Pages

Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Review: A Love by Design by Elizabeth Everett

 

A Love by Design ( The Secret Scientists of London #3) by Elizabeth Everett
Publication Date: January 17th 2023 by Berkley
Pages: 336
Source: Publisher 
Rating: 
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:
Margaret and George were childhood friends, running wild in the countryside and then fell in love. Margaret thought they had a future together but then George broke her heart. She went on to study engineering, moved to Paris and married while honing her skills.

Now a widow, Margaret’s back in London staying at Athena’s Retreat with the goal of starting her own engineering firm, the first woman owned in England. Her latest project, designing and building an underwater tunnel would go a long way to establishing her career, but when Margaret discovers the main investor is an enemy of Athena’s Retreat, a man set on keeping women down, she knows things will not be smooth sailing. I was on edge over the information coming out and wished she would’ve shared it once she found out.

George, now the Earl of Grantham, knew his decision to break things off with Margaret broke her heart and his, but if he didn’t Margaret wouldn’t have gone on to become the accomplished woman she is now. Now that she’s back in London he hopes to explain his actions and have a chance to win her heart again. He’s also working on making the title he inherited mean something by pushing through reforms that would make education accessible to all children, boys and girls and not just in the upper classes.

A Love by Design was another great installment in the Secret Scientists of London series. I do love a good second chance romance and Margaret and George’s was full of longing and passion. I enjoyed their relationships with all the ladies at the retreat and laughed over the shenanigans George pulled with Arthur, frustrating him with over-the-top gifts to baby Mirren.

4 Stars


Book Description:
You couldn't design a better hero than the very eligible and extremely charming Earl Grantham. Unless, of course, you are Margaret Gault, who wants nothing to do with the man who broke her youthful heart.

Widowed and determined, Margaret Gault has returned to Athena's Retreat and the welcoming arms of her fellow secret scientists with an ambitious plan in mind: to establish England's first woman-owned engineering firm. But from the moment she sets foot in London her plans are threatened by greedy investors and--at literally every turn--the irritatingly attractive Earl Grantham, a man she can never forgive.

George Willis, the Earl Grantham, is thrilled that the woman he has loved since childhood has returned to London. Not as thrilling, however, is her decision to undertake an engineering commission from his political archnemesis. When Margaret's future and Grantham's parliamentary reforms come into conflict, Grantham must use every ounce of charm he possesses--along with his stunning good looks and flawless physique, of course--to win Margaret over to his cause.

Facing obstacles seemingly too large to dismantle, will Grantham and Margaret remain forever disconnected or can they find a way to bridge their differences, rekindle the passion of their youth, and construct a love built to last?


 

23 comments:

  1. I am already loving this series title: Secret Scientists of London! And Margaret is such a determined strong character -- not to mention, a lovelt second chance romance. I need to know more about this series!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I sometimes struggle with a character who makes decisions that hurts another because it's "for their own good". Hopefully in this case George really did have a good reason for breaking her heart.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes. I feel that way too, but in this case it worked for me.

      Delete
  3. I loved this one and I love he series! Nice review, Rachel!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've seen some of these and thought about reading them. I don't read too many historical romance, but I do read historical mysteries which sometimes have romance.

    Anne - Books of My Heart

    ReplyDelete
  5. She went to study engineering <--- yes! Is this historical romance? With a female engineer? I like that. And, you know I adore second chance romances.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! She really was ahead of her time. I do love a second chance romance too!

      Delete
  6. I want to read this one and the previous books in the series. What's not to love about Women in Stem back in the Victorian Times. Excellent review, Rachel.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! Exactly! Hope you enjoy them if/when you pick them up. :)

      Delete
  7. How cool that she's an engineer!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love the sound of these characters and I am usually a fan of second chance romances.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great review you have here. Glad it ended up being such a win of a read for you.

    ReplyDelete
  10. That sounds like a good story, not sure I would forgive him too easily though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He was such a sweetie it was easy. She was more of a prickly pear for me.

      Delete
  11. I could def see myself reading this series

    ReplyDelete
  12. Glad to hear this latest installment was another winner in the series. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. This seems so interesting! I'll have to check out this series.

    ReplyDelete