Intelligent, creative, nuanced, with fully developed characters in a fully-earned joyful ending!

I am always ready to dive into a Victorian romance about women in science, especially when the characters represent Britain's diverse heritage. The science in this one was so well done, and I could tell that the author understood both the technique and passion involved. But it was the characters that really made this book stand out for me. All of the main characters were doing their best, having worked through immature assumptions and trying to approach the world in the way they wanted to become, which made they easy to identify with and care about. But still, the author gave them room to be imperfect and make mistakes, that always felt true to their characters in both the reason for making the mistake and the reason for feeling upset.

For instance, it absolutely completed the plot point that Kalila forgot her manuscript in the lab. The drama around what happened to it next was more emotional because she had made a mistake, so she couldn't only direct her outrage at others. We all knew it was a simple mistake, but it changed the whole tenor of the story, and made both Kalila and the reader more emotionally involved. Similarly, Oliver's relationship with his mother had an obvious flaw on his part, but one that deepened his reality as a character.

Speaking of Oliver, he was the perfect example of a "golden retriever hero" who is complex and compelling, without becoming a caricature. His easy-going nature made sense for his role in his community, his desire to please made sense with his background—and they all offered something valuable for our heroine. 

I deeply enjoyed this book, will look for more from the author, and highly recommend this to anyone looking for an emotional historical romance that informs our lives today.