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Regency Cheesemakers #1
A Bloomy Head
Army surgeon Thomas Holyoke never planned to return to Shropshire, to a life and a gender forced upon him. But after a terrible accident leaves him injured and feverish, he has no choice but to return to England with his faithful surgical assistant.
Newly widowed Kate Easting is determined to save her family's failing farm with her cheesemaking skills. However, she must also contend with an unnerving number of chaotic siblings and the handsome, difficult doctor her twin brought home for her to nurse back to health.
When a decapitated body is found near the farm, Kate and Thomas find themselves at odds. Investigating the murder might bring dangerous attention to Thomas and Kate's family, but letting a murderer roam free may have even more dire consequences. To make things more complicated, a spark of mutual respect and desire kindles between lonely doctor and cheesemaker. But what future can they possibly build together, when old secrets threaten to destroy them both?
Historical mystery romance, trans m/cis f.
Newly widowed Kate Easting is determined to save her family's failing farm with her cheesemaking skills. However, she must also contend with an unnerving number of chaotic siblings and the handsome, difficult doctor her twin brought home for her to nurse back to health.
When a decapitated body is found near the farm, Kate and Thomas find themselves at odds. Investigating the murder might bring dangerous attention to Thomas and Kate's family, but letting a murderer roam free may have even more dire consequences. To make things more complicated, a spark of mutual respect and desire kindles between lonely doctor and cheesemaker. But what future can they possibly build together, when old secrets threaten to destroy them both?
Historical mystery romance, trans m/cis f.
291 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 24, 2024
47 people are currently reading
542 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
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February 24, 2025Family, romance, skulduggery and murder, set in rural Regency England. There's a lot of hard stuff here - the book deals with domestic abuse, infertility, the traumas of survival in post-Revolution France, living as a trans men, reproductive coercion, and the destructive effects of power, misogny, homophobia and uncomprehended neurodivergence. There are also two heftily mutilated corpses.
With all that, it's a surprising amout of fun. Kate and Thomas have a great deal of pain and trauma between them, but the other Governor siblings are all frankly bananas, and the unadulterated chaos that results is gleefully recounted. It's going all out for T Kingfisher territory (cheesemaking and decapitation), and while it doesn't reach quite those heights (it needed a stronger edit imo) it's an enjoyable combination of cartoon violence and comeuppances with real pain and trauma that gets soothed with real kindness and consideration. I also appreciated the smart use of POV shifts.
A very fun oddball of a book, though you might want to check the content warnings. Do not judge by the cover.
With all that, it's a surprising amout of fun. Kate and Thomas have a great deal of pain and trauma between them, but the other Governor siblings are all frankly bananas, and the unadulterated chaos that results is gleefully recounted. It's going all out for T Kingfisher territory (cheesemaking and decapitation), and while it doesn't reach quite those heights (it needed a stronger edit imo) it's an enjoyable combination of cartoon violence and comeuppances with real pain and trauma that gets soothed with real kindness and consideration. I also appreciated the smart use of POV shifts.
A very fun oddball of a book, though you might want to check the content warnings. Do not judge by the cover.
March 12, 2025
The title is off-putting and the cover is hideous, but the New York Times book review was glowing so I decided to give it a try. The story is…unique. From the NYT review I thought there would be all this detail about cheese-making, there wasn’t much about that. The characters were interesting, and the love story was sweet. My favorite part was probably the ending. It’s also a murder mystery, and I enjoyed the twist at the end. There probably aren’t a lot of historical romance/whodunnit novels that involve transgender characters, so that was also a plus. Ultimately I feel like the NYT oversold it, but I’m still glad I read it.
December 26, 2024
As soon as I heard what was it about, I knew that I had to read it. Caretaking romance is my absolute favourite bar none, plus a murder mystery? Trans characters? Cheesemaking? Focus on ordinary people and not dukes? Come on, it couldn't be more up my alley.
Thankfully, it doesn't disappoint. It's well-written, compelling (I read most of it in one evening, just a day after release), and the cast of characters is also absolute perfection. I especially loved every single one of the Gravenor siblings with all their peculiarities. Some stuff about the French revolution made me raise an eyebrow as someone who used to hang out with French revolution nerds for a few years, but...no matter. If you're a fan of murder, cheese, and somewhat spicy romance, you should absolutely read it. Me, I will be first in line for the sequels :)
Enjoyment: 4/5
Execution: 4/5
Content warnings: sexual violence, abuse (both in the past), some on-page transphobia
More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.
Thankfully, it doesn't disappoint. It's well-written, compelling (I read most of it in one evening, just a day after release), and the cast of characters is also absolute perfection. I especially loved every single one of the Gravenor siblings with all their peculiarities. Some stuff about the French revolution made me raise an eyebrow as someone who used to hang out with French revolution nerds for a few years, but...no matter. If you're a fan of murder, cheese, and somewhat spicy romance, you should absolutely read it. Me, I will be first in line for the sequels :)
Enjoyment: 4/5
Execution: 4/5
Content warnings: sexual violence, abuse (both in the past), some on-page transphobia
More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.
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January 4, 2026This was great. I don't know quite how to classify it--a romance with a lot of murder? A regency mystery with some romance? Mostly a text about cheese making? (not really.) I think it definitely knew what it wanted to be, and I really liked where it was going. The dialog is sharp, the characters are amazing, and the ending was satisfying. Really enjoyed it.
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March 28, 2025Fascinated by the acknowledgement that someone did a check for all the French in the book but the first French sentence spoken (by a fluent character at that) is a grammatical mess but also the only one like that.
Despite the author's perception of this book as "cozy" it is rather in line with the genre of historical fiction so detailed and crude that it makes you slightly sick. Very sorry that a detailed description of the autopsy of a beheaded cadaver (and multiple mentions of miscarriages, rape and forced pregnancies) is not cozy
Despite the author's perception of this book as "cozy" it is rather in line with the genre of historical fiction so detailed and crude that it makes you slightly sick. Very sorry that a detailed description of the autopsy of a beheaded cadaver (and multiple mentions of miscarriages, rape and forced pregnancies) is not cozy
July 30, 2025
this was a wonderful and unique book with only two problems. 1) awful cover. does not do it justice. and 2) not rlly a big fan at all of the random POV switches mid chapter, just did not feel necessary and felt quite amateurish.
otherwise looooved this! very unique in so many ways. i feel like queer historical romances rarely take place on farms and i loved all of the farm vibes. the cheese stuff was absolutely amazing 10/10. the murder was less of a mystery and more of a “ah man ppl keep getting murdered but we have bigger problems” and the conclusion of it was great (maybe a little predictable (but also only bc there were hints lol) but sooooo satisfying and awesome). i liked the romance and the mcs but honestly? the side characters were everything to me. i love this family sm. especiallyyyy peter. he’s a vicar, he doesn’t believe in god, he probably murdered a boy, he’s always blackmailing ppl, he wants to protect his family at all costs, he’s mean and weird and badass and smart. i don’t know why but i want him bad.
also lovely writing with some great lines and some cool thoughts/concepts. there was one line about God that i was like yeahhhhhhh that’s the shit man (and it reminded me of alecto ngl). wish i coulda highlighted but alas no kindle sending from libby.
overall, a great read i just wish the pov stuff wasn’t so random and unnecessary
(also the title is great, good two entendres or whatever)
(and there’s another character i’m obsessed with but i cannot say whomst they are for fear of spoilers)
otherwise looooved this! very unique in so many ways. i feel like queer historical romances rarely take place on farms and i loved all of the farm vibes. the cheese stuff was absolutely amazing 10/10. the murder was less of a mystery and more of a “ah man ppl keep getting murdered but we have bigger problems” and the conclusion of it was great (maybe a little predictable (but also only bc there were hints lol) but sooooo satisfying and awesome). i liked the romance and the mcs but honestly? the side characters were everything to me. i love this family sm. especiallyyyy peter. he’s a vicar, he doesn’t believe in god, he probably murdered a boy, he’s always blackmailing ppl, he wants to protect his family at all costs, he’s mean and weird and badass and smart. i don’t know why but i want him bad.
also lovely writing with some great lines and some cool thoughts/concepts. there was one line about God that i was like yeahhhhhhh that’s the shit man (and it reminded me of alecto ngl). wish i coulda highlighted but alas no kindle sending from libby.
overall, a great read i just wish the pov stuff wasn’t so random and unnecessary
(also the title is great, good two entendres or whatever)
(and there’s another character i’m obsessed with but i cannot say whomst they are for fear of spoilers)
March 31, 2025
J. Winifred Butterworth's writing is so beautiful and subtle. So poignant. Kate and Thomas' lives had been so hard up until this point. If anyone was going to do them justice by giving them a well-deserved HEA, it would be this author. I sure hope this is just the first book of this family, because they all have such varied and interesting stories to tell.
July 3, 2025
A 3.5 ⭐️I saw the NYT gave it a good write up and thought I’d try it despite the cover 💀 What followed was a lovely read, sweet and very tender but intriguing enough to keep me reading until the end. But please let’s reconsider the cover art for the sequels, they’re not doing the book justice!
December 31, 2024
I don't read a lot of romance (no disrespect to the genre), but I was promised cheese and murder, and the combination of all three turned out pretty well. I was certainly reminded of WHY people read romance. 😳 And is there anything more sweetly humorous than a wannabe misanthrope who is utterly besotted? He thinks she's wonderful and he's so angry about it! Not without reason, but still funny.
As a cis woman I can't judge the portrayal of the trans male characters, but I felt I was in good hands after reading the introduction, including the mention that the cis female lead's infertility would not be healed in the course of the book.
I'll let other people discuss the requirements of a Regency Romance and its various offshoots, but I really loved reading a historical romance that wasn't centered on the upper classes. I enjoyed the historical content, especially the way the French Revolution informed the story of the female lead's mother and the Napoleonic Wars informed the story of the male lead.
I am cheered to see the plan is for there to be more of 'The Regency Cheesemakers sequence'. I'd love it if one of them was a prequel centered on female lead's mother, but I can also see why that wouldn't be in the cards.
As a cis woman I can't judge the portrayal of the trans male characters, but I felt I was in good hands after reading the introduction, including the mention that the cis female lead's infertility would not be healed in the course of the book.
I'll let other people discuss the requirements of a Regency Romance and its various offshoots, but I really loved reading a historical romance that wasn't centered on the upper classes. I enjoyed the historical content, especially the way the French Revolution informed the story of the female lead's mother and the Napoleonic Wars informed the story of the male lead.
I am cheered to see the plan is for there to be more of 'The Regency Cheesemakers sequence'. I'd love it if one of them was a prequel centered on female lead's mother, but I can also see why that wouldn't be in the cards.
January 4, 2026
Murder and decapitation, cheesemaking and cows in the house, caretaking at its finest, raucous siblings with complicated and painful backstories, bad marriages and comedy, genuine danger and high stakes, and beautiful, exuberant queer love and trans identity. This is such a delight, I beg you to look past the less than ideal title and cover and soak up all the fun and tension this has to over.
December 23, 2025
I loved A Bloomy Head so much! A solid romance across a backdrop of family drama and murders, with unique characters that stayed with me long after I finished reading.
Kate is so very young, yet she’s a widow (an escape from an abusive marriage and many miscarriages), and she returns home without anything to find her family’s estate and her siblings in chaos and shambles. The way Kate longs for her very French mother — who mysteriously disappeared after her English poet father’s untimely death — but also takes on motherly and head-of-the-household duties just tugged on my heartstrings.
When her twin brother (who is autistic) returns from the war with a nearly dead Thomas, the doctor who trained him and kept him safe, Kate nurses Thomas back to health. Butterworth’s ability to give her characters embodiment reminded me so much of Courtney Milan’s writing. Kate’s intimate and necessary caretaking of Thomas is so vulnerable for both of them, and I loved the story element Butterworth weaved in to help Kate recognize and accept trans people as part of nature, and also so very French compared to English “sensibilities.”
For those sick of rich people stories, Kate and her family are working class, and Thomas went from a locally rich family to nothing, so he could flee trauma and live his life as a man. The little details of how everyone lived in this falling-down house and what they had and didn’t have were perfect. Kate desiring to be a good hostess but not wanting to use sugar or tea for asshole “important” people was perfect.
Butterworth really played with the characters. I guessed who the “murderer” was long before the reveal. But that wasn’t really the point. Each character had their own unique motives, and worldviews that kept you guessing at what would happen next. For example, there were times when I thought Peter (the vicar brother) would sow more chaos than be helpful for Kate and their other siblings, especially around her relationship with Thomas.
As a trans masculine nonbinary person, I very much enjoyed how Thomas was portrayed, especially in how he and Kate talk about their related (yet different) bodily and emotional traumas, the intimacy of caretaking, and sex. Historicals are such an interesting place to explore transness because of the lack of modern language and understanding of queerness, but in many ways, that can free us from the ties and binds of “modern thinking” and engage in queerness differently, while still having those frameworks to have moved language and culture forward from invention.
Cannot wait for the next books in this series!
Kate is so very young, yet she’s a widow (an escape from an abusive marriage and many miscarriages), and she returns home without anything to find her family’s estate and her siblings in chaos and shambles. The way Kate longs for her very French mother — who mysteriously disappeared after her English poet father’s untimely death — but also takes on motherly and head-of-the-household duties just tugged on my heartstrings.
When her twin brother (who is autistic) returns from the war with a nearly dead Thomas, the doctor who trained him and kept him safe, Kate nurses Thomas back to health. Butterworth’s ability to give her characters embodiment reminded me so much of Courtney Milan’s writing. Kate’s intimate and necessary caretaking of Thomas is so vulnerable for both of them, and I loved the story element Butterworth weaved in to help Kate recognize and accept trans people as part of nature, and also so very French compared to English “sensibilities.”
For those sick of rich people stories, Kate and her family are working class, and Thomas went from a locally rich family to nothing, so he could flee trauma and live his life as a man. The little details of how everyone lived in this falling-down house and what they had and didn’t have were perfect. Kate desiring to be a good hostess but not wanting to use sugar or tea for asshole “important” people was perfect.
Butterworth really played with the characters. I guessed who the “murderer” was long before the reveal. But that wasn’t really the point. Each character had their own unique motives, and worldviews that kept you guessing at what would happen next. For example, there were times when I thought Peter (the vicar brother) would sow more chaos than be helpful for Kate and their other siblings, especially around her relationship with Thomas.
As a trans masculine nonbinary person, I very much enjoyed how Thomas was portrayed, especially in how he and Kate talk about their related (yet different) bodily and emotional traumas, the intimacy of caretaking, and sex. Historicals are such an interesting place to explore transness because of the lack of modern language and understanding of queerness, but in many ways, that can free us from the ties and binds of “modern thinking” and engage in queerness differently, while still having those frameworks to have moved language and culture forward from invention.
Cannot wait for the next books in this series!
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June 28, 2025Thomas was an angry man, especially about having feelings for Kate. Kate's family of birth is a very strange family, including one of her brothers, the priest, being fairly evil and the eldest, John Mary, who is in charge of the family farm, not actually doing much farming. Thomas learns more about his own family as the book goes along.
Both of the protagonists have experienced a lot of trauma. Kate remains a kind-hearted person, despite her troubles. Thomas contributes towards solving a local mystery, with the help of Kate's twin brother. Henry worked as a surgeon's assistant to Thomas for years. Thomas figured out ways to interact with Henry to get the best from him, which Kate is happy about. You can't yell at Henry, but if you communicate clearly and calmly with him, he can achieve a lot. Kate knew that Henry was quite intelligent in some ways, and having Thomas understand her twin brother so well gives Kate and Thomas something of a bond.
The emotional trauma in the characters' pasts might be triggering for some readers, but there are thorough content warnings. I wasn't expecting some of the twists and turns that occur in the book, although others were telegraphed for the reader. I liked the book, but Kate's family was seriously quirky.
Both of the protagonists have experienced a lot of trauma. Kate remains a kind-hearted person, despite her troubles. Thomas contributes towards solving a local mystery, with the help of Kate's twin brother. Henry worked as a surgeon's assistant to Thomas for years. Thomas figured out ways to interact with Henry to get the best from him, which Kate is happy about. You can't yell at Henry, but if you communicate clearly and calmly with him, he can achieve a lot. Kate knew that Henry was quite intelligent in some ways, and having Thomas understand her twin brother so well gives Kate and Thomas something of a bond.
The emotional trauma in the characters' pasts might be triggering for some readers, but there are thorough content warnings. I wasn't expecting some of the twists and turns that occur in the book, although others were telegraphed for the reader. I liked the book, but Kate's family was seriously quirky.
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January 1, 2026A gloomy and grim historical romance between a freshly widowed cheese maker and an injured army doctor trans man that her brother carried all the way home from the continent. Both of our leads are up to their necks in trauma, poverty, injury, and murder. The dire-ness of their respective situations makes their tender romance all the sweeter, each of them the light at the end of the tunnel leading them through the darkness, the anchor which they can rely on.
This is also a romance unafraid to leave the heads of our two leads, hopping out to the perspectives of several of Kate's siblings to impart critical plot details and a more holistic perspective on Kate and Thomas' budding romance from the people that care about them. Their community of loved ones is the secret sauce which makes this romance tick: Kate and Thomas' mutual love and deep respect for Kate's neurodivergent &/ developmentally disabled twin brother is how they first connect, letting them know that they value the same things and can trust one another.
I loved this book so much that I delayed reading the final 50 pages until this morning, so that I could ring in the new year with it.
This is also a romance unafraid to leave the heads of our two leads, hopping out to the perspectives of several of Kate's siblings to impart critical plot details and a more holistic perspective on Kate and Thomas' budding romance from the people that care about them. Their community of loved ones is the secret sauce which makes this romance tick: Kate and Thomas' mutual love and deep respect for Kate's neurodivergent &/ developmentally disabled twin brother is how they first connect, letting them know that they value the same things and can trust one another.
I loved this book so much that I delayed reading the final 50 pages until this morning, so that I could ring in the new year with it.
May 22, 2025
More like 3.5 Stars
Overall I enjoyed this. I loved how different it was from the usual historical romance ballroom tropes. I wish there had been fewer storylines to keep track of and more about cheesemaking though. Looking forward to reading another book by this author.
Overall I enjoyed this. I loved how different it was from the usual historical romance ballroom tropes. I wish there had been fewer storylines to keep track of and more about cheesemaking though. Looking forward to reading another book by this author.
July 6, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up because it's such a promising debut. Plot was overstuffed with too many of Kate's siblings, partially eclipsing the love story with transmasc Thomas. Still it wasn't a chore to become acquainted with the quirky Gravenor family members (even if several of them are quite deranged). And I relished numerous sly passages like this one:
The face of Mr. Hines, which had until this moment remained completely immobile, contorted briefly to produce an expression which was not a smile, but which might have been a smile if it had been allowed to mature another few weeks.Be forewarned that page one has a beheading by guillotine, and the overall body count would not feel out of place in a K.J. Charles novel.
July 29, 2025
I kept seeing this online, and yes, the cover art is very off-putting. But authors and other people I know kept saying it was good-- and I've read enough of their recommendations that their word has some weight.
I wish this book knew a little more solidly what it wanted to be. There's a romantic element, but it's not a romance; there is a killer on the loose, but it's not a mystery; there is the threat of exposure or blackmail, but it's not a thriller. It most closely fits as an historical fiction-- the setting is clear and detailed, and all the other elements take their cues from the setting.
Recommended for public library collections for sure. Suggest to readers who like historical romance, LGBTQIA+ romance or historical fiction, and/or any book that doesn't fit an exact mold (ha!) or may be difficult to categorize.
I wish this book knew a little more solidly what it wanted to be. There's a romantic element, but it's not a romance; there is a killer on the loose, but it's not a mystery; there is the threat of exposure or blackmail, but it's not a thriller. It most closely fits as an historical fiction-- the setting is clear and detailed, and all the other elements take their cues from the setting.
Recommended for public library collections for sure. Suggest to readers who like historical romance, LGBTQIA+ romance or historical fiction, and/or any book that doesn't fit an exact mold (ha!) or may be difficult to categorize.
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January 5, 2026A sui-generis work that blends village mystery and historical romance with a trans twist in a heartfelt and original tale set in exremely rural Regency England. This is decidedly NOT what people think of as a Regency romance, full of young upper-crust virgins in white muslin gowns and bonnets. You can practically smell the cow patties in the farmyard on every page! The characters are all secretive and rather prickly, and the author gives that impression too -- surely a more commercial project would have resulted in a better title and less amateurish cover image -- so potential readers need to value individualism over genre polish.
May 19, 2025
Reminded me of a KJ Charles, which is about the highest compliment I can give. Queer characters and cheesemaking and beheaded bodies and Song of Songs and spies and estate legalities and an ailing war doctor who is furious, just furious, that a short, industrious, redheaded widow nurses him back to health (and at one point touches his feet). The only thing that excites me more than all of this is that there will, cheese gods willing, be sequels so that we can continue to follow the rest of the Gravenor family. An absolute delight.
August 2, 2025
A delight. Murder mystery romance in early 1800s rural England. Henry Gravenor, an army surgeon’s assistant, brings his desperately injured boss (a very cranky surgeon) home to his very unusual family, which is scraping by in poverty in rural England. Henry’s sister Kate nurses Dr Holyoke back to consciousness just as a dead body turns up, and the doctor ends up tangled in the secrets and plots surrounding the Gravenor family and, to his chagrin, they become tangled in his own.
Lot of loving queer representation and wonderfully fucked up and loving family dynamics.
Lot of loving queer representation and wonderfully fucked up and loving family dynamics.
April 9, 2025
The cover is awful, but the content was much better. The murder mystery and plot was predictable, but still enjoyable. I liked the depiction of the family and their efforts to protect each other. I thought a historical romance with a trans man doctor and poverty stricken farm widow would be too grim or unrealistic, and while there is some past trauma and several murders, the story was surprisingly upbeat with a happy ending.
July 18, 2025
This was very fun. Love historical romance but don't really give a crap what dukes get up to? This is for you. I really appreciated that this was a romance about ordinary people (not that they are exactly *ordinary* of course) rather than billionaire romance in costumes. The writing was wonderful — lots of surprising little phrases and descriptions. I loved how tactile the setting was. The house was as good as any character. Will definitely look for more by this author.
August 29, 2025
No finer book out there about a trans romance involving cheese making, murder solving, and a large messy family with much more personality than money. Absolutely adored this. I need a whole Bridgerton like series where each of the siblings get paired off, each coupling more queer than the last, and lots more murder. (GOOD GRIEF let's get better covers, though! Points for being different but, uhh, maybe a little LESS different for the next one?!)
April 6, 2025
This was a wonderful historical with a mystery and a great cast of characters. The sibling dynamics were so real, and I loved how they all interacted, with Kate desperately trying to take care of everything. The relationship between the FMC and MMC developed in such a lovely way. I can’t wait to return to this world with future siblings! Trans Rights Readathon
August 12, 2025
Oh my GOODNESS this was the loveliest, most tender hearted, most absurd thing ever & everyone got exactly what they deserved!!!
[this is worth reviewing the CWs for though - little happens on page but these characters have a LOT of painful history which does get reflected on, discussed & sometimes dragged right out into the light of day. Proceed with caution!]
[this is worth reviewing the CWs for though - little happens on page but these characters have a LOT of painful history which does get reflected on, discussed & sometimes dragged right out into the light of day. Proceed with caution!]
September 20, 2025
Thomas and Kate fighting the fights and making the cheese. One of those books where you have NO idea how it could possibly end up okay and props to the author for just threading that feeling throughout. It felt long, like probably too long. And maybe just a smidge too practical and then the twist was too much. And the cover. But still good.
April 20, 2025
Really liked the setup, but Thomas is such a deeply unlikable character that I had zero interest in spending any more time with him. Too bad, because Kate and the others were well drawn and interesting.
August 1, 2025
I loved this one, its not perfect but this is one of the ONLY books where I cared about each and everyone one of the characters. I was invested in the story, I want more and MORE. I loved the family! I honestly can't wait for more of the books especially Henry ( and Eleanor!!!)
November 14, 2025
This book is at least ten times more insane than the blurb makes it sound. It does all hold together, somehow! And now I want cheese! (Please disregard the horrible cover, the writing is actually great.)
January 4, 2026
The ending of this was compelling, but getting there was a chore because the majority of the book dragged. I found the setting, characters, and other elements to be interesting once things picked up, so I might still consider reading future books in this series.
March 9, 2025
This got rapturous reviews, so I was excited, but found it overall just OK. It's both romance and mystery and I had a hard time getting invested in the main characters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews