What do you think?
Rate this book
Protocols for Gentility #1
A Lady's Guide to Subterfuge and Science
All’s fair in love and science…
It is the summer of 1844, and seasoned microscopist Kalila Darwish has made a decision: travel to London, impersonate her cousin Dameer, and attempt to change the Society of Microscopic Biology from within. Clever and resourceful, Kalila is confident that she can convince her male peers to allow women into the Society over a series of lectures. All she needs to do is make sure she blends in—and for a woman with an extraordinary eye for detail, that shouldn’t be much of a challenge at all…
Oliver Booth had expected to enjoy the Society’s summer lecture series, but not like this. The person introducing themselves as Dameer Rafiq is none other than the woman he ran into only days ago, and Oliver is desperate to know what her angle is. But his Lady Impostor is guarded and rightfully so. After all, he was the one who’d left teasing critiques on all those papers she had submitted to the Society over the years, making her see him as something of a rival…
As Kalila’s affection for Oliver grows, she is forced to decide what to throw her heart into and to reckon with the fact that the world of science is riddled with far more hurdles than she was anticipating. With her research at risk, she and Oliver must work together—and Kalila must decide if her disguise is more of a help…or a hindrance.
It is the summer of 1844, and seasoned microscopist Kalila Darwish has made a decision: travel to London, impersonate her cousin Dameer, and attempt to change the Society of Microscopic Biology from within. Clever and resourceful, Kalila is confident that she can convince her male peers to allow women into the Society over a series of lectures. All she needs to do is make sure she blends in—and for a woman with an extraordinary eye for detail, that shouldn’t be much of a challenge at all…
Oliver Booth had expected to enjoy the Society’s summer lecture series, but not like this. The person introducing themselves as Dameer Rafiq is none other than the woman he ran into only days ago, and Oliver is desperate to know what her angle is. But his Lady Impostor is guarded and rightfully so. After all, he was the one who’d left teasing critiques on all those papers she had submitted to the Society over the years, making her see him as something of a rival…
As Kalila’s affection for Oliver grows, she is forced to decide what to throw her heart into and to reckon with the fact that the world of science is riddled with far more hurdles than she was anticipating. With her research at risk, she and Oliver must work together—and Kalila must decide if her disguise is more of a help…or a hindrance.
- GenresRomanceHistorical
295 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 5, 2026
About the author
Isabella Kamal
6 books35 followersIsabella Kamal is an Iraqi Muslim historical romance author. Growing up in the Middle East, she had very little access to romance novels—but once she got hold of one, she never looked back.
Isabella is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, and California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Now calling Pasadena home, she can usually be found in independent bookstores or reading under her heated blanket after long days spent developing stem cell-based therapies.
Isabella is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, and California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Now calling Pasadena home, she can usually be found in independent bookstores or reading under her heated blanket after long days spent developing stem cell-based therapies.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Did Not Finish
August 24, 2026This isn’t fitting my mood right now. It’s slower, since it’s not action-based, with a lot of introspection and internal monologues.
July 9, 2026
I would like to thank Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this!
She’s a scientist who studies microscopy and wants to get into the male only society. He’s a member of said society and seems to not be aware of his privilege.
I loved that she was more intelligent then he was, and that eventually he stood up for her. Can’t wait for more books.
I loved this!
She’s a scientist who studies microscopy and wants to get into the male only society. He’s a member of said society and seems to not be aware of his privilege.
I loved that she was more intelligent then he was, and that eventually he stood up for her. Can’t wait for more books.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Intelligent, creative, nuanced, with fully developed characters in a fully-earned joyful ending!
I am always ready to dive into a Victorian romance about women in science, especially when the characters represent Britain's diverse heritage. The science in this one was so well done, and I could tell that the author understood both the technique and passion involved. But it was the characters that really made this book stand out for me. All of the main characters were doing their best, having worked through immature assumptions and trying to approach the world in the way they wanted to become, which made they easy to identify with and care about. But still, the author gave them room to be imperfect and make mistakes, that always felt true to their characters in both the reason for making the mistake and the reason for feeling upset.
For instance, it absolutely completed the plot point that Kalila forgot her manuscript in the lab. The drama around what happened to it next was more emotional because she had made a mistake, so she couldn't only direct her outrage at others. We all knew it was a simple mistake, but it changed the whole tenor of the story, and made both Kalila and the reader more emotionally involved. Similarly, Oliver's relationship with his mother had an obvious flaw on his part, but one that deepened his reality as a character.
