Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: Third person from both heroines
When mains are first on page together: Very soon in (7% in – Chapter 1)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Not officially, but there was a small section at the end that takes place two months later
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy from the author in e-book

Should I read in order?
You can read this out of order within the School of Enlightenment series.

Basic plot:
Regina loves her job as a stablemistress at the School of Enlightenment. But her longing for Helen tempts her – and she’s off limits as the school’s headmistress.

Give this a try if you want:
- Regency (1818)
- F/F pairing
- stablemistress/school headmistress heroine
- heroine nurses heroine back to health (both ways!)
- massages!
- work place romance feel
- widowed heroine
- medium steam – 2 full scenes in a novella

Ages:
- Regina is 33, Helen is over 40 and has gray in her hair

First line:
Regina Carlisle held back a moan behind gritted teeth as she dropped her booted foot to the ground with a thump.

My thoughts:
I have only read a handful of F/F stories, but Maggie Sims has come out with my favorites! I adored this couple and how the story really focuses on their relationship. I loved that the mains were both older and especially loved Helen’s fall into love after being married for so long.

The caretaking in this one really melted my heart. I adore Regina’s strength – the muscles and time it takes to care for horses and her body shoes it. It made me think how little the heroine’s in the books I read are described as strong or having muscles. I loved picturing Regina! And her pairing with Helen is so adorable. Helen, older, more self conscious. She was in a loving relationship for twenty years when her husband passed for wooing, flirting, and being vulnerable with someone is hard for her.

I enjoyed the tenderness and vulnerability in this novel.


Quotes/spoiler-y thoughts:Any mistakes/typos are my own. More under steamy scene details

“I never want to hear you say something like that again. You’ve worked here for three years so you know better. First, everyone is beautiful. ‘Tis the first tenet we teach here. Second, do not buy into society’s definition of femininity. Make your own, and live by it.”
---
When Regina’s fingers skimmed down her much softer stomach again, she flinched.
Regina raised her head. “Helen? What is it? Did I hurt you?”
“No. You are young and firm and fit. I am a lump of dough that has sat too long. I am a bit self-conscious.”
Regina straightened to straddle and stare at her. “You are lovely. I have wanted you almost since our first meeting. I like my women soft. Heck, most men do, so I consider myself lucky not to have to worry about my muscles.”
---
Self-induced orgasms were pony rides to the full-blown gallop of this, however.
“Please, touch me?” She, who had never begged in her life, was begging.

Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.

- I didn’t note any when I read this and it’s been a few months so I’m not sure! But I don’t think there’s anything drastic.
- maybe a bit of a toxic coworker?

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

Safe sex: 

No but not a big worry... 

There was a tension filled massaging scene between 20%-40% but no kisses or anything
46% - Regina massages Helen, fingering/oral for Helen then Helen reciprocates

“Regeina.” Her voice was lower, with gravel in it.
“Helen. What do you want?”
“I want…” Helen took a deep breath. “I want you.”

54% - kiss
71% - oral for Regina

Helen settled in, squirming a bit between those long, toned legs. “Hold on for the ride.”


I might have missed some scenes in this one – I was pretty into reading it and wasn’t as on top of my notes! But at least a 2 steam