The Countess Conspiracy

Brothers Sinister #3

by Courtney Milan

Sebastian Malheur is the most dangerous sort of rake: an educated one. When he’s not scandalizing ladies in the bedchamber, he’s outraging proper society with his scientific theories. He’s desired, reviled, acclaimed, and despised—and he laughs through it all.

Violet Waterfield, the widowed Countess of Cambury, on the other hand, is entirely respectable, and she’d like to stay that way. But Violet has a secret that is beyond ruinous, one that ties her irrevocably to England’s most infamous scoundrel: Sebastian’s theories aren’t his. They’re hers.

So when Sebastian threatens to dissolve their years-long conspiracy, she’ll do anything to save their partnership...even if it means opening her vulnerable heart to the rake who could destroy it for good.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Friends To Lovers, Adult

250 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 16, 2013

About the author

Courtney Milan writes books about carriages, corsets, and smartwatches. Her books have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. She is a New York Times and a USA Today Bestseller.

Courtney pens a weekly newsletter about tea, books, and basically anything and everything else. Sign up for it here: https://bit.ly/CourtneysTea

Before she started writing romance, Courtney got a graduate degree in theoretical physical chemistry from UC Berkeley. After that, just to shake things up, she went to law school at the University of Michigan and graduated summa cum laude. Then she did a handful of clerkships. She was a law professor for a while. She now writes full-time.

Courtney is represented by Kristin Nelson of the Nelson Literary Agency.

Reviews

[Navessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have never met a woman more in need of a mind-blowing orgasm than Violet Waterfield.

This MC was wound so tight that I just wanted to hand her a vibrator and tell her not to come out of her room until she’d rattled that stick out of her ass. Too bad there weren’t any to be had in Victorian England or the beginning of this book might have been less frustrating.

So Violet is a female scientist in a time where even women didn’t think that they should be educated. Instead of publishing her work herself, she has her best friend Sebastian take the credit. Because they subscribe to Darwinism, and he lectures about evolution and hereditary traits, he’s ridiculed and hated by most of respectable society because to believe in science is to worship da debil.

Needless to say, after five years, Sebastian’s become a little tired of being the most hated man in England and so he quits. His familial relationships are in tatters, he hardly sees his best friends and he wants to try to get his life back together. Violet doesn’t give a damn. Instead of being understanding, instead of feeling horrible that he’s been so beaten down by the cruel words of the public, she selfishly tries to get him to continue with their work because she so badly needs to feel accepted and appreciated even if it’s in a roundabout way.

First, she tries to bribe him into continuing. When that fails, she gets nasty because after all, he’s a rake so everything will always boil down to sex with him, right?

“So that’s what this is about,” Violet heard herself say. “You’re annoyed that out of all the women in the world, you can’t make me fall at your feet. Talk all you like about friendship, but clearly, I left the one thing that would convince you off my list.” She raised her chin. “Intercourse. That’s the currency you deal in, isn’t it?”

What. A. Bitch. Way to spend almost every day with someone for five years and learn nothing about them. Way to belittle and insult the ONE person that can stand being around you. And way to completely contradict yourself about the reason that Sebastian must continue to do something that is ruining his life.

“I’ve never needed recognition for myself. Recognition is the last thing I want.It’s just that…awful as it makes me, this is the thing that I do. I wake up thinking about it. I dream of it when I sleep. The thought of doing all this and having it evaporate into nothing is more than I can bear. I want to do something, and have someone notice.”

Wasn’t Freud alive back then? Maybe he could make heads or tails of this woman because Lord knows I struggled to make sense of the blacksmith’s puzzle that was her mind. She’s so terrified of emotional intimacy that she’s turned herself into stone. No really.

“Stone was firm. Stone was unyielding. Stone didn’t care about the hurt that bloomed in his eyes. Stone persisted; that’s what it did.”

She’s medusa’d herself because if she lets her walls down then people might glimpse how much she hates herself. I can’t even tell you how many times she put herself down because I lost count after a million.

“God she was a hateful woman. A hateful, horrible, selfish woman.”
“Violet had always known that she was fundamentally unlovable.”
“…I’m a worthless woman.”
“At the end of the day she was a selfish, pointless, lying coward.”

And let’s not forget that she’s actually delusional too. You see, people say that she and her sister are almost identical but she demands that people are stupid because her sister is so gorgeous and she is so hideous. Have I mentioned that I’m sick of this trend? No? Well…

I’M REALLY FUCKING SICK OF THIS TREND.

So why three stars? Because of the storyline. Because by the second half of the novel I began to truly understand why Violet was such a hard person. Because of Sebastian and his complete understanding of her. Because of Sebastian just being Sebastian. Because of how their relationship developed. Because of the progress that Violet made. Unlike soooo many other books that I’ve read, all of these aspects were believable.

If the beginning of this story pisses you off as much as it did me, I urge you to stick with it because in the end, it’s worth it.

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[Jilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was waiting for this book. After all, there was a rake as the hero - Sebastian. Plus, he was all yearning for his bff, Violet. We met these two in previous books and they were great together - totally hilarious. So, I loved them, but then there was something slightly missing.


Burrito!

I don't know what it was exactly. Can't put my finger on it, but the chemistry wasn't as volatile as I would have liked. Maybe because our rake was super gentlemanly and took things very very slowly. Which was good considering her tragic past. There was just no craziness or explosive passion. Instead, it was gently moving towards them being together.


we still got the boom, but it was not flashy

Still, it was a great story with complex characters. These people have more baggage than Lady Gaga and her entourage setting out on a world tour.

Overall - worth it.

[Caz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been a very difficult review to write. Some of them seem to trip off the fingers and some… don’t, and this was one of the latter. It’s a complex and clearly a heart-felt book on the part of the author with so much going on that it was hard to decide what to put in and what to leave out. In the end, I’ve gone with the “write less” option (unusual for me, I know!) because the review has already taken me about three times longer to write than it did to read the book!

The shortest version is this: THIS BOOK IS SUPERB SO GO AND BUY IT IMMEDIATELY.

Here’s the longer version.

This is the third full-length book in Ms Milan’s current Brothers Sinister series, and I think it’s quite possibly her most angst-filled story yet.

We’ve met our two protagonists before, in both the previous novels in the series. Sebastian Malheur is cousin to both Robert, Duke of Clermont, and his half-brother, Oliver Marshall, and his name is notorious throughout society for two reasons. One – he’s a well-known rake and two, he’s a well-known and brilliant scientist whose research and lectures on the subject of the inheritance of traits (which propound Darwinian theories) have made him reviled by one half of the ton and adored by the other half.

Violet Waterfield, widowed Countess of Cambury more or less grew up with Robert and Sebastian. She is quiet, retiring and holds herself aloof from almost everyone; even those who know her best don’t really know her – apart from Sebastian with whom she shares scientific interests and a relationship based on deep-rooted trust and affection.
What she doesn’t know is that Sebastian has been in love with her for years. What he doesn’t know is that she is terrified about the fact that she might feel the same way about him – and what the world doesn’t know is that Sebastian’s vaunted scientific discoveries are not, in fact, his, but hers.

It’s clear from reading Ms Milan’s website and her author’s notes at the end, that this story is very close to her heart, and I can see why. Violet lives at a time when women weren’t supposed to actually do anything other than have children, look after their men and be decorative; and women who dared do anything else were ridiculed, reviled and dismissed. Yet there were many women who worked independently (or alongside men) who both made and facilitated important scientific discoveries who, by virtue of their sex, were never credited with them. The book is dedicated to “every woman whose name has disappeared without recognition” and I actually found myself tearing up before I got to the first page of the story!

Following the death of her husband and a serious bout of ill health, Violet worked tirelessly on a scientific paper which she hoped to have published. But after a number of rejections by the scientific establishment, Violet has to resort to subterfuge in order to have her work taken seriously, and she takes up Sebastian’s suggestion that he present the work as his. (He has no desire to take credit for her work; he simply wants to help her to get her work published). When their ruse is successful, they agree to continue it, and they work together for five years, Sebastian becoming more and more informed on the subject to the point where he has become almost as much as of an expert in the field as Violet. The deception has worked for them for the past five years, but at the beginning of the book, Sebastian, unable to bear the strain of living a lie any longer, tells Violet that he can’t be her mouthpiece any more.