Speaking of Oliver, he was the perfect example of a "golden retriever hero" who is complex and compelling, without becoming a caricature. His easy-going nature made sense for his role in his community, his desire to please made sense with his background—and they all offered something valuable for our heroine.
I deeply enjoyed this book, will look for more from the author, and highly recommend this to anyone looking for an emotional historical romance that informs our lives today.
I am always ready to dive into a Victorian romance about women in science, especially when the characters represent Britain's diverse heritage. The science in this one was so well done, and I could tell that the author understood both the technique and passion involved. But it was the characters that really made this book stand out for me. All of the main characters were doing their best, having worked through immature assumptions and trying to approach the world in the way they wanted to become, which made they easy to identify with and care about. But still, the author gave them room to be imperfect and make mistakes, that always felt true to their characters in both the reason for making the mistake and the reason for feeling upset.
For instance, it absolutely completed the plot point that Kalila forgot her manuscript in the lab. The drama around what happened to it next was more emotional because she had made a mistake, so she couldn't only direct her outrage at others. We all knew it was a simple mistake, but it changed the whole tenor of the story, and made both Kalila and the reader more emotionally involved. Similarly, Oliver's relationship with his mother had an obvious flaw on his part, but one that deepened his reality as a character.
Speaking of Oliver, he was the perfect example of a "golden retriever hero" who is complex and compelling, without becoming a caricature. His easy-going nature made sense for his role in his community, his desire to please made sense with his background—and they all offered something valuable for our heroine.
I deeply enjoyed this book, will look for more from the author, and highly recommend this to anyone looking for an emotional historical romance that informs our lives today.
July 6, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I love historical romances and always enjoy seeing where an author takes the story. Kalila was an amazing heroine. She was ahead of her time, passionate about science, and determined to follow her dreams no matter what stood in her way. Oliver shared that same passion for science, but he also had his own past and struggles to work through, which made them an interesting pair.
My biggest issue was that the story felt rushed. Once Oliver learns Kalila's secret, everything just seemed to fall into place. The romance moved quickly, the conflicts were resolved quickly, and before I knew it the story was wrapping up. A lot of the bigger conversations and obstacles felt like they were solved almost as soon as they came up. I kept waiting for things to slow down and dig a little deeper, but they never really did.
I honestly had a lot of fun reading this book. I loved Kalila and Oliver and was rooting for them from the beginning. I just wanted more time with them. More tension. More development. More of those emotional moments that make me really feel invested in a romance. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, but by the end I couldn't help feeling like the story was over just as it was really getting started.
I love historical romances and always enjoy seeing where an author takes the story. Kalila was an amazing heroine. She was ahead of her time, passionate about science, and determined to follow her dreams no matter what stood in her way. Oliver shared that same passion for science, but he also had his own past and struggles to work through, which made them an interesting pair.
My biggest issue was that the story felt rushed. Once Oliver learns Kalila's secret, everything just seemed to fall into place. The romance moved quickly, the conflicts were resolved quickly, and before I knew it the story was wrapping up. A lot of the bigger conversations and obstacles felt like they were solved almost as soon as they came up. I kept waiting for things to slow down and dig a little deeper, but they never really did.
I honestly had a lot of fun reading this book. I loved Kalila and Oliver and was rooting for them from the beginning. I just wanted more time with them. More tension. More development. More of those emotional moments that make me really feel invested in a romance. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, but by the end I couldn't help feeling like the story was over just as it was really getting started.
July 24, 2026
Definitely one of the most charming books I've read in a while, featuring a whip-smart heroine and a hero who very much has a competence kink and is never threatened by her intellect.
Seeing as how the premise of the book hinges on Kalila impersonating a man to sneak into a scientific society, I was a bit worried that there would be silly, slapstick-y scenes of her fumbling her disguise and Oliver being clueless, so I was pleasantly surprised when he realized she was a woman basically at once, and started becoming her friend and colleague. I really liked both protagonists, and I loved that they were not aristocrats and that nobody was excessively wealthy; how refreshing to focus on smart, open-minded people and their achievements. However, I did think the context of Kalila's family and how they came to England from what would be present-day Iraq was missing; I would've loved to have read anything about that (Oliver also obviously thought the same, because Kalila discovers, much to her delight, that he's reading books about Mesopotamia in an effort to learn more about her heritage). Even without that, I was utterly charmed by the story, the STEM background and the lovely prose.
