Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖  
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔 
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋 
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥 
Humor: Just a touch

Should I read in order? 
I’ve read books 1-3, and 6-7 of this series. It almost feels like two series together in one, as I couldn’t figure out how the Langley sisters tied into the prior books. Anyway, I think to get the best appreciation for the story you could read the sisters trilogy, which starts with The Duke’s Stolen Bride (book 5). You’ll get some exposure to Nora and their life. This book is okay as a stand alone though – there’s minor references to other characters. Just know that Nora has made aphrodisiac potion in the past and it was a plot point for a prior book.

Basic plot:
Nora has been fascinated with botany and creating tinctures to heal the ailments of those around her. She trained under her father, and when her father passes, she keeps the medical correspondence under his name. One man she writes to is Constantine Sinclair, who at the time was an army colonel overseas. When he returns to find the Doctor Langley, but instead finds Nora, our story begins.

Give this a try if you want:
- Victorian time period – This story takes place in 1866
- A mix of country estate and London setting
- Soldier hero that is inheriting a dukedom and botany loving heroine that aspires to be a doctor
- Medium steam – but SLOW BURN – there are 2 scenes but they are both past 70% and you don’t get any kisses before that either
- A bit of an enemies to lovers feel but it doesn’t last too long


My thoughts:
Constantine is a cousin 4 times removed from the family tree. The son a solicitor, no one ever thought he’d come close to inheriting the dukedom. That is exactly what happens though after the current duke and duchess lose all 3 of their sons to different tragic circumstances. 

Never knowing he was going to be in the aristocracy, Constantine entered the army and worked his way up to colonel by the time he was pulled home. Upon returning the somber household of the Duke of Birchwood, he finds the duchess suffering from a mysterious malady. He knows just who could assist him – the Doctor Langley he’s been corresponding with for a number of years. He is shocked to find out the good doctor has been dead for 5 years and he’s actually been communicating with Nora.

I really struggled with this book. There was a lot of negativity here that trailed throughout the book. I enjoyed the characters separately a lot. I thought they had good backgrounds and could work well together but it was never really pulled off for me. Their interactions didn’t sell me on their romance sadly and I just didn’t see how they came to fall in love. 

I liked that there wasn’t a lot outside plot craziness going on here, but because the main characters weren’t really interacting too much together, really with each other, I ended up getting bored. They were together in rooms, but a lot of it was conversation flowing around them and I just wanted more connection between the two of them. 




Here’s a few random thoughts from the book

Story begins.
1. Heroine is nasty to the hero because she doesn’t know him.
2. Hero is nasty to the heroine because he DOES realize who she is.
3. Heroine follows hero to London where hero’s aquantances are nasty to the heroine.
4. The hero and heroine leave the house together and strangers are nasty to the heroine.
5. Hero’s father figure is nasty to the heroine.
6. Heroine makes an aphrodisiac potion to lessen the hero’s mother figures pain. He takes it test its potency. What follows is the one part of the book I liked – a hot sex scene.
7. They love each other. Kind of.
8. Sex.
9. Why is he controlling me? I hate him.
10. Wait I love you. The end.

Content Warnings:

Depression/grief
Serious medical condition (polymyalgia)

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

73% - hero takes her aphrodisiac potion and has a raging boner. She goes to his room to check on him and she offers to assist him. She starts giving him a hand job.
90% - breast play, fingering for her, kisses, missionary sex