Title: The Lady Sparks a FlameAuthor: Elizabeth Everett
Series: The Damsels of Discovery #2
Pages: 384
Publication Date: March 25, 2025
Publisher: Berkley
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Historical
Synopsis:
A Lady with a past. A man with ambition. A romance far from London society that might bridge their divides.
Lady Phoebe Hunt never anticipated returning from exile. A fatal choice drove her from England, but the death of her father—and the revelation of his debts—has brought her home. Once she settles her father’s estate, she will return to America, where she has reinvented herself. There’s no reason to remain, not even for one gravitationally challenged but deliciously tempting Sam Fenley.
Samuel Fenley is all ambition. Rising from shop boy to wealthy investor, he’s left knocking on doors that open only for those with a title. Unless he buys the damned door itself—and the estate that goes with it. Sam offers to relieve Phoebe of her burdens, but is her crumbling mansion all Sam wants? Or is it the Lady herself?
When threats from Phoebe’s past spark new dangers, Sam and Phoebe discover that neither is what the other expected. Standing on the edge of disaster, the disgraced Ice Queen will have to decide if she wants to forge through life alone, or let an unlikely hero melt her heart.
This blog uses affiliate links for some book recommendations, and if you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission. Thanks for supporting this little bookish corner of the internet!
The Lady Sparks a Flame is a great historical romance with layered characters, a heartfelt love story, and meaningful messages about forgiveness, resilience, and self-worth.
Phoebe’s story was so interesting, and I was skeptical at first because she had a villainous reputation. She’s a woman haunted by mistakes made in the past, and the guilt weighs heavily on her and shapes her. Fiercely independent but a bit unlikable at first, she takes a while to warm up to. But behind her tough exterior is so much more. You see her need to atone while still protecting herself and how she pushes others away before they have the chance to hurt her. Through it all, she is strong and determined, and even when she believes she doesn’t deserve happiness, she keeps going, and she faces the consequences of her past actions.
And I love Sam! He’s such a great balance to Phoebe. He’s ambitious and determined, and he’s so patient with Phoebe. I love that about him. The way he saw past her icy exterior was super swoon-worthy. Their romance was great. It was a slow build, which made sense considering it definitely took time for them to trust each other. I loved how their connection grew and how they slowly began to share their vulnerabilities and let down their walls.
The story is a bit of a slow build overall, but the stakes felt high, not just because of the emotional risks Phoebe and Sam had to take, but also because of the external threats they faced. Phoebe’s past comes back to haunt her with new accusations and threats that jeopardize her future, and loving and trusting Sam means opening her heart after years of convincing herself she is unworthy of love. For Sam, it meant risking everything – rejection, love, and possibly his own well-being.
I really enjoyed this read. It was emotional and romantic with well-layered characters, especially Phoebe, and I really liked the themes of starting over, forgiveness, female empowerment, and love. I think it’s so interesting that the author shows many societal and gender-related struggles that people went through at this time and still go through today, (though it’s actually kind of bothersome that we still face the same issues and prejudices). Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
Elizabeth Everett is a USA Today Bestselling author of historical romance and lives in upstate New York. Her work is inspired by her admiration for rule breakers and belief in the power of love to change the world.
Head over to Elizabeth’s website and subscribe to The Rule Breaker’s Report for the latest news, exclusive excerpts from Elizabeth’s books, giveaways, and terrible jokes.
Such a pretty cover!
I plan to read this spin off and I can’t wait to see Phoebe’s story after what happened in A Lady’s Formula For Love.