We did need more scenes with Virginia the snake, though. Also, the cover is gorgeous.
Seeing as how the premise of the book hinges on Kalila impersonating a man to sneak into a scientific society, I was a bit worried that there would be silly, slapstick-y scenes of her fumbling her disguise and Oliver being clueless, so I was pleasantly surprised when he realized she was a woman basically at once, and started becoming her friend and colleague. I really liked both protagonists, and I loved that they were not aristocrats and that nobody was excessively wealthy; how refreshing to focus on smart, open-minded people and their achievements. However, I did think the context of Kalila's family and how they came to England from what would be present-day Iraq was missing; I would've loved to have read anything about that (Oliver also obviously thought the same, because Kalila discovers, much to her delight, that he's reading books about Mesopotamia in an effort to learn more about her heritage). Even without that, I was utterly charmed by the story, the STEM background and the lovely prose.
We did need more scenes with Virginia the snake, though. Also, the cover is gorgeous.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A Compelling Regency Romance with a Frustrating Heroine
This story is well-written, featuring a heroine who initially comes across as strong and determined, putting herself on a path to become a pioneer in her field. However, my admiration faltered when Jennings stole her paper and she simply gave up. It is at this point that the one man who truly believes in her must conquer his own fears to retrieve the paper for its rightful owner. While the romance is sweet and the narrative manages to be quite humorous despite the seriousness of the subject, the heroine's reaction to adversity was a letdown.
Frankly, Kalila allowed herself to be distracted by Oliver, and because of that, she deserved to lose her paper. Even when I fell in love with my husband, I never permitted him to distract me from my professional goals. It is difficult enough to crash into a man’s world without allowing the person you love to derail your focus. Letting them do so ultimately falls on the woman, as it only reinforces the archaic notions of the ton that women are the weaker sex. Women were meant to stand beside men as equals—not above them, and certainly not below them.
This story is well-written, featuring a heroine who initially comes across as strong and determined, putting herself on a path to become a pioneer in her field. However, my admiration faltered when Jennings stole her paper and she simply gave up. It is at this point that the one man who truly believes in her must conquer his own fears to retrieve the paper for its rightful owner. While the romance is sweet and the narrative manages to be quite humorous despite the seriousness of the subject, the heroine's reaction to adversity was a letdown.
Frankly, Kalila allowed herself to be distracted by Oliver, and because of that, she deserved to lose her paper. Even when I fell in love with my husband, I never permitted him to distract me from my professional goals. It is difficult enough to crash into a man’s world without allowing the person you love to derail your focus. Letting them do so ultimately falls on the woman, as it only reinforces the archaic notions of the ton that women are the weaker sex. Women were meant to stand beside men as equals—not above them, and certainly not below them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2026
I LOVE a man who loves her because she’s smarter than him and in a historical romance? Even better!
This was such a delightful read! Our smart and driven FMC knows her worth and is determined to not let society’s gender limitations stop the progress of science. Our MMC is a bit lost in his own life, floating through life ignoring his issues until he is intrigued by a relentless and brilliant scientist. I loved that he is the only one to see through her ruse of impersonating her cousin, and realizing how smart and intriguing she is he finds himself singularly focused on her. Their growth both together (getting past their emotional hang ups about romantic relationships) and their individual growth (her value to the scientific community, his relationship with his parents) and that ultimately they grew together so beautifully.
This story was so enjoyable and really had be rooting for the couple. If you like women in STEM, historical romance, and men that are down bad for a brilliant lady, you will love “A Lady’s Guide To Subterfuge and Science”!
(ARC Review, All opinions are my own)
This was such a delightful read! Our smart and driven FMC knows her worth and is determined to not let society’s gender limitations stop the progress of science. Our MMC is a bit lost in his own life, floating through life ignoring his issues until he is intrigued by a relentless and brilliant scientist. I loved that he is the only one to see through her ruse of impersonating her cousin, and realizing how smart and intriguing she is he finds himself singularly focused on her. Their growth both together (getting past their emotional hang ups about romantic relationships) and their individual growth (her value to the scientific community, his relationship with his parents) and that ultimately they grew together so beautifully.
