A Perfect Equation

December 1, 2021
A single-minded duke and a lady mathematician make two halves into a perfect whole. Where were all the female scientists and mathematicians in Victorian England? Hiding in plain sight, it seems, at Athena's Retreat, London's only social club for ladies. Miss Letitia Fenley--Letty to her fellow geniuses--is their erstwhile leader, but she just wants to focus on preparing for the upcoming Rosewood Prize for Mathematics competition. Having made one public misstep years ago, she's now happy to be a spinster and focus on proofs. Unfortunately, in keeping the raucous ladies' club from (literally) exploding, she has a partner: William Hughes, Viscount Greycliff. Grey and Letty have some history and do not care for each other at all, despite an obvious attraction. All they have to do is keep the chaos to a minimum and avoid each other, but when Grey's nomination to a leadership role he's worked toward for years is at stake, he agrees to close the club entirely to please the Guardians of Domesticity, a men's group that blames "unnatural" women for the ills of the empire. This announcement stokes the chaos to maximum levels and forces Letty away from her Rosewood preparations to the Retreat's defense. In trying to convince Grey that her colleagues must be allowed to stay, she grows even closer to him, resulting in more sparks than the experiments upstairs--but they cannot have both each other and their individual long-cherished dreams for the future. The second book in Everett's Secret Scientists of London series stands out among recent feminist historical romances thanks to a fierce enemies-to-lovers plotline and a sexual tension that is built slowly and expertly. The story can be read alone, but first timers will be inspired to go back to her debut, A Lady's Formula for Love(2021) thanks to the smart writing and charming storytelling. Though Letty and Grey are standard romance characters, the series introduces readers to a diverse group at the Retreat, which hints at a promising future direction for the series. An enchanting feminist Victorian romance.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 3, 2022
Everett’s enchanting sequel to A Lady’s Formula for Love finds mathematician Leticia “Letty” Fenley reluctantly agreeing to oversee Athena’s Retreat, a secret haven for Victorian England’s female scientists, but her good intentions are soured by the unwanted help of a troublesome viscount. Letty was ostracized by Lord William Hughes, Viscount Greycliff, as well as the rest of high society when she was caught in a compromising position with his cousin. But now that they’re working closely to safeguard Athena’s Retreat, Greycliff realizes he’s misjudged Letty, coming to see the softness beneath her resilient exterior and falling for her sharp wit and unyielding determination. Letty, in turn, breaks down Greycliff’s walls, discovering gentility, empathy toward others, and curiosity about the work being done by the women of Athena’s Retreat. The pair’s tentative truce leads to some tender and steamy moments—the latter of which, while tantalizing, can feel a bit too abrupt—but their conflicting goals plus Greycliff’s godfather’s objections to their match may mean an end to their happily ever after. The supporting cast of brilliant but bumbling scientists adds some levity, and the characters’ intense chemistry keeps the pages flying. This is a winner. Agent: Ann Leslie Tuttle, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.

March 11, 2022

Letty Fenley is a mathematician and interim leader of a secret club for women scientists called Athena's Retreat, who was barred from society after a scandal six years prior. Viscount Greycliff has been tasked with assisting Letty but has prospects of his own, as he's due to take over directorship of a covert government department. Grey has built walls of restraint and steeled himself against anything that may be too stimulating. So why can't he get Letty out of his head? The chemistry between Letty and Grey is a bit stunted in the beginning of this romance because of Grey's persistent, yet understandable, moderation of his emotions, and because their scientific work is at odds. By book's end, Grey will make a grand gesture that wins him redemption. The stars of the novel, however, are Letty's fellow scientists, who will likely make appearances throughout the series. VERDICT Everett's second "Secret Scientists of London" novel (following A Lady's Formula for Love) can be read as a standalone, but the first book's introduction to plot and characters will help situate readers. This enemies-to-lovers romance is filled with astute observations into societal divisions and will have readers cheering for the women of Athena's Society.--Shanel Slater

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from January 1, 2022
There is nothing Letitia Fenley loves more than a mathematical equation, since a properly realized equation will always yield exactly the same results. Unfortunately, Letty cannot say the same thing about William ""Grey"" Hughes, the Viscount Greycliff. When they are tasked by their friend Violet Kneland with running the Athena Club, Letty is continually frustrated by Grey, who one minute seems totally supportive of the members of the secret haven for female scientists and the next minute advocates shutting everything down for the safety of its members. So now the problem Letty must solve is whether the annoyingly sexy Grey is truly a threat to the Athena Club or only a threat to Letty's heart. While the credo at the Athena Club may be "Remember, no explosions please," Everett's second splendidly entertaining entry in her Secret Scientists of London series, following A Lady's Formula for Love (2021), detonates with an ingeniously orchestrated display of wit and whimsy that dazzlingly celebrates the importance of both STEM research and love in a lady's life.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.