Olivia Waite: The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics

As Lucy Muchelney watches her ex-lover’s sham of a wedding, she wishes herself anywhere else. It isn’t until she finds a letter from the Countess of Moth, looking for someone to translate a groundbreaking French astronomy text, that she knows where to go. Showing up at the Countess’ London home, she hoped to find a challenge, not a woman who takes her breath away.

Catherine St Day looks forward to a quiet widowhood once her late husband’s scientific legacy is fulfilled. She expected to hand off the translation and wash her hands of the project—instead, she is intrigued by the young woman who turns up at her door, begging to be allowed to do the work, and she agrees to let Lucy stay. But as Catherine finds herself longing for Lucy, everything she believes about herself and her life is tested.

While Lucy spends her days interpreting the complicated French text, she spends her nights falling in love with the alluring Catherine. But sabotage and old wounds threaten to sever the threads that bind them. Can Lucy and Catherine find the strength to stay together or are they doomed to be star-crossed lovers?

My twitter feed was alive with hype for this new release, and I was not disappointed. At the request of readers, I have been looking for more f/f Reg Roms…and Olivia Waite delivers brilliantly. Just released in June, this book is already getting well deserved rave reviews.

The story opens at the wedding of Lucy’s long time girlfriend. Still reeling from the death of her father, who was her guide through astronomy and her source of work, she feels adrift. Her brother has decided its time she gives up her astronomy and think about marriage. Lucy, instead, grabs a lifeline in the form of a letter from the Countess of Moth, a long time correspondence to her father.

Lucy is a math whiz, but having lived in genteel poverty in the country, a little unpolished when she shows up at Catherine’s door. But Catherine, long suffering the whims of the academic, recognizes genius immediately and offers to sponsor Lucy’s application to the Society for Sexist Men (okay, that isn’t really what they are called, but you get the idea). Lucy just wants the chance to try her hand at translating a famous French astronomy/maths text.

I don’t want to spoil what unfolds, but I will say that this book is empowering, with two strong women who learn about themselves while they learn to love. The romance is tender, sweet and at times very steamy. Its not super explicit, and fairly vanilla, but still hot…because these two are clearly meant for each other. This is the f/f Reg Rom I have been waiting for…and a good place to start if you are curious about same sex historicals.

Its interesting that the plot also didn’t feel super formulaic. There were some moments of drama and growth in the relationship, but a fair amount of the action is also in the heroines overcoming their past and present oppression. The end is also delicious in its delivery of a big smash to the patriarchy. So, yep, there are elements of feminism and empowerment realistically woven in to a well researched historical. A fair amount of conflict (mostly inner) is also devoted to how the characters think and envision their relationship given societal constraints. This, more than anything, makes it feel different from the typical m/f.

I happened to have started watching Gentleman Jack at the same time I picked up this book, so my eyes are full of representation of queer women in the 1800s. Both do such a strong service to representing the realities, and dealing with the challenges of same sex relationships in the era with realism and respect.

There are some brilliant and beautiful passages in this book (in addition to an outstanding cover) like this gem: “Every generation had women stand up and ask to be counted–and every generation of brilliant, insightful, educated men has raised a hand and wiped those women’s names from the greater historical record.” Love.

Its well written, a little left of center as far as formula, and features strong, creative and ambitious f/f H/H that will make you laugh, cry and love.

I highly recommend this for readers who like steamy vanilla action and a goodly amount of feminism (and f/f romance).

5 Stars 5 out of 6 Strong women fall in love and fight the patriarchy