A Rare Find

Lowell (A Shore Thing) serves up a sumptuous queer friends-to-lovers romance set in Regency Derbyshire, England. Elfreda “Elf” Marsden is a frustrated aspiring archaeologist cast in the role of sister/parent to her three younger sisters by her father, a grossly misogynistic academic. When her infuriating, gender role–flouting neighbor, Georgina “Georgie” Redmayne, returns to the countryside on the heels of a scandal in London involving a duel and a carriage accident, Elf’s quiet life is turned upside down. Georgie accidentally collides with Elf, causing her to lose a critical artifact that could prove her theories regarding Norse inhabitants in the area. Contrite, Georgie offers to help her find more evidence, kindling a tenuous camaraderie rooted in shared history, current alliances, and family secrets. After a slow start, the story hits its stride, with haughty Elf and saucy Georgie growing and changing together. Though some subplots are left dangling, Lowell’s deep dive into Regency era conceptions of gender and propriety adds depth and stakes to the central romance. This is a charmer. (June)