Historicals can and should address genuine social issues, but not in a way that makes their characters sound like time travelers. Female scientists can still love fashion, dancing, and conversation on topics other than their academic field! And I disliked the cliché of yet another nerd girl who was ‘above’ conventional femininity. Other than read books about other cultures, I can’t figure out what Sebastian actually does. Grace loves using Latin nomenclature, which is not done in casual conversation by any scientist I’ve ever met. Our dedicated herpetologist never appears in a scene with any live animals. Scientist Grace and anthropologist Sebastian assume that a thirty-year-old etiquette manual is an infallible resource and never think to try observation. Having the characters throw science-y words around is not a substitute for giving them actual scholarly personalities.
In addition to a character-driven plot that the characters refuse to drive, the book is marred by superficial, clichéd characterization. Don’t worry, though – she and he will drag out this easily resolved question over the remaining hundred plus pages to ensure a good word count. But after Sebastian’s makeover, and to Grace’s surprise, the person seeing things anew is herself.
The attentions of a high-status (yeah) male will lead Mason to see her in a whole new way. She comes up with a plan: get her friend Sebastian Holloway to make himself over as a rake and pretend to flirt with Grace. Lady Grace has had a crush on Mason Fredericks – a fellow natural scientist who, unusually, has no issue with her scholarship – for years, but he’s never noticed her as a woman. Remember the Hollywood trend of remaking historical stories into contemporary teen romances – Clueless, She’s the Man, Ten Things I Hate About You? Would you like to read a book that does the reverse and sticks modern high schoolers in the Regency? Neither would I.
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