Violet is stunned. She’s one of those people who gets so utterly engrossed in whatever she is working on that she fails to notice much of what is going on around her, and it takes Sebastian’s pronouncement to make her understand how badly the strain of what they’ve been doing has affected him.

The friendship between Violet and Sebastian is heart-rending and incredibly complex. These are two people who know each other as nobody else does, although there are still secrets between them that threaten to destroy their relationship. They’re best friends who care deeply for each other – but even Sebastian doesn’t know the true extent of Violet’s fears. He knows that her marriage had not been a happy one – especially towards the end of it - but doesn’t know how badly Violet has been affected by the emotional cruelty of her late husband. All he knows is that the Violet of today is a different woman to the young woman he grew up and fell in love with; fragile, brittle and sharp-tongued, she shrinks from the slightest physical contact and never wants to talk about herself. So he keeps his distance, never letting on how he really feels until a nasty argument causes things to change between them.

My heart broke for both of them. Violet is so tightly wound and has suffered so much that she feels worthless and regards herself as cold and empty with nothing to offer anyone. She doesn’t want to feel emotion because it terrifies her to think of losing herself to feeling, so she focuses on her work, believing that to be the only thing of value about her.

And Sebastian. Oh, what a wonderful character Sebastian Malheur is. Thinking rationally, I know he’s far, far too good to be true, even on the scale of romantic heroes, who are, by their very nature, all too good to be true! But his sensitivity to Violet and protectiveness towards her; the way he takes care of her in so many ways that she doesn’t even realise, was really quite beautiful to see and won me over completely.

He’s handsome, witty, charming and incredibly intelligent - yet it was so very endearing when he showed that he had no idea of how large a part he had played in Violet’s discoveries. But Sebastian doesn’t want the fame or adulation of the world at large. All he wants is the respect of his friends, and, most importantly, his older brother, Benedict. It seems that Sebastian has spent most of his life craving his brother’s approval – yet even though Benedict believes Sebastian to be a world-class scientist, he still accuses his younger brother of having accomplished nothing with his life. Sebastian sets out to prove him wrong - but even when he manages to make a small fortune in a matter of days, it’s not good enough. Nothing ever has been.

Part of the problem is that Sebastian been acting the charming scoundrel for so long that even his closest friends, Robert and Oliver, believe the lie and regard him as good for little other than having a laugh and a good time. Even though everyone spends most of the book still believing Sebastian to be responsible for Violet’s scientific discoveries, they still don’t really SEE him the way he wants to be seen. Only Violet truly sees him – just as he’s the only person who truly sees her – which is what makes them so perfect for each other. Even as they’re breaking inside, they can’t keep away from each other because they’re better together than apart.

If I have a criticism about the book – and it’s hard to say this because I really did enjoy it hugely – it’s that the romance felt somewhat rushed, especially towards the end. Ms Milan had so carefully set up the internal conflicts that were keeping Violet from admitting that she was desperately in love, and it seemed to me that perhaps her issues disappeared rather too quickly. Of course, that may just be me being greedy and wanting more of Sebastian and Violet together, and for the most part, I’m perfectly happy with the way things worked out.

I am, once again, in absolute and total awe of Ms Milan’s storytelling abilities, her amazing characterisations and her emotive and powerful writing. Sebastian and Violet are incredibly well-drawn characters who absolutely and completely belong together, and the level of sexual tension between them is off the charts. I was fascinated by the detail the author included about Violet’s and Sebastian’s work, and about the discoveries made by one of the secondary characters with whom Violet collaborates towards the end of the story.

The Countess Conspiracy had me riveted from start to finish. It’s so beautifully written that the emotions just leap off the page, and there was more than one time while reading I found myself with a tear in my eye or a lump in my throat. It might not be the book for you if you don’t like a large amount of angst in your romance, but I’m never one to shy away from a high angst content provided I know all will be well in the end and I loved it.

[Sam I AMNreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

A not insignificant portion of me that believes you can’t choose between your children meanwhile says “you don’t have to like them all the same, you just have to love them,” (Sam’s grandma, probably from 1955-1989) says this may not be my favorite I believe it is Milan’s best.

as long as she stayed still, nobody would discover the truth

I guess it’s fair to mention I have not read all of her novels either. Honestly, that’s partially because I’m in constant discovery mode over Brothers Sinister. But anyway, this is my 3rd reread of Brothers Sinister, it’s the 2019 version, I didn’t quite finish up by Nov 2020 like I planned, and this book is hitting me harder than it ever has in ways that I don’t know if it ever has.

I don’t think I was wrong in 2018 that this book leans into perceptions and how they shape us-including our own; but it is much more than that too. My friend Caz’s review outlines the brilliant way in which it is a love letter to the lost women of science and I think I have to lean on both interpretations here to say that I think it’s very much a love letter to one’s own work and seeing people through their work. I don’t mean this like a product. I mean the way in which we identify and expand our perceptions through our own work. The way in which we value ourselves through it. I don’t think this is limiting in this novel, because there’s also duty, loyalty, and acceptance featured prominently. I want to mention here that I believe I've had a conversation with a fellow STEM-er that this was a comfort read / desert island book. And then she eventually felt like she didn't need it. I guess my point here is that I find Milan (this book included) comforting in a way that few authors achieve. The idea of a difficult brilliant woman claiming her place-and the person who knows her.

And that’s all very nice as an undercurrent isn’t it? But what about the relationship Sam?

Finally, he looked at Violet--at the woman he had known all his life and loved for half of it.

"I will be your friend. Your confidante. I'll be a helping hand when you need one. I will do anything for you, but there is one thing I will never do again."[...] "I will never again present your work as my own."

Her magnifying glass slipped from her fingers and landed on the paving stones beneath her chair. But it was strong--like Violet--and it didn't shatter.

He reached down and picked it up "Here," he said, handing it back to her. "You'll need this."

Well, in making Sebastian the front of the brilliant Violet’s work, but also integrated into it, it exploits this idea much better than I could describe. Sebastian’s own attempt at work in his discovering violets and Violet, his own understanding of his role and hers, the perfectly perceptive hero-who isn't so much a rake as in a very old unrequited love situation-who just wants to ease people's burdens and is much more than frivolous. Anyway, in terms of unrequited, friends-t0-lovers, pacing, intimacy and so much more, I'm not sure there is a book like this.

"Besides, you didn't have breakfast or lunch. You're hungry."
"I didn't?" She frowned. "I am?"
He waited.
"Oh," she said in some surprise after a little pause. "I am."


Buddy reread, 1/1/2019
Original Revew/2018:
These books defy formula. Moments, connections, and now perceptions. They fill the pages with these little (big) feelings based on those little (big) things. Am I making sense? Probably not, but this book screamed perceptions. Sebastian became so tired of the pretending, and was so selfless that no one saw it until he snapped. Multiple times. This book didn't have the breezy humor and snappy exchanges we'd come to expect of this pairing. It had very deep bonds along with very big obstacles. We, the readers, were guilty for having seen Sebastian and Violet for what they seemed to everyone else. Irreverent, funny, and unflappable. In the end though, we know how these labels wound from those we count on to know us best (siblings and long time friends). And we all know how it feels to be the giver in a relationship, and it made me tired for both of them.

I've stated here before that sibling relationships, while so rewarding, are one of the most complicated things in life. In my case, with all my heart, I love my sibling. I admire my sibling. Despite needing nearly no one's approval, I've always wanted his. And sometimes that makes you feel stuck somewhere between your middle grades and high school, like that's the person they think you are, as if your dimensions are stuck in that time, in that place, in that context. THAT, oddly, and not the feelings of the heroine who doesn't fit nor the the assume unrequited dynamic of the couple's relationship is what made this book so very painful and so very rewarding. At times, we just want the people we love and admire to freaking see and know us.

Honestly, Courtney Milan and her relationships, her secondary characters, are magic. They never feel one dimensional or maligned. They feel like real, relatable parts of the story. Violet's mother and sister were no different.

