sweet and fun read! I really liked both the h/h. Christi Caldwell is an automatic read for me! I really enjoy her stories and really enjoy this series.

Guest Review by Joann Maggio
This is story is a love triangle, but not the usual kind we hear. It is a love between sister and brother and father and son.

Gertrude was the eldest Killoran sister, she had been blinded in one eye by her father. Her family often under estimated her abilities and she was charged with taking care of her siblings. When Stephen was brought to their so called home, he was only five and cried for his family. Gertrude became his mother and he grew to accept his life.

It was five years back when his real mother died in a fire and he was thought kidnapped. His father Lord Edwin Warwick, the Marquess of Maddock searched tirelessly for his son. He was ostracized by friends and family because he did not protect his pregnant wife and child.

When negotiations are made and Stephen is located, Gertrude takes him to his father’s.
Gertrude refuses to leave Stephen with this stranger. So here is the love triangle I spoke of.

With the power of the pen Christi Caldwell tears your heart out for them. Edwin deserves happiness and so does Gertrude but how? How can there be happiness for the three.

I have been a fan of Ms Caldwell for years and she always manages to bring her characters to life and the read to their knees. I loved this book. A Book Obsessed Chicks Review Team Selection

I've been told that I'll like this book a bit more if I read the preceding books in the series first - I'm willing to try that. As it stands, this was just an okay read for me. I'm always a fan of stories that include children so I did like that aspect of the plot but other than that - it sort of felt as if I was dropped in the middle of a story (which I guess I sort of was).

Christi Caldwell never fails to amaze me and she really upped the ante in this story. An extraordinary story that not only involves two damaged souls but includes a third – a child. As always, Ms. Caldwell’s characters have flaws and an unexceptional strength to their characters. From the heart wrenching first sentence to the happily ever after last sentence this book will keep you engaged. Just be sure and have the hankies handy!

This is one of the best historical romances that I’ve read in a long while. It has everything that I look for in a book, suspense, laughter, tears and of course a beautiful romance.

Gertrude Killoran was born into a life of crime. Her father Diggory was the king of street crimes in London. He was a mean spirited evil man who could careless that Gertrude was his daughter, her only use was as a thief. When she lost her sight in one eye she was of no use to him any longer. When she formed a small family with some of the others Doggory left her alone to do her own thing in the family. Gertrude always felt she was the weakest and over looked by her family. Her sisters were so brave even her little brother Stephen was braver then she was.
Edwin Ludlow Phineas Shadrack Warwick, the Marquess of Maddock lost everything the night his family died in a fire. His guilt drove him to no longer care if he lived and he did wild and dangerous things to hopefully end his life. The ton nicknamed him Mad Maddock and accused him of being responsible for his family’s death. When he’s told that his son may not of died in the fire but was kidnapped by a street gang. When his son is found still alive and living with the Killoran’s who was responsible for the kidnapping he demands his son returned and the Killoran’s never to see him again or he’d see them hanged.
Gertrude could not bare for Stephen to go alone and on the way she decided she would help pave the way for Stephen and his father to become family agin. Edwin tried to put Gertrude out but she was not swayed by his anger and she was not afraid of him as others are. She poked and prodded Edwin back to life and showed him how to love his son for who he is now.
Edwin starts to see that Gertrude is not the women he believed her to be, she has brought light back to his soul and push’s him to live for his son and himself. Their relationship blossoms and grows but it must come to an end. Gertrude’s father was the one responsible for taking everything Edwin loved from him. Gertrude understands that he may never trust her or forgive her and her siblings.

This book had the perfect ending. It’s one of those books that you sigh and hung it at the end!

My first from author Christi Caldwell, but definitely not my last!

I loved the two main characters Ms. Caldwell gave us in The Bluestocking. They both came into the story with mountains of issues to work through. Edwin's had a horrific 7+ years, with his wife and unborn child killed and his firstborn kidnapped (Stephen/August--originally he was assumed dead, in this book he's just moving back in with his father) much of the blame for which was somehow laid at his feet by society and his in-laws. Gert's just had an overall miserable time of it--born to a horrible man and a life of crime, constantly underestimated and overlooked even by the relatives that love her. There were so many things working against the two of them even getting together in the first place (the fact that Gert's family has been raising Stephen is a big obstacle), let alone reaching an HEA--but somehow, Ms. Caldwell managed to pull it off.

