A Perfect Equation by Elizabeth Everett – a Review

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Description:
Six years ago, Miss Letitia Fenley made a mistake, and she’s lived with the consequences ever since. Readying herself to compete for the prestigious Rosewood Prize for Mathematics, she is suddenly asked to take on another responsibility—managing Athena’s Retreat, a secret haven for England’s women scientists. Having spent the last six years on her own, Letty doesn’t want the offers of friendship from other club members and certainly doesn’t need any help from the insufferably attractive Lord Greycliff.

Lord William Hughes, the Viscount Greycliff cannot afford to make any mistakes. His lifelong dream of becoming the director of a powerful clandestine agency is within his grasp. Tasked with helping Letty safeguard Athena’s Retreat, Grey is positive that he can control the antics of the various scientists as well as manage the tiny mathematician—despite their historic animosity and simmering tension.

As Grey and Letty are forced to work together, their mutual dislike turns to admiration and eventually to something… magnetic. When faced with the possibility that Athena’s Retreat will close forever, they must make a choice. Will Grey turn down a chance to change history, or can Letty get to the root of the problem and prove that love is the ultimate answer?

Review:

A Perfect Equation by Elizabeth Everett is the 2^nd book in her The Secret Scientists of London series. I have not read the first book in this series, but this did read very well as a standalone. We meet our heroine, Letitia (Letty) Fenley at the start, as her best friend Violet wants her to manage Athena’s Retreat, while she is away. Letty accepts the challenge, but when she learns that Lord Greycliff (Grey), our hero, has been asked by Violet’s husband to watch over things; she is not happy.  Six years ago, Letty thought she was in love with a young man (from a powerful family); his father humiliated her when he caught her in bed with his son. The father made sure to ostracize her within society, causing damage to her family as well.  At that time, Grey was very demeaning and nasty to her, as Melton (the boy’s father) was like a father to him.

Letty wants nothing to do with him, and vice versa, but soon they are forced to work together and things begin to change.  They both learn more about each other that they did not know, and they move past their dislike of each other; as Grey also discovers his treatment to Letty was truly unwarranted. 

Athena’s Retreat is a women’s club for female scientists, who are smart, savvy, independent, intelligent, women who work on their own time to practice and learn how to create scientific things. The women shine in their secret haven, exceling in many areas, such as Letty being a brilliant mathematician, with others being scientists, engineers, etc. They all support one another, and fight against the injustices that women should stay home and let men do the work.

What follows is a slow build romance between Grey and Letty, as he recognized how great she was, and did not deserve the awful treatment years before.  The banter between them was fun, and the sexual tension between them grew; with their chemistry off the wall.  When a nasty group, Guardians of Domesticity push to close Athena’s Retreat, Grey goes against Letty and the other women to close the retreat; as he is up for the director ship, and knows what they expect of him to win. This causes problems between Grey and Letty, that may harm their budding relationship. 

A Perfect Equation was an enemy to lover’s trope, which was at times humorous, sexy, suspenseful and angst.   Letty and Grey were a great couple, with lots of chemistry.  I also liked many of the secondary characters, including Sam (Letty’s brother), Winthram, Grantham and the ladies of Athena’s Retreat.  A Perfect Equation was well written by Elizabeth Everett.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher