The Lady Sparks a Flame
Author: Elizabeth Everett
Reviewer: Ang
Rating: B+
What I’m Talking About:
I am grateful Ms. Everett begins her novel with a good long trigger warning about self-harm. I wish she would have also included one about domestic violence because there were several spots, that as a survivor, were “take my breath away” triggering. Which meant I didn’t devour The Lady Sparks a Flame like I did the other books in the Damsels of Discovery series. This one took me a little more time. I had to give myself a little grace and time to process before moving ahead, so if you are a survivor, keep that in mind when you go to read Phoebe and Sam’s story.
That said, Sam and Phoebe have a great story. This enemies to lovers story is full of chemistry, self discovery, redemption, amazing dialogue, and many swoon worthy scenes. Phoebe is a strong, wounded, perfectly unlikable heiress, while Sam is a funny, charismatic klutz from that wrong side of town. Together they make a novel that is smart, funny and well worth the time it took me to get through it.
True to her form, Ms. Everett gave us warm, well-written, dimensional secondary characters, ( I ADORED Sam’s family!) that filled the pages with color and a deeper understanding of both Sma and Phoebe.
My only struggles were the haunted??, middle-of-nowhere mansion. There was SO SO SO much to unpack here, and much of it was left in the dark corners of the mansion and the constant talk of electricity that felt like it had been put there simply to keep the STEM theme going. I know Phoebe was a founding member of Athena’s Retreat, but the way she walked away from the one thing that kept her sane during all the years at the hands of her abuser felt wrong to me. Which left me feeling like the electricity content scattered throughout the book was out of place. I wanted her love of science to be better tied in like it was in the other Damsels of Discovery books.
I enjoyed visiting with the other ladies of Athena’s Retreat again. SPOILERS I appreciated their willingness to love and forgive Phoebe and the welcoming they gave her to come home again. END SPOILERS I struggled a tiny bit with the ending, as it felt too clean given the severity of the crime that sent Phoebe away. It felt like everyone turned a blind-eye once she was with Sam, and I would have appreciated a conversation, maybe back at Athena’s Retreat discussing a plan or agreements that had been made.
All in all, and despite my few issues I would say The Lady Sparks a Flame is a beautiful addition to The Secret Scientists of London/Damsels of Discovery series. If you enjoy a well written novel with perfectly flawed, yet wonderful people in it that discover love and redemption together then you will enjoy this next visit with the final Athena’s founder.
My Rating: B+
Ang
About the Book:
A Lady with a past. A man with ambition. A romance far from London society that might bridge their divides.
Lady Phoebe Hunt never anticipated returning from exile. A fatal choice drove her from England, but the death of her father—and the revelation of his debts—has brought her home. Once she settles her father’s estate, she will return to America, where she has reinvented herself. There’s no reason to remain, not even for one gravitationally challenged but deliciously tempting entrepreneur: Sam Fenley.
Samuel Fenley is all ambition. Rising from shop boy to wealthy investor, he’s left knocking on doors that open only for those with a title. Unless he buys the damned door itself—and the estate that goes with it. Sam offers to relieve Phoebe of her burdens, but is her crumbling mansion all Sam wants? Or is it the Lady herself?
When threats from Phoebe’s past spark new dangers, Sam and Phoebe discover that neither is what the other expected. Standing on the edge of disaster, the disgraced Ice Queen will have to decide if she wants to forge through life alone, or let an unlikely hero melt her heart.
Release Date: March 25, 2025
Publisher: Berkley Publishing
Series: The Damsels of Discovery #2 (The Secret Scientists of London #5)
Genre: Historical Romance
Format(s): paperback (384 pages), e-book, audiobook
Book Source: Publisher/NetGalley