The Love Remedy (The Damsels of Discovery #1) by Elizabeth Everett

The Love Remedy is a warm, witty, emotionally intelligent historical romance. Perfect for fans of slow-burns, grumpy/sunshine pairings, and fierce heroines with big hearts and even bigger brains.

Previous Series by the Same Author –

A Lady’s Formula for Love (Book 1)

A Perfect Equation (Book 2)

A Love by Design  (Book 3)

Synopsis

When a Victorian apothecary hires a stoic private investigator to protect her business, they learn there’s only one way to treat true love—with a happily ever after.

When Lucinda Peterson’s recently perfected formula for a salve to treat croup goes missing, she’s certain it’s only the latest in a line of misfortunes at the hands of a rival apothecary. Outraged and fearing financial ruin, Lucy turns to private investigator Jonathan Thorne for help. She just didn’t expect her champion to be so . . . grumpy?

A single father and an agent at Tierney & Co., Thorne accepts missions for a wide variety of employers—from the British government to wronged wives. None have intrigued him so much as the spirited Miss Peterson. As the two work side by side to unmask her scientific saboteur, Lucy slips ever so sweetly under Thorne’s battered armor, tempting him to abandon old promises.

With no shortage of suspects—from a hostile political group to an erstwhile suitor—Thorne’s investigation becomes a threat to all that Lucy holds dear. As the truth unravels around them the cure to their problems is they must face the future together.

Review

The Love Remedy is a heartwarming, delightful start to The Damsels of Discovery, a spin-off of The Secret Scientists of London. This one follows Lucy Peterson and Thorne—names that rang a bell from their fleeting mention in A Lady’s Formula for Love. Now they take center stage, and oh boy, do they earn it.

Lucy is running family apothecary after her parents death providing for her sister and brother who are hardly there to help her. heir family never turned away patients even though they cannot pay and Lucy is following that ethics set by her father which doesn’t leave any savings.

She had high hopes with her formula for lozenges and baby’s coup but she became victim of a man’s attention. Duncan Rider sang praises and promised a marriage for lozenges formula but he stole her work patented it and didn’t return his promise. And now her baby coup formula has gone missing. Exhausted, desperate, and furious, Lucy turns to Thorne agent at Tierney & Co., a discreet firm that handles matters outside the bounds of the law.

Thorne has his past that made him sworn off alcohol, love, anything excess and especially beautiful women to have better life for his daughter but when he meets Lucy, it’s a struggle for him to stay within his boundaries. It was interesting to see how staying in same building with Lucy and doing her bookkeeping work is going to help with that, how they are going to resist the attraction.

I loved Lucy from the beginning. She’s sweet, steady, and relentlessly hardworking. Even when her siblings contribute next to nothing (especially her brother and his string of failing business ventures), she powers on, all grace and grit.

I enjoyed reading about her life with her parents how her father supported her and her sister’s education and made them apprentices in his shop even though society disapprove of it. Leaving apothecary to Lucy than her brother itself shows how much he trusted her with the business. Reading how Duncan took advantage of her made me want to kill him too and for almost half of the book I had a feeling he had something to do with missing formula.

Given her past experience, I could understand why she would be reluctant to expect more from Thorne especially after she finds out who he really is. But she handles it all with cool-headed strength and grace. When the truth about the baby formula theft finally drops, I cheered for how she handled it.

Now, Thorne. Possibly the first romance hero I’ve read who’s described—honestly described—as ugly. His face is scarred, his scowl permanent, and his presence intimidating. But inside? Marshmallow. His devotion to his daughter is adorable, and he’s clearly a man trying to better himself. His backstory is heavy—abandonment, guilt, shame—but watching Lucy and her chaotic household chip away at his rigid, rule-following exterior was incredibly satisfying.

The side characters shine, too. The Peterson siblings may have driven me nuts with their communication issues, but their love runs deep. Mr. Gentry adds delightful comic relief with a surprisingly short but touching backstory. Sadie, Thorne’s daughter, is smart, sassy, and wildly perceptive—her interactions with both her dad and Lucy were some of my favorite moments. And Thorne’s father? Criminally underused. I’d have loved more a proper father-son heart-to-heart.

The romance is the ultimate slow burn, sizzling with chemistry and fueled by a delicious grumpy/sunshine dynamic. I loved how Lucy and Thorne balanced each other—she lightens him, he grounds her. Their relationship feels earned, not rushed. And while Thorne’s emotional breakthrough took its sweet time, his proposal at the end? Chef’s kiss. (Though let’s be honest—he really should’ve punched Duncan.)

What elevated this for me were the themes. Like Everett’s previous books, this story tackles class divides, societal expectations, and the suffocating limits placed on women in the Victorian era. From women’s access to education and medical knowledge, to the quiet rebellion of birth control in a time when even whispering the word “womb” was scandalous—this book doesn’t just romance you, it makes you think. And admire the hell out of these fictional women who fought for their place.

The fight between Lucy and Thorne in climax was sad—but necessary. It cracked Thorne wide open and forced the growth he needed. The mystery of the missing formula was a nice touch, with a twist I half saw coming, which made the reveal even more satisfying.

Overall, The Love Remedy is a warm, witty, emotionally intelligent historical romance. Perfect for fans of slow-burns, grumpy/sunshine pairings, and fierce heroines with big hearts and even bigger brains.

What to Expect in The Love Remedy:

– A fierce, compassionate apothecary heroine
– A grumpy ex-prizefighter with a soft heart
– Women in STEM in Victorian era
– Slow-burn chemistry
– Grumpy/sunshine trope
– A single dad trope
– Historical insights on women’s autonomy
– Amazing Sibling dynamic

Book Links

Goodreads | Amazon.in | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Have you read any book by this author or wish to read?
What is your favorite women in STEM book?

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