Historical romance is not my jam at all, but make it queer and I'll consider it. Well, I actually read this one as part of Queer Your Year, but it has made me more open to reading more of this genre (and author) in the future! It was an easy read, even though Ottoman doesn't shy away from tackling the seedier side of New York in the 1800s. 

Two doctors, one Black and cis, one white and trans, jailbreak another trans man who's been arrested and is set for a life of painful and humiliating experimentation at the hands of the other doctors at the hospital Augustus works at. My historical knowledge is limited, but I think it's clear Ottoman has done a lot of meticulous research, and the racism, ableism, homophobia and transphobia are the time are a central theme of the book - I'd imagined historical romance just glossing over these nasty bits, but the fact Ottoman addressed them made it a more believable, and therefore enjoyable, read for me. 

I also enjoyed the medical aspect of this - was not aware that in the 1800s doctors were not bothered about washing their hands before surgery... like this seems so obvious to me now, but it was eye-opening. 

I should honestly read more romance, because it is comforting to know you're heading for a happy ending, however unlikely it seems. Also the steamy scenes were excellent.