TEST
Holly Bush’s Thompsons of Locust Street series continues with The Professor’s Lady, which tells the story of Kristy’s romance. While the heroine has a tendency to mix childish behavior with moments of wit, the very sweet hero made up for her deficiencies.
Philadelphia native Kristy Thompson planned to sail to Scotland behind the backs of her protective siblings in order to investigate textile manufacturing on the other side of the pond, but instead manages to board a steamship heading for New York and is in high dungeon as she tries to get off. Unfortunately, they can’t turn the ship around just for her, no matter how often she stomps her foot. A gentleman – a professor – named Albert Watson, who is travelling with his assistant Mr. Clawson, offer her a bed and shelter and an escort back home once the ship reaches its destination. Albert and Kristy are mightily attracted to one another, but then Kristy’s family’s enemies rear their ugly heads.
Albert is a doctor and lecturer who has been trying to spread the word of hygienic practices – vis handwashing – to surgeons and others in the medical community. He was heading back to England to spend time with his family when he was been waylaid by Kristy and agrees to turn around and escort her back to America at her request. He will soon learn that her family has some powerful enemies – and that falling in love with a lady is much harder than trying to teach doctors how to use soap.
I only had one real problem with The Professor’s Lady, but it’s a big one – Kristy. Unfortunately, she is that certain sub-species of romance heroine who is supposed to be an intelligent business woman but who stomps and pouts and squeaks her way through life. Sure, she’s sheltered, and I did enjoy her growth in the book but oy. It took me a while to warm up to her.
I did adore Albert, who was a sweet, romantic, shy and dedicated man. He has a stutter and the book handles how he deals with it and still manages to be a public speaker quite well. The romance is sweet and has spice but also reads as very insta-love-y; I appreciated that Kristy likes Albert the way he is, and he is instantly bowled over by her and completely unsure of how to pursue her.
We get to meet all of Kristy’s siblings, and the next book – involving sister Muriall – is put into motion. The criminals are appropriately skeevy, and I enjoyed the little peaks into the medical and textile world we were afforded.
The Professor’s Lady is very light and spare, providing a quick afternoon’s entertainment, but it won’t linger in the mind long afterward.
Buy it at: Amazon or your local independent retailer
Visit our Amazon Storefront
Grade: B-
Book Type: Historical Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 05/03/22
Publication Date: 01/2022
Lisa Fernandes is a writer, reviewer and recapper who lives somewhere on the East Coast. Formerly employed by Firefox.org and Next Projection, she also currently contributes to Women Write About Comics. Read her blog at http://thatbouviergirl.blogspot.com/, follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/thatbouviergirl or contribute to her Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/MissyvsEvilDead or her Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com/missmelbouvier
Related Reviews
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.