This story was so enjoyable and really had be rooting for the couple. If you like women in STEM, historical romance, and men that are down bad for a brilliant lady, you will love “A Lady’s Guide To Subterfuge and Science”!
(ARC Review, All opinions are my own)
July 21, 2026
Isabella Kamal continues her trend of writing characters who are perfectly matched. They challenge each other in the most supportive ways, and help each other heal from the past. They're soft around each other, but strong against challenges. And they have my whole heart.
I'm not a science-minded woman myself, but I've come to find that many of my favorite historical romance characters are, and Kalila is now added to that list. I love that she went as far as disguising herself as a man to try and further her scientific work. It was a very Shakesperian decision, and made for some wonderful hijinks. I also loved how stubborn she was, and how she consistently challenged others. Oliver is everything a romantic hero should be. He's a bit broken and makes some mistakes, but he's also willing to grow which makes him so lovable.
The pace of the story had me locked in. It had just enough swoon-worthy moments to keep you fed without feeling fully satisfied until the end. And the ending was perfect.
If that epilogue was a set-up for another book, I can't wait!
Thank you to Isabella Kamal, Dragonblade, and Netgalley for the ARC.
I'm not a science-minded woman myself, but I've come to find that many of my favorite historical romance characters are, and Kalila is now added to that list. I love that she went as far as disguising herself as a man to try and further her scientific work. It was a very Shakesperian decision, and made for some wonderful hijinks. I also loved how stubborn she was, and how she consistently challenged others. Oliver is everything a romantic hero should be. He's a bit broken and makes some mistakes, but he's also willing to grow which makes him so lovable.
The pace of the story had me locked in. It had just enough swoon-worthy moments to keep you fed without feeling fully satisfied until the end. And the ending was perfect.
If that epilogue was a set-up for another book, I can't wait!
Thank you to Isabella Kamal, Dragonblade, and Netgalley for the ARC.
June 29, 2026
Increasingly, when I pick up historical romances, I am drawn to ones that feature leads whose experiences are not the white cishet default and this one does an excellent job of that while still delivering on being a charming and heartfelt romance. Kalila, our fmc, experiences the sexism prevalent at the time as she pursuits her scientific interests but draws some of her determination to continue doing so from the knowledge that women in science is not just not unheard of, but a part of her own cultural heritage, I appreciated the balancing of the way in which her differences other her and the broader support. She is able to draw from friends and family. Oliver, our MMC has significantly less support and has mostly responded by seeking it in sometimes in adequate places.
They both have to learn to be vulnerable and I feel like those lessons were not either rushed or lingered over unduly.
In general, this was a fabulous story with Sex scenes that navigated maintaining erotic tension with asking that the characters communicate their interest to each other excellently.
They both have to learn to be vulnerable and I feel like those lessons were not either rushed or lingered over unduly.
In general, this was a fabulous story with Sex scenes that navigated maintaining erotic tension with asking that the characters communicate their interest to each other excellently.
August 19, 2026
STEM MCs: cellular biologists
I really do love a slow burn HR STEM novel where the FMC tries to pass herself off as a man to gain access to societies and try to publish, but the MMC is the only one that see who she really is and supports her scientific endeavors. The MMC has a really good emotional and intellectual character arc, meanwhile, the FMC is out there just being a boss. Add in an IP snafu without a third act breakup, and it’s a recipe for success. This book really was excellent, and the epilogue was just the right amount of time in the future to see how things settled in the end.
The closest book that I could think of to this plot is The Wolf and the Wildflower by Stacy Reid since that FMC also pretends to be a man to be respected in her field of study but the MMC sees right through it.
This was my first book by this author, but it won’t be my last. It was well written, had an excellent plot and character arcs, and there was good spice in here too.
I really do love a slow burn HR STEM novel where the FMC tries to pass herself off as a man to gain access to societies and try to publish, but the MMC is the only one that see who she really is and supports her scientific endeavors. The MMC has a really good emotional and intellectual character arc, meanwhile, the FMC is out there just being a boss. Add in an IP snafu without a third act breakup, and it’s a recipe for success. This book really was excellent, and the epilogue was just the right amount of time in the future to see how things settled in the end.