I loved so many things about this book--seeing the love between Gertrude and Stephen in action as she tries to help him acclimate to his new/old life; watching Stephen and Edwin begin to bond (especially when they were joining forces against Gert, LOL), witnessing Gert as she begins to come into herself and come out of her shell, and being there when Edwin lets go of his guilt and hate and begins to live again--OMG, this book has all the feels. And that's not even taking into account the romance, which was a slow burning marvel of a relationship...

Yeah, I'm going to be reading more of her books soon.

I have to be honest, though--I did feel a tad bit lost for the first couple of chapters, since this book (#4) is the first that I've read in the Wicked Wallflowers series, which follows Gertrude's family, the Killorans. All of Gert's siblings--Stephen especially, of course, but the others as well--also have active roles in this story, which is fantastic; I'd love to get to know them better. However, the beginning of this book occurs right after and is heavily influenced by some of the events from the other books--which I hadn't read yet--and getting up to speed took some effort. So while it's possible to read this one alone and enjoy it, I really think it's better to have read the others in the series first to avoid the "Wait, what??? feeling I had for much of the beginning.

On the plus side, I have 4 new books in my TBR, counting book 5 (due out in September)!

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

What I can say about this book is that I was riveted from the very beginning. It held my attention from page one till the end. This is filled with real life emotional realities burdened upon people who did and did not deserve them. Through it all there was hate, derision, contempt, scorn now replaced with hope, love, forgiveness. It was never easy to achieve. But with gentle and calm direction it was accomplished. I felt emotionally moved by this book. I smiled through a lot of it. There were sober and painful parts but the upside was as I mentioned before was that I smiled while reading it. An excellent book and I highly recommend it. I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Christi I loved the dedication to your mom.

Gertrude Killoran has always been considered the weakest in the Killoran family. Her adopted brother Stephen is called back to his father Edwin Warwick, the Marquess of Maddock, in Mayfair England Gertrude decides to take him back. When the carriage pulls up to the house she is overwhelmed with feelings and makes a decision to stay with him no matter the cost. Gertrude is frightened but also is strong facing off against Edwin who decides to keep her in his house as a temporary governess on two conditions that she doesn’t leave the house unless accompanied and she has no contact with her family. Edwin does not trust Gertrude she comes from a family of liars and thieves. Worst of all her father Mac Diggory burned his house, killed his wife and took his son. As Gertrude teaches Edwin how to become better acquainted with his son Stephen and a relationship with him; Edwin also starts to have feelings for Gertrude too. Can Edwin trust Gertrude enough to fall in love even when she could still leave or betray him?
What a wonderfully told beautiful story that not only touches the heart but just makes quite an impression to those who read it! It can even stand alone without reading the others in the series! Yes it is not only touchingly emotional but with some funny moments that will make anyone smile! The author not only writes with such feeling but understands what will make anyone take notice and cheer for the characters. Gertrude might be the weakest link but turns out to be the most powerful and courageous. Her silent strength and bravery makes her beautiful and gives her the soul to care for even the meanest people no matter who they are. Everyone will just love her and her spirit. She is gentle, kind and faces her fears unafraid of what anyone thinks of her. Really a great heroine that everyone will fall for! Edwin on the other hand doesn’t win over anyone but as you get to know him you can’t help but feel for him. He’s broken and scared so is easily relatable that yes he’s easily likable in the end. This is definitely a good book and one that will be reread many times it is that good and everyone that reads it will love instantly love it!

Gertrude is the last sister in the Killoran family to get her book. Although she has always been the most unobtrusive one, the one everyone always seemed to feel was the weakest link in the family, I was eager to read her story. She is a true wallflower in every sense of the word, and she could easily have been the crowning glory in the series. I can be a picky reader. I don't hand out five star ratings very easily, and yet the first three books in the Wicked Wallflowers were enthusiastic five star reads. I can count on one hand the authors that were able to pull that off.

I give Christi Caldwell such huge respect as an author because her character development and storytelling abilities are rare and exceptional. However, Gert and her relationship with Lord Edwin fell short of what they could have delivered. Their combined histories could have given us a lot of emotional dimension and complexities, but unfortunately we didn't delve as deep as I would have liked to have gone which ended up making their romance fall somewhat flat.

This heroine had a lot of great qualities that I admired. She was the most intelligent of the sisters as you'd probably guess by the title. After losing her sight in one eye due to her father's abuse, she was no longer forced to thieve and risk her life on the streets. Instead she escaped into books, and can now quirkily spout an abundance of information on a variety of topics. She's nurturing, observant, and insightful because of how quietly she watches in the background. Less hardened than everyone else, she's able to see the good in people because she'd been shielded from a lot of the depravity that goes on in her world. Yes, she'd had some damaging experiences, but she never lost her optimism or faith in humanity. And finally, she's gentle with her pet menagerie, but tough when the situation demands it with her family. She's a character that's easy to like, and had me laughing quite a bit at her stubborn face-offs with "The Mad Marquess," Lord Edwin.

Gertrude has the patience of a saint for how she holds her own with Edwin, as well as managing Stephen's out of control behavior. Up until the last book? I wanted to shake that kid until his teeth rattled and kick him where the sun doesn't shine. He still has some maturing to do, but he really did redeem himself and show that he's on the path to improvement. I sympathized with him a little more in this book because the poor kid is having his life turned upside down for a second time and doesn't have the capacity to process it adequately. By the end of this book, I can see the man that he could become now that's he's found a safe and loving home back where he belongs. His anger and resentment had really softened and I'm really hoping I get to see him find his HEA...in The Spitfire perhaps?

Lord Edwin is far from insane as society has labeled him since the destruction of his family. He is wracked with crippling grief and pain. He's reclusive, angry, and bitterly blames himself for not trusting his instincts and failing to protect his pregnant wife and son. It didn't help that his in-laws made him the scapegoat and encouraged public belief that he was at fault and unstable. I did feel for the poor man, but my problem with his character was that his hatred for Gertrude was too quickly overcome, and his attraction and love grew almost instantly. It did not feel entirely realistic that he came to believe he loved her after 10 short days because of their complicated history. Instead of feeling angsty, their interactions felt rushed and even awkward at times.

Another issue that started to bother me was that I was being told excessively through Gertrude's POV how Stephen can't stand his father, her family played a part in stealing his son from him, and how he hated her family and would never get over it. She kept reiterating over and over that father and son were strangers and the repetition was not necessary. I would rather have been shown through their actions/conversations how distant they are and see their relationship grow organically.

I didn't dislike any of the characters, and in general I still enjoyed seeing Gertrude finally owning more assertiveness and finding someone who believed in her. I liked seeing the fragile trust between father and son develop and Edwin shedding the blame that he'd accepted unfairly for so many years. While the romance felt rushed for my taste, many others didn't feel the love leaned on the "insta" side. Like all of Caldwell's books I've read, this was very fast-paced, easy to stay engaged with, and comforting to slip in more page time in the world she's created. I'm crossing my fingers that the next book gives us Stephen's ultimate HEA with a heroine that can properly bring him to his knees.

Wow! This book is riveting! Christi Caldwell is the Master of storytelling! These characters are so deep and complex that the reader can’t help but become totally immersed in their lives, feeling their pain and heartbreaks. Gertrude and Edwin come from such different backgrounds yet their deep wounds are so similar, brought upon them at the hands of the same evil character of their past. Gertrude is such a strong, beautiful heroine that Edwin was certainly right in saying, “There is no other woman like you!” A must read! I wish that I could give it more than a five star review

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me at 29%. I really wanted to like it but I could tell it was a part of a series and I had missed out on a lot to put the storyline of this book into context.
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The hero thought his son dead for 7 years but now finally has him back. However, his son comes with a lot of baggage including the crime family he was raised with. Upon returning to his father’s care his adopted sister decides to come with him to smooth his transition against all warnings from everyone.
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I couldn’t really connect to either of the main characters by this point and really I should have been able to. The hero is continually described as mad yet I saw no signs of it. The writing felt heavy and I avoided picking up the book to read it.

Great story from Christi again. Gertrude and the Mad Marquess are such a great pair. He is broken and she is the quiet sister of the Killoran family. He hates her family for what they did to him years ago. And she just wants whats best for her brother. A must read if you've read the other books in the series.

THE BLUESTOCKING (Wicked Wallflowers Book 4) by Christi Caldwell is the historical romance I have been waiting for in this series. The Mad Marquess is about to meet his match in more ways than one and it comes from an unlikely source. This romance is a part of the Wallflowers series and the romance plot can standalone, but there is a background storyline in all of the books that I feel makes these books even more enjoyable if they are read in order of publication.

Lord Edwin Warwick is known as the Mad Marquess to all in the ton. He is accused in whispers of having started the fire that killed his wife, son and unborn child. He discovers his son, Stephen was not killed in the fire, but kidnapped.

Stephen is taken in by Broderick Killoran and his band of ‘siblings’ that have survived as a gang in the worst part of London. They were all abused by the man, MacDiggory who ran the family and had Stephen kidnapped. MacDiggory is now dead and Stephen is about to be returned to his true father and returned to his place in refined society. Edwin demands that none of Stephen’s current ‘family’ may come with him to his new home or ever visit him again.

Gertrude Killoran has taken care of Stephen since he joined the family. She refuses to follow the orders of the Marquess and send Stephen to a new, unfamiliar place and life without her supervision. She pushes her way into the Marquess’ home and refuses to let him bully her. She will be Stephen’s governess no matter Edwin’s dislike.

As the days progress, both Gertrude and Edwin learn about the misconceptions both harbor in regards to the other. Can these two find a way to deal with their mistrust and pain and learn to trust the other with their hearts?

Gertrude and Edwin come alive in this book! Ms. Caldwell’s writing once again had me feeling every emotion on each page of this romance. Gertrude came out of the shadows and blossomed in this book as she found her own strength and found the power to help Edwin and Stephen heal as well. I loved Edwin’s love for his son and cried during the scenes from their pasts. This is one of those books and series that immerse you in the past and characters so that when you put the book down, you have to take a minute to reorient yourself.

I can highly recommend this addition to the series. Keep the tissues handy and get ready to go on an emotional roller coaster ride to this HEA!

I read a lot of books. Some don't work for me. Others, I like. Some, I love. Then there are those few that are special, that check my boxes, engage my mind, capture my heart. Those stories that pull me from my world into the world of the author's creation, fully immersing me in the hearts and minds of the characters - characters I come to know and love and wish I could meet in person. Characters who linger in my mind long after I turn the last page. Characters who, even as I read their final words, I know I will return to revisit, time and time again. This is one of those books.

Gertrude is one of my all-time favorite heroines, in the top 10 at least, possibly the top 5. Born to the streets, a throwaway scrap of humanity, she's never known true love, never been told, or shown, that she has value, never had a name until she was 12 years old. She taught herself to read then became self-educated. But she's never understood just how strong, or special, she really is. Until now. I adore her. She truly is a gentle warrior, filled with light, wit, humor, strength, and a very loving, and forgiving, heart. I want to hug her, laugh with her, encourage her and celebrate her.

What can I say about Edwin? My heart bled for what he's been through. He could have easily become an unlikable, irredeemable villain, closed off from the world, filled with cruelty, and bent on revenge. Actually, that's exactly what he's become by the time Gertrude invades his house but Caldwell has other plans for our hero. She understands that at his core, Edwin is a man who has become mired in his grief and guilt, to the point where he's lost the ability to see beyond it. Ever so slowly, she unveils layer after layer until both the reader, and Edwin himself, begin to realize there is still goodness in his soul. At the center of that realization is Gertrude, a woman he's spent years hating, though not knowing. It is her kindness, her daring, her stubborn determination that pulls him out of the darkness and back into the light. And into life. And love. There are many scenes in this book where Caldwell brought me to my emotional knees but the one where Edwin realizes the significance of Gertrude's tiny pet is especially poignant and his unique gifts to her fully illustrate how completely he has come to understand her; how much his heart is opening to her. Of course, there are still many obstacles, some of his own making, that stand between this couple and any hope they may have of happiness together. But the journey over and around those obstacles is part of what makes this book so satisfying.

The catalyst who brings our hero and heroine together is eleven-year-old Stephen. Man, I love this kid. Caldwell perfectly captures the essence of his character, infusing the wiser-than-his-years cynicism gained through his time on the streets following his kidnapping with the well-hidden vulnerability of a child whose life has been turned upside down when he's taken from the only family he knows and returned to his father and his rightful place in society. By the end of the book, there are glimpses of the man he will one day become. I so want to read a story about that man!

Top Dish / 5 Star Review

Gertrude Killoran and Lord Edwin are thrust upon each other when Edwin exercises his right as father and takes back his kidnapped son, Stephan. Unknown until recently, the Killorans thought they were rescuing Stephan from the streets of London, Stephan was kidnapped by Mac Diggory, Gertrude’s villainous father (now dead, thank goodness!). The death of his wife and disappearance of his son has taken their toll on Lord Edwin, now nicknamed The Mad Marquess. Stephan is like a little brother to the Killoran’s most especially to Gertrude as she taught and took care of him, so she’s not willing to let the Mad Marquess take him without her supervision so she pushes her way in and won’t let him bully her out.

Both Gertrude struggle with assumptions and misconceptions, each not trusting the other until they spend time together under the same roof. A mutual respect forms as they begin to understand the trials they’ve each had to bear thanks to Gertrude’s horrible father. There was always an attraction between them, albeit begrudgingly at first, so as they get to know each other they fall a little more in love every day. The slow turn from enemies into friends and then into more was a lovely, and at times sensuous journey!

This is my first experience reading Christi Caldwell’s writing, but it won’t be my last. She made Gertrude and Edwin come alive through her writing. Their feelings of mistrust, hurt, pain, joy, and love came across loud and clear, and I pleased they found each other! They both deserved a HEA after all they went through!

A copy was kindly provided by Montlake Romance via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

St. Giles, London 1826 "It was as though someone had died. And in a way, someone had. This would be a physical loss felt throughout the club, leaving the unlikely home silent in ways it had never been." Gertrude Killoran was having a difficult time facing that Stephen was actually going to live with this real father, Lord Edwin, known as the Mad Marquess. The one who he had been snatched from and brought into the Diggerty gang in St Giles and made to do unspeakable things just as all of the others had. Gertrude, who felt more like a mother to Stephen, was considered the weaker one in the group. But she seemed to find her strength when it seemed Stephen would have to go alone to his new life.
For the last seven years, Lord Edwin has been tortured by the loss of his family. A broken man, he finds out his son lives and brings him back home, wanting none of the "gang" he has been living with to ever see his son again. But it is difficult when Stephen comes because they are strangers and when Gertrude request she come with him, he allows it. She has a special bond with Stephen and as they spend time together, he sees she was a victim just like his son.
I am always excited when a story of Christi's comes out because I know it will touch my heart, plus my eyes crying and pulling all the emotions out. The characters become real people that you can feel their emotions and they become my own. To see Gertrude come to life after being so long in the shadows and Rowan find his way back to actually feel something was almost overpowering.
As all of the books written by this author, it will forever go on my shelf of treasured books that will stay in my mind and heart for a long time.

Perfect! I loved this book! Having read the rest of the series I was highly anticipating this one. This was my favorite in the series. Gertrude was an excellent heroine and I loved watching her come into her own. I liked seeing Stephen become a little boy and connect with his father. Edwin was an excellent hero. He loved Stephen so absolutely. He was also celibate which is my favorite kind of hero. I really enjoyed this book.

I own The Vixen and The Governess (books 2 and 3 in the series), but I didn't have the time to read them before I began this novel, so I decided to skip them in order to have the book read and reviewed on release day. The problem with that is that The Bluestocking is not a complete stand-alone. From the very first page, I got the impression that some of the events that we happening in this book were a continuation of the previous books and of course, you have the animosity between Edwin and the Killoran's. So I would recommend to read the series in order.

The Bluestocking is the fourth novel in the Wicked Wallflowers by Christi Caldwell. The main characters are Edwin, who has recently found out that his son is alive and the Killorans raise him and Gertrude who is I remember correctly is blind on one eye and loves to take strays in. She is also very protective of Stephen aka August aka Edwin son and she is not willing to let the boy go live in a house full of strange people on his own. Edwin reluctantly agrees to allow her to stay for a fortnight. Of course, these two bond as Edwin tries to reconnect with the son he had lost.

I was a little confused over the timeline of the past events and the dynamics between the characters. Stephen is 11 years old and he has been with Gertrude for 7 years, which explains why he was so reluctant to go back to his father. Edwin loves his son and that's obvious at first, but we see that as pages pass. He was not a cold man by choice. Gertrude is a little stubborn but also very loving. I liked her a lot. She and Edwin were a good pairing and their story was very good. The only thing that made me unhappy was the connection to the other books and the not complete stand-alone-ness of it.

In this book we finally see why Steven is so hurt and antagonistic even towards those that love him, he finally finds out that his real father,is Edwin, the Marquess which they call the "Mad Marquess". And that his father will have his brother hanged and his sisters lives totally ruined if Broderick doesn't give Steven back.
So when Edwin even says that they can't say a last goodbye at the Marquess's house that they must also give all familiar feelings over for Steven's life from that day forward never to darken his life again. This to the Killorens is so hard they love him so much as he is more their brother than blood ...but the Marquess doesn't care.
Enters, Gertrude she is much more than a sister to Steven a mother in her heart to him, has always let her sisters and Broderick dictate to her what was best for her even though she didn't put much into fighting them she always felt that her disability of being blind in one eye, was why they were so protective of her.
She decides that Steven isn't going alone that she will stay till Steven can get along with his father. She also brings her pets, a cat and a mouse .
When Edwin and Gertrude finally come to terms, in that she stays more terms are brought forward from both sides as they fall in love with each other and Steven has a help in it from hiding Steven's weapons, to special made furniture, to trips to the ice cream store to even skipping stones on the pond in Hyde's Park.
With all this going on you have negative actions coming from a person who was friends with Edwin, and you have grandparents with giving everything to their spoiled daughter to showing so much hatred to Edwin but still wanted to have a relationship with their grandson and this is where Gertrude was helping Edwin prove that he wasn't "mad" that he was scared and that he was so hurt. But that he can be a wonderful father to Steven even though it will be hard.
In this, Christi brought together basically a whole family of mixed relations, different stations of life and even the love between a father and son long in the making together into one big family.
I really enjoyed this book where an insecure man who went gathering stray and non-stray cats to keep a woman he loved and even commissioned a cage for her pet mouse. And a woman that wanted love for so long but felt that no one would want her with a disability, let alone that her father was a thief, killer, and kidnapper. Still gave a man the strength to live for his son, his in-laws, and to be able to leave his house which brought her and his family all together.

You will be hooked as soon as the first chapter. The Blue Stocking is a story of love healing people. It is about family. It is about a Father’s love for his son. It is about the healing of hurt. It is about blame and guilt. It is about a growing love and trust between all characters.

Christi Caldwell writing gets you so into her books, that I could not wait for Gertrude’s story and I was not disappointed. Gertrude never thought she was strong or brave, until she proved to herself that she was as strong and brave as anyone in her family. My heart went out to Edwin, he was broken after loosing his family, but the love he had/has for his son is so strong you can feel it and feel you were going through the heartache with him.

This book is part of a series which can be read alone. This is the second book I have read in the series, but I am glad I read The Governess before this book because I feel it helped me understand some of the characters better. I would love for Steven to grow up and get his story.