None of this is to take away from a very present and past challenge, a STEM heroine caught in a time that wasn't for her...or her type of science. None of this takes away from the very real, very beautiful relationship between best friends. Violet's prickly insecurity endeared her to me, Milan deftly pulls off a character who felt unlovable but hoped she was, paired with a man who wanted nothing to do but love her and for her to know it.

I've got a lot of quotes. But I think I better leave it here for now. It's been quite the bender.

[♡Karlyn P♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 'Brilliant!' Stars

The Countess Conspiracy tells a fascinating story about a woman who has to hide her superior intelligence in order to maintain respectability, and a man who loves her so much he struggles with having to keep her secret.



Violet and Sebastian are such different character types than what I normally read in a historical. She is the female equivalent of a mad scientist. He is a beta-hero, and man enough to love her for her brains as well as her heart. The romance was slower than some of her past books, and there really wasn't much angst, but there was a lot of sweet tender moments as these two old friends decide to become so much more to each other.

One of the things I love about Courtney Milan's books is how she will challenge her readers with some of the most thought provoking stories and intelligent characters. I took it down to 4 stars only because it had some slow spots, but otherwise it was a great read.

I listened to this one on audio, and as always that narrator ROCKED.

[Pepa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reseña completa: http://masromance.blogspot.com.es/201...
La autora pierde ese toque divertido para crear una historia en la que la superación personal es la gran protagonista.
Sin duda, esta pareja prometía ser la más divertida, quizás por eso me ha gustado mucho el giro que da su historia.
El pasado de Violet te pone los pelos de punta, cuánta crueldad humana socialmente "aprobada" , primera crítica socia y la segunda, no menos importante, el velado papel que la ciencia ha dejado desempeñar a las féminas. Muy buenas las aclaraciones que sobre el tema hace la propia autora al final del libro.
Me ha gustado más que los dos anteriores, quizás por los personajes, ambos tan similares. A pesar de que Violet no cae muy bien al principio, en seguida le coge el truco. Es un genio y como tal se comporta.
A Sebastian lo adoras desde las primeras páginas y a medida que vas leyendo lo vas adorando más. Es un amor.

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*

At times very, very good, but it also dragged on for me like none in the series before it. It seemed endless at certain moments, and I wasn't sure that I loved Violet.

Still, these characters were amazingly complex (even the side characters, very much so), but it felt a little like it tried to do too much for one book.

Another great audio reading, though, and I will most certainly be continuing on in the series!

[Carol Cork *Young at Heart Oldie* · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m fast running out of superlatives to describe Courtney Milan’s books. Every time I pick up one of her books, I’m swept away by her innovative stories, her fascinating characters, her brilliant writing and her ability to layer her stories with historical detail and thought-provoking social commentary. THE COUNTESS CONSPIRACY has all this plus a poignant and deeply emotional love story.

This book is so intricately layered with complex relationships and flawed characters that I’ve found it difficult to write a review which would do it justice. I just hope this review conveys just how brilliant this book is.

I found Violet such a fascinating character. She has a brilliant scientific mind, but her father’s heartless rejection, and a marriage that left her both emotionally and physically broken have destroyed all sense of self-worth; she truly believes that she is selfish and unlovable. Violet has always been happy to follow her mother’s rigid rules. It means she can hide behind a veneer of proper behaviour while indulging in her forbidden passion – her research into genetics. Her greatest fear is that she will be exposed for what she truly is… “a selfish, pointless, lying coward”.

There were many times when my heart ached for Violet, none more so than when she believes that Sebastian is going to betray their secret by revealing the truth in front of everyone. Her fears of the repercussions are tangible.

The vast crowd seemed nothing but shadows around her. She could scarcely breathe. Filthy, she could hear people whispering. Reprobate. Her gorge rose. Violet would be ruined, and she would take her mother, her sister, her nieces and nephews with her.

I adore Sebastian. He is everything a hero should be…intelligent, charming, kind and funny. With his amiable disposition, he can put people at ease and genuinely wants to make everyone feel happy. Having lived a lie for so many years, he hates the person he is becoming and he is also desperate to prove to everyone, especially his dying brother that he's more than just a “court jester”. This will mean hurting the woman he loves and I could feel how much he hates himself for doing it.

Of all the people in the world, Violet was the closest to him, and that made her precious in ways he didn’t want to consider right now. She was his dearest friend, and he was about to rip her apart.

The relationship between Sebastian and Violet is so intelligently and sensitively written. What stands out is Sebastian’s unconditional love for Violet. He never pushes her beyond what’s she’s comfortable with but is always there for her. He sees Violet as no one else does.

He’d seen Violet focused on a subject before. When she was, she was vibrant and full of color.

When they finally make love, he understands her fears and puts her needs before his own.

There is a scene where Sebastian is describing the various types of rakes, as though they are types of plants, which is really funny. I also love the scene where Sebastian uses a unique way of telling Violet how he feels about her during a scientific presentation. Everyone is oblivious of the true meaning of his words except Violet.

…that was when Violet understood. He wasn’t talking about flowers, even if everyone else in the room thought he was. He was talking about her.

Watching Violet slowly regaining her self worth and claiming her work as her own, regardless of the consequences, is one of the highlights for me.

MY VERDICT: A beautifully crafted and emotionally satisfying love story. Highly recommended.


REVIEW RATING: 5/5 STELLAR STARS

The Brothers Sinister series to date (click on cover for more details):



This review is also posted on my Rakes and Rascals Blog:

https://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com...

[Viri · Rating 4 out of 5]

***4.5 inteligentes y libertinas STARS***

Cuando comencé este libro tenía una idea preconcebida totalmente errónea.

Conociendo como lo hacía a Sebastián y a Violet pensé que su historia sería lo más alejado a profunda que pudiera existir.
En mi mente en esta historia habría risas, carcajadas y momentos hilarantes a más no poder. Habría un amor bonito y sencillo.

Uy... pero que equivocada estaba. Porque su historia fue impresionante.

Ambos son personajes complejos, con debilidades y aspiraciones difíciles, con problemas mayores y dolorosos. Leerlos fue como leer el fin de una fachada, pues ambos eran expertos en aparentar lo que no eran.

Sebastián es uno de los libertinos menos infames que leí en la vida.
Sebastian enamora.
Es amor, pasión, inteligencia. ES SORPRESA.❤❤❤❤❤
Diosssssss, esa parte donde quería sacrificarse me mató...



Violet es vulnerable en su fortaleza, ahora mismo no sé ni cómo describirla pero es una de las mejores protagonistas que leí en mi vida. Su historia de superación personal, la lucha por defender lo suyo, el encuentro de si misma, el saber que si tiene valor... para mi fue lo mejor del libro. Su vida fue desgarradora, su existencia fue soledad y su admisión su liberación.

Con una historia diferente, repleta de una labor de investigación grandiosa y dando un crédito más que merecido a las mujeres esta historia me ha encantado. Viendo las demás historias de esta serie, creo que queda claro que esta autora no le tiene miedo a decir lo que piensa y a poner a las mujeres lo más en alto que se pueda. Mi poder feminista está brincando por libros así. Lo admito jajaja

Ay no, odio cuando me pongo en plan cursi mega filosófico jaja pero echémosle la culpa a las hormonas y que me he vuelto un poco loca jaja, no me lo tomen en cuenta.



Está es una historia de superación, de amigos que se enamoran...
Ainsssss ya saben que mi placer culposo son las historias FRIENDS TO LOVERS ❤ jajaa



Es la historia de un amor casi imposible y de la caída de una sociedad incongruente.
Una lástima que la caída no lo sea en realidad. Aún en nuestra época.

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guess I'm basically just a Courtney Milan fangirl now? This is the third installment in the Brothers Sinister series and I loved it. If you want smart, strong heroines, heroes who are well developed and strong without being alpha males, and really high quality writing then you should absolutely check her out.

The Countess Conspiracy follows Sebastien Mallheur, infamous rake and scientist with scandalous theories about inheritance. Except he has a secret...most of the scientific work is not his, it belongs to Violet, the widowed Countess of Cambury who he also is secretly in love with. What's great about this book (besides the slow burn, nerdy, friends to lovers romance) is that it addresses the reality of how many women did important work in science, only to have their husbands or fathers take credit for it in public.