The closest book that I could think of to this plot is The Wolf and the Wildflower by Stacy Reid since that FMC also pretends to be a man to be respected in her field of study but the MMC sees right through it.
This was my first book by this author, but it won’t be my last. It was well written, had an excellent plot and character arcs, and there was good spice in here too.
Read
July 15, 2026I was happy to see that this was not your typical Historical Romance as there is a multicultural aspect. It immediately drew me in and the story kept me there. Our female lead wants to be recognized for her scientific endeavors and comes up with a plan to infiltrate a society that only allows for men to learn and share their knowledge. She has been in a long distance beef with one remember for a while and can't wait to show him what she is all about... in disguise. Our male lead was nice, he was charming and a bit rogue-ish but he had insecurities and trouble standing up for himself and others. He had some good growth in this story and it was sweet.
I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next in the series.
5/6 stars
I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next in the series.
5/6 stars
August 11, 2026
Kalila dresses like her male cousin in order to get into a scientific group. They only allow men to be members. Oliver is a member too. Kalila and Oliver get paired up. Oliver figured it out right away and I was excitedly waiting for when all would be known. Very beautiful open door scenes between the two of them. They're great together as a couple. I don't think they'll ever be bored. Oliver is about to be given a run for his money, because she's probably going to to run circles around him!
Thank you to Dragonblade for the copy of this book. Opinions are my own.
Thank you to Dragonblade for the copy of this book. Opinions are my own.
July 8, 2026
LOVE this book! The characters were brilliantly written. I love books in this era. Stories like this that depict the true struggles of the time are captivating to me. Can't wait to read more in this series.
July 1, 2026
i absolutely loved this book
July 7, 2026
Impeccable!!
August 13, 2026
I didn’t expect much from this book, but I was genuinely blown away by how delightfully fun it was!
It was funny and cute and sweet. Devoured it in one day.
It was funny and cute and sweet. Devoured it in one day.
July 5, 2026
4.5 stars. For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. I love a golden retriever MMC, and Oliver completely fit the bill. I actually liked him much more than Kalila. The writing was good except for the sex scenes and a too easy resolution with Comerford. Something about the intimate scenes just didn’t click for me. I can’t put my finger on it but something seemed off. Outside of them, Oliver and Kalila were better. And Comerford coming around at the end seemed too easy and not very plausible.
I definitely liked a lot more than I disliked about this book, though. I am really looking forward to reading more from Isabella Kamal.
I received an ARC from NetGalley.
I definitely liked a lot more than I disliked about this book, though. I am really looking forward to reading more from Isabella Kamal.
I received an ARC from NetGalley.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2026
Kalila just wants to publish papers and already as a reviewer #2 (mr booth booooo). I loved how MMC he was such sunshine energy.
Really cute story. Always like a women in stem.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Really cute story. Always like a women in stem.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 31, 2026
**3.5 Stars**
**Thank you to NetGalley and the published for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review**
I thoroughly enjoyed this. The heroine, Kalila, was a joy to follow and I really admired her gumption and ambition. I appreciated that Oliver clocked Kalila immediately as a woman while she is pretending to be a man to get into the society. It added a layer to their interactions and it was entertaining to see. There is a certain part that I won't spoil where I felt Kalila was naive and it didn't really fit her character. It took me out of the story and while it didn't affect my enjoyment, I do think it didn't fully fit with her characterization up to that point.
All in all, I found this delightful and I look forward to reading more from Isabella Kamal.
**Thank you to NetGalley and the published for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review**
I thoroughly enjoyed this. The heroine, Kalila, was a joy to follow and I really admired her gumption and ambition. I appreciated that Oliver clocked Kalila immediately as a woman while she is pretending to be a man to get into the society. It added a layer to their interactions and it was entertaining to see. There is a certain part that I won't spoil where I felt Kalila was naive and it didn't really fit her character. It took me out of the story and while it didn't affect my enjoyment, I do think it didn't fully fit with her characterization up to that point.
All in all, I found this delightful and I look forward to reading more from Isabella Kamal.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2026
I enjoyed the storyline. The FMC is an intelligent and devoted scientist, but she is a woman so she takes on her male cousin’s name. The MMC is also a scientist but not as devoted. He does realize her disguise, but will he let this knowledge become public knowledge? I thought the author did a good job of making the science understandable.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews