Review: A Lady's Handbook to Gadgets and Guile (A Daughters of Genius Society Novel) by Angela Bell

SYNOPSIS

Margaret Kingsley's routine revolves around invention not investigation--until her ordered world springs a gasket.

London, England, 1895
Ambulatory wheelchair user Margaret Kingsley secretly crafts gadgets for the Daughters of Genius Society, a covert team of lady inspectors disguised as harmless bluestocking spinsters. While her fellow inspectors gallivant about London solving crimes, Margaret has been perfectly content assisting from the sidelines--until her expertise is needed to infiltrate the domain of London's most prolific inventor.

Charles Noble sacrificed his career as a musician to support his family after his father's stroke. Now he balances ledgers as a secretary by day and tends to his disabled father by night, but he can't pass up the chance to take a temporary job as event coordinator for a famous inventor commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of his mechanical empire. As strange occurrences cause Charles' event planning to collide with Margaret's case, the pair must unravel a plot of sabotage against the inventor's legacy while also investigating the sparks of attraction between them. 

Little Women meets Inspector Gadget in Angela Bell's witty romp of brilliant women, whimsical gadgetry, and sweet he-falls-first romance set in the Victorian era with themes of disability representation, women in STEM, light academia, and steampunk.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY THOUGHTS

I absolutely adored this whimsical historical romance! This story was a lot of fun but also dealt with serious topics with grace. I really appreciated the chronic pain, invisible illness, and anxiety rep. They were described with such care and knowledge.

I was very intrigued by the comparison to Inspector Gadget and Little Women. It totally fit! Inspector Gadget was one of my favorite cartoons when I was a kid, so I loved all the gadgets! They were really neat!

I really liked both Margaret and Charlie. I thought they made a good pair. Charlie’s struggle with anxiety was very relatable. While I’m not usually a fan of “love at first sight," which is what happens when he first meets Margaret, I didn’t mind it all that much. I appreciated how honestly Margaret’s struggles were portrayed. I loved seeing her passion for her work. And I also loved seeing how loving and supportive her family was.

I loved the strong message of faith woven throughout the whole story. I highlighted so many passages! I can’t recommend this book highly enough! If you’re a fan of whimsical historical romances with a dash of mystery, don’t hesitate to grab a copy. You’ll love it!

FIVE STARS