The story also involves healing from a somewhat abusive sexual relationship (that is portrayed beautifully) and the grief of repeated miscarriages. Courtney Milan writes romances that are fun, but also do important work. I will certainly continue to read them.

[Chrysoula Tzavelas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is exactly the kind of romance novel I want from an ex-law professor with a graduate degree in theoretical physical chemistry. It is smart, historical, poignant and lovely. The romance in it reminded me of my own wonderful husband and both made me understand him a bit better and made me a bit braver.

It is about a scientist, inventing the study of inheritance a few decades early, in the 1860s. Because she is a woman, nobody will even read her ideas, and so she works with a man to get her ideas out there. And it is about this woman and what her world has made her into and what she has made herself into far more than it is about a romantic hero or even a romance. It is about other women, too: real women who might have achieved what Violet achieves, real women whose names, if recorded, were only recorded as the loving helpmeets of their respected husbands.

Even if you don't read romance, I think this is worth reading if you care about things like history or women in STEM. It isn't a bodice ripper. It's a love letter to those history never admitted existed.

[Ingie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written November 3, 2014

4 1/2 Sprakling Stars - Enchanting and so beautifully told. Yet another amazing Milan historical for us romantic (mature) readers.

Book #3

A buddyread, she read and I listened to the audiobook, with my sweet and wise friend Sofia.
Hurray, this is all so clever and well done.
I'm sure you already guessed that I love these historicals in the Brother Sinister series by Courtney Milan. This was my fifth. ~ And I'm once again an applause and whistling admirer.

My reviews:

• #0.5 - The Governess Affair (4.5 stars)
London 1835, Serena (Barton) & Hugo Marshall (the wolf...)
• #1 - The Duchess War (4.5 stars)
Leicester 1863, Minnie (Wilhelmina Pursling / Minerva Lane) & Robert Alan Graydon Blaisdell, the ninth Duke of Clermont
• #1.5 - A Kiss For Midwinter (4 stars)
Leicester 1863, Lydia Charingford & Doctor Jonas Grantham
• #2 - The Heiress Effect (4.8 stars)
Cambridgeshire 1867, Jane Fairfield & Oliver Marshall

***********************************************************

Cambridge 1867

About Sebastian Malheur, the most dangerous sort of rake —an educated one— and his childhood dear old friend Violet Waterfield, the widowed Countess of Cambury.

Sebastian has loved Violet since childhood. She is a few years older and married to finer name, title and birth but also tragically childless marriage that ended with her widowed after ten years.

Isn't it marvelous with a book for each color on a beautiful dress? This is Violet's story...

From previous books we know that the charming rake Sebastian also is a controversial lecturer and (amateur) researchers who talk about development etc in the spirit of Darwin. Sensitive subjects receiving the sex-adorn Victorian England to behold. His dear friend Violet, the Countess of Cambury, is a devoted fan and she is closely following his career in Cambridge.

“Burn that one to the ground, Violet, and dance on the ashes. And damn anyone who tells you it’s selfish to do so.”

...They are also neighbors in London and share an interest in growing and experimenting with flowers in their greenhouse. ~ These scenes in gardens made this even more tasteful sensually.

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These are stories with gentle, tender, slow progress very passionate love. So also in this book. In contrast to the very subtle and tasteful —with intelligent, thinking, conversational and emotive characters— are their emotions ultimately big, thunderous strong and their sexual feelings are almost a bit "dirty" sexy rather sweetly romantic. ~ Both beautiful lovely tender sweet and also strong heartbreaking moments.

‘Violet was a stack of papers, dry as dust, each with Sebastian's name written on it.’

I nearly drooled in delight listening to this audio.
So very strong feelings, not just about love but about everything. We have tough relationships with siblings and parents, death, a previous unhappy marriage and fear of being in love, physical touch and emotion. I don't want to reveal the well thought out —smart and clever— plot, but I must say I'm very impressed with Ms. Milan's knowledge and background work prior to this book.

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Pleasant narrated by a lovely skilled female voice..
As I said (three times) before, Ms. Rosalyn Landor is undoubtedly a splended good narrator for a historical in this style. She is reading these stories for me (us) with so much seriousness and empathy that these tender and thoughtful dialogues, the characters emotions and the narrators voice for different characters never gets funny cheezy or feels too ridiculous.

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I repeat myself from a previous review:
Well written and intelligent historicals in my taste.
These books and their stories and characters feels always kind of "meaningful" with some important underlying messages. It's about men and women who want to create change, protect and enhance the freedom of women then in the 1860:s, reducing the gap between the classes. They want the right to be themselves, to dare to step outside the fence, dare to be different and then also go beyond etiquette and fine (nobility) folks haves and etiquette.

‘..., tidying the things that should be tidied, doing every last thing she thought about.
Everything except that one little thing: He didn't kiss her.
He contiuned not kissing her as she finished the last seed. There was no kissing at all as he helped her stack her collection of unbroken little clay pots together, ...’

These Brother Sinister books are about wise and clever, but not the most heavenly beautiful women on Earth. You'll meet admireable adult heroines to identify yourself with (...and admire because they dare).

It's stories about heroes that are both charming and manly strong, but also a bit damaged, slightly wistful and very love-thirsty men. Sexy fine (gentle-) men who mostly don't act like "horny cavemen".

If you're in for some romance smut, don't worry, the romantic steaming hoooot smex here is always good..

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Next up in this recommended HR series is #4 - The Suffragette Scandal about Miss Frederica "Free" Marshall, an young idealistic suffragette on the barricades for women's rights and a jaded scoundrel, the rogue and first-class forger, Edward Clark.

I LIKE - once again immensely!!



*********
The Brother Sinister series by Courtney Milan. Four novels and three short novellas.


...Next:

[Clio Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

A brief personal anecdote before I get to my review. I promise, this is relevant to my point. Being lesbians, my wife and I did not have our sons in the usual fashion. (Well, maybe we did, in the usual fashion for lesbians, but you know what I mean.) It took my wife nine cycles of IUI (colloquially known as "the turkey baster method," though it's much more clinical than that), followed by two cycles of IVF, followed by a rough pregnancy plagued with health scares until our son arrived a month early after an emergency c-section. It took me only 5 cycles of IUI, which seems easy by comparison, but then my pregnancy was just as rough, I got put on bed rest six weeks before my due date, and our youngest son also arrived early by emergency caesarian. Neither of us suffered a miscarriage, but we know many, many people who do, and we both lived in abject terror of such a loss throughout every. single. day. of our pregnancies.

All of this by way of background for this point: I could not have read this book if I had still been in the middle of the emotional roller coaster of disappointment and grief and loss and fear that was the process of trying to conceive, or if I, like so many women, had experienced a pregnancy loss, and so my number one gripe with The Countess Conspiracy is that it doesn't warn readers that it deals with these issues. The heroine, Violet, suffered nineteen miscarriages before her husband died, and the first half (HALF!) of the book hints that she's had some tragedy but doesn't reveal it until you're already invested in the story, and in my opinion that's unfair. For me, pregnancy loss is like rape: a lot of people have been through it, a lot of people are deeply impacted by the reminder of it, and those people deserve a warning before they buy the book. (That's why I didn't put a spoiler warning there. It's not like the big secret is all that critical to the plot. The dramatic conflict stems not from the fact of Violet's past miscarriages but on how she deals with them in the present.)

Even setting aside that fairly major objection, though, this story really didn't work for me, which is so disappointing because I love Courtney Milan and I love everything else that she's written, and also because the lovers in this book, Violet and Sebastian, were introduced in the previous two Brothers Sinister books and I was really looking forward to their story. In those previous books, they were sharp-tongued and funny, so I was expecting a fun, sharp, friends-to-lovers (one of my favorite tropes) story. Alas, this was not fun, not sharp, and though I bought the friendship, I wasn't feeling the romance.

