About the Book:
Title: Convergence of Desire
Author: Felicity Niven
Series: The Lovelocks of London #1
Page Length: 329
Publication Date: Sept. 1, 2022
Synopsis: An insatiable rake falls for an eccentric genius. Too bad she’s his innocent bride, and he has vowed never to touch her.
Harriet “Harry” Lovelock lives a life of the mind, and she knows she can prove a theorem that has baffled male mathematicians for two centuries. But her stepmother wants her married and the swirl of the Season saps Harry’s energy and distracts her from her work. She has to put an end to the tedium of balls. Now. Full stop.
Thomas Drake, the Earl Drake, devotes himself to the pleasures of the flesh, even as he wrestles with his own demons and intractable problems. He needs to marry wealth, but could he ever be satisfied by just one woman?
She can spend all her time on her proof. He can have any woman he wants, except her.
Their marriage of convenience could prove to be the perfect partnership—as long as love never enters the equation.
Convergence of Desire is book one of the steamy Regency romance series The Lovelocks of London from author Felicity Niven. However, it can be enjoyed as a stand-alone book. It has a happily-ever-after ending, a marriage of convenience, a slow burn, a neurodivergent heroine, and no cliffhanger.
Content warnings: steamy sexual material, coarse language, consensual non-monogamy, physical and sexual assault.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, including Amazon, and I may earn a small commission, at no cost to you, if you purchase through my links.
My Review:
Convergence of Desire, the first book in Felicity Niven’s The Lovelocks of London series, is a unique and moving historical romance. It follows a rake and a mathematician as they enter into an unconventional marriage.
Harry and Thomas are both compelling and memorable protagonists. Harry is a neurodivergent mathematician who is trying to solve a theorem no other mathematicians have been able to solve. She is brilliant, hates social events, and she ignores her health and well-being to focus on her work.
Thomas’s growth is one of my favorite parts of the story. He changes so much from beginning to end, especially once he faces his demons. At first, he is a rake with an insatiable sexual appetite, but he slowly changes. Kind and caring, Thomas insists Harry take care of her health even when he hasn’t cared for his own. He’s damaged and guarded, yet he’s also tenderhearted and kind.
Thomas and Harry have a slow-building and slow-burning love story. Their marriage very much begins as a marriage of convenience, and both are perfectly happy with their arrangement. Harry is free to work on her theorem and Thomas to continue his rakish ways. However, the more time they spend together and the more they get to know each other, the more their relationship changes. I loved seeing their tentative agreement turn into a friendship and then to something more. They appreciate each other in a way that neither has experienced before, and their slow-building romance is emotional and compelling. I also really appreciate the way Thomas respects Harry’s boundaries and strives to understand her. This is especially poignant in their more intimate scenes.
Another aspect of the romance that I enjoyed is their fabulous discussions. Thomas reads to Harry in the evenings, and these quiet moments strengthen their bond. They connect over Shakespearean sonnets, and in her own reading, Harry even learns about men from the comedic porter’s scene in Macbeth. The mathematical discussions are way over my head, much like Thomas, but they further highlight Harry’s brilliance. All of these conversations and time spent together show how well the pair connect and complement each other. I think they help each other see themselves in a much more positive light.
Overall, I thought this was a unique story and a great start to the series. I would recommend checking out the content warning, as some aspects of the story could trigger readers, including consensual cheating, physical assault, and attempted sexual assault. Thanks to Felicity Niven for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
Rating:
Favorite Parts:
- The characters.
- The love story.
Favorite Lines:
It would be foolish to refuse a gift from a goddess nae matter how many burdens it places on ye.
Regret is foolish. And it is easy. Because you know you cannot change the past. How much more difficult is it to wish to change the present and hence the future. Because the wish demands action.
Recommendations:
I would recommend Convergence of Desire to readers who enjoy:
- marriage of convevience
- neurodivergent protagonist
- friends to lovers
- slow burn
