairings and gender expression.

I received a free advance readers review copy of #ARareFind via #NetGalley courtesy of #Berkley in exchange for a fair and honest review; a review will post to HLBB on 6/10/2025

A captivating, 1-sitting-read! Lowell's characters are fun & engrossing, and you root for them the entire time. I also loved the historical setting -- the way the author talked about early 19th century historians/archaeologists made me cheer for the accuracy and the love clearly put into researching it. Highly, highly recommend! I will be suggesting to my patrons.