Sebastian is known throughout Victorian England as the preeminent expert on the science of inheritance (after Charles Darwin). He lectures extensively and is both admired and reviled (because of the risqué nature of his studies). Yet we learn in the opening chapter that he's actually a mouthpiece of Violet, who made all of the discoveries but can't lecture or teach because, as a woman, no one would pay any attention to her. Sebastian is tired of living this lie, and tells Violet he won't present her work anymore. He also tells her he's in love with her. Violet doesn't believe him, because he's a rake (she says, though we've never seen, in three books, any evidence of true rakishness), and because she copes with her secret traumatic past (nineteen miscarriages) by squelching messy emotions, and Sebastian's declaration of love is nothing if not messy.

I really didn't like the early conversations between Sebastian and Violet after his declaration, because she kept misunderstanding him and/or misinterpreting his words. It was very frustrating because I don't like big misunderstandings where an honest conversation could solve the problem, and here Sebastian was trying to have honest communication and Violet kept twisting his words and mistrusting his motives. That made her seem really irrational, which doesn't make sense where she was supposed to be a brilliant scientist. It also made her seem crazy and bitchy, which makes it hard for me to get in her corner and care about the outcome of her story.

Even after Violet's gotten on board and begins to return Sebastian's regard, her communication skills suck.

She gives a public speech, "coming out" as a woman scientist, and ends up getting arrested. The night before her trial, Sebastian tells her to blame everything on him, so he'll take the fall instead. She's not willing to do that, of course, but doesn't tell him, and treats their encounter as if it were their last, which makes no sense because the charges aren't even serious -- in the event she gets convicted and sent to jail, it won't be for long.

I have no patience with that, because it makes me dislike and mistrust the character, and also it's usually a lazy way to boost dramatic conflict.

The other thing I didn't like about this book is that it didn't deal with Violet's history of infertility and pregnancy loss in a way that felt real to me. First, nineteen miscarriages just seems way, way over the top -- two or three would have served the same narrative purpose. No one's tragic backstory needs to be that tragic. Second, both Violet and Sebastian talk about the miscarriages as times when Violet was sick, and they talk about the physical toll on her health but never of the psychological impact of such losses. I never had the sense that Violet grieved for those lost babies or what might have been, and maybe that was a defense mechanism, but it seemed unbelievably cold and kept me from relating to her as a character. (I grieved, in a small but very real way, during each and every failed IUI or IVF cycle; I grieved for the missed opportunity for those babies, and I can only imagine how much greater my grief would have been if I'd experienced an actual loss.)

I appreciate that Violet and Sebastian would be worried about finding safe ways to be intimate, but that's only half of the problem. They have to avoid more miscarriages, yes, but they also have to deal with the present reality that Violet is infertile. She can't have babies. If Sebastian marries her, he can't have an heir. Now, I know not everyone wants and needs babies, and that's fine, but as a reader, I needed them to have that conversation so that I could believe they'd really thought things through and were on the same page for the long haul into happily ever after, and they didn't.

I did like Sebastian's relationship with his brother, and I liked Violet's mom, but these were minor subplots that don't go near far enough to overcome my other problems with the book.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Courtney Milan has a true gift! This is a strong and emotional book. The first part broke my heart. And it ends with the most beautiful happy ending!

It is a story about Violet and Sebastian. Sebastian is one of the world's greatest minds, only it is really Violet. She is conducting brilliant research in a time where women is not allowed to study at university, and society shuns intelligent women. I absolutely adored this part. Sebastian has presenter her their work for several years because he adores Violet.

"For five years", he said. "I've been your best friend, your confidante. I've been the one who has known everything about you." He didn't move toward her. "And yes, Violet. I've loved you."

Violet was truly broken by her marriage and belives herself to be selfish and utterly unlovable. The things she experienced make you shudder. The first part of this book was dark and depressing. But when it slowly started to blossom , it turned into one of the best books that I've read. It turned into a pogniant tale full of life, color and sparkle .

She wasn't unlovable. She wasn't selfish. To admit that she wanted something, that she deserved something, that she deserved to have it? To think that she might make a decision on the basis of her own desires, and not her fears for those around her?
Those thoughts sounded almost obscene.
Clever Violet. Lovely Violet.

The Brother Sinister series is a wonderful, wonderful series! Courtney Milan really outdid herself this time. I am so happy to hear that Free is going to get her own book and that there is another novella planned. I can't wait until May!

[KatLynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

… For Rosalind Franklin, whose name we know. For Anna Clausen, who I discovered while working on this book. For every woman whose name has disappeared without recognition. This book is for you. ~~~Courtney Milan~~~

The Countess Conspiracy is the third book in the Brothers Sinister series. Here we get Sebastian Malheur and Violet Waterfield’s story. Milan’s incredible talent is stamped throughout and after reading the above dedication, I was excited to begin.

Sebastian is a charming, intelligent rake with a wicked sense of humor. His scientific theories are brilliant drawing large crowds to his lectures. Many attend who are anxious to hear of each new genetic discovery while others in attendance are appalled by the scandalous subject matter of breeding, intercourse and inherited traits. His charismatic ways make him a people magnet and he’s a very lovable character.

Having been friends since childhood, He and Violet share a close bond and deep affection. … “There was nobody he knew better, nobody in the world he cared for more”…. Where Sebastian is gregarious in nature, Violet is a quiet and very respectable young widow. They also share a secret, and if revealed, it could ruin Violet’s good standing in society as well as damage her ties with family and friends. For the past few years, Sebastian and Violet have been living a lie. His scientific theories aren’t his at all. They all came from the gifted mind and dedicated research of his best friend, Violet Waterfield!

… “I will do anything for you, but there is one thing I will never do again.” He drew a deep breath. “I will never again present your work as my own.”…

Violet has one forbidden passion and that is her research. She lives during a time when women were expected to take care of their husbands and children. Those who dared more were subjected to ridicule and shunned in society. Courtney Milan did an exceptional job conveying this aspect of history and the plight of women who wished for more.

Violet’s years of research and the conclusions could only be presented by someone she trusts impeccably to keep her secret, and now it’s all coming to an end. When Sebastian originally agreed to this charade, he didn’t realize the long term effects. Circumstances have him regretting his decision and he’s tired of living a lie. Not only does he refuse to present her work as his own, but he can no longer hide his true feelings for her.

… “Violet, I played a role for you for five years. I bought a house near yours in London and installed gates by hand so we could talk about your work in secret. Don’t tell me that I’ve never given any indication that I loved you.”

Surviving a marriage that ultimately became a nightmare has left Violet living behind thick walls of protection. She now believes she’s unlovable and coupled with another secret she keeps locked deep inside, her self-esteem has plummeted. Sebastian doesn’t know exactly what she experienced, but he knows she’s been through hell. Violet’s words spoken to her young niece gives insight to her inner turmoil…..

… “If you have an ounce of independence in you, a husband will chafe. He’ll give you rules, and you’ll be expected to follow them. If he wishes, he can control your friends, your idle pursuits, your leisure activities. Some husbands want to mold you into another person, and it doesn’t matter if you’re made of marble instead of clay – he’ll push at you nonetheless, and unless you break for him, he’ll make you feel that you’re the lowest, most selfish person in the world.”…

As events of Violet’s marriage are revealed another aspect of the control men had over women is brought to light. What she endured was horrid and broke my heart. Watching Sebastian’s love in action for this damaged young woman is beautiful. He’s tender, patient and always putting her needs first, wanting her to realize that she’s more than enough and everything he desires. One of the things that drew me to Sebastian is his incredible tender treatment of Violet.

… “My heart’s not breaking because I can’t have you,” he insisted. “It’s breaking because you think you’re a hard thing, because you imagine that what I see in you is an illusion. It isn’t.”

The Countess Conspiracy is a remarkable tale of love, healing, and a woman’s journey in a man’s world where females are all expected to fit into a certain mold. As much as I enjoyed Sebastian and Violet’s journey, there were times I didn’t connect with the intense chemistry that I know existed between this couple. There were glimpses, but I wished for more passion. However, this was only a minor quibble and as the excellent writing slowly builds the romantic aspects I became enthralled with the tender, poignant love story. Experiencing Violet’s triumphs from her defeated spirit and watching her start to feel again was a true joy.

In addition to the main conflict being between Sebastian and Violet, Milan also incorporates the perfect balance of secondary characters along with the predicaments they contribute, making this another great installment. While not my favorite in this series, it will be the most remembered and a definite keeper and recommended read.

The ending came with an Epilogue along with an Author’s Note. If you’d like to refresh your memory on Rosalind Franklin as well as discovering more on Anna Clausen be sure to read Milan’s Notes. I found it absorbing as well as giving a good indication to the meticulous research she incorporates into her writing.

[Mary - Buried Under Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOLY. I fear my mind may never be the same again. What an incredibly piece of work...my sleep deprived brain cannot write a worthy review right now. But be forewarned, it will be long.

[Grecia Robles · Rating 4 out of 5]

**** 4.5 Vividorus perfectus STARS ****

Valió totalmente la pena haber leído los libros anteriores, para poder llegar a este libro tan hermoso, Sebastian me cautivo desde la primera vez que salió y abrió su sabia inteligente y sarcástica boca y se merecía este libro digno para él.



Este libro es Sacrificio, Amistad, Pasión, Superación y Aceptación.

Me sorprendí bastante con este libro yo sabía que me iba a gustar, pero no sabía hasta que punto, pensé que iba a ser un libro más divertido por la personalidad de él, pero que importa eso, fue un libro emocional a más no poder, tenía los sentimientos a flor de piel son de esos libros que los sientes y te tocan el alma.



He sabido desde el primer libro que la autora realza el valor de la mujer, las hace fuertes inteligente independientes, que son dignas de respeto y admiración, que no son menos que los hombres y eso me encantó, es algo diferente y se nota que la autora es una feminista #PoderFemenino



Personajes

Violet para ser sincera al principio no me agradó tanto y rogaba a Dios que no fuera como Minnie y que tuviera sus razones para ser como era y creo que llegó un momento en que todo cambió, la admiré por su fortaleza por todas las cosas que pasó y soportó, por su entereza, por su capacidad de poder superarse y encontrarse a sí misma y comprender que era digna de ser amada. La escena donde su mamá le dice que está orgullosa de ella me mató, fue tan bonita

-Porque aunque has sido invisible para el mundo entero- Continúo él -, yo siempre te he visto.
-Encantadora Violet- dijo-, inteligente Violet, Hermosa Violet.

Sebastian Mon Dieu, no tengo palabras para describirlo y es que nada de lo que ponga le hará justicia, es todo lo que los otros protagonistas no son. Sebastian es el mejor amigo que alguien puede tener, su valentía y el amor que siente por Violet es hermoso hasta querer sacrificarse por ella esa parte fue lindísima mi pobre Sebastian me partió el corazón, como dije no tengo palabras para describirlo sólo que es un hombre inteligente, amoroso y una de las mejores personas que he leído y que lo amo profundamente.

Tú no eres un frívolo estúpido,Sebastian. Eres un hombre inteligente que tiene un sentido del humor perverso

Esa bióloga que llevo dentro daba brincos de alegría al leer ese libro me remontó a mis clases de genética y en todo el libro estuve recordando a Rosalind Franklin una de las descubridoras de la estructura de la doble hélice del DNA gracias a sus imágenes de difracción de Rayos X, pero todos los méritos se los dan a Watson y Crick, yo nunca leo las notas de las autoras y cuando la leí y ella se lo dedica a Rosalind y todas la mujeres que no fueron reconocidas por sus méritos me dio mucho gusto, porque ¿A cuántas mujeres no les pasó lo mismo y sus descubrimientos y trabajos los lleva el nombre de otra persona? Yo creo que a lo largo de la historia a muchas.

Si no le doy todas la estrellas es que me faltó un epílogo que me llegara y ese algo no sé puede que después cambie de opinión

[Lady Wesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Just wow! Ten stars. A hundred and ten stars, even.

Courtney Milan never disappoints, and she is really on a roll with the Brothers Sinister series. The publisher's blurb sets up the story nicely: Sebastian is famous for his scientific theories on natural selection, and Violet is his childhood friend and helpmeet. Except, really she's the genius, and Sebastian is tired and a bit ashamed of fronting for her.

We often read of tortured heroes, but Violet is a tortured heroine, and your heart hurts for her when learning of her miserable marriage. Now, mercifully, she is a widow, but she considers herself unworthy and is completely unable to accept Sebastian's love for her. Sebastian, for all that he is portrayed as a rake, is almost too good to be true. I want to travel back in time and marry him myself.

As we've come to expect from Milan, their story is complex and layered, and no mere synopsis can do it justice. So, I just want to point out one feature. Midway through the book, Sebastian delivers one of the most breath-taking declarations of love that I've ever read. And because this is Courtney Milan, who never gives us what we expect, he does this without addressing her directly. In front of a crowd attending one of his lectures. Without uttering the word "love." The crowd thinks they've heard a scientific presentation, but she, and we, understand exactly what he meant.

Just read this magnificent book and marvel at the overwhelming talent of Courtney Milan.

[Mandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is SO good. So, so good.

Due to events in her past (which are revealed - and make it so devastating) Violet feels unworthy of basically anything - unlovable, untouchable - she is disgusted by herself.

Her best friend (who is also considered a rake) is Sebastian. He tells her early on in the book he is in love with her - but they both know she can't handle it. He can't even touch her hand without her having an extreme reaction.

So he waits. He ever so patiently starts to court her. AND IT'S THE MOST ROMANTIC THING EVER!!!

Romance at its best.

[Obsidian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Re-read as of 1-08-19
I did this as a Buddy Read with "Romance Book Buddy Reading" group on Goodreads.

Good lord, I got nothing. I just realized why this was my least favorite of the Brothers Sinister books. Sebastian and Violet are tedious, all of the science parts did my head in completely, and Violet's sister is written inconsistently. The way she is initially framed in the story is being protective of her daughter, then Sebastian calls her a viper, and we get a scene where Violet's sister is upset about her daughter getting an education, and her sister becoming known as an educated woman with "theories". Spare me.

The only thing I loved in this book and wish had been played up more is that we get to figure out what really happened to Violet's now dead husband.

Sadly I liked these two in the other two books in the series, I was shocked as anyone that their standalone left me cold.

Older review:
So I finished up the Brothers Sinister series a few months ago. I really didn't gel with this book as well as I did with books #1 and #2. Probably because the main characters in this book, Violet and Sebastian were not as funny and quick witted as they were in books #1 and #2. I absolutely adored these two in the first book and was chomping at the bit to get to their story. It was somewhat a let down though I ultimately did enjoy the book.

I actually loved the overarching plot of Sebastian refusing to play along with Violet's ruse that he is the person behind all of the recent scientific discoveries concerning flowers and cross pollination. To find out that Violet and other women of her time were actually the true geniuses and allowed their husbands or lovers to receive accolades for things that they really were not discoverers of was intriguing. It also made me want to read more stories about women like this.

But the romance between Violet and Sebastian really did not feel earned at all. Violet's self pity was such a turn off to me that I was exhausted by her. I really didn't get the whole thing with her not telling her mother or sister what was going on with her and what went on in her first marriage. The end reveal about the mother totally came out of left field, and seriously didn't seem like something the character would do based on the way that she was painted in the book.

Sebastian acted like a teenager the entire book. His anger at Violet because he was in love with her and her not wanting him was just ridiculous. I got his anger at the conspiracy that was going on since it was hard for him to be ridiculed and hated by so many people when all Sebastian wanted in life was for everyone to be happy and to be liked. I wish that we had spent more time on Sebastian's relationship with his older brother and nephew since I found Sebastian doing his best to show that he was grown up and done with dabbling in science in order to make himself a more appropriate guardian to his nephew a very interesting subplot.

Characters from the first two books show up and man oh man none of the guys come across very well at all. Robert (The Duchess War) and Oliver (The Heiress Effect) are clueless on how they come across and pretty crass towards the character of Violet. Frankly I was surprised since they both are married to two women who are definitely not typical of women in that time. I was glad Sebastian cursed them both out.

The writing was top notch per usual, but the flow was all over the place. I think it was because I was tired of Violet's never ending woe is me parade. I was tired of reading about Sebastian trying to convince her of his love and her worth. I needed some red hot romance and there really was none to be had her for the most part.

The ending was kind of meh in my mind.

[Wollstonecrafthomegirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the first romances I read. I'm sure if I had reviewed it then I would've given it five stars, because Milan was such a revelation and it was so different to anything else I'd read at that point. That said, this was my first full reread and I'm not sure it holds up to a five star rating, hence me dropping it to 4.5 stars. Fantastic book though.

I love the plot here. It's very Victorian - a story occurring up and down the country at the time - men taking credit for women's work in the sciences. In this case it's not coercive but agreed between our H/h, Sebastian and Violet. Layered onto to that, Milan manages to capture the Victorian moral panic about progression in the sciences and the fear that it might be corrosive to traditional social structures. It makes for a great premise to the book. You can feel Sebastian's frustration with the arrangement and I'm still enamoured of the opening - the first exchange between them includes Sebastian telling Violet to fuck off, it's a helluva way to start.

I think there are a few too many things going on in the plot. The marbles, Violet's sister, Sebastian's brother, the trip to the seaside, the journey at the end. Elements could have been taken away and the book would lose nothing.

At its centre, my favourite type of heroine: prickly and brilliant. Violet has a tragic background and it's made her fold in on herself. Science is her life and as far as she's concerned she's done with love and romance after her tragic first marriage. Her characterisation is deeply complicated and multi-layered. And here I pause for a criticism - perhaps too much. There are the issues with her marriage, her mother, her father, her sister and those with her mother and the deportment book, really felt like too much. I think taking an element away here makes the characterisation clearer and stronger. Still: she's awesome. And anyone who disputes romance can be feminist need look no further than Violet (and, indeed, this whole book).

Then there's Sebastian. An affable rake, meandering his way through life, happy to play the part of gentleman scientist because he's in love with Violet. Until he's not. Responsibility comes knocking and he sees that he cannot live the lie anymore. Sebastian is kind of a beta hero. He's sort of perfect and now I consider it his real role is to midwife Violet through the changes in her character. His characterisation is actually a little inconsistent. The whole thing with his brother felt rather unresolved - I didn't buy that Violet could simply convince him out of his opinion. But I still adore Sebastian because of how he loves Violet and how he treats her.

On which note, I love that these two talk to one another. It would be easy for Sebastian to hang back and let his unrequited love go unrequited whilst we the reader waited for Violet to figure it out and fall into his arms. None of that. Sebastian just tells her and then puts absolutely no pressure on her.

The sex is hawt as hell and super duper consent centric.

Perhaps most importantly, the romance is wonderful. I cannot explain how much you are rooting for these two. There is serious chemistry between them, even with Violet's issues and the sexual tension winds up to an extreme level by the time they have their first sexual encounter. Again, one might imagine that would be removed by a mutual declaration of feelings, but it's not, it's amped up.

As I said, I have some criticisms here, but I'm grading on a Milan curve, and I still think anyone who enjoys romance should definitely read this book, it's great.

[Nakeesha · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a romance heroine, Violet fails miserably. But! As a pioneeress of science she is a TRIUMPH!

As a romance character Violet was all over the place. She was characterized as being sharp, prickly, cold and out of place, but I never saw that in any of the previous books where she made an appearance. In this book she denied herself any love or compassion but she depended on her sister needing her. She was used (in the worst way) by her deceased husband and felt selfish because of it. She tried to make herself disappear, most notably behind Sebastian as he accepted credit for her brilliance. I couldn't get a handle on her outside of her lab. She made complete and total sense in her greenhouse and inside her head as she thought and pieced together the workings of things. You saw how Violet and her work were perfct puzzle pieces that had to be ripped apart in order to come together for an HEA. In that respect she was a perfect heroine fighting for her work to come to light.

Sebastian was very typical. I didn't dislike him, but he didn't leap off the page as Hugo, Robert and Oliver did. Each of these heroes were very distinct and had their own flair. I could easily pick them out of a line up with just one word of dialogue. Sadly, I don't feel confident that I'd get the right man if Sebastian was on that line. I was confused as to his motivations as the story started. Was he in love? Was it only lust? He had been characterized as being mischievous and a jokester in the other books but then the first words out of his mouth were "Fuck you, Violet." I didn't know what to think.

This really wasn't a love story, IMO. Milan had a brilliant story to tell about science and women's hidden roles in science, and believe me its brilliant! You can see how she lovingly laid the foundation and ground work for this big reveal. I'd read it again just for that story. But it didn't work as a love story. Not because Violet and Sebastian didn't belong together. They did. It was obvious. The science and what I saw as Milan's obvious enthusiasm for the science and Violet's hand in it far outshine Sebastian's pursuit of her hand.

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

[Mariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable Read

Courtney Milan does a great job of portraying strong smart women in her Historical Romances. Although rakes are not my favorite heroes, Sebastian Malheur's patient love made him more likable than his charm.

[Serena Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sebastian es maravilloso, esa capacidad de hacer sonreír, su forma de ser con esa paciencia infinita... que hombre!
El libro ha estado muy bien, y he estado enganchada todo el tiempo. Y mi gran heroína, la madre de Violet.

[Tormenta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro sobrepasa de una manera indiscutible a La guerra de la duquesa y La ventaja de la heredera. Primero que nada, en esta novela vemos una REALIDAD de la vida. Todas las contribuciones femeninas a la ciencia en el siglo XIX y XX, algunas (muy pocas) quedaron registradas en la historia. O sea, que existieron científicas y genios de la ciencia y de muchas cosas más que fueron MUJERES. Y por el único hecho de ser MUJERES no fueron reconocidas, porque sus "derechos" no estaban a la altura de sus estatus social. Y como pudimos ver, la mayoría de los hombres se llevaron todo el crédito de ello. Acá no vengo a criticar lo que antes se hizo/y creía, porque no puedo cambiar nada con quejarme. Pero esta novela especialmente te hace dar cuenta de que las cosas podrían haber sido diferentes y leer algo así es maravilloso.

ESTA NOVELA ES MALDITAMENTE PERFECTA. Pude conocer parte de la historia sin tener que leer un libro aburrido. Courtney Milan es una idola, por supuesto. Y tiene el talento de escribir una novela donde sus protagonistas nunca tienen que ser necesariamente sumisas o estúpidas para llevar a cabo la historia. ¿Saben lo difícil que es encontrar una novela historical romance donde existan protagonistas como Violet?

Y por dios que amé a los protagonistas principales. La prosa de Milan es tan atrapante y llevadera que no me tomó mucho tiempo en leerlo.
Todavía no puedo creer que me haya gustado TANTO este romance. A veces lo que menos busco en un libro es el romance. Pero la autora hace una especie de romance que te llena pero al mismo tiempo no te deja satisfecha (OLVÍDENSE DEL ROMANCE EMPALAGOSO Y DEL NO-ROMANCE) porque te da la dosis perfecta para que sigas leyendo.

No sé ustedes, pero si fuera por mí dejaría leer lo que quiera que estuviesen leyendo y empezaría a probar con esta saga (que no trata de los mismos personajes de siempre EN QUINIENTOS MALDITOS LIBROS) porque de seguro les va a gustar. Sé que todos deben pensar: "¿A esta quién la conoce?" "¿Qué clase de libro es este? Jamás lo vi en mi vida." "¿Qué tipo de portadas son esas?" o "La verdad es que ahora no tengo ganas de leer sobre romance o algo histórico". Es justamente lo que yo decía y pensaba ANTES de leerlo. Y no me arrepiento de probar y arriesgarme a esta lectura, porque la disfruté un montón. *Se va corriendo para recomedárselo a alguien que esté cerca para poder fangirlear*.

So, este libro es para aquellas personas que tienen ganas de encontrarse con protagonistas diferentes, fuertes y que son capaces de cualquier cosa (básicamente toda la saga). Te sorprende en cada página (adiós-trama-predecible) y mientras tanto, conocemos parte de la historia que tal vez nadie tenía idea sin que sea densa o aburrida.

Y POR ÚLTIMO, me atrevo a poner la maravillosa dedicatoria de este libro que hizo la genia de Milan:

"Para Rosalind Franklin, cuyo nombre conocemos.
Para Anna Clausen, a la que descubrí mientras escribía este libro.
Para todas las mujeres cuyo nombre ha desaparecido sin reconocimiento.
Este libro es para vosotras".

[Beanbag Love · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this days ago and forgot to update. Such are the holidays. So be forewarned, the following review is a bit of a ramble.

There were parts I liked in the Countess Conspiracy and parts that annoyed me. I admit to too many interruptions during the beginning of my read so it was hard to warm up to the heroine. She was too much of a basketcase and I didn't have enough information to want to follow her.

Violet is an honorary member of the Brothers Sinister. Two of the "brothers" are half-brothers and one, Sebastian, is a cousin. All are left-handed. Violet is right-handed but she's known Sebastian and Robert since childhood and has always been their friend and ally. Hence her honorary designation.

Sebastian is a well-known scientific philosopher, breaking the riddles of inherited traits and doing scandalous presentations that include mention of the sex organs of plants and even animals. He's got a huge following and packs every presentation he gives. But he's got a secret he's tired of keeping. One that includes Violet. And that's where we begin the story.

I already loved Sebastian, but he ultimately ended up a little bit of a doormat, unfortunately. A theme I'm seeing in several books I've read this year. Not my favorite. He's great, though. And I do believe that Violet loves him incredibly. They have chemistry. There just wasn't a lot of passion.

Which brings me to a problem that's kind of bizarre for me. Not enough sex. I'm always complaining the opposite, but sex is important in this one, so I felt like we needed to see that side of their relationship a little more. To believe everything really is okay for all involved.

By a certain point I was completely enthralled. When we finally got all the information we need about Violet, I was full of empathy. It works on that level. The best scene in the book, though, is a later one between Violet and her mother. It should really be one of the many scenes between her and Sebastian if I'm going to feel really romantic about this book.

Sebastian is not appreciated as much as he should be. Thankfully, Violet is the only one who gets how precious he is and she's not quiet about it. Their friendship is a great foundation for their romance ... if only the passion had been there. The love is easy to believe. The companionship a given. I just wanted more oomph in the romance.

And then it ends. Too quickly for me. I don't know if there's another one after this (Oliver's sister played a part in this one) but I felt the epilogue could have been more comprehensive if this is the last of the series.

Of the series so far I liked the second one -- The Heiress Effect -- the best. It's Milan, though, so all the books are going to have great scenes and pithy, amusing banter. And that's always good.

[Rachna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fucking magic. My favourite thing about Milan is that I'm always aware of the fact that she super-respects women and people in general, and that translates into things that show you she's keeping not just her characters but also her audience in mind. it's just a comfort, to me. and having that guarantee would've been enough on its own, except this book was basically everything I've ever, ever wanted from a romance about two people who've known each other forever? their shorthand, not just in terms of actual secret codes but their emotional shortcuts and easiness with each other; their automatic defense of each other and steadiness and kindness. Their history together is lovely without being overtly commented on or talked about - it's just there for you to just look at a little. (Side-note - fucking loved the way Oliver and Robert fit into their friendship here - the back-to-back scenes of Sebastian and then Violet with them were everything I've always loved about best friends in love stories. I also love that O&R are both utterly dense about knowing how they feel about each other. boys, I swear to god.) I love how much they're on the same level, not just emotionally but in terms of the way they understand each other? And intelligence-wise, with her being the obviously brilliant one but him also picking up enough to be able to engage her and talk about things with her? (Their beach date!!!!) I adored the fact that any point there was for conflict didn't come of a lack of trust or respect between the two of them - it was just a matter of redefining, shifting the way they interact with each other. It's so calm and lovely and low-key. It's fucking wonderful. I'm now genuinely worried I have a friends-to-lovers book I'll judge all other regency romances against, because nothing may match up.

On top of that - Violet, VIOLET, I ADORED her, maybe my favourite Milan heroine so far. I loved her so much I don't know how to talk about her. And Sebastian is almost definitely my favourite Milan hero - him in particular I was delighted by, because it would be so easy to excuse him for things he could do under the guise of his likability and his being in love with her for years, but it never comes to that - he's such a GOOD DUDE, without being a Good Dude; he has little sad things for sure but he is so good about knowing where he is justified in feeling something and where he should draw the line.

I usually love the way Milan handles outside pressures and relationships, so it's no surprise that Violet's interactions with Lily and Sebastian's with Benedict both struck a chord with me, though I'm also really pleased it didn't make me choke up beyond reason - it didn't feel manipulative or forced. Milan is so good about showing how these pressures can make a person, too.

Plot-wise I just loved everything in this book. Romance-wise. Everything. I loved everything about this book. I can't talk about it anymore.

[Keri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Courtney Milan has never been an author that is going to write about a typical hero/heroine or situation. This book was no exception. Sebastian has a secret that he has been carrying for many years and he can no longer bear the weight of the secret. So when he lets his best friend Violet know that he will no longer present her papers as his, Violet is devastated. She thinks Sebastian will come around and things can go back to normal. But of course they don’t because he drops an even bigger bomb than that on her. She may never recover from this, because Violet has secrets of her own. Usually, CM always has a main character that you find it hard to warm up to. But I didn’t with these two, because I knew going in that Sebastian, although a flirt, his heart belonged to Violet and Violet for her part, I knew that her secrets were what was keeping her the way she was. It was pretty heartbreaking once we got her secret, as I knew it was going to be. As usual it all works out in the end, but this was bittersweet ending to me. Yes, Violet got the recognition she so richly deserved, but she didn’t get everything she wanted. I wish that the one avenue that she had open to her and Sebastian would have been explored, because they would have both been great at it. It won’t affect my grading of the book, because this was strictly a personal issue, nothing at all to do with Courtney’s story or the quality of the writing.

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with all of Courtney Milan's stories, I finished The Countess Conspiracy with a smile on my face and a contented sigh in my heart! It's fun, romantic, poignant, inspiring... all the things that make reading such a delight!

Full review to come....

A copy of this lovely story was provided by Ms. Milan.

[steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

October 2020:

I read this twice. In a six day span.

I mean that. There was something so captivating about this book that I re-read it last week in like a day and half, waited another day and then picked it up and started reading it again because I couldn't get this couple and their love story out of my mind. I NEVER DO THAT. Ever. I am staring at my large TBR pile as I type this. But there was something so captivating about these characters that I had to go back and re-read. And I am glad I did because you know what, I think this story is a lot more satisfying upon a second or third read.

I will be the first one to admit that initially Violet is a hard character to like, to root for. She doesn't come off very friendly or charming on at first glance. Sebastian however....the man full of mirth and easy smiles and jokes? I was into him from page five but Violet was a tougher nut to crack. She is, as she admits herself, full of hard edges and thorny sides. She doesn't let herself get close to others, she keeps herself walled off and the fact alone made it hard for me at first to root for her, to want her to be with Sebastian. But then she lets her guard down (finally) and we as readers finally understand why she is the way she is, why she HAS to be that way and friends, friiiiiiiiiends I fell for her so fast. Like a total 180 I was suddenly her best friend who would protect her with my life. And so when I finally closed the last page I had to start the book all over again because I had to re-meet Violet with her specific fears, worries and burdens in mind. And to watch her bloom into the woman she was always meant to become and see Sebastian be a good part of that but not the only part #ladyscientist #standingupforyourself

I am really trying to be vague here and not give away spoilers because I think this is a book best enjoyed by going into it blindly but believe me when I say that Violet and Sebastian are one of the few fictional romance couples who love, understand and respect each other completely and with no ulterior or selfish motives. Watching them fall into a relationship together after knowing each other their whole lives was amazing and something I have still not quite recovered from. I have always been a fan of the best friends to lovers trope but this book took that trope up another notch (a few notches actually) and (to quote myself from six years ago) utterly slayed me. But in the best way possible.

This is my favorite Milan book. Hands down.

July 2014:I ended up buying this because I couldn't wait for a copy to become available from the library and I'm so glad I did because ohmygod, VIOLET AND SEBASTIAN. I knew I was already going to love them from the previous novels but their story here just slayed me. Utterly destroyed me. Just sooooo, so, sooooo good. I don't know what else to say. It was fantastic.