October 18, 2010
In this charming historical, bookish Ivy Sutherland goes undercover for Queen Victoria much as her sister Laurel did in March 2010's Most Eagerly Yours. After lopping off her locks, Ivy becomes gentleman Edwin Ivers and proceeds to Cambridge University, becoming laboratory assistant to Simon de Burgh, marquess of Harrow, whose reputation as the "Mad Marquess" stems from the explosion-prone nature of his experiments. While trying to determine whether Simon possesses a stolen meteorite, Ivy is distracted by the rare opportunity to immerse herself in matters scientific.
Simon quickly sees through Ivy's ruse, and the magnetism they study in his lab enticingly spills into the bedroom. Entertaining vignettes about scientific advancements tested at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution complement the unflinching examination of the increasingly repressive early Victorian culture, making this a real treat for fans of both history and romance.