Book Review of 'The Baron and the Lady Chemist' by Alissa Baxter

Happy Tuesday Bookworms!

I hope everyone is doing well and staying as cool as humanly possible. I am trying to relax as much as I can and enjoy the last little bit of summer. One thing I have been loving this summer has been some amazing historical fiction novels, one being the book that I am featuring today. I adore The Grantham Girls series so much and am so excited to share my thoughts on the second installment of this clean regency romance.

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Baron and the Lady Chemist by Alissa Baxter, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Baron and the Lady Chemist
Series: The Grantham Girls #2
Author: Alissa Baxter
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing
Release Date: August 3, 2023
Genre: Regency Romance (Sweet/Clean)

Their chemistry creates a chain reaction . . . but will love be the final result?

Dorothea Grantham has always been fascinated by chemistry and spends most days conducting experiments in her laboratory at Grantham Place, staining silk with gold, silver, and other metals using chemical processes.

Thea embroiders the beautiful gold and silver silk shawls she creates and enjoys wearing them, but her grandmother, Lady Longmore, advises her not to reveal to anyone outside the family circle that she has created the fashion items herself, concerned her granddaughter might be seen as an oddity.

When Thea enters Society, her shawls attract a great deal of attention and become the talk of the town. James, Lord Castleroy, takes a particular interest in her work, having inherited a share in his grandfather’s silk mill in Macclesfield.

Eager to invest in the ailing silk industry, the baron studies Miss Grantham’s silks with an admiring—and increasingly suspicious—eye, believing the fabrics to be smuggled imported silk. As he spends more time with the enterprising young lady, however, his interest in her quickly extends beyond his business affairs to engulf his guarded heart.

But Lord Castleroy isn’t the only person in London interested in Thea’s exquisite creations. And when a silken web of intrigue entangles her in real danger, Thea must trust the devotion of a man she never expected—or intended—to fall in love with.

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Note: This series is part of Dragonblade's Sweet Dreams line, so this is a sweet, wholesome Historical Romance where passion beyond the bedroom door is left to the reader’s imagination.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

My Review

Dorothea Grantham has a unique hobby of combining two of her passions, chemistry and embroidery, to create breathtaking silk scarves that look like they come from a far-away land, and not home country of England. It is a secret that needs to be kept as ladies during this time period do not dabble in science, but Baron James Castleroy finds out Thea’s secret and finds her passion of chemistry and silks alluring. The fact that Thea’s creations look like they came from India causes quite a stir in London during Thea’s first Season, making many believe they’ve been illegally smuggled, which was a very real problem during that time. It is a unique premise that I can honestly say I’ve never read before, which was quite refreshing in and of itself.

There are little history lessons sprinkled throughout the novel, which I appreciated, and the fact that the two main characters share a fascination on the subject makes it all the sweeter. One topic this novel focuses on is facing your fears. Choosing to live and not stay in bondage to that which you’re most afraid of is very important and I related so much to this particular aspect. Thea’s greatest fear is completely relatable, and witnessing Lord Castleroy help her to face her fears with patience and understanding was one of my favorite parts of the story.

There was a pretty surprising twist at the climax of the story which I was not expecting and greatly appreciated as there were a few sections that did drag for me, and I was ready for a little spice. I do wish this part could’ve been a little more suspenseful and lasted just a tad longer.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel. It’s got a nice, even tempo and I really did enjoy learning all about silks and the practice of dying them during this time period. The relationship between James and Thea was so sweet and loved every moment they shared with each other. All of the supporting characters are absolutely wonderful, and the scenery was beautiful. I have really enjoyed this series and cannot wait to see where The Grantham Girls take us next!

My Rating: ★★★★

More Books in this Series

About the Author

Alissa Baxter wrote her first Regency romance during her long university holidays. After travelling the world, she settled down to write her second Regency novel, which was inspired by her time living on a country estate in England. Alissa then published two chick lit novels before returning to her favourite era with her Linfield Ladies Series, a trio of Regency romances that feature women in trend-setting roles who fall in love with men who embrace their trailblazing ways... at least eventually. Her new Dragonblade trilogy, The Grantham Girls, continues this inspiring theme.

Alissa currently lives in Johannesburg with her husband and two sons.

Connect with Alissa by visiting alissabaxter.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $30 Amazon Gift Card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight August 8, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on August